Defence related questions asked and answered in parliament winter session.

@Hellfire @Gessler @randomradio @Agent_47 @MilSpec @PARIKRAMA

Its official, IA is now looking to move from 5.56NATO To 7.62 NATO.

INSAS Rifles

5.56 mm INSAS rifle was inducted into service in 1994. As its replacement, Request for Proposal (RFP) for procurement of New Generation Assault Rifle was issued on multi-vendor basis, in November 2011, after obtaining Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) from Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) for procuring rifle under ‘Buy and Make with Transfer of Technology’. However, the trials did not result in a clear compliant model in General Staff (GS) Evaluation. Therefore, Request for Proposal (RFP) was retracted in June 2015.

Indian Army, after detailed deliberations, has revised the caliber for new Assault Rifle to 7.62 x 51 mm to meet the desired operational parameters. Accordingly, Request for Information (RFI) for new Assault Rifle (7.62 x 51 mm) was uploaded on Ministry of Defence Website in September 2016.

This information was given by Minister of State for Defence Dr Subhash Bhamre in a written reply to Shri Baijayant Jay Panda in Lok Sabha today.

DM/NAMPI/ Ranjan  
(Release ID :155188)

 

Ministry of Defence16-December, 2016 15:02 IST
Modern Arms and Equipment

Procurement of defence equipment is undertaken from various domestic as well as foreign vendors, based on threat perceptions, operational challenges and technological changes and to keep the Armed Forces in a state of readiness to meet the entire spectrum of security challenges.

During the last two financial years, 73 contracts involving a value of 72,303.34 crore were signed with Indian vendors and 35 contracts involving a value of 40,433.47 crore were signed with foreign vendors for capital procurement of defence equipment.

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is primarily involved in design and development of strategic, complex and security sensitive systems in the fields of armaments, missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, radars, electronic warfare systems, sonars, combat vehicles, combat aircraft, sensor etc for the Armed Forces as per their specific Qualitative Requirements. DRDO also interacts with public and private companies in technology development projects.

This information was given by Minister of State for Defence Dr. Subhash Bhamre in a written reply to Shri Ravneet Singh in Lok Sabha today.

DM/NAMPI/RAJ  
(Release ID :155533)

 

Ministry of Defence16-December, 2016 15:01 IST
Border Roads Organisation

There is some deficiency in Border Roads Organisation (BRO) regarding staff, budget and equipment, however, this deficiency has not affected the construction of ICB Government has identified 73 roads as strategic Indo-China Border Roads (ICBR). Out of the 73 roads, 61 roads have been entrusted to BRO with a length of 3417 km. 22 roads of length 707.24 km are completed. There are certain delays in execution of road projects mainly due to the following reasons:
· Delay in Forest / Wildlife clearance.
· Hard rock stretches.
· Limited working season.
· Difficulties in availability of construction material.
· Delay in land acquisition.
The revised completion schedule of 39 ICBRs is as under:
o 2016 - 5 Roads.
o 2017 - 8 Roads.
o 2018 - 12 Roads.
o 2019 - 8 Roads.
o 2020 - 6 Roads.
Government has taken the following measures to expedite the pace of road projects:
· States of Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Tripura have constituted the Empowered Committee to resolve issues related to land acquisition, forest / wildlife clearance, allotment of quarries etc.
· Outsourcing has been allowed to augment capacity of BRO.
· Long Term Roll On Works Plan (LTROWP) and Long Term Equipment Plan (LTEP) have been approved.
· Enhanced financial and administrative powers have been given to the executives of BRO.
This information was given by Minister of State for Defence Dr. Subhash Bhamre in a written reply to Dr. Shashi Tharoor in Lok Sabha today.
DM/NAMPI/RAJ

(Release ID :155532)

 

