International Aerospace Discussion - Jan 2018

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brar_w
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Re: International Aerospace Discussion - Jan 2018

Post by brar_w »

Wouldn't be surprised if this slips from 2026 to 2030. That is probably more realistic even under the most optimistic scenario.
Mukesh.Kumar
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Re: International Aerospace Discussion - Jan 2018

Post by Mukesh.Kumar »

Sukhoi Superjet-100]Sukhoi Superjet-100 belonging to Aeroflot catches fire at landing after reporting technical problems


Forty-one people were killed after a Russian plane made an emergency landing and burst into flames at Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow.
Rakesh
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Re: International Aerospace Discussion - Jan 2018

Post by Rakesh »

https://twitter.com/livefist/status/1123897299464261633 ---> For the first time in aviation history, BAE Systems Air says an aircraft (the MAGMA UAV) has been manoeuvred in flight using supersonically blown air, removing the need for complex movable flight control surfaces.

Successful demonstration of breakthrough blown-air flight technologies to revolutionise future aircraft design
https://www.baesystems.com/en/article/m ... n=SocialCT

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Rakesh
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Re: International Aerospace Discussion - Jan 2018

Post by Rakesh »

https://twitter.com/GarethJennings3/sta ... 2969756672 ---> Qatar to arm F-15QA Advanced Eagles with the Harpoon Block 2 anti-shipping missile. Integration contract anticipated Q4 FY 2021, work to last 26 months. Story to come...

Image

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MeshaVishwas
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Re: International Aerospace Discussion - Jan 2018

Post by MeshaVishwas »

#DidYouKnow that after a 1,400 hour flight simulation, the Eurojet engine produces the same operating performance as a brand new engine. #facts #technology #avgeek #capabilities

https://twitter.com/eurofighter/status/ ... 10789?s=19
Very impressive.I just don't like the simulation part.
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Re: International Aerospace Discussion - Jan 2018

Post by Rakesh »

Right On Cue, Russia Says It's Ready To Offer Turkey Su-57 Fighters In Place Of F-35s
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/2 ... e-of-f-35s

https://twitter.com/MSuchkov_ALM/status ... 4410330112 ----> Sergey Chemezov, Head of Rostec, company that expedited S400 deal, says Russia "ready to cooperate" with Turkey over production of Su57 fighters should #Ankara's participation in the production of F-35 is suspended.
A Nandy
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Re: International Aerospace Discussion - Jan 2018

Post by A Nandy »

Flat packed satellites with no dispenser - 60 sats * 200 kgs

https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-starli ... ry-design/
According to Musk, SpaceX has actually entirely gotten rid of a satellite-dispenser middle-man, instead relying on the structure of the satellites themselves to act as their own launch adapters and deployment mechanisms. This has been done in the past on a far smaller scale – typically with 2-3 several-ton satellites – but has never been attempted at the scale SpaceX is just days away from launching.
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Re: International Aerospace Discussion - Jan 2018

Post by NRao »

A small space startup that's never launched a rocket keeps landing big contracts
Tim Ellis, Relativity's CEO who co-founded the company just over three years ago, said Relativity is attracting more attention because people are excited about its novel approach to manufacturing. Its rockets will be 3D-printed top to bottom.

"People are really starting to rally around that as the future of rocket technology," Ellis told CNN Business. "3D printing allows us to evolve extremely quickly."

Relativity says it will be able to reconfigure its 3D printers to change the design of its rockets and nimbly respond to satellite companies' needs.

What's the next internet-like investing opportunity? Some on Wall Street say it's spaceflight
It's an approach that has excited some high-profile investors.
Kartik
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Re: International Aerospace Discussion - Jan 2018

Post by Kartik »

Link
The U.S. Department of Defense has selected Leonardo’s BriteCloud active expendable decoy to carry out foreign comparative testing with the U.S. Air National Guard (ANG) under the remit of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, a program that could lead to a U.S. forces-wide adoption of the countermeasures system.

Foreign Comparative Test (FCT) is an avenue by which the DoD identifies and tests allied-developed technologies that are not necessarily being developed by U.S. industry, specifically systems that have a high technology readiness level (TRL) so that they can be rapidly adopted. ANG Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters will be used throughout this test campaign, which is due to begin in the coming months and is expected to last some two to three years. While the testing will be led by the service itself, Leonardo will be involved throughout. Leonardo said that BriteCloud will be tested in a variety of challenging scenarios to provide a high level of confidence in the performance of the system, demonstrating its ability to defeat radar-guided missile attacks.

BriteCloud is a self-contained radio-frequency countermeasure that separates from the aircraft it is deployed from, which adds to the survivability of the platform that is being targeted by the missile.
The “218” version will be used, which is compatible with the AN/ALE-47 countermeasure dispensers on the ANG’s F-16s.

“Under the Foreign Comparative Test program, the U.S. government looks to allies that have developed technology that has a high TRL in order to satisfy requirements quickly and economically,” Jon McCullagh, head of strategic campaigns for EW at Leonardo Electronics, told AIN. “BriteCloud, having already been approved for service by the Royal Air Force, is the only such system worldwide to be at such an advanced technology readiness level, which is one of the reasons why it has been selected for the program.”

