Archive for May 2011

80000 Cruise missile in West

USA
Published on 09:56 By Amardeep
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Russian military experts forecast that Western nations will have 80,000 cruise missile by 2020.
"We expect Western countries to have at least 80,000 cruise missiles by 2020, including about 2,000 of them nuclear-powered," Gen. Igor Sheremet said in an interview with the Ekho Moskvy radio station.

He added these missiles are clearly not simply designed for drilling or intimidation purposes. "They can deliver disarming or even 'decapitation' strikes," Sheremet said.

Hence, he said, the plans to develop Russia's air and space defense system in 2011 as instructed by President Dmitry Medvedev in November. The new system will combine the existing air defense and missile defense networks, missile early-warning systems and airspace monitoring systems under a unitified strategic command.

In mid-February, Valery Ivanov, commander of the strategic command of the new air and space defense system, said the system would be set up and start operating by the end of 2011.

The Russian political and military leadership have long considered plans to develop strong missile and space defenses by 2020, but no concrete steps have been taken so far and the country does not even have a well-defined command structure to tackle this problem.

According to one proposal, the unified aerospace defense command will absorb some air defense units which are currently part of the Russian Air Force, and Space Forces units.

The Russian military plans to build a comprehensive air and space defense network consisting of S-400 Triumf and future S-500 air defense systems and the Soviet-era MiG-31 Foxhound supersonic interceptors.

The S-500 system is expected to have an extended range of up to 600 km (over 370 miles) and simultaneously engage up to 10 targets. The system will be capable of destroying hypersonic and ballistic targets.

Russia's leading missile manufacturer Almaz-Antei said last March that it was developing at least six types of advanced air defense systems to be available for the Russian military in around 2015.

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US lawmakers block China firms from Pentagon contracts

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Published on 13:04 By Amardeep
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Lawmakers in the US House of Representatives have voted to bar Chinese defence firms from receiving Pentagon contracts.
The amendment was passed as part of a larger defence budget bill passed by the House in Washington on Wednesday.
It excludes all companies owned by or affiliated to the Chinese government from US defence deals.
The US Senate must also pass the bill before it can be approved by President Barack Obama.
Congresswoman Rose DeLauro, a sponsor of the amendment, said it would help guard US national security interests.
"With China making significant progress in the defence and aerospace industries, including a Chinese state-controlled company considering a bid for the contract for the next presidential helicopter, it is critical that we ensure US national security is protected and that the highly skilled jobs and associated technologies in these industries are not outsourced overseas," she said in a statement.
"This amendment will help guard American interests, not only for our national security, but also the innovation, job creation and long-term economic growth."
Media reports, including one from the Wall Street Journal, say Chinese state-owned military contractor China Aviation Industry Corp (AVIC) may be making a bid for a contract to supply the US presidential helicopter.
Last week, a top Chinese general, Chen Bingde, said in Washington that China had no intention of matching US military power.

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India to Boost Blue-Water Warfare Capability With Two New Stealth Frigates

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Published on 10:55 By Amardeep
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The Navy continues to hone its war-fighting capabilities despite being stretched in coastal security and anti-piracy operations. The force is now on course to soon induct two more deadly stealth frigates to bolster its growing "blue-water" warfare capabilities.

Sources say the 6,200-tonne indigenous stealth frigate INS Satpura is likely to be commissioned in June-July, while the Russian-built 4,900-tonne INS Teg should finally be ready for induction by September-October.

These long-awaited warships will come at a time when Navy chief Admiral Nirmal Verma has stressed that "maintenance of war-fighting abilities" remains the "top-most priority" for his force despite the "large number of peacetime commitments (anti-piracy, coastal security and the like) at hand".

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India Names Next Air Force Chief

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Published on 12:27 By Amardeep
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Air Marshal Norman Anil Kumar Browne will take over as the Indian Air Force's new chief on July 31. Currently Vice Chief, Browne has over 3,100 hours of flying on aircraft that include Hunters, all variants of the MiG-21, Jaguars and Su-30s. A fighter combat leader, Browne served as instructor at the IAF's top gun school, the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE).

According to an IAF statement today, Air Marshal Browne established the Indian defence wing in Tel Aviv in April 1997 where he served as Defence Attache till July 2000. Between 2007-2009, he was IAF Deputy Chief at Air Headquarters, responsible for all major modernization programmes.

