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@Chohan1954 @RanaKumbha @rathorekaran17 @PravinSawhney @kayjay34350 @rwac48 @harrysid2088 @joe_sameer @vikramwkarve With due respect, those billions down the DRDO hole resulted in products stuck in interminable trials, while Army imports Russian which flunk trials. T90, sights had issues, engines packed up, no APU...long list, inducted. Arjun faces trials, token orders, and then complaints!
@Chohan1954 @RanaKumbha @rathorekaran17 @PravinSawhney @kayjay34350 @rwac48 @harrysid2088 @joe_sameer @vikramwkarve Where is the accountability in IA to even respond to facts and figures brought out about T90 flaws, and emergency funds used to replace malfunctioning sights? And Arjun tech used to fix T90 TOT holes! Let me be blunt and state pvt sector wud never put up with what DRDO deals with
@Chohan1954 @RanaKumbha @rathorekaran17 @PravinSawhney @kayjay34350 @rwac48 @harrysid2088 @joe_sameer @vikramwkarve In fact, it is unwritten rule in many MSMEs to keep IA/AF orders as far away as possible, and to not touch them with bargepole. DRDO is made to jump through hoop after hoop with changing QRs, they agree, but no pvt firm can afford similar tomfoolery with shareholder funds.
@Chohan1954 @RanaKumbha @rathorekaran17 @PravinSawhney @kayjay34350 @rwac48 @harrysid2088 @joe_sameer @vikramwkarve DRDO guys themselves are at its end dealing with vendors, appealing to their patriotism to their nationality and what not to keep them involved with programs like Arjun while Army procurement makes a mockery out of basic managerial/economic concepts like EOQ for indigenization!
@Chohan1954 @RanaKumbha @rathorekaran17 @PravinSawhney @kayjay34350 @rwac48 @harrysid2088 @joe_sameer @vikramwkarve Vendors laugh, point to prior experience and now out. With this, no wonder reliance on Russia continues. Arjun, engine TOT offered by MTU for 500 units. Army ordered 124 tanks, then claimed, imported engine was liability! Tank was dust proofed after heavy effort to run in deserts
@Chohan1954 @RanaKumbha @rathorekaran17 @PravinSawhney @kayjay34350 @rwac48 @harrysid2088 @joe_sameer @vikramwkarve Army ignored it, imported T90, orders themselves crossed 1300 units, and claim 70% commonality with T72, so no issues. Reality, Russia with held TOT, till date production at OFB not stabilized. Whom are we kidding with DRDO bashing while ignoring disastrous IA procurement saga?
@Chohan1954 @RanaKumbha @rathorekaran17 @PravinSawhney @kayjay34350 @rwac48 @harrysid2088 @joe_sameer @vikramwkarve Furthermore, T90s continue to have issues operating in deserts, including radiator problems. First picked up in initial trials, handwaved away. Let's see, litany of issues, which IA studiously kept away from any CAG style audit. Sight failures due to poor integration, overheating
@Chohan1954 @RanaKumbha @rathorekaran17 @PravinSawhney @kayjay34350 @rwac48 @harrysid2088 @joe_sameer @vikramwkarve Till date no resolution. DRDO approached to fit in ECS, as Russian AC flopped in trials. Ballistic comp wouldn't accept non Russian rounds, Arjun BC fit in using DRDOs help. New Commanders sight developed using DRDOs help. Armoured Steel plates tech used via Arjun...list goes on.
@Chohan1954 @RanaKumbha @rathorekaran17 @PravinSawhney @kayjay34350 @rwac48 @harrysid2088 @joe_sameer @vikramwkarve After all this, is T90 truly state of the art? Nope..rounds limited in length and penetration, needs to rely missiles. Unlike Arjun Mk2, ammo is stored all over, T90 is still firetrap. Sight issues, armor obsolete vs heavy tandem/KE rounds..so let's import more new model T90s!
@Chohan1954 @RanaKumbha @rathorekaran17 @PravinSawhney @kayjay34350 @rwac48 @harrysid2088 @joe_sameer @vikramwkarve Russians who are seeing India/ Induan Army procurement literally laughing their guts out. So India goes to develop a domestic equivalent of the baseline Leo2A4, KMW was original design consultant for MBT80/ Arjun, upgrades it..but chooses to go for obsolete Russian design.
@Chohan1954 @RanaKumbha @rathorekaran17 @PravinSawhney @kayjay34350 @rwac48 @harrysid2088 @joe_sameer @vikramwkarve Russia itself has begun exploring beyond obsolete T90, looking at Armata, whereas Europe is merely upgrading its Leopards..Indian Armys thought process for FMBT, hey, let's import Armata, or SoKo K2. Yes..let's. Ignore domestic work, jump somewhere else. Funds? Will appear?!!
