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<ul class="summary-list"><li>The <keyword id="59606" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="arctic">Arctic</keyword> strategy released by the Army in March reflects the US military's increasing focus on the region.</li><li>While the Army has long operated in <keyword id="20636" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Alaska">Alaska</keyword>, it's looking abroad to learn more about handling harsh conditions and tough terrain.</li></ul>In March, the Army became the latest military branch to release an Arctic strategy, titled "<a href="https://api.army.mil/e2/c/downloads/2021/03/15/9944046e/regaining-arctic-dominance-us-army-in-the-arctic-19-january-2021-unclassified.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Regaining Arctic Dominance</a>," outlining how it will pursue the Defense Department's goal of defending US interests in that increasingly accessible region.The Army is still <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-army-figuring-out-whats-needed-to-regain-arctic-dominance-2021-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">determining what materials, training, and infrastructure it will need</a>, and officials say it will also need to draw on the knowledge and experience of allies that operate in extreme cold weather, on mountainous terrain, and at high altitudes.This year's Arctic Warrior exercise, led by <keyword id="11057847" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="us-army-alaska">US Army Alaska</keyword>, reflected the new focus on operating in the region during "the coldest parts of the year," Maj. Gen. Peter Andrysiak, commander of US Army Alaska, told Insider in a March interview.<div type="image" title="Canadian army Chinook helicopter Alaska Arctic" height="1324" width="2000" msid="82279643" hostid="261"></div>That exercise included a Canadian aviation unit, and Canadian troops will participate in the upcoming Arctic Edge exercise in Alaska, a reflection of the two countries' longstanding defense ties."What we're trying to do as we move forward with this is expand our relationships with other allies and partners that have to operate in a similar environment," Andrysiak added, naming <keyword id="6356961" type="LOCATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="norway">Norway</keyword>, <keyword id="23050" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Sweden">Sweden</keyword>, and Finland.As the Army focused on the Middle East over the past two decades, its relationships with European Arctic countries got less attention, but that will change, Andrysiak said at a press briefing in March."We've been given the green light to ... start working with other allies and partners, and that includes Norway and the other allies and partners up in that area," Andrysiak said at the briefing. "We know that there's a lot that we have to learn, because obviously Norway has a great history of being able to operate in and through that particular environment."As a NATO member, Norway has for decades worked with the US military, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/marines-in-norway-face-language-differences-as-they-train-2020-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">storing gear and hosting troops</a> for training.<div type="image" title="US Army Special Forces Sweden" height="1080" width="1920" msid="82279645" hostid="261"></div>Sweden and Finland are not in NATO but have worked more closely with the alliance amid recent tensions with Russia.Already in 2021, US soldiers <a href="https://www.dvidshub.net/news/390170/kleber-soldiers-participate-finnish-armys-winter-combat-course" target="_blank" rel="noopener">participated</a> in a Finnish winter-combat course, and Army Green Berets took part in a Swedish <a href="https://www.forsvarsmakten.se/sv/aktuellt/2021/04/amerikanskt-specialforband-ovade-vinterstrid-i-norr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">winter-warfare exercise</a>.The Army also sought feedback from foreign forces as it put together the Arctic strategy document."Within the Pentagon, we have a number of exchange officers and liaison officers, and we've been in contact with all of those, who've been offering some of the best practices ... and taking a look at drafts," Col. J.P. Clark, chief of the strategy division within the Army general staff, said at a separate March press conference."We have been able to incorporate some of our allies and partners in this in terms of the formulation, and we think that we'll build forces that can definitely train, operate, and fight alongside" those militaries, Clark added.<h2>'The million-dollar question'</h2><div type="image" title="Army Canada Arctic Baffin Island" height="1503" width="2000" msid="82279647" hostid="261"></div>Many of the Army forces permanently stationed in the Arctic or sub-Arctic are based in Alaska, but conditions differ between Arctic regions. Norway, for example, spans the same latitudes as northern <keyword id="6356687" type="LOCATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="canada">Canada</keyword> and Siberia but is more hospitable because of the <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111202091148.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gulf Stream</a>."A unit accustomed and optimized for Alaska operations might have some difficulties if suddenly deployed to the European Arctic," the Army's strategy says.How to ensure Army units can operate across those regions is "the million-dollar question," Andrysiak told Insider. "We've got to also better understand the environment and how the Arctic is different in those locations."The strategy says Arctic-capable units outside of the Arctic will be involved in planning in order "to identify appropriate mitigation measures" for those differences. Work with allies and partners in the Pacific "that have some degree of proficiency in this capability" will also continue, Andrysiak said.US Army Pacific, of which US Army Alaska is part, has directed Andrysiak's command to pursue more training with India, and US Army Alaska will soon assume responsibility for the bilateral exercise Yudh Abhyas.While Yudh Abhyas has been desert-focused, it will shift to "more of a mountainous scenario," Andrysiak told Insider.<div type="image" title="US India Army soldiers Alaska Yudh Abhyas" height="1363" width="2000" msid="82279648" hostid="261"></div>"This fall, they're going to come out to Alaska, and we're going to train with them, and then a year from that timeframe, we're going to go out to India and train in the Himalayas," Andrysiak said. "That's the mountainous aspect of the problem that we're trying to build capabilities in."For the most recent Yudh Abhyas, US soldiers from Washington state <a href="https://www.dvidshub.net/news/389547/yudh-abhyas-concludes-with-strengthened-indo-us-partnership" target="_blank" rel="noopener">traveled</a> to northwest India for training that concluded in February. Indian soldiers have <a href="https://www.dvidshub.net/news/59322/indian-army-soldiers-qualify-range-exchanged-tactics-with-us-army-alaska-soldiers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">traveled</a> to Alaska for previous iterations of Yudh Abhyas.India is working on its own <a href="https://science.thewire.in/environment/india-draft-arctic-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arctic strategy</a>, and after a deadly standoff with China along their disputed border in the Himalayas last year - the first in decades - India is also focusing more on mountain operations, adding <a href="https://www.ajaishukla.com/2021/01/armys-pivot-to-north.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a mountain strike corps</a> to bolster its defenses in an area where <a href="https://warontherocks.com/2020/06/tension-high-altitude-higher-logistical-and-physiological-constraints-on-the-indo-chinese-border/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">altitude and terrain</a> make any operation a challenge.The US military supported India during that standoff, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-intelligence-sharing-with-india-helps-monitor-chinese-military-2020-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">providing intelligence</a> and cold-weather equipment. In so doing, the Army "gained understanding of the requirements to operate in places like the Himalayas," the strategy says."As we work to build or strengthen our alliances and partnerships with nations across the globe - to the Indo-Pacific and in the European Theater - we want to be able to share and learn lessons so that we can operate effectively in those environments but also they can operate effectively in those environments," Elizabeth Felling, a strategic planner in the Army general staff, said at the March press conference.

