India on the hunt for more AEW&C aircraft

India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has invited global bids by mid-July for six aircraft to supplement its fleet of airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) platforms.
The tender, dispatched on 11 March by DRDO's Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS) in Bangalore, requires the proposed platforms to be supplied with "structural modifications, power and endurance adaptations, and provisions to support its Airborne Warning and Control System [India] programme".
This would include design and certification to facilitate the installation of CABS' AEW&C antenna rotodome - 10 m in diameter - and supporting pylon onto the airframe.
The tender, which was sent to Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, Dassault, Saab, and Russia's United Aircraft Corporation, also calls for the provision of affixing additional avionics, external and internal mission systems, and other customer-furnished equipment. The selected platform will be required to remain operational for 30 years.
The tender follows the February 2013 approval by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) to CABS for its add-on AEW&C programme. The CCS imposed a 2020-21 deadline for completion.
The AEW&C project aims to augment the Indian Air Force's (IAF's) nascent network-centric battle management platforms. It envisages a mix of up to 20 large and small AEW&C platforms to detect enemy aircraft and cruise missiles and to monitor India's 7,517 km long coastline.
The IAF has already inducted three Uzbek Il-76 A50 heavy transport aircraft upgraded by Russia with Aviadvigatel PS-90A-76 engines and mounted with the Elta Phalcon 'aireye' radar that was integrated by Israel Aircraft Industries. Acquired in 2004 for USD2 billion, all three platforms entered IAF service by early 2011 and are based at Agra, 230 km southeast of New Delhi.
In November 2011 the IAF announced that it would additionally acquire two similar platforms with a 400-500 km operational range for around USD800 million, but there has been no progress on this acquisition.
Additionally, CABS is developing its own AEW&C system for around INR18 billion (USD300 million) that will be mounted on three Brazilian Embraer EMB-145I jets acquired in 2008 for USD210 million. The first of three EMB-145Is was handed over to CABS in Brazil in August 2012, but the AEW&C programme is delayed by several years following cost overruns and technical problems with developing the platforms' active electronically scanned array radar.
The system is designed to have 240-degree coverage, five-hour endurance, and a surveillance range of 250-375 km.

Janes

INS Vikramaditya awaits induction

Country's biggest warship, INS Vikramaditya, is still awaiting its formal induction into the Indian Navy after five months of its arrival into Indian waters.
According to top government officials, impressed with its maritime capabilities, the outgoing prime minister, Manmohan Singh, had expressed his desire to spend a day on board the 44,500-tonne aircraft carrier procured from Russia. Sing along with the defence minister AK Antony was scheduled to dedicate the warship to the nation in the last week of March in a mega ceremony. But, the declaration of general elections and subsequent implementation of model code of conduct had put brakes on the scheduled programme of the UPA-II government. The defence ministry led by AK Antony first wanted to take clearance from the Election Commission to organise the event. But later on decided to leave it to the next government.
The $2.3 billion INS Vikramaditya was handed over to Indian Navy on November 16, 2013 at Sevmash, a Russian port. The warship arrived in Karwar on January 7 after 40 days of voyage. Since then, the warship has been stationed in Karwar naval base in Karnataka, but without adequate air defence guns for any protection against aerial attacks. However, the naval sources claim that the aircraft carrier always moves in a carrier battle groups, escorted by warships with all air defence weaponry. Refit of air defence guns on the aircraft carrier will take place soon.
"Yes, the formal induction of INS Vikramaditya has been delayed. But, the aircraft carrier is now capable of its full deployment. Fighter aircraft such as MiG 29 have embarked and being flown by Indian naval pilots. So far, we have trained 10 MiG 29 naval pilots, who have been trained to operate from INS Vikramaditya,"said an officer.