Ministry of Defence16-December, 2016 14:59 IST
Indigenously Developed Sonars

The Government has formally inducted four types of indigenously developed SONARS that will boost its underwater surveillance capability recently. Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed many systems for Indian Navy. Some of the major systems are Heavy Weight Torpedo (Varunastra), Advanced Torpedo Defence System (Mareech), Multi Influence Ground Mines, etc. Recently, on 18th November 2016, Kochi based Naval Physical Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL) of DRDO, has handed over the following four naval systems to Indian Navy:-
· Abhay (Compact Hull-Mounted Sonar for Small Ships & Shallow Water Crafts): Induction of Abhay (by replacing the vintage Russian sonar) enables indigenous sonar system to be installed on small ships, thereby enhancing the ASW surveillance capability of the fleet to smaller vessel, like Shallows Water Crafts, Light Frigates & Patrol Vessels, which was hitherto limited to frigates and destroyers.
· HUMSA-UG (Upgrade for the Hull-Mounted Sonar Array (HUMSA) Series of Sonar Systems for Ships): It enables smooth upgrade of the capabilities of the indigenously-developed legacy Sonar System HUMSA, by drastically minimizing the existing hardware and addressing technology obsolescence issues, which is currently operational on-board on 18 ships.
· NACS (Near-field Acoustic Characterization System (NACS) for Ship Sonars): It provides a simple and operationally efficient means to determine the frequency-dependent 3-D transmission and reception characteristics of the hull-mounted sonar aiding in the optimum performance and maintenance of the sonar.
· AIDSS (Advanced Indigenous Distress Sonar System (AIDSS) for Submarines): It is used to signal that a submarine is in distress and thereby enable quick rescue and salvage. It is a life-saving alarm system designed to transmit sonar signals of pre-designated frequency and pulse shape in an emergency situation, so as to attract the attention of Rescue Vessel in the vicinity.
The extent to which capability of the Indian Navy will get a boost with the induction of these systems are:
Three systems of Abhay are slated for installation on the Abhay Class of Ships. 7 systems of HUMSA-UG are proposed for installation on the Teg Class G- Class and R-Class ships. 4 systems of NACS are proposed for the Kolkata Class of Ships. 9 systems of AIDSS are planned for the Sindhu Class Submarines (EKM Submarines). Induction of these Systems will increase the underwater surveillance capability of Indian Naval ships. All these Systems are to be productionised in India.
This information was given by Minister of State for Defence Dr. Subhash Bhamre in a written reply to Shri C Mahendran in Lok Sabha today.
DM/NAMPI/RAJ

(Release ID :155530)

 

16-December, 2016 14:57 IST
Review of Ordnance Factories

Performance of Ordnance Factories is being regularly reviewed by Ordnance Factory Board and the Ministry. Some of the major steps taken in this regard are as follows:
· Modernization of Ordnance Factories to keep pace with the latest technology and to maintain the production capacity in tandem with the requirement of Armed Forces. As compared to an expenditure of 2927 crore in the 11th Plan, already an expenditure of 4239 crore has been incurred during the first four year (2012-16) of the 12th Plan. In 2016-17, an expenditure of 116.67 crore is envisaged.
· To improve upon the production planning in Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), Army has started placing 5 years roll-on indents for ammunition items.
· Quality Audit Group (QAG) have been formed at 10 centres as an independent authority for giving impetus to and ensuring quality in Ordnance Factories.
· 13 Ordnance Development Centres (ODCs) with identified core technologies have been created to take up product development and improvement in core product areas.
In order to provide greater autonomy and expedite decision making process, Ministry has delegated financial powers towards procurement of Stores and Plant & Machinery to Ordnance Factory Board.
This information was given by Minister of State for Defence Dr. Subhash Bhamre in a written reply to Shri Kapil Moreshwar Patil in Lok Sabha today.
DM/NAMPI/RAJ

(Release ID :155529)

 

Construction Around Ordnance Depots

Ministry of defence has amended its guidelines dated 18.05.2011 for issuance of No Objection Certificate for building constructions in the vicinity of Defence Establishment including Ordnance Depots on 21.10.2016. As per the revised guidelines, the security restrictions in respect of defence establishments / installations located at 193 stations shall apply up to 10 mtrs only from the outer wall of such establishments / installations. Further, in respect of 149 stations located in the State of Jammu & Kashmir, the restrictions shall apply up to 100 mtrs from the outer wall of such defence establishments / installations. However, the security restriction in respect of rest of the military station will remain same as per Ministry of Defence guidelines dated 18.05.2011.

The revised guidelines have been issued after due consultations and taking into account security implications vis-à-vis interest of people whose lands fall in the area of security distance around the defence establishments.

This information was given by Minister of State for Defence Dr. Subhash Bhamre in a written reply to Shri Pravesh Sahib Singh in Lok Sabha today.

DM/NAMPI/RAJ
(Release ID :155506)

 

Ministry of Defence16-December, 2016 14:34 IST
Recruitment for Civilian Posts in GRRC

An official of Garhwal Rifles Regimental Centre (GRRC) was arrested by CBI officials on the charge of demanding and accepting a bribe from another official of GRRC for adjusting some amount against his Sixth Pay Commission arrears. The individual was immediately put under suspension and is still under CBI custody.