...
Something like this is going to be an essential piece of equipment for IAF combat jets to be able to evade AIM-120 AMRAAM and SD-10 radar guided missiles fired from PAF jets in the future.
Kartik
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Re: International Aerospace Discussion - Jan 2018

Post by Kartik »

From AW&ST

Sweden may retain older Gripen C/D models well into the 2030s. Earlier plan was to replace them all with the 60 Gripen E/Fs.
Sweden is proposing strengthening its air force by retaining older model Gripen C/D fighters well into the 2030s.

Rather than replacing the JAS 39C/D model aircraft with the new Gripen E, currently under development, the two aircraft would operate alongside each other until the introduction of a new, next-generation fighter aircraft in the late 2030s, possibly co-developed with the UK.

The proposals are part of a future defense strategy published in a white paper on May 14 by the Swedish Defense Commission, an all-party committee studying the country’s future defense needs. The paper suggests the Swedish Air Force retain a strength of six fighter squadrons with the Gripen C/D as its backbone, and retain that type as the Gripen E is introduced. The number of squadrons could then rise, with four equipped with the Gripen E and three with the Gripen C/D.

As many as 60 Gripen C/Ds could be retained and operate alongside the 60 Gripen Es currently contracted with Saab, potentially giving Sweden a fast jet fleet of around 120 aircraft, up from the estimated 100 Gripen C/Ds flying now.

The C/D model will also be the first to be replaced by the next-generation aircraft, development of which will start to be funded between 2021-2025.

“The next-generation fighter aircraft will replace JAS 39C toward the end of the 2030s,” an English summary document of the white paper says.

The commission says bilateral and multilateral approaches should be studied for the development of the future combat aircraft, noting that “possible cooperation with the UK is being discussed.” Aerospace DAILY has previously reported on a “deepening dialogue” between Saab and BAE Systems on the UK’s Tempest future combat aircraft.

Development steps the commission suggests include studies, joint technology development and demonstrator activities “to secure access to critical material and technology for the coming fighter aircraft.”

The commission is also proposing the urgent introduction of a new training aircraft to replace the air force’s aging Saab SK60s, a type that has been in service for 50 years. Initial plans would see a turboprop aircraft used for initial or basic training, while tactical and advanced training would be carried out on the two-seat Gripen D despite suggestions that Stockholm become an operator of the T-X trainer that Saab has developed in conjunction with Boeing.

The use of the Gripen Ds will depend on the outcome of the proposals to keep the earlier-model Gripens in service, the document says. The commission says the acquisition of the new training aircraft should be made in the early 2020s, but “urgent decisions” ought to be made before 2021. The document also notes the air force is facing a shortfall of pilots in the coming years, and that efforts are needed to shorten flight training programs and allow pilots to re-enter the air force when required.

The commission also suggests steps should be taken to replace the air force’s fleet of Saab 340-based airborne early warning platforms, which use Saab’s Erieye radar. Replacement of the country’s C-130 Hercules, the oldest C-130s flying in Europe, is also being delayed again, with a replacement not envisioned until the end of the 2020s.

The proposals, which were handed to Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist, will now be studied for their feasibility and form part of a defense bill to be presented to the country’s legislature, the Riksdag, in 2020.
Kartik
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Re: International Aerospace Discussion - Jan 2018

Post by Kartik »

From AW&ST

Image
PHILADELPHIA—Boeing has completed initial wind-tunnel tests of a compound-helicopter version of the AH-64E Apache, showing potential for increased speed and range.

The aircraft has a tail-mounted variable-pitch propeller for propulsion and a larger wing to offload lift from the rotor and allow higher speed.

Lift and thrust compounding by adding a propulsor and wing have been identified as a way of expanding the Apache’s capability into the Future Vertical Lift (FVL) environment, Boeing propulsion technology engineer Ed Brouwers said.

Under FVL, the U.S. Army plans to replace its medium utility and armed reconnaissance fleets with advanced, high-speed rotorcraft beginning around 2030. But there are no formal plans to replace the AH-64 attack helicopter, which has a cruise speed of about 150 kt.

Performance goals for the compound Apache, powered by two 3,000-ship Improved Turbine Engines (ITE), are a 185-kt. maximum cruise speed and 460-nm range carrying a 5,900-lb. mission payload, both at 6,000-ft./95F high/hot conditions.

But Boeing is looking for increased capability within a set of design constraints mostly focused on minimizing the cost of upgrading the AH-64E to the new configuration, says Brouwers, speaking at the Vertical Flight Society’s Forum 75 convention here on May 15.

Starting with an ITE-powered AH-64E—the engine upgrade is already planned—the advanced Apache would retain the Apache’s composite main rotor blades (CRMB), cockpit, sensors, weapons and defensive aids. Aerodynamic improvements would be made to reduce drag and increase speed.

