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November 21, 2024
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Recent Global Trends in the development of Long-Range Artillery Systems

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By: Rahul Wankhede

Artillery Gun: source Internet

Introduction

The domain of long-range artillery and missile systems is rapidly evolving in this decade of the 21st century. The wars in Ukraine and Armenia-Azerbaijan have seen a good amount of use of deadly missiles and precision guided munitions that can strike with pinpoint accuracy. The new development in this domain has mainly happened in the fields of navigation, warheads and propulsion systems. What’s more interesting is that developing countries like India are leading ahead of other nations in missile technology. This article takes an overview of the major developments in this domain of warfare, globally. As these missiles get more frequently used, the military-industrial complex is having a good time due to all time high profits. But this is dangerous for a peaceful world due to increased violence and regional conflicts.

India

The joint venture mode of production seems to have worked out very well for India. It is one of the hallmarks of the long partnership with Russia. The Brahmos missile (2650 kgs, 290+kms range) which is the world’s fastest supersonic cruise missile as on date, is a product of this joint venture. It has become more potent now with extended range versions of 450km and 600 kms which have been tested successfully. The manufacturers now want to increase the missile’s range up-to 1500 kms, with reduced weight and increased warheads. Plans are on to export some versions of the Brahmos to Southeast Asian countries. The joint venture also aims to achieve exports worth five billion dollars in the supersonic cruise missile market. A deal has already been signed with the Philippines earlier this year regarding the same, while negotiations are on with other nations in the region.

This will definitely alter the balance of power in the region vis a vis China. But the export order will also need a confirmation from Russia since it is a joint venture. India’s careful position on Ukraine can be linked to this export issue, since it is in India’s interest to not to anger the Russians. India has recently also successfully test fired the Agni Prime missile and the submarine launched K15 missile. Foreign vendors like Dassault aviation have also shown interest in India made technology to manufacture missiles. These will be mostly exported to the western countries thus bringing India at par with the developed countries. India is expected to increase investments in the R&D side to produce better weapons. The new missiles will also have to be integrated on major platforms like fighter jets, ships and trucks.

USA

The U.S. Marine Corps has completed live-fire tests of a medium-range air defense prototype that uses Israeli-made Iron Dome Tamir missiles. USA is planning to induct this system soon.  The Tamir missile was able to shoot down a variety of targets in the air when launched from the Corps’ Medium-Range Intercept Capability system. The missiles were also tested in a rapid-fire mode. The MRIC destroyed multiple simulated cruise missiles approaching simultaneously at different angles and speeds.  The Marines currently use the Raytheon-made Stinger missile system which can intercept threats at a range of a few miles while the Tamir missiles can intercept targets up to 70 kilometres. These are produced by Raytheon, an American defence MNC. The US Marines since long had desired to have an interceptor system of their own, to fill the service’s gaps in medium-range air defense to gain the ability to repel aerial threats at a longer range.

North Korea

North Korea has continued its saga of test firing ballistic missiles. Japan’s Defense Ministry said – it was North Korea’s 22nd missile launch this year. The missiles came from the Pyongyang area towards the country’s east coast, and landed in the Sea of Japan, according to South Korean and Japanese officials.  The missiles flew at a height of 50km (30 miles) for 400kms (250 miles) before landing in the Sea of Japan, in areas outside of Japan’s exclusive economic zone. North Korea has conducted a record number of weapons tests this year and analysts see the increased pace of testing as an effort to build its ballistic weapons capacity, as well as to take advantage of a world distracted by the Ukraine conflict and other crises. Nuclear tests and ballistic missile launch by North Korea have long been banned by the United Nations Security Council, but it continues testing, to show the world that it still has some good deterrence against the USA.

Europe

Lithuania has been looking to purchase missile defence systems for its short-range air defence system RBS 70.  They are buying Bolide and Mk2 missiles from SAAB, a Swedish firm.

