In Defense of Kalam

In a post on failings of Kalam, Acorn tried to bring the veneration of former President Kalam down a notch. And other commentators piled on the failings to try to make the case stronger. While we agree with Acorn and others that raising the stature of Kalam in popular narrative to mythical levels is silly, the counter arguments showing the failings of Kalam doesn't hold much water.

Let's look at some of the criticisms. Well, there is really one core criticism in the post, which really boils down to Manoj Joshi's views on how Bharat should procure high value weapon systems. Acorn, nonetheless, endorses Joshi's view.

Because of (diversions caused by Kalam’s dogmatic insistence), India’s long-range missile deterrent has been delayed by about a decade...

He was not willfully dishonest, but his fixations and whims led to diversions and delays for which the country has paid a huge price. Perhaps his greatest, and in a sense forgivable, weakness was his obsession on “indigenous” development.

But the argument that India’s missiles are “indigenous” and Pakistan’s are based on Chinese, American, North Korean or someone else’s technology is a meaningless one. Military acquisitions are not about the “purity” of solutions, but time-urgent answers to a problem. [The Acorn]

While anyone who follows Sri Kalam's thoughts on weapons systems agree that he is a big proponent of developing weapon systems by ourselves, meaning designing and producing them "indigenously." Using that against Kalam is strange. One would think that was Kalam's career high point. Even if we ignore the struggles of Indian defence industry of not having an extensive and deep military-industrial base to produce high tech weapon systems, do critics really think India should buy critical weapons systems and be subjected to the whims and fancies of the provider nation? May be Joshi and Acorn forgot the trails and tribulations of making LCA take flight and sanctions regime on Kaveri engine, to take just one example. Even if we did buy, who will sell us an ICBM or an IRCBM? Did we forget MTCR.

Or, perhaps, Joshi and Acorn think we should have done what Pakistan and China have done - stealthy sell nuclear technology to rouge nations to acquire missile technology. Somehow I doubt Kalam's critics mean that. Or better yet, acquire the technology by espionage. I am all for espionage and stealing technology and manufacturing designs to speed up critical development process. But unless one believes the mythical status of Kalam to influence entire range of intelligence and political systems, the decision to conduct espionage would be made by political elites, not defence R&D project leaders.

Finally, who says India doesn't have the technology for producing the missile systems in the first place. What has ISRO being doing for the past few decades sending rockets to inner and outer space. Surely, Joshi and Acorn don't believe the myth that ISRO and DRDO are separated by an impenetrable wall!

That Kalam was the stumbling block for development of missile weapons systems doesn't hold water to reality. And that somehow we should use the delays in development and deployment of missiles to point out the failing of Kalam holds even less water. Those were purely political decisions. Kalam's call for indigenous development of missile weapon systems was the right call and it enhanced, rather than imperiled, national security. In fact, he prodded his scientists to think outside the conventional box such as, for example, thinking about reusable missiles.

As for other comments about his less than Victorian English to explain his vision for a strong developed India in a generation, we would take an Indian accent with simple English over apparently sophisticated arguments, in apparently sophisticated London or New York English accents, of some historians who are trying to make the case that India shouldn't even aspire to become a strong and rich nation! If Kalam can inspire enthusiastic and smart children, even better.

His conventional thoughts on getting infrastructure to people, where they live now, are just that - conventional. I simply do not know how people would be forced to migrate from their ancestral land to newly planned cities without economic incentives such as well paying jobs and good schools. But if there are well paying jobs, even without good schools, people migrate to urban centers as slums everywhere in big cities show. Until those economic incentives are in place, it's conventional to call for industry and government to provide basic, such water, electricity, and roads, and not so basic, such as internet, infrastructure to people where ever they live, even in remote villages.

We agree Kalam shouldn't be raised to a mythical status. But to say that Kalam abuses his mythical status is a myth. Surely that award goes to someone else.

Key Question When at Home in Orbit

ISRO made the final orbital maneuver to slow Chandrayaan I into a 100 km circular orbit on Chandra. The most crucial maneuver was few days ago when the spacecraft went from an Earthly orbit to an orbit around the Moon. After that there were series of maneuvers to slow the spacecraft to current orbit - opposite of what they were when orbiting Earth.

Courtesy The Telegraph

The next significant milestone would be when a lunar probe is dropped onto Chandra's surface. As a technology demonstrator and a scientific venture the project is a great success.

