Defence & Aerospace Digest

Indian Air Force

Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA)

Flight evaluation of the six contenders in the race for the $11 billion (Rs 52,508 crore) MMRCA contract commenced at Bangalore in mid-August 2009, beginning with two F/A18s Super Hornets, one single-seat and the other a twin-seat aircraft from Boeing Integrated Defence System. The Super Hornets were followed by Lockheed Martin’s F 16 Block 60 version. Lockheed flew the aircraft in from the United Arab Emirates, which is the only air force to operate this version. The version on offer to the IAF is similar to the Block 60 but is designated as the F 16IN Super Viper. The French Dassault’s Rafale arrived on September 21, 2009. This will soon be followed by the arrival of the Russian MiG 35 in October and subsequently, the Eurofighter Typhoon as well as the Swedish Gripen JAS-39.

Beginning with Bangalore that offers normal and humid climatic conditions, flight evaluation is being conducted in different locations offering hot, high and extreme cold conditions. The Indian team associated with the flight evaluation consists of representatives from Air Headquarters, two test pilots, three flight test engineers, representatives from the Ministry of Defence, HAL, the DRDO and the DGAQA.

Tezpur Air Base to Host Sukhoi 30 MKI Squadron

September 14, 2009. As per Air Marshal SK Bhan, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Air Command, SU30 MKI combat aircraft of the IAF, which had been operating from the air base since June 2009, would be deployed in full strength at the Tezpur air base by October 2009. He confirmed that the necessary infrastructure had already been created to support large scale and sustained operations by SU 30 aircraft. The air base will have a critical role in any operation against the enemy across the Indo-Tibet border. However, deployment of the force at Tezpur would depend on the operational scenario and assessed requirement.

Advanced Landing Ground in Ladakh Activated

September 18, 2009. An Indian Air Force (IAF) AN-32 aircraft piloted by Group Captain SC Chafekar, the Commanding Officer of 48 Squadron, executed a successful landing at Nyoma, information located close to the Sino-Indian border in Ladakh. This feat was repeated after nearly four and a half decades of a trial landing by an IAF Dakota DC3. As a part of the efforts to create infrastructure in the northern regions, this forward airfield, more appropriately described as an Advanced Landing Ground (ALG), is located at an altitude of 13,300 feet, 23 km from the Line of Actual Control (LAC). On board were Air Marshal NAK Browne, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Air Command and Lieutenant General PC Bharadwaj, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command.

After Daulat-Beg-Oldie near the Karakoram Pass and Fukche in central Ladakh beyond Chushul, Nyoma is the third airfield to be reactivated in Ladakh for air transport operations in support of personnel deployed in this high altitude, inhospitable and inaccessible region of the country. The ALG had so far been used for operations by IAF helicopters. Nyoma will help connect remote areas of Ladakh with the mainland and facilitate uninterrupted communications during the winter months when road traffic is virtually impossible to sustain. Apart from promoting tourism, regular traffic at Nyoma will also have a beneficial impact on the economy of the region and facilitate better integration of the remote areas with the mainland.

Reactivation of Nyoma is a vivid example of the excellent rapport and “jointmanship” between the Indian Army and the IAF. The airfield was made fit for operations by fixed wing transport aircraft through the dedicated efforts of the Engineer Regiments of 14 Corps. Reactivation of the airfields in Ladakh in the vicinity of the LAC assumes significance in the context of the reported incursions into Indian territory by Chinese troops and helicopters.

IAF to Upgrade Air Defence Capability Along LAC

September 25, 2009. In a press briefing at New Delhi, Air Marshal NAK Browne, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Air Command (WAC) stated that the IAF was planning to install a variety of radars along the LAC with China, with the aim of upgrading air defence infrastructure in Ladakh. The process, which has already begun, is expected to be completed in the next five years. The radars would be procured from sources abroad as also developed indigenously. Briefing by the WAC Chief followed the statement by Air Chief Marshal PV Naik, Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) that the IAF was a mere one-third the size of the PLAAF. The series of media briefings followed reports of enhanced activity by the PLA and Chinese military helicopters along the LAC and incursions that caused widespread concern across the nation. “When I talk of operational infrastructure to be improved in the northern sector, the mountainous terrain is very tricky because you have huge peaks and normal conventional systems are very difficult to maintain there,” he said.

