French Rafale jets for 2011 wargames

BY: TNN

The French Air Force may field its latest Rafale fighters for an Indo-French military exercise in India next year. The Rafale’s presence in such a setting would come at a time when competition for IAF’s mammoth MMRCA (medium multi-role combat aircraft) contract, in which the French fighter is participating, would enter the final lap.

An Air Force officer said talks are underway for the next Indo-French exercise, and French officials have “expressed their desire to bring the state-of-the-art Rafale aircraft for the next Indo-French air exercise” to beheld in India.

The reports of the move come as the two sides, along with Singapore, enter the final stages of the exercise ‘Garuda 2010′, presently underway at Istres Air Base in France.

During the ongoing exercise, India’s six SU-30MKI fighters along with France’s Mirage-2000-5 and Rafale and Singapore’s F-16 were engaged in various air defence manoeuvres such as implementation of “no-fly zones” and large force engagements during day and night.

“The SU-30 also took part in the high value airborne asset protection as well as their protection busting missions. The IL-78 refuellers of the IAF and the KC-135 refuellers of the French Air Force also participated in various missions carrying out cross-refueling,” an IAF statement said.

The IAF said a unique feature to which the SU-30 were subjected during the exercise was the “swing roles”, meaning the same aircraft simultaneously carried out both offensive and defensive roles.

Besides its Sukhoi-30 MKI fighters, the IAF also fielded its special force Garuds, who carried out day and night jumps along with French special forces, the IAF said.

India’s LCA AESA Radar Programme Detailed

BY: http://livefist.blogspot.com

Air-to-Air: Multi-target detection and tracking / Multi target ACM (Air-to-Air combat mode) / High resolution raid assessment

Air-to-Ground: High Resolution mapping (SAR mode) / AGR – Air to Ground Ranging / RBM – Real Beam Mapping / DBS – Doppler Beam Sharpening / Ground Moving Target Indication (GMTI) / Ground Moving Target Tracking (GMTT) / Terrain Avoidance (TA)

Air-to-Sea: Sea search and multi target tracking / Range Signature (RS) / Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR)

As I’ve reported here before, the development partner that LRDE identifies will be responsible for “detailed design, development and realisation” of (a) antenna panel constisting of main antenna, guard antenna and sidelobe cancellation antenna, (b) transmit/receive modules/groups, (c) RF distribution network consisting of RF manifold/combiners, RF interface, (d) antenna/beam control chain consisting of T/R control and T/R group control, and (e) array calibration/BITE among other areas.

EADS awarded support contract for AEW aircraft program by DRDO

BY: DEFENCEWORLD

EADS Defence & Security (DS) will supply consultancy services to the Indian Armed Forces in developing the system architecture of its Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) programme.

EADS has been awarded yesterday a two-digit-million Euro contract by the Indian Defence Research Design Organisation (DRDO) to provide support in the development of system architecture with particular regard to certification and mission equipment optimisation.

“From our systems responsibility for the overall Military Management System of the A400M transport aircraft we have thorough experience in certification of aircraft according to civil and military rules,” explains Bernd Wenzler, CEO of Defence Electronics, an integrated Business Unit of DS. “This, together with our broad technology base in sensors and data fusion makes us the ideal partner for DRDO.”

Iran masters production of UAVs

By RusNavy.com

Iran will develop and produce submarine-controlled unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), reported FNA citing Mohammad Sadri, the head of industry research department of Iranian armed forces.As for Sadri, nowadays the world is about to create UAVs controlled by submarines, semi-submerged vessels, and surface ships, so Iran also flirts with this idea.

According to him, Iran already uses domestically made UAVs at sea for testing new weapons and targeting.

Sadri outlined unique features of Iranian UAVs which are stealth technology and small size.

Last week Iranian Air Force's Lt. Cmdr. Mohsen Darrebaki said to FNA that it was planned to form one UAV battalion at each air base.

Each fighter base will have one UAV battalion; four bases are forming such battalions, pointed out Darrebaki.

According to him, Iranian Air Force has been using UAVs for many years; presently, they are used for reconnaissance, but in future UAVs will be used in combat.

In Feb 2010 Iran declared launching of serial production of two domestically made-produced unmanned aerial vehicles Ra'd (stands for "Thunder") and Nazir ("Forerunner") for reconnaissance, patrolling, and delivery of precision strikes .

