Naval LCA set for Carrier Compatibility Tests

Source: TNN

The naval variant of India’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) is gearing up for carrier compatibility tests at the shore-based INS Hansa in Goa, according to sources in the Aeronautical Development Authority (ADA) which is developing the aircraft. The first prototype completed its maiden flight on April 27, 2012. 

The ADA has floated tenders inviting expression of interest (EoI) for the design, development, procurement, testing, integration, installation, commissioning and operation of shore-based telemetry facility, an essential component to test LCA-Navy. “The last date to receive EoIs is October 24,” a source said.

LCA-Navy is the second Ski Take-Off But Arrested Recovery (STOBAR ) carrier-borne aircraft in the world, after the Russian deck-based aircraft. However, it’ll be the only carrier-borne fighter aircraft in the light category.

A senior ADA official said a US Navy Carrier Suitability Test Team will audit the test findings and its experience in developing and maintaining carrier-borne aircraft will be useful.

Technical features

* Operate from aircraft carrier using Ski-jump Take off But Arrested Recovery. Aircraft gets airborne over a ski jump in about 200 m and lands in 90 m

* Derived from air force version, it’s an agile war machine

* Flight control system augmented with Leading Edge Vortex Controller which aids reduced approach speeds for carrier landing

* Fuel dump system enables safe landing by reducing weight in emergencies after launch from carrier

HAL rejects IAF proposal to produce Pilatus trainer aircraft

Source: PTI

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has rejected a proposal of Air Force to produce Pilatus aircraft in its facilities against the backdrop of a tussle between the two on whether to procure an imported trainer aircraft or develop it indigenously.

IAF has already placed an order for 75 Pilatus trainer aircraft and is planning to procure 106 more of them after the completion of the delivery of first lot by the end of 2017.

HAL, however, is in favour of developing the aircraft indigenously.

IAF had proposed that HAL should licence produce the Pilatus aircraft in its facility but this was rejected by the aerospace giant saying it was working on a project of its own on the issue, senior IAF officials said here.

HAL is working towards producing HTT-40 basic trainer aircraft which is expected to fly by 2015.

IAF and HAL have been debating on the issue for over a year now but it came to fore recently when IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne wrote to Defence Minister A K Antony, asking the government to procure the Pilatus instead of the one proposed by the HAL.

The IAF chief has also told the government that cost of the HTT-40 aircraft being developed by the HAL would be higher than that of the Pilatus aircraft.

IAF has also told government that the indigenous aircraