Indian Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

aksha

Captain
Passing out parade at an army base in Jammu and Kashmir

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aksha

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Extreme cold conditions in Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, are hindering plans for speedy expansion of Indian Air Force (IAF) bases to counter a surging China, forcing a rethink on existing building techniques.

The IAF has asked for newer technologies that will enable rapid construction and sustain smooth operations during winters when temperatures drop to -30°C with heavy snow.

The Ministry of Defence has already given its nod to develop an airfield at Nyoma — a 13,300-ft-high plateau in south eastern Ladakh — for fighter jet operations and expand the existing one at Kargil. Nyoma is 40 km from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) – the defacto border with China. The Kargil airfield is less than 10 km from the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan in northern part of Ladakh.

The IAF has suggested to the MoD that carrying out building work only during four-month summer-autumn in Ladakh — between late May and September — would take years to develop airfield infrastructure. Thus, newer technologies need to be adopted.

Sources said the IAF had suggested that technologies in perennially cold countries be studied which could speed up construction work beyond the existing short period and keep day operations in areas like Nyoma in South eastern Ladakh uninterrupted during winters.

Also, the airfield undergoes weather-related changes in the severe winter. Some kind of method is needed to ensure proper friction for fighter jets to land or take-off. At present, the construction is labour-intensive and only for four months of the summer. India has two full-fledged airbases at Leh and Thoise that allow operations of all types.

Nyoma, at present, is a mud-paved advanced landing ground (ALG) that allows landing of fixed-wing transport planes like the C-17, C-130J, the IL 76 and the AN 32, but fighter jets would need a much harder paved surface. Nyoma sits at a junction from where three pressure points along the LAC — Demchok, Chushul and Chumar sector — are close by.

Indian strategic planners have ruled out having a full operational usage of the ALG’s at Fukche and Chushul as they are deemed too close to the LAC, rather Chinese watch towers overlook these ALG’s.

The Kargil airstrip is just 6,000-ft long and allows only smaller planes like AN32 or the C-130-Js to land. It will need to be expanded for operations of planes like the IL76 that have greater carrying capacity.

Military developments in western parts of Tibet and Xinjiang province means China has readied seven airbases on its side in areas of western Tibet and Xinjiang province adjoining Ladakh.

The Indian security establishment has inputs that Beijing now has the capability to launch fighter aircraft carrying deadly strike weapons or transport planes carrying tonnes of equipment or hundreds of troops to land then close to Indian forward defence lines along the LAC. These fully-functional airfields virtually form a ‘ring’ around Ladakh.

A senior official explained that Kashgar, Korla, Yarkand, Hotan, Cherchen (Qiemo), Ngari Gunsa and Gardzong, have operational airfields.
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aksha

Captain
INDIAN AIR FORCE MIG-29S BEST ON THE BLOCK
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The Indian Air Force is well underway of getting the best MiG-29s – NATO-name Fulcrum – one can find. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), together with the Russian Aircraft Corporation (RAC), are turning aging MiG-29Bs into modern multi-role fighters similar to the MiG-29SMTs the Russian Air Force boasts about.
Three of six MiG-29s that were sent to Russia are back in India for some time now, featuring all the upgrades of the program. They have become MiG-29UPGs, sporting the new Zhuk-M2E radar made by Phazotron-NIIR, the OLS-UEM infrared search-and-track system (IRST) similar to the Indian Navy MiG-29Ks, thermal / TV / laser imaging made by Moscow-based NPK SPP, multi-functional full-colour LCDs in the cockpit, increased fuel capacity and an in-flight refuelling system. Moreover the aircraft feature the more powerful RD-33 series 3 turbo-jet engines.


New role
The new radar will increase the MiG-pilot’s radar view up till 200 nautical miles, giving him – the Indian Air Force doesn’t have female fighter pilots – the ability to track 60 targets simultaneously and adds terrain-following mode and ground-target acquisition. In other words: the MiG-jock turns from a sole fighter pilot to an asset that can be used for close air support and ground attack, meaning the Fulcrum crews need additional training for their new role.

Non-Russian
Different from the
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the Indian most-modern Fulcrums are set to have non-Russian equipment, like a sat-nav system from French Sagem, a helmet-mounted targeting system from French Thales, an Indian indigenous electronic warfare suite and Israeli-made electronic counter measures. Added Indian systems come from HAL and Bharat Dynamics.

Full-throttle
Despite severe delays in the program Indian specialists present at the Sokol plant in Nizhny Novgorod in Russia continue to learn from the Russian counterparts. The new Indian multi-role fighter was
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. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited is in full-throttle to do the majority of the Fulcrum-upgrades. HAL will bring no less than 63 of the Air Force jets up to MiG-29UPG standard and produce 120 RD-33 series 3 engines under license of the RAC.

