Arming the Sukhoi's with Israeli Bombs

Arming the Sukhoi's with Israeli Bombs

      Indian air force all set to seal a contract to buy more than 140 new generation litening 5 target designation and surveillance pods along with thousands of spice guided glide bombs for better ground strike. which makes nearly half of the Indian Sukhoi's with multi role and precision strike capability rather than just single role of air superiority.

     IAF's not new to both of the above systems. Indian air force already operating many Sukhoi's with older generation Litening targeting pods and Spice guided munitions. However the actual number of the ammunition is remain classified. IAF has some good air superiority platforms but lack of ground attacking platforms, The Mirage 2000 and Jaguar is the only aircraft to do so the precision ground striking.

   Nearly seven squadron of Su 30 MKI going to be adopt the new generation Litening-5 pod from Israel, which was unveiled last year. compared to the previous version, the new system comprising new sensor suites, which increases the recognition distance and increase the range of target detection. The new system comes with two forward looking infrared sensors. one is the mid wave IR another is the short wave IR.

   The active laser illumination system supports ground troops to laze the target for precision bombing from safe distance. The ground images can be captured using the high definition CCD camera for better clarity of recognition. which improves the detection capability, The litening  also uses the thermal camera's to find out camouflaged units and fake targets.

    The Rafale has been selected with his immense capability of flying very low and carry more ordinance. Rafale comes with ASSM precision guided munition for pin point target strike. The Sukhoi normally designed as an air superiority fighter to intercept and conducting patrols to destroy any uninvited guests inside Indian air space.

   Changing the role of an aircraft is not so easy, However it's possible, the Israeli's and Americans worked on the F 15 by adding more support units for ground attack. and makes the Strike eagle version of F 15, which is one of the best known multi role aircraft. India is also trying the same by adding more guided weaponry in Sukhoi's arsenal.

    The Spice bombs are glide bombs who guided by CCD and IR sensors. Spice also supports INS and GPS guidance too. either any of the above said guidance system used in the missile. Spice comes with 250, 500, 1000 and 2000 pounds weight with the warhead weight of 100 kg, 250kg, 500 and 1000 kg's respectively. The actual glide range of Spice missile is more than 60 kilometers, some unofficial sources claims the actual range may go well beyond 100 kilometers.

    The previous generation US made Joint direct attack munition also uses the same technology. However now they adopted the GPS and laser guided systems. In modern world the rise of smoke screens and GPS jammers can easily jam the Bomb. which makes the bomb may attack the wrong or false target.

    The litening pod in the Sukhoi works with the spice bombs. The scene matching technology used in the Litening can  feed more than 100 different targets into a single Spice bomb. whoever the best matches the bomb strikes it.

    India almost stopped using the dumb bombs, which is not used in modern warfare since most military hardware's are mobile. IAF asking the government to stock PGM to fight effectively in future battles. each Su 30 MKI can carry more than 32 Spice 250 bombs and a Litening Pod. along with two or four long range BVR missiles for self support.

    The above configuration can destroy almost many strategic Pakistani buildings and Pakistani sponsored terrorists camps close to the border. Su 30 MKI can attack those positions well inside from Indian airspace. As per some known sources the deal value of Litening and Spice is more than half a billion dollars.

BMP-2 Upgrade Program, Army Cancels Deal with OFB

BMP-2 Upgrade Program, Army Cancels Deal with OFB

Russian and OFB Proposed BMP 2 upgrade model

     Indian Army sources confirmed to ET, That they were all set to cancel the earlier awarded $1.8 billion deal to upgrade more than 1600 BMP 2 infantry combat vehicle into new BMP 2M standard. Medhak based OFB joined with Russian firm to build those BMP units in India, Further upgrade the BMP 2 into new standard Army shortlisted the same company.

    The PSU piped out all other private vendors to secure the deal. The Upgrade Parameters are explained in this article ( Indian Army BMP 2 Upgrade Program ) Now the Army plans to cancel the deal with OFB due to unknown reasona. Sources said this is due to Private vendors like Tata and Mahindra shown interests in the upgrade process. 

    The decision mainly focus Private companies to learn how to make armored vehicles, and it's subsystems.  TATA is already involved in FICV project. Known as kestral. Earlier when the contract announced about the upgrade work, Kalyani joined with Israeli firm Rafeal to upgrade the BMP with Spike and RCWS systems. However the Public sector unit OFB managed to get the deal.

