Indian Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

FORBIN said:

INS Viraat and Vikrant at Cochin Shipyard
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I am anxious to see the Vikrant go to sea on trials. Any idea when that is scheduled?

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'IAF has contracted 272 Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft to form 13 Squadrons. The delivery of Su-30 MKI will continue till 2030, resulting in equipping 3 more squadrons in the next 4 to 5 years. Further, induction of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) and Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) is envisaged. The MMRCA project is at Contract Negotiation Committee (CNC) stage. IAF has accepted the first Series Production LCA on 17 January 2015 and the second aircraft is expected to be inducted by March 2015. In addition, design / development of Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft is under progress. If all procurements fructify as planned, the IAF is likely to achieve the Government authorised strength of 42 Sqns by the end of 15th Plan Period.'

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"That is exactly the problem, Sir. Pakistan has got 21 active combat squadrons going to 25. We have 35, a drawdown has already begun and by 2022 we will be around 25. So it is a one-to-one match with them.Last year I had deposed in front of the hon. Committee that we expect this void to start getting filled up with LCA and hopefully the MMRCA contract would be signed and therefore things will start moving up. That has not happened. All that we have got is two Sukhoi-30 squadrons. So this drawdown will continue. We have 10 squadrons of Su-30; we are authorised 13 squadrons. We will get three more squadrons. But when I get those three squadrons, these MiG-21 and MiG-27 squadrons will start retiring. This just continues to actually keep moving downwards. That is why we are saying it is extremely imperative that the MMRCA contract is precipitated and LCA is hurried up. Sir, in January this year they had given one LCA, it made headline news, which had not completed its flight testing. They handed over the papers to us. We do not make a squadron with one aeroplane. That is where we are. They had been promising us since 2009. This is 2015 and we have not been able to form a combat squadron. These steps are not really in the hands of the Air Force. There is nothing we can do, Sir."

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'Secondly, I totally share the views of the Vice Chief that as far as requirement of LCA is concerned, obviously one aircraft which is also not fully satisfactory to the Air Force can not serve any purpose. The Secretary (Defence Production) is also here. This is something which has been projected to HAL that this has to be done on a war footing. That is something which we have not seen happening but this is something on which the Minister has been talking and he is moving in that direction.
Therefore, what I am saying is, the Government is fully seized of the matter and the Government fully agrees with the Air Force that all three categories of aircrafts have to be inducted on a war-footing to make sure that the depletion in their combat capability does not occur.'

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"The SU-30 cannot fit inside them. It is a much bigger aircraft. Therefore some new generation hardened aircraft shelter has to be made in which not only a SU-30 can fit but also servicing, loading of weapons and maintenance activities can be done inside the shelter. NGHAS is that New Generation Hardened Aircraft Shelter. It is a large project and it costs thousand of crores of rupees. But to assure you here, it is not that anybody has denied this to us. NGHAS are specialised structure and designed to save SU-30 aircraft from direct hit of 2000 lbs bomb."

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"Sir, that means for every cockpit, there are 2 pilots in USA, 2.5 pilots in Pakistan. They are better off because in war, you are going to undergo attrition. We are authorized 1.25 and we are down to 0.84."

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, IAF has contracted 272 Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft to form 13 Squadron. The delivery of Su-30 MKI will continue till 2030, resulting in equipping 3 more squadron in the next 4 to 5 years. Further, induction of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) and Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) is also envisaged. The MMRCA project is at Contract Negotiation Committee (CNC) stage. IAF has accepted the first Series Production LCA on 17 January 2015 and the second aircraft is expected to be inducted by March 2015. In addition to these, design / development of Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) is under progress. If all procurements fructify as planned, the IAF is likely to achieve the Government authorised strength of 42 Squadron only by the end of the 15th Plan Period. However, in spite of all the efforts being undertaken in this regard, the Committee are perturbed to note that no concrete results have come out so far from MMRCA negotiations and LCA has certain design/development related issues that needs to be relooked into or else it will not serve any purpose for Air Force. With regard to the budgetary provision, this year an amount of Rs. 18,866.00 crore have been allocated towards procurement of aircraft and aero engines. This amount is much less than the actual expenditure incurred under this head during last two years i.e. 2013-14 and 2014-15, which were Rs. 29069.00 and Rs. 21280.38 respectively. At this point of time, the Committee opine that there is a dire need for paradigm shift from complacency to perfection. The Committee desire that these projects are accelerated and at the same time all efforts be made to initiate design/development of FGFA, so that the country's long term air defence needs are addressed and our Air Force earns crucial strategic advancement over the adversaries.

