DTN News - INDIA DEFENSE NEWS: MiG-21 To Be Phased Out Of IAF

DTN News - INDIA DEFENSE NEWS: MiG-21 To Be Phased Out Of IAF

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources The Hindu

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada / NEW DELHI, India - August 9, 2011:

MiG-21 fighter aircrafts, which have been in news for frequent crashes, will be phased out of the Indian Air Force by 2017 and replaced by modern fighter aircraft such as Su-30MKI and indigenous LCA.

“The MiG 21s will get phased out by 2015-16. I think the last of the squadrons of the aircraft will be phased out by 2017,” Minister of State for Defence M.M. Pallam Raju told reporters here. Over the years, the IAF has inducted a total of 946 MiG-21s in its fleet and 476 of them have been lost in various accidents over the past 45 years. In a recent report, the Ministry acknowledged that most of these accidents had occurred due to old technology. The Minister said the MiG-21s “constitute the majority of our squadrons and they will gradually be replaced by the Light Combat Aircraft (LCAs) and the Su-30MKI.” Mr. Raju said after the phasing out of the “MiG 21s from operational service, the IAF will have the LCA, SU-30MKI, Medium Multirole Combat Aircraft and the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA), which is being developed with Russia.” On 126 M-MRCA, Mr. Raju said a decision on the mega deal would be taken by the end of this year. He said at present the technical offsets are being evaluated after which the commercial bids will be opened and on their basis, the government will take a final decision about the contract. The IAF is looking to procure 126 M-MRCA jets for which Dassault Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon have been shortlisted. The competition also involved four others including the Russian MiG 35, Swedish Saab Gripen and the American Boeing F/A-18 E/F and the Lockheed martin F-16 combat jets.

The production of the MiG-21bis under license by Hindustan Aeronautics of India lasted until 1984. Despite a series of crashes during the 1990s, which led to the aircraft acquiring the nickname "flying coffin", the Indian Air Force has decided to upgrade about 128 of the MiG-21bis in its inventory to the MiG-21 Bison standard. These will serve the Indian Air Force until 2015.

Chinese copies of the MiG-21 are designated Chengdu J-7 and F-7 (for export).

Russia now offers an upgrade pack for the MiG-21 up to MiG-21-93 standard. This includes an avionics suite upgrade including the installation of the Kopyo pulse doppler radar used by the MiG-29, enabling the aircraft to fire a greater range of modern weapons such as the beyond visual range Vympel R-77 air-to-air missile. The upgraded avionics also enhance the aircraft's survivability as well as its ability to engage enemy fighters. Other upgrades include the installation of a dual screen HUD, helmet-mounted target designator, and advanced flight control systems.

Israeli Aircraft Industries manufactures an upgrade package for the MiG-21 called the MiG-21-2000.

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources The Hindu

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DTN News: India Consults EADS For HAL Tejas LCA Naval Variant; Lockheed Martin Left Out

DTN News: India Consults EADS For HAL Tejas LCA Naval Variant; Lockheed Martin Left Out

Source: DTN News / Defence19

(NSI News Source Info) NEW DELHI, India - May 22, 2010: As Lockheed Martin fails to secure timely licensing approvals from the U.S. State Department, India has now reportedly turned to European aerospace giant EADS. Lockheed Martin was the initial winner for the bid for consultancy work for the naval variant of the HAL Tejas Light Combat Aircraft. This is the second time delays and red tapism within the United States Administration have lead to an American company losing out on contracts in India. In April 2009, EADS again was the benefitiary as Boeing was forced to withdraw from the HAL Tejas LCA flight test contract. The Naval variant of the HAL Tejas LCA is being design for short take-offs, arrested recovery (Stobar). The first flight of the nval variant has been planned for December 2010. According to AviationNow, EADS has confirmed that it has a consultancy contract but has refused to disclose more details. Reportedly the consultancy on the naval LCA involves auditing the aircraft’s current configuration and optimizing the aircraft’s landing gear and arrestor hook design. The intent is also to reduce the aircraft’s all-up weight by around 1,000 lb.