In western Europe, the French navy has bought anti-ship missiles, a new variant named Exocet MM 40 Block 3C from MBDA. The total order of 55 missiles, out of which 10 have been delivered. 44 missile upgrade kits are also on order for the MM40 Block 3 version – to convert them into 3C version, if needed. It has a new digital radio frequency seeker, made by Thales. This seeker observes smaller differences in velocity, much better than traditional technology, thus reducing signal interference. The missile also has an extended range of 200 kms and a GPS navigation to attack coastal targets. The new missile is immune to jamming and can identify a target within a group of targets.  New IR seekers equipped missiles like the LRASM by Lockheed Martin also possess the capability to strike a designated target in a particular area. The Indian BrahMos also has similar features at a much lower cost, per unit.

In eastern Europe, Ukraine was observed using the Swedish RBS-17 coastal defense missile system for land attacks by the Ukrainian Army. The RBS-17, sometimes referred to as ‘Robot 17’ and ‘Hellfire Shore Defense System’ (HSDS) uses a derivative of the U.S. 114C Hellfire anti-tank missile and was sent to Ukraine by Sweden in an aid package. It is primarily designed for coastal defense role — defending against amphibious landings and shallow water threats — but Ukrainian forces used it well against the land targets. The RBS-17 is man-portable and requires minimal set-up. It has a tripod-like ground firing and targeting system and a compact launcher. It is a laser-guided missile system designed for precision with laser designators and optical scopes to spot and lase the target at which the missile is being fired. It has a 20-pound (9 kg) warhead and can strike a target at a range of around five miles (8 km).

Ukraine is also seen using the U.S.-made M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, better known as HIMARS which is a lightweight long range artillery mobile launcher that is mounted on military vehicles.

Russia

Russia’s military has been seen using the newest Rubezh-M mobile coastal defense missile (MCDM) system during the special military operation in Ukraine, launching the weapon’s missiles from Crimea. The Rubezh-ME lies on a 6×6 all-terrain truck, which carries a four-cell launch unit for Kh-35UE anti-ship missiles, a beyond-the-horizon radar detecting surface target, and a fire-control system. The system is relatively compact and requires no external target designation system to open fire. The Russians have also employed high intensity warheads on their missiles for area damage.

Japan

Japan has only about 60% of missile stockpiles deemed sufficient to intercept enemies’ ballistic missiles, the Defense Ministry has said, in a call for urgent replenishment amid military threats from North Korea and China. China is also believed to have about 1,900 medium-range ballistic missiles and 300 medium-range cruise missiles capable of reaching Japan, according to a U.S. Defense Department analysis. The Japanese are also concerned about the soaring costs for anti-ballistic missiles per unit due to cutting-edge technologies used for them as a cause of the insufficient stockpiles. 

Australia

Lockheed Martin is investing $74 million in Australia on a project to detect incoming missile threats. The Australian ‘national integrated air and missile defence (IAMD) ecosystem’ will be buying missiles developed in this project. It is a $2.7 billion project to revolutionise the RAAF’s ability to monitor missile threats. Lockheed is competing against rival Northrop Grumman for this project. The prime’s new investment would focus on two primary areas — a national IAMD centre serving as a physical hub, and an R&D pipeline to facilitate sovereign innovation through small and medium-sized enterprises, and science, technology, engineering and mathematics activities. This would include supporting real-time feedback from war fighters, allowing Australian industry to develop solutions in response to changing requirements.

Conclusion

The world is again seeing a covert arms race in the domain of missiles and long-range artillery. Countries are developing more lethal weapons, and exporting the same to others in the region. Since such sales do not get banned under any non-proliferation regime, their spread cannot be stopped easily. These weapons will definitely increase the security dilemma of the nations which do not possess them.

About the Author

Rahul Wankhede is a post graduate in Defence and Strategic Studies with a gold medal. Rahul has worked with think tanks and NGOs in the domains of research, analysis and mentoring and is currently Assistant Professor in the Department of Defence and Strategic Studies, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India. The views expressed are personal.