In response to a question on the comparison by the CAS of the IAF and the PLAAF, and the implicit message that the IAF was at a disadvantage, the WAC Chief clarified that the IAF had a balanced structure in respect of numerical strength, modern technology and force multipliers. Numerical superiority was not the only consideration. Browne emphasized the imperative need to maintain the highest level of preparedness and keep the powder dry.

The F16IN Super Viper

The F16IN Super Viper is a unique new fighter sharing a heritage with the only fifth generation fighters in the world, the F35 Lightening II Joint Strike Fighter and the F22 Raptor. Evolutionary integration of fifth generation technologies supports the claim that the Super Viper is the most advanced fourth generation fighter in the world today. This Ultimate Fourth Generation Fighter meets and exceeds all of India’s MMRCA requirements and is without doubt the right choice for the Indian Air Force (IAF). India’s partnership with Lockheed Martin will provide access to frontline technology, opportunity for technology co-development, low risk licenced production and extensive long term business opportunities. The Super Viper will also facilitate a key strategic partnership of the IAF with the US and the USAF in the areas of training and concepts, both logistical and operational. The F16 family of combat aircraft has an unbeatable operational track record which includes over 400,000 combat flying hours, numerous victories in aerial combat, over 100,000 combat missions, more than 2200 tons of ordnance delivered in combat and in excess of one million operational sorties in support of the ongoing global war on terror. The F16IN Super Viper will provide the IAF a partnership for the future that no other Air Force and industry combination can offer.

The F16IN Super Viper offers the pilot easy-to-interpret information through a modern full colour all-digital glass cockpit and helmet mounted cueing system. The large colour displays are capable of fusing data from on and off board sensors reducing the workload and enabling the pilot to focus on the mission. Powered by the GE F110-132A delivering 32000 pounds of thrust, the aircraft has an unprecedented record of safety, reliability, maintainability and durability. In comparison with the competitors, the F16IN Super Viper offers the lowest life cycle cost and in respect of maintenance, it is consistent with existing practices in the IAF.

The Super Viper has a capacity to carry a weapon load of 8000 kg externally and can deliver more than 1500 kg of ordnance on targets over 1700 km away without in-flight refueling. The aircraft is capable of carrying a wide range of the latest modern operational precision guided weapons and the IAF will have the flexibility to integrate indigenous or third party weapons as well. Its advanced survivability features include low radar signature that reduces chances of detection by enemy radars. Its single engine design has a smaller infrared and visual signature as compared with twin engine fighters further lowering possibility of detection. The integral Raytheon internal electronic warfare system neutralizes or defeats the most potent of threats.

The one single feature that renders the aircraft most potent is the Northrop Grumman APG 80 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar, the only fully developed integrated AESA radar that is operational on the international market today. The newest breakthrough in airborne radar technology, this revolutionary all-weather precision targeting sensor provides outstanding situational awareness and detection, ultra high resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) mapping, fully interleaved with automatic terrain following and air-to-air tracking of multiple targets. The fusion of net-centric operations and on board data provides a total battle space picture and optimizes mission accomplishment, transforming the pilot from an aircraft system manager to a tactician.