INS Vikramaditya has an overall length of about 284 metres and a maximum beam of about 60 metres, stretching as much as three football fields put together. Standing about 20-storey tall from keel to the highest point, the sheer sight of this 44,500-tonne mega structure of steel is awe inspiring. The ship has a total of 22 decks. With over 1,600 personnel on board, Vikramaditya is literally a 'Floating City'.
The ship has the ability to carry over 30 aircraft comprising an assortment of MiG 29K/Sea Harrier, Kamov 31, Kamov 28, Sea King, ALH-Dhruv and Chetak helicopters.
INS Vikramaditya is a Kiev class aircraft carrier which was commissioned by Russian Navy in 1987 under the name Baku. It was later renamed as Admiral Gorshkov and last sailed in 1995 in Russia, before being offered to India.

DNA

Indian Air Force Pilatus PC-7 Mk II Fleet Clocks Record Performance

Stans, Switzerland. The Indian Air Force (IAF) PC-7 MkII fleet has notched up commendable milestones even as training on the PC-7 MkII proceeds apace at the IAF Training Academy at Dundigal. The PC-7 MkII fleet has achieved more than 12,000 flying hours and accumulated well over 24,000 landings, since the first delivery of the new Basic Trainer Aircraft (BTA) to the IAF in February last year.
This significant achievement demonstrates the outstanding performance of the new PC-7 MkII training platform and the excellent co-operation between the IAF and Pilatus Aircraft Ltd in maintaining and operating a highly reliable BTA, a company statement said May 9.
As of April, less than two years after contract signature, the IAF has taken delivery of 35 PC-7 MkII aircraft and the remaining 40 aircraft are being flown-in on a monthly basis under the accelerated delivery schedule.
Due to the excellent endurance, low maintenance and reliability of the PC-7 MkII aircraft, the IAF supported by Pilatus has been able to maintain a very high availability rate on the flight line since the introduction of the new platform. Thanks to this, the IAF is already planning to advance plans to enhance the number of student pilots by 150 percent from the next course as they are confident that the PC-7 MkII will continue to measure up to their requirements and expectations. Furthermore, the PC-7 MkII has enabled the IAF to increase the basic training syllabus in terms of flight hours by 220 per cent compared to the old syllabus and increase the solo content from only 1 to 14 sorties.n March this year another significant project milestone took place.
 The first PC-7 MkII Fixed Base Full Mission Simulator became operational at Dundigal with a second simulator and additional Ground-Based Training Systems due to be installed by the end of this year.
Pilatus remains firmly committed to serving the Indian Air Force with its renowned dedication to Swiss precision and quality, through delivering and supporting the most advanced Basic Flight Training turboprop trainer in the world, the Pilatus PC-7 MkII, the company said.

- Indiastrategic

Joint venture planned for manufacturing gas turbines

 

HAL, BHEL and DRDO to work on the project

Public sector behemoths Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) and Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (BHEL), along with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), are exploring a joint venture to design, develop, and manufacture gas turbines for many critical uses in the country.

Teams from these agencies are working on the details of such a venture, which can create a large, vital Indian capability for gas turbines.

They are also crafting a technology road map in this area, assessing infrastructure and expertise available in the country as well as identifying a suitable technology to acquire or develop for the country, persons close to the development told The Hindu.

Gas turbines are used across civil and military sectors, such as in large passenger aircraft, fighter aircraft and ships, besides industrial and power sectors.

At present, there is no comprehensive indigenous technology on gas turbines and much of it is imported.

Each of these agencies holds a part of that treasure map.

The DRDO and HAL confirmed the development. 