So far, Boeing has completed a series of wind-tunnel tests of the isolated rotor, rotor and wing, drag and propeller using powered and unpowered models in a range of scales from 16% to 30%. The next step will be a full-configuration powered model test, Brouwers says.

The isolated-rotor tests evaluated the performance of the CMRB rotor at high advance ratio (the ratio of forward speed to tip speed) to measure loads and controllability. In tests up to 225 kt., performance “greatly exceeded” that of the current rotor, he says.

But drag of the CMRB rotor at high speed was higher than desired, so Boeing determined the Apache needs both thrust and lift compounding, requiring a wing to offload lift from the rotor as well as the propulsor to offload thrust as speed increases.

Rotor and wing interaction tests evaluated a range of wing incidence angles, aspect ratio and area, and flap deflections to maximize lift-to-drag ratio while minimizing downforce from the rotor on the wing in hover. “We achieved the same lift sharing in different ways,” he says.

Drag tests by understanding the parasite drag of the baseline AH-64E. The first series of changes to the airframe resulted in a 24% reduction in drag. The largest reduction came from changing the arrangement of the external stores–a modification that could be applied to the existing fleet, he says.

Boeing then tested a more-aerodynamic “volume- and G-managed design” with retractable gear to reduce drag, additional fuel volume to increase range and other aerodynamic refinements. This resulted in 30% lower parasite drag, but is not the final design, Brouwers said.

After evaluating multiple configurations, Boeing picked a compound design for the Apache that is similar to that of the Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne. A five-blade variable-pitch propeller is mounted on the tail, but the tail rotor is retained for anti-torque control in the hover and at low speed.

Brouwers says the 360 hr. of wind-tunnel tests, completed in January, resulted in “a significant increase in compound aircraft understanding” and produced a data set that will be used to support further work on advanced Apache configurations.

...
brar_w
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Re: International Aerospace Discussion - Jan 2018

Post by brar_w »

The entire objective of the FVL effort is to develop capability with cruise speeds in the 250-300 Kt range (cruise being the operational word). Unless Boeing is pitching the transport helos be escorted by the light attack scout FVL variant how is this Apache expected to escort them?
brar_w
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Re: International Aerospace Discussion - Jan 2018

Post by brar_w »

Kartik wrote:Link
The U.S. Department of Defense has selected Leonardo’s BriteCloud active expendable decoy to carry out foreign comparative testing with the U.S. Air National Guard (ANG) under the remit of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, a program that could lead to a U.S. forces-wide adoption of the countermeasures system.
.
The F-35 program looked at F&F solutions back in the day and stuck with the towed setup because it was believed that future threats would require cooperation between the onboard EW capability of the aircraft and the deployed countermeasures. There is simply more computational power onboard to help employ better techniques and to coordinate various CMs. Cognitive EW further bolsters this as the computational requirements there are quite draining. Leonardo actually developed an F-35 compliant form factor of this product but it was not taken up by any F-35 customer in the FOM phase of the program last year. Where this solution works best is on legacy aircraft which are not embarking on an extensive overhaul of their EW systems. This allows them to deploy these 'jamming in a can' solutions and become a lot more survivable.
Kartik
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Re: International Aerospace Discussion - Jan 2018

Post by Kartik »

IMO, the expendable towed decoy is an absolute must-have piece of equipment for all of the IAF's current and future assets. Haven't yet heard of any such indigenous solution or an Israeli solution that could be integrated. Even the Rafale doesn't have this counter-active AAM feature. Not sure about what other features its EW suite has to jam active seekers on inbound missiles.
brar_w
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Re: International Aerospace Discussion - Jan 2018

Post by brar_w »

An towed system is better when you have the organic EW system that is capable and can do a lot of the computational and ESM work to help develop the jamming solution. The Brite Cloud solution actually allows a lot of this to be incorporated on aircraft that don't necessarily have a highly capable organic EW capability. It isn't towed and is F&F. As I said, the former situation is really good as it allows you to develop solutions that are collaborative in nature especially when you have a limited systems that you can tow..so I guess both solutions are suitable depending on the host platform and intended mission.
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Re: International Aerospace Discussion - Jan 2018

Post by A Nandy »

Why our manned program must be continued beyond LEO in the coming decades:

https://www.space.com/30074-trillion-do ... flyby.html
When an asteroid packed with about $5 trillion worth of platinum zoomed past Earth this month scientists were ready, capturing the space rock on radar as it sailed safely by our planet.

The asteroid 2011 UW158 missed Earth by about 1.5 million miles (2.4 million kilometers) — a little more than six times the distance between the planet and the moon — during its flyby on July 19. There was never a chance of a collision during the flyby, researchers said. But it was close enough for NASA scientists to create a video of the asteroid from radar observations.