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At Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL)’s Bengaluru-complex, the ‘Overhaul Division’ of India’s state-owned aerospace-manufacturer and –supplier is undertaking routine heavy-maintenance as well as upgrade-work on the Indian Air Force’ (IAF) remaining ~120 Jaguar penetration/strike-aircraft, called the ‘Shamsher’ (Persian: Sword of justice) in IAF-service.


When visiting HAL’s ‘Jaguar-shop’ on Feb. 7th, ACIG experienced a high level of confidence and satisfaction in the type by HAL & DRDO (Defence Research & Development Organisation) plus a definite statement on sustaining and updating the airframes - built under licence in three batches from 1979 up to only 2008 - for an extended service-life by another around 15 years, beyond the year 2020. It was said the ‘Shamsher’ might be replaced by a stealth-design called AMCA (Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft), shown by HAL just as a model at the same week’s AERO-INDIA 2011.

HAL’s ‘Overhaul Division’ is the approved repair agency for carrying out all major servicing of Jaguar aircraft and its engines, components and systems. At the time of visit, about 10 airframes of all the three versions Interdiction-Strike (IS), two-seat Trainer (IB) and Maritime-Strike (IM) were undergoing major servicing and upgrading, shown in different stages of disassembly. HAL technicians said the company already has indeginised about 520 items into the original Jaguar-IS, including the spoiler mechanical block, throttle box, front/rear canopy frame, excitation/demodulation unit, bottom panels and canopy beams.


Only each 5th airframe is reportedly showing issues of fatique or cracks, when they are inspected about every 10 years. That is seen as “an encouraging fact, given the stresses of mainly low-level work they are used in” a shop-manager underlined to ACIG. Not stressed beyond 8g with a design maximum of 12g, airframe-life was originally calculated at 3.000 hours for single-seaters and 6.000 for two-seaters. “Therefore it makes truly sense to invest in further improving and upgrading of the Shamsher”, the engineer said.

At least 10 (of 12) IM-Jaguars had their Thompson-CSF ‘Agave’ attack-radar replaced by an IAI Elta EL/M-2032 set some years ago, which was said to originated from the shelved ‘Lavi’-project. A first new indigenous radome-nosecone for these was handed over to HAL by Bangalore’s National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) in April 2010. One such platform was accessible to ACIG in early February, the dark-grey shipping-strikers are awaiting their BAE-‘Sea Eagle’ to be replaced by either ‘Harpoon-II’ or ‘Exocet-III’. These, 40 earlier and the ‘latest’ 37 HAL-built IS-Jaguars are currently on the level of the previous DARIN-II (Display Attack Ranging Inertial Navigation) digital nav/attack upgrade.


Soon there will be three generations of DARIN-modernisations, since in early 2010 HAL secured the order for ‘DARIN-III’, worth INR 3.100 (EUR 505 mill.). In the following, 68 so-called ‘deep penetration Jaguars’ are earmarked or currently in the pipeline of getting the DARIN-III kit while on overhaul at Bengaluru. The programme “will substantially increase survivability and efficiency of that strike-planes”, ACIG was explained to on site. It should also be taken in mind, that the type is the IAF’s primary nuclear-weapons carrier.

The so-called ‘D-3 Jaguar IS’ are featuring the same HUD as on LCA ‘Tejas’, along with three MFD-55 AMLCDs supplied by THALES-Samtel Display Systems and full HOTAS controls, all utilising a MIL-STD-1553B digital databus. The core avionics computer – reportedly the same as in the MiG-27UPG upgrade at HAL-Nasik – is the OSAMC (Open Systems Architecture Mission Computer) originally developed by DARE and now produced by an India-US joint venture involving HAL, ‘Edge Tech India’ and US-based ‘Edgewood Ventures LLC’. An integrated defensive aids suite (IDAS) is coming from DRDO and Cassidian, including the D-3’s to be equipped with RAFAEL Litening-3SU laser designation pods for all-weather standoff-attacks using precision-guided munitions. Undecided in DARIN-III are the EW escort-jammers/towed-decoy systems, with offers from Raytheon (ALQ-184(V)9), BAE-Systems (ALE-55), IAI/ELTA (EL/L-8251) and RAFAEL (‘Sky Shield’ escort-jammer / ‘X-Guard’). The fibre-optic towed-decoy is to produce a full range of noise- and deception-signals between 4.5GHz and 18GHz.



Regarding 100 requested new short-range missiles for self-defence (also for the 57 Mirage-2000s), MBDA is pitching the ASRAAM to the IAF, highlighting its high speed and the fact that in the past these were integrated on the Jaguars operated by the RAF until 2007. Raythean officials at AERO-INDIA explained that the Jaguar will always be operating at a lower altitude than any incoming threat and AIM-132s unmatched speed and ‘snap-up capability’ (ability to fire upwards to a very high altitude) would be ideally suited to the aircraft's mission. When combined with a Helmet Mounted Sight (HMCS), the aircraft/weapon combination could be used to its full ability. Because of its sleek, low-drag wingless design, proven body lifting techniques and the high speed provided by its 166mm diameter motor, ASRAAM would have minimum impact on the desired release-envelope.