DTN News: U.S. Industry Hit By LCA Clearance Problem

DTN News: U.S. Industry Hit By LCA Clearance Problem

Source: DTN News / Aviation Week

(NSI News Source Info) NEW DELHI, India - May 20, 2010: India is turning to Europe for support of the naval version of its Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) after its initial choice of the U.S. was stymied by an inability to gain the requisite approvals from Washington. India selected Lockheed Martin as the winner of a bid for consultancy work on its naval LCA, but failure to secure U.S. State Department licensing approvals — at least in a timely fashion — now has resulted in EADS being in negotiation for the work. This is not the first time regulatory issues have tripped up U.S. ambitions in India. In April 2009 EADS picked up flight test work on the air force LCA as a result of Boeing being forced to withdraw. The U.S. manufacturer had been tapped for the project in 2008, but an inability to gain the required approvals from the U.S. administration forced it to pull its bid. The naval LCA is being designed for short take-off, but arrested recovery (Stobar), with a first flight of the naval variant by December. Neither EADS nor Lockheed are willing to comment beyond general statements. The U.S. company says it “continues to work with the U.S. government to support the LCA program. EADS, beyond confirming it has a consultancy contract (for the air force aircraft), says “both sides have agreed they will not disclose any details.” In March, the Indian government told Parliament that “deficiencies have been detected in the airframe and other associated equipment of the naval LCA [navy]. The Defense Research and Development Organization [DRDO] is working out [approaches] with various organizations for rectifying these deficiencies by suitable modifications to the engine/airframe design.” The consultancy is intended to support this effort. The consultancy on the naval LCA involves auditing the aircraft’s current configuration and optimizing the aircraft’s landing gear and arrestor hook design. The intent is also to reduce the aircraft’s all-up weight by around 1,000 lb. Sources involved with the program indicated that Lockheed’s inability to begin the consultancy on time had impacted the development effort, but the program itself was on schedule and progressing well. When ready, the naval LCA will primarily operate off Indian-built aircraft carriers, the first of which is under construction in Kochi. The sources also said that with almost all of the LCA’s equipping and cabling complete, the first prototype is scheduled to roll out of its hangar by mid-July. Three months of integration tests will follow, including ground vibration tests, structural coupling tests and other test routines before a first ground run and taxi test scheduled for October. If all goes well, the first prototype will fly in December. The front fuselage of the first naval prototype is identical to the fighter trainer (PV-5) that began tests in November 2009. The only part of the front fuselage in the naval prototype that will require a full routine of tests is a small additional control surface near the wing roots that is absent on the air force version. The naval variant will also have auxiliary air intakes. Program officials admit that there have been multiple challenges in the design and configuration of the landing gear and arrestor hook assembly, especially in optimizing the aircraft’s sink rate, but were confident that it would prove itself during flight tests. Apart from conventional takeoff and landing tests, the aircraft will undergo short takeoff and arrested landing tests at the Shore-Based Test Facility under construction at the Indian naval air station in Goa.

DTN News: Indian Light Combat Aircraft Could Be Converted As UCAV

DTN News: Indian Light Combat Aircraft Could Be Converted As UCAV Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) NEW DELHI, India - May 9, 2010: Indian Light Combat Aircraft could be converted as a Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV). The second edition of Manas Defence year book 2101 – 2011 reveals that in addition to converting LCA into UCAV, there are tentative plans of weaponising Indian UAV’s. Indian is currently working on medium and high altitude UAV’s. DRDO’s Lakshya and Nishant UAV’s are under various stages of testing and deployment by the users. The High Altitude Long Endurance UAV (HALE) has features like SATCOM links which will allow it to be operated beyond the line of sight. The Medium Altitude Long Endurance UAV (MALE) called Rustom draws upon the experience gained via the Nishant Tactical UAV program. MALE Rustom will feature canards and carry a range of payloads like ESM, Laser designators, optronic and radar. Rustom program will have a new engine and conventional take off and landing capability (CTOL). DRDO is carrying on with the developmental work unaffected by the recent crash of Rustom prototype. Rustom is expected to supplement or replace the Israeli made Heron UAV in Indian service.