Military Aircraft from Boeing IDS

After having withdrawn from the tender for 22 Attack helicopters for the IAF, which was ultimately cancelled by the Ministry of Defence six months ago, Boeing IDS has once again come forward with a response to the revised tender issued for the second time. The US aerospace major is also a participant in the tender for 15 heavy lift helicopters, the Chinook CH 47. The recently concluded agreements between the governments of India and the US on the knotty issues of End-User Monitoring (EUM) and Technical Sharing Agreements (TSA) have made it easier for Boeing IDS to participate. The two agreements concluded ten months ago are also relevant to the $2.1 billion (Rs 10,024 crore) deal for the eight Boeing P8I Long Range Maritime Patrol aircraft for the Indian Navy, as also for the $1 billion (Rs 5,000 crore) deal with Lockheed Martin for the supply of six C 130J Super Hercules for the IAF. These agreements would also eliminate impediments in India’s efforts to access advanced defence technologies from the US. The IAF is also considering enhancement of strategic airlift capability for which an RFI was floated in 2008. Boeing IDS has the C 17 Globemaster III as a readymade solution for the IAF. These aircraft are being acquired by the IAF as part of its efforts at “metamorphic change”.

Aerospace Industry

PAK FA Engine Facing Problems

August 21, 2009. As per the Russian Air Force Chief, the PAK FA, single seat version of Russia’s fifth-generation combat aircraft developed by the Sukhoi design bureau in a relatively short timeframe of nine years, as against the norm of 15 years for an aircraft of this generation, is to undertake maiden flight this year by December instead of September. The aircraft is slated to enter service in the Russian Air Force by 2015. The prototypes will be powered by an improved version of the Saturn AL31F engine as the programme for the development of a dedicated engine had run into difficulty, perhaps financial and not technical. As the IAF requires only the two seat version of the PAK-FA as against the single seat version for the Russian Air Force, a joint Indo-Russian design team is engaged in redesigning the airframe to conform to the requirements of the IAF. In the 20-ton category, the PAK FA lies between the F35 Joint Strike Fighter and the F22 Raptor. Incorporating advanced technologies, the design of the PAK FA provides for stealth features, super-maneuverability, large combat radius, supersonic cruise and short takeoff/landing capability. The aircraft will carry AESA radar developed in Russia and Precision Guided Munitions (PGMs).

Air-Launched Version of Brahmos Cruise Missile

September 01, 2009. First tested in June 2001, a joint Indo-Russian programme to develop an Air-Launched Version of BrahMos Cruise Missile is underway and close to completion and test flight. A design team has been working on the project after finalizing the technical, administrative and financial issues pertaining to partnership arrangements. Modifications required on the two Sukhoi 30 MKI aircraft to be used for flight test are being carried out by the Sukhoi Design Bureau in Russia. The air launched version of the BrahMos will be its smallest version weighing 2,500 kg, half a ton lighter than the land version. It has a newly developed engine for high altitude launch. The system is to be tested soon and is scheduled to be inducted into the IAF by around 2012. With this milestone, the BrahMos will be the only cruise missile that can be launched from land, sea and air. As per Dr AS Pillai, the Chief Controller (Research & Development), DRDO, a design team comprising Indian and Russian scientists, is working on BrahMos II, a hypersonic version. Dr Pillai also divulged plans to establish a production facility for the missile at Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala. The BrahMos missile will be available for export only after the requirements of the Indian armed forces are fully met with.

GE to Source Engine Components from India 

Three of the companies competing for the Indian Air Force tender for the 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) have different models of engines from General Electric (GE) fitted on the aircraft on offer. Boeing’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet from Boeing IDS is powered by the F414-GE-400, the Lockheed Martin’s F-16IN Super Viper carries the F110-GE-132 turbofan and Saab Gripen’s JAS-39 fighter is powered by the F414G turbofan engine. In the event of any one of the aircraft bagging the contract, GE will be the supplier for the power plants and hence is exploring possibilities of sourcing engine components from the Indian industry. GE is also considering manufacture, assembly and testing of the engine in India, using facilities at HAL. The engine produced will be in conformity to Indian requirements.

