tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post8097838873782223276..comments2024-03-28T05:22:10.255-07:00Comments on Broadsword by Ajai Shukla - Strategy. Economics. Defence.: Promoting “swadeshi” in defenceBroadswordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13076780076240598482noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-85142124276125050312014-07-07T05:42:11.945-07:002014-07-07T05:42:11.945-07:00ajai,
would be interesting to see what tejas mk 2 ...ajai,<br />would be interesting to see what tejas mk 2 brings to the table.<br />Upgraded engine yes, but does that translate into performance enhancements? I would suggest you ask specifics on performance deltas for mk2 vs mk 1 to your pals at ADA / HAL next time you meet them, you might get an idea why the iaf is unenthusiastic.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-73240322226503091552014-07-05T20:22:09.126-07:002014-07-05T20:22:09.126-07:00Please leave out words like emerging super power.Please leave out words like <b>emerging <i>super power</i></b>.Sujith Abrahamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05322791219310405137noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-79164669933877596872014-07-03T23:55:32.526-07:002014-07-03T23:55:32.526-07:00Rafale is built for fight and win, not for routine...Rafale is built for fight and win, not for routine sorties in peacetime.indiannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-1872675021888633162014-07-01T23:54:29.402-07:002014-07-01T23:54:29.402-07:00Witless whinings.....we still dont have a water bo...Witless whinings.....we still dont have a water bottle in the combat kit...the INSAS rifle has been abandoned...we dont have a decent boot, still DMS of yore and we dont even have combat dress as per terrain configuration... as usual hot air from the Cavalry Cad...true to his ilk !Mudbloodnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-88593455850167752192014-06-29T00:09:42.564-07:002014-06-29T00:09:42.564-07:00As usual, a superb article by Col. Shukla. You dar...<b>As usual, a superb article by Col. Shukla. You dare to ask questions that nobody in the "mainstream" media even contemplates. They're all jockeys of foreign arms companies.</b><br /><br />Salutations to you, Col. Shukla.<br />______________________<br /><br />Just cut the Rafale orders to half or 63 instead of 126. 3 advantages of this:<br /><br /><b>1)</b> Govt. saves face internationally.<br /><br /><b>2)</b> Precious dollar$ are saved.<br /><br /><b>3)</b> IAF gets placated -- for now.<br /><br />Then, by using the Saved dollar$, we must do 3 things:<br /><br /><b>1)</b> Invite private sector cos. like Tata, L&T, Reliance, Walchand to set up assembly lines of Tejas components or <b>the entire Tejas aircraft itself.</b> This will speed up production to 32+ units a year.<br /><br /><b>2)</b> Ram the Tejas Mk.2 down IAF's throat. Invite SAAB consultancy to speed up Tejas Mk.2. Also invite SAAB's marketers, middlemen, bribe-givers, etc. --- anything to get this done.<br /><br /><b>3)</b> Fly Tejas to International Air Shows. It should be on the front page of all major Aviation magazines. It should be the talk at aviation fairs. Invite foreign journalists to take joy-rides (pay them whatever they want). <br /><br /><b>4)</b> Invite Discovery, BBC, National Geographic and do a series on "Emerging Nations' Audacious New Tech. Leaps".Abhimannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-31432372531588795382014-06-27T03:03:05.690-07:002014-06-27T03:03:05.690-07:00Ajai - Did you not get the idea to buy Saab from m...Ajai - Did you not get the idea to buy Saab from my comment in the previous blogpost comment? Well it wasn't mine but a friend commented a few years back!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-56631830661643718432014-06-26T19:52:47.798-07:002014-06-26T19:52:47.798-07:00Dear Ajay,
This article is very exciting for anyo...Dear Ajay,<br /><br />This article is very exciting for anyone who believes in Swadeshi.<br /><br />At the present moment Indian defence industry is at an inflection point. If we manage to hold ourselves for the next 4-5 years we shall have proven indigenous capacilibilites in aircraft manufacture, tank manufacture, howitzer manufacture, combat helicopter etc. <br /><br />We have to be very judicious in spending and evaluate all indigenous options available.<br /><br />I had stopped posting on your website after you didnt post my comment which quoted from Businessweek and argued against F35. <br /><br />But I commend you for writing this article and sowing seeds of thought amongst the decision making authorities.<br /><br />I have been for scrapping of Rafale deal for some time now.Hrishikeshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03988546767811697186noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-81996172311102084952014-06-26T13:47:14.686-07:002014-06-26T13:47:14.686-07:00I met this Chinese cabbie recently and wow what a ...I met this Chinese cabbie recently and wow what a great person he is. I felt like there 100 billion modis in China. The govt there was able to forsee the growth aspects and defence spend on mute and focussed on economic growth. He said China saw other countries like japan singapote taiwan making big with setting up manufacturing hubs and were able to cash in on low costs associated. It was in 1970 that China started implementing reforms and by 1990 China has become a manufacturing hub for entire world. He said since then the std oc living in China has improved and ppl started to get 2000dollars per month on an average. He said world needs one place where they can produce goods at low cost. Since China is no more a place for this they will soon be on hunt for low cost work force. He said it is great chace for India if it can cash in now otherwise you have to wait for 20 more years. I terestingly he conveyed lot of confidence in Modi. <br /><br />Just thought I will share this as I found that chat very interesting. Sorry for bad grammer and punctuation.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-59729347841261156832014-06-25T21:48:45.697-07:002014-06-25T21:48:45.697-07:00@Sarabvir Singh:
