Media release:
Design and development was launched in February 2009. The initial Ground Test Vehicle (GTV) run was completed on December 6, 2014. Operational clearance of the basic version is expected during 2016-17.
Design and development was launched in February 2009. The initial Ground Test Vehicle (GTV) run was completed on December 6, 2014. Operational clearance of the basic version is expected during 2016-17.
That on the Indian LUH.Overall, the Indian military plans to procure 600 new light helicopters. However, Russian helicopters will be facing competition from HAL’s new Light Utility Helicopter (LUH), which will make its first flight in February 2016, and of which the Indian defense ministry plans to acquire a fleet of 200 aircraft. According to sources interviewed by The Business Standard, “the bulk of the order for the remaining 200 would fall to whichever manufacturer delivers 200 helicopters first.”
Highly unlikely IMO
Years of bombing targets in Iraq and Afghanistan that don’t shoot back appear to have left Britain’s Royal Air Force (RAF) a little rusty in the dogfighting skills department. Officials are determined to send UK pilots back to school, according to reports.
Senior officers fear the skill fade, due to lack of air-to-air combat, could leave the RAF lagging behind if it ever came to a showdown with Russian jets.
The issue was touched on in January by Air Vice-Marshal Gary Waterfall, who in 2012 won a CBE for his efforts during the air war over Libya.
UK Defence Secretary
He said he saw the formation of a “Red Air” unit as a “prioritized” aim. Red Air refers to a group of American servicemen who flew against US pilots during training in Soviet uniforms and using Russian tactics, as depicted in cult movie classic “Top Gun.”
“These guys would be the first port of call should we need an opposing force to participate in an air combat exercise,” an anonymous RAF officer told the Times newspaper.
The task will fall to the UK’s recently expanded Typhoon fighter-bomber squadrons with some units specializing in bombing with Brimstone or Storm Shadow munitions and others being designated for the Red Air role.
Tensions between Britain and Russia have been high in recent years over disagreements on Ukraine and Syria.
The UK has also complained of a number of alleged incursions into or near UK airspace, most often by Russian Bear bombers.
In 2015, there were a number of incidents when British fighter jets were scrambled to intercept Russian aircraft. In November, RAF Typhoon fighter jets intercepted Russian bombers passing close to UK airspace over the Atlantic Ocean.
Earlier in the year, Russia’s ambassador was summoned by the UK Foreign Office, to lodge a complaint about a flight of Russian military jets over the English Channel, which British authorities claimed posed a danger to passenger aircraft
All India | Press Trust of India
WASHINGTON: India has sought from the US 100 latest unmanned aerial vehicles, both armed and surveillance versions, worth USD 2 billion to bolster its arsenal amid recurring incursions by Chinese troops.
Industry sources familiar with New Delhi's interest and ongoing talks between the two governments, said that India is interested in the latest Avenger drones, which is basically an unmanned combat air vehicle, and is mainly being sought with an eye on China.
India had requested for the latest Avenger drones, which is basically an unmanned combat air vehicle, and is mainly being sought after, with an eye on China. It has also sought Predator XP category which is a surveillance version for internal security issues and terrorist threats.
US' General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc's Predator-series Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) - C-Avenger Drone
However, while talks in this regard have accelerated in the past few months, the United States has not made any formal commitment or given a public indication pending India's application to joining Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR).
Italy, which is upset with New Delhi for the arrest of its marines, appears to have currently blocked India becoming a member of MTCR.
However, both Indian and US officials are confident that they would be able to get through the last hurdle in the next few months, thus making them possible to take the defence trade - which would include armed drones - to the next level.
"Yes, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc is aware of India's interest in Predator-series Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA)," Vivek Lall, chief executive of the US and International Strategic Development of General Atomics told news agency PTI.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems produces Predator series of remotely piloted aircraft.
"Due to US export laws, the US government has to approve the export of a Predator-series RPA to the Indian government.
GA-ASI remains very encouraged by the recent India-US bilateral engagements at the highest levels and we are hopeful that we can play an important supporting role in these discussions," he said.
