Weapontechno

Showing posts with label indian air force. Show all posts

Aero India 2013

Nirbhay Missile launch next month :DRDO

India's Nirbhay cruise weapon will be tested in February, DRDO chief Dr V.K. Saraswat said at a press conference last week in Bangalore. This is the first time in over a year that a definite time-frame has been provided on the mysterious programme. Last checked, the missile was to have been tested in July-August 2012.

As I've earlier reported, this will be, without a doubt, the most significant weapon test since, perhaps, the Agni-III. The Nirbhay, shrouded in secrecy for long, is understood to be a two-stage high subsonic cruise missile with loitering capabilities. Sources suggest that apart from the engine (apparently supplied by NPO Saturn), the rest of the system is fully indigenous.

The fifth of the six C-130J Super Hercules, an advanced transport aircraft, ordered by the Indian Air Force has been delivered, its American manufacturer Lockheed Martin said.

The aircraft departed the Lockheed Martin facility in Marietta yesterday.

“This aircraft, like its predecessors, was delivered well ahead of schedule and is now en route to Hindan Hindan Air Force Station in India,” Lockheed said in a statement.

India’s sixth C-130J will be delivered in October, it said.

The six C-130Js will give the Indian Air Force new special operations capabilities using the world’s most advanced airlifter, it said.

The C-130J is a comprehensive update of the venerable Lockheed C0-130 Hercules, with new engines, flight deck, and other systems.

The Indian Air Force purchased six C-130J-30s in early 2008 at a cost of up to $1.059 billion. It is a package deal with the US government under its Foreign Military sales programme, and India has retained option to buy six more of these aircraft for its special forces for combined Army-Air Force operations.

Giving a new thrust to its air force, India Friday signed a USD 2.4 billion deal with French companies Thales and Dassault Aviation to upgrade its 51- strong Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft fleet.

The upgraded aircraft are expected to serve for another 20-25 years. Mirages were inducted by the IAF in the mid-80s.

The deal had been hanging fire for the last five years as the Defence Ministry had been involved in extensive negotiations including on the cost of upgradation quoted by the French side.

"Thales and Dassault Aviation today signed the contract (with Defence Ministry officials) for upgrading the Mirage 2000 fleet," company officials said here.

The proposals for upgradation of the warplanes were cleared at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on July 13.

Under the deal, the French firms will help in upgrading the avionics, navigation systems, mission computers, electronic warfare systems and radars bringing the aircraft to the Mirage-2000-5 standards.

"Based on the integration of latest generation equipment and systems, the upgrade will further enhance the technical-operational capabilities of the IAF's Mirage 2000," Thales officials said.

The French companies will have to invest 30 per cent of the worth of deal back into the Indian defence sector as offsets.

As per the Indian defence offsets policy, foreign vendors bagging deals worth over Rs 300 crore have to invest at least 30 per cent of the worth of the deal back into the Indian defence, civilian aerospace and homeland security sectors.

"The extensive involvement of Indian industry within the programme will consolidate existing ties with the French aerospace industry and will reinforce long-term cooperation based on cutting edge technologies and the sharing of technical know-how and expertise," they said.

As per the agreement, India will first send two of its aircraft to France for upgradation and, thereafter, the rest would be upgraded at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited facilities in the country, company sources said.