You nailed it! In the past nearl...@Sarabvir Singh:<br /><br />You nailed it! In the past nearly 70 years our governments wasted energy, resources and focus to dole out sops to the poor. With such an attitude, and no one willing to sacrifice, how can India be what we want it to be? The whole education system is geared to produce textbook craming scholars. On top, these neo-brahmins (educated elite, IITs, PhDs, Scientists etc) instantly dismiss any innovation/invention coming from "un-qualified" people. With such mindset, its impossible to bring forth true talent. Just take a look at the ugly spat between former ISRO chief Nair and the current chief. The former was inept so much so that, he keeps pulling the leg of the current chief. Modi has set an example of how a leader should behave and be selected and not based on horse-trading such as former PM. India desparately needs more LEADERS like Modi.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-40758086691283515932014-06-25T10:12:45.759-07:002014-06-25T10:12:45.759-07:00There are a lot of geo-political considerations be...There are a lot of geo-political considerations behind every deal. The deals with USA under FMS could have been a means to pay back for all its support to get us the Nuclear Deal. Similarly with France we have a long standing relationship. They have steadfastly supported India's nuclear ambition. France has in the past rendered some cooperation in Thermo Nuclear Technology. Rafale could be a way to pay back. Remember Mirage -2000 is our only potent Nuclear delivery platform.Ram Bharadwajnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-14679854898596219562014-06-24T22:46:22.271-07:002014-06-24T22:46:22.271-07:00The bane of all the soo called Rising powers in th...The bane of all the soo called Rising powers in the world chiefly India and China is our Inability to produce high perfoemance jet engines like the Russian Saturn AL-31/41 or the P&W, GE and Rolls Royse engines. You get this little "irritant" sorted out and the answer to most questions about Airforce Plane Types will automoatically come to you. As such, not a single Indian Entity- Private or Public has the capability and scientific throughput to produce a jet engie producing anywahere betwen 75-160 Thousand kN of thrust. Heck, we cant even make a diesel engine worth 1500 hundred ponies without getting a german company to set up a subsidiary in Talegaon, Pune to produce it for us.<br />We still have a long long way to go before true Indegenisation of weapons happens. And it will happen when Indian Officers, JCO/NCO's and Jawans themselves have technical competency to improve their own Gear and not rely on some RD Sharma Mathematics book 99 Percentile Tuition centre Scientist. Forget the Sukhois and Rafales, when an Army Jawan himself comes up with a better rifle strap for his Insas/AKM by doing his own research and materials testing....thats when a true Swadeshi movement will happen.<br />Lets not forget.....the current US .50 caliber Anti Material Rifle was made not by a design bureau scientist but by a serving Seargent. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05884194073357479776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-31158357377965119792014-06-24T18:54:32.873-07:002014-06-24T18:54:32.873-07:00I disagree... one of the underproductive and over ...I disagree... one of the underproductive and over privileged organisations in the country is DRDO... If one was to see the fantastic infrastructure they have constructed for their own comfort its praiseworthy, the tasking given to them progresses at a tardy pace... no accountability is the key... let a few heads roll for incompetence... automatically things will improve! Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-66300018239727379282014-06-24T18:19:12.190-07:002014-06-24T18:19:12.190-07:00I think army problems are easier to solve. We shou...I think army problems are easier to solve. We should have had INSAS mark. 3 by now with all variants. There is a fundamental continuous improvement mindset missing in armed forces and DRDoAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-86804966121109298562014-06-24T15:51:53.905-07:002014-06-24T15:51:53.905-07:00Er, Colonel,
Re. your statement that only the F-3...Er, Colonel,<br /><br />Re. your statement that only the F-35 can knock out the Qinghai-Tibet railway and the Eastern and Western Highways into Tibet on D-Day, wouldn't the PAK-FA have similar capabilities - and we are getting those, AFAIK. Also, couldn't this be done by cruise missiles (e.g. Nirbhay) or air-launched Brahmos missiles from SU-30 MKI's? Just my 2c...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-8139928482414271602014-06-24T14:15:32.546-07:002014-06-24T14:15:32.546-07:00Ajai Bhai