"Predator-series RPA could provide a world-class Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capability for India which would include both high-definition radar and Electro-optical/Infrared (EO/IR) coverage along India's borders," Mr Lall said in response to a question.
Additionally, the RPA can perform humanitarian aid/disaster relief surveillance over both land and sea, said Lall, who had previously played a key role in US sale of high tech military assets to India during his stint at Boeing.
Mr Lall gave positive indication of General Atomics' interest in the path breaking DTTI and Narendra Modi government's 'Make in India' initiative.
"GA-ASI is very interested in opportunities to work with new international industrial partners. We focus on identifying those opportunities that leverage the strengths and growth capabilities of new partners to enhance the already impressive capabilities delivered by Predator-series RPA," Mr Lall said.
Predator-series RPA provide a highly reliable, cost-effective ISR capability that is fully inter-operable with US forces and US military platforms in the Indian military's aircraft inventory, he said.
The aircraft can perform wide-area surveillance along India's extensive terrestrial and marine borders, he added. "Extremely safe and reliable, Predator-series RPA have been updated with state-of-the-art technologies, including an automatic takeoff and landing capability, redundant flight control surfaces, enhanced avionics, and triple-redundant flight control computers," Mr Lall said.
Noting that GA-ASI also is committed to developing a Detect and Avoid (DAA) capability for its RPA, Mr Lall said the company is currently developing a DAA system, enabling it to successfully detect and avoid cooperative and non-cooperative aircraft.
"It has most recently accomplished the task during a series of flight tests conducted in conjunction with the FAA and NASA," he said.
According to Mr Lall, Predator-series RPA may be integrated with multiple ISR sensors, including state-of-the-art EO / IR cameras and GA-ASI's Lynx Multi-mode Radar which features a state-of-the-art Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) mode that offers all-weather, day/night performance for a wide-area search capability.
Its Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) mode provides a quick and easy method for locating moving vehicles, he said. The radar's Maritime Wide Area Search (MWAS) mode provides the capability to complete a variety of maritime missions successfully, including coastal surveillance, long-range surveillance, small target detection, and search and rescue operations.
"Predator-series RPA also are equipped with an Automatic Identification System (AIS) for identifying vessels at sea. Other sensors may be integrated at the customer's request," Mr Lall said.
"Additionally, Predator-series RPA are equipped with both Line-of-Sight (LOS) and Beyond-Line-of-Sight (BLOS) data link systems for over-the-horizon operations. The ability to be flown from remote locations precludes the need for a large logistics footprint at forward operating bases," he said.
India is vying to become one of the first countries to import armed Predator Avenger drones from the U.S., a move that would allow it to remotely drop a bomb on any square inch of Pakistan.
The unmanned aircraft manufactured by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. are sleek, fast, killing machines. From New Delhi they could hunt militants across Pakistan, and become a strategic consideration in border standoffs with China.
If approved, the drones would be another sign of the growing defense ties between Washington and New Delhi: India was the second-largest buyer of U.S. arms in 2014, up from virtually nothing five years ago. The Avengers also represent a small but significant tilt in the strategic dynamics of a region with three nuclear powers and about 40 percent of the world’s population.
"It’s actually quite amazing how quickly the Indian-U.S. relations have developed," said Siemon Wezeman, a researcher at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, a group that monitors arms transfers. “Within a few years India has embraced U.S. weapons” and America is now “supplying India with very advanced military technology," he said.
On Sept. 22, the U.S. in a statement backed India’s membership in the Missile Technology Control Regime, a prerequisite for buying the drones. Two days later, India’s Air Force sent a letter to San Diego-based General Atomics saying it wanted to purchase the Avenger, according to a copy seen by Bloomberg. Air Force officials declined to comment on the letter.
That suggestion alone is enough to raise tensions between India and Pakistan, which have fought four wars in the past and are home to the world’s fastest growing nuclear arsenals since 2010. The Avengers can fly for 18 hours, carry 3,500 pounds of munitions and reach an altitude of 50,000 feet.