DTN News: India Light Combat Aircraft Ready Steady To Fly For Duty

DTN News: India Light Combat Aircraft Ready Steady To Fly For Duty Source: DTN News (NSI News Source Info) BANGALORE, India - April 24, 2010: Light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas took a significant step towards induction into the Indian Air Force on Friday afternoon. The third Tejas aircraft in the limited series production (LSP)-3 took to the skies carrying almost the complete and final configuration in terms of equipment fit, making it the first flight of a near-complete LCA. The equipment included new air-data computers, multi-mode radar (MMR), new communication and navigation apparatus and a radar warning receiver. The aircraft took off from the HAL airport in Bangalore and all objectives of the flight were met within 52 minutes, the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) said. ADA is the designer and developer of Tejas. This is the first time that a Tejas aircraft in the LSP line-up carried the MMR. “This is the culmination of the efforts of the Tejas team comprising members from HAL, IAF, the centre for military airworthiness and certification, directorate general of air quality assurance, the various DRDO labs and public sector undertakings,” ADA director PS Subramanyam said. ADA scientists said with the successful Friday flight of LSP-3, Tejas was very close to initial operations clearance, which is to be completed by December 2010.

DTN News: India To Seek Partners For Naval Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Development

DTN News: India To Seek Partners For Naval Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Development *Source: DTN News / Defense Media (NSI News Source Info) NEW DELHI, India - October 7, 2009: India has decided to look for global partners in developing the naval version of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), as Lockheed Martin failed to get needed security clearances. Meanwhile, the Indian Navy has ordered six naval versions of the single-engine LCA, giving a boost to the homegrown program. The move is seen as a further commitment by the Navy to the LCA program, said a senior Navy official. Lockheed Martin ran out of time in getting the necessary clearances from the U.S. government to enter into a contract with India on providing consulting services in the design and development of the naval version of the LCA, said a senior Indian Defence Ministry official. The ministry has no choice but to look for partners in the Western world other than the United States, so that the LCA (naval) program does not suffer further delays, the ministry official added. Lockheed executives based in India were unavailable for comment. The Navy only last month ordered six naval-version LCAs and has committed about $30 million for each aircraft. The naval version of the LCA is a small, lightweight, multirole supersonic fighter jet. It is under development and is required to operate from an aircraft carrier with a “ski-jump” takeoff ramp and arrested recovery system. The first naval prototype is being built by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL), Bangalore, and is scheduled for integration tests and first flight toward the end of this year. The naval LCA will be used on a domestically built aircraft carrier, the Air Defence Ship, which is due to enter service with the Navy in 2014. India is looking for an overseas partner to help in optimizing the landing gear design and making associated changes in the aircraft’s structural configuration to bring down the weight of the aircraft by at least 500 kilograms. As the LCA would be operating from am aircraft carrier, the Defence Ministry will seek the help of an overseas vendor in determining the location and attachment of the arrester hook system on the deck of the ship, and aerodynamic fixes to improve the plane’s takeoff and landing performance on the carrier, said a scientist with the Bangalore-based Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), which is developing the LCA. The overseas partner also will advise Indian scientists on the need for an alternative engine with higher thrust. In addition, the foreign partner will advise the ADA on ways to test the arrestor hook system. The LCA (naval) version has been designed with structural and landing gear modifications to the existing Air Force version to handle larger loads and arrested recovery. The need for a foreign partner arose during the course of the design and construction of the LCA (naval) version after it was observed that the weight of the naval version compared with the Air Force version is higher than originally planned and budgeted. With the General Electric (GE) F404 jet engine and the aircraft’s mass, the performance of aircraft was found to be lower then anticipated. The Indian Air Force’s version of the LCA also is being powered by the GE 404, but the Air Force wants a higher-thrust engine, as there has been an increase in the weight of the aircraft due to increased demands by the user.