@Chohan1954 @RanaKumbha @rathorekaran17 @PravinSawhney @kayjay34350 @rwac48 @harrysid2088 @joe_sameer @vikramwkarve Anyone who has seen multi vendor procurement has very little positive to say about IA procurement. Keeping jingoism aside, and objectivity paramount, can we in any way justify the T90 procurement gaps, and continuing issues??
@Chohan1954 @RanaKumbha @rathorekaran17 @PravinSawhney @kayjay34350 @rwac48 @harrysid2088 @joe_sameer @vikramwkarve Let's keep T90 aside for a moment. Smerch. CAG data reluctantly given up by IA shows horrid serviceability, poor ammo stockpiling/ availability etc. Ammo subsequently purchased under emergency reserves. Russians backed out of ammo TOT, why did IA trials not pick up maintenance?
@Chohan1954 @RanaKumbha @rathorekaran17 @PravinSawhney @kayjay34350 @rwac48 @harrysid2088 @joe_sameer @vikramwkarve Let's move to Krasnapol, bought under emergency purchases during Kargil era. Subsequent testing, flop in mountains for which it was bought..err, let's move it to the plains. Was this also DRDO? Arjun castigated for being too heavy, only Raj sector friendly etc. Dual standards?!
@Chohan1954 @RanaKumbha @rathorekaran17 @PravinSawhney @kayjay34350 @rwac48 @harrysid2088 @joe_sameer @vikramwkarve Problem is literally apart from the usual - civilians-babus-DRDO have tied us down type of arguments, we rarely see any introspection by senior brass on IA procurement and how lack of dedicated procurement/ product arm, has led to sub optimal purchases, minimal R&D contribution!
@Chohan1954 @RanaKumbha @rathorekaran17 @PravinSawhney @kayjay34350 @rwac48 @harrysid2088 @joe_sameer @vikramwkarve Can anyone tell which IA engineering staff have themselves made any contributions to engg, devpt, and helmed orgs to understand or lead such programs? No, learn on the job, lucky few remain w/DRDO, BEL etc, rest retire, discarded by IA itself.
@Chohan1954 @RanaKumbha @rathorekaran17 @PravinSawhney @kayjay34350 @rwac48 @harrysid2088 @joe_sameer @vikramwkarve No other army in world is so blase with it's own ppl, am sorry to say. Have seen MES guys helming Maruti service workshops when should have been part of weapons devpt teams. Israel, France, even Brazil all have inhouse devpt orgs to work with civilian R&D.
@Chohan1954 @RanaKumbha @rathorekaran17 @PravinSawhney @kayjay34350 @rwac48 @harrysid2088 @joe_sameer @vikramwkarve Lastly, let me be frank and state no large systems house, pvt firm would work with services without firm indent. Treatment given to DRDO type, jump through this hoop,then that, will quickly lead to contract cancellation, just see Russian love for our deals!
@Chohan1954 @RanaKumbha @rathorekaran17 @PravinSawhney @kayjay34350 @rwac48 @harrysid2088 @joe_sameer @vikramwkarve Also, see writing on wall. With severe fiscal constraints, jal Shakti, 100 crore infra push, J&K on boil heavy manpower budget, time for huge fancy imports is going, gone. Time to work with domestic guys, and get things done.
@Chohan1954 @RanaKumbha @rathorekaran17 @PravinSawhney @kayjay34350 @rwac48 @harrysid2088 @joe_sameer @vikramwkarve DRDO took Arjun ballistic comp, armor plate tech, sight tech ported to T90. Wud pvt firm would do this if customer asked them to fix rival product? In business, board would fall off chairs at request. In US deep dismay currently at how Wall Street profit motive forced mfg to PRC
@Chohan1954 @RanaKumbha @rathorekaran17 @PravinSawhney @kayjay34350 @rwac48 @harrysid2088 @joe_sameer @vikramwkarve Net until and unless mil establishment learns to work with domestic developments, we are looking at Rajputs with Lance's vs Mughals with gunpowder saga, as domestic gunpowder is in interminable trials, imports are unaffordable.
@Chohan1954 @RanaKumbha @rathorekaran17 @PravinSawhney @kayjay34350 @rwac48 @harrysid2088 @joe_sameer @vikramwkarve China, which was fielding junkyard T54 knockoffs is now fielding local equivalents to T90. Unlike us, they didnt curse out their local development teams and gave resources to the point PRC tanks are competing with Russian ones. We go back to Russia for contract limited gear.
