Best Of India : HAL Tejas

   

     The HAL Tejas is a lightweight multirole jet fighter developed by India. It is a tailless, compound delta wing design powered by a single engine. It came from the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme, which was begun in the 1980s to replace India's aging MiG-21 fighters. Later the LCA was officially named "Tejas" by then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

    The Tejas has the delta wing configuration, with no tailplanes or foreplanes, features a single vertical fin. It integrates technologies such as relaxed static stability, fly-by-wire flight control system, advanced digital cockpit, multi-mode radar, integrated digital avionics system, advanced composite material structures and a flat rated engine.

     
     The IAF is reported to have a requirement for 200 single-seat and 20 two-seat conversion trainers, while the Indian Navy may order up to 40 single-seaters to replace its Sea Harrier FRS.51 and Harrier T.60. During its sea level flight trials off Goa, Tejas notched a speed of over 1,350 km per hour, thus becoming the second supersonic fighter manufactured indigenously by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited after the HAL Marut. The Tejas was cleared in January 2011 for use by Indian Air Force pilots.

 

Specifications (HAL Tejas)

 

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 13.20 m (43 ft 4 in)
• Wingspan: 8.20 m (26 ft 11 in)
• Height: 4.40 m (14 ft 9 in)
• Wing area: 38.4 m² (413 ft²)
• Empty weight: 6,560 kg (14,460 lb)
• Loaded weight: 10,500 kg (23,100 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 13,300 kg (29,540 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × General Electric F404-GE-IN20 turbofan
  • Dry thrust: 53.9 kN (11,250 lbf)
  • Thrust with afterburner: 85 kN (19,000 lbf)
• Internal fuel capacity: 2,458 kg
• External fuel capacity: 2x 1,200 litre drop tank at inboard, 1x 725 litre drop tank under fuselage

Performance

• Maximum speed: Mach 1.8 (2,376+ km/h at high altitude) at 15,000 m
• Range: 3,000 km (1,840 mi) without refueling
• Service ceiling: 15,250 m (50,000 ft (engine re-igniter safely capable))
• Wing loading: 221.4 kg/m² (45.35 lb/ft²)
• Thrust/weight: 0.91
• g-limits: +9/−3.5 g

Armament

• Guns: 1× mounted 23 mm twin-barrel GSh-23 cannon with 220 rounds of ammunition.

• Hardpoints: 8 total: 1× beneath the port-side intake trunk for targeting pods, 6× under-wing, and 1× under-fuselage with a capacity of 4000 kg external fuel and ordnance

Missiles:

• Air-to-air missiles:
  • Python 5
  • Derby
  • Astra BVRAAM
  • Vympel R-77 (NATO reporting name: AA-12 Adder)
  • Vympel R-73 (NATO reporting name: AA-11 Archer)
  
  
• Air-to-surface missiles:
  • Kh-59ME TV guided standoff Missile
  • Kh-59MK Laser guided standoff Missile
  • Anti-ship missile
  • Kh-35
  • Kh-31
  
  

Bombs:

• KAB-1500L laser guided bombs
• GBU-16 Paveway II
• FAB-250
• ODAB-500PM fuel-air explosives
• ZAB-250/350 incendiary bombs
• BetAB-500Shp powered concrete-piercing bombs
• FAB-500T dumb bombs
• OFAB-250-270 dumb bombs
• OFAB-100-120 dumb bombs
• RBK-500 cluster bombs  
•  

Others:

• S-8 rocket pods
• Bofors 135 mm rocket launche
• Drop tanks for ferry flight/extended range/loitering time.
• LITENING targeting pod

Avionics

Hybrid MMR radar (Israeli EL/M-2032 back end processor with Indian inputs)

Best Of India : Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft

     The Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), formerly known as the Medium Combat Aircraft (MCA), is a single-seat, twin-engine fifth-generation stealth multirole fighter being developed by India. It will complement the HAL Tejas, the Sukhoi/HAL FGFA, the Sukhoi Su-30MKI and the as yet undecided MRCA in the Indian Air Force. The main purpose of this aircraft is to replace the aging SEPECAT Jaguar & Dassault Mirage 2000. Unofficial design work on the MCA has been started. A naval version is confirmed as Indian Navy also contributed to the funding. $2 billion funding is set to be allocated over the next three years.Number of AMCA orders are expected to reach 250 units.