Last June Iran successfully tested stealth UAV bomber. In 2008 Iranian fighter jets Saeqeh (stands for "Thunderbolt") and Azarakhsh ("Lightning") went into batch production; also, construction of a factory was started which is to produce UAVs for civil and military purposes.

INS Sindhurakshak to be delivered in Severodvinsk for refit late July

Text: ITAR-TASS
Photo: INS Sindhurakshak. dailynews.lk

Indian diesel electric submarine Sindhurakshak (stands for "Sea Giant") will be delivered to Zvezdochka shipyard (Severodvinsk) for modernization late July, said Nadezhda Scherbinina, the head of Zvezdochka press service.

According to her, a dock vessel with the submarine on board sailed off Indian port last weekend and laid a course for Severodvinsk. "Estimated time of the cruise is 40 days", specified Mrs. Scherbinina.

Delegations of Zvezdochka shipyard and Indian defense ministry signed a contract on June 4 in Delhi providing overhaul and modernization of INS Sindhurakshak which will take 2-2.5 years.

"The contract on submarine's upgrade was for the first time signed without intermediary of Rosoboronexport", pointed out the yard's representative.

Being specialized in overhaul and utilization of nuclear-powered submarines, Zvezdochka has upgraded four Indian diesel electric submarines since 1997 which are INS Sindhuvir, INS Sindhuratna, INS Sindhughosh, and INS Sindhuvijay. The shipyard also continues repair and modernization of similar submarine INS Sindukirti in her home base Vishakhapatnam, India.

All these submarines are Russian-made Project 887EKM (Kilo class) developed by Rubin design bureau, St. Petersburg. They are designed for antisubmarine and antiship warfare; defense of naval bases, coastal and sea lines of communication; reconnaissance and patrol operations. Such submarines have displacement of 2,300 tons; length of 72.6 meters; submerged speed of 19 knots (about 35 kph); test depth of 300 meters; crew of 52; endurance of 45 days. Armament includes six 533-mm torpedo tubes. In the course of modernization subs are equipped with advanced Russian Club-S cruise missile system (developed by Novator Design Bureau) with firing range of about 200 km, Indian sonars USHUS and radio communication systems CCS-MK. INS Sindhurakshak was built in 1997 at Admiralteyskie Verfi shipyard (St. Petersburg) by order of Indian Navy.

India To Roll Out Tejas Naval Variant Soon

BY: AVIATION WEEK. / PICTURE tarmak007.blogspot.com

The Tejas Light Combat Aircraft’s (LCA) naval prototype (NP-1) will be rolled out for the first time on July 6 here in Bengaluru, with Chief of Naval Staff Adm. Nirmal Verma on hand, sources tell AVIATION WEEK.

The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), which is in charge of the design and development of Tejas variants, and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL), ADA’s principal partner and main manufacturer, are currently giving the aircraft a final structural fine-tuning at HAL’s Aircraft Research and Development Center.

“The rollout of the aircraft signals that the platform is structurally complete, equipment installed, and plumbing and wiring completed,” a source says. “It will be on its wheels and can be moved by assisted power. A rollout is also a precursor to the next phase of ground-based system integration testing, engine ground run, taxi trials and the first flight.”

The NP-1 will have almost the same system architecture as the Tejas Indian air force trainer version.

The NP-1 trainer is scheduled to make its first flight by the end of this year and the NP-2 fighter one year after that. Both can operate from an aircraft carrier with the ski-jump takeoff and arrested recovery concept.

“The aircraft will get airborne in about 200 meters over the ski jump on the ship, [versus] a land-based takeoff run of about 800 meters,” a source says. “Landing on the ship is with an arrester hook on the aircraft engaging an arrester wire on the ship. The aircraft then stops in 90 meters, which is about 1/10th of land-based stopping distance. This makes the Tejas naval program extremely challenging, and we are happy with what the Naval Project Team based out of Bangalore has done so far.”

The 14-member NPT is headed by Cmd. C.D. Balaji (ret.), program director for LCA Navy, operating out of ADA.

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) sanctioned development of LCA Navy in April 2003, and in December 2009 the CCS also approved a Mark-II version with a new engine. NP-1 will fly with a GE-404 power-plant, with 40% of the funding coming from the Indian navy and 60% from the Defense Research and Development Organization. The Tejas naval variant will replace the aging fleet of Sea Harriers, and the navy is said to have made an initial commitment to 50 Tejas after the platform proves 

Videos of Dhruv,Testing its Weapons