The hindu

India tests 3,000 km range n-missile in secret

India has secretly test fired its most potent submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), which gives it the capability to nuclear-bombard a target on land 3,000 km away from an undersea firing platform. The successful maiden launch of the K-4 on 24 March marks one of the most significant advances in its nuclear weapons programme, say sources. This came ahead of the 16th anniversary of the 11 May 1998 Pokhran-II detonations, when India declared itself a nuclear weapons state.
"The K-4 is a worthy successor to the 750-km-range K-15 (also known as the B-05), India's first undersea missile, and extends India's strike range substantially," acknowledged sources in the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which is fostering India's weapons programme.
The missile was fired from an underwater pontoon off India's eastern seaboard at a simulated target in the Southern Indian Ocean. "The full range of this twin-stage missile was validated," sources confirmed to The Sunday Guardian.
The K-4 is a critical component of the missing third (or underwater) leg of India's nuclear triad of weapons, which can be launched from air, land and under the sea. The K series of missiles is named after the missile stalwart and former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
"With the K-4, India's underwater deterrence becomes more meaningful. The present range (750 km with the earlier K-15, India's first undersea missile) is hardly deployable," infers veteran submariner and nuclear strategist Rear Admiral (Retd) Raja Menon, who sees the K-15 mainly as a stepping stone in the learning curve for the development of long-range submarine-launched ballistic missiles. The K-15 has been test-fired earlier at least 10 times. The enhanced range of the K-4 will give India better stand-off attack capability without having to get too close to the target, which involves big risks.
Underwater deterrence based on proven capability to fire nuclear-tipped missiles from a submarine is critical to India's doctrine of No First Use. This is considered the most reliable, and survivable, second strike capability because nuclear weapons hidden under the sea are the most difficult for an adversary to target in a decapitating attack. Although the land-launched Agni-4 and Agni-5 give India's nuclear weapons a greater reach of up to 5,000 km and beyond, unique technological challenges had to be overcome in the development of the K-4, which makes Indian deterrence more credible.
But despite this impressive breakthrough, India's undersea missiles are not deployable weapons yet. These have to be first mated with the Arihant class of nuclear-powered submarines being developed by India. Arihant, the first of the three nuclear submarines (SSBN) being built at Vishakhapatnam, is being readied for sea trials soon. Its nuclear reactor turned critical last year.
The Arihant and the two follow-on submarines will reportedly be able to carry 12 K-15 or four K-4 missiles. These missiles will finally be proven in test-firings from the Arihant during weapons trials, which are to follow sea trials later this year. Former Navy chief Admiral D.K. Joshi had publicly indicated last year that the Arihant would be on operational deterrence patrol by the end of 2014, but further deadline slippages on this already-delayed programme appea inevitable.
The good news is that the weapons of underwater deterrence appear ready, even as the platform which will carry these through oceanic depths is crossing the final hurdles.

 sunday guardian

Navy on high alert

Based on an intelligence report of possible terror attack, the Eastern Naval Command has declared ‘State One’ level of alertness here on Thursday. As per the order, the Navy has beefed up its security level at all its vital installations and vital points, under its command. As part of it, the security levels have also been heightened at INS Dega.

INS Dega, which also forms part of the commercial airport, is also manned by the personnel from Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).

According to a CISF official, the security of the instrument landing system (ILS), Air Traffic Control (ATC) and the runway is taken care of by the Indian Navy, and the commercial aspects such as terminal building and passenger security are addressed by the CISF.

Assistant Commandant of CISF A.K. Mitra told The Hindu that the CISF has been on red alert post the twin blasts on May 1 aboard the Bangalore-Guwahati Express, in Chennai . “The alert is continuing since then. All airports are put on high alert across the country, whenever there is a terrorist attack. And this has been a regular practice, people need not be alarmed,” he said. 

 The Hindu

Pipavav Defence plans facility for missiles, torpedoes

Pipavav Defence and Offshore Engineering plans to set up its main system integration facility for manufacturing missiles and torpedoes in Hyderabad.

The company, which was the first private firm in India to get a licence to build warships, has already firmed up strategic partnerships for missile and torpedo making under the Ministry of Defence’s Make-and-Buy programme.

Naresh Kumar, Senior Advisor, said the company is looking at tie-ups with local firms in and around Hyderabad working in the sub-system design and manufacture of missile and torpedo parts.

“The vendor qualification will be undertaken jointly by Pipavav Defence and our technology partner,” he said at a Vendor Development Programme for MSE suppliers organised by the CII here.

Promoted by Nikhil Gandhi and Bhavesh Gandhi, the firm has entered into a strategic partnership with Saab in key technology areas, including combat management systems and missiles. It is currently bidding for 43 ships command management systems.

The private defence shipyard is also tying up with German firm Atlas Elektronik, to provide heavyweight torpedoes to the Indian Navy.

