Saint Antony blesses Kerala with defence projects

Following the examples of former Union ministers Lalu Prasad Yadav and Mamata Banerjee, Defence Minister AK Antony is on a spree to set up defence projects in his home state Kerala as the election approaches. Antony is quietly turning Kerala into a defence hub. Nearly a dozen of defence projects are being set up in the state. 

Antony - India's longest continuing serving defence minister in the country is quietly turning Kerala into a defence hub with nearly a dozen defence projects being set up in the state. In contrast only two projects have been in the other states – Nalanda Ordnance Factory in Bihar (the decision for which was taken during George Fernandes term) and Indian National Defence University (INDU) in Gurgaon.

On Saturday, Antony inaugurated Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd’s Strategic Electronic Factory at Kasargod (Kerala) and Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy inaugurated the production facilities at the same function.  This factory will produce advanced avionics for Aircraft and Helicopters.

According to sources, the factory – whose first phase will cost Rs. 66 crore – has been set up on the initiative of the Kerala Government. The state government allotted 196 acres of land for setting up the new unit. Presently the factory has taken up production of Airborne Special Purpose Computers like Mission computer, Display Processor, Radar Computers, Open Architect Mission computer etc. for Sukhoi SU-30, Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) and MiG-27 fighter jets’ upgrade have been taken up at this factory.

In the phase-II – when the investment is likely to go up to Rs. 200 crore - the factory will undertake manufacturing of avionics for the 126 Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) yet to be purchased by the Indian Air Force. “The expansion of this factory will also lead to growth of ancillary industries which in-turn will generate secondary employment opportunities and enhance skill-set in this area,” the HAL officials added. 

Two day earlier on November 15^th, the Defence Minister also inaugurated another complex for the integration of supersonic cruise missile BrahMos in Thiruvananthapuram – which already housed one integration facility. The new facility aims at doubling the production of the missiles with the IAF placing an order for 200 air version of the missiles worth Rs. 6,000 crore.

Antony had also lashed out at the Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy during the inauguration of the BrahMos complex as the Defence Ministry cannot risk bringing new defence projects in the state due to infavourable industrial environment. Despite that the Defence Minister has managed to confer the most “favoured” state with seven major defence projects inaugurated in the state since the beginning of his term in 2006. The projects will definitely give him political mileage in the state.

Public sector undertaking Bharat Earth Movers Ltd (BEML) has set up its 4^th manufacturing unit at Palakkad. And the project is likely to entail an investment of Rs. 260 crore to manufacture Tatra vehicles and other military automobiles and was expected to create 200 jobs that would eventually go up to 1,000.

Another public sector major Bharat Electronic Limited (BEL) has set up third support centre at Kochi’s Infrastructure Development Corporation (KINFRA) after Mumbai and Visakhapattanam.

Antony, also a former Chief Minister of Kerala and an astute politician, had commissioned a Coast Guard Academy at Azhikkal in 2011 in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attack for training the security force personnel. The academy is expected to train 500 cadets for search and rescue mission and respond to maritime contingencies. 

In January 2011 itself he sanctioned Rs. 600 crore National Institute for Research and Development in Ship Building (NIRDESH) at Kozhikode. NIRDESH envisages helping the indigenous ship-building industry. The Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) also has some major warship construction orders – like the construction of the first indigenous aircraft carrier. 

The Indian Naval Academy at Ezhimala was also commissioned by Antony even though the project has been in limbo for the last 20 years.

Former defence minister KC Pant passes away

India’s former defence minister and deputy chairman of Planning Commission Krishna Chandra Pant passed away Delhi on Thursday morning at the age of 81.

Indian Defence Minister AK Antony expressed his “profound grief” at the demise of the ex-minister who held the command of the ministry during critical times like the deployment of the Indian troops in Sri Lanka and to preempt a coup attempt in Maldives. 

