The story of the T-90 has been coloured by deception and obfuscation from even before the tank was procured. Business Standard has pieced together, from internal documents and multiple interviews with MoD sources, an account of how the Indian Army has saddled itself with an underperforming, yet overpriced, version of the Russian T-90.
DRDO plans to build a tank for use in the mountains and in the jungles.
Among the handful of countries with large defence budgets and armed forces, India is matched only by Saudi Arabia in the level of its import dependence. For revenge to be served cold, go beyond import bans and correct these long-term failures -- if we're up to it, notes T N Ninan.
General M M Naravane attended the Army Day parade for the first time as the Army chief. The Army Day is celebrated on January 15 every year to mark Lieutenant General K M Cariappa taking over as commander-in-chief of the Indian Army in 1949 from General Francis Butcher, the last British commander-in-chief of India.
The nation celebrated the 71st Republic Day on Sunday with a grand military parade and exhibition of its history, cultural diversity and strategic weaponry at the Rajpath.
As dawn broke on the Pokhran field firing ranges late last year, three of India's latest T-90 tanks readied themselves on the firing line.
The Indian Army conducted a fire power display at Pokhran in Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan marking the centenary celebrations of its participation in the first World War.
India's home-built Arjun tank has emerged a conclusive winner from its showdown with the Russian T-90.
The parade began after President Ram Nath Kovind conferred the Ashoka Chakra -- India's highest peacetime gallantry award -- to Lance Naik Nazir Ahmad Wani, a militant-turned-soldier who laid down his life fighting a group of terrorists in Shopian in Kashmir in November.
But private Indian defence firms prefer to do business with the West. Indian CEOs say they encounter difficulties in obtaining full and timely payment from Russian partners.
India has experienced hands and will emerge with flying colours, declares Inspector General Gurdip Singh Uban (retd).
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Ahead of the 70th Republic Day celebrations, here's a quick glimpse at what's in store for January 26.
The Army and the Defence Research Development Organisation will jointly carry out comparative trials of indigenous 'Arjun' tanks with Russian-made T-90s this June, increasing prospects of the former's induction in the force soon.
The prospects of India becoming a credible manufacturer of defence platforms or major weapon systems for export are remote, says Vice Admiral Premvir Das (retd).
'The much-awaited decision could be a welcome change at a time when the Indian armed forces are crying for self-reliance and the defence industry is looking forward to more indigenisation,' notes Nitin A Gokhale.
The army carried out battle drills in synergy with the air force to fine tune war fighting concepts as Army Chief General V K Singh on Thursday witnessed the final stages of war exercise 'Shoorveer' in the desert area in Hanumangarh, Rajasthan.
Facing a critical shortage of ammunition for Army's fleet of T-90 and T-72 tanks after the blacklisting of an Israeli firm, the defence ministry is now looking to procure these shells from Russia.
Russia has produced quite a long list of famous dancers, so it seemed quite fitting that the country organised a 'tank ballet' at a recently-held arms expo, choreographed by none other than the legendary Bolshoy Theatre.
An army jawan was killed and two others were injured when a Combat Battle Tank hit a building during testing inside a Defence Research and Development Organisation lab in the city.
Glimpses of the colourful parade we will see on Rajpath in New Delhi on Thursday.
The UAE is the second country after France to send its troops to participate in the Republic-Day parade of India, a tradition started last year.
Bhullar started from the back nine and birdied the 11th, dropped just one bogey on Par-5 14th and he birdied 15th and 17th to turn in 2-under 33. On the second nine, he birdied his closing holes eighth and ninth.
'At this point, neither the army or the IAF has that immediate, punitive deterrent power against Pakistan.' 'Forget a three-week war; on the LoC, where the action is, Pakistan has until now fielded better infantry weapons, body armour, sniper rifles, and matching artillery' points out Shekhar Gupta.
In 2013, India had displayed the Inter Continental Ballistic Missile Agni V during the Republic Day Parade. The chief guest at that time was Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.
To showcase India's military might, one mounted cavalry and seven mechanised columns, eight marching contingents, Advanced Light Helicopters along with 10 military bands and 13 pipes and drums of the army will participate at the Republic Day parade this year.
The new policy would also allow many of the stuck programmes, like the heavy weight torpedos for the six Scorpene submarines, to move ahead with clarity.
India and Russia on Monday decided to extend the tenure of an inter-governmental commission for military cooperation by another 10 years to 2020. The two sides inched closer to resolving the Gorshkov aircraft carrier price and T-90 tanks technology transfer issues. New Delhi and Moscow also decided to form an apex body headed by the defence secretaries of the two countries to coordinate the operation of several working groups for military cooperation.
In a boost to the sagging defence relationship between India and Russia, the two nations on Friday signed a contract for supply of 80 MI-17V-5 medium lift helicopters for the Indian Air Force. Valued at $1 billion, the agreement between the two sides comes at a time when New Delhi and Moscow are squabbling over several defence related deals signed earlier.
The majestic Rajpath saw a scintillating display of India's military might as the country celebrated its 69th Republic Day on Friday, with the leaders of all the 10 countries of the ASEAN attending the parade. Take a look here.
For some inexplicable reason, the army prefers to use Russian armour; Arjun is deployed in only two of its 63 armoured regiments.
India is to buy around 350 T-90S main battle tanks from Russia under a deal to be inked in autumn this year, according to a top military official in Moscow.
India has signed a deal worth over Rs 2,600 crore with Russia to procure 66,000 anti-tank shells to meet the shortfall of critical ammunition faced by its armoured fleet, including the latest T-90 tanks.
Here are highlights of the 68th Republic Day parade.
India's plan to buy futuristic tanks and infantry combat vehicles -- estimated to be worth Rs 80,000 crore to Rs 100,000 crore each -- will certainly intimidate Pakistan which already feels threatened by our vast tank strength.
14 Arjun tanks crossed swords with the 100s of Russian-supplied T-90 and T-72 tanks in the final phase of the month-long exercises 'Ashwamedha'.
The IAF faces a 'fighter gap' of 13 squadrons. The IAF would be caught seriously short in a two-front war -- the worst-case planning contingency in which China and Pakistan attack India simultaneously, points out Ajai Shukla.
He was the army commander who planned Operation Bluestar. As army chief he planned Operation Brasstacks which rattled the Pakistan army. General K Sundarji was brilliant, ambitious and controversial, remembers Rahul Bedi.
India must develop structured multilateralism to its defence buys
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