Atlas has worked with the Indian Navy for the last two decades, providing SUT torpedoes for the Navy’s Shishumar class of submarines. The company sees significant opportunities in the proposal of the Defence Ministry’s to acquire multiple helicopter platforms under the ‘Buy-and-Make Indian’ category.

This project envisages the first initiative by the government to build helicopters in the private sector, which will enable private firms manufacture, assemble and integrate critical aviation components. “This will provide opportunities for local companies to enter global supply chain,” Naresh Kumar said. Pipavav, which has already invested over $1.2 billion in the Indian defence industry, has orders worth $985 million from the Indian Navy, besides $282 million and $742 million in the offshore and commercial segments.

Last year, it won its first overseas order to build two offshore patrol vessels for a West African client valued at ₹1,192 crore.

The Hindu

Indian Air Force demonstrates production-lot Akash missiles

Two Akash missiles drawn from a production lot ordered by the Indian Air Force (IAF) were test-fired against targets towed by Lakshya remotely piloted aircraft on 26 April.
One target was engaged as it was approaching the fire unit, while the other was heading away from it. Both were successfully engaged.
During the tests, the Akash system and the targets were operated by IAF personnel. According to Akash Project Director G Chandramouli, all the planned mission objectives were achieved.
The IAF was the launch customer for Akash, placing an order for hardware to equip eight squadrons. Two squadrons are already in IAF service, and the Indian Army has ordered enough systems to equip two regiments.

janes.com

Army chief reviews mountain strike corps

With India keen to acquire "quick reaction force (QRF) capabilities" against China, Army chief General Bikram Singh on Wednesday reviewed the raising of the new mountain strike corps that will give the force a "concrete" counter-offensive option in the event of any attack by the People's Liberation Army.

On a visit to the Kolkata-based Eastern Command, Gen Singh was briefed by Lt-Gen M M S Rai and others on the progress of the XVII Mountain Strike Corps, which made a small beginning with the raising of 22 major and minor units under its ambit last December.

The entire XVII Corps, with its headquarters at Panagarh in West Bengal, will however be fully raised with 90,274 troops at a cost of Rs 64,678 crore only by 2018-2019. With units spread across the 4,057-km Line of Actual Control (LAC) from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh, the corps will have two high-altitude infantry divisions (59 Div at Panagarh and 72 Div at Pathankot) with their integral units, two independent infantry brigades, two armoured brigades and the like. "It will include 30 new infantry battalions and two Para-Special Forces battalions," said an officer.

Incidentally, Gen Singh will also be visiting Maldives from Thursday to assure the 1,190-island archipelago about India's continuing support in meeting its security needs. China has been trying to make deep inroads into Maldives as part of its expanding strategic footprint in the Indian Ocean region.

India has only belatedly taken to countering China's deadly build-up of trans-border military capabilities, backed by its expanding nuclear, space, electronic and cyber warfare abilities.

The development of the 3,500-km Agni-IV and 5,000-km Agni-V ballistic missiles, progressive deployment of Sukhoi-30MKI fighters, spy drones, helicopters and missile squadrons in the eastern theatre, and the XVII Corps are all meant to gradually transform the present "dissuasive posture" against China into "a meaningful deterrence" one.

Holding that the XVII Corps "is not only for war-waging, it's for war-prevention as well", Gen Singh has himself said the overall roadmap is to "raise and convert our combat power into certain amount of QRF capabilities". In effect, the Army wants to ensure it can launch an attack into Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) if there is a Chinese foray across the border.

The Army has already raised two new infantry divisions (1,260 officers and 35,000 soldiers) at Likabali and Missamari (Assam) in 2009-2010 to reduce the adverse land combat ratio with China, which currently hovers around 1:3.

But the costs involved are quite high. Apart from the Rs 64,678 crore on the new corps, of which Rs 39,209 crore is for capital expenditure, the price tag for infrastructure development on the "northern borders" with China is pegged at another Rs 26,155 crore.  - Times of india

First successful Astra test gives boost to air missile technology

India on Sunday finally tested its first indigenous air-to-air missile 'Astra' from a Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jet, marking a significant turning point in the decade-long tortuous developmental saga of the complex beyond visual range (BVR) weapon.