DTN News: Indian Air Force MiG-21 Phaseout Hit By Fighter Jet Shortage

DTN News: Indian Air Force MiG-21 Phaseout Hit By Fighter Jet Shortage

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) NEW DELHI, India - September 21, 2009: They have a poor safety record. But the Indian Air Force (IAF) is reluctant to phase out its old Soviet era warhorse MiG-21 due to the delay in inducting new and modern fighter jets. Between 1991 and 2003 more than 270 MiGs crashed and 100 pilots were killed, yet MiG-21s still make up 70% of IAF's combat fleet. It's easy to see why India is frantically trying to modernise its air force. Dubbed 'flying coffins' for their frequent crashes, only 150-160 of the over 450 single-engine MiG-21s with the IAF are still in service. A large number have been lost in accidents during peace time. "The main problem with MiG-21s is that they are very old and the on-board systems have become obsolete," a highly-placed IAF official told IANS. The official himself has flown the combat aircraft. But because it faces a shortage of fighter squadrons, the IAF cannot afford to phase out the ageing MiG-21s. If it does that, it would diminish its force level drastically. The IAF, the world's fourth largest air force, currently has a fighter squadron strength of 33.5 against the sanctioned 39. "We have a shortage of fighter squadrons. Also, the delay in the delivery of indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) and in the acquisition of MMRCA (Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft) is pushing further the phasing out of MiG-21s. After all, we need to maintain a minimum force level," another IAF commander said. The Indian government has issued tenders for acquisition of 126 medium multi-role combat aircrafts but the acquisition has been delayed due to time consuming procedures which include submitting of bids, technical evaluation of proposals from global military suppliers and field trials. The first aircraft would conservatively be inducted only by 2020, according to defence ministry sources.The assessment is that the retirement of the five squadrons of MiG-21s will diminish the IAF's conventional edge over its adversaries. The current deadline for the retirement of MiG-21s is 2011. But this is likely to be pushed back further due to the slow pace of procurement and indigenisation process. "The MiG-21s have a serviceability of 80 per cent. We have good maintenance facilities for MiG-21s. Otherwise we would have been forced to retire them," said the official. Since 1993, the IAF has lost over 260 aircraft during peace time. Of these 107 were its vintage warhorse MiG-21s. Fifteen of them crashed in the last five years, leaving seven pilots dead. The latest crash took place September 11 when a MiG-21 went down in Bathinda in Punjab, killing the pilot. The MiG-21s, inducted in 1964, proved their worth in the 1971 war with Pakistan and again in 1999 during the Kargil conflict, also with Pakistan. The IAF inducted its first MiG-21 from the erstwhile Soviet Union five years after their induction into the Soviet Air Force. Thereafter some 450 MiG-21 jets were inducted in the IAF to bolster its strength. The indigenous LCA (light combat aircraft) project has been marred with delays because of the inability of military research bodies to provide engines with right configuration for the aircrafts.

DTN News: Two-Decade LCA Engine Effort Stalls

DTN News: Two-Decade LCA Engine Effort Stalls

*Analysis: Internationally, a project for one year takes ten fold longer in India. Decisions are taken at a snail pace and time is wasted on unneccessary red tape bureaucracy. Defense procurement system is politically corrupt, as an example urgently needed Hawk 132 advanced jet trainers for Indian Air Force, which took 30 odd years to acquire at the cost of hundreds of young Indian Air Force pilots life.

India is the largest democratically governed country in the world as is an examplery system for other nations to follow suit, but at the same time the system is a curse with too many voices and noises, NO ACTION. India should have for some period a system of administration similar to China, which is straightfoward with no two way decision making that would benefit for the betterment of the country at large. (DTN Defense-Technology News)

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media

(NSI News Source Info) NEW DELHI, India - July 8, 2009: India's 20-year, nearly $500 million effort to develop a homegrown engine for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) has come to a standstill with the Air Force rejection of a co-development offer from France's Snecma.

The Indian Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) is the world's smallest, light weight, multi-role combat aircraft designed to meet the requirements of Indian Air Force as its frontline multi-mission single-seat tactical aircraft to replace the MiG-21 series of aircraft. The delta wing configuration , with no tailplanes or foreplanes, features a single vertical fin. The LCA is constructed of aluminium-lithium alloys, carbon-fibre composites, and titanium. LCA integrates modern design concepts and the state-of-art technologies such as relaxed static stability, flyby-wire Flight Control System, Advanced Digital Cockpit, Multi-Mode Radar, Integrated Digital Avionics System, Advanced Composite Material Structures and a Flat Rated Engine. The LCA design has been configured to match the demands of modern combat scenario such as speed, acceleration, maneuverability and agility. Short takeoff and landing, excellent flight performance, safety, reliability and maintainability, are salient features of LCA design. The LCA integrates modern design concepts like static instability, digital fly-by-wire flight control system, integrated avionics, glass cockpit, primary composite structure, multi-mode radar, microprocessor based utility and brake management systems. The avionics system enhances the role of Light Combat Aircraft as an effective weapon platform. The glass cockpit and hands on throttle and stick (HOTAS) controls reduce pilot workload. Accurate navigation and weapon aiming information on the head up display helps the pilot achieve his mission effectively. The multifunction displays provide information on engine, hydraulics, electrical, flight control and environmental control system on a need-to-know basis along with basic flight and tactical information. Dual redundant display processors (DP) generate computer-generated imagery on these displays. The pilot interacts with the complex avionics systems through a simple multifunction keyboard, and function and sensor selection panels. A state-of-the-art multi-mode radar (MMR), laser designator pod (LDP), forward looking infra-red (FLIR) and other opto-electronic sensors provide accurate target information to enhance kill probabilities. A ring laser gyro (RLG)-based inertial navigation system (INS), provides accurate navigation guidance to the pilot. An advanced electronic warfare (EW) suite enhances the aircraft survivability during deep penetration and combat. Secure and jam-resistant communication systems, such as IFF, VHF/UHF and air-to-air/air-to-ground data link are provided as a part of the avionics suite. All these systems are integrated on three 1553B buses by a centralised 32-bit mission computer (MC) with high throughput which performs weapon computations and flight management, and reconfiguration/redundancy management. Reversionary mission functions are provided by a control and coding unit (CCU). Most of these subsystems have been developed indigenously.