“The drones, which can reach anywhere in Pakistan, obviously can create, can heighten the tensions, and increase the risk of a conflagration," said Talat Masood, a retired lieutenant general and an Islamabad-based defense analyst.
On Sept. 22, the U.S. in a statement backed India’s membership in the Missile Technology Control Regime, a prerequisite for buying the drones. Two days later, India’s Air Force sent a letter to San Diego-based General Atomics saying it wanted to purchase the Avenger, according to a copy seen by Bloomberg. Air Force officials declined to comment on the letter.Aditya G wrote:Why are we sending unsolicitated requests to US for arms? Is it even possible to buy US drones without signing CISMOA and likes? Recently there was a news about ordering Heron TP - it makes sense to buy more units of the same.
An armed Heron TP is useful as a Reaper-substitute. But like the Reaper, its best suited for low intensity COIN-type conflicts i.e where an aerial threat doesn't exist. The Avenger is a different cup of tea. While not offering the broadband stealth of the X-45 & X-47, its still more than stealthy enough to be survivable in a hot war situation and carry out high-risk (read: cross-border) recce missions in peacetime.Aditya G wrote:Why are we sending unsolicitated requests to US for arms? Is it even possible to buy US drones without signing CISMOA and likes? Recently there was a news about ordering Heron TP - it makes sense to buy more units of the same.
The MQ-9, also a UCAV, is in service with half a dozen export customers while the Avenger was being marketed to Canada. Pending the MTCR accession, I don't see any political or bureaucratic opposition to a sale to India.brar_w wrote:However, this is still unlikely to happen anytime soon if at all since there are still quite a few changes required in the drone policy that the current state-department is unwilling to make.
There are specific DOS considerations within the policy that must be amended to make the aircraft more attractive to potential customers and these have been suggested on many fronts including the DOD within the current establishment. Now, it could very well be that the new policy does address those considerations by either making them more palatable or by simply making them too vague to bother any potential end user, but we are not privy to the classified elements of that policy that are shared with potential export customers. MTCR is the first hurdle, beyond that is a matter of political acceptance by the buyer and the seller.Viv S wrote:The MQ-9, also a UCAV, is in service with half a dozen export customers while the Avenger was being marketed to Canada. Pending the MTCR accession, I don't see any political or bureaucratic opposition to a sale to India.brar_w wrote:However, this is still unlikely to happen anytime soon if at all since there are still quite a few changes required in the drone policy that the current state-department is unwilling to make.
It is too early to judge whether the new policy has made US export of UAS's more attractive both from a seller's perspective and a buyer's perspective although there were Congressional voices that voiced concerns about the regulations still being too stringent (that could simply be a political thing..but we won't know for a while).Knowing that it has to get ahead to stay ahead, President Barack Obama’s administration is finally taking tentative, hesitant steps toward outlining how U.S. companies can export major UAV systems to allied governments around the world.
The “U.S. Export Policy for Military Unmanned Aerial Systems,” announced Feb. 17 in broad terms, comes after years of internal deliberations about how to allow and even encourage export opportunities for a relatively new and consequential class of weapon system.
“U.S. export policy will determine, to a certain extent, which states acquire what types of armed drones, and will set expectations about appropriate exports by other armed drone producers,” say analysts at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.
UAVs have proven powerful in both what they have done for America in its post-9/11 conflicts, as well as for the prospects of future business they could deliver to an industry eager to offer the technology abroad as a new revenue stream. But arms sales critics and human rights activists—many of whom are generally more aligned with the administration—remain concerned about UAV proliferation.
“The sale of this technology is controversial for its potential to be used unlawfully, either for surveillance, as force against the populations of purchasing countries, or against other countries in ‘self-defense,’ as the U.S. has done,” CFR analysts say.
Nevertheless, the policy guidance could boost companies such as Northrop Grumman, which offers the iconic Global Hawk line of airliner-size intelligence-gathering UAVs, or General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, which helped father the modern weapon system and is well known for its Predator class.
