Latest Articles
Light tanks – engineering a combat enabler in high-altitude areas
Two years ago, the MoD issued an RFI for the procurement of light tanks with a combat weight not exceeding 25 tons under the Make in India program
Tour of duty: a high impact reform
The government`s move to bring the Tour of Duty (TOD) recruitment model into the armed forces could emerge as a high-impact reform if introduced with the right strategy.
Russia-Ukraine conflict- expect the unexpected
The Russian-Ukraine conflict could have a long-lasting impact and lead to a world with China- Russia at one end and the US at the other end
Defence manufacturing: gunsights set for the deep thrust
The move by the Govt to set aside 68% of the capital defence procurement budget for indigenous procurement, has set the gunsights for the deep thrust.
CAG report: time to roll back GOCO
The CAG`s observation that the Army`s plan to privatise Army base workshops (ABW) operations through GOCO (Government Owned Company Operated) model in order to...
Corporatization of Ordnance Factories: choosing what not to do
The Kolkata based OFB with 41 Ordnance Factories under its fold is to be reorganized into seven corporate entities on the lines of defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs) based on the nature of manufacturing and technologies.
350 light tanks to add punch to Army’s fist in the...
The main Ordnance needs to be Indian and ultra-reliable, unlike the 125 mm gun system in use currently in medium tanks. It may be a good idea to integrate a re- engineered 105 mm gun in the interim and an optimized 120 mm low recoil gun system later, both are Indian systems and have proven to be effective.
The pathetic track record of defence manufacturing
Even after 15 to 20 years of manufacturing, it is disheartening to see a fair number of systems and components either on the import list or where indigenized giving an engineering life of about 50% or less.
How satellites can boost battlefield agility of armed forces
Satellites today can support forces in a wide array of fields like early warning, attack assessment, satellite communications, surveillance, environmental monitoring, navigation and positioning, space control, ballistic missile defence, etc.
Self-reliance in defence: an engineer’s approach
The PM has been echoing the call for self-reliance on numerous occasions, post-onset of COVID 19. The recent standoff at the LAC has once again made security strategists revisit the issue of the location of supply chains in a country where openness and transparency are not consistent with what prevails in the democratic world.
TCVs or WCVs—ideal choice for combat & mobility in the Himalayas?
WCVs are capable of self-deploying over long distances and the crew arrives in the operational areas relatively less fatigued, while TCVs look for tank transporter for deployment, making them vulnerable during moves.
Corporatisation of Government assets – think before you act
It is being argued that the GOCO model will bring in corporate culture, leading to efficiency and accountability. Private operators can easily get into partnership with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM), and arrange the required expertise and spares. But what is the guarantee that they will be able to do so - better than the existing set-up. What if they can't?