Indian Defence Review

Support Platforms

Fixed wing transport aircraft and helicopters have proved their usefulness in peace and war with them seeing regular employment in strategic mobility, troop lift, disaster relief, evacuation of own citizens from troubled areas, providing support to civilian authority in Counter Insurgency Operations (COIN) and, in the case of India, daily air-maintaining troops and civilians in the high altitude frontier areas. In the absence of adequate infrastructure in the mountains these aircraft of the IAF have proved to be the life line of the inhabitants of these remote regions of the country. The IAF has been using the Il-76 and An-32 as the main platforms for over two decades. The Hercules C-130J a ‘Special Forces’ version of the US cargo plane is soon slated to enter service with the IAF and would likely continue until at least 2030.

Helicopters have proved their versatility both in war and peace and hence are likely to remain in great demand for the foreseeable future.

The PLAAF has also used its fleet of 30+ Il-76 and large numbers of An-24 for some time with the Y-8 a locally produced copy of the An-12. China and India are both trying to produce their own tactical transport aircraft and by the end of the next decade some of these may well enter service with the PLAAF, PAF and IAF.

Pakistan has ordered six SAAB Erieye AEW&C aircraft from Sweden, the first of which rolled out on 26 mar 2008.1 These countries may add to their existing assets of tankers and AWACS. China has already inducted its locally developed AWACS, the KJ-2000. This aircraft led the fly past at the 60th Anniversary Parade in 2009.

Helicopters have proved their versatility both in war and peace and hence are likely to remain in great demand for the foreseeable future. India’s Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) ‘Dhruv’ is already flying with its army, navy and the air force and is also on the export market. China has produced the Z-8 support and Z-9 attack helicopter and both these are also likely to be exported in the future. India has placed an order for 197 Light Observation Helicopter (LOH) for its army and the same are likely to enter service by 2014. The Indian Navy has also placed orders for some refurbished Sea Kings and with Tata signing a JV with Eurocopter the Indian helicopter market is likely boom. Given the mountainous nature of India’s Northern borders, the helicopter would continue to remain important in all its roles; armed/attack, scout/reconnaissance, support, tactical troop lift, medical casualty evacuation, combat search & rescue even if its effectiveness in the attack/combat role is restricted at heights above 10,000 feet AMSL.

Other Asian powers would continue to operate a variety of helicopters of Western and Russian origin but it is not clear if any of them will start their own production programmes since their needs are not large.

UAV/UCAV

The idea of using unmanned aerial vehicles has been around for a very long time but its fruition is of more recent origin. These were effective in battlefield surveillance role and gave valuable additional information to the ground forces without having to depend on dedicated reconnaissance aircraft. The wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon (2006) and the conflict in Georgia (2008) all saw extensive use of the UAV.

The success of the US in October 2001 Afghanistan Air War in the early and effective targeting of the Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters with the Predator MQ-1 launching Hellfire anti-tank missiles made this modified UAV a legend.

The UCAV as also High/Medium Altitude Long Endurance (HALE, MALE) UAV are now fast becoming more popular with all armed forces. The success of the US in October 2001 Afghanistan Air War in the early and effective targeting of the Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters with the Predator MQ-1 launching Hellfire anti-tank missiles made this modified UAV a legend. This kindled renewed interest in the UAV with many countries developing their own. Small UAV that can be launched by an infantryman are also becoming more and more commonplace. A variety of UAV, UCAV and Man-portable and Micro UAV will see resurgence in the near future because of their low cost, relative ease of import and local manufacture. Presently the market is expanding but fully autonomous types are not being fielded for reasons of safety to other users of airspace and the need to first confirm that the target is indeed hostile before its engagement.

Some low cost UCAV designed to home on to radiations of a radar set and destroy the radar by diving into it are already in use in the region. According to the Aviation Week & Space Technology (AWST) the US remains the dominant producer and operator of the UAV and from a mere 1000 flight hours in 1987 the figure had gone up to 600,000 in 2008.2  Northrop Grumman the manufacturer of the famed Global Hawk HALE UAV, has recently offered for trials a UCAV, the X-45, that will display stealth characteristics, and carry PGMs such as the JDAM and the small diameter bomb. The X-47B technology demonstrator capable of carrier operations is currently undergoing trials. What with the rapidly increasing costs of manned fighters there is a strong possibility of the UAV/UCAV combination becoming more popular with the armed forces of the region.

This is one instrument of modern air power that will probably become the most sought after weapon system by all the countries of the region and its intelligent and early adoption would result in considerable cost savings. Being of a relatively short range and limited armament, access to these vehicles and associated technologies may also become easier.

