Back From The Mountains

Sorry for the break, folks. I was off for a short visit to the Himalayas. A few pictures from the sojourn -- the garrison town of Karu near where the Trishul mountain division is based, and an Army para drop exercise just ahead (that's an ITBP jawan getting off his bus to snap off a few). Back to blogging tomorrow.

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HAL Reveals Model Of Indian FGFA

PHOTO / HAL

In the latest from the Indo-Russian fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) programme, HAL has revealed this 1:15.5 scale model of a modified single-seater, based on the Sukhoi T-50 PAK FA that's currently in flight test. HAL's Aircraft Research & Development Centre (ARDC) has created the flow-through model with 80 components "including  the  dedicated pieces for simulating the deflections of the 12 flight control surfaces of the aircraft", according to recent HAL literature.

The platform is designated 'Perspective Multirole Fighter (PMF)' in India. After the 2010 contract for design of the modified joint aircraft, the government had said, "PMF draws upon the basic structural and system design of the Russian FGFA Technology Demonstrator with modifications to meet IAF specifications which are much more stringent. The broad scope of bilateral cooperation during the joint project covers the design & development of the PMF, its productionization and joint marketing to the third countries. Programme options include the design & development of a twin seater variant and the integration of an advanced engine with higher thrust at a later stage."

More information on the PMF/FGFA cooperation in this Sukhoi release from 2011.

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1st Indian-built Catamaran Survey Ship Inducted

PHOTO / INDIAN NAVY

PHOTO / INDIAN NAVY

Navy Statement: The Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command, Vice Admiral Shekhar Sinha commissioned INS Makar into the Indian Navy today.  Makar is a catamaran hydrographic survey vessel and is the first of its kind to be inducted in the Indian Navy. The vessel is indigenously built by Alcock Ashdown Gujarat Ltd. The primary role of the ship is to undertake hydrographic surveys, required for production of nautical charts and publications aimed at improving navigational safety at sea. Makar is equipped with an array of modern surveying equipment and also undertake limited oceanographic surveys towards providing marine environmental data.

The ship is propelled by four Cummins engines as well as two bow thrusters. The ship has two survey motor boats. Her equipment outfit for hydrographic survey includes Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) and Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) for closer investigations, advanced Electronic Positioning System, Multibeam Swath Sounding Systems and Sub Bottom Profiler. She also has a full range of the latest oceanographic and land survey equipment.

Accommodation for six officers and 44 sailors incorporates advanced ergonomic design and ensures crew comfort and space management. The ship has enhanced Indian Navy's already existing world class sea/ocean survey capability.

Heavylift Copter, Tanker Bids Near End

The Indian Air Force chief has said today that the government will shortly open bids in two critical competitions: the 15 heavy-lift helicopter bid (a toss-up between the Boeing CH-47F Chinook and Mi-26T2) and the 6 refuelling tanker competition (between the Airbus A330 MRTT and Ilyushin-78M).

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IAF Chief Inspects 1st Indigenous AEW&C Jet

PHOTO / DRDO

DRDO Statement: "The world is watching this programme with bated breath. Its success will put our country into the elite group which can develop and deliver such complex state of the art systems," said Dr Vijay Kumar Saraswat, DG DRDO. He was speaking at a function organised to commemorate the formal receipt of the AEW&C India aircraft by Centre for Airborne System (CABS) the DRDO laboratory spear heading the AEW&C programme. Dr Saraswat congratulated the AEW&C team from DRDO, IAF, CEMILAC, DGAQA, and the EMBRAER team for this significant achievement.

"The programme involves installation of the systems on the aircraft, integration of these systems and & make the system perform to its fullest capability meeting the user aspirations," said Dr Saraswat. He further stated, "The ultimate milestone – the delivery of the fleet of AEW&C System to the Indian Air Force is not only our goal but also a dream for DRDO. The indigenous AEW&C System based on projections by the IAF and built on the EMB-145I by DRDO has incorporated more operational capabilities than contemporary systems of its class."

Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne PVSM AVSM VM ADC, Chief of Air Staff, Indian Air Force was the chief guest in the function in which the aircraft was formally received in CABS. Speaking on the occasion, he said he was personally very satisfied with this significant milestone in the programme which was not, and still is not, an easy programme. He said the AEW&C programme is the starting point for much larger, more complex projects such as AWACS India programme.

Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) System the India's Indigenous programme got a boost with one major milestone achievement when the first aircraft fully modified by M/s EMBRAER with more than 300 mission system items supplied by Centre for Airborne System [CABS], landed in Bangalore HAL Airport on 22 Aug 2012. The indigenous AEW&C System is a multi-sensor system providing for all aspects of Airborne early Warning & Control in today's defence scenario.

Earlier, while welcoming the gathering Dr S Christopher, Distinguished Scientist, Programme Director AEW&C System & Director CABS informed that after the operational requirements were firmed up between DRDO & IAF in 2007, the contract for three modified aircraft was finalized in August 2008 with M/s EMBRAER, Brazil. The present air craft is scheduled to go for 'shake down' trials in the coming week. It will take about a year for completing the integration and development flight trials. Shri G Elangovan, Distinguished Scientist and Chief Controller R&D (Avionics & Aeronautics), Air Marshal Rajendra Singh CinC HQ Training Command, AVM Nambiar Commandant ASTE, Directors of other DRDO Labs & DRDO HQ, Senior Officials of M/s EMBRAER Brazil, other dignitaries from DRDO, IAF & Former Directors of CABS were present on this occasion.