Before taking over as the Vice Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS) at Air Headquarters on Jan 1 this year, he commanded the IAF's Western Air Command, the lAF's most vital operational command. Under his command and personal supervision, the first ever landing of an Antonov An-32 took place at the Nyoma advance landing ground, located at an altitude of 13,300 feet on 18 September 2009 (see photo).

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India To Get 15 Russian Mi-17B-5 Helicopters

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Published on 12:25 By Amardeep
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India will receive 15 Mi-17B-5 helicopters this year from Russia as part of the contract for 80 choppers.

Russia is to supply the helicopters to India within the framework of a contract India's Defense Ministry signed with Russia's arms exporter Rosoboronexport.

The contract is likely to be complemented with an extra order for 59 such helicopters, the general director of the Helicopters of Russia holding company, Dmitry Petrov, told Itar-Tass.

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Commercial Talks Begin For IAF Basic Trainer

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Published on 12:20 By Amardeep
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The Indian basic trainer competition has entered its final phase. Commercial bids of the three final contenders were opened this week (Livefist had reported earlier about the three contenders making it to the final phase). The government will now choose between (in photos from top) the Pilatus PC-21, Hawker-Beechcraft T-6C Texan-II and Korean Aerospace KT-1. More soon.

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India's Rustom MALE UAV Flies Again

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Published on 12:17 By Amardeep
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DRDO Statement: A successful flight test of the Rustom-1 UAV was conducted at around 12 noon on 21st May 2011. It was the second successful flight of "Rustom 1" being developed by the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), a DRDO lab engaged in pioneering R&D work in the field of aeronautics. The "Rustom 1" has an endurance of 14 hrs. and altitude ceiling of 8000 meters. Rustom 1 has been achieved by converting a manned aircraft in to a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) by removing pilot seat and making required electrical, mechanical and aerodynamic modifications. The test flight was conducted at the airfield belonging to the M/s Taneja Aerospace (TAAL) located near Hosur. Many improvements have been carried outs since the last flight, in terms of piloting, landing, taxiing etc. The flight was a precursor to the flight with payloads as required by the Services. The complete sequence of events went off well to the total satisfaction of the scientists and technical personnel of the Bangalore's Aeronautical Development Establishment who have developed the UAV. Lt Col Thappa from the Army was the external pilot for total mission flight who had no difficulty for control of the vehicle.

Dr Prahlada, Chief controller Research and Development (Aeronautics Programs), informed that with the successful accurate flying of Rustom 1 today, ADE is geared up for integration of payloads with the Aircraft within next three months, to demonstrate performance of payloads and necessary secure data-link to the users.

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India's Astra BVRAAM Tested Twice, Fails Once

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Published on 12:15 By Amardeep
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A test-firing of India's Astra beyond visual range air-to-air missile on May 20 failed, according to a report in The Hindu newspaper. The report quotes Dr Avinash Chander, the DRDO's chief controller for missiles as saying, "A snag developed during a manoeuvre. The missile lost control after it reached a certain height. A team is analysing the data." The missile was test-fired again the next day, May 21, and is reported to have met all parameters. Found this Astra schematics slide in my files. Pretty sure I haven't posted it before:

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Indian Torpedoes Near Ready

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Published on 12:13 By Amardeep
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Rare photos of the 2009-2010 development sea trials of (from top) India's two principal underwater weapon development programmes -- the Torpedo-Advanced Light (TAL) and the Varunastra heavyweight high speed torpedo, developed by the Naval Science & Tech Laboratory (NSTL) in Visakhapatnam. After several stops and starts, theVarunastra is to enter its user trial phase with the Indian Navy this year, while Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL), India's principal state-owned missile manufacturer, will begin delivering the first of 25 TALs to the Navy shortly.

Little is known about either programme, mostly because that's the way the government has wanted it. Scant bits of literature (sometimes inadvertent) suggests that technologies involves in both or either of the torpedo programmes include sea water actuated / silver zinc propulsion packages, contra-rotating motor and propellers, proximity sensors, HE warheads, composite material construction, stepless speed control, fibre optic guidance, floating recorder and transmitter (FRAT), noise cancellation techniques and low noise FRP propellers.