The near-Earth asteroid is an intriguing candidate for mining, said representatives of the company Planetary Resources, which is hoping to begin these activities in the coming decades. (On July 16, Planetary Resources' Arkyd 3 Reflight spacecraft was deployed from the International Space Station to test software, control systems and avionics that could be used for asteroid hunting.) [Asteroid Mining: Planetary Resources Plan in Pictures]

Previous studies by Planetary Resources estimated that 2011 UW158 contains about $5.4 trillion worth of platinum, an element that is rare on Earth.
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Re: International Aerospace Discussion - Jan 2018

Post by Haridas »

brar_w
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Re: International Aerospace Discussion - Jan 2018

Post by brar_w »

The price was always expected to be $80 Million URF or lower by 2020 (buy year) and they were sticking to that reduction goal for the last 3-4 batches now so this should come as no surprise. I believe that a stable URF of $75 Million or so isn't too far fetched once they begin doing Multi-Year Procurement deals which is just a year or so down the pike. That's what cranking these out at 150 or more a year gets you in terms of EOS especially when you can allow suppliers to negotiate with vendors for 3-4 batches at a time which MYP usually allows them to do.
Mukesh.Kumar
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Re: International Aerospace Discussion - Jan 2018

Post by Mukesh.Kumar »

Bad weather forces French carrier jets to land in Indonesia
Seven fighter jets from a French aircraft carrier made unscheduled landings in Indonesia on Saturday because of bad weather during training.

The Dassault Rafale jets touched down safely at Sultan Iskandar Muda air force base in Aceh, an Indonesian official told the AFP news agency.

They had been due to return to the Charles de Gaulle carrier out in the Indian Ocean, west of Sumatra.
Wonder how bad could the weather have been to force this? Could guru's enlighten on this?
Kartik
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Re: International Aerospace Discussion - Jan 2018

Post by Kartik »

brar_w wrote:An towed system is better when you have the organic EW system that is capable and can do a lot of the computational and ESM work to help develop the jamming solution. The Brite Cloud solution actually allows a lot of this to be incorporated on aircraft that don't necessarily have a highly capable organic EW capability. It isn't towed and is F&F. As I said, the former situation is really good as it allows you to develop solutions that are collaborative in nature especially when you have a limited systems that you can tow..so I guess both solutions are suitable depending on the host platform and intended mission.
Yes indeed. But IAF aircraft completely lack any decoy solution as of today and if the Brite Cloud is retrofitted onto legacy systems like the Su-30MKI, Mirage-2000 and MiG-29UPG and even the Tejas Mk1 and Mk1A, it offers a credible defence against the active guided missiles that the IAF has already encountered.

Looking at the video, the size of the Brite Cloud decoy is small enough to be able to fit in 10-12 Brite Cloud decoys for a Su-30MKI sized jet and 4-6 for a Tejas Mk1 sized light fighter. Not very different from a chaff or flare dispenser fitted on.

Karan M
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Re: International Aerospace Discussion - Jan 2018

Post by Karan M »

A towed decoy and the above are musts for IAF.

Sadly, I dont think the IAF has the institutional wherewithal to understand or even respond to rapid acquisition requirements or even emerging threats. For all the mockery of DPSU etc, IAF brass is no better when it comes to paper pushing and "sarkari mentality".

There are gaps in their inventory which have existed for over a decade now. Instead we have photo-ops of air chiefs and this and that but ZERO movement on things that matter while pushing for things like C-295 and other acquisitions which are but cosmetic additions to IAF combat ability.

IAF brass think that repeating same old same old tired commentary to trade mags, puffing their chest out in front of desi patrakars = "deterrence". Its anything but. After Feb 27th, they have suddenly "realized" that technology asymmetry is necessary, after wasting almost a decade chasing a highly expensive acquisition.

*No ask from IAF on adding a SPJ to LCA Mk1. Simple thing comparatively speaking but IAF has kept it pending for no reason except to push for the occasional propaganda claim the LCA is lacking in some aspect or the other.
*No movement on Su-30 upgrade esp. radar and engine. Instead running after yet ANOTHER MMRCA
*No clear ask and agenda for Uttam development or its upgrade for Su-30, MiG-29 class airframes
*Astra orders, yet another pending item. We will wait for Mk2...and meanwhile go crying to GOI that current weapons are insufficient
* EW Towed decoys and Disposable EW assets like above..ditto

There are emerging capabilities in India, abroad which are a fraction of the cost of a single Su-30. Mature technologies which can be inducted. IAF still doesn't have them because they are busy playing politics over MMRCA.

IAF is literally stuck in a time warp regarding acquisitions.
Karan M
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Re: International Aerospace Discussion - Jan 2018

Post by Karan M »

About the one positive i can think of is, that if some of these procurements were stuck up due to hassles regarding RFI/RFP, L1, MOD, MOF, IFA sign off, then at least the VCAS's capability of purchases up to Rs300 crore should help. And with right push even Def Secretary, DM should sign off for up to Rs2000 crore. That's $287 Mn in direct purchases. Not a small amount.

https://mod.gov.in/sites/default/files/Febact2019.pdf
brar_w
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Re: International Aerospace Discussion - Jan 2018

Post by brar_w »

Here's what will likely replace the ALE-50 on the B-1/F/A-18 and the ALE-70 on the F-35 down the road -

NAVAIR contracts BAE Systems for Dual Band Decoy demonstration phase ; Jane's International Defence Review ; May -22 2019

The US Navy (USN) has selected BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems to develop a new towed offboard radio frequency (RF) countermeasures system to protect F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter aircraft against RF threat radars.