Indian Army

Greenhorns for Special Forces

September 13, 2009. The manning position in respect of officers in the Special Forces (SF) Para units of the Indian Army continues to be unsatisfactory, the deficiency being to the tune of 60 per cent. The average strength of officers in an SF Unit is in the region of 12 as against the authorized figure of 35. Apart from overall shortages in the officer cadre of the Indian Army, the situation in SF Units is worsened on account of the fact that at any given point in time, several officers posted on the strength of these units are away undergoing professional training programmes, which are also mandatory from the point of view of their career growth. In the normal course, officers are selected for posting to SF Units only after some experience in normal units. However, to alleviate the impact of grievous shortages, it has been decided by Army Headquarters to post newly commissioned officers at the rate of two officers per SF battalion directly after passing out from the Indian Military Academy at Dehradun and the Officers’ Training School at Chennai.

Pakistani Rockets Fired into Indian Territory

September 15, 2009. Five rockets were fired into Indian territory from the Pakistani side of the border territory on Saturday, September 12. This was the second such incident in the last two months. Four rockets had been launched from the Pakistan side in July 2009 alone. The rockets appeared to have been fired from a 107mm multi-rocket launcher, equipment normally used by the Pakistan Army. However, the possibility of the terrorist groups possessing such equipment cannot be ruled out. In all likelihood, the rockets were fired by the Lashkar-e-Taiba to escalate tension along the Indo-Pak border and precipitate matters. Following such incidents however, rise in tension in the border areas is inevitable.

Apart from the Border Security Force (BSF) troops firing several bursts from their machine guns into Pakistan in retaliation, a high-level meeting was held on Monday, September 14, 2009 between the BSF and the Pakistan Rangers at the Attari outpost in Amritsar. At this meeting, the Indian side presented hard evidence of the rockets landing in Indian territory and expressed serious concern at the episode and insisted that Pakistan take steps to remove disruptive elements from the border. As expected, the Pakistan side denied that such an incident ever occurred. India has also lodged a formal protest with Pakistan through diplomatic channels.

‘Operation Alert’ On Sino-Indian Border

September 17, 2009. In the wake of reported incursions by Chinese troops into Indian territory in Ladakh, air space violation and a major military exercise by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in which some 50,000 troops were deployed in a tactical mobility exercise on their side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Indian Army mobilised troops, believed to be about a Mountain Division strength, along stretches of the Sino-Indian border in Jammu and Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh to forward posts. The forward movement of troops was a part of a larger exercise code named “Operation Alert”. In peacetime, the LAC is patrolled by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and not by the Indian Army. In this case, the mobilization is expected to be sustained for a month or so.

As per official sources however, incursions by Chinese troops were inconsequential and were in the nature of minor incidents that take place owing to differences in perception between the two countries about the alignment of the LAC in the mountainous and inhospitable terrain. Also, that the action on the part of the Indian Army was an annual exercise routinely conducted at this time of the year for renovation of forward posts. The incursions by Chinese troops could well have been triggered by the proposed visit of the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan leader, to Arunachal Pradesh, which in the context of the border dispute, China views as unwarranted and deliberate provocation.

Indian Navy

Kamov 31 Early Warning Helicopters for the Indian Navy

August 07, 2009. The Cabinet Committee of Security (CCS) has cleared a proposal by the Indian Navy to acquire five Russian Kamov-31 airborne early warning helicopters. These aircraft will significantly enhance the capability of the Indian Navy to detect airborne and surface-based maritime threats. Having been in service with the Indian Navy since 2003, the fleet of nine Kamov 31 helicopters today operates from bases along the coast line. They are also deployed on INS Virat and on the Guided Missile Stealth Frigates. The airborne electronic warfare radar mounted on the underbelly of the Kamov is capable of tracking up to 40 targets on the surface and in the air simultaneously. Apparently a versatile aircraft, the Kamov 31, with the Indian Navy can climb to 10,000 ft but has an operational range of 100 km and endurance of two hours and thirty minutes. As both these are somewhat inadequate, efforts are on with HAL to correct these through a modification that will make the aircraft capable of receiving fuel in-flight. The contract with Russia is expected to be signed in the near future.