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IAF Chief Scopes Out PAK FA, Upgraded MiG-29

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Published on 12:12 By Amardeep
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Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal Pradeep Naik today witnessed a flight of the fifth generation concept Sukhoi T-50 PAK FA at Zhukovsky outside Moscow. Naik, who retires at the end of July, is in Russia on a week-long official visit. The chief also received a full briefing on the programme at the Gromov institute on the PAK FA. There's more in this TASS report (translate).

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Rafale vs Typhoon: A History Of Malice

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Published on 04:07 By Amardeep
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In 2005, the typically circumspect-in-public Dassault Aviation had this to say about the Rafale losing to the Boeing F-15 for a Singapore air force contract: "Bamboo always leans the way it's pushed the hardest." It took solace in the fact that its "status of finalist at Singapore proves that[the Rafale] has every chance of becoming an export success". It was a contest in which the Rafale notably pipped the Eurofighter to the final round.

The Rafale and Eurofighter have competed for several contracts, but India's $12-billion M-MRCA fighter competition is perhaps the first competitive tender in which the two find themselves in a two-horse final. The deal also happens to be the largest single contract that either has ever competed for.

The identity of both airplane programmes was born from the famously acrimonious exit of France in 1985 from the collaborative European venture that finally spawned the Eurofighter. And for two airplanes with comparable ancestry and similar design philosophies, the Rafale and Typhoon have inevitably had a journey peppered with mutual hostility. In the last two weeks since the downselect that pushed both aircraft into the M-MRCA final, hostility has been mostly covert. But it hasn't always been like that. Most recently, EADS had this to say, describing the Typhoon's air show performances at Aero India 2011: "Two impressive air displays to show its power, agility and short take off and landing run. Not like the French Rafale - forced to use the spare aircraft after the first one failed the pre-take off checks and that cut its display short probably for some issue also with the second aircraft - the EF at Aero India was without any problems, confirming the 'traditional' reliability of the system when deployed also so far from the main base."

In May 2008, Eurofighter said pretty much the same at the ILA Berlin show: "As the world’s most advanced swing-role combat system flexed its muscles, the aircrew of our competitors, Rafale and Gripen, could only stand next to their parked jets in the static display area and admire the show."

Things really came to a head, however, during the Dubai air show in November 2009, when Eurofighter accused Dassault of feeding the online media with information about how the Rafale had cut the Typhoon to ribbons in simulated engagements over UAE. "The fact that these reports are unofficial," noted Eurofighter a few months later, "could be a sign of our French competitor frustration in not having signed the much anticipated contract with UAE or possibly even to fulfill a basic need to develop positive stories about the currently unexported fighter." The consortium went on to assert that the stories were false simply because the Rafales and Typhoons "worked together on the same team".

The lenghthy rebuttal ended with Eurofighter asserting that "throughout the exercise Typhoon was always carrying a greater payload than Rafale, Typhoon always came into the fight above Rafale and Typhoon take off performance was always more stunning than Rafale - all fully as expected."

A report [PDF] titled The Industrial and Economic Benefits of Eurofighter Typhoon by one Professor Keith Hartley at York University's Centre for Defence Economics (commissioned by the Eurofighter PR & Communications Office, Munich) notes in one part: "Eurofighter has provided a ranking of rival aircraft in terms of cost and combat effectiveness. This ranking shows that for similar cost, Typhoon is more combat effective than Rafale, JSF, F-15E and F/A-18E; the F-16 and Su-35 are cheaper but considerably less capable; and only the F/A-22 is superior to Typhoon on combat performance, but at considerably higher cost. One study reported that in simulated combat against a Su-35, the F-22 shoots down 10 for every one of its own losses; Eurofighter just under half (some 4.5 Su-35s for every Typhoon); and Rafale was next best which lost one for one."

While the American F/A-18 and F-16 were still in the competition, the two European twin-engines had enough on their plates not to train guns at each other, at least too directly. The MiG-35 and Gripen were never real threats as far as either was concerned in the competition. But with all four eliminated, the floor is well and truly open for war. Since the April elimination, there's been mostly shadow play, the usual. Nothing explicit. Nothing out in the open. Things are still delicate. And there are still a large number of questions about how the two-horse situation has been arrived at at all. It's probably typical that despite the competition and the huge number of comparisons, there are no convincing answers about which is a better aircraft. So I'm putting this question out there, and inviting you to share your thoughts: Typhoon vs Rafale - Which aircraft makes better sense for India and why? Vote below, and comment with your opinion.