    Due to the cancellation of the deal, The upgrade process could make delay in the operational availability of BMP 2 and it's upgrade program. Also this shows Army's vision is not clear, Making delay in every process. 

Kalyani Rafeal Joint propose of BMP 2 upgrade

Spyder Anti Missile System

Spyder Anti Missile System

   Surface launched python and derby missile is known as Spyder, python is a infrared guided heat seeking missile, where derby is an radar guided BVR missile, both missiles can lock the target before or after launching the Missiles, simply known as lock on after/before launch, these missiles are the derivatives of Fighter launched Python and Derby,both Python and Derby is fire and forget missiles, that can be launched in ripple fire mode to intercept large number of hostile flying objects, two version of Spyder is available, one is the SR version, having a four cell launcher vehicle with a EL/M 2016 ATAR 3D AESA Radar, and the MR version comes with eight cell launcher with much powerful EL/M-2084 MMR 3D AESA radar. while all of them have same limited range of upto 25 km only.

   With the increasing threats from Chinese and Pakistani long range cruise missiles, IAF has a challenge to secure it's air bases from enemy low flying cruise missiles, and heavy bombs, at that time IAF has no real fire and forget quick reaction SAM batteries which is also capable to shoot very low flying loitering UAV's and low flying cruise missiles, Air force planned to buy a SAM system which can detect and shoot such low flying threats, and floated a RFI in early 2000, and many foreign countries like West, US, Israel and Russia offered their advanced systems, after effective field trails, IAF impressed with the Israeli Spyder's performance. any how due to the leftist parties protest the deal was stalled, and IAF has no other option than the Israeli offer, most of the Israeli offers are very handy to the IAF, they allows the Indians to whatever they can do, they don't hesitate to supply the Spares and missiles when India steps in a war.

After some years of delay, the Defense ministry finally signed the deal with the Israeli's. and within a year Israeli's started delivering those missiles and launchers to IAF, as per the initial deal the IAF receives some 108 Spyder MR Launching units, Radar's and command posts for some $260 millions, and the exact information about the missile delivery is not available, it's believed IAF may bought some 1500 missiles, as 50-50 of Derby and Python, and many open sources reported that India bought the MR SAM system, means the eight cell launcher, where the exact information remains secret. and it's deployed area's also not available for public's. mostly they are somewhere in eastern and western frontiers.

    The IAF has ordered some 18 batteries, so it's means one Spyder web consists of six Spyder launchers plus a single Radar and command posts. also Israeli's has no problems of using Indian made trucks for transporting, currently IAF using the TATA trucks for Transporting those missiles and launchers, the IAF is so familiar with the EL/M-2084 Multi Mission 3D AESA radar, and Israel allows India to reverse engineer the Radar to make a desi version, the desi version is called as Arudhra, the MMR radar is not just a surveillance radar, it act as a weapon locating radar, and fire control radar too, even those EL/M Radar systems guides the Israeli Air force fighter to attack the exact location of hamas rocket launching positions, the known Iron dome uses the EL/M 2084 for surveillance and fire control.

    The Spyder missile system can capable to detect very low flying loitering targets, like UAV's and Cruise missiles, the operational target engagement altitude is twenty meters to 9000 meters, where the typical cruise missile can fly, the Spyder can shoot down both sub sonic and supersonic cruise missiles, interestingly the Spyder system can  work with both MR and SR versions, the Python and Derby missiles has the lock on after launch capability which gives the missiles single shot confirm kill probability, the Spyder missiles can launched from the cell within five seconds once the hair trigger pressed and the target was identified as hostile, interestingly the Spyder systems comes with infrared search and track system too, even if the Radar was compromised the Spyder launcher unit can launch the missile against threats, like how fighter air crafts switch off their radar and guide those missiles using IRST,

    The Missile system is highly network centric system, means even if enemy comes in large numbers with variety of flying machines, the Spyder's MMR radar can mark each targets and ripple launch those missiles for high probability kill in single shot, such scenario was tested only by the Americans as of now, by using standard missiles to destroy Ballistic, Cruise and air craft targets with 100% kill probability, same can be done by the Spyder too, except those ballistic missile, the spyder will engage the Ballistic missiles,however the small missile won't make huge damage to the monster sized ballistic missiles,

    Currently those missile defense systems are being used by Peru and  Singapore along with Indians, It's believed that IAF already received all those ordered Spyder systems and all of them under operational.