“Pant steered the Ministry at one of the most critical junctures of history as the Indian Peace Keeping Forces were deployed in Sri Lanka as a stepping stone to the tortuous journey for peace in the island nation.  The Indian troops were also deployed at short notice in Maldives to abort a coup attempt, in a clear manifestation of our commitment to the promotion of peace and stability in South Asian Region,” Antony said in his condolence message.

In his political career Pant was in 12 ministries and he was country’s defence minister form 1987-89, in the Rajiv Gandhi government.

Pant has been instrumental in key acquisitions for the armed forces as the British-built aircraft carrier HMS Hermes – rechristened as INS Viraat for the Indian Navy and MiG-29 fighter jets for the Indian Air Force.   

“Pant bolstered the Indian Armed Forces in a big way with the acquisition of the country’s flagship aircraft carrier INS Viraat and Mig-29 aircraft among many other acquisitions during his tenure as the Defence Minister.

“He was also instrumental in the setting up of the first Coast Guard Air Station at Daman. May his soul rest in peace,” Antony added.

New Su-30MKIs fighter bases in East, West, South

As the Indian Air Force (IAF) is gearing up to phase out its old warhorses the Soviet-vintage MiG-21s the agile and lethal Sukhoi Su-30MKIs are going to be its back bone – with a total of 17 squadrons to be deployed along side India’s border with Pakistan and China and also in the South to cover up the country’s southern flank up to Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

On the west the efforts to deploy these air dominance fighter jets at these bases are aimed at countering the US’ F-16s and Chinese JF-17 ‘Thunder’ jets Pakistan is procuring, and in the east the objective is to balance the massive development carried out by China in the Tibet Autonomous Region.

“Plans are in the offing to base these war birds at Bhuj (Gujarat), Sirsa (Haryana), Kalaikunda (West Bengal), Hashimara (in West Bengal) and Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu,” officials said. The strategic importance of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) has compelled the IAF to bolster its capability in the region. Plans are in the offing to have a fighter jets in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago, from where the Sukhois have operated in the past.

The new Sukhoi bases in Bhuj and Sirsa will be on the Western border and will be conducting strategic surveillance and reconnaissance in the region. On this side of the border the Sukhois are already based at Bhatinda and Halwara in Punjab and Jodhpur air base in Rajasthan.  On the Eastern side in Kalaikunda and Hashimara, the fighter jets will complement the Tejpur and Chabua fighter bases. Armed with Israeli reconnaissance pods, these fighter jets have the capability to look into the Chinese territory for good 300 kms.

At present the IAF has Su-30MKIs frontline fighter jets – that can be altered to drop a nuclear bomb – are based at Bareilly (Uttar Pradesh), in Tezpur (Assam), Halwara (Punjab), Pune (Lohegaon) and Jodhpur. The Sukhois were inducted into the IAF at Lohegaon air base in 2002 thereafter they were inducted at Bareilly followed by inductions at Tejpur, Chabua, Jodhpur, Bhatinda and Halwara.

“The Sukhoi fighter squadron at Bhuj and Sirsa shall be inducted by the end of this year. Kalaikunda and Hashimara will be ready by mid next year. Thanjavur is aimed to be operational by 2015,” officials added.

The IAF has contracted for 230 Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jets from Russia. Out of these 140 will be manufactured under license at the public sector major Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in India. With the IAF needing to maintain minimum squadron strength in the face of the phasing out of MiG-21s and MiG-27s, the HAL has been asked to complete its present order by 2013-14.

Presently the last of the pilots’ batch is getting trained on MiG-21s Type 77 – the oldest of the MiG-21s that were the force’s mainstay in 1971 Indo-Pak War. They are scheduled to finish its syllabus by January 2014 paving the way for their retirement. Whereas the two squadrons of Type-96 MiG-21s will revert back to operational role from training and will continue to serve the force till 2015. The four squadrons of MiG-27s will be retired in a phased manner by 2016-17.