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French naval frigate Aquitaine completes first sea trial

indian navy
Published on 01:47 By Amardeep
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LORIENT (BNS): French Navy’s first multi-mission frigate FREMM Aquitaine has completed the first leg of sea trials and returned to the dock, according to the ship’s builder DCNS.

The test, involving French naval personnel and DCNS officials, began in mid-April.

During the three-week sea trial, the naval vessel's propulsion, manoeuvrability, and navigation system were tested in “natural environment.”

The ship cruised at a maximum speed of 27 knots (50 km/s). Over hundred tests were conducted successfully, DCNS said.

The trials were a first opportunity to demonstrate the frigate’s impressive seakeeping qualities, the French shipbuilder added.

“These initial sea trials with the first-of-class Aquitaine went very well indeed,” FREMM programme manager, Vincent Martinot-Lagarde said.

“The objectives of this first period of sea trials were reached, with more than hundred tests successful. The propulsion and manoeuvrability tests performed exactly as we predicted and in line with the customer’s expectations,” the official added.

FREMM Aquitaine was officially unveiled at DCNS’s Lorient facility on May 4, 2010. The multi-mission Aquitaine is the first of 11 new FREMM frigates being built for the French Navy by DCNS.

The FREMM family of frigates with technically advanced features is being designed to counter all threats emanating from air, sea or land. Each vessel will be equipped with naval cruise missilesand MU90 torpedoes having a range of several tens of nautical miles.

DCNS targets to complete the delivery of the new-generation frigates between 2012 and 2022.

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5 Questions On India's M-MRCA Elimination

indian air force
Published on 06:23 By Amardeep
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For three days, I've responded to e-mail, text messages, social media pokes and calls from many of you asking me what I thought of Wednesday's dramatic elimination in the Indian M-MRCA fighter bid. For those of you who thought I was evasive and non-commital, it was for a reason: I haven't made my mind up, and I'm not sure I will. Besides, for four days I've devoured the copious amounts of journalism that the decision has fuelled across continents and across media. As with any contentious decision that has multibillion dollar implications for big business, opinion has varied from the dumbfounded "India is f***ed" sort of thing, to vicious, melodramatic diatribes about a betrayal of Washington, to stray instances of solid sobriety that eloquently wove into consideration more threads than just the jobs, dollars and cents. What I do have is a bunch of questions that I sure as hell would like to see some discussion on. Some of them may sound rhetorical, but they're not. Some of these are questions that I've seen raised by other journalists and writers in reports published in the last few days, and are therefore quandaries I agree need to be clarified. Here's my list of 5 questions:

Q1. Can a $9.5-billion dollar airplane deal ever just be about the airplanes? Which is to say, does India expect nothingfrom the country that wins, above and beyond professional on-time delivery of the fighters and rock-solid after-sales support? On the other hand, what about the possibility that the elimination of the American and Russian fighters WASa political decision?

Q2. If the European twin-engine fighters outperformed the other four contenders in field evaluations, why are there now questions over their selection? But if it is true that the margins of performance couldn't have been significant between the six contenders, did it makes sense to effect such pronounced eliminations? Does this therefore reinforce the suggestion from the first question that this WAS in fact a political decision?

Q3. Is the importance being yoked to this one contract (and the apocalyptic fall-outs being predicted in some sections) a function more of the dizzy hype that has surrounded it non-stop since 2004 than anything real? Has the mythology that engulfs the deal made it impossible to look coldly at the M-MRCA as simply a contract that meets an arithmetic IAF requirement? In turn, does the significant importance being attached to the loss of this one contract by the US belittle, demasculate and subvert the importance of other Indo-US bilateral achievements, including high value defence purchases?

Q4. Is the government, which incidentally never refuted the prevailing sense that strategic considerations would be factored into any decision (until the very end), now taking refuge in the Indian Air Force's trial recommendations as an easy offset to obvious political questions? Did something happen in the course of the selection process that forced (and if so, what) the government to shelve all "strategic factors", and complete the process wholly on merit/technical grounds if at all?

Q5. Has there been thorough transparency through every step of the selection process? If all vendors have been kept totally up to speed about their performance and compliance, and were perfectly in tune with the benchmarks (as the MoD has stated), then was last week's elimination really a surprise to those knocked out? Some of them say they expect debriefs in a transparent manner. Umm, were things not transparent before? Has the government satisfactorily shut the watertight gates of the selection process at each stage to ensure that none of its decisions along the way can be shafted later?