Front-line
The front-line MiG-29 fighter units will share a total of 54 MiG-29UPG amongst them, plus eight MiG-29UUPG two-seaters. The Fulcrums serve on four locations: with 8 Wing (47 and 223 Squadrons) at Adampur in the Punjab region facing Pakistan and China-controlled Tibet, with 33 Wing’s 28 Squadron at Jamnagar towards the Pakistani Karachi area and the Indian Ocean, and with 28 Squadron’s detachment at Leh in the Himalayas/Kashmir region in the far north. The seven remaining MiG-29UPGs will be held as attrition replacement or when the other aircraft will go in maintenance.

Fly
MiG-29s fly in Indian Air Force service ever since 1987, when the first of 70 MiG-29B single-seaters and 10 MiG-29UB two-seaters arrived. Russia delivered the last of the B’s in 1994. Since then at least a dozen of the Fulcrums were lost in crashes and other accidents. After the upgrades the new MiG-29UPGs are planned to fly until at least after the year 2030.
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IAF MiG-29 evaluation, versus the Mirage 2000-H.
Air Marshal rtd, Harish Masand, then Wing Commander and CO of First Supersonics (MiG-29 squadron) versus the No.1 Tigers squadron led by then Wing Commander Ahluwahlia (later Air Marshal).

Evaluation in 1988:

MiG-29 outperformed the Mirage 2000 in "every sphere", parameters mentioned: STR, ITR, climb (climb rate). Range to payload of Mirage 2000 better, but MiG-29 and Mirage consumed almost the same amount of fuel in combat situations as the latter had to use afterburner more often.

Group combat and role specific missions: "Radar, IRST, HMSD, voice information system put to good use".
 
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aksha

Captain
more on the mig 29 upgrade
this could be a long post
sources:
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&
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Its quite evident that the MiG-29 as such is a very lethal platform. With modern avionics, it can take on & defeat current generation aircraft, including the Block 50 F-16, when properly flown.

Its primary "deficits" were in terms of its older avionics and limited fuel capacity.

The IAF upgrade, which is to SMT level and beyond, addresses these issues.

Original IAF MiG-29s are believed to have received limited upgrades already, including local Tarang RWRs plus improvements to the radar to the N019ME standard.
 

aksha

Captain
continued from the last post
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The IAF’s MiG-29UPGs, in fact, have the IAF’s most advanced internally-mounted integrated EW suite, which includes Elettronica of Italy’s ELT-568 AESA-based jamming system (see below), which will also go on board the yet-to-be-upgraded Su-30MKIs.
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Avionics

- New databus 1553B standard to incorporate newer avionics

- New mission computers, navigation system (RLG-INS w/GPS + possible Glonass module - Sagem's Sigma95N), Stores Management System, new VRS (Video Recording System) plus DMG (Display Map Generator). VRS and DMG likely to be sourced from Israel or locally.

-Glass cockpit with new HUD, two MFDs, HOTAS

-Zhuk ME MultiFunction radar with A2A/A2G modes; new IFF; Zhuk variant for IAF is Zhuk M2E, with an improved signal processor over Indian Navy MiG-29Ks which received the Zhuk M1E (source:AWST
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) The improved processor would allow for improved raid assessment, and NCTR (non cooperative target recognition).

Deputy Director (Phazatron) Yuri Goskov quoted:

Guskov said that Phazotron is already working on the next modification of its slot array radars, the Zhuk M2E. This version will have a faster processor, allowing it to classify targets by type (for instance, fighters, bombers and helicopters) and to break-out formation targets flying at 20-30 meters apart. The radar can also be programmed to identify aircraft by type – in the case of a new type, it can record its reflected signal and later use it for identification.
The Zhuk M2E should start flight testing this year. The modernized radar will equip 62 Indian Air Force MiG-29s that MiG is modifying to the MiG-29UPG configuration under contract to the IAF.

Zhuk ME specifications
Brochure - note these are "public details" for advertising purposes. Actual specifications may exceed some of the specifications shown.

-NIPP OLS-UE (as on latest MiG-35 and MiG-29K). Has a TV channel. Also has an advanced IR matrix for increased range. For the MiG-35, MiG notes "The IRST system with infra-red, TV and laser sighting equipment has been developed using the space technologies which were not applied previously in aviation. The system distinctive features are the increased range, detection, tracking, identification and lock-on of air, ground/surface targets in the forward and rear hemispheres, at day and night measuring the distance with laser range-finder as well as the formation of target designation and laser illumination of ground targets. The IRST system and new helmet-mounted target designation system are integrated into the armament control system." The IAF SMT upgrade does not have the fuselage mounted pod, so it cannot track ground targets (IAF will use the Litening instead) but rest applies, for the forward facing IRST.

-D-29 EW suite: Developed by DRDO with inhouse high accuracy DF RWR fit which cues AESA jammers. Latter codeveloped with Elettronica. DARE developed a high performance EW system with a scalable, modular architecture. The system can receive signals from multiple channels, process them in an Indian developed signal processing suite, and then devise appropriate jamming countermeasures to be initiated by jammers linked to the output channels. The LCA & MiG-27 Upgrade, both feature conventional Transmitter based jammers but the MiG-29 has an AESA fit developed with Elettronica. This system combines high grade coverage with high ERP (Emitted Radiated Power) for effective countermeasures.