MiG 29K for the Indian Navy

September 10, 2009. Of the 16 MiG-29K (single seat)/MiG-29KUBs (two seat trainer version) carrier borne aircraft to be supplied by Russia as part of the deal signed in January 2004 for the retrofitted aircraft carrier Admiral, Gorshkov are expected to arrive in India in October this year and will enter service with the Indian Navy thereafter. The MiG 29K is the Naval version of the air superiority fighter, the MiG 29, that has been operated by the IAF for around two decades. The four aircraft in question were delivered to the Indian Navy in Russia earlier this year. Navy pilots and maintenance personnel have been training on these aircraft since then. The aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov itself (to be renamed as INS Vikramaditya) is expected to be delivered in or after 2012 as against the original plan of 2008. The INS Vikramaditya is expected to be in service with the Indian Navy for three decades at the very least after arrival. For the present, the entire deal appears to have run into serious difficulty, the main issue being near doubling of cost from the original estimate of $1.2 billion (Rs 5,728 crore) to $2.7 billion (Rs 12,888 crore). However, the problem is likely to be resolved amicably soon through a revised agreement that both governments are working on.

Chinese Bases on Coco Islands

September 11, 2009. Speaking on the occasion of the commissioning of the Indian Navy’s Fast Attack Craft INS Cora Divh and INS Cheriyam, Vice Admiral Anoop Singh, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command, stated that India had raised the issue with Myanmar about the existence of a Chinese base in the Indian Ocean in proximity to Myanmar. India was informed by the government of Myanmar that no such bases existed either on the mainland or on the Coco Islands. Located 200 kms from the Myanmar coast in the Bay of Bengal, the Coco Islands are close to the Indian Andaman and Nicobar chain of islands and have immense strategic importance. India is justifiably concerned at the increase of Chinese influence in the region in general and in the Indian Ocean in particular.

Hawkeye E-2D Mini AWACS for India

September 14, 2009. With the End User Monitoring Agreement (EUMA) signed between India and the United States in the recent past, the Obama administration has cleared the sale, thereby removing all impediments in the acquisition by the Indian Navy of the battle proven, sophisticated, carrier-borne system Northrop Grumman Hawkeye E-2D Mini AWACS. As the Indian Navy does not presently have a carrier, nor is it likely to have one in the foreseeable future that can accommodate this new acquisition, the system will be shore-based. This will undoubtedly impose limitations on exploitation of the full potential of the system which is basically designed to operate from a carrier with the fleet operating over long distances on high seas. The latest version of the Hawkeye that the Indian Navy will receive will be equipped with an entirely new avionics suite, improved engines, a new glass cockpit and in-flight refuelling capability. The aircraft is yet under development and is expected to receive Initial Operational Clearance in 2011.

New Cruise Missiles Indian Kilo Class Submarines

September 16, 2009. Under a 2001 agreement, 10 Indian Kilo Class submarines are currently undergoing overhaul at the Zvezdochka shipyard in northern Russia. Apart from complete overhaul of the submarine hull structures, a number of systems are to be upgraded. These include the control systems, sonar, electronic warfare systems and weapons control system. Russia has now offered to install the Klub-S (SS-N-27) Cruise Missile Systems on four of the Indian Navy Kilo Class submarines in the next five years. The suggestion is to carry out the retrofit at Indian shipyards, a proposal that has obvious benefits.

Of the total of ten super silent Kilo Class submarines supplied to India, only two - the INS Sindhugosh and INS Sindhuvijay are equipped with Klub-S (SS-N-27) Cruise Missile System. The Klub-S subsonic cruise missile has an active radar seeker and navigates with the help of Glonass Satellite coupled with an Inertial Guidance System. It has a range of 300 km and can be launched vertically or through a torpedo tube. The Kilo Class submarines to receive the Klub-S (SS-N-27) Cruise Missile System are the INS Sindhuratna, INS Sindhuraj, INS Sindhushastra and INS Sindhuvir.