The US Army wants to regain 'dominance' in the Arctic, and it's looking all over the world for help

<keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>'s <keyword id="6359526" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="military" source="Orion">military</keyword> spending of $76.6 billion ranked third highest in the world followed by the US and <keyword id="1334" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="china" source="Orion">China</keyword>, stated Sweden based think-tank -- Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) -- in its report published on Monday. The report stated that India's military spending was up by 0.9 per cent from 2020 and by 33 per cent from 2012. In a push to strengthen the indigenous arms industry, 64 per cent of capital outlays in the military budget of 2021 were earmarked for acquisitions of domestically produced arms. India is facing the threat of a two-front war -- from China and Pakistan. Since 2020, India has been engaged in border dispute at Line of Actual Control with China. The report also stated total global military expenditure has increased by 0.7 per cent in real terms in 2021, to reach $2,113 billion. It stated that the five largest spenders in 2021 were the US, China, India, the UK and Russia, together accounting for 62 per cent of expenditure, according to new data on global military spending. World military spending continued to grow in 2021, reaching an all-time high of $2.1 trillion. This was the seventh consecutive year that spending increased. "Even amid the economic fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic, world military spending hit record levels," said <keyword id="13702792" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="diego-lopes-da-silva" source="Orion">Diego Lopes da Silva</keyword>, Senior Researcher with SIPRI's Military Expenditure and Arms Production Programme. "There was a slowdown in the rate of real-terms growth due to inflation. In nominal terms, however, military spending grew by 6.1 per cent." As a result of a sharp economic recovery in 2021, the global military burden -- world military expenditure as a share of world gross domestic product (GDP), fell by 0.1 percentage points, from 2.3 per cent in 2020 to 2.2 per cent in 2021. Meanwhile, the US military spending amounted to $801 billion in 2021, a drop of 1.4 per cent from 2020. The US military burden decreased slightly from 3.7 per cent of GDP in 2020 to 3.5 per cent in 2021. "US funding for military research and development (R&amp;D) rose by 24 per cent between 2012 and 2021, while arms procurement funding fell by 6.4 per cent over the same period. In 2021 spending on both decreased. However, the drop in R&amp;D spending (-1.2 per cent) was smaller than that in arms procurement spending (-5.4 per cent)," the report stated. "The increase in R&amp;D spending over the decade 2012-21 suggests that the United States is focusing more on next-generation technologies," said <keyword id="12676475" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="alexandra-marksteiner" source="Orion">Alexandra Marksteiner</keyword>, Researcher with SIPRI's Military Expenditure and Arms Production Programme. The US government has repeatedly stressed the need to preserve the US military's technological edge over strategic competitors. Russia increased its military expenditure by 2.9 per cent in 2021, to $65.9 billion, at a time when it was building up its forces along the Ukrainian border. This was the third consecutive year of growth and Russia's military spending reached 4.1 per cent of GDP in 2021. As it has strengthened its defences against Russia, Ukraine's military spending has risen by 72 per cent since the annexation of Crimea in 2014. Spending fell in 2021, to $5.9 billion, but still accounted for 3.2 per cent of the country's GDP. China, the world's second largest spender, allocated an estimated $293 billion to its military in 2021, an increase of 4.7 per cent compared with 2020. China's military spending has grown for 27 consecutive years. The 2021 Chinese budget was the first under the 14th Five-Year Plan, which runs until 2025. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/top-10-most-expensive-shares-in-india/slidelist/91073430.cms">MRF, Page Industries, Nestle among top 10 stocks that are extremely expensive to buy</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/hyundai-motors-profit-up-17-aims-to-sell-4-32-million-vehicles-this-year/articleshow/91073745.cms">Hyundai Motor's profit up 17%, aims to sell 4.32 million vehicles this year</a>

India's military spending 3rd highest in the world, says report

The Indian Army has posed a requirement for a fast reaction air defence cover against enemy aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles, and the probable solution has been found in the form of Israeli Spyder system, which has emerged as the frontrunner in this quest. 
 
