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| India-Pakistan |
| Russia Starts Multiple-Launch Rocket Systems Deliveries to India |
| 2006-08-28 |
| Russia has started deliveries of Smerch multiple-launch rocket systems to India. The $150 million deal was signed last December. Under the contract signed with Rosoboronexport arms exporting monopoly Urals based company Motovilikhinskiye Zavody will provide about 30 modernised Smerch systems to arm three regiments of the Indian Army, Indian media reported. Smerch sales to India have been under negotiation since the late 1990s. The rockets with inbuilt gyroscopes for perfect homing at the target are said to be world leaders in their class, have a range of up to 70 km and can be armed with a wide range of conventional warheads including deadly thermo-baric (vacuum) capable of destroying enemy personnel sheltered in reinforced concrete bunkers and pill-boxes, said a spokesman of the Smerch designer Tula-based Splav company. |
| Posted by:john |
| #6 I've heard Smerch is a lot better than a WW2 Katushya. I think Badanov also has a rant somewhere about the problems associated with describing the SU's/ex-SU's artillery rockets as WW2 tech. |
| Posted by: Phil 2006-08-28 22:37 |
| #5 The rockets with inbuilt gyroscopes for perfect homing at the target Nothing says "perfect homing" like WWII-era technology! |
| Posted by: Rob Crawford 2006-08-28 21:59 |
| #4 And yes, that is as stupid as it gets. The original Bofors contract had a provision for tech transfer. When details of the bribes paid by Bofors came out, the MoD blacklisted Bofors and suspended the contract. Bofors got all their money. The Indian politicians got their bribe money and got away scot free. And the Army? Well, the Indian Army didn't get all the guns in the contract and there was no tech transfer. So two decades later it still has a gun shortage.. Bofors is no longer blacklisted but the Congress party is terrified to conclude another contract because they might get implicated again. They blacklisted the South Africans. That leaves only crappy Russian guns.. which the Indian Army does not want.. Only in India.... |
| Posted by: john 2006-08-28 20:10 |
| #3 Denel is blacklisted by the Indian MoD over allegations that it paid money o a British agent to secure inside information from the MoD price committee. |
| Posted by: john 2006-08-28 20:05 |
| #2 The Indians are missing a bet : they need to buy the G-5 and G-6 155mm howitzer systems from South Africa, but with tubes of 55 caliber. Those guns can fire all standard NATO 155 rounds plus have a great series of base-bleed ammo that was designed specifically for them. The base-bleed ammo has a major range increase to it. Plus, the South Africans will mostl likely do a technology transfer deal as part of a 500 gun buy. |
| Posted by: Shieldwolf 2006-08-28 20:01 |
| #1 Besides rocket artillery, India needs additional tube artillery... the contracts for 155mm howitzers has been moving very slowly through the procurement process. The Indian army prefers the Swedish Bofors guns. |
| Posted by: john 2006-08-28 15:56 |