Nuclear and Space Technology

ISRO to Tap US Satellite Launch Market

July 31, 2009. With the signing of the Technology Safeguard Agreement (TSA) between the governments of India and the US on July 20, 2009, ISRO is now in a position to launch non-commercial satellites of US origin or satellites carrying US components on commercial terms from its satellite launch facility at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. The requirement for sanction from the US government on a case-by-case basis is no longer necessary. Unlike in the defence industry, there was no end-user agreement with the US in respect of technological cooperation in the regime of space.

ISRO will tap the commercial segment of the US market on mutually agreeable commercial terms through a proposed Commercial Space Launch Agreement expected to be signed during the visit by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Washington in November this year. This agreement will enable India to compete in the international market for launching heavy commercial satellites. ISRO is working on the next generation of Geo-stationary Satellite Launch Vehicles with a capability of lifting satellites in excess of four tons. This will be a quantum increase over the present capacity of 2.5 tons. Despite the economic slowdown, the demand for communications, broadcasting and remote-sensing satellites in the global market continues to be high.

Nuclear Powered Systems for Chandrayaan-II

August 2009. A feasibility study is underway at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to explore the possibility of providing nuclear powered systems for Chandrayaan-II, India’s second mission to the moon, which is expected to be launched around 2012. A nuclear source of energy will help provide uninterrupted power when the orbiter is traveling on the dark side of the moon. Providing a source of nuclear power however, would be a daunting technological challenge from the point of view of miniaturization and safety, especially in the transit from launch pad to orbit. Chandrayaan-II is envisaged to be a joint Indo-Russian mission in which the Orbiter will be designed and developed by ISRO, while the Lander and Rover will be designed and manufactured by Russia. The mission will involve landing the Rover on the surface of the moon to collect soil samples for chemical analysis.

ISRO’s Mars Mission by 2015

August 31, 2009. Following the partial success of Chandrayaan I, ISRO, charged with a renewed confidence, is not only moving forward with the second mission to the moon, the Chandrayaan-II, but well beyond to the Red Planet by 2015. The proposal has been disseminated to the scientific community globally to invite suggestions on the types of experiments that could be carried out during the mission. The mission plan would be drawn up based on their inputs. The proposal, however, is only in the conceptual stage at present and would be firmed up after Chandrayaan-II.

Pokharan II Controversy

September 22, 2009. A retired scientist from DRDO, K Santhanam, who was intimately associated with the nuclear tests conducted by India in 1998 at Pokhran, revealed that the thermo-nuclear test conducted in 1998 was not successful and described it as a ‘fizzle’. The National Security Advisor MK Narayanan however rubbished Santhanam’s claim stating that the scientist did not have access to complete data on the tests. Reiterating his stand, Santhanam asserted that India needed to conduct at least two more nuclear tests as the country was yet to acquire minimum credible deterrence against China. He also added that the National Security Advisor MK Narayanan was ‘barking up the wrong tree’. A number of other eminent personalities also contradicted Santhanam’s statement and held that the H-bomb test had been a success. One such personality was none other than Santanam’s former boss and the then DRDO Chief and former President of India, Dr Abdul Kalam. Santhanam has dismissed Dr Abdul Kalam’s observations stating that the latter was not a physicist and was ‘uninformed’. Santhanam has suggested reevaluation by an independent body of competent professionals with unfettered access to the Pokharan II test data. Santhanam’s view is that the yield from the thermo-nuclear device tested on May 11, 1998, was well below the desired level - a fact corroborated by physical evidence at the site. Santhanam claims that in 1998 he had submitted a 50-page classified report to the government about the failure of the test.

Apart from the controversy amongst the scientific community and the nationwide bewilderment, the disclosure comes at a time when the US administration has reopened the issue of India signing the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), both of which would legally prevent India from conducting any further nuclear tests.