It was in 2011 that the Indian Army had started a short-range surface-to-air missile (SRSAM) programme, and it is now nearing final selection, for a contract valued at over Rs 18,000 crore. 
 
As per sources, the Israeli Spyder system, which has been manufactured by Rafael Advanced Systems, has come up as the frontrunner, given that its competitors, SAAB (Sweden) and Rosoboronexport (Russia), were not able to perform during technical trials that the Indian Army carried out last year. 
 
This could mean a possible go ahead for the Israeli system to reach the the opening of the price bid, which is the next stage of procurement. 
 
The winning company would need to transfer the technology to India, so that the system can be locally manufactured. 
 
 
The Indian Air Force has already ordered Spyder, which has been inducted to protect sensitive air fields along the border. 
 Talking of ‘Make in India,’ the Indian Army has already ordered the Indian-made <keyword id="2071339" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Akash-SAM">Akash SAM</keyword> systems, however, these have been assigned the task of protecting static or defensive units, given that they carry limited mobility and take a larger reaction time to an incoming attack. 
 
Anyway, the SRSAM project was launched with a 'global buy' clause, so that the Indian private industry could also be given a chance to invest in it. As per sources, the project is valued at close to Rs 6,000 crore and would need investment from joint ventures and production facilities in India. 
 
<a href="http://www.rafael.co.il/marketing/SIP_STORAGE/FILES/6/1196.jpg">Image source</a>

Israel beats Sweden and Russia to become the frontrunner in Indian Army's quest for air defence system

The <keyword id="6354416" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Indian-Army">Indian Army</keyword> would place an order worth Rs 1, 200 crore to get <keyword id="6358373" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="dhanush">Dhanush</keyword> artillery guns after their confirmatory trials are over early next year, reported PTI. 

	According to defence sources, if the confirmatory test of the indigenously-developed guns comes out as positive, it will pave the way for Bulk Production Clearance (BPC).
 Under the first phase, the army will place an order for 114 such guns with the <keyword id="498182" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Ordnance-Factories-Board">Ordnance Factories Board</keyword>. 

	"The confirmatory trials are going on after and if they prove to be successful, the guns will go in for bulk production for the army," sources told PTI. 
 

	The Gun Carriage Factory, Jabalpur, plans to supply 6 guns within 6 months, another 12 within the next one year before ramping up the production.
 It is important to know that Dhanush would be the first artillery gun to be acquired by the Indian Army since the purchase of Bofors guns from <keyword id="23050" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Sweden">Sweden</keyword> in 1987. 

	It is a modified version of the Bofors and already underwent winter trials in 2013 and summer trials in 2014. 
 Earlier this year, Defence Minister <keyword id="6363133" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Manohar-Parrikar">Manohar Parrikar</keyword> said the test for the 155/45mm caliber Dhanush gun was successful. 

	According to sources, minor changes were done following the trials, following which the confirmation trials have begun.
 

	OFB is a conglomerate of 39 ordnance factories with another two new projects being set up at Nalanda in Bihar and Korwa in Uttar Pradesh. 
	 (Image: <keyword id="6369097" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Ministry-of-Defence">Ministry of Defence</keyword>)

Indian Army to order Dhanush artillery guns after trials

Foreign fighter jet makers see a multi-billion dollar opportunity in India's decision to scale back purchases of high-end aircraft from France, which may free up cash in the world's largest arms importer to buy a new fleet of mid-range planes.

	 
	<keyword id="71" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Prime-Minister">Prime Minister</keyword> <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> announced last week that India would buy 36 French Rafale jets for an estimated $4.3 billion, in effect ending talks on a larger deal for 126 planes that would have sucked up some $20 billion and locked rivals out of the market for a generation.<o:p></o:p>

	<keyword id="23050" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Sweden">Sweden</keyword>'s <keyword id="6424383" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Saab">Saab</keyword> and U.S. <keyword id="112859" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Lockheed-Martin">Lockheed Martin</keyword> are set to re-pitch their Gripen and F-16 planes, eliminated in the Rafale tender, as the kind of lighter, single-engine aircraft that <keyword id="6366153" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Defence-Minister">Defence Minister</keyword> <keyword id="6363133" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Manohar-Parrikar">Manohar Parrikar</keyword> said on Monday the <keyword id="6354954" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Air-Force">air force</keyword> needed to rebuild its fleet.<o:p></o:p>

	"We are here and we are ready," said a source close to Saab. Saab was proposing to establish "fully-fledged production" of the Gripen in India alongside a local partner.<o:p></o:p>

	Lockheed Martin may also tout its F-16, one of the most widely used fighter planes in the world, as a replacement for Russian-made MiGs that are a mainstay in India's fleet, industry sources said. Lockheed Martin declined to comment.<o:p></o:p>

	"The light combat aircraft opportunity is going to be there in the near future because the MiGs have to be replaced really fast," said Delhi-based defence commentator and analyst Neelam Mathews.<o:p></o:p>

	Russia, traditionally India's largest arms supplier, is hopeful it can sell more of its Sukhoi Su-30s, a plane partly assembled in India, to tide over the air force while it waits two years to receive the first Rafales.<o:p></o:p>

	Foreign manufacturers have also welcomed India's decision to negotiate directly with the French government for further Rafales.<o:p></o:p>

	"What is positive about the announced Rafale deal is that purchase is supposed to be based on a government-to-government agreement. We have been asking the Indian side for a long time to get back to this practice instead of tenders," said one Russian diplomat.<o:p></o:p>