Known as the Dual Band Decoy, the new countermeasure is intended to serve as a replacement for the BAE Systems ALE-55(V) Fiber-Optic Towed Decoy and the Raytheon ALE-50 Advanced Airborne Expendable Decoy systems deployed by the F/A-18E/F. The Dual Band Decoy will incorporate high-band and low-band capabilities.

On 16 May BAE Systems was awarded a USD36.7 million Demonstration of Existing Technologies (DET) contract by the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) for the demonstration and development of the Dual Band Decoy capability following the evaluation of three offers. The work will be performed in Nashua, New Hampshire, and is expected to complete in August 2021.

A broad agency announcement for the DET phase was released by NAVAIR’s Advanced Tactical Aircraft Protection Systems Program Office (PMA-272) in November 2018. Specific areas of interest outlined by PMA-272 include demonstration of offboard subsystem performance within the size, weight, power, cooling, and interface constraints, and allocations within the existing F/A-18E/F installation; compatibility with all existing aircraft electrical interfaces associated with the ALE-55 electronic frequency converter, AN/ALE-50 Integrated multi-platform launch controller, T-3F magazine, and CCU-136A/A Impulse Cartridge; and demonstration of main performance aspects (aerodynamic storage, deployment and tow envelopes, RF bandwidth, effective isotropic radiated power, jamming effectiveness, receiver sensitivity, RF spectral purity and polarisation, and RF receive and transmit antennas fields-of-view).

NAVAIR has asked industry to provide laboratory and flight test results including requisite data that would support flight clearance and performance assessment on an F/A-18E/F. The objective is to demonstrate the potential to develop and produce a Dual Band Decoy within a 27-month period.

Deployed behind the host aircraft on a towline, expendable towed decoys are designed to provide terminal phase protection by generating an RF response to present a more attractive ‘break-lock’ target to RF-guided weapons and sensors.

Detailed Dual Band Decoy performance requirements (such as frequency coverage, receive sensitivity, effective radiated power, antenna spatial coverage, and number/types of jamming response) remain classified.
Last edited by brar_w on 22 May 2019 20:29, edited 1 time in total.
deejay
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Re: International Aerospace Discussion - Jan 2018

Post by deejay »

Karan M wrote:A towed decoy and the above are musts for IAF.

Sadly, I dont think the IAF has the institutional wherewithal to understand or even respond to rapid acquisition requirements or even emerging threats. For all the mockery of DPSU etc, IAF brass is no better when it comes to paper pushing and "sarkari mentality".

There are gaps in their inventory which have existed for over a decade now. Instead we have photo-ops of air chiefs and this and that but ZERO movement on things that matter while pushing for things like C-295 and other acquisitions which are but cosmetic additions to IAF combat ability.

IAF brass think that repeating same old same old tired commentary to trade mags, puffing their chest out in front of desi patrakars = "deterrence". Its anything but. After Feb 27th, they have suddenly "realized" that technology asymmetry is necessary, after wasting almost a decade chasing a highly expensive acquisition.

*No ask from IAF on adding a SPJ to LCA Mk1. Simple thing comparatively speaking but IAF has kept it pending for no reason except to push for the occasional propaganda claim the LCA is lacking in some aspect or the other.
*No movement on Su-30 upgrade esp. radar and engine. Instead running after yet ANOTHER MMRCA
*No clear ask and agenda for Uttam development or its upgrade for Su-30, MiG-29 class airframes
*Astra orders, yet another pending item. We will wait for Mk2...and meanwhile go crying to GOI that current weapons are insufficient
* EW Towed decoys and Disposable EW assets like above..ditto

There are emerging capabilities in India, abroad which are a fraction of the cost of a single Su-30. Mature technologies which can be inducted. IAF still doesn't have them because they are busy playing politics over MMRCA.

IAF is literally stuck in a time warp regarding acquisitions.
I am no one to say that your reading of IAF leadership is right or wrong but almost all your points have IAF detailed inputs presented to MoD. It's for MoD to stop playing "file file" and get a move on.

The another MMRCA was literally forced on IAF and it had to redraw the requirement. Of course, IAF cannot rebut without antoganising the very body which sits as the daddy of all clearances - MoD.
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Re: International Aerospace Discussion - Jan 2018

Post by Kartik »

An absolute must-read. Gives a good insight into what level of capability the EA-18G Growler brings in. And with a new EA-18G Growler Block II on the anvil, this game changing capability is what makes the Super Hornet a really credible option for both the IAF and IN.

From AW&ST.

Image
As the last of 160 EA-18Gs ordered by the U.S. Navy nears a scheduled delivery from Boeing in July, the Defense Department can close the book on a 20-year effort to acquire a new airborne electronic attack platform and open a new one.