The test-firing of the sleek BVR missile over the Arabian Sea off Goa is the first concrete step after several false starts and technical glitches like a defective aerodynamic configuration since the project was first sanctioned in March 2004 at an initial cost of Rs 955 crore.

Astra will now have to undergo a battery of full-scale trials covering the entire flight envelope, especially against "actual manoeuvring targets" mimicking enemy aircraft, before it can arm IAF fighters like Sukhoi-30MKIs, MiG-29s and the indigenous Tejas light combat aircraft.

DRDO, however, is now confident it will be able to meet the revised project completion date of December 2016. Astra is to initially have a 44-km range with "high single-shot kill probability", while its Mark-II version will be able to hit enemy aircraft over 100 km away.

"Astra's successful launch from the Sukhoi-30MKI is a major step in missile-aircraft integration. This will be followed by missile launch against an actual target shortly. Many more trials are planned and will be conducted to clear the launch envelope. Weapon integration with Tejas will also be done in the near future," said DRDO chief Avinash Chander.

India is also slated to begin testing the 290-km supersonic BrahMos cruise missile from the heavy-duty Sukhoi-30MKIs by the end of this year, as earlier reported by TOI. So, while Astra is designed to take care of enemy aircraft, BrahMos will give surgical land-strike capability against hostile targets.

The importance of having an indigenous air-to-air BVR missile cannot be over-stated with IAF jets currently armed with very expensive Russian, French and Israeli missiles. With "target lock-on" capabilities both before and after launch, "excellent" ECCM (electronic counter-counter measures), active radar terminal guidance, smokeless propulsion and "process improved effectiveness in multi-target scenarios", DRDO says the all-weather Astra will fit the bill for advanced air combat.

Only a few countries like the US, Russia, France and Israel have managed to develop BVR missiles till now. Equipped with rocket/ramjet propulsion, micro-computers, active radar guidance/inertial navigation systems, terminal radar frequency seekers and the like, such missiles have to destroy highly-agile supersonic fighters packed with "counter-measures'' at long ranges.

"All Astra systems except the RF seeker are made in the country. The seeker too will be produced in India under a transfer of technology programme. Once fully operational, Astra will be much cheaper than contemporary BVR missiles," said an official. - Times of india

India May Expand Su-30MKI Order Beyond 272

Going by the pace at which the Indian Air Force (IAF) is expanding bases for the Sukhoi-30MKI fighters, ordering more of these Russian-made aircraft looks a distinct possibility.Going by the pace at which the Indian Air Force (IAF) is expanding bases for the Sukhoi-30MKI fighters, ordering more of these Russian-made aircraft looks a distinct possibility.

The expansion of the Su-30MKI fleet may happen irrespective of the progress in the MMRCA deal in which negotiations with the French manufacturer Dassault are on. India had in 2002 ordered 230 fighters and a further 42 had been ordered in 2012.

The Ministry of Defense has already announced plans to set up new bases to house the aircraft that are expected to be delivered up to 2018-19. The rapid expansion of bases housing the Sukhois while at the same time curtailing MiG-21 operations is a clear indication of the important role the Su-30MKI is playing for the IAF and the need for even more aircraft of this type in future.

Some 100 Sukhois will be spread out to bases such as Thanjavur in the deep south, Chabua in the northeast and Pune in western India, according to media reports.

"Thanjavur airbase is going to be another strategically important airbase of the Indian Air Force. By stationing our frontline fighter aircraft Sukhoi at Thanjavur, IAF can protect vast area of interest", India’s defence minister, AK Antony said after inaugurating the airbase on March 27, 2013.

Aside of the air dominance function for which the Sukhois had been originally procured, they are being utilized for interception and for reconnaissance. Recently, a Su-30 MKI had been scrambled to intercept an unidentified flying object entering Indian airspace form the western border. Some 4-8 Su-30MKIs are being tasked with strategic reconnaissance along the India-Pakistan borders with EL/M-2060P SAR pods, various reports said.

The fitment of the BrahMos cruise missile to the Su-30MKI will add another dimension to this vastly capable fighter. Reports say that some 40 Sukhois will be modified to carry this lethal armament which can function as an air-launched precision strike missile.