	Moscow wants to speed up the conclusion of talks with India for the joint manufacture of a new generation stealth fighter jet, the diplomat said.<o:p></o:p>

	TWO-FRONT CHALLENGE<o:p></o:p>

	India needs to replenish an air force fleet that has fallen to 34 operational squadrons, down from 39 earlier this decade and below the government-approved strength of 42 considered necessary to face a two-front challenge from Pakistan and China.<o:p></o:p>

	Parrikar said on Monday that India needed 100 new light combat aircraft within five years to replace the MiG-21s, and that the heavier and pricier Rafale was not the plane to do it.<o:p></o:p>

	His preference would be for the indigenously-made Tejas to fill the void. But Parrikar himself has admitted the jet, in development for three decades, has limitations while the latest version still awaits final clearance.<o:p></o:p>

	Either way, air force officials and industry sources say India is unlikely to buy anything like the 126 planes agreed in the original deal with France after all-in costs doubled to an estimated $20 billion.<o:p></o:p>

	Parrikar said he had not decided how many more Rafales he might buy. Manufacturer <keyword id="6407804" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Dassault">Dassault</keyword> Aviation could also pitch its single-engine Mirage if India opts for something cheaper.<o:p></o:p>

	Foreign planemakers may need to join forces with an Indian state-run or private partner to win orders, especially if Modi is to realise his goal of developing a military industrial base.<o:p></o:p>

	Under the original deal with Dassault, 108 of the jets were to be produced at a state-run <keyword id="86569" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Hindustan-Aeronautics-Limited">Hindustan Aeronautics Limited</keyword> (HAL) plant. But the two sides could not agree terms.<o:p></o:p>

	Such disagreements could open up opportunities for nascent private players to partner foreign manufacturers and build locally, experts said.<o:p></o:p>

	"This could be Rafale, or any other aircraft as long as the government is able to address the core issues of tech transfer, joint production and design collaboration," said M. Matheswaran, a former Air Marshal and adviser to Hindustan Aeronautics.<o:p></o:p>

After Rafale, could US' Lockheed Martin and Sweden's Saab be India-bound with new, revised jet-deals?

The ongoing <keyword id="1928343" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sweden-India-Nobel-Memorial-Week">Sweden India Nobel Memorial Week</keyword> 2016, which will go on till October 7, is also lauding innovation, keeping <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Prime+Minister+Narendra+Modi&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a>’s ‘<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Make+in+India&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Make in India</a>’ initiative in mind. 
 This is the 10th edition of the Memorial Week and this time, the <keyword id="2158545" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sweden-Embassy">Sweden Embassy</keyword> in India is highlighting innovations done by the Swedish companies, in line with Modi’s vision of turning India into a innovation hub. 
 The <keyword id="23050" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sweden">Sweden</keyword> India Nobel Memorial Week 2016 has a string of events such as seminars and board discussions among well known Indian and Swedish chiefs from government and business and in addition the scholarly world, to rivalries for understudy and social exhibitions. 
 These events are taking place across <keyword id="6359298" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indore">Indore</keyword>, <keyword id="2094" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pune">Pune</keyword>, <keyword id="6355033" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bangalore">Bangalore</keyword>, Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bhubaneswar, <keyword id="6354925" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kolkata">Kolkata</keyword>, Guwahati and New <keyword id="66" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Delhi">Delhi</keyword>. 
 The highlight of event is <keyword id="3405451" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="ibrahim-baylan">Ibrahim Baylan</keyword>, Minister for <keyword id="3719651" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="policy-coordination-and-energy">Policy Coordination and Energy</keyword>, and Erik Brandsma, Director General of Swedish Energy Agency, who will be in attendance. Other exciting projects of the week are The Nobel Wall in Delhi, <keyword id="18858" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Noida">Noida</keyword> and Chennai, The Swedish Film Festival in Chennai and Nobel Memorial Reception. 
 Sweden's Ambassador <keyword id="1441970" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Harald-Sandberg">Harald Sandberg</keyword> said, "The Nobel Week is a great platform to strengthen cooperation and deepen relations between both the countries. India and Sweden do share common basic values and interests, and at the same time, we see a great potential to take inspiration from each other and expand our cooperation across a range of sectors. India is a great example of unity in diversity and Sweden collaborates with India under the India's "Smart Cities" initiative. Many Swedish companies specializing in the sustainable urban development sector have been working in India for many years." 
 The Sweden India Nobel Memorial Week is held in memory of Swedish innovator and giver <keyword id="233417" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Alfred-Nobel">Alfred Nobel</keyword> to observe Indian Nobel laureates and is sorted out in participation with leading Swedish organizations in India. The topic for the tenth version of the Week is Swedish commitments - "Sweden Makes in India", including sustainability and innovation. Our try is to utilize this stage to concentrate on innovations and sustainable advancement, which is the trademark of Swedish organizations." 
 There are around 160 Swedish companies operating in the country employing 160,000 people directly. Big names from Sweden present in India include ABB, Altas Copco, Ericsson, IKEA, SAAB, Scania, SEB, Tetra Pak, Volvo Cars and <keyword id="164894" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Volvo-Group">Volvo Group</keyword> and the SME partners Blueair, Camfil and CleanMotion. 
(image: indiatimes)

Sweden is showing innovations by Swedish companies in line with ‘Make in India’ initiative

Indian Army won’t be using the much-touted indigenous Akash missiles anymore, as they are likely to make way for the Israeli quick-reaction surface-to-air missiles (QR-SAMs). 
 