Currently the IAF uses MBDA ‘Magic-2’ AAMs from the Jaguar’s overwing JOWR rails, developed by Cobham. RAFAEL is proposing its Python-5 to the IAF, pointing to its high maneuverability because of the extra fins behind the seeker. Both companies will reportedly provide test-examples for captive-carriage tests in Bengaluru in the coming months. An Indian delegation should visit the U.K. and Israel in the second half of this year to see live firing tests. Israeli ordnance-technology is already incorporated on the ‘Shamsher’, with ‘Griffin’ LGB kits on standard British Mk.21 bombs. A wide range of PGMs are presently is currently being evaluated by the IAF for the upgraded Jaguar IS, including the AASM from SAGEM (belonging to France's SAFRAN Group), Raytheon's JSOW, MBDAs Diamond Back, Israel Militarv Industries'(IMI) modular standoff vehicle (MSOV) and ‘Delilah’ multi-role cruise missile, and Raytheon's Paveway 4 and IAI's Griffin-3 laser-guided bombs.


Raytheon, meanwhile, since late 2009 has sucessfully integrated its munitions control unit (MCU) on an IAF Jaguar IS testbed, not allowed to be seen. The MCU is described as plug-and-play to enable integration of many modern weapons on legacy aircraft with minimal modifications to aircraft wiring and no changes to the flight and stores management software. Once integrated on an aircraft, aircrews can employ both exsting standoff-PGMs and A/A-missiles while using the aircraft's existing weapons management system. Raytheon plans to finish the work by mid 2011.


The lengthy Jaguars re-engining issue with Rolls Royce’ Adour Mk821 against the Honeywell F125IN was briefly mentioned at HAL as ‘pending’. In 2009 the two bidders were given until the end of February to respond to a INR 3,000 crore (EUR 489 mill.)-tender to deliver 200 engines (including 40 spare) for at least the 68 D-3 Jaguars. But then it was learnt at AERO-INDIA that RR now chose not to respond to the tender, it was pointed out to ACIG because obviously the IAF tends toward new engines, rather than ‘uprated’ powerplants. On the ‘Shamsher’ it operates some Rolls Royce/Turbomeca Mk804E and the majority the more powerful 37.37kN RT172-58 Adour Mk 811, both manufactured under license by HAL.


At the parallell AERO-INDIA-Seminar, a DRDO-official that asked not to be named, delivered his balance to ACIG. He said the American engine has superior tolerance to debris-damage and bird-strikes [than the Adour Mk821]. It is also 266 kg lighter, offering between 17 and 40 % higher thrust, thereby offering the Jaguar a 1,5-tonne payload increase. But the Mk821 might be the safer choice, as the F125 is derived from the TFE731 which originally was designed for business jets. When the ROCAF did install F125s on their ‘Ching-Kuo’-fighters, the results were reportedly poorer than expected. The powerplants were not responding properly to the rapid throttle-settings demanded by a combat aircraft.

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A crucial capability of the air-to-air Astra missile —its resistance to jamming — was successfully validated in recent trials conducted by missile scientists of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which indigenously developed the compact missile.

After carrying out some more trials, including air launch trial with a warhead, the Beyond-Visual Range missile is set to be inducted into the Air Force next year, DRDO sources told The Hindu here on Friday.

During the recent ground and air trials conducted near Pune, the missile’s RF seeker and other electronic components were sought to be jammed to see how it performs in such a scenario at the time of war when the enemy tries to jam its operation. The ECCM (electronic counter-counter measure) features of the missile to overcome any jamming were evaluated. “The trials were vigorous. But the state-of-the-art missile did very well,” said the sources.

While several developmental trials, including captive flight mode, were already completed, next month’s tests would evaluate its performance in different scenarios and cover the entire air launch envelope required before its induction.

The all-weather, radar homing missile has high manoeuvrability and capability to engage and destroy aerial targets at supersonic speeds. The 60-km plus range missile possesses Shot Kill Probability (SSKP) making it one of the most reliable in its class of weapon systems.

The missile could be launched at different altitudes from sea level to 20 km for engaging aerial targets at various ranges.

Integration

Apart from integrating the missile with Su-30, it is planned to be mounted on other fighter aircraft including Tejas Light Combat Aircraft, Mirage-2000 and MIG-29.

The missile complex at Hyderabad and several DRDO laboratories in partnership with the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and the Indian Air Force developed Astra.

The sources said the DRDO was planning to develop different versions of longer range air-launch missiles as the missile scientists now got a handle on air-to-air missile technology.

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