Only if your dreams & desires coul...Ajai Bhai <br /><br />Only if your dreams & desires could come true. The fact is all good ideas are up against the work culture in India. The defense sector has to date never completed a major project in time. Why ? because Govt employee productivity is never challenged + red tape + vested political interest + delayed decision making. If they can make a MARK 2 LCA as good as a Rafale, then why not give the a chance. But then LCA MARK 1 was supposed to have reached IAF squardens a decade ago :-) Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-40011093571595952942014-06-24T11:13:57.200-07:002014-06-24T11:13:57.200-07:00@ Broadsword 20:44
In the era of missiles and dro...@ Broadsword 20:44<br /><br />In the era of missiles and drones, I find it absurd to involve expensive manned fighters such as F-35 against a potentially superior foe. Instead a barrage of precision missiles can do the same job effectively and at a substantially lower cost. I am sure some of our early planners during the conception of the IGMDP days had precisely this in mind. No wonder US is involved in laser and other conventional means of ABM defence systems to precisely counter the proliferation of accurate missiles in the arsenals of developing nations such as India. Our job is cut-out for us, we need more Military Satellites that can give us a real-time imagery of theater of operations. I am sure India has this lined up in its development path. Era of manned fighter is fast coming to an end. Any Analyst worth his salt, will tell the same thing. Also the cost of training the manpower to operate a manned fighter is expensive to say the least. A drone on the other hand can be piloted by a lesser mortal. Another thought that comes to mind, is that, India is stupidly funding the next-gen weapons platforms of exporting nations by buying their existing platforms. This has to Stop, instead India should only do tie-ups with nations willing to co-design their next-gen weapons systems. Or with a fraction of that bloated price-tag, raise the salaries of our defence scientists and offer perks and other rewards for those that perform exceptionally, that will boost their moral and cause others to follow their example to work rather than waste to get rewards and be recognised as successful. The Answer to India's defence stagnation is not buzz words such as "swadeshi" or "indigenization" or "self-reliance", its leadership, vision and above all management and work-place best-practices. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-17416011008537586452014-06-24T10:47:39.439-07:002014-06-24T10:47:39.439-07:00If India can built aircraft carriers and navy ship...If India can built aircraft carriers and navy ships on its own. Why can't we built a aircraft? There is only one reason, IAF's obsession towards foreign goods. Had they spent the same kind of money on developing indigenous industries the result would have been different. Also need to take care of corruption and the quality of spare parts produced in India. A very good thought in this article.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-50195898383702373932014-06-24T10:18:15.636-07:002014-06-24T10:18:15.636-07:00Hmm, no mention of the Arjun when you were discuss...Hmm, no mention of the Arjun when you were discussing the Army's swadeshi armour options - is that a sign that the Arjun programme as we know it is done? The FMBT is still a concept, whereas the Mk II is close to being ready and was supposedly under trials this year, but the article had no mention of it. <br /><br />Otherwise, good article, I am for killing off the Rafale deal as well - it is 10 years too late and too expensive. Shyamnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-25492093935231323362014-06-24T09:59:56.666-07:002014-06-24T09:59:56.666-07:00Another rubbish article from a much reputed author...Another rubbish article from a much reputed author. 'Swadeshi' is the mantra spoken by everyone, no one will take care to explain though why 67 years of swadeshi mantra has not resulted in one complete indigeneous product, on time and on budget.....OK, the armed forces are responsible because they love pizzas more than daal maakhni, but the problem no one understands is when one is dying of hunger, he will try to eat whatever is readily availaible, not some 'futuristic' off budgets "Alice in Wonderland" menus prepared by swadeshi restaurants.... <br /><br />Tejas MK2: No one, even the author will try to explain why the so called swadeshi merchants did self chest thumping in 2011 when IOC was given to MK1. If IOC was indeed achieved, then why has no one complained when IOC was "again" given in 2013 December. No one will try to explain though why "swadeshi" HAL, with a track record of such a huge experience of tightening up nuts and bolts has not been able to deliver a "single" Tejas MK1 in 3 years and why swadeshi DRDO is helping swadeshi HAL in trying to increase the production rate to 16(what a high figure after 30 years of development) from the current 8 per year.....<br />Now swadeshi DRDO and HAL are designing MK2, well, they have been doing that since 2009 when the project was approved, and they will continue to design till eternity....2019 for MK2????, the author knows he is playing a dirty joke on us....<br />40% serviceability rate of Su 30MKI? From where did the author get that figure? Maybe from Lockheed Martin/Saab propaganda documents....If 40% is the default figure for Russian designed fighters and 75% for French designed fighters, any sane logical man will go for the French product rather than the Russian one....<br /><br />We should not buy the over expensive Rafale because no foreign manufacturer will help us in making self reliant, but yes, we should tie up with SAAB for MK2 in the 'hope' that they will help us in attaining self reliance....Another cruel joke.