Sources from the Defence Ministry say that the Army is very clear about not wanting any more Akash regiments after it gets the first two that it had already ordered for Rs 14,180 crore. These regiments would come with six firing batteries and hundreds of missiles each. 
 
This move is detrimental to the 'Make in India' policy, especially after the Indian Navy has turned to France for similar requirements, having dumped the Akash missiles. 
 
"The Army holds Akash area defence missile systems do not meet its operational requirements for defending its strike corps against enemy air attacks in forward areas. Instead, it wants the global route for procurement of four QR-SAM regiments," a source told TOI. 
 
Indian Army is said to have done extensive research and field trials on missile systems from Israel, Russia and Sweden, after which the Israeli Spyder QR-SAMs emerged as the winner. 
 <keyword id="15141" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Indian-Air-Force">Indian Air Force</keyword> is also preparing to induct four Spyder units from February 2017 onwards, even as it is progressively inducting 15 <keyword id="112404" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Akash-missile">Akash missile</keyword> squadrons, worth around Rs 10,900 crore. TOI reports suggest that six of these squadrons would be sent to the northeast to counter China's build-up of military infrastructure across the Line of Actual Control. 
 
<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/Akash_SAM.jpg">Image source</a>

Blow to Make In India: Indian Army to discard Akash and buy Israeli missiles

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>THE north-eastern Nigerian town of Chibok is spared little. Earlier this year fighters from the extremist group, Boko Haram, abducted more than 200 local schoolgirls. In the past week insurgents and government troops have traded possession of urban districts and surrounding farmland, leaving much of it burnt.
The Nigerian army, one of the biggest in Africa, should have little difficulty scattering the amateur jihadists. But its arsenal is decrepit and its troops poorly trained. Hence the government's decision to spend $1 billion on new aircraft and training, among other things. Critics question how much will go towards appropriate kit (never mind how much gets stolen by corrupt generals) and whether it is sensible to lavish resources on a force implicated in atrocities and human-rights abuses.
These questions resonate across Africa. Last year military spending there grew by 8.3%, according to the Stockholm <keyword id="6356001" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="international">International</keyword> Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), faster than in other parts of the world (see chart). Two out of three African countries have substantially increased military spending over the past decade; the continent as a whole raised military expenditure by 65%, after it had stagnated for the previous 15 years.
Angola's defence budget increased by more than one-third in 2013, to $6 billion, overtaking South Africa as the biggest spender in sub-Saharan Africa. Other countries with rocketing defence budgets include Burkina Faso, Ghana, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The continent's biggest spender by far is Algeria, at $10 billion.
"Some countries are buying really amazing stuff," says David Shinn, a former American diplomat, now a professor at George Washington University. Ethiopia last year took delivery of the first of about 200 Ukrainian T-72 tanks. Neighbouring South Sudan has bought about half as many. Coastal states such as Cameroon, Mozambique, Senegal and Tanzania are sprucing up their navies. Angola has even looked at buying a used aircraft-carrier from Spain or Italy.
Chad and Uganda are buying MiG and Sukhoi fighter jets. Cameroon and Ghana are importing transport planes to boost their ability to move troops around and deploy them abroad, which they have been ill-equipped to do. For peacekeeping duties they generally ask friendly Western governments for help in airlifting troops, or charter civilian planes.
Despite such handicaps, many are participating in a growing number of African Union and UN peacekeeping missions. Once rarely seen in blue helmets, sub-Saharan soldiers are increasingly replacing troops from Europe and Asia. Ethiopians and Rwandans have acquired a reputation as reliable peacekeepers, all the while benefiting from training as well as from reimbursements for purchases of weapons. A new "business model" for African defence ministries is taking shape.
Many African armies are becoming more professional, too. Their troops are more often paid on time, get decent food and go on regular leave, all of which boosts morale and discipline. "Even small countries like Benin and Djibouti now field respectable forces," says Alex Vines of Chatham House, a think-tank in London.
A big issue is whether troops have enough training to handle sophisticated new gear. Chad makes good use of its Sukhoi SU-25 jets--with the help of mercenaries. On the other hand, Congo-Brazzaville only manages to get its Mirage fighter jets into the air for national-day celebrations. South Africa bought 26 Gripen combat aircraft from Sweden but has mothballed half of them because of budget cuts. Uganda spent hundreds of millions of dollars on Sukhoi SU-30 combat aircraft but little on the precision weapons to go with them.
The reasons for African governments to boost arms spending vary. High commodity prices over the past decade (they are now falling) have filled the coffers of many. Some leaders have been tempted to buy expensive arms to gain prestige. Other are suspected of inflating deals to siphon off money for themselves.
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>
<h3>Tanks for everything</h3>
But some spending is prompted by genuine security threats. The Sahel and parts of east Africa face a range of extreme jihadists. Coastal states have seen piracy soar, most recently in the west. Offshore discoveries of oil and gas have increased the need for maritime security. More traditional threats, internal as well as external, persist in countries such as South Sudan, where the government is fighting rebels while also facing a hostile northern neighbour.
Industrial ambition also plays a part. A number of countries hope to foster defence manufacturing at home. A huge South African purchase of arms from, among others, Germany and Britain, agreed to more than a decade ago, included promises of "offsets" whereby local firms would help assemble jets and ships. Angola plans to build its own warships. Nigeria and Sudan make ammunition. Four European arms manufacturers set up African subsidiaries this year: Antonov is going into Sudan; Eurocopter is in Kenya's capital, Nairobi; Fincantieri, an Italian shipbuilder, is in the country's main port, Mombasa; and Saab is setting up a plant for its military aircraft in Botswana.
These military improvements carry risks. Ambitious officers may misinterpret new might for political right--and may be tempted to seize power, as many have done before. Sophisticated arms may also fall into the wrong hands; witness the array of Libyan weapons that have fuelled conflicts across Africa, from Mali to the Central African Republic, since the fall of Muammar Qaddafi.
These structural changes to African armies may gradually alter the type of war that could be fought on the continent. Since the anti-colonial guerrilla wars of the past century, most African conflicts have been internal. Few countries previously had the ability, let alone the inclination, to fight their neighbours. In the late 1990s, several countries, including Angola and Zimbabwe, sent forces to take part in Congo's civil war--to little avail. Ethiopia and Eritrea fought each other in 1998-2000. Tanzania sent its army into Uganda, along with guerrillas returning from exile, to overthrow Idi Amin in 1978. In general, however, few disputes between African countries have been liable to spark wars. But the build-up of beefier armies is bound to carry a risk.
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Africa's Armies Are Going On A Spending Spree