But first, Washington has to hammer out more details, as well as educate allies and industry more broadly—despite competing concerns not to trumpet the move. A Feb. 17 “fact sheet” from the State Department simply announced, “the United States has established a new policy designed specifically for U.S.-origin military and commercial UAS.” Details were not publicized, and above all, the U.S. still must work with other countries to adopt similar standards of the sale, transfer and subsequent use for military UAS.
According to the State Department, the export policy lays down “standards” by which the U.S. will assess potential exports of military UAS, including armed systems. Potential sales will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis under the U.S. Conventional Arms Transfer Policy, and only for government-to-government Foreign Military Sales. Each will go through the Defense Department’s Technology Security scrubbing and Foreign Disclosure processes, with recipient nations expected to agree to assurances as a condition of sale or transfer. That includes end-use monitoring and potential additional—albeit unspecified—security conditions, as well as agreement over principles for proper use of UAVs, including honoring humanitarian law and lawful employment of the technology.
“The new U.S. UAS export policy provides a disciplined and rigorous framework within which the United States will exercise restraint in sales and transfers and advance its national security and foreign policy interests, which includes enhancing the operational capabilities and capacity of trusted partner nations, increasing U.S. interoperability with these partners for coalition operations, ensuring responsible use of these systems, and easing the stress on U.S. force structure for these capabilities,” State officials asserted.
“It also ensures appropriate participation for U.S. industry in the emerging commercial UAS market, which will contribute to the health of the U.S. industrial base, and thus to U.S. national security, which includes economic security,” they added.
Capital Alpha Partners analyst Byron Callan says the policy’s timing is noteworthy coming a day before the start of Aero India, a major aerospace and defense trade show in Bengaluru. Large UAV markets could include India, Indonesia, Middle East countries and Latin America. “We don’t have a ready estimate of the size of these markets but suspect it’s in the dozens of systems that the U.S. could address,” he says. “Clearly though, this will be competitive.”
Northrop Grumman CEO Wesley Bush has called for Washington to help, and this month marks the second anniversary of the announcement that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) would acquire its first Predator XP, an advanced derivative of the MQ-1 system.
“Though the U.S. remains the lead actor in terms of possession and using armed drones, the rest of the world is quickly catching up,” CFR analysts wrote in a report last year. “Russia, China, Iran, South Korea and Taiwan, for example, have begun to develop increasingly sophisticated indigenous drone capabilities. Other countries, including Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, have publicized their intent to purchase them.
The administration was known to be working on a new policy (AW&ST Feb. 24, 2014, p. 22). A year ago, Andrew Shapiro—who had been the longest-serving assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs until his departure in 2013—said in a speech to an aerospace and defense conference on Wall Street that Washington was aware of the business potential. But several tough questions remained for policy makers. “There is great demand from our partners for UAVs, and it’s really a question not of ‘could we sell?’ but ‘would we sell?’” Shapiro said at the time.
Chief among the challenges is that the U.S. is a leading proponent of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), a voluntary group of dozens of countries that have agreed not to export weapons systems that could proliferate nuclear weapons capabilities. MTCR Category 1 entails UAS that are capable of a range of at least 300 km (186 mi.) and carrying a payload of at least 500 kg (1,102 lb.).
Other issues include the fact that certain UAV-active countries, such as Israel and India, are not party to the MTCR. Then there are human rights concerns, an explicit element of U.S. foreign policy, and how UAVs represent a new realm of capability and affordability that can be used against populations.
State officials said the new policy maintains U.S. commitments under the MTCR, starting with a “strong presumption of denial” against such exports. But MTCR also permits such exports on “rare occasions” that are well justified in terms of the nonproliferation and export-control factors specified in the regime’s guidelines, they noted. Even so, more “The United States is committed to working with other countries to adopt similar standards for the sale, transfer and subsequent use for military UAS,” the officials said.
BAE Systems expects to sell additional batches of Hawk training aircraft to India as work continues between the company and its Indian partners to develop advanced versions of the best-selling jet.