But one continues to hear complains that we should first solve some earthly problems before we can "ape" others. As I briefly said before, those complains miss the larger lesson of this project's success. The point is not which tasks we should put on hold until we are economically successful i.e., everyone in the country has basic necessities such as power, water, and access to health care and infrastructure. After all, the entire Chandrayann I project cost little more than Rs. 300 crores. It would cost lakhs of crores to create the infrastructure that would provide the basic necessities to all communities in the country. If one were cynical, Rs. 300 crores is a fraction of, for example, what Laloo Yadav skimmed off during the so-called fodder scam few years ago.

The lesson is not to put on hold so called non-essential projects or expenditures until every person in the country is well feed and is a happy being. And it's not like the government hasn't spent enormous amounts trying to do just that for the past 60 years and failed at it miserably. The lesson to learn is: how is that a small organization within the same failed government establishment can challenge itself to do an extremely complex outer space project and get it done inexpensively and on time? It's not just ISRO. The integrated missile development program, also a rocket based technology, achieved its objectives spending lot less then most other defence projects. In fact, the program was so successful it was dismantled few years ago because the stated objectives that it set out to do, in the early 80s, were complete.

What makes these little funded government organizations succeed, while the vastly better funded government infrastructure projects have failed repeatedly over several decades? Also, if there were no Chandrayaan projects, would it make a difference to other, supposedly more essential, projects? One has to suspend reality to believe that. It can be argued that the government should not be involved in lot those failed infrastructure projects in the first place. But still, why do some projects, based on high tech, succeed, while others, more mundane ones, fail repeatedly?

That should be the key question to ask of Chandrayaan I success. Making some quasi-socialist necessity verses luxury trade off argument misses the point.

Interesting Webcast of Chandrayaan 1

Chandrayaan 1 begins. Although the mission is not complete, the thought of actually doing the mission, putting the project together, and getting it done extremely fast is worth pondering about. If ISRO could manage such a complex task, why cannot other branches of the government - such as constructing a dam or highway project on time, or providing electricity to all villages or education to all children - work so well? Apparently people are capable but the system won't allow them to work.

PSLV - C11 on Launch Pad

But the launch of the boringly named rocket, PSLV - C11, was great. And mission amazing. Sure it's probably a duplication of what other countries did, but those countries don't want to show us how the wheel works. So we rebuilt the wheel and learn something from rebuilding the wheel.

Also the timing of the launch - one year after Japanese and Chinese launches (the Chinese already conducted few space walks) - says something about the future of Asia and how the three powers are evolving.

Finally, here is the strange webcast of the PSLV - C11 launch at ISRO site. Seeing that I am not sure I can complain about other government departments. Better and more advanced things yet to come if Chandrayaan 1 is a success.

Star Wars is Here

I was just catching up on Star Wars. Apparently some of that tech is already here - no, not the laser guns, light saber, or the intergalactic travel.



Guess where these folks were? In case you don't see it...guys on the right and middle were in US and Cisco's John Chambers was in........? At the same time!!!! (via guykawasaki)

Background History on Naval Carrier Acquisition

In this brief 2006 article, former Navy Chief Admiral Arun Prakash, describes the historical ups and downs in acquiring an aircraft carrier by the Navy and related issues that went into decision making of building an in-house carrier, Air Defence Ship (ADS). He also briefly outlines future of Bharatiya Navy - plans that mirror plans drawn up in 1948, finally picking up where the mighty British Navy left off sixty years prior.

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The staff requirements having been finalized in 1999, the ADS emerged, in its definitive form, as a 37,000-ton vessel, to be powered by four LM-2500 gas turbines in COGAG arrangement, which would give it a top speed of 28 knots. The 830ft long angled flight deck would have a set of three arrester wires aft rated to handle aircraft of up to 22-ton all-up weight. A set of jet blast deflectors and hydraulic chocks would be installed to provide a 600ft deck run for launch of the Mig-29K and LCA (Navy), from the 14º ski-jump launch using afterburner. The ship would carry an air group of 30 aircraft and helicopters and would be crewed by about 1400 personnel... ...the Indian Navy aims to fulfil its long-term operational commitments in the IOR by deploying two carrier task forces at sea, while a third ship is under maintenance or refit. This would be the embodiment of a concept mooted in our plans as far back as 1948. [India’s Quest for an Indigenous Aircraft Carrier]

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Much Denied Sagarika Works

Tuesday marked the day when the make-up of triad probably went into the last lap of a long marathon. Much of Sagarika's existence was denied with "No Comment". But the SLBM was tested underwater, in it's actual form, and it works.