Missiles

The ‘aircraft versus missile’ was a long enduring debate during the 1960s and 70s with the central focus on the delivery of nuclear weapons. Here we shall only consider the conventional missile in all its forms. For some years now, China has been producing conventionally armed surface-to-surface missiles of the M-9, M-11 variety. India has recently unveiled its solid fuel version of the Prithvi with a conventional warhead. In the recent past, short range missiles and rockets have caused two major conflagrations in West Asia, first the 2006 Lebanon War and later the August 2008 Gaza conflict.

The Brahmos supersonic missile jointly developed by India and Russia is another example of effectively long range engagement of the enemy with relative safety.

A variety of ship and air launched missiles for use against ships and ground targets already fill the inventories of many countries with the PRC laying considerable stress on this ‘easy-to-produce’ simple weapon system. Both Iran and Pakistan are also busy producing different types of missiles including the cruise missile. The reason for such interest is perhaps their relatively low cost and ease of manufacture, high accuracy and their usefulness in the initial stages of a conventional war when air superiority is not yet attained.

A recent report says that, “in 1970 there were only two countries developing cruise missiles with ranges of more than 150 km, but by 2009 this figure had increased to 17. Cruise missiles cost between 10 per cent and 25 per cent of the price of a ballistic missile; they use general aircraft technologies and they tend to be more accurate.”3 It is quite possible that the next two decades will see more and more of these missiles in the region. As seen during the 1995-96 Taiwan Straits Crisis, the missile may also become the weapon of choice in signalling the intentions of a country.

Selectively targeting the enemy’s military assets such as fuel dumps, ammunition storage depots, forward airfields, army/air force HQs and communication nodes can prove a very safe, cost effective and decisive option in the opening days of the war with low risk of attrition to own aircraft and to enemy civilians. This may thus become the preferred tool for the developing countries of the region. The American Stinger man-portable SAM or MANPAD has over time acquired a high reputation for accuracy and lethality. The IAF lost a helicopter and a fighter aircraft and sustained damage to one of its medium reconnaissance bomber due to Stingers during the 1999 Kargil Conflict. It must, therefore, be remembered that a low cost MANPAD SAM can be a major deterrent to offensive air operations and a force multiplier for the defender.

Also read: Future trends in aviation

The Brahmos supersonic missile jointly developed by India and Russia is another example of effectively long range engagement of the enemy with relative safety. The next two decades may see a proliferation of missiles of all types as manned fighters/bombers become costlier and out-of-reach of developing countries. The aircraft and helicopter lose their overall effectiveness due to reduced lift and engine thrust at high altitudes. The ballistics of the shell and bomb also become more unpredictable at higher altitudes.

Interdiction of enemy supply lines is, therefore, preferable to attacks on targets in close proximity of own troops. Future air operations in the mountains would have to allow for these limitations of the aircraft and helicopters. Man-portable anti-tank (MANPAT) and anti-aircraft missiles and Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS) may be more effective in the mountains. In fact, the intelligent use of the UCAV-missile combination might prove a winning future strategy and enhance their attractiveness in the future.

Training

Both flying and technical training is perhaps the most important if unglamorous activity of any air force and may also see some major changes. In the UK basic training has already been outsourced to private companies. The IAF is looking to replace its basic trainer the HPT-32 and Kiran AJT-16; the latter with an indigenously produced IJT Sitara which is now reported to be powered by a Russian engine. The HPT replacement is yet to be chosen. China has produced two jet trainers. The JL-8 or K-8 Karakoram was co-produced with Pakistan’s Aeronautical Industry but only 12 of them are flying in the PAF.

Click to buy: Asia 2030: The Unfolding Future

China unveiled its L-15 third generation advanced supersonic trainer at the Nov 2008 Zhuhai Air Show. Developed by the Hongdu Aviation Industry Group (HAIC) with inputs from Russia’s Yakolev bureau’, the PLAAF is likely to induct these in large numbers. China has another trainer, the Guizhou JL-9 or FTC-2000, produced by Guizhou Aircraft Industry Corporation (GAIC) for the PLAAF. China may export these in the future to friendly developing countries. Basic and advanced jet trainers will continue to be in demand and this is one area where developing countries of the region can make their mark by intelligently entering into joint ventures with the aerospace majors of the West.

Developed by the Hongdu Aviation Industry Group (HAIC) with inputs from Russias Yakolev bureau, the PLAAF is likely to induct L-15 in large numbers.

“The Italian Alenia Aermacchi M-346 is a case in point with the company looking for sales of a light attack version of the lead-in fighter trainer (LIFT). The company sees an international market for at least 2000 M-346 class aircraft over the next 20-25 years.”1