Poland Missile Attack: Turbulent Times Ahead

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By: GSDN

Poland Missile Attack: source Internet

In a surprising and shocking turn of events that can signal tough and turbulent times for the world ahead, two people were killed in a missile attack in Przewodow, a village in eastern Poland, nearing the border with Ukraine at 15.40 pm UTC on November 15, 2022.

While the Ukraine and Polish authorities have said that this attack was caused by Russian missiles, Russia has ruled out any involvement in this incident. Meanwhile the US President Joe Biden currently in Bali, Indonesia for the G20 Summit spoke to the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg telephonically and held an emergency meeting in Bali with the leaders of some of the NATO members currently attending the G20 Summit like Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Olaf Scholz, the Chancellor of Germany.

The Polish missile attack can be a global flashpoint in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine War. In 1939 after Germany invaded Poland, the World War II erupted. In times of a war such incidents like the Polish missile attack can have detrimental and dangerous repercussions.

Many NATO countries have affirmed their support for Poland. Article 5 of the NATO Treaty is about collective defence and attack against any one member of NATO is considered as an attack on all the members of NATO.

NATO invoked Article 5 for the first time in its history after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in USA. With NATO in an upbeat mood after Russia’s withdrawal from Kherson, this missile attack in Poland can provide an opportunity it was looking for to take on Russia further. Whether this missile attack results in a retaliatory attack by NATO on Russia or Russia is further isolated internationally by NATO remains to be seen.

As severe winters set in Europe by end-November accompanied by heavy snowfall, the next fortnight is very critical for both Russia and Ukraine in the ongoing war. NATO having smelt an opportunity in the aftermath of the Polish missile attack, will now fully weaponise this incident.

For sure, something big is bound to happen as NATO will not like itself to be projected as a weak alliance and let go of such an opportunity.

It is time now for restraint to be shown by the world leaders, else the future of humanity is at stake with nine nations today possessing nuclear weapons, unlike during World War II when only USA had nuclear weapons.

G20 SUMMIT IN BALI: GREATER GLOBAL CHALLENGES

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By: Lt Col JS Sodhi (Retd)

G20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia: source Internet

Hassan Rouhani’s quote “Global challenges require collective responses” is quite important as the worlds spotlight shifts to the G20 Summit on November 15-16, 2022 in Bali, Indonesia.

After the United Nations, the G20 is the second biggest alliance in the world as it comprises 19 nations and the European Union. The European Union consists of 27 nations, thus the G20 alliance has 46 nations as members.

The G20 countries constitute two-thirds of the world’s area, have 60% of the worlds population, conduct 77% of the international trade and contribute 80% of the worlds Gross World Product (GWP), thus making it a potent and a powerful alliance.

G20 was founded on September 26, 1999 with a four-fold aim to tackle issues of global economy, financial stability, climate change mitigation and sustainable development.

The G20 Summit in Bali is happening at a critical time when the Russia-Ukraine War is nearing its ninth-month having disrupted the global supply chains devastatingly, and the Covid-19 pandemic is on the wane having shattered the global economy. Thus, this G20 Summit is of immense global significance and the world has immense hope from the Bali Summit.

Attempts by the United Nations to end the Russia-Ukraine War have not been successful. The visit of the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to Russia & Ukraine in the last week of April 2022 did not yield any success to end this war.

The world now looks upon the Bali G20 Summit in the hope that methods and means are found to end this war which has directly and indirectly affected every global citizen.

Also, as the world recovers from the onslaught of the Covid-19 pandemic which resulted in every global citizen being affected directly, it is hoped that this G20 Summit finds solutions and systems to get the global economy back on track.

Since inception, the Bali G20 Summit is the most important G20 summit in view of the catastrophes the world is undergoing though presently. One very important outcome of the meeting between the US President Joe Biden and the Chinese President Xi Jinping on November 14, 2022 in Bali, a day before the G20 Summit officially begins, is that both the nations have condemned the Russian nuclear threats on Ukraine.