Photo ©Eurofighter

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India's Op Geronimo Against Dawood :-)

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Published on 06:20 By Amardeep
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PHOTOS Day 2: Indian Exercise Vijayee Bhava

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Published on 06:19 By Amardeep
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Indian Navy Answer to Chinese Rapid Growing Navy

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Published on 06:16 By Amardeep
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The Termendies speed at which China has been moving to build up its navy is causing concern in the  Japan, the United States—and  in India.

Recent decisions by China’s People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLAN) have left China-watchers wondering where the Chinese juggernaut will stop. The latest decision to garner attention has been the apparent decision by the Central Military Commission—China’s highest military planning body—to give the green light to the building of two new nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.


One aircraft carrier—the Kuznetsov class Varyag—is already being refitted after being taken off Russian hands. All three aircraft carriers will be available to China by 2017 and will be responsible for patrolling the South China Sea, Western Pacific and Indian Ocean, thus signaling to the world that China has indeed truly become a superpower.

So what is India doing to counter the growing Chinese naval might? The Chinese naval buildup is a matter of deep concern for Indian security managers. However, New Delhi is busy developing an effective counter. Two aircraft carriers—the INS Vikramaditya (Admiral Gorshkov of Russia) and INS Vikrant—are under construction. In addition, the Indian government in March 2009 approved Project 15B under which next-generation warships are in various stages of construction. Meanwhile, at least three Kolkata class destroyers are under construction under Project 15A.

But there’s more. The Indian Navy has also launched several new projects to develop a beefed up fleet of stealth frigates. The lead vessels will be the Shivalik class of frigates—India’s first such stealth vessels. The Sahyadri and Satpura are also in advanced stages of construction, meaning the Indian government is well on its way to achieving its goal of maintaining a force of more than 140 warships.

Meanwhile, construction work on at least four nuclear submarines is in full swing, while the indigenous Arihant nuclear-powered submarine has already been launched (India plans to have at least 30 submarines by 2030 (although this target may be tough to achieve with the submarine fleet expected to shrink to 16 by 2012 with the decommissioning of two Foxtrot submarines).

Clearly, China has set off a naval race in the region. Japan and the United States, which are set to lag far behind in the Asia-Pacific, need to stand by India if the international community’s unfettered access to the South China Sea, Western Pacific and Indian Ocean is to be maintained.

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the future of Indian air force-MMRCA

indian air force
Published on 06:11 By Amardeep
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The Indian Air Force’s Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) competition is nearing completion. Indian Air Chief Marshal PV Naik recently said that the contract for supplying 126 MMRCA fighters to the IAF will be signed soon.

On July, 2010, IAF completed its evaluation report of the field trials conducted for six global fighters contending for the MMRCA deal.

The evaluation report was then submitted to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) whereon it will be discussed by the Cabinet Committee on Security, after which the process of awarding the contract would be initiated. Once the MoD finalises the shortlisted contenders, the complex process of negotiations will begin leading to the awarding of the deal to the winner.

India's $10.4 billion tender to acquire 126 fighter aircraft

India's planned multi-billion dollar aircraft deal is the biggest contract ever since the 1990s. In 2001, IAF sent out its request for information (RFI) for the 126 fighters. After delays lasting almost 2 years beyond the planned December 2005 issue date, the Ministry of Defence finally announced a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) on August 2007.

Six global fighters – Lockheed Martin's F-16 Super Viper, Eurofighter's Typhoon, Russian United Aircraft Corporation's Mikoyan MiG-35, France's Dassault Aviation's Rafale, Swedish SAAB's Gripen and Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet – had submitted their bids in response to it.

According to reports, the Indian government will be buying the first 18 aircraft directly from the manufacturer. The remaining fighters will be built under licence with a transfer of technology (ToT) by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) based in Bangalore, India.

The delivery will start within 36 months of contract signing and will be completed 48 months later.

The competitors for the MMRCA deal

When the RFIs were announced, six contenders bid for the order- the Saab Gripen, Eurofighter Typhoon, Dassault Rafale, Mikoyan MiG-35 and the American F-16IN and F/A-18IN. Out of these six, Russia’s Mikoyan and France’s Dassault companies are regular suppliers of aircraft to the IAF compared to the other four contenders.