Since the U.S. military’s only aircraft for carrier- and land-based tactical radar and communications jamming entered service in 2009, the EA-18G has relied mainly on a mission system inherited from the now retired Northrop Grumman EA-6B, albeit enhanced by the cross-cueing abilities from its powerful Raytheon APG-79 active, electronically scanned array radar.

But the EA-18G could soon face adversary radars that have capabilities far beyond anything experienced by the EA-6B in its four-decade career. The threat is posed by a new breed of radars that can sense the presence of the EA-18G’s jammers and adapt. By shifting to different waveforms and signal-processing techniques, it may be possible to mitigate the transmission interference caused by the EA-18G’s jammers.


Waveform-hopping radars drive EA-18G upgrades

Requirements emerge for low-band receiver and machine-learning

Navy plan does not include new aircraft production

In keeping with the cat-and-mouse game of electronic combat, the latest countermeasure swiftly inspires a response.

“There were kind of rumblings of Growler Block II a year ago, and now it is a real thing,” says Jennifer Tebo, Boeing’s director of development for F-18 programs, which includes the EA-18G as a major derivative.

The rumblings actually began in December 2017 with an announcement by Northrop, the supplier of the airborne electronic attack mission suite for the EA-18G. Northrop had unveiled the Dash X, a concept for launching an unmanned air system (UAS) from a 16-in.-dia. canister mounted on a future “EA-18G Block II.” The small UAS could fly into defended airspace, pick up signals from hostile radars or radios and transmit information about those signals back to the EA-18G.

...

“It is about adaptive and distributed processing, with big computers to process and react to the threats,” Tebo says. “All of this is accomplished through software-defined radios that are enabled through a flexible and adaptable hardware architecture.
That not only gives the Navy step-function capability now, it allows us to continue to evolve the capability.”

The full details of the EA-18G Block II configuration are still being defined. The Navy has tasked Boeing with analyzing the options and completing the system-functional requirements phase by the end of the year, Tebo says, with the goal of delivering the new system around 2025.

But the broad outlines of the upgrades are already clear: improved sensors feeding data to new processors that are running software with machine-learning algorithms to produce adaptive techniques for the previously announced Next-Generation Jammers now in development. Underlying the upgrades specifically for the EA-18G are a host of improvements that are in development for the F/A-18E/F Block III. These include new 10 X 19-in. large area displays in cockpit stations as well as conformal fuel tanks.


The EA-18G entered service a decade ago with Northrop’s passive ALQ-218(V)2 receiver system. In 2015, a formation of EA-18Gs equipped with high-speed Tactical Targeting Networking Technology (TTNT) data links demonstrated a critical new capability. The EA-18Gs precisely geolocated a transmitter at sea at extended range by sharing and triangulating data from the passive ALQ-218 receivers by using a time-difference-of-arrival technique.

The EA-18G Block II plans to take that one step further. The Navy’s latest budget justification documents call for a set of specific upgrades to Northrop’s receiver suite, including enabling faster and more precise passive geolocation of low-frequency transmitters. The ALQ-218’s wingtip receivers now cover the full range of frequencies, but the plan under EA-18G Block II proposes to alter that.
The Navy has requested about $8 million in fiscal 2020 to continue developing a Low-Band Dedicated Receiver (LBDR) for the EA-18G, with the work split between Boeing, Northrop and Navy research centers at Point Mugu and China Lake in California.

More cryptically, Navy budget justification documents also specify that the more advanced next version of the ALQ-218(V2) should “detect and identify radio-frequency emitters with complex waveforms that are not able to be detected or identified using traditional methods.”

The same software-defined radio technology that will be part of the EA-18G Block II also represents the potential threat. If the challenge in an electronic attack mission before was to pack in enough transmitting power to jam a signal generated by an analog transmitter, the new problem is how to process data fast enough to keep up with digital radars and radios that use programmable, agile waveforms with unfamiliar behaviors.

..
Look at the quality of the details provided in the article. Can only dream of a day when Indian defence journos possess this level of knowledge when talking about our defence matters.
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Re: International Aerospace Discussion - Jan 2018

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I posted it earlier in the US Mil thread. The Super Hornet and the Growler are very different aircraft and the Growler is pretty tightly controlled in terms of export and also access to threat libraries etc etc without which it will be able to deliver on only a fraction of its potential. This is an important point when comparing European, American, or Israeli systems on EW aircraft. One of the best ways to develop your libraries and data bases is to constantly fly and/or otherwise monitors emissions and techniques of threat systems all over the world. There is a talk on such operations from retired CIA (Oxcart community) that I posted a few years ago but essentially you have a vast advantage if you have access to massive amounts of real world data helping you develop your libraries and jamming responses . This is why the EW/ELINT aircraft, and enough of them to deploy and operate around the world, are worth their weight in gold. The US and Russians had the largest global operations back during the Cold War. Both have a smaller footprint now but the US still has a fairly substantial global footprint of EW aircraft sniffing every bit of information that they can. There are some interesting stories from the Cold War of radar and EW system operators making mistakes, allowing solutions to be generated more effectively.