VIDEO: Agni IV Ballistic Missile Tested

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Jinxed Gorshkov Fails Trials, Delayed A Year More

In the latest in what is by far the most monumentally botched procurement by the Indian government, the Indian Navy's refurbished Russian aircraft carrier Vikramaditya (formerly Admiral Gorshkov) has failed full-power trials in the Barents Sea, part of its full fledged sea trials phase that began in June.

Some of the 44,500-ton warship's eight boilers malfunctioned during the strenuous full-steam trials (funny, the ship was actually mothballed for sale after a boiler room incident two decades ago). The bad -- no, crushing -- news: the ship won't be commissioned into Indian service, as planned, on Dec 4, Navy Day this year. Also, there's every possibility that the latest failures will bring with them a financial cost to the Indian Navy. Since contracting, the deal price has increased almost by a factor of three.

Sources say the ship's inability to withstand a full power test puts it back by at least 10 months. That means she won't be in Indian hands, conservatively, before October 2013, just weeks short of the 10-year mark. The Indian government signed the Gorshkov refit deal in January 2004.

The deal goes into the books as perhaps one of India's most ill-conceived, mismanaged, vitiated and unlucky procurements ever. Can't wait for a national audit report on the procurement.

See also:
- Video of Admiral Gorshkov's journey
- Exclusive photos from inside the Gorshkov
- 2008: Fire on Gorshkov quarterdeck

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Indian Micro Air Vehicle Competition Announced

PHOTO | NAL

The National Programme on Micro Air Vehicles (NPMICAV), a DRDO-NAL joint effort, has announced MICAV2013 -- a national competition that kicked off in April 2013, open to industry, laboratories and colleges/institutes to build micro-air vehicles (MAVs).

The stated objective of the competition: "Bring out the capability of vehicles and technologies being developed in the country for performing a defined mission using multiple MICAVs (Fixed Wing, Rotary Wing, Flapping Wing and combinations) and Unmanned Ground vehicles (UGVs)."

The stated focus/thrust areas are: "Communication, Precise Navigation, Sensor Capabilities, Video Transmission, Multi Vehicle coordination, Cooperative flying, Vision based manual flying through windows."

I met a lot of really talented folks at Def Expo earlier this year, and they'd asked about the competition. More details about MICAV2013 requirements, contacts etc, here.

 

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20 More BAE Hawks For IAF Aerobatics Team

HAL has sent out an RFP for 20 more Hawk Mk.132 advanced jet trainers to BAE Systems. The latter, in a statement today, has said, "BAE Systems has received a Request for Proposal (RFP) from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for a potential order to supply products and services for the manufacture of 20 Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) aircraft. The aircraft, to be built by HAL in Bengaluru, will fulfill the Indian Air Force’s requirement for its prestigious aerobatic team."

Equipped with the Hawk Mk.132, the IAF aerobatics team (which disbanded last year) will be only the second nine-Hawk formation team in the world after the RAF Red Arrows. The erstwhile Surya Kiran Aerobatics Team (SKAT), will receive a new title -- sources say the team may even take on its first name, Thunderbolts, a name it had when it operated the Hawker Hunter.

The BAE statement goes on to say, "Upon successful conclusion, this would be the third contract placed on BAE Systems for supply of materials and equipment for the Hawk Mk132, building upon previous orders of 66 aircraft in 2004, comprising supply of 24 Hawk aircrafts in fly-away condition and 42 aircraft built under license by HAL, and a further 57 aircraft in 2010."

Guy Griffiths, Group MD, International, said, “This is a tremendous opportunity to build on the success of Hawk in India and demonstrates the progress we are making in capturing significant opportunities to address the defence modernization requirements of the Indian Government. Together with HAL, we look forward to giving the Indian Air Force’s display team a fantastic aircraft.”

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India's AMCA Shape Tweaked Again?

This new image from the National Aerospace Laboratory (NAL) depicts a so far unknown (PDF - NAL acting director's annual report) shape configuration of India's Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), a step up from this configuration that was revealed in June this year, this configuration put out in February last year and this one the year before in 2010. The most notable change on the new configuration is clearly the Hornet-like leading edge extensions, absent on all of the earlier shape configurations. The June configuration was notable for a fully altered wing planform, which carries forward on this new shape.

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Trials On For Enhanced Capability Pinaka

ARCHIVAL PHOTO / SHIV AROOR

Advanced development trials of an enhanced capability version of the indigenous Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher (MBRL) system began at Rajasthan's Chandan firing range over the weekend. The Army currently has four Pinaka rocket regiments, and the current trials could add an equal number of units to its arsenal. Will post details of the trials soon.

Back Tomorrow

Sorry folks, been away extra occupied with my day-job for more than a week. Back to regular blogging tomorrow.

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