According to BAE Systems' Director of Hawk Aircraft Programmes, Alun Fishburne, these orders will go beyond the 20 aircraft for the Indian Air Force's (IAF's) flying display team, which are currently the subject of ongoing negotiations.
"Demand will be driven from the Indian Air Force," he told IHS Jane's on 2 February. "We expect steady production, more batches. The [IAF is] getting great [training] results from [its] Hawks. It is the most reliable aircraft in its inventory."
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“ASC Aeronautical Equipment, part of the Technodinamika Holding, will open a service centre in India before the end of the first quarter of 2016,” Oleg Vasiliev, CEO of the Aviation Service Center (ASC) Aeronautical Equipment, a member company of the Technodinamika Holding, told RIR..
“This company will be engaged in repairing Russian military vehicles currently operating in India, supplying accessories and ground equipment, and ensuring all aircraft and helicopters have the parts they need. Technodinamika has already concluded long-term agreements for repairs with local operators,” Vasiliev said. In particular, they will repair and maintain components of the Antonov and Ilyushin transport aircraft and Mi series helicopters.
Active work on organizing repair works in India started last year. In early 2015, ASC became accredited with the Indian Air Force, giving it the opportunity to participate in tenders for supply of components and assemblies, as well as maintenance of the Air Force’s aircraft fleet.
“Repair works will be fully localized in India. A joint venture is now being created with the Indian side. Repair and maintenance of aircraft in the service centre will be carried out by local staff who will be trained by our specialists. The centre will be provided by all the necessary repair documentation and, in fact, this will be an Indian company. At the same time, the Air Force will receive guaranteed scheduled repairs and quality at manufacturer prices,” said Vasiliev.
Earlier, the head of Technodinamika Maxim Kuzyuk informed Russian media that such centres would start operating in Peru, China, and several African countries.
Technodinamika (part of the state corporation Rostec) – is a leading developer and manufacturer of equipment for aircraft, including landing gear, fuel systems, flight control systems, and auxiliary power units.
In addition to aircraft equipment, the holding produces parts and components for other industrial sectors such as oil and gas, automotive, transport, and energy.
HAL and BAE have plans to co-develop in India a combat variant of the Hawk AJT for use by the Indian Air Force, as also for export to friendly countries.
In May 2015 HAL and BAE Systems UK signed a MoU that included development of Combat Hawk besides upgrade of Hawk Mk132 and maintenance solutions for supporting Jaguar and Hawk fleet.
HAL and BAE Systems discussed the Combat Hawk in London during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the UK in November 2015.
A BAE Systems' Director of Hawk Aircraft Programs, Alun Fishburne, recently told Janes.com that his company is negotiating sale of additional batches of Hawk training aircraft to India, beyond the order for 20 Hawk Mk.132s for the IAF's Surya Kiran team currently being finalized.
The BAE official's reference to additional batches suggests that Indian procurement would go beyond attrition replacements.
HAL and BAE's enthusiasm notwithstanding, the project to co-develop the Combat Hawk makes no operational sense.
As a Lead In Fighter Trainer (LIFT), the Hawk Mk132 is already capable of carrying a wide variety of external stores for weapon release training. The aircraft reportedly has 7 hard points to carry external stores with a possible 12 types of combinations to carry the stores.
The proposed Combat Hawk will likely feature:
An advanced weapon aiming subsystem
Tighter integration of the weapons and cockpit avionics
An integral gun
Other possible feature could include:
A laser rangefinder for more accurate weapon delivery
A TV camera for easier identification of targets
Close Combat Missiles
A refueling probe
Considering that the Hawk is a single engine aircraft with a low thrust to weight ratio (0.65) the Combat Hawk would at best be a counter insurgency (CI) aircraft.
The problem is, the IAF has no need for a CI aircraft! The IAF is not tasked for CI ops and has shied away from the role in past and ongoing insurgencies, with good reason.
