Tag: defence services

Posted on

EXPANDING BOEING IN INDIA

 

 

Prime Minister of India will inaugurate American aircraft manufacturer Boeing’s new state-of-the-art global engineering and technology innovation campus (Boeing India Engineering and Technology Center {BIETC}),  in Devanahalli on the outskirts of Bengaluru on 19 Jan 24.

 

The 43-acre campus, built with an investment of Rs 1,600 crore, is said to be the largest such Boeing facility outside the U.S. According to the Press Information Bureau (PIB), it will be a cornerstone for partnership with the startup, private, and government ecosystem in India and will help develop next-generation products and services for the global aerospace and defence industry.

 

Additionally, the PM will also launch the Boeing Sukanya programme, which aims to support the entry of more women from across India into the country’s growing aviation sector. The programme will provide opportunities for girls and women from across India to learn critical skills in the science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) fields and train for jobs in the aviation sector. For young girls, the program will create STEM Labs at 150 planned locations to help spark interest in STEM careers. The programme will also provide scholarships to women who are training to be pilots.

 

Boeing

 

Boeing is one of the largest global aerospace manufacturers, with its corporate headquarters in Chicago, Illinois, and it employs approximately 153,000 personnel. The company designs, manufactures and sells aeroplanes, aircraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunication equipment and missiles around the world. Besides military aircraft, it has over ten thousand commercial aircraft operating all over the world.

 

Boeing started 107 years ago when American businessman William E. Boeing started a company named Aero Products for the manufacture of aeroplanes. About a year later, its name was changed to Boeing Airplane Company. The first aircraft was designed in 1917 and the World War I was the biggest turning point for the company. After, WW I Boeing started making commercial aircraft and continued to expand.  The company has taken over 32 other companies so far.

 

Some of the military aircraft/helicopters manufactured by Boeing are:-

      • C-17 Globemaster III
      • CH/MH-47 Chinook
      • V-22 Osprey
      • AH-6 Light Attack Helicopter
      • AH-64D Apache
      • F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Navy fighter aircraft
      • F-15E Strike Eagle tactical fighter
      • Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight (Vertol Aircraft Corp.)
      • Boeing AH-6.
      • Boeing Vertol YUH-61.
      • Boeing Vertol XCH-62.
      • MH-139 Gray Wolf (with Leonardo S.p.A.)

 

India Engagement.

 

Boeing has been a partner of India’s aerospace sector for almost eight decades, both with the commercial and defence aviation sectors. Boeing’s relationship with India goes back to the 1940s when the Indian Air Force inducted the Harvard Advanced Trainer and DC-3 military transport aircraft.

 

Boeing’s India operations include headquarters in Delhi and field service offices in Mumbai, Hindan, and Arkonam.  

 

Military aircraft from Boeing inducted into the Indian Defence forces include:-

      • A fleet of 11 C-17 Globemaster IIIs (India is the biggest operator of these aircraft in the world, outside of the US).
      • 15 CH-47 Chinook heavy lift helicopter.
      • 22 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters.
      • Modified Boeing transport aircraft for VIP duties.
      • Poseidon P-8I aircraft for IN (designed for long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions).

 

Besides Military aircraft, various versions of Boeing aircraft (737,747,757,777 and 787) are being used by Indian air carriers (Air India, Vistara, Blue Dart, and Akasa etc.).  Akaasa has recently placed an order for 150 aircraft.

 

Boeing has a joint venture with Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) – The Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited (TBAL). This state-of-the-art manufacturing facility has been producing aero-structures for Boeing’s AH-64 Apache helicopter, including fuselages, secondary structures and vertical spar boxes for customers worldwide. Recently a new production line to manufacture complex vertical fin structures for the 737 family of airplanes has been added.

 

Follow On Support, Maintenance Repair Overhaul (MRO) And Logistics Supply Lines. Various follow-up support, logistics supply lines, training and other services for various platforms purchased by India are being offered by another division of The Boeing Company, viz. Boeing Global Services (BGS). In February 2021, Boeing has signed a strategic collaboration with aviation services provider Air Works for the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of its VIP transport aircraft fleet operated by the IAF. This partnership is a first under the newly launched Boeing India Repair Development and Sustainment (BIRDS) hub initiative.

 

114 Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA). Boeing is one of the contenders for the Indian acquisition plan, fielding its F-15 and F-18 aircraft.

 

Advantages

 

Boeing Engineering and Technology campus in Bengaluru, Karnataka will conduct core engineering and research for Boeing’s iconic products as well as future platforms. It will have future avionics manufacturing and assembly capability.