This positive statement coming from two powerful nations of the world, specially from China which is a close ally of Russia, can be taken as an auspicious beginning to the G20 Summit.

In case the G20 Summit is able to deliver the worlds expectations it will become a much powerful alliance and will save the world from further death and destruction.

As the world glare and gaze in on Bali for the next two days, Charles Kettering’s words “High achievement always takes place in the framework of high expectation” have a deep meaning for the G20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia.

About the Author

Lt Col JS Sodhi retired from the Corps of Engineers of the Indian Army and is an alumnus of NDA, Khadakwasla and IIT Kanpur. He is a M.Tech in Structures has also done MBA and LLB and is a prolific writer and a public speaker. He features in the World Book of Records, London and the India Book of Records for his media work. He Tweets at @JassiSodhi24. The views expressed are personal. 

US MID-TERM ELECTIONS 2022: GLOBAL IMPLICATIONS

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President Joe Biden: source Internet

Warren G Bennis’ quote “Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality” is buttressed with the recently announced results of the mid-term elections of USA.

As doubts were being raised in certain quarters since the turn of 2022 over President Joe Biden’s health or his supporting Ukraine in the Russia-Ukraine War or allowing Speaker Nancy Pelosi to visit Taiwan on August 02 this year, President Biden has grown in stature and has emerged as a master strategist, as the results of the mid-term elections held in USA on November 08, 2022 were declared last weekend.

The Democratic Party’s dramatic performance in the mid-term elections ensured their hold in retaining control over the all-important Senate, thus signalling that the American voters had stamped their approval to President Biden’s domestic and international policies.

In this article we will analyse three implications the results of the US mid-term elections of 2022 will have globally.

The first major implication is that the Russia-Ukraine War will now become longer and lengthier as US will keep on continuing its support to Ukraine in all possible sense except sending its soldiers in the war zone. Ukraine having smelt victory after routing the Russians in Kherson is no mood to stop the war till it frees the area that have been annexed by Russia in the ongoing war.

The second implication is that China will feel the pinch and pressure more, a trailer of which was seen by the enacting of the Chips and Science Act in July by the US Congress this year. This Act entails giving more than US$ 50 billion in federal grants to firms building semiconductor manufacturing facilities in USA with a caveat not to upgrade any China based factories for a decade. This has effectively crushed and crumbled China’s dreams of becoming a world leader in the production of semiconductors by 2030.

Also, USA will continue its full support to Taiwan militarily thus thwarting and frustrating China’s designs to annex Taiwan. The tension across the Taiwan Straits will increase in the days ahead as Xi Jinping will be under immense pressure as the next Chinese Presidential elections slated in 2027 approach nearer.

Lastly, the mid-term election results will prove to be a boon to India as the Indo-US relations will get better and brighter, though traditionally the Democrats have not been pro-India. The Pentagon in its security report submitted on November 05, 2022 has labelled China as the leading security threat to USA.

USA is well aware that in order to check and contain China, it needs the help of India which is a reckonable force in the Indian Ocean. This is evident from the fact that President Biden incorporated India in the I2U2 Summit held in July this year and the applause that India got in the recently concluded Quad Summit in Tokyo on May 24, 2022. The fact that USA did not impose tough measures on India, except for a few statements here and there, as it continues to purchase oil from Russia and purchased the S-400 air defence system from Russia shows the clout India has today in international affairs.

John C Maxwell’s quip “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way” fits aptly and appropriately for President Joe Biden who has led the Democrats in an historic win in the mid-term election in USA. The path to the 2024 US Presidential Elections has got clearer.

About the Author

Lt Col JS Sodhi retired from the Corps of Engineers of the Indian Army and is an alumnus of NDA, Khadakwasla and IIT Kanpur. He is a M.Tech in Structures has also done MBA and LLB and is a prolific writer and a public speaker. He features in the World Book of Records, London and the India Book of Records for his media work. He Tweets at @JassiSodhi24. The views expressed are personal. 

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