What the IAF needs is a dedicated Close Air Support (CAS) aircraft capable of operating in the mountains along the LoC and LAC. A dedicated CAS aircraft needs the safety of two engines, a design optimized for absorbing punishing ground fire, a titanium bathtub to ensure crew safety, a high T/W ratio to ensure good maneuverability in narrow valleys at high altitudes, and adequate Suppression of Enemy Defense (SEAD) capability. The Combat Hawk will have none of these features.
Yes, the IAF has no need for the Combat Hawk. As to export...really?
Clearly, the Combat Hawk is being pushed by HAL for self serving reasons. HAL has stabilized local assembly of the Hawk after a lot of struggle. Additional IAF Hawk orders would ensure easy profits for the very inefficient public sector behemoth for many years running. Despite having struggled with just the local assembly of Hawk Mk132, HAL is disingenuously projecting Combat Hawk as the next big Make-in-India success story.
Mislead by the HAL, the government may well go along with the Combat Hawk project, since it would also keep the UK happy. If that happens, it would be a case of diplomacy dictating defense capability, not the other way around, as it should be!
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'Go/No-Go' pills. And they are said to pack quite a punch. IAF fighter pilots are now increasingly using these "authorised" pills to boost alertness levels and cognitive powers as well as fight fatigue and sleep deprivation during round-the-clock combat exercises as well as long-range sorties designed to hone war-fighting skills.
The 'Go' pill is Modafinil, which has gained currency in military aviation circles around the world for its alertness-enhancing and fatigue-managing properties. The 'No-Go' pill is Zolpidem, a sedative used to treat insomnia.
In the works for the last three to four years, these pills were used extensively in the highvoltage 'Livewire' exercise conducted by IAF from October 31 to November 8, which saw the "activation" of all its 54 airbases across the country.
From fighter and helicopter pilots to air traffic controllers and even the top brass, the Go/No-Go pills were used to "good effect" during Livewire, which was designed to test both offensive and defensive capabilities for a two-front war contingency with "swing forces" being rapidly moved from the western theatre to the eastern one, and vice-versa. "It was a 24x7 exercise to stimulate a war, which requires high adrenaline levels and the ability to push the envelope.
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By Ajai Shukla
Business Standard, 3rd Feb 2016
In an important milestone for Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), its new basic trainer aircraft, the Hindustan Turbo Trainer – 40 (HTT-40) rolled out for the first time from the hangar where it was built and began preparations for its first flight, later this month.
For years, the Indian Air Force (IAF) flatly opposed the HTT-40 project, demanding the defence ministry scrap it. In its place, the IAF wanted to import over a hundred new trainers from Swiss company, Pilatus, to supplement the 75 Pilatus PC-7 Mark II trainers it had already bought.
The IAF repeatedly told the ministry the HTT-40 would be over-weight, over-priced and under-performing. But HAL doggedly continued development, committing more than Rs 350 crore of company funds.
Given this history, there was jubilation amongst the HTT-40 design team as their first prototype, fully designed in India, rolled out of the hangar with all its lights flashing and its cockpit powered on. “The project has managed to steer through the initial headwinds and now is going full throttle,” said T Suvarna Raju, the HAL chief.
An HAL media release on Tuesday noted: “The team composition of HTT-40 is the youngest ever on any prototype program in HAL.”
The IAF, now convinced about the HTT-40’s viability, wants to take charge of the project. However HAL, in a demonstration of confidence, insists on funding and controlling the project until the trainer takes to the skies.
After that, the HTT-40 will be overseen by an “integrated project management team” (IPMT), headed by Air Marshal Rajesh Kumar, who attended the rollout. ...
"If all goes according to plan..." I guess means they do not encounter any design problems. Hence, I assume, the schedule of testing, certification and manufacturing of 02 aircraft is 02 years from now....
If all goes according to plan, the HTT-40 will complete its flight test programme in two years, and be inducted into the IAF from 2018. HAL tells Business Standard that the HTT-40 production line will build two trainers in 2018, eight in 2019, and reach its capacity of 20 per year from 2020 onwards.
