RELIANCE DEFENCE BAGS RS 920 CRORE CONTRACT FOR 14 FAST PATROL BOATS..

Reliance Defense has bagged Rs 920-crore contract for building 14 fast patrol vessels for the Indian Coast Guard to primarily assist in anti-smuggling and anti-terrorism activities, sources said on Wednesday.

"Reliance Defense and Engineering has emerged as the winner after a competitive bidding process to build 14 fast patrol vessels. The contract is worth Rs 920 crore -- hopefully, it will be signed shortly," one official source said.

Five other bidders were in fray, including state-run defense and private sector shipyards. Among them were Goa Shipyard and Larsen and Toubro.

The vessels will be designed for anti-smuggling and anti-terrorist operations, besides protection of Indian fisheries as well as search and rescue.

"The vessels will also serve as critical support for the Indian Navy during war as a coast-based escort and communications facilitator," the source said.

Reliance Defense is already building five naval offshore patrol vessels for the Indian Navy under a Rs 2,500-crore contract. The technical capability of Reliance Defense was cleared at a recent meeting of the Defense Acquisition Council. This purportedly makes the vessels eligible for participation in all defense-related naval projects.

In March last year, the Anil Ambani-led group had agreed to acquire an 18-per cent stake in Pipavav Defense for Rs 819 crore, following which more shares were acquired in an open offer, to take the holding to 35 per cent.

The company has since been renamed Reliance Defense and Engineering.

BOEING TO SUPPLY HARPOON MISSILES TO INDIA FROM US

WASHINGTON:

                    The Unites States Department of Defence has given a $81 million contract to Boeing for the supply of all-weather, over-the-horizon, Harpoon anti-ship missiles to India.

According to the contract details, Boeing has been awarded $81,271,024 for firm-fixed-price modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract to exercise an option for the procurement of 22 Lot 89 Harpoon missiles, associated containers and components for the Government of India under the Foreign Military Sales program.

The missiles will be manufactured at several places in the United States, with the majority of them being in St Charles, Missouri. Some manufacturing process would also be done in the United Kingdom.

The missiles are expected to be ready in June 2018.

RAFALE ON PAR WITH F-35, A GENERATION AHEAD OF F-16 JETS: ERIC TRAPPIER.

The Rafale deal has been long in the making, with the NDA govt scrapping the original 2007 project and going for direct purchase of 36 Rafales. Dassault CEO Eric Trappier talked to TOI .

What does Rafale bring to India ? 

The number one reason for the success (in the deal going through) is its capabilities. The aircraft's performance was evaluated by the skilled IAF in different conditions here (during the MMRCA project evaluation).It has the capability to do everything. It's a good air-to-air combat aircraft, a strike aircraft, a reconnaisance and intelligence aircraft. It is good for all types of missions designed for the French forces, including from aircraft carriers. This was totally in line with what IAF wanted.

You said the negotiations were tough. What are the advantages for India on the price front, or on the technology front?

The negotiations were really tough on the price. I will not say how much as that is part of the discussion between the two governments. This is an inter-government deal.As far as 50% offsets... they (India) have been able to get more from us.

I feel this happened because of the confidence in the long partnership between India and France, between IAF and Dassault. India is proud about the first (Dassault) fighters it acquired in 1953 and later, the Mirage-2000s. When you are speaking defence, you don't want to have just a good deal. You want a good plane. A good fighter, because this part of the world might sometimes be dangerous. You don't deal with security lightly.

Is there any reference to the Rafale being nuclear capable?

It is totally in line with the French definition and more than that, we have been developing specifications that were required by the IAF. But basically it is the same system as for France.

And the French Rafales are nuclear capable?

That is something specific to France.

There have been questions on the high costs. It is said India can buy three Russian Sukhois for one Rafale.

Yes, maybe Rafale is more expensive. But those who know about fighters also know that Rafale is much more capable than a Sukhoi... in terms of survivability and all combat roles. The Russian aircraft are good, no doubt.But when your air force will have the Rafale, they will be happy to have it in their inventory, just like the Mirage-2000s which are the backbone of IAF.

Rafale is more a competitor for the F-35. We are a generation ahead of the F 16.

How did the negotiations change with the current government taking office since the MMRCA project was deadlocked?

I think they (Modi government) took a decision to reduce the number of aircraft but go ahead with the deal. We want fighters to be delivered, you need a CCO (contract change order). It is this government that decided. They signed the deal. They made this deal a reality.

Do you think India will go in for more orders?

We will work on it. As a manufacturer I will like to sell more. But I am satisfied with this contract. We will work with our Indian colleagues to develop the local industry here.

What does this deal mean for the India-France strategic partnership?

It is between the governments. A strategic partnership is more than an aircraft deal. I can only comment on the aircraft. The partnership is at a political level, it is more than good, we are real partners.

What about the 50 per cent offsets condition... which are the areas that can be developed?

India is already a leading country in software. We would like to take advantage of this. It is time to develop equipment. It can be a success story. Dassault is at the top in digital processes. This is a must to address the worldwide market.

There are fears about India-France defence projects after the Scorpene data leak.

I am sure the leak is being investigated. About Dassault, I will say security is a very serious matter. We have protected ourselves but zero risk does not exist.

DEFYING MILITANT THREAT, 25,000 ASPIRANTS TURN UP TO SERVE AS SPECIAL POLICE OFFICERS IN KASHMIR:

SRINAGAR:

             Defying militant threat and the separatists' call, thousands of youth across Kashmir have turned up to fill 10,000 posts of Special Police Officers (SPOs) despite the ongoing unrest which has claimed 82 lives.

"We have received over 25,000 applications from the aspiring candidates willing to serve as SPOs from across the 10 districts of the Valley," a senior official supervising the recruitment process told PTI here.

On September 22, the Centre had approved the recruitment of an additional 10,000 SPOs with immediate effect to strengthen the Jammu and Kashmir police particularly in view of the unrest in the Valley.

There are already 25,000 SPOs in the state, engaged on a monthly honorarium of Rs 6,000.

The official said the highest number of applications at 8,600 were received from north Kashmir's Kupwara district followed by Budgam (4,000), Baramulla (3,853), Anantnag (2,400), Ganderbal (1,600), Kulgam (1,258), and Bandipora and Srinagar (1,000 each).

While 800 applications from aspiring candidates were received from Pulwama district, 500 youths applied for the job in Shopian district, he said.

The official said the fitness test of the aspiring candidates has already been conducted in various districts which saw encouraging turnout of the youth ignoring the call of separatist leaders and the militant threats.

Hizbul Mujahideen militant outfit, in the last week of August, had issued a threat, warning the youth against joining police as SPOs.

"Whosoever gets appointed as SPO should also be ready to face the consequences," Hizbul Mujahideen commander Riyaz Naik had said in a video circulated through social networking sites on August 30.

Terming the recruitment of SPOs as a "ploy" of the government, Naik had said, "India wants to weaken our freedom struggle and wants us to fight with each other."

Separatists, on the other hand, had asked the youth to ignore the "enticement aimed at breaking their ranks", alleging that the government by absorbing the youth as SPOs was trying to revive "Ikhwan Militia" of 1990s to crush the "freedom struggle".

"The fresh recruitment drive is nothing but to revive the notorious Ikhwan culture in the state which in mid 90s wiped out almost a whole hatchery of freedom loving people throughout the Valley," hardline Hurriyat chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani had said in a statement on August 7.

Kashmir Valley is on the boil since July 9 following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in an encounter with security forces a day earlier. The widespread clashes left 82 people including two cops dead, and thousands injured.