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Ukraine needs its F-16s, but it should get Gripen jets to help fight Russia long-term, experts said.</li><li>They're rugged, flexible, and designed with a Russia fight in mind.</li></ul>Ukraine has US-made F-16s and a promise of French Mirages, capable weapons that it needs now, but Sweden's Gripen, a jet made for the Russian threat, is an ideal choice for the country's future fighter fleet."Gripens are a way better fit for Ukraine" than F-16s," said Michael Bohnert, an air warfare expert at the RAND Corporation. "The Gripen is a little more purpose-built" for Ukraine's needs.<h2 id="f816fc70-9055-4f96-bc64-62d9a1771018">A more flexible jet</h2>The JAS 39 Gripen, made by Swedish aerospace and defense company Saab AB, was designed to operate from civilian roads in the event that runways and airbases are destroyed. This is something the F-16 can do, too, and has done, but the Gripen is a more rugged aircraft better suited for that.The jet is one Ukraine <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-asking-for-f16s-but-also-looking-at-swedish-gripens-2023-7">wants</a> but has been unable to acquire.They're made to operate from improvised runways "because Sweden, being under that Russian threat, designed the Gripens to fight this way that F-16s weren't," Bohnert said. F-16s have special requirements, like long and smooth runways and protective hangars.<div type="image" title="A Ukrainian F-16 flying against grey skies." height="2000" width="3000" msid="114587737" hostid="261" sizebytes="233468"></div>Russia has been <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-targets-ukraine-airfields-before-f16s-fear-impact-war-experts-2024-7">targeting Ukrainian air bases</a> suitable for F-16s. "If you're right under somebody's shadow, you need to be able to operate from roads," Bohnert said.The emerging missile threat has led nations farther away to look into the practice as well. The US and its partners in Europe have been training with increasing regularity for dispersed air operations using highways as improvised runways for combat aircraft like the F-35, Eurofighter, A-10, and others.The Gripen, designed at the end of the Cold War and built to defeat Russia's highly maneuverable Sukhoi fighter aircraft, is considered among the better fourth-generation fighters and is regarded as an excellent jet for these kinds of operations.Retired US Army Maj. Gen. Gordon "Skip" Davis, who served as NATO's deputy assistant secretary-general for its Defense Investment Division, told BI that Swedens' Gripens have "a number of advantages" that benefit Ukraine and would likely work well with the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russian-targeting-cant-catch-ukraine-air-force-top-us-general-2023-9">dispersal tactics Ukraine has been employing since the start of the war</a> to keep Russians from destroying its smaller air force.The jet's flexibility makes it "much better for a country that's bordering an aggressor," Bohnert said. "You'll probably get more effectiveness out of an F-16 against Russia out of Germany, whereas the Gripen will get more capability out of Ukraine or some other bordering country."The Gripen is also a lighter maintenance lift than some other aircraft, the F-16 included.<div type="image" title="An F-16 fighter jet flying across gray skies." height="1933" width="3000" msid="114587741" hostid="261" sizebytes="244994"></div>Experts at the UK-based Royal United Services Institute <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://static.rusi.org/SR-Russian-Air-War-Ukraine-web-final.pdf">wrote</a> in 2022 that of available Western aircraft that could be supplied, the Gripen "offers by far the most suitable candidate in terms of operational requirements. It was designed from the outset for ease of maintenance, and can be refuelled, re-armed and given basic maintenance by teams of just six ground crew using two vehicles on small airbases or highways in cold weather.""Moreover," they added, "only one of each crew needs to be a highly trained maintainer; the rest can be conscripts or even troops."The greater demands for F-16 operations mean that even if the Ukrainians were promised far more of the jets, there is no guarantee it would be able to put all of them in the air.<h2 id="f20357c0-b4b8-4954-9ab4-31f55296ea4b">Designed against Russia</h2>Sweden has long seen Russia as a threat, and the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 majorly elevated those concerns, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sweden-nato-alliance-new-ways-strike-russia-targets-kaliningrad-stpetersburg-2024-3">prompting Sweden to join NATO</a>. The Gripen is built for that threat and delivers certain capabilities beyond the F-16 or Mirage.<div type="image" title="Three Swedish Saab JAS-39 Gripen fighter jets escort a B-52H Stratofortress in a 2022 flight." height="1333" width="2000" msid="114587735" hostid="261" sizebytes="53510"></div>The then-commander of Sweden's air force, Mats Helgesson, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sweden-built-a-russian-fighter-jet-killer-and-stealth-is-irrelevant-2019-2">said</a> in 2019 that the Gripen was "designed to kill Sukhois."Gordon noted the Gripen's electronic warfare capabilities, characterizing it as a "big advantage," as well as the jet's small radar signature and its maneuverability in a dogfight. The Gripen can also be equipped with very long-range air-to-air missiles.<h2 id="7a3a66ea-485d-453b-91fc-a618f41d3d9c">A potential transition</h2>Sweden appears to be <a target="_blank" href="https://kyivindependent.com/sweden-takes-step-toward-transferring-gripen-fighter-jets-but-ukraine-still-eyes-more-f-16s/#:~:text=9%20announced%20the%20inclusion%20of,million%2C%20according%20to%20the%20ministry.">inching closer </a>to giving Ukraine the jets but still seems a long way off from committing any.<div type="image" title="Saab JAS 39C Gripen Sweden Air Force" height="1067" width="1600" msid="114587738" hostid="261" sizebytes="47290"></div>Gordon said the Gripens would be useful for Ukraine now, but "unless Sweden makes a quick decision to start training pilots and offering the aircraft, then they're not going to make a difference the next year and for 2025. So they may more be a good idea for cost and maintenance and employment for a post-conflict."The Gripen could be a good alternative if US support suddenly collapsed, but for the time being, Ukraine has its hands full building an F-16 fleet and the approaching task of integrating Mirages into its air force, which Sweden has noted.But Ukraine's long-term defense needs will almost certainly center on Russia, which will be a threat to Ukraine no matter how this war ends. That makes the Swedish Gripen a worthwhile consideration for its long-term fighter needs.<div type="image" title="Swedish Saab JAS 39 Gripen" height="1095" width="2000" msid="114587744" hostid="261" sizebytes="59376"></div><h2 id="aa367036-bb90-4206-9e70-24b66258ea1e">Ukraine's future air force</h2>Air warfare experts have described Ukraine's acquisition of its first F-16s as the beginning of building Ukraine's long-term air force.US officials have also described it as a long-term project, with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin saying last year that the US would lead a coalition focused on increasing the Ukrainian air force's ability to defend itself against Russia in the long run.The Gripen is good, but the F-16 is probably the best option right now.<div type="image" title="Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi in front of the first F-16 fighter jets received by Ukraine on August 4, 2024." height="3333" width="5000" msid="114587742" hostid="261" sizebytes="445220"></div>As the most popular Western fighter, there are many more jets and spare parts allies could choose to give Ukraine, Tim Robinson, a military aviation specialist at the UK's Royal Aeronautical Society, told BI.There are also far fewer countries that operate Gripens, and not all of them support Ukraine. The Gripen has also never seen combat, so the jet's celebrated capabilities are, for now, theoretical.The F-16 is, on the other hand, a combat-proven aircraft and still a key element of American and allied airpower, even amid the transition to fifth-generation fighters."It's just that Gripens were designed for this fight much better," Bohnert said. But right now, Ukraine just needs jets, making F-16s a solid choice for the time being.