Development 

         In August 2006, India's then defence minister Mr. Pranab Mukherjee announced in Parliament that the government is evaluating experiences gained from the Tejas programme for the MCA.In October 2008, the Indian Air Force asked the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) to prepare a detailed project report on the development of a Medium Combat Aircraft (MCA) incorporating stealth features.

    In February 2009, ADA director P.S Subramanyam said at a Aero-India 2009 seminar, that they are working closely with Indian Air Force to develop a Medium Combat Aircraft. He added that according to the specification provided by the Indian Air Force, it would likely be a twenty ton aircraft powered by two GTX Kaveri engines.


    In April 2010, the Indian Air Force issued the Air Staff requirements (ASR) for the AMCA which placed the aircraft in the twenty five ton category. 

Design

     The AMCA will be designed with a very small radar cross-section and will also feature serpentine shaped air-intakes, internal weapons and the use of composites and other materials.
It will be a twin-engined design using the GTX Kaveri engine with thrust vectoring with the possibility of giving the aircraft supercruise capabilities. A wind-tunnel testing model of the MCA airframe was seen at Aero-India 2009.

    As well as advanced sensors the aircraft will be equipped with missiles like DRDO Astra and other advanced missiles, stand-off weapons and precision weapons. The aircraft will have the capability to deploy JDAM's. The aircraft will feature Extended detection range and targeting range with the ability to release weapons at supersonic speeds. The aircraft's avionics suite will include AESA radar IRST and appropriate Electronic warfare systems and all aspect missile warning suite.

    DARE, Bangalore has appointed a special team to begin identifying avionics and cockpit packages for the first prototype vehicle, and will supply this in published form to the ADA by July 2010. This will include cockpit electronics, cockpit configuration, man-machine interface, mission console systems and computers/software with a focus on data fusion and modular architecture. The LRDE will, in about the same time frame, provide a separate project proposal for an all new radar, to be re-designated for the AMCA, as a derivative of the MMR currently being completed with technology from Israel's ELTA. LRDE will independently look in the market for a partner for active array technology, though it communicated to ADA in June 2009 that it had sufficient R&D available to build a reliable AESA prototype with assistance from Bharat Electronics Ltd and two private firms based in Hyderabad.

Best OF India : Future Of Indian Airforce

    The Indian Air Force started modernising and upgrading its aging and outdated equipment since the late 90’s. For that reason it has started procuring and developing aircraft, weapons, associated technologies, and infrastructures. Some of these programmes date back to the late 80’s. The primary focus of upgradation are the aircraft procured from the Soviet Union that form the backbone of the Air Force.

Upgrades

   The Indian Air Force began an upgrade of its MiG-29 fleet in 2007. India awarded Russia a US$965 million contract to upgrade its air superiority MiG-29 into multi role MiG-29UPG standard warplanes, on Monday 10 March 2008. According to the deal, Russia will re-arm the twin-engined MiG-29s with air-to-air missiles, and the upgraded MiGs will feature increased fuel capacity and will include latest avionics. The design is a new modification intended for the MiG-29s used by Indian Air Force. It made its maiden flight on 4 February 2011. The standard includes the new Zhuk-M radar, new avionics, a IFR probe as well as new enhanced RD-33 series 3 turbojet engines. The modernization is part of a $900 million contract to upgrade the 69 fighter fleet. Indian Military Future Procurements

Indian Air Force

Transport aircraft 

1. Boeing C-17 Globemaster III - purchase of 10 aircrafts plus option for 10 more aircrafts.

2.Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules - purchase of 6 aircrafts plus option for 6 more.

3.Alenia C-27J Spartan - IAF looking to purchase 16 of this aircraft. 2 more for BSF Air Wing.