The six contending fighters for the deal are the latest combat aircraft that are being developed or fielded today. 
Eurofighter Typhoon

The Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine canard-delta wing multirole aircraft designed and built by a European consortium of three companies: Alenia Aeronautica, BAE Systems, and EADS working through a holding company Eurofighter GmbH, which was formed in 1986. The aircraft has high agility at supersonic speed and also has a supercruise capability that can fly at sustained supersonic speeds offering high reliability.

Eurofighter is offering the Tranche-3 Typhoon for the Indian requirement, equipped with the Captor-E (CAESAR) AESA radar. The aircraft also has a broad spectrum of operational advantages, such as excellent adaptability to severe weather conditions, high mission effectiveness and survivability in threat situations. EADS has even invited India to become a partner for the Eurofighter Typhoon programme if the Typhoon wins the MMRCA contract, and will be given technological and development participation in future tranches of the Typhoon.

Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet 

The Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is a twin-engine 4.5 generation carrier-based multirole fighter aircraft. The Super Hornet is a larger and more advanced variant of the F/A-18C/D Hornet.

The single seat F/A-18/E and the two seat F/A-18/F flies greater ranges, with heavier payloads using a more powerful engine which provides greater survivability. Its powerful AN/APG-79 AESA radar has generated significant interest in India. This radar could allow Super Hornets to play a unique role in India’s fighter fleet due to their radar’s performance and information sharing abilities.

Boeing has proposed joint manufacturing of the fighters with Indian partners. It also plans to offset the cost by setting up a $100 million maintenance and training hub in Nagpur, Maharashtra. This is the first time that the Super Hornet has been offered for production in a foreign country.

On the availability of Super Hornet's APG-79 AESA radar, the US government has given its approval but has stated that there would be some restrictions and pre-conditions for the purchase of the aircraft.

Dassault Rafale

The Rafale is a French twin-engined delta-wing agile multi-role 4.5th-generation fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation. The Rafale participated the MMRCA tender as a replacement for the Mirage 2000-5.

The fighter aircraft is capable of carrying out a wide range of short and long-range missions that include ground and sea attack, air defence and high accuracy strike or nuclear strike deterrence.

The Rafale has the advantage of being logistically and operationally similar to the Mirage 2000. The aircraft has a distinct advantage as it was used with great success during the Kargil War in 1999.

Since the IAF has already been equipped with the French Mirage 2000 fighters, the inclusion of Rafale would require fewer changes in the existing infrastructure of the IAF, which in turn will reduce cost.

The Transfer of Technology (ToT) is again smooth with no end user restrictions. The French government has already cleared full technology transfer of the Rafale to India, including that of the RBE2-AA AESA radar, which will be integrated with the fighter by 2010, and has also cleared the transfer of source codes.

Initially it was reported that Rafale was declared out of the race after it did not meet India’s technical evaluation criteria. The recommendation was made by the Technical Evaluation Committee, as Dassault did not provide information on some equipment and add-ons that the IAF wanted in the aircraft. But later on, at a meeting of the Defence Procurement Board, the fighter aircraft was allowed to re-enter the race.

Lockheed Martin F-16 Super Viper

The F-16IN Super Viper is a unique new fighter sharing a heritage with the world's only fifth generation fighters – the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter and the F-22 Raptor. The Super Viper has the most advanced technologies and capabilities which include AN/APG-80 AESA radar, Net-Centric Warfare capability, an infrared search and track (IRST) system, advanced survivability features, enhanced high-thrust engines and proven combat and operational effectiveness.

India initially sent the RFI for the F-16C/D Block 52+ configuration aircraft. But, Lockheed Martin proposed the customised F-16IN for the MMRCA competition. If F-16IN wins the contract, then Lockheed Martin will also offer to sell the F-35 lightning aircraft in future as replacements.

But the Indian government and IAF have never seemed very keen on buying the F-16s as the Pakistan Air Force already operates the same warplane. The capabilities of the F-16s also appear to be similar to that of the Mirage 2000s operated by the IAF.

SAAB Gripen IN

The SAAB Gripen is a lightweight single engine multirole fighter aircraft manufactured by the Swedish aerospace company SAAB.