Ukraine needs F-16s now, but this rugged jet made for the Russia threat could be the better choice for its future fighter fleet

Several countries, including India, scrambled to evacuate their nationals from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, as the death toll in China soared to 259 and nearly 12,000 people infected with the deadly virus. The virus that emerged in early December and traced to a market in Hubei province capital Wuhan that sold wild animals, has now spread to more than two dozen nations, including India where the first case is confirmed in Kerala, the US, Britain, Russia and Sweden. Chinese health authorities on Saturday announced that the death toll has increased to 259 as 46 more people, all but one in Hubei, died in the preceding 24 hours. With 2,102 new infections, the total confirmed cases in China increased to 11,791, the biggest increase since China began reporting the spread of the virulent virus on January 21. China's National Health Commission in its daily report on Saturday said that 1,795 patients remained in critical condition, and 17,988 people were suspected of being infected with the virus as of the end of Friday. So far about 124 cases have been reported in other countries, including India where the first case is confirmed in Kerala. Several countries, including India, US, Japan, South Korea, UK and Bangladesh, have evacuated their nationals from Wuhan by sending special aircraft. Air India's jumbo B747 aircraft carrying 324 Indians, including 211 students, 110 working professionals and three minors, reached New Delhi on Saturday morning from Wuhan city. Another flight of the airline departed for the Chinese city from New Delhi on Saturday afternoon. Five doctors from the Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital who were onboard the first flight are also in the second flight, the Air India spokesperson said. The Indian Army has set up a quarantine facility in Manesar near Delhi to keep around 300 Indian students being evacuated from China's Hubei province in view of the coronavirus infection outbreak. Separately, border-guarding force ITBP has set up a 600-bedded facility in southwest Delhi's Chhawla area to quarantine and provide basic medical care to those suspected to have been affected by the virus. The World Health Organisation has declared the outbreak a global emergency on Thursday but did not advise international trade or travel restrictions. According to a study by University of Hong Kong scientists, as many as 75,815 people in Wuhan may have been infected with the new coronavirus, the South China Morning Post reported. The research, published in The Lancet on Saturday, is based on the assumption that each infected person could have passed the virus on to 2.68 others, the Hong Kong-based daily said.