The Block II Growler with the ability to jam much more capable radars and data-link/comms nodes from greater distances using the NGJ (I, II and III) along with the ability to deploy both MALD-N's and AARGM-ER's and even small UAS will be a two-generational leap over the baseline Growler and a great complement to the EC-37B when it comes to this mission and something that would only have been fantasy back when the original Growler concept was developed (one would have been laughed out of the room if one suggested medium/escort ranged MMW jamming for example). There is also the growth aspect, the NGJ-MB pods generate 65 kW of power and with plenty of thermals for growth and better efficiency gains over time this will result in plenty of capability for stand-off jamming. For comparison, the current pods on the growlers are in the 10 kW range.

Here's the video (39:00 onward) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Psf4Ywz7Aqo
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Re: International Aerospace Discussion - Jan 2018

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Number of F-35s Built for USAF Eclipses Number of F-22s

Lockheed Martin delivered its 196th F-35A Joint Strike Fighter to the Air Force this week, surpassing the total of 195 F-22s—test and production—that it delivered to the service between 1996 and 2011.

The 196th F-35 will be based at Hill AFB, Utah, home of the first operational USAF F-35 squadrons. The first F-35A was delivered to the Air Force in 2006.

More than 395 F-35s have been built, including variants produced for the Marine Corps, Navy, and foreign partners and customers.

The Air Force is sticking to its production goal of 1,763 F-35s to replace the F-117, F-16, and A-10, and the US services collectively plan to buy over 2,600 of the fighters. More than 790 pilots have been trained to fly the strike fighter, which has accumulated a fleet total of over 195,000 flying hours. Counting all variants, the F-35 flies out of 17 bases.

The Air Force plans to buy at least 48 F-35s in fiscal 2020, and Congress may add another 12 airplanes to that total.
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Re: International Aerospace Discussion - Jan 2018

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Strike sorties out of Al Dhafra UAE -

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Re: International Aerospace Discussion - Jan 2018

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gaurav.p
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Re: International Aerospace Discussion - Jan 2018

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brar_w
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Poland Sends a Letter Of Request Concerning the F-35 Making A Step Forward In Its Effort To Acquire The Stealth Jet
The Polish MoD announced that it has sent a LOR (Letter Of Request) today, concerning the procurement of the Lockheed’s offering. Warsaw is willing to acquire the 5th generation stealth aircraft in its effort to modernize the Polish Air Force’s inventory.

Head of the MoD, Mariusz Błaszczak, announced the LOR today via his twitter account. The potential procurement includes 32 examples of the F-35A CTOL (Conventional Take Off and Landing) variant along with a training and logistics package. Błaszczak emphasized the fact that the acquisition is aimed at replacement of the older MiG-29 and Su-22 airframes. The Polish Air Force currently operates the aforesaid types, alongside 48 F-16 Block 52+ jets. The F-35 is to provide the Polish military aviation with an ability to work in an A2/AD bubble, that is expected to be formed should a potential conflict break out considering the geopolitical circumstances in which Poland currently finds itself.
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Re: International Aerospace Discussion - Jan 2018

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Missed opportunity or what? Could been bought by India.

Brazil sells its Mirage 2000s to French company that will use them as Contracted Aggressors

https://theaviationgeekclub.com/brazil- ... ggressors/
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Re: International Aerospace Discussion - Jan 2018

Post by Chinmay »

Haridas wrote:Missed opportunity or what? Could been bought by India.

Brazil sells its Mirage 2000s to French company that will use them as Contracted Aggressors

https://theaviationgeekclub.com/brazil- ... ggressors/
They have passed the 10000 hour flight time and cannot be returned to active service. These were second-hand fighters anyway
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Re: International Aerospace Discussion - Jan 2018

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UAE F-16 Block 60, and Mirage-2000 along with USAF F-35A flying out of the Middle East LINK

Image

Image
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Re: International Aerospace Discussion - Jan 2018

Post by LakshmanPST »

Haridas wrote:Missed opportunity or what? Could been bought by India.

Brazil sells its Mirage 2000s to French company that will use them as Contracted Aggressors

https://theaviationgeekclub.com/brazil- ... ggressors/
They're old jets bought from France by Brazil, to temporarily fulfill their requirements before Gripens are delivered...
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Re: International Aerospace Discussion - Jan 2018

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Inside the Phased-Array Antenna Boeing is Putting on the MQ-25


Image
Boeing is introducing a new flat phased-array satcom antenna for military aircraft, starting with the MQ-25 Stingray unmanned tanker that the company is developing for the U.S. Navy.

The new electronically steered antenna, developed by Boeing's Phantom Works advanced technology division, is the fourth iteration the aerospace giant has come up with and the second to rely on Ka-band frequencies. It can also tap into the Defense Department's Wideband Global Satcom satellite system. Over its predecessor, this version improves all three of size, weight and power (SWAP) by getting smaller and adding air cooling and tacks on the ability to receive dual beams, according to Tom Gathman, manager of communications and mission systems for Boeing Phantom Works.