Gripen IN (a version of the Gripen NG- Next Generation) is the most technologically advanced fighter and is equipped with futuristic warfare technologies developed specifically for India. The Gripen NG has increased fuel capacity, more powerful powerplant, higher payload, upgraded avionics and other improvements.

The fighter aircraft has a powerful and proven GE’s F414G engine, AESA radar, advanced communication system, advanced electronic warfare, tactical data link, and advanced weapons capacity. Its other strengths include the ability operate from roads instead of runways if necessary and also reasonable purchase cost.

SAAB, if wins the bid, is willing to form a joint venture with Indian aerospace industry with the aim to develop the next generation of fighters and also provide access to all levels of technology.

Mikoyan MiG-35

The Mikoyan MiG-35 (Fulcrum-F) is a further development of the MiG-29M/M2 and MiG-29K/KUB. The IAF already operates MiG-29s, and the Navy has ordered MiG-29K/KUBs for its INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant-class aircraft carriers.

The single seat version is designated MiG-35 and the two-seat version is MiG-35D. The fighter has vastly improved avionics and weapon systems, notably the new Phazotron Zhuk-AE AESA radar, the RD-33MK engines and the newly designed Optical Locator System (OLS).

The IAF already has maintenance facilities for the MiG-29. Therefore, it will be very much easier to buy the Russian-made aircraft with a minimum of expenditure on infrastructure. Also Russia is willing to give full ToT, which is an added advantage. Russia has provided support for equipments in the past also during international sanctions.

Comparison

All six contenders are equipped with state-of-the-art avionics and AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) airborne radar with only marginal differences in performance. There is also little difference in their armament carrying capacity and, where needed, such changes/modifications should be possible.

The Dassault Rafale, the Eurofighter Typhoon and the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet are all twin-engine fighters in the 25-30 tonne class. All of them are reportedly very expensive. The MiG-35, also a twin-engined aircraft, was first unveiled at Aero India Show-2007 at Bangalore, India. Its official price is still unknown but will preferably be lower than the other expensive bidders. The other two competitors, F-16IN and Gripen IN are relatively lightweight fighters but can carry a weapon load of around 8000 kg. Both are highly manoeuvrable multirole fighters.

Conclusion

The final chapter on the 'mother of all deals' – the MMRCA competition – will be written soon and major issues like access to technology, technology transfer, reliable spares and maintenance support throughout the projected life of the aircraft, etc will play key role in the decision making. There are media reports that political factor is likely to influence the choice of the MMRCA other than the performance and cost.

The contract is likely to be wrapped up sometime next year, and the MMRCA is expected to join the IAF fleet in early 2017.

Currently, the strength of the IAF is 34 squadrons (over 640 aircraft). By 2022, the IAF fighters’ fleet would comprise of the Sukhois, indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) 'Tejas', MMRCA, indigenous Medium Combat Aircraft and fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) that India is developing jointly with the Russians.

Finally, whatever be the result of this on-going competition, the inclusion of these MMRCA will definitely form a strong backbone for the Indian Air Force

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US Air Force launches new missile warning satellite

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Published on 06:05 By Amardeep
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CAPE CANAVERAL (BNS): The US Air Force has launched a new military satellite into space that will provide warning against missile attacks.

The first-of-its-kind spacecraft, called the first geosynchronous (GEO-1) Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS), was put into orbit on Saturday by an Atlas 5 rocket.

The unmanned rocket lifted off from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida at 2:10 p.m. EDT (1810 GMT) and put the satellite in the designated orbit.

The Lockheed Martin-built satellite was originally scheduled to blast off on Friday, but cloudy weather prevented the launch.

“Today’s successful launch is a tribute to the hard work, dedication and unmatched expertise of the entire government and industry SBIRS team. I am proud of the women and men who have worked on this spacecraft, and am confident the nation will be proud of its performance on orbit,” said Brig Gen (select) Roger W. Teague, the US Air Force’s Infrared Space Systems Directorate director.

“SBIRS GEO-1 represents the dawn of a new era in overhead persistent infrared surveillance that will greatly improve our national security for years to come,” the official said.

The new satellite, equipped with highly sophisticated scanning and staring sensors, has been built to provide significantly improved missile warning capabilities while supporting other critical missions simultaneously including missile defence, technical intelligence and battlespace awareness.

The USAF plans to operate four satellites under the SBIRS programme. It aims to use the SBIRS systems to protect its territory and troops from global and theater ballistic missile attacks.