The shorthand test was conducted as per the existing Recruitment Rules on 7th October, 2016. Fresh Call letters were sent to all the 17 candidates who had initially appeared in the written test. A total of 12 candidates appeared and none of them qualified in the skill test. Accordingly, the vacancies of Steno, Grade-II at the GRRC could not be filled.

This information was given by Minister of State for Defence Dr. Subhash Bhamre in a written reply to Shri Manshankar Ninama and Shri Bharat Singh in Lok Sabha today.

DM/NAMPI/RAJ
(Release ID :155504)

 

Ministry of Defence16-December, 2016 14:33 IST
Defence Aviation Industries

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has planned to set up a greenfield helicopter production facility at Tumakuru near Bengaluru, Karnataka. So, far 54 industrial licenses (ILs) have been issues to Indian private companies for manufacture of aviation items such as aircrafts, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), lighter-than-air-vehicles, remotely piloted vehicles, parts and accessories for aircraft, air flights, airframes sets, landing gears and related equipment etc.

The State-wise list of ILs issued is as follows:

S. No. State. No. of ILs
1.Himachal Pradesh. 1
2.Uttar Pradesh 6
3.Tamil Nadu 4
4.Telangana 8
5.Uttarakhand 1
6.Haryana 5
7.Karnataka 15
8.Maharashtra 6
9.Madhya Pradesh 1
10.Rajasthan 1
11.Gujarat 5
12.Tamil Nadu & Madhya Pradesh
(Combined)
1

This information was given by Minister of State for Defence Dr. Subhash Bhamre in a written reply to Shri B Senguttuvan in Lok Sabha today.
DM/NAMPI/RAJ

(Release ID :155503)

 

Ministry of Defence16-December, 2016 12:29 IST
IAF leadership seminar conducted

Indian Air Force conducted a day long leadership seminar at the Air Force Auditorium, yesterday. Seminar this year, fifth in the annual series, was focused on 'Transformational Leadership'. The Seminar was inaugurated by the Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha PVSM AVSM VM ADC, Chairman COSC and the CAS.
Air Marshal B Suresh AVSM VM, AOP, while delivering the welcome address brought out significance of the series of seminars, he said "Leadership is bedrock of all military and organizational capability". In an era that has seen societal and technological changes at an unprecedented pace, especially during the last decade, these seminars have made significant contribution by highlighting the contemporary issues and challenges facing the organisations. This year’s topic on Transformational Leadership is continuation of the series. "Transformation being a necessity today, than a desire", said the Air Officer. He brought out that the seminars have helped bringing about several changes and policy directions to evolve the leadership dynamics in the IAF.
The seminar yesterday, saw fourteen speakers of the rank of Squadron Leader and below speak on the topic in three separate sessions. Over fifty IAF stations were able to participate through videoconferencing using the AFNET platform. The participants interacted in realtime, making the seminar enriching and meaningful. Squadron Leader J Simon an Flying Officer Taneesha Chowdhary were adjudged as the ‘Best Speaker’. Sergeant T Mathew was adjudged the first runners up. Rolling trophy for best Command Team was awarded to Western Air Command. The DCAS, Air Marshal RKS Bhadauria AVSM VM gave away the awards.
SKM/GKJ/BBS
(Release ID :155485)

 

