Su-30MKI: News and Discussion - August 9, 2014

[chetak]

Given the need to "respect" the LoC and standoff fights like we had on Feb 27, the way to create a "no fly zone", without firing off a BVR is to use long range jamming.

Also given the dense PLAAF air defence SAM, might require lot of SEAD jamming.

IAF could invest some effort and ask DARE to come up with a suite and prototype it on a Su30 test platform from HAL.

HAL needs to built couple of Su30 test platform to try out AESA, jammers and other kit. I don't understand why they haven't done it already.

why HAL.

Dare can directly deal with IAF, some BRD could modify the aircraft and this would be a faster and more economical route with IAF controlling the timelines.

what exactly would HAL bring to the table that the IAF and it's BRDs don't.

[srai]

^^^
Indian Aerospace should be looked at from a more collaborative manner. It should not be us vs them mindset.

Modern combat aircraft upgrades are no trivial matter. HAL has been building Su-30MKI for some 15-years with the ability to build from raw materials. Recently, Brahmos was integrated, which required airframe modifications. HAL is supported by hundreds of Tier-1/2/3 manufacturers and suppliers. Then there is a whole DRDO aerospace cluster supporting with their R&D and tech transfer to the Indian industries. No one is an island

[Raghunathgb]

Given the need to "respect" the LoC and standoff fights like we had on Feb 27, the way to create a "no fly zone", without firing off a BVR is to use long range jamming.

Also given the dense PLAAF air defence SAM, might require lot of SEAD jamming.

IAF could invest some effort and ask DARE to come up with a suite and prototype it on a Su30 test platform from HAL.

HAL needs to built couple of Su30 test platform to try out AESA, jammers and other kit. I don't understand why they haven't done it already.

why HAL.

Dare can directly deal with IAF, some BRD could modify the aircraft and this would be a faster and more economical route with IAF controlling the timelines.

what exactly would HAL bring to the table that the IAF and it's BRDs don't.

Is DARE capable of integration test and certify the entire aircraft for flying? Integration of subsystems is more complex than plug and play. It's HAL which has ensure integration don't create other problems.

[Karan M]

Hmm, I'm not so convinced with that Rajat Pandit article. There have been many speculations so far but nothing has come through. I wouldn't be surprised if the IAF just went for a more advanced Bars derivative with irbis TWT. That should produce equally good range specs, iirc 400km for 3msq, which is ridiculous.

That extreme range is only available in a 10 degree by 10 degree sector, i.e. 100 square degrees. The claimed "standard" range (which of course is likely lowballed and an underestimate) is around 200km. Typically, the radar should be able to divide a sector into slices (such as the 100 degree one above) and then operate in a slow, but long range mode.

[nam]

why HAL.

Dare can directly deal with IAF, some BRD could modify the aircraft and this would be a faster and more economical route with IAF controlling the timelines.

what exactly would HAL bring to the table that the IAF and it's BRDs don't.

HAL is the producer and it needs to own the various version and upgrades. We should not restrict ourselves to requirements from IAF. HAL & our aerospace ecosystem should propose and trail out capabilities, to provide IAF the option to apply them in their operational doctrine.

Right now all our tech requirement is based on what US or Russia have come up with. Most of the aero tech development in US is run by NASA, supported by Boeing/LM.

Our tech development is shoe boxed by IAF requirement and GoI approval.

[chetak]

why HAL.

Dare can directly deal with IAF, some BRD could modify the aircraft and this would be a faster and more economical route with IAF controlling the timelines.

what exactly would HAL bring to the table that the IAF and it's BRDs don't.

Is DARE capable of integration test and certify the entire aircraft for flying? Integration of subsystems is more complex than plug and play. It's HAL which has ensure integration don't create other problems.

DARE is more than capable.

[chetak]

why HAL.

Dare can directly deal with IAF, some BRD could modify the aircraft and this would be a faster and more economical route with IAF controlling the timelines.

what exactly would HAL bring to the table that the IAF and it's BRDs don't.

HAL is the producer and it needs to own the various version and upgrades. We should not restrict ourselves to requirements from IAF. HAL & our aerospace ecosystem should propose and trail out capabilities, to provide IAF the option to apply them in their operational doctrine.

Right now all our tech requirement is based on what US or Russia have come up with. Most of the aero tech development in US is run by NASA, supported by Boeing/LM.

Our tech development is shoe boxed by IAF requirement and GoI approval.

IAF owns the aircraft and HAL builds them on contract.

DARE is an independent entity.

nothing wrong with IAF dealing directly with DARE.

The only contribution from HAL is a needless bill for minimal services rendered that would have contributed zilch to the project.

such competencies are best developed in a distributed environment and skills are allowed to proliferate.

The IN and the IAF have in house design capabilities and qualified personnel as good as any in the country and those capabilities are recognized and certified and also, these two services are design authorities in their own right.