The first prototype of LCA rolled out on 17 November 1995. Two aircraft technology demonstrators are powered by single GE F404/F2J3 augmented turbofan engines. Regular flights with the state-of-the-art "Kaveri" engine, being developed by the Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) in Bangalore, are planned by 2002, although by mid-1999 the Kaveri engine had yet to achieve the required thrust-to-weight ratio. An Indian Air Force official said the service now will have to search for an off-the-shelf engine overseas to power the aircraft. India's Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) was developing the Kaveri engine to power the LCA. Trying to integrate nearly 16,000 parts and subsystems became too complicated and in 2005, the Kaveri engine caught fire when it was first tested on board a Tupolev-16 aircraft in Russia. GTRE began looking for co-development partners, and after an international tender was released in 2007, NPO Saturn of Russia and Snecma of France were invited to participate but only Snecma of France was short-listed. GTRE has developed nine prototypes of the Kaveri, but the engine was found to be heavier than the required 8.5 tons and provided less thrust than needed to power the LCA, according to a GTRE scientist. The first lot of 40 LCAs being introduced, beginning in 2010, will be powered by the GE 404 engine, but the next batch of aircraft will include several features added by the Air Force that increase the weight of the aircraft by 2 tons. The GE 404 will not be powerful enough to fly the heavier plane, the Air Force official said. New LCAs with bigger engines will be inducted at a later stage. The EJ 200 engine of Eurojet Turbo of Germany and higher thrust GE 414 engine are the two main contenders. Both Eurojet Turbo and General Electric have given demonstrations of their engines.

Asia's Biggest Air Show Aero India 2009 Takes Off

Asia's Biggest Air Show Aero India 2009 Takes Off

(NSI News Source Info) Bangalore - February 11, 2009: Aero India 2009 took off to a roaring start Wednesday with India flaunting its air power in a stunning aerobatics display by fighter jets, helicopters and jet trainers. Billed as the biggest biennial event in South Asia, the five-day seventh edition of Aero India 2009 began on a sunny and breezy day from the Indian Air Force (IAF) station at Yelahanka, about 20 km from Bangalore. With a security blanket in place to ward off terror attacks, about 5,000 people, including diplomats and air chiefs from the world over, were treated to a two-hour spectacular show by scores of IAF pilots. The inaugural by Defence Minister AK Antony in the presence of Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa was marked by a flypast and breathtaking manouveres from IAF's assorted aircraft -- Sukhoi-30MKI, Mirage 2000, Jaguar, MiG-21, supersonic jet trainer Hawk and subsonic trainer Kiran and a slew of helicopters.