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"If all goes according to plan..." I guess means they do not encounter any design problems. Hence, I assume, the schedule of testing, certification and manufacturing of 02 aircraft is 02 years from now.deejay wrote: If all goes according to plan, the HTT-40 will complete its flight test programme in two years, and be inducted into the IAF from 2018. HAL tells Business Standard that the HTT-40 production line will build two trainers in 2018, eight in 2019, and reach its capacity of 20 per year from 2020 onwards.
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With hundreds of MIG-21s and MIG-27s being phased out ,which in the past were doing CAS duties,what will the IAF use when called upon by the IA? B*ggre all! There is no dedicated CAS aircraft on the horizon unlike the SU-25 and A-10 in the majors' inventories,still flying and doing yeoman service in various conflicts. The USAF has now tasked this mundane task to the JSF of all aircraft.Uber-expensive and fragile which could be brought down by humble bullets. One would've thought that some of our "200 LCAs" which APJAK promised way back in 2003,to be in service by 2010,would've done the businessbut this gaping hole in our capabilities has to be plugged.Clearly, the Combat Hawk is being pushed by HAL for self serving reasons. HAL has stabilized local assembly of the Hawk after a lot of struggle. Additional IAF Hawk orders would ensure easy profits for the very inefficient public sector behemoth for many years running. Despite having struggled with just the local assembly of Hawk Mk132, HAL is disingenuously projecting Combat Hawk as the next big Make-in-India success story.
Mislead by the HAL, the government may well go along with the Combat Hawk project, since it would also keep the UK happy. If that happens, it would be a case of diplomacy dictating defense capability, not the other way around, as it should be!
I think, IIRC, the lead designer - a young Indian - had done extensive work on this during his higher studies in the UK. I hope I am not mixing him with someone else. BUT, if that recollection is true, then he had a very good lead. And, a ton of confidence.Bala Vignesh wrote:From concept to prototype in 3 years and induction in a total of 5 years is very interesting and aggressive of HAL!!! Looks like they want to shed their old image and come out like Phoenix..
From what I could gather, HTT-40 has been done in a modern way where complete design is undertaken with CAD along with extensive CFD and wind tunnel analysis/refinements as well as independent QA/verification of LRUs on various rigs. Also, I am assuming HAL is trying out "designed for production" approach bypassing the traditional TD/PV/LSP path.Bala Vignesh wrote:From concept to prototype in 3 years and induction in a total of 5 years is very interesting and aggressive of HAL!!! Looks like they want to shed their old image and come out like Phoenix..
One wonders how much the IAF was involved during the HTT-40 R&D phase? We mostly only heard the IAF was trying to kill the project in favor of PC-7. Like the LCA, will there be a myriad of changes requested by the IAF once it moves to IPMT oversight? If so, there is no way HTT-40 will be inducted into the IAF in two years time frame.Kartik wrote:Ajai Shukla- HTT-40 rolls out - fully built by HAL
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The IAF repeatedly told the ministry the HTT-40 would be over-weight, over-priced and under-performing. But HAL doggedly continued development, committing more than Rs 350 crore of company funds.
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The IAF, now convinced about the HTT-40’s viability, wants to take charge of the project. However HAL, in a demonstration of confidence, insists on funding and controlling the project until the trainer takes to the skies.
After that, the HTT-40 will be overseen by an “integrated project management team” (IPMT), headed by Air Marshal Rajesh Kumar, who attended the rollout. ...
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If all goes according to plan, the HTT-40 will complete its flight test programme in two years, and be inducted into the IAF from 2018. HAL tells Business Standard that the HTT-40 production line will build two trainers in 2018, eight in 2019, and reach its capacity of 20 per year from 2020 onwards.
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HAL noted in May last year that the design of the HTT-40 was revised to accommodate the selection of a new engine—the Honeywell TPE331-12B. The company also said that this is the first Indian aircraft to be completely designed and manufactured from a digital mock-up, and also by using laser-tracked jigs at the prototype phase. Of the 90 line-replaceable units (LRUs) on the aircraft, 70 have been sourced from sister divisions of HAL.
The IAF has not been involved. Even in Aero India 2013 a young HAL engineer said that this was a HAL project in response to a projected requirement. If all goes well the HTT-40 will be superior to the Pilatus.srai wrote:
One wonders how much the IAF was involved during the HTT-40 R&D phase? We mostly only heard the IAF was trying to kill the project in favor of PC-7. Like the LCA, will there be a myriad of changes requested by the IAF once it moves to IPMT oversight? If so, there is no way HTT-40 will be inducted into the IAF in two years time frame.
NEW DELHI — India's quest to build fighter jets through its "Make in India" industry initiative may not be realistic in the near future due to a financial crunch and the lack of in-house building capability, forcing continued reliance on imports, said officials and defense analysts.
The government wants to build over 250 fighters in the next 20 years at a cost of more than $200 billion, which will cover life-cycle cost as well, said an Indian Defence Ministry source.
India is yet to sign the contract to purchase 36 Rafale aircraft from France. Moreover, the serial production of the home-grown Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mark-1 cannot achieve its operational clearance without foreign support. The co-development and joint production of Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) with Russia faces delays, and there is no clarity on the status of the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).
According to Air Force projections, fighter aircraft strength is down to 25 squadrons as against the required strength of 45 squadrons. In addition, 14 squadrons equipped with Russian-made MiG-21 and MiG-27 fighters will be phased out by 2024.
"We are not sure if we will be satisfied with only 36 Rafale fighters and there is also uncertainty when 120 LCA Mark-1 will be inducted," said the Air Force official. "We certainly need additional Rafale fighters to boost the fighter strength. With the slow pace of fighter inductions, IAF will need at least two decades to attain its authorized fighter strength of 45 squadrons," he added.
Another Air Force official said the government must decide if it would opt for more Rafale fighters or jointly produce single-engine LCA aircraft and accelerate the FGFA project with Russia.
The official noted that by 2032, the Air Force must have 810 fighters or 45 squadrons. The service eventually will have to induct a few dozen squadrons of UAVs to meet threats from both the East and West.
Analysts are unclear how India would meet such an ambitious target.
The domestic private industry is still not mature enough to produce LCA Mark-1 or Mark-2 aircraft plus the AMCA because the supply chain is still developing. Funding worries and political disputes could prevent adequate resources from supporting the huge funds for the homegrown AMCA, said Anil Arora, retired Air Force wing commander and member of Defense Consultants Society of India.
"India will mitigate the risk by either giving repeat orders to France for additional Rafale aircraft or reconsider the fresh offer from any country wanting to make fighters in India," Arora said. Both options for a medium combat aircraft, whether made in India or foreign produced, will be kept open, Arora said.
However, retired Air Marshal Subhash Bojwani said, "I think the question assumes that AMCA will be an unqualified success, thus closing the door on medium fighters from overseas vendors. At this stage, even before the blueprints are far from complete and first AMCA metal is yet to be cut, it's totally premature to guess what might happen in this regard."
Arora asked: "Where are the final specs of LCA Mark-2 and what is the weaponization scheme of LCA Mark-2 as compared to LCA Mark-1. How much of LCA Mark-1 is Indian as of today?"
LCA Mark-2 may be allocated to the private sector due to a shortage of funds. Can India depend on state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics for LCA Mark- 2 and wait for another 30 years, asked Arora.
Bhojwani said, "My wish list would include a mixture of manned and unmanned combat aircraft with the latter being employed for the more hazardous missions. If AMCA makes the cut I would be happy to have it on my inventory of manned aircraft. "
A senior executive of a private sector defense company, who requested not to be named, said, "If funds are available with the government then LCA Mark-2 will see the light of the day in 20 years. One more option of the public-private-partnership model would be a better idea to boost the Indian Industry. The LCA Mark- 2 will be successful if India gets some export orders, in addition to IAF requirements and a new joint venture [with overseas help] will have to be created which gets the strategic partnership for this project."
Email: vraghuvanshi@defensenews.com