The price decrease, in particular, puts the antenna in greater consideration for adoption. Defense customers are willing to spend considerably more than the commercial operators; Gathman said that market studies are showing a willingness to spend "several hundred thousand" dollars per antenna.

"Certainly, a lot of the reports are, one of the [reasons for] hesitancy of adoption thus far has been on the price point, but we think we’ve got that licked," he said, though he declined to share a number.

The other demand from customers has been open architecture.

"Several customers have commented to us that being locked into proprietary solutions is not the way to go in the future," Gathman said, leading Boeing to design the antenna to be modular, scalable and work easily with third-party modems.

The modem and the network signal are the biggest determinant in performance, Gathman said, but the antenna can handle a throughput of tens or hundreds of MBs of data if enough satellite power is devoted to the task.

The antenna system, which comprises the antenna itself and a power source, both line-replaceable and able to be placed "quite a distance apart" from each other, can be installed quickly — measured in hours, not days — and easily. Previous generations have been done in the field.

It is also built to work on a large swathe of aircraft. It is not Boeing platform-specific, but Gathman said "pretty much anything we build, we're looking to target," as a starting point. Planes, drones and jets are all options, and since it is a self-supporting structure that requires no additional modifications or radomes, the only notable restriction is that it "gets tough when you get really small."

While the Stingray is the launch customer for the new version of Phantom Works' antenna, Boeing is talking to the military about "a number of campaigns" which are in the down-selection process; expect to hear news of more platform in the next few months.

Beyond the U.S. military, Boeing has designs on selling the antenna internationally as well, And while Phantom Works is "military first," Gathman said the antenna's technology "would certainly be applicable to our commercial aircraft" and trying to leverage across commercial and defense would be in line with the company's strategy.

It's hard to predict the launch time of the product on the Stingray because the drone, in that case, is also a new product that Boeing will be delivering to the Navy under an $805 million contract signed last August, and timelines for new platforms can get messy. But the antenna will be ready by mid-2020, before the Stingray.
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Re: International Aerospace Discussion - Jan 2018

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In his last article from April, at least TR is beginning to go down a reasonable line of questioning and rationale.
The latter possibility is also very hard for people to come to terms with—that this capability could belong to the U.S. military. There is no better place to test such a system than against the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group with its CEC abilities during its workup off the Baja Coast. It is not an operational environment. Aircraft are not armed and nobody is expecting a fight. It is high-level integrated training with crews that have sharpened skills as they prepare for a cruise in which they could very well be called upon to fight for their country. Those warning areas and range complexes that extend out and down from the Channel Islands off the SoCal coast are among the best space the U.S. military has for training and testing advanced hardware and tactics in a secure and sanitized environment.

In other words, it was an ideal testing environment that featured the very best aerial, surface, and undersea surveillance sensors and sensor crews on the planet.

In addition, the fact is that the U.S. government has poured the equivalent of tens of billions of dollars each year into the black budget for the better part of a century. The idea that somewhere along the way they got lucky and made major breakthroughs in highly exotic technologies may not be convenient to believe as a possibility for those that have grander visions for the unexplained, but I contend that it is quite plausible. In fact, it mirrors the cryptic statements made by top players in the dark areas of aerospace development, such as those of the late Ben Rich, a Lockheed's Skunk Works chief that is largely credited for giving birth to stealth technology as we know it today. For instance, Rich told Popular Mechanics the following that underscores just how long major breakthroughs in man-made clandestine aerospace technology can stay hidden:

"There are some new programs, and there are certain things, some of them 20 or 30 years old, that are still breakthroughs and appropriate to keep quiet about [because] other people don’t have them yet."

Clearly, the ability to defy the limits of traditional propulsion and lift-borne flight would be the pinnacle of aerospace and electrical engineering and could be far too sensitive to disclose, at least in some people's eyes within the national security establishment. Even the risk of testing this technology against known air defense capabilities would have to be weighed against the need for the tightest of secrecy. But since UFOs carry such a stigma and have deep pop culture roots in our society, the risk of doing so against an unknowing Carrier Strike Group operating under tight training restrictions seems small and the setting uniquely ideal.

In other words, could the Tic Tac have been ours?

Yes.

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/2 ... of-defense
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Re: International Aerospace Discussion - Jan 2018

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Four operational/combat-coded USAF F-35A's arrive in Payerne Switzerland to support evaluation activities for the Swiss Air Force Air2030 program. I believe the plan is to have one aircraft permanently stationed there till mid June with the others rotating between different airbases in Europe.

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Re: International Aerospace Discussion - Jan 2018

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gaurav.p wrote:Multiple F/A-18 Pilots Disclose Recent UFOs Encounters, New Radar Tech Key In Detection

OT the aliens have stolen pushpak viman tech from us!
One can contact those who witnessed these events. Contact info at the end.

The following vid was released on May 26, 2019.

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