LCA: News & Discussions - October 2016

Indranil · Post by **Indranil** » 01 Mar 2017 00:39

Writetake reports that Nambi sir is next VCAS.

What a great day. What a change. Well done Nambi sir. Well done IAF!

JTull · Post by **JTull** » 01 Mar 2017 02:38

Wow, great news for local products! There was a time when time spent in Bangalore used to be an hindrance to careers.

disha · Post by **disha** » 01 Mar 2017 02:52

^^ Wow in 1.5 decades., what used to be viewed as punishment posting is now a promotion posting!

Way to go and kudos to Wing Co R. Nambiar

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 01 Mar 2017 18:12

India selects Saab for Tejas fighter radar

http://www.c4isrnet.com/articles/india- ... hter-radar

India has chosen Saab to provide the active electronically scanned array radar for its Tejas Mk 1A fighter.

"The AESA fighter radar is developed by Saab with antenna technology based on the latest technologies using Gallium Nitride (GaN) and Silicone Carbide (SiC) substrates in combination with the latest generation of exciter/receiver and processor technology, giving optimum installed performance in a dense signal environment," according to a company news release.

In addition, Saab will provide an electronic warfare suite for the Tejas. "The heart of the suite is an electronic warfare receiver which is connected to a front end receiver and fin tip antennas inside the aircraft," Saab said.

ashishvikas · Post by **ashishvikas** » 01 Mar 2017 18:47

^^ Is this news authentic ? bcoz HAL tender for AESA will open on 1st April.

tsarkar · Post by **tsarkar** » 01 Mar 2017 19:35

Fake news distorting and twisting this press release http://saabgroup.com/Media/news-press/n ... tejas-lca/

We need hygiene check before posting. Some joker named Michael Peck gets the news before HAL/MoD makes a press release

abhik · Post by **abhik** » 01 Mar 2017 22:46

Saab's radar is GaN? That would make it the first GaN fighter radar right?

Kakkaji · Post by **Kakkaji** » 01 Mar 2017 23:21

What is the news on SP-4? It was supposed to have been ready by the end of February.

brar_w · Post by **brar_w** » 01 Mar 2017 23:50

abhik wrote:Saab's radar is GaN? That would make it the first GaN fighter radar right?

Yes and No. It is the second such radar proposed. Selex proposed a GaN radar for the Typhoon which was not considered and the program pursued the GaAs option. SAAB has a lab test article with iirc British foundry supplied RF components, so it is quite a distance away from an available radar. This SAAB proposal has never flown and won't unless it has a customer (Sweden and Brazil are going with a Selex radar on the Gripen-NG). They first revealed it as an offer to South Korea, and expected them to fund the entire development if it was selected. The Koreans did not pick it, choosing instead to bring in an Israeli consultation as a backup if their own effort does not materialize in time. It will be a harder thing since they are going from an MSCAN radar to a GaN AESA capability. Selex, Raytheon, Northrop and others can simply offer a different antenna on their existing radars that are engineered for the higher performance growth.

Kartik · Post by **Kartik** » 02 Mar 2017 03:32

From DelhiDefence twitter feed

link

New high temp composite engine bay shield for Tejas,dev by ADA (made by NAL) in place now. Active use driving refinements. #aeroindia2017

Kartik · Post by **Kartik** » 02 Mar 2017 06:23

From DelhiDefence twitter

link

Bahrain has evinced an interest in Tejas trainer aircraft. ADA confirms some discussions have taken place.

ranjan.rao · Post by **ranjan.rao** » 02 Mar 2017 06:26

JTull wrote:Wow, great news for local products! There was a time when time spent in Bangalore used to be an hindrance to careers.

Long back it was posted on LCA threads that once pilots from indigenous products start reaching at top then forces' acceptability of desi products will increase manifold (the words could be different)
It seems like there is a short circuit to that and we will have designers ( in a sense sure) reaching at top before that. This certainly augurs well for our SDRE fleet. I am quite optimistic of a decisive shift in next five years, even with a doomsday scenario of govt change

Dileep · Post by **Dileep** » 02 Mar 2017 07:16

Nambi saar had come to our stall at AI. He was (and still is) a buddy of ADA folk.

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 02 Mar 2017 07:34

Nambi was the man who called LCA Khadi gramodyog. In 2000 IIRC

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 02 Mar 2017 11:15

Kakkaji wrote:What is the news on SP-4? It was supposed to have been ready by the end of February.