Coronavirus Update: Death toll soars to 259 in China, thousands evacuated from Wuhan

The <keyword id="76451" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Adani">Adani</keyword> Group is planning to invest in <keyword id="32723" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Defence">defence</keyword> and aerospace production, thanks to Modi’s '<keyword id="6354869" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="make-in-India">Make in India</keyword>' campaign. 
 
According to media reports, the company is in talks with international defence companies for a strategic partnership to set up a defence manufacturing hub in India. It has been pitching its main asset — the country's largest private port with it’s sea and land links and the SEZ at Mundra in Gujarat. 
 
Sweden’s Saab is among the few companies being approached for these partnerships. The Swedish giant is already eyeing to set up production facilities in India. It wants major projects like the Rs 60,000-crore P-75I submarine contract and has proposed to manufacture the light Gripen fighter jet in India. 
 
Sources say Adani may also consider defence firms like Italy's Finmeccanica and US based Textron. The later owns BAE, which is being reviewed for a $700 million contract to supply howitzer guns to India. 
 
The Adani Group is the first among large Indian conglomerates to want to invest in defence and aerospace. Just last month the group has applied to the department of industrial policy &amp; promotion for a licence to manufacture helicopters under a new name — Adani Defence Systems &amp; Technologies Ltd. The sector has immense potential given that the country is one of the world's largest spenders in this area. 
 
(Image credit:Adani)

Watch out! Adani may raid the defence sector

It is 15th of August in 1975; Ramesh Sippy’s Sholay has found its way into the theatres. While the country men have switched on the patriotic mode in them, Bollywood was preparing to redefine the arena of Indian commercial cinema like never before. A film that defines patriotism in a newer way, thrills with its suspense even if you watch it for the zillionth time and shows how a friendship in India thrives has come a long way and it’s now a part of every Indian’s growing-up discourse. 
This Independence Day marks the 40th anniversary of Sholay. Anupama Chopra, the renowned film critic has said in her book ‘Sholay- The Making of a classic’ (Penguin India), “Over the years, Sholay, has transcended its hit-movie status. It is not merely a film, it is the ultimate classic; it is myth.” 
 
While, over the last 40 yrs much has been said and written about the film, we at Business Insider list for you 20 amazing facts you still don’t know about Sholay: 
 
 
1. Sholay is a record breaker in many ways. It is also India’s first 70 mm film, which had stereophonic sound. 
 
2. Amjad Khan’s ‘Kitney aadmi the’ dialogue has become a cult. Yet, Khan was almost rejected because the casting director found that his voice was not ‘powerful enough’. 
 
3. Many things about this movie were real even the bullets in the climax scene. It is said that one spare bullet had nearly missed Amitabh. 
 
4. Gabbar’s gang member Sambha was played by Mac Mohan. Though he has become an indispensible part of the movie, he just has one dialogue in Sholay. 
 
5. Amzad Khan wasn’t the first choice for the role of Gabbar. It was Danny Denzongpa who was supposed to play the role. 
 
6. What DDLJ is to Maratha Mandir, Minerva Theatre of Mumbai is for Sholay. This theatre screened Sholay for 5 years continuously in all three shows of the day. And till 1980, it was a major hit. 
 
7. Sholay has proved this long back that awards don’t determine a movie’s credibility. Though a blockbuster, Sholay had won just one Filmfare award, that too for editing. 
 
8. The movie, after the initial part, is all about Gabbar and his notorious activities. However, in a 204 minute film, Gabbar appears in just 9 scenes. 
 
9. While the official release date was 15th August 1975, the movie was launched on 2nd October in 1973. 
 
10. Estimated at Rs 2 crores, Sholay’s budget over ran to an extra one crore. It took almost two and a half years to complete the movie. 
 
11. Previously, scriptwriters weren’t really paid in Bollywood. Sholay changed everything. It set the scripwriters as real creator of hit movies. 
 
12. Getting requisite permissions had prevented Thakur Saab from being an army officer. The character of Thaakur saab was conceived as a retired army officer. Having not got necessary clearances from the army, the role was changed to a police officer. 
 
13. The role of Jai played by Amitabh Bachchan was initially planned for Shatrughan Sinha. 
 
14. Dharmendra was nursing a deep crush on Hema Malini during the shooting of the film. He wanted to play the role of Thakur initially, but settled for playing Veeru when he realized that the character would be paired against Hema Malini. 
 
 
15. The light boys were bribed by Dharmendra to spoil his scenes with Hema Malini. This led to numerous retakes and Dharmendra’s chance of getting closer to Hema intensified. 
 
16. The original ending of Sholay has Gabbar being killed by Thakur. 
 
 
17. The Censor Board didn’t approve of too much violence in the end. Sholay was made to re-shoot several scenes to get rid of extreme violence. 
 
18. Ramgarh , the village shown in Sholay is actually a town called Ramanagara, which is 50 kms from Bangalore. Since 80s, it came to be called Ramgarh to commemorate the film. 
<ol>
	<li value="19">
		The rocks where the famous scene of Sambha-Gabbar has been shot are known as Sholay rocks and can be seen from the highway. It has become a major tourist attraction soon after the movie.</li>
</ol>
 
20. Who is Gabbar Singh? No, this isnt any fictional character. There was a real life dacoit of the same name in Gwalior area in 1950s. He is infamous for having cut off noses and ears of policemen. 
 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Learn-how-to-market-yourself-by-seeking-inspiration-from-Gabbar/articleshow/47840166.cms">Also Read: Learn how to market yourself by seeking inspiration from ‘Gabbar’</a>

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