Indian Air Force's Russian-made Sukhoi-30 aircraft lands as well other aircrafts as F-A 18 'Super Hornet', United Arab Emirates F-16, Eurofighter Typhoon during the inauguration ceremony of the "Aero India 2009" at Yelahanka air force station on the outskirts of the southern Indian city of Bangalore February 11, 2009. The 7th Aero India, organised by the ministry of defence, showcases the latest in the field of military and civil aircrafts. The show runs from February 11 to 15. Four indigenous Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) of the state-run Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) scrambled over the gathering, while a IAF fleet of Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) aerobatic team christened Sarang kept spirits soaring high. IAF's transport behemoths and air-to-air refuelling aircraft had the spectators in awe with their sheer size and functionality mid-air. "Growing in stature, size and public participation, the air show has emerged as the most important event in South Asia, drawing global attention," Defence Secretary (production) Pradeep Kumar said in his introductory remarks. With 25 countries participating and 50 official delegations, including many led by their defence ministers and air chiefs, the Indian version of the air show has come of an age to turn into a war theatre for the world's major aerospace firms and a global consortium. A total of 592 firms, including 303 from overseas and 289 from the Indian subcontinent, are showcasing their products and technologies spanning military and civilian sectors to woo the country's three armed services and the burgeoning aviation industry. The Indian government is set to invest a whopping Rs.1.4 trillion ($30 billion) over the next five years to modernise and upgrade its defence services. The IAF order to induct 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) into its depleting fleet as a replacement to the aging MiG-21 old warhorse has made the six global aerospace bidders vie for the estimated $10 billion (Rs 500 billion) contract by flying in their metal birds to show their strike power. A dozen global aerospace firms, including the state-run HAL, as well as US and German air forces have flown in their fighter jets, transport planes, a fleet of helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles for flying and static displays at the event. Among them are the American Lockheed Martin with its strike fighter F-16, Boeing with its F-18 Super Hornet, Russian MiG with MiG-35, European consortium with Eurofighter (Typhoon) and HAL/IAF with Sukhoi, Hawk, Intermediate Jet (IJT) and Dhruv. Spanning an area of 44,000 square metres as against 30,000 sq m in 2007, the exhibition area has five international pavilions hosting Australia, Belgium, Germany, Israel and Romania, 54 chalets and about 600 stalls to house international and Indian firms and a host of facilities forming the eco-system. With the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) riding high on the successful launch of India's maiden lunar mission Chandrayaan-1 to the moon, a space pavilion is also put up to flag the country's prowess in space technology and space applications. "We are expecting about 125,000 visitors, including 50,000 business delegates and about 75,000 people from across the country, especially Bangalore and Karnataka," Kumar said. To provide foolproof security and prevent any untoward incident, the venue has been turned into a fortress, with three-tier protective layer, 140 closed circuit television (CCTV), three x-ray machines, radio frequency identification (RFID), 330 defence service corps, 180 air force police personnel as well as platoons of the Central Industrial Security Force and special commando forces.

EADS To Aid Flight Trials Of Indian LCA

EADS To Aid Flight Trials Of Indian LCA

(NSI News Source Info) NEW DELHI - January 29, 2009: The Indian Defence Ministry has short-listed EADS on a $20 million contract to aid in the flight trials of the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA). The deal is expected to be signed during Aero India 2009, from Feb. 11-14 at Bangalore, said a senior Defence Ministry official. The HAL Tejas is a lightweight multirole fighter aircraft developed by India. It is a tailless, compound delta wing design powered by a single engine. Originally known as the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) – a designation which continues in popular usage – the aircraft was officially named "Tejas"., by then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on 4 May 2003. Limited series production of the Tejas commenced in 2007; it is currently projected to achieve limited initial operational clearance (IOC) with the Indian Air Force (IAF) by 2008, followed by full operational clearance (FOC) by the end of 2010. A two-seat trainer variant is also in development (exited the production line as of November 2008), as is a naval variant capable of operating from the Indian Navy's aircraft carriers. The IAF is reported to have a requirement for 200 single-seat and 20 two-seat conversion trainers, while the Indian Navy may order up to 40 single-seaters to replace its Sea Harrier FRS.51 and Harrier T.60. The LCA naval variant is expected to take to the skies by 2009. India's Aeronautical Development Agency, which designed, developed and monitors the LCA, had sought overseas partners to carry out design-and-development work in the flight-testing stage. The consulting company would help speed the flight testing through initial operational clearance and final operational clearance. Technical and commercial bids had been invited from EADS, Saab of Sweden, Dassault of France, Boeing and Lockheed Martin of the United States, and MiG Corp. of Russia. LCA development areas that EADS would aid include flight envelope expansion; flight testing for high angle of attack; aero database validation; external stores carriage with emphasis on stores separation modeling and testing; wake modeling and penetration flight tests; and refinements to existing simulation models. LCA is preparing to enter into the weapon-integration stage, and the first aircraft are expected to be inducted into the Air Force by 2010, nearly 15 years behind schedule. The Air Force has ordered 20 LCAs valued at more than $500 million. State-owned Hindustan Aeronautics is expected to roll out eight aircraft annually. The aim of the current flight trial program is to achieve initial operational clearance with the multimode radar integrated with a weapon suite. It could take three years and about 1,500 hours of flight testing to move into final operational clearance. Eight limited series production aircraft, along with two technical demonstrators and five prototypes, are part of the LCA's design-and-development program. The LCA is a single-seat, single-engine, supersonic multirole air superiority fighter jet designed for air-to-air, air-to-ground and air-to-sea combat roles.