I haven't heard any news of its delivery.

Indranil · Post by **Indranil** » 02 Mar 2017 11:52

Kartik wrote:From DelhiDefence twitter feed

link
New high temp composite engine bay shield for Tejas,dev by ADA (made by NAL) in place now. Active use driving refinements. #aeroindia2017

I think this is drumming up old achievements. I think the new engine bay fairing was circadian LSP7, or something around that.

ashishvikas · Post by **ashishvikas** » 02 Mar 2017 13:21

brar_w wrote:
abhik wrote:Saab's radar is GaN? That would make it the first GaN fighter radar right?
Yes and No. It is the second such radar proposed. Selex proposed a GaN radar for the Typhoon which was not considered and the program pursued the GaAs option. SAAB has a lab test article with iirc British foundry supplied RF components, so it is quite a distance away from an available radar. This SAAB proposal has never flown and won't unless it has a customer (Sweden and Brazil are going with a Selex radar on the Gripen-NG). They first revealed it as an offer to South Korea, and expected them to fund the entire development if it was selected. The Koreans did not pick it, choosing instead to bring in an Israeli consultation as a backup if their own effort does not materialize in time. It will be a harder thing since they are going from an MSCAN radar to a GaN AESA capability. Selex, Raytheon, Northrop and others can simply offer a different antenna on their existing radars that are engineered for the higher performance growth.

Sir, then its difficult for SAAB to get selected if they do not have any radar ready for testing. HAL Tender clearly sets this requirement:

14.2 Prior experience (Mandatory condition to be fulfilled by bidder)
"14.2.2 If the AESA Radar to be offered by the vendor is still under development at the time of submitting the bid, the vendor should have at least a demonstrator model of the airborne AESA Radar ready for evaluation."

Prasad · Post by **Prasad** » 02 Mar 2017 13:31

Indranil wrote:
Kartik wrote:From DelhiDefence twitter feed

link
I think this is drumming up old achievements. I think the new engine bay fairing was circadian LSP7, or something around that.

NAL is looking for private companies to manufacture it and will handhold btw.

brar_w · Post by **brar_w** » 02 Mar 2017 15:48

14.2.2 If the AESA Radar to be offered by the vendor is still under development at the time of submitting the bid, the vendor should have at least a demonstrator model of the airborne AESA Radar ready for evaluation."

That would depend upon the demonstration. SAAB has a model it is lab testing so could allow a look at it. Others are likely to have flying examples available on test beds or representative aircraft.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 02 Mar 2017 21:37

Kartik wrote:From DelhiDefence twitter feed

link
New high temp composite engine bay shield for Tejas,dev by ADA (made by NAL) in place now. Active use driving refinements. #aeroindia2017

Not a big achievement. In essence they have a composite firewall instead of zinced mild steel with cork insulation.

They might be using quartz fibre mat for the firewall/heat shield.

Indranil · Post by **Indranil** » 03 Mar 2017 02:01

Prasad wrote:
Indranil wrote: I think this is drumming up old achievements. I think the new engine bay fairing was circadian LSP7, or something around that.
NAL is looking for private companies to manufacture it and will handhold btw.

Yes, NAL came up with the process. IIRC, TAML manufactures it.

ramana wrote: Not a big achievement. In essence they have a composite firewall instead of zinced mild steel with cork insulation.

They might be using quartz fibre mat for the firewall/heat shield.

This is not correct, there is no lining. That space is left clear for cooling the engine. The composition of the composite skin itself is different so that it can handle higher temperature. NAL calls it "engine bay door". The whole part is cocured.

ashishvikas · Post by **ashishvikas** » 03 Mar 2017 18:37

From LCA-Tejas Facebook page:

LA-5004 (SP-4), the fourth series produced LCA took to sky for the first time. After couple of evaluation sorties, she will become the fourth member of Flying Daggers.

Dreams inching towards reality..

Jai Hind.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_ ... 9156428208

fanne · Post by **fanne** » 03 Mar 2017 18:58

why they are saying that the new bird is not with new Radom and radar? isn't it done and dusted or require more time?

JayS · Post by **JayS** » 03 Mar 2017 19:33

fanne wrote:why they are saying that the new bird is not with new Radom and radar? isn't it done and dusted or require more time?