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India on Tuesday proved that it had the capability to launch missiles from underwater by test-firing successfully the Sagarika missile from a pontoon off the coast of Visakhapatnam. The pontoon simulated the conditions of a submarine. Shortly after noon, the missile’s booster ignited and Sagarika rose from the pontoon. Then in a spectacular display of firepower, it cleaved out of the waters of the Bay of Bengal and tore into the atmosphere as the air-booster erupted into life. It impacted the sea over 700 km away. [Sagarika missile test-fired successfully - The Hindu]

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Few weeks ago, India Today had a schematic of the nuclear submarine, called ATV, that would carry Sagarika. (Missiles have wonderful names, but, for some reason, not the carriers - ATV, LCA, ADS. Does that also explain the why the carrier projects take forever while missiles projects were completed in reasonable timeframe? In fact, the integrated missile program is officially shut down because the program is complete - probably a first for GOI) The building of the first ATV, 30-years in the making, has finally been accelerated with the Chinese taking the lead with close to half-dozen or more nuclear submarines in blue water, some in Indian Ocean.

Right Strategic Decision on Agni IV

The man who delivered anti-ballistic missile shield, if not the shield, at least the precursor technology, V.K. Saraswat, is strategically accurate when he says ICBM is not a capability we should focus on.

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To a question, he said: “The ICBM is not our priority. India doesn’t need to build an ICBM to defend herself based on the current threat perception.” He said Agni-IV was in the design stage. “Agni-IV is better than Agni-III in terms of performance envelop.” He, however, declined to mention the range or the time frame for the first flight trial. He said two more flight tests for Agni-III would be conducted. [India not in the race for making ICBMs: Saraswat - The Hindu]

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While Agni III, which was tested in April 2007, can reach most of China, the enhanced version, Agni IV, will cover the extreme northeast portion of Chinese territory where it has significant long-distance missile assets located. While most Chinese ICBMs, in the 10s, according to American analysts, are pointed towards US, they can easily be re-targeted. China considers US a strategic adversary, just like US does it.

Bharat, on the other hand, has no global ambitions, and without any animosity towards US and Russia, would rather get along with the rest of the world. Neither of these countries have animosity towards Bharat but they have deployed ICBMs that can be re-targeted easily. EU nations capability is degrading rapidly while Latin America countries are mostly second/third tier powers.

While deployed Agni IV will act to deter Chinese policy makers, stopping deployment after Agni IV by just having ICBM capabilities should suffice at this moment of Bharatiya's power project. If the world changes radically in the future, having ICBM capability would be sufficient for geopolitic power play until actual deployment, if needed.

This Was a True Interceptor Test

First Worked, But This Test is a Technology Breakthrough

The first test, in November 2006, was, rightly, rigged. The interceptor was programmed with the incoming missile trajectory and the interceptor did its job. And test validated preliminary technology demonstration of missile interception capability.

However, the second test, on December 6, 2007, was the actual thing. It is a technology demonstration of an actual missile interception. There was no rigging. An actual seeker on the interceptor, Advanced Air Defence - AAD 02, determined the trajectory of the incoming missile, a modified Prithvi, and maneuvered into position to destroy the incoming missile at hypersonic speed, about 15km above sea level. Now that is extremely complex.

Source: The Hindu

And DRDO should truly be proud of what it achieved in such as short period with, as usual, limited budget, when compared to other nations pursuing missile interceptor technology.

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The target missile, a modified, single-stage Prithvi missile called ‘TGT-04,’ lifted off from Chandipur-on-Sea, Orissa, at 11a.m. Five minutes later, the interceptor missile, named ‘AAD-02’ (Advanced Air Defence), roared off from a mobile launcher at Wheeler Island, about 70 km across the sea from Chandipur. As the target missile climbed to an altitude of 110 km and had a free fall at a speed of 2.5 to 3 Mach, the AAD-02, speeding at 4.5 Mach, performed intricate manoeuvres and homed in on the target in a head-on collision. The interception took place 25 seconds after the AAD-02 took off. [Interceptor missile test-fired - The Hindu]

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And the next test, scheduled for April 2008, is even more complex. Two interceptors, one exo- and one endo-, are to track and intercept the same incoming missile, so that if the exo- misses, endo- can finish the job.