4.UAC/HAL Il-214 Multirole Transport Aircraft (MTA) - Indo-Russian joint venture.The Indian Air Force plans to acquire 45 MTAs.

5.NAL Saras - Indian Air Force intends to place an order for up to 45 aircraft.

Fighter aircraft 

1. (MMRCA) - 126 aircraft . There is an option for an additional 74 aircraft.Bidders - Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet,Dassault Rafale,Eurofighter Typhoon,Lockheed Martin F-16IN Super Viper,Mikoyan MiG-35,Saab Gripen NG.

2. HAL TEJAS - The IAF is reported to have a requirement for 200 single-seat and 20 two-seat conversion trainers.

3.Sukhoi/HAL FGFA - Indo-Russian joint venture.Indian Air Force will get 200 twin-seated and 50 single seated FGFAs.The option for further orders will be kept open.

4. Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft - IAF has a requirement of at least 250 AMCAs.

Trainer aircraft

1.Tender For 181 basic trainer aircraft - bidders : Grob G-120TP, Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano, Korean Aerospace Industries KT-1, Finmeccanica M-311 and Pilatus PC-7 .

2.HAL HJT-36 Sitara - The Indian Air Force has placed placed an order for 73 aircraft, of which the first 12 are in production.The order by the Indian Air Force could eventually grow to 250 aircraft.

3.HAL HTT-40 - will replace HAL HPT-32 Deepak as basic trainer in IAF. 4. BAE HAWK - 123 Ordered.

Airborne early warning aircraft 

1. DRDO AEW&CS - 4 system on order plus additional 20 systems .

2.Beriev A-50 [ PHALCON AWACS ] - 3 operational , order for additional 3 likely.

Attack helicopter 

1.LCH - Order of 65 LCH to IAF.

2. Tender for 22 attack helicopters - Bidders : AH-64D Apache Longbow,Mi-28.

Transport and utility helicopters 

1. Tender for 15 heavy lift helicopters - Bidders : CH-47 Chinook,Mi-26.

2. Mi-17 V-5 - order for 80 plus additional 59 placed .

3. AgustaWestland AW101 - order for 12 helicopters placed . will be used for VIP transport.

4.Tender for 125 light transport helicopter Along with 197 for Army aviation.

5.HAL light observation helicopter [ LOH ] or Light Utility helicopter [LUH] - Requirement for 384 helicopters including for army and air force.

Unmanned aerial vehicles 

1.Tender For stealth UCAV - The Indian air force has submitted a request for information to international suppliers for a unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) with low radar cross-section, high service ceiling, an expected range of 500nm (925km) and the capability to carry precision-guided weapons in an internal weapons bay.

2.RUSTOM MALE UAV - The Rustom will replace/supplement the Heron UAVs in service with the Indian armed force 3. AURA UCAV - The AURA UCAV will be a tactical stealth aircraft built largely with composites, and capable of delivering laser-guided strike weapons. It would be a stealthy flying-wing concept aircraft with internal weapons and a turbofan engine.

Cruise missiles 

1.Nirbhay cruise missile - is a long range, subsonic cruise missile . The missile will have a range of 1,000 km and will arm three services. First test flight by early 2012.

Surface to air missile systems 

1. SPYDER SAM systems - India to acquire 18 of this system.

2. Maitri (missile) - The Maitri missile project is a next-generation Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile (QRSAM) with a lethal hundred per cent kill probability .

Air TO Air Missile

1.Astra (missile) BVRAAM .