The induction of the Su-30MKIs seems to have increased the confidence and capability of the IAF as can be noted from this statement of the former IAF Chief NAK Browne, “right now we have 34 combat squadrons and in spite of these draw downs of the MIG-21s, we are supplementing them with the Su-30 squadrons”. The former chief had told a television network on October 5, 2012, “What’s going to happen is that at least in the 12th plan which finishes in 2017 we will continue to maintain 34 squadrons. They go up a little bit, up and down but they will remain at 34 squadrons but with far greater capability than even what we have today.”

As of March 2013, the IAF had a fleet of 194 Su-30MKI aircraft but this number will grow to 272 after India placed another order in December 2012 for 42 aircraft about 10 months after declaring Dassault winner of the MMRCA competition.

The licence-manufacturing program of the Su-30MKI is expected to conclude in 2018-19. “We hope to form 14 squadrons of Su-30MKI fighters by 2018. By this time we will have 272 such planes in service”, an unnamed HAL official was quoted as saying by Itar-Tass on February 24, 2014.

With the Su-30MKI getting increasingly entrenched into the IAF’s combat capability, provisions will have to be made for maintaining SU-30MKI utilization levels. As the number of sorties increase, so also will the requirement for maintenance and overhaul for which aircraft will have to be withdrawn from service.

The Su-30 MKI planes have not been without their share of problems. Three crashes, in 2009, 2011 and 2013 have forced the IAF, Irkut and HAL to sit down and find solutions to the problems which came to fore after the accident investigations. The good news is that the past year has been relatively problem-free despite increased sorties.

- Defence news

Akash Missile failed to take off in yesterday's test

Close on the heels of success on April 26, India’s sophisticated surface-to-air missile Akash on Wednesday once again failed to take off during a user trial by the Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel from a defence base off the Odisha coast putting the credibility of the DRDO at a stake.Close on the heels of success on April 26, India’s sophisticated surface-to-air missile Akash on Wednesday once again failed to take off during a user trial by the Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel from a defence base off the Odisha coast putting the credibility of the DRDO at a stake.

Defence sources said after a failed attempt on Tuesday, the IAF personnel had planned at least four rounds of Akash missile from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur-on-sea. While two missiles were to target the tow bodies suspended from the Pilotless Target Aircraft (PTA), two others were planned to target the parabarrel within a span of one hour.

“As per the programme, the PTA was flown from the launching complex-II of the ITR. Subsequently, the missile was to be fired after nearly 15 minutes. But much to the embarrassment of the DRDO and other related laboratories which helped develop the Akash system, the missile did not take off,” said an official from the test range.

On Tuesday, during a similar planned trial, the PTA had failed to take off leading to the postponement of the missile test. Though the Akash team could not immediately figure out the exact cause of the failure of the missile to take off, defence experts said it was a perennial technical problem with the Akash missile system.

It was the missile’s second failure in the recent seven-test series by the IAF. On May 28 and 30, 2012, the missile had failed to take off from the launch pad at the ITR. The tests were to gauge the flight consistency and effectiveness of the missile.

The IAF personnel, who were to pack up after the test, are scheduled to carry out the same tests on Thursday. “The defence scientists are working to fix the problem and hopefully the missile will be ready for test. The DRDO is providing all logistic supports to the IAF for the user trials,” a defence scientist said.

Akash is a medium-range surface-to-air missile and can target upto 25 km. The 5.8 metre long sleek missile has a launch weight of 720 kg and can carry a warhead of 50 kg.

The missile is crucial to India’s air defence programme as it will be used to counter ballistic and cruise missiles, enemy aircraft and air-to-surface missiles.

It can handle multiple targets with the help of a digitally coded command and guidance system. It is fuelled by solid propellants. The Akash missile system which is similar to the American Patriot air-to-surface missile system can track 64 targets simultaneously and fire 12 missiles at a time.

After the IAF trials, Indian army personnel are likely to conduct a series of tests of the weapon system from the same test range.

Defence sources added that the successful trial of the missile would pave the way for its induction in armed forces.

Defence news