      • It will provide impetus to the Indian Atmanirbhar Bharat scheme.
      • It will provide a boost to “Make in India”, “Skill India” and “Make for the World” initiatives through investments in manufacturing, co-production, skilling, engineering, and innovation.
      • It will help the foray of the Indian defence industry into the world market and by co-development of integrated systems in aerospace and defence not just for India, but for the world.
      • It will generate employment opportunities. Today, Boeing India has 4,000 employees, and more than 7,000 people who work on dedicated supply chain jobs with Indian suppliers across manufacturing, engineering and IT sectors.
      • It will provide much-needed technology infusion into the Indian defence manufacturing ecosystem.
      • It will reinforce India’s status as a leading foreign Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) engaged in making, engineering, and sourcing from India.
      • It will improve MRO, training and supply chain facilities.
      • It is a Win-Win situation for both.

 

Coming Up:- Boeing’s Current Woes.

 

Suggestions and value additions are most welcome

 

For regular updates, please register here:-

Subscribe

 

 

References and credits

To all the online sites and channels.

  1. https://www.boeing.co.in/boeing-in-india/about-boeing-in-india.page
  2. ` https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/india/pm-modi-to-inaugurate-boeings-largest-facility-outside-the-us-in-bengaluru-on-january-19-12071891.html
  1. https://www.financialexpress.com/business/defence-fe-exclusive-boeings-vision-for-india-a-partner-in-progress-across-sectors-3237450/
  1. https://www.sps-aviation.com/story/?id=3133&h=Boeing-Defense-A-Long-Standing-Journey-in-India

 

Disclaimer:

Information and data included in the blog are for educational & non-commercial purposes only and have been carefully adapted, excerpted, or edited from sources deemed reliable and accurate. All copyrighted material belongs to respective owners and is provided only for purposes of wider dissemination.

Posted on

NEWS AND VIEWS (NATIONAL)

 

NEWS – 1: Border Issues

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said India’s two major borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh will be completely secured in the next two years.

He was speaking on the occasion of the 59th Raising Day celebration of the Border Security Force (BSF).

 

VIEWS

    • The India-Pakistan Border is 2,290 km long and the India-Bangladesh border is 4,096 km.
    • In places, it has long riverine, mountains, and marshy areas where it is very difficult to erect fences.
    • Border fence alone cannot prevent infiltration, it has to be manned and equipped appropriately.
    • India keeps spending money on erecting, maintaining, and manning the fence. This is a slow bleed to its economy and security apparatus.
    • Also, there is the problem of underground tunnels across the fence.
    • A new dimension is the use of small tactical drones coming across for smuggling and attack with small weapons.
    • Hamas’s attack against Israel has opened a new threat of mass infiltration across the border by sub-conventional aerial platforms.

 

 

NEWS-2: Drone Threat at the Border

BSF director general Nitin Agarwal has disclosed that:-

    • 90 Pakistani drones have been shot down on the border in a year.
    • The number of drone sightings on the India-Pakistan border has increased to 300, compared to 268 in 2022, 109 in 2021, 49 in 2020, and 35 in 2019.
    • These drones were within a range of 2-10 km on the border.
    • These drones carry narcotics, arms, and improvised explosive devices.
    • BSF has seized about 1,000 kg of heroin over the last year.
    • BSF has also deployed a hand-held static and vehicle-mounted anti-drone system to counter the increasing threat of drones on the Indo-Pak border.
    • The seized and shot-down drones are largely made in China.

 

VIEWS

    • This subcon threat is here to stay.
    • It is a grey zone activity that would continue even in the no war no peace scenario.
    • Anti-drone systems would be heavy in demand.
    • Cheap Chinese drones are finding their way into Pakistan.
    • China has also supplied armed drones to Pakistan.
    • Pakistan is also collaborating with Turkey for the development of indigenous drones.

 

 

NEWS-3: India Border Talks with China

    • The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India disclosed that a virtual meeting took place under the framework of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC). Gourangalal Das, Joint Secretary (East Asia) in the Ministry of External Affairs, led the Indian delegation. The Chinese team was headed by the director-general, of boundary and oceanic affairs in the Chinese foreign ministry.
    • The MEA statement said that the two sides reviewed the situation along the LAC in the Western Sector of the India-China border areas, and engaged in an open, constructive, and in-depth discussion of proposals to resolve the remaining issues and achieve complete disengagement in eastern Ladakh.
    • Both sides decided to hold the next round of senior military commanders’ meetings at the earliest.
    • They further agreed on the need to maintain peace and tranquillity along the border areas, ensure a stable situation on the ground, and avoid any untoward incident.