40 nuclear capable aircraft for Strategic Nuclear Force

 

    Although not initially designed to carry nuclear or strategic weapons, the Indian Air Force will receive 40 upgraded Su-30MKIs capable of carrying the BrahMos cruise missile possibly by 2012. In addition, there are also plans to integrate the nuclear-capable Nirbhay missile with the aircraft as well.India Today reported that Russia had won a large contract to upgrade 40 Su-30MKI fighters with new radars, onboard computers, electronic warfare systems and the ability to carry the BrahMos missile. The first two prototypes with the 'Super-30' upgrade will be delivered to the Indian Air Force in 2012, after which the same upgrades will be performed on the last batch consisting of 40 production aircraft. The exact value of the contract has yet to be disclosed however. In May 2010,

    In March 2010, India and France finalized the long delayed deal to upgrade all of India's Mirage 2000H to Mirage 2000-5 Mk 2 variant with new radar systems, a new weapon suite, missiles, electronic warfare system etc. French claim that the combat-proven aircraft will be upgraded to next-generation fighter level. The first four to six Mirages will be upgraded in France, with the rest 50 or so being upgraded in India by Hindustan Aeronautics under transfer of technology. Under the upgrade, the entire airframe will be stripped down to be re-wired and re-equipped with new avionics, mission computers, glass cockpits, helmet-mounted displays, electronic warfare suites and of course weapon systems to extend and enhance the operational life of the multi-role fighters by around 20 years.

Best Of India : SUKOI/HAL FGFA

    The Sukhoi/HAL Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) is a fifth-generation fighter being developed by Russia and India. It is a derivative project from the PAK FA (T-50 is the prototype) being developed for the Indian Air Force (FGFA is the official designation for the Indian version).

According to HAL chairman A.K. Baweja shortly after the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Committee meeting on 18 September 2008, the Russian aircraft will be a single-seater, the Indian FGFA will be a twin seater, analogous to the Su-30MKI which is a twin seat variant of the baseline Su-27. Two separate prototypes will be developed, one by Russia (designated the T-50), and a separate one by India (designated FGFA).

    A contract between Bangalore-based Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), will commit to building 250 fighters for the IAF and an equal number for Russia. The option for further orders will be kept open. HAL and UAC will be equal partners in a joint venture company, much like the Brahmos JV, that will develop and manufacture the FGFA. Further it was reported that the Bangalore-based HAL has negotiated firmly to get a 25 per cent share of design and development work in the FGFA programme. HAL’s work share will include critical software, including the mission computer; navigation systems; most of the cockpit displays; the counter measure dispensing (CMD) systems; and modifying Sukhoi’s single-seat prototype into the twin-seat fighter that the Indian Air Force (IAF) wants. Further Russia’s expertise in titanium structures will be complemented by India’s experience in composites like in the fuselage. A total of 500 aircraft are planned with option for further aircraft. Russian Air Force will have 200 single seated and 50 twin-seated PAK FAs while Indian Air Force will get 200 twin-seated and 50 single seated FGFAs.

   Sukhoi director Mikhail Pogosyan has projected a market for 1000 aircraft over the next four decades, two hundred each for Russia and India and six hundred for other countries. Russian Trade Minister Viktor Khristenko said that the aircraft are to be jointly developed and produced with India and both countries will "share benefits from selling the plane not only on their domestic markets, but also on the markets of third countries."

   The Indian media also use the term FGFA generically to refer to any fifth generation fighter aircraft.

Best Of India : SUKOI SU 30MKI

       The Sukhoi Su-30MKI  (NATO reporting name: Flanker-H) is a multirole combat aircraft jointly-developed by Russia's Sukhoi Corporation and India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force (IAF). A variant of the Sukhoi Su-30, it is an all-weather capable, heavy class, long-range air superiority fighter which can also act as a strike fighter aircraft.

     Development of the variant started after India signed a deal with Russia in 2000 to manufacture 140 Su-30 fighter jets. The first Russian-made Su-30MKI variant was accepted into the Indian Air Force in 2002, while the first indigenously assembled Su-30MKI entered service with the IAF in 2004. In 2007, the IAF ordered 40 additional MKIs. As of July 2010, the IAF has 124 MKIs under active service with plans to have an operational fleet of 280 MKIs by 2015. The Su-30MKI is expected to form the backbone of the Indian Air Force's fighter fleet to 2020 and beyond.

  

    The aircraft is tailor-made for Indian specifications and integrates Indian systems and avionics as well as French and Israeli subsystems. It has abilities similar to the Sukhoi Su-35 with which it shares many features and components.