-Improved chaff & flares system: Likely to be the locally developed system by Bharat Dynamics Ltd.

-V/UHF radio fit + IAF datalink. Radios likely to be Software Defined Radios developed by HAL

-VOR/ILS/TACAN from HAL
 

aksha

Captain
continued from last post

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Weaponry

-R73E,R77, KH-35UE, KAB-500/1500, Kh-31 A/P family missiles, Kh-29 L/T (see table below for complete list from Russian side)

Other systems to be added will be the local Astra BVR AAM (Mk1 and Mk2), and the Sudarshan family LGBs

Fuel

The IAF upgrade carries the typical SMT class humpback. Range is now increased by around 50% over original MiG-29, increasing endurance at typical operating radius. IAF MiG-29s can also carry both wing plus fuselage fuel tanks, 1500 L each. The new fit also includes IFR.

New Engines

Under a separate deal, HAL will supply new RD-33s manufactured under license from Klimov. These are RD33 Series 3 engines.

"Russia will deliver 26 engines for upgrading the MiG-29 combat jets of the Indian Air Force (IAF), with another 120 to be assembled in India, following an agreement with the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) at the ongoing MAKS 2009 air show near Moscow, officials said Friday."

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wiki says
HAL series 3[
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]

In 2005, Russia signed a $250 million deal with India to modernize engines for the MiG-29 fighters of the Indian Air Force. According to the terms of the deal,
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(HAL) will make 120 RD-33 series 3 jet engines at its Koraput plant for the upgrade of MiG-29 fighters. The engine designer, St. Petersburg-based Klimov, is also one of the players in the deal with India. Both of them are part of the RAC MiG corporation. In the first stage HAL is expected to make 120 engines, which would cost less than those directly bought from Russia. This deal would help HAL master the assembly of next generation jet engines, including RD-33MK (Sea Wasp) engines for deck based MiG-29K naval fighters being acquired under the Gorshkov aircraft carrier deal. It will also help develop thrust-vectoring engines for the
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fighters, which Russia is fielding for US $12 billion Indian tender for 126 advanced combat jets.
Stealth Enhancements
RAM for both external and internal systems (e.g. likely RAM for radar backend behind antenna array), and cockpit glass improvements (radar reflective coating) likely

  • Indian Navy MiG-29K's feature both cockpit glass improvements, shaping improvements (serrated edges near radome), and internal RAM (see
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Summary of Features (OEM)

MiG notes:

The MiG-29SMT main features:
– Modern high precision weapons of "A-S" class are included into the weapons nomenclature. It is provided for the weapons nomenclature enhancement during aircraft life cycle.
– The aircraft is equipped with multifunctional multi-mode pulse-Doppler airborne "Zhuk-ME" radar manufactured by "Fazotron-NIIP" Corporation. The radar is provided with a slot antenna array. As compared with the airborne radar of the previous generation the "Zhuk-ME" has enhanced scanning angles in azimuth, twice increased detection range, less weight and higher reliability. The "Zhuk-ME" radar provides for tracking up to 10 air targets with capability of simultaneous firing of 4 targets with missiles.
– The airborne avionics of the MiG-29SMT aircraft is designed following the principle of open architecture on the basis of a mission computer with the data exchange multiplex channel (bus of MIL STD 1553B standard). It allows to install aboard the aircraft the new systems of Russian or foreign origin at the customer’s request.
– The cockpit data display system includes two new wide-screen MFD-10-6 multifunction color displays and realizes the HOTAS conception.
– INS-GPS navigation system is included into the navigation equipment.
– The aircraft is equipped with in-flight refuelling system.

Aircraft can be equipped with ECM system installed in pod. At the customer’s request the MiG-29SMT aircraft can be equipped with the upgraded IRSTS system as well as with radio-stations, navigation equipment and IFF transponders of different types.

According to avionics architecture and weapons nomenclature the MiG-29SMT aircraft is unified with a new generation of the RAC "MiG" fighters family.

The double-seat version of the MiG-29SMT aircraft is called the upgraded MiG-29UB. It has the same avionics structure and identical cockpit data display system composition but it has no radar. The upgraded MiG-29UB aircraft has the same weapons as the MiG-20SMT except for weapons with radar homing heads (for training purposes the simulation mode is provided).

For both the MiG-29SMT and upgraded MiG-29UB aircraft the complete set of training means has been developed.

While upgrading the previously supplied aircraft to the MiG-29SMT version the following optional works can be fulfilled:
– aircraft structure reinforcement for the extension of flight hours and service life (depending on the aircraft technical condition);
– increase of internal fuel tanks capacity;
– installation of in-flight refueling systems of different types;
– improvement and/or replacement of some airborne systems;
– repair and transfer to on-condition maintenance

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