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In April next, the DRDO would launch two interceptor missiles to intercept a single incoming target missile in both exo-atmosphere (above 40 km altitude) and endo-atmosphere (below 30 km altitude). However, there would be no endo-atmospheric interception if the exo-atmospheric test achieved a kill. [Interceptor missile scores ‘direct hit’ - The Hindu]

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But, beyound exo- and endo-, the ultimate and most complex test scenario would be detecting dumb missiles, or decoys, from real ones to concentrate on the real ones to destroy. If DRDL's Advance Systems Lab can achieve that capability, it would be a truly world beating organization when it comes to missile and anti-missile technology and capability. Now, however, it's kudos to DRDO for a significant achievement.

As has been said before, capabilities matter more in geopolitics then actual deployment. It's a significant geopolitical achievement vis-a-vis our enemies. We can except the Chinese to acquire the technology, by what ever means, soon and deliver it to its all weather friend to the west.

Space Race

One of the dramatic moments of early space race and Americans sending men to the moon, to mainly beat the Soviets and to claim superiority over space, was Earthrise on the moon.

Earthrise - from Apollo 8 December 24, 1968

Never in the history of mankind did we realize how precious Earth is. While these pictures started the whole environmental movement of preserving earth for our future it also showed the stupidity of nuclear weapons being piled up by the then cold war adversaries.

In some ways seeing Earthrise may have turned into a longing for Earth rather than venture further into space, until now of course.

Writes Charles Krauthammer, a columnist with WaPo:

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With surpassing irony, it created at the very dawn of the space age a longing not for space but for home. [WP]

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Space Was Cracked Because of Competition

Fifty year's ago, on this day, space was cracked. The Soviets launched a man-made object, about 58.5 cm in diameter and weighing about 84 kg with battery powered transmitters, into space using their ICBM as the launch vehicle. The Americans were trying to develop a purely science-based launcher without depending on their own ICBM technology. The Soviets beat them at the space game, at least initially.

Sputnik 1 - Traveling Companion

Within a few days, on November 3rd, the Soviets launched Laika, a part-Samoyed mongrel, into space, on Sputnik 2, and was supposed to be in space for 10 days but died in 9 hours because of faulty climate controls.

Utterly beautiful Laika

On December 6th, the Americans tried to launch their science based launcher, Vanguard rocket, with a 6-in 2 kg satellite, but it didn't quite get off the ground. They then sobered up, put a Jupiter C missile together as a launcher to put their first satellite in space, on Januray 31, 1958. Eventually they launched a second satellite, using Vangaurd rocket, that apparently is still in space and is the oldest satellite in space. US hadn't created NASA yet.

Of course, the Americans changed the game completely when JFK announced, early in the 60s, that they will land a man on the moon and get him back safely by the end of the decade.

Most early satellites were for military use to spy on the other cold war adversary. Peter Zimmerman proposes since the Soviets launched the first satellite and the because the American didn't protest the presence of Sputnik over it's space, the military satellites and spying was possible. Had it been the other way round, and the Soviets claimed space over Soviet Union all the way to the stars (what ever that means) off limits to others, space would not be free-for-all as it is today.

Cold war competition between the American and the Soviets brought immense technological capabilities to humankind, just like World War II did - some of it bad but most of it good (at least in a post-Cold war era). Rockets, satellites, and space travel have to be in the top 10 of these technological leaps. Competition, even the Cold War kind, was a good thing. And this competition seems to be revving up again with the Chinese, the Americans, and us wanting to send humans to the moon and beyond.

Chinese Nuclear Subs

Pictures of Type 093 Shang Class nuclear submarine built at Huludao's Bohai Shipyard, with the assistance of Russia's Rubin Center Design, were finally released in August after some sneak peak of hazy pictures in July. Shang Class is not a direct copy of Russian Victor III class sub but none the less formidable. (We are still planning on testing ATV, our own version of nuclear sub, sometime in 2009.)

Here is what Sinodefence has to say along with additional pictures:

Exactly how much help China has received from Rubin Design Bureau is unknown, but it could potentially include a range of critical assistance, including overall hull design, engine and machinery quieting, combat system design, and weapon system and countermeasures outfit. Construction of the Type 093 began at Huludao-based Bohai Shipyard in the mid-1990s under tight security and high secrecy. The first-of-class was launched in December 2002 and commissioned in December 2006. The second boat was launched in late 2003. The existence of the project was first reported by Pentagon in 2003, when the first submarine began its sea trial. The U.S. Navy intelligence and Pentagon predicted that the PLA Navy could have 3~4 submarines by 2010, while other sources suggested that eventual production could reach 6 to 8 units. The exact number to be built may well depends on the results of the operational tests of the first two submarines. During the exhibition at Beijing’s Military Museum of Chinese People’s Revolution in late July to mark the 80th anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), a scale model and some hazy photos of the new generation SSN were presented to the public. Later, Beijing-based Modern Ships magazine published in its August issue the first ever clear photo of the long-anticipated nuclear submarine. The Type 093 is estimated to be 6.000~7,000t displacement when dived. As revealed by the submarine model and Modern Ships photograph, the Type 093 features a water-drop shape hull, with a pair of fin-mounted hydroplanes and four diving planes. The submarine is fitted with sophisticated sonar systems, including bow-mounted sonar and H/SQC-207 flank-mounted sonar. Three flank-mounted sonar arrays are clearly visible on the hull of the submarine. The Type 093 submarine has six 533mm bow torpedo tubes (4 above, 2 below), and is presumed to be equipped with a range of anti-submarine and anti-surface vessel torpedoes of wire-, acoustic- and wave-homing, based on both Chinese and Russian designs. The torpedo tubes can also be used to launch Chinese indigenous YJ-82 anti-ship missiles. Some reports suggested the capability of launching land-attack cruise missiles (LACM), but this cannot be confirmed. [Sinodefence]

Indian Express gives Indian Navy reaction beyond it's not a secret:

"However, the first generation of Chinese submarines were slow and noisy. It remains to be seen how they have tackled the problems,” said a senior Navy officer. China will gradually be replacing all five of its first generation Hans class nuclear submarines with the new machines. Incidentally, the Indian Navy is also looking at inducting five indigenous ATV nuclear submarines. The first one, currently under production at Vizag, is likely to undergo sea trials by next year. Little is known about the new Shang Class but the over 6,000 tonne submarine is bigger than India’s indigenous ATV nuclear submarine that is projected to be in the 5,000 tonne category. Analysts say that outwardly, the Chinese design seems to be a cross between the Russian Victor III design and the American Los Angeles class submarines. In contrast, the Akula II submarine being leased by India from Russia next year is in the 12,000-tonne category and a generation ahead of both the ATV and the Shang class submarines. However, the real threat will come from the Jin class of submarines being built by China. It will be capable of launching nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles. The ATV, to be equipped by indigenous Sagarika submarine-launched missiles currently undergoing tests in the Bay of Bengal, will be India’s match to the Jin class, officials say. While India is still ahead in the maritime game with greater presence and reach, analysts say that with the nuclear submarines and a new aircraft carrier currently under development, China is fast narrowing the gap and moving towards world class capabilities. [Lifting veil of secrecy,... - IE]

The Big Bomb

Father of all bombs as opposed to Mother of all bombs. Russians, in a slight revival of cold war competition, created the largest non-nuclear bomb - air delivered thermobaric weapon - on the planet fairly soon after US announced the largest non-nuclear bomb (now, apparently, the second largest) - Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb. Both are thermobaric or fuel-air bombs, i.e., oxygen used to create and sustain the explosion is obtained from the surrounding air instead of using oxidizing agent normally used in traditional bombs.

The Bomb and Explosion

The results of tests of the aviation explosive device that has been created have shown that it is comparable with nuclear weapons in its efficiency and potential,” Alexander Rukshin, a deputy chief of the Russian armed forces staff, told the channel. “You will now see it in action — the bomb which has no match in the world is being tested at a military site,” said the report. It showed a Tupolev 160 strategic bomber dropping the bomb over a testing ground. A large explosion followed. [Russia unveils “father of all bombs” - The Hindu]

So even if nuclear bombs are banned, a big if, the potential for destruction by regular bombs will still be huge - almost equal to nuclear bombs.

New Train Speed Record

TGV V150 (train a grande vitesse) of France set a world record of 574.8Km/hr for train travel yesterday. With a 25,000 horsepower engine, special rail tracks to keep perfect contact with much larger than normal wheels that travel further with each revolution, the three double-decker coaches, pulled and pushed by two engines, one on either end, and with sparks flying from the 31,000 volts overhead electrical cables, is a joy to watch.

The train beats another French train that set the world record of 512Km/hr in 1990. TGV V150 was not the fastest train but the comparison may not be valid. The fastest train was JR Maglev MLX01 at 577.6 Km/hr made in Japan in 2003. Maglev is an magnetically elevated train - not the same as running a train on tracks with the wheels and the friction that come into play.

Here is the video produced by Alstom, the French company that made and tested the train in the French countryside.