<br /><br />Those so called swadeshi restaurants could not produce a single homemade artillery gun for the last 30 years and yes, we will have to continue relying on them....<br /><br />The 'only' field where swadeshis are doing a 'little' good job is the field of missiles, especially ballistic missiles....Cruise missiles, they have failed, take Nirbhay for example, swadeshi dream sellers will hit back by saying 'Brahmos', again, a Russian missile with Russian technology with some Indian components...SAM, moderate success, if reports of Akash(even production lot) misfiring quite frequently is to be believed....<br /><br />Swadeshi dream merchants will quote the example of home made products for Indian Navy and how Indian Navy has stood by them unlike Army and Airforce. Yes, they have, and that's why they have 'only' 61% frigates, 44% destroyers and 22% frigates and maybe, 0.0000000001% submarines of what is required present at any point of time.....<br /><br />No one is denying the usefulness of be swadeshi, the problem is the wrong approach and dependency on the wrong people....These swadeshi restaurants are actually collaborating with the foreign restaurants and is deliberately underperforming, so that there is no alternatives to the pizzas....Solution: Make those swadeshi restaurants accountable, if it goes offtime and offbudgets, execute the concerned officials like what dictators do.....<br /><br />There are 3 lobbies in active work here: <br />1) Swadeshi restaurants and their backers joining hands with foreign restaurants and deliberately underperforming.<br />2) Babus and defence ministers of this country taking bribes from our enemy countries with whom we may have to fight a war and cancelling military modernization projects so that armed forces stays in the 1950's....<br />3) Indian waiters of these foreign restaurants who when the restaurant has lost in a contract, will try to put fence in the path of the winning vendor....<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Rahul(Kolkata)noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-6517221575599441222014-06-24T09:39:18.123-07:002014-06-24T09:39:18.123-07:00For all the praise that the MMCRA selection proces...For all the praise that the MMCRA selection process drew, it had one fundamental flaw.It pitted single engine fighters vs twin engine fighters and let them be evaluated sife by side like that was possible. Also I have no clue why the IAF thought a country like India , could afford $100 million fighters. Should it always fall to the finance ministry to reject such extravagant purchases?\<br />The DRDO/HAL/ADA also don't do themselves any credit by such boastful claims as "We can export the Tejas" when they can barely deliver it to our own airforce. <br />Here's to hoping that someone wakes up and tells the IAF , we can't really afford the RAFALE.<br /> Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-31001361318523557652014-06-24T09:19:43.360-07:002014-06-24T09:19:43.360-07:00On aircraft availability, during ops the maint guy...On aircraft availability, during ops the maint guys sweat blood to surge availability to 99%, which using your current level of 40% would result in more than doubling the available aircraft sorties.<br /><br />Having fewer aircraft to start with reduces the effect of the surge, and also increases the impact of losses.<br /><br />While 'professionals' may talk logistics, war isn't just simple arithmatic, as you well know. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-6537670623374200892014-06-24T08:49:05.075-07:002014-06-24T08:49:05.075-07:00The whole issue involves capacity building and HAL...The whole issue involves capacity building and HAL has to squarely take the blame. HAL has a order backlog of about 10 years of orders have you heard of this anywhere else in the world and instead of outsourcing 50 % value it now wants to build a transport aircraft how much comic can it get??Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-19051519214000040762014-06-24T08:14:47.635-07:002014-06-24T08:14:47.635-07:00@ Anonymous 18:34 and Amol
Have never believed or...@ Anonymous 18:34 and Amol<br /><br />Have never believed or written that the F/A-18 is a suitable fighter for India. It isn't.<br /><br />As for the F-35, it is needed for a specific and very crucial mission --- knocking out the Qinghai-Tibet railway and the Eastern and Western Highways into Tibet on D-Day, i.e. Day One of a war with China. And thereafter flying repeated deep interdiction sorties to ensure that the Tibet sector remains isolated and more PLA forces cannot be brought in. Only one aircraft can do this mission --- the F-35.<br /><br />My fave uncle? Anonymous, it's you.Broadswordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13076780076240598482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-86792984743444554492014-06-24T08:11:44.251-07:002014-06-24T08:11:44.251-07:00@ Anonymous 17:33
Says, "the author never fa...@ Anonymous 17:33<br /><br />Says, "the author never fails to soil his reputation".<br /><br />Clearly you keep coming back to this blog if you're keeping such a careful track of my writing!Broadswordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13076780076240598482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-50980652456663029772014-06-24T08:10:11.122-07:002014-06-24T08:10:11.122-07:00@ JJ
Abandoning the Rafale project will not attra...@ JJ<br /><br />Abandoning the Rafale project will not attract even one paisa of financial penalty.Broadswordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13076780076240598482noreply@blogger.com