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China to launch Tiangong-1 by end of 2011

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Published on 06:01 By Amardeep
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EIJING (BNS): China is developing its first full-fledged space station module, Tiangong-1 and plans to launch it in the second half of this year, according to a media report.

The station module and China's Shenzhou 8 vehicle will mark the country's first round of orbital rendezvous and docking tests – viewed as a springboard to larger space adventures, reported Space.com.

The launch of Tiangong-1 will be followed by the launch of manned spacecraft Shenzhou-9 and Shenzhou-10 in 2012 that will pave the way for building the manned space station in 2020.

The Tiangong-1 space station module is outfitted with a docking port on its front and rear ends. It will tip the scales at roughly 8 1/2 tons and purportedly will have a two-year lifetime in Earth orbit, it said.

Currently, China has a 21-member astronaut corps who are undergoing training for future docking and rendezvous milestones.

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Boeing’s Phantom Ray UCAV Makes Its First flight

Published on 05:55 By Amardeep
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Boeing’s Phantom Ray UCAV technology demonstrator has now made its first flight, potentially paving the way for the next generation of unmanned aircraft designs to be developed.

The Phantom Ray’s maiden flight occurred on 27 April and saw it launch from Edwards Air Force Base in California: the USAF’s main technology testing site.

The stealthy Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle spent a total of 17 minutes in the air and reached an altitude of 7,500 feet and a top speed of 178 knots, while the flight followed a recent collection of taxi trials carried out earlier in the year. These ground runs served to test a number of Phantom Ray capabilities, including its mission planning and navigational features.

The Phantom Ray first flight has now proved the design’s fundamental airworthiness and its ability to be controlled autonomously. A programme of subsequent flight tests is scheduled for coming weeks and this will explore a host of different modern-day operational tactics and procedures, including air defence suppression, air-to-air refuelling, strike and surveillance.

The Boeing Phantom Ray project was initialised in 2007 and took its lead from the same firm’s X-45C technology demonstrator. Boeing intends for it to be the first member of a future UCAV prototype family and, so far, only the one example has been built.

For many months, the Phantom Ray development programme was kept under wraps and, even at Boeing’s facilities, only a very small number of engineers and officials were made aware of it. All that changed in May 2010, when the prototype was unveiled to the world during an official roll-out ceremony.

The first flight of the Boeing Phantom Ray UCAV represents the culmination of many months work, as a company representative explained in a press release.

“This day has been two-and-a-half years in the making”, Boeing Phantom Works President, Darryl Davis, stated. “It's the beginning of providing our customers with a test bed to develop future unmanned systems technology, and a testament to the capabilities resident within Boeing. Just as follow-on tests will expand Phantom Ray's flight envelope, they also will help Boeing expand its presence in the unmanned systems market.”

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Taiwan To Build Stealth Warships

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Published on 05:45 By Amardeep
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Taiwan plans to build a new ‘stealth’ warship armed with guided-missiles next year in response to China’s naval build-up, a top military officer and a lawmaker said Monday.
 
Construction of the prototype of the 500-ton corvette is due to start in 2012 for completion in 2014, deputy defense minister Lin Yu-pao said in answer to a question by Kuomintang party legislator Lin Yu-fang at parliament.

The warship, which the navy says is harder to detect on radar, is expected to emerge after China puts into service its first battle carrier group, the legislator said.

The twin-hulled boat will be armed with up to eight home-grown Hsiung-feng II ship-to-ship missiles and eight other more lethal Hsiung-feng III anti-ship supersonic missiles.
The remarks came as China has been restoring The Varyag, an old Soviet aircraft carrier bought in 1998.

The aircraft carrier will be used for training and as a model for a future indigenously-built ship, according to Andrei Chang, head of the Kanwa Information Centre, which monitors China’s military.

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U.S. Cancels Alternative F136 Engine For The F-35

USA
Published on 05:36 By Amardeep
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According to a U.S. Defense Department news release, the companies, along with Congress, were notified of the decision April 25.

Pentagon procurement czar Ashton Carter issued a stop-work order March 24 to the companies to halt their work on the alternative engine, which the Defense Department had determined is “unneeded and wasteful.”

That action, which saved the Defense Department $1 million per day, was put in place prior to a final resolution of the F136′s disposition in the FY2011 budget.

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