DTN News: India MMCA Details Would Be Finalized With MoU During May - Report / Trials Of MMCA Multi-Role Combat Aircraft In April-May

DTN News: India MMCA Details Would Be Finalized With MoU During May - Report / Trials Of MMCA Multi-Role Combat Aircraft In April-May

(NSI News Source Info) NEW DELHI - January 19, 2009: The Indian Air Force (IAF) plans to conduct trials in April-May of six different medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMCA) being considered for its order of 126 fighters, IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major said Saturday. 'The technical evaluation of the MMCA is almost complete. Hopefully, field trials should commence by April-May this year,' Major said in his address at the annual Air Chief Marshal L.M. Katre Memorial Lecture here. The IAF intends to purchase the combat jets at an estimated cost of $10 billion to replace its ageing Russian-made MiG-21 fleet in phases. Six global aircraft majors submitted their bids in April 2008 for the lucrative order. The bidders are the US aerospace majors Boeing with its F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and Lockeheed Martin with its F-16, the Swedish Gripen, the French Rafale, the Russian MiG-35 and the Eurofighter Typhoon. The Mikoyan MiG-35 is a further development of the MiG-29M/M2 and MiG-29K/KUB technology. Classified as a 4.5 generation fighter aircraft, the only existing prototype is the third modification of the existing MiG-29M2 airframe which previously served as MiG-29M2 model demonstrator. The MiG-35 is now classed as a medium-weight aircraft because its maximum take-off weight has increased by 30 percent which exceeds its previous criteria of classification. The MiG-35 was officially unveiled when the Russian Minister of Defence, Sergey Ivanov, visited Lukhovitsky Machine Building Plant "MAPO-MIG". Its vastly improved avionics and weapon systems, notably the new AESA rada and the uniquely designed Optical Locator System (OLS), relieves the aircraft from relying on ground-controlled interception (GCI) systems and enables it to conduct independent multi-role missions. The aircraft is being marketed under the designation MiG-35 (single seat) and MiG-35D (dual-seat) for export. MiG Corporation had their first official international MiG-35 presentation during Aero India 2007. The selected bidder will have to re-invest 50 percent of the multi-billion dollar contract in India as part of the offset obligations mandated under the Defence Procurement Policy-2008. The request for proposals (RFP) for the 126 combat jets was floated in August 2007 after the bidders responded to the air force request for information earlier. Major said the present fighter aircraft fleet was being enhanced with the induction of newer and better platforms in face of the depletion due to obsolescence and regular phase out of the ageing aircraft. 'The Jaguars, MiG-27s and MiG 21-BIS have been upgraded with latest avionics and weapons systems. Similarly, the MiG-29 upgrade is underway and the Mirage 2000 upgarde will commence soon. The induction of the Sukhoi fighter (Su-30MKI) has been accelerated with the indigenous version from Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) facility at Nashik,' Major pointed out. The air chief also hoped the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme would gain momentum for the initial operational clearance and induction of the aircraft, christened Tejas, into squadron service by 2010-11. In the case of the helicopter fleet, a comprehensive modernisation programme is underway, with the Chetak and Cheeta copters are being replaced with 125 light utility copters being acquired through a global tender. 'The contract for 80 Mi-17 helicopters with advanced glass cockpits has already been signed. They will be inducted in phases from 2010 to 2013. We are processing a proposal to procure 22 attack copters, which will be best in its class. We have signed a contract with HAL for 38 advanced light helicopter (ALH), including 16 armed version with new Shakti engines and glass cockpit,' Major pointed out.