Ministry of Defence16-December, 2016 14:44 IST
Defence Production by MSME

The Defence Production Policy aims at achieving substantive self-reliance in the design, development and production of equipment, weapon systems, platforms required for defence through several measures which, inter alia include enhancing the potential of SMEs in indigenisation.
The preamble to the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) – 2016, specifically mentions that enhancing the role of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the Defence Sector is one of the defining features of DPP. Following specific provisions have been introduced in DPP-2016 that would increase the participation of MSMEs in the defence sector:
· In the ‘Make’ category of capital acquisition, Government funded projects with estimated cost of prototype development phase not exceeding Rs 10 crore and Industry funded projects with estimated cost of prototype development phase not exceeding 3 crore are reserved for MSMEs.
· In addition, it has been mandated to involve MSME associations while carrying out feasibility studies for ‘Make’ projects. MSMEs have also been granted relaxation in the registration and profitability criteria for consideration as eligible “Indian Vendor” for participation in the ‘Make’ projects.
· In the discharge of offset obligations, a multiplier of 1.50 is permitted where MSMEs are Indian Offset Partners (IOPs).
Government of India has notified the Public Procurement Policy for Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) Order, 2012 under which a minimum of 20% of the total annual procurement is made mandatory from Micro & Small Enterprises by Central Ministries / Departments / Public Sector Undertakings w.e.f. 1st April 2015.
· The aforesaid policy mandates that all the Micro and Small Enterprises registered with bodies designated/ specified by Ministry of MSME or having the Udyog Aadhaar Memorandum (UAM) will be issued tender set free of cost and exempted from payment of Earnest money, and will also be allowed to bring down their price to L1 level provided it has bid in the price band of L1+15%, by the Central Ministries / Departments / Central Public Sector Undertakings. In addition, 358 items are reserved for exclusive procurement from MSEs.
· Additionally, Ministry of MSME has issued a circular dated 10 Mar 2016 which mandated that relaxation may be given by Central Ministries / Departments / Central Public Sector Undertakings in prior experience / prior turnover criteria to MSEs.
The capability and viability of the defence and aerospace industry is built on the strength of supply chains, in which the MSMEs are intricately intertwined. There are substantially large number of MSMEs across the country supplying components and sub-assemblies and systems to the Defence Public Sector Undertakings, Ordnance Factories, Defence Research and Development Organisation and private industries.
Ministry of Defence regularly conduct conferences and discussions through Annual seminars with an aim to strengthen long term plans and industry capability in defence procurement. Regular interaction with interested vendors / indigenous developers, including MSME units, through collegiate mechanism of procurement committee and pre-bid meetings are scheduled for clarification on various aspects of the procurement process.
This information was given by Minister of State for Defence Dr. Subhash Bhamre in a written reply to Shri Rahul Shewale in Lok Sabha today.
DM/NAMPI/RAJ


(Release ID :155517)

 

Ministry of Defence16-December, 2016 14:42 IST
Military Re-Organisation in China

The Government is aware of military re-organisation undertaken by China. Government keeps a constant watch on all developments in our neighbourhood having bearing on national security and takes all necessary measures to safeguard it.

This information was given by Minister of State for Defence Dr. Subhash Bhamre in a written reply to Shri MK Raghavan in Lok Sabha today.

DM/NAMPI/RAJ
(Release ID :155515)

 

Naval Accidents

INS Betwa, a frigate, met with an accident on 5th December, 2016. During undocking, the ship tipped over to her Port side and is presently resting on the dock floor. The extent of damage has not yet been ascertained and would be determined after up-righting the ship. No other incident of this kind has occurred in the last three years.

A Board of Inquiry has been set up to investigate the incident. To protect its assets, the Indian Navy Safety Organisation was set up in October 2012. At the apex level, the organization comprises Safety Class Authorities (SCAs) who are responsible for analysing incidents and accidents, reviewing safety regulations and procedures, issuing policy directives and conducting safety assessment during the Operational Readiness Assessment.

This information was given by Minister of State for Defence Dr. Subhash Bhamre in a written reply to Shri Venkatesh Babu TG in Lok Sabha today.

DM/NAMPI/RAJ
(Release ID :155508)

 

Ministry of Defence16-December, 2016 14:55 IST
Make in India in Defence Sector

The Government has not conducted any study to find out the areas of opportunities and challenges in the defence sector in achieving the objectives of the scheme. However, the Government had set up a ‘Committee of Experts in May 2015 for amendments to Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) - 2013 including formulation of Policy Framework to facilitate ‘Make in India’. Based on recommendations of the Committee, the new Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) - 2016 has been promulgated for capital procurements and has come into effect from 1st April 2016. DPP-2016 has a focus on achieving the “Make in India” vision by according topmost priority to ‘Buy Indian – IDDM (Indian Designed, Developed and Manufactured) and ‘Buy (Indian)’ categories. It also focuses on enhancement and rationalization of indigenous content. The ‘Make’ Procedure has been simplified with provisions for funding of 90% of development cost by the Government to Indian industry and reserving projects not exceeding development cost of 10 crores (Government funded) and 3 crores (Industry funded) for MSMEs.

In addition to above, the Government has taken several policy initiatives in pursuance to ‘Make in India’ initiative, such as liberalization of FDI policy & Industrial Licensing policy, simplification of export procedures, streamlining of defence offset guidelines, creating level playing field for Indian private and public sector companies, thereby giving priority to indigenous weapons/equipment.

The Army Institute of Management Technology which imparts education only to wards of all ranks of Army towards award of Masters in Business Administration(MBA), conducted a Seminar on “Make in India’ in May 2015 as part of teaching curriculum.

This information was given by Minister of State for Defence Dr. Subhash Bhamre in a written reply to Shri Ramsinh Rathwa in Lok Sabha today.

DM/NAMPI/RAJ
(Release ID :155528)