India successfully tests n-capable Prithvi-II missile Again

India Friday successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable Prithvi-II surface-to-surface missile from a military base in Odisha, a senior official said.The indigenously-developed ballistic missile with a maximum range of 350 km was fired from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in Balasore district, about 230 km from Bhubaneswar.

"It was a perfect launch. It met all mission objectives," test range Director M.V.K.V. Prasad told IANS.

The Strategic Forces Command (SFC) of the Indian Army conducted the test as part of a regular training exercise, he said.Prithvi is India's first indigenously-built ballistic missile. It is one of the five missiles being developed under the country's Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme.

The battlefield missile, with flight duration of 483 seconds and a peak altitude of 43.5 km, can carry a 500-kg warhead.The missile has features to deceive anti-ballistic missiles and uses an advanced inertial guidance system with manoeuvring capabilities and reaches its target within a few metres of accuracy.

It has a higher lethal effect compared to equivalent missiles in the world. Scientists say the accuracy has already been demonstrated in the past in the development flight trials.

New Indian-made 155mm artillery howitzer Dhanush ready for use by Indian army end of this year.

After trials, India's indigenous artillery gun 'Dhanush' would be ready for use by the Army by the end of this year.Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) chairman M C Bansal today said the winter trials of the 'desi' howitzers were successfully completed in Sikkim and after the summer trials to be held in the deserts of Rajasthan in the next few months, it would be ready for use.

"We will add another laurel to the country by producing them with indigenous technology," he said. After the extensive trials, 'Dhanush' would be produced in bulk in the Gun Carriage Factory in Jabalpur and the Army has placed an initial order of 114 such guns.

An improved and indigenous version of the Swedish Bofors, 'Dhanush' is a 155mm and 45 calibre gun. While the original Bofors gun has a maximum effective range of 27 km, 'Dhanush' can fire a salvo up to 38 km in the plains. With the Defence Ministry focusing on indigenous technology, OFB had also decided to increase production capacity for making 5000 rockets for the Pinaka multi-barrel weapons system. 

Ordnance Factory Board of India to showcase prototype 6 of Dhanush 155mm 45 calibre howitzer

Ordnance Factories Board (OFB) of India presents the latest prototype of its 155mm 45 calibre Dhanush towed howitzer at Defexpo 2014, the International Defense Exhibition of New Delhi, India. OFP is an industrial setup functioning under the Department of Defence Production of Ministry of Defence, Government of India.

Manufactured by the Ordnance Factory Board, based on technology supplied by Bofors, Dhanush howitzers (155 mm/45 calibre) has a maximum range of 38 km.

Later this month, the Indian-made towed howitzer would be send to Sikkim firing range for another round of trial tests to check its accuracy and range. “We already have a written request from the Army to make 128 of these guns for which we began procuring the material,” an OFB official told Deccan Herald at Defexpo 2014.

The Indian Army has not purchased any artillery gun since the Bofors came in the 1980s. The Swedish howitzers proved its mettle during the Kargil war, but, since then a large of number of artillery guns had to be cannibalized to keep the remaining functional. As repeated efforts to buy new heavy artillery failed in the last decade, the Defence Ministry finally dusted out the old licensing agreement and asked the OFB to manufacture these guns. The Gun Carriage Factory (GCF) in Jabalpur is the integrator, though other units made crucial parts.

Today, six prototypes of the Dhanush howitzer were manufactured. The one displayed at DefExpo is the sixth one, which the OFB claimed to have modified.

The Dhanush is a 155 mm/45 calibre, the use of a longer barrel increases the maximum firing range. Currently, the Indian army standard towed howitzer is the Bofors 155mm 39 calibre which has a maximum effective range of 27 km, while the Dhanush can fire up to 38 km.

The Dhanush is also equipped with a crane and an auto-loading system mounted to the rear and right side of the main gun.

According to Indian Army officials, The Dhanush could fire eight rounds per minute, while the Bofors has a rate of fire of three rounds per 14 seconds. Its also equipped with computerized fire control.

DRDO to unveil a new 130mm self-propelled gun based on Arjun MBT chassis at Defexpo in New Delhi

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)of India is all set to unveil a 130 mm self-propelled gun system, built based on the Arjun Main Battle Tank (MBT) MK-1 chassis. Developed by the DRDO lab Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE), the Arjun Catapult Gun System is likely to be displayed in public for the first time during the Defexpo India-2014, to be held in Delhi from February 6-9.

Despite Delay, Indian Buy of Howitzers Remains on Track.

Indian Govt says date of signing 31st March 2014?

The Indian government has announced that the purchase of 145 ultra light howitzer artillery guns from the US is not being withheld, despite a three-year delay since clearance was granted to buy the guns from the US subsidiary of BAE Systems.

Anonymous complaints to the Defence Ministry regarding the process have delayed finalizing the contract, officials said.In August, Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony told the Indian Parliament, “Various anonymous complaints regarding alleged irregularities in the procurement of ultra light howitzer guns have been received. The main issues raised in these complaints relate to technical parameters, cost effectiveness and economic viability of the gun.”

Defence Ministry sources said a Technical Oversight Committee set up by the MoD has since cleared the procurement.In a written reply to Parliament Dec. 9, Antony said, “The Government has not held up the purchase of 145 Ultra Light Howitzer artillery guns from the United States. The Government is proposing the procurement of 145 Ultra Unit Howitzers through the Foreign Military sale route as per Defence Procurement Procedure.”

Delay in finalizing the buy has led to nearly a doubling of the price in the last three years because of inflation and the falling value of the Indian rupee against the US dollar.The estimated cost of the 145 guns in 2010 was around 29.6 billion rupees. However, in the Pentagon’s Aug. 7 letter giving notification of the sale, the price of the guns is quoted at more than $885 million, or about 58 billion rupees.

The deal was awarded to BAE Systems after the tender was earlier canceled when Singapore Technologies was blacklisted in 2009.Ministry of Defence sources said the contract will be signed in the financial year ending March 31.

Photos of Indo-Russian Joint Exercises INDRA-13

India Tests Advanced Interceptor Missile

Interceptor missile

 

Aggressor missile

Detailed video of previous test

India today conducted a successful test launch of its endo-atmospheric interceptor missile., part of the country's ballistic missile defence (BMD) programme DRDO’s Air Defence Missile AAD-05 (Photo 1) successfully hit a modified Prithvi ballistic missile (Photo 2) and destroyed it at a height of 15 kms off the coast of Orissa near Wheeler Island. Radars located at different locations tracked the incoming ballistic missile. With the target trajectory continuously updated by the radar, the onboard guidance computer guided the AAD-05 towards the target missile. The onboard radio frequency seeker identified the target missile, guided the AAD-05 to hit the target missile directly and destroyed it. Radar and Electro Optic Tracking Systems (EOTS) tracked the missile and also recorded the fragments of the target missile falling into the Bay of Bengal. The interceptor hit the incoming ballistic missile directly and destroyed it at an altitude of 15-km.

After success of 3,200- 3,700 km range Agni IV , India to test 5000 km range Agni V shortly

This can reach all targets in China