 

VIEWS

    • The situation has been tense after the Galwan clash in Jun 2020. The Indian and Chinese troops are locked in a confrontation at certain friction points in eastern Ladakh.
    • As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process in 2021 on the north and south banks of the Pangong Lake and in the Gogra area.
    • The Indian side has been strongly pressing for the resolution of the lingering issues at Depsang and Demchok. There has been no breakthrough so far.
    • “Maintain peace and tranquillity along the border areas” are hollow words used by China to delay the process and buy time.
    • China also has mastered the art of confusing the issue with false claims and documents.
    • China cannot be trusted as it continues to keep the pot boiling.

 

 

NEWS-4: Indian Navy Day Announcements About Women Induction

The Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral R. Hari Kumar announced during his speech at a press conference ahead of the Navy Day:-

    • CNS lauded the Agnipath scheme, calling it a much-needed, transformational change.
    • More than 1,000 women agniveers have been incorporated into the Indian Navy. (The first batch of Agniveers graduated from the premier-establishment, INS Chilka, in March this year. And importantly, this batch of Agniveers includes 272 female Agniveer trainees as well. The second batch of Agniveers had a total of 454 women. With the third batch number has crossed 1,000.
    • He asserted that these statistics stand testament to the Indian Navy’s philosophy of all roles and all ranks concerning the deployment of women in the service, both for officers and for personnel below the rank of officer.
    • He also announced appointment of the first woman commanding officer of an Indian naval ship.

 

VIEWS

    • Time will tell about the success or failure of the Agnipath scheme and its long-term effect on the operational preparedness of the forces.
    • Periodic review and midterm corrections are essential for the success of the scheme.
    • This scheme should be extended to paramilitary forces and other central and state government services.
    • Women are being inducted in all three services at the officer level and in other ranks.
    • Army and IAF have already appointed women as commanding officers.

 

Suggestions and value additions are most welcome

 

For regular updates, please register here:-

Subscribe

 

 

References and credits

To all the online sites and channels.

 

Disclaimer:

Information and data included in the blog are for educational & non-commercial purposes only and have been carefully adapted, excerpted, or edited from sources deemed reliable and accurate. All copyrighted material belongs to respective owners and is provided only for purposes of wider dissemination.

 

Posted on

INPUTS TO JOURNALIST: RECENT DEFENCE PROCUREMENT

 

NEWS

The defence ministry has cleared acquisition proposals worth ₹2.23 lakh crore for the armed forces, including:-

97 additional light combat aircraft from HAL.

156 light combat helicopters from Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL).

A ₹65,000-crore plan to upgrade the mainstay Su 30MKI fighter jet fleet in service with the air force.

 

Q.  A multi-billion dollar acquisition was approved by DAC. But what is absent is the AoN for MRFA. Do you think the government sees the indigenous LCA Mk2 as a viable option instead of 114 MRFAs??

COMMENTS

  • Over the years the IAF capabilities have enhanced manifold.
  • It is the capacity (war endurance) that needs attention, strength of fighter and combat support platforms.
  • Overall the deterrence capability has not kept pace with the existing threat perception.
  • This aspect needs to be addressed urgently.
  • The government is aware of it and trying to address it.
  • Air platforms of the Air Force are technology-intensive, costly, and take time to procure.
  • While building up the capability and capacity, the most important thing to be kept in mind is that the required minimum deterrence value is to be maintained at all times (either by domestic production or by outside procurement.
  • The lesson from all the recent wars is that self-reliance in defence production is essential.
  • Another major factor to be considered is that a balance is to be maintained between the quality and quantity of platforms.
  • IAF has a drawdown mitigation plan, which is reviewed periodically.
  • The amount of money for defence spending is limited and the wish list is long.
  • The government must have taken a decision keeping all the above factors in mind.
  • They have given preference to the domestic defence industry to build up the numbers.

My recommendations are:-

  • While the domestic production of Tejas would cater to the numbers, there is a requirement for newer-generation multi-role aircraft to maintain a balanced force (till the domestic Tejas MkII and AMCA come up).
  • MRFA aircraft needs to be procured (maybe in the next instalment of defence spending).
  • These should be procured in phases (maybe two to three squadrons at a time.
  • This would spread the expenditure over some time and we would get later and better technology and features.
  • Keeping the diverse inventory of the IAF and the associated challenges it would be prudent to go in for more Rafael aircraft.

 

Suggestions and value additions are most welcome

 

For regular updates, please register here:-

Subscribe

 

 

References and credits

To all the online sites and channels.

 

Disclaimer:

Information and data included in the blog are for educational & non-commercial purposes only and have been carefully adapted, excerpted, or edited from sources deemed reliable and accurate. All copyrighted material belongs to respective owners and is provided only for purposes of wider dissemination.