These birds are IOC config. New Radome is part of FOC along with the BVR performance. And new Radar might have meant new AESA radar. Which is again in MK1A version.

fanne · Post by **fanne** » 03 Mar 2017 20:11

so that means next 20 or 40 may not be that.

RKumar · Post by **RKumar** » 03 Mar 2017 20:43

First 20 are IOC standard, so no changes until next iteration of changes are sorted and validated. These changes can be back ported once ready.

Congrats on having SP4 ready in year 2016-2017. So hopefully HAL will also deliver 6 planes in 2017-2018. Finally things are moving in right direction.

Indranil · Post by **Indranil** » 03 Mar 2017 21:23

The testing of the new radome has not completed. That is why current SPs have the old radome. Once the testing is completed all LCA Mk1s will be brought to FOC standard and finally to Mk1A standard.

Indranil · Post by **Indranil** » 03 Mar 2017 22:00

I do have one question. HAL promised SP4 by Feb-end. The SP4 flew on 3rd March. Where are the brickbats?

Cybaru · Post by **Cybaru** » 03 Mar 2017 22:12

It's delayed by a week. Must be someone's hands are slower than others!

ashishvikas · Post by **ashishvikas** » 03 Mar 2017 22:46

Do we have any improvements with SP4 from SP3 in terms of Interchangeability standards ? Tarmak007 had reported it at time of SP3 induction.

Kakkaji · Post by **Kakkaji** » 03 Mar 2017 22:53

ashishvikas wrote:From LCA-Tejas Facebook page:

LA-5004 (SP-4), the fourth series produced LCA took to sky for the first time. After couple of evaluation sorties, she will become the fourth member of Flying Daggers.

Dreams inching towards reality..

Jai Hind.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_ ... 9156428208

Great! Slowly but surely we are getting there

Marten · Post by **Marten** » 03 Mar 2017 23:19

Indranil wrote:The testing of the new radome has not completed. That is why current SPs have the old radome. Once the testing is completed all LCA Mk1s will be brought to FOC standard and finally to Mk1A standard.

Is retrofitting the new Radome a complex activity? Was under the (mistaken?) impression that it would be similar to replacing a sheath and was basically like a replacement part that fits right in.

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 03 Mar 2017 23:22

In the last 3-4 days I have seen at least one picture of an LCA assembly line with 4 planes in the hangar with new "safed" radomes. What are we missing? Where did I see that image? Was it from Tarmak?

fanne · Post by **fanne** » 03 Mar 2017 23:35

BTW feb is a short month, lesser by 2/3 days. So they almost made it by Feb end!!

Kartik · Post by **Kartik** » 03 Mar 2017 23:41

Marten wrote:
Indranil wrote:The testing of the new radome has not completed. That is why current SPs have the old radome. Once the testing is completed all LCA Mk1s will be brought to FOC standard and finally to Mk1A standard.
Is retrofitting the new Radome a complex activity? Was under the (mistaken?) impression that it would be similar to replacing a sheath and was basically like a replacement part that fits right in.

its a relatively straightforward process. Not a big deal.

I somehow believe that the Tejas-LCA admin may have misunderstood the question. The radome in this picture does appear to be the quartz radome.

Kakkaji · Post by **Kakkaji** » 04 Mar 2017 00:33

What is the 'LA' number for? Is it for a person like 'KH' was?

enaiel · Post by **enaiel** » 04 Mar 2017 03:23

Not sure if this was posted before: "The making of IAF's Tejas LCA- NEWS9"

Indranil · Post by **Indranil** » 04 Mar 2017 05:07

Kartik wrote: I somehow believe that the Tejas-LCA admin may have misunderstood the question. The radome in this picture does appear to be the quartz radome.

No. SPs don't sport the new radome yet.

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 04 Mar 2017 06:56

enaiel wrote:Not sure if this was posted before: "The making of IAF's Tejas LCA- NEWS9"

With regard to the ill informed discussion we had earlier about rain and the LCA please watch from the point linked below for about 1minute. The rain water testing process and requirements are explained in case the Tejas needs to land in Bhopal. Or Cherrapunji.
https://youtu.be/CCqjjw8oyGI?t=816

Very informative video. Thanks for posting

Cybaru · Post by **Cybaru** » 04 Mar 2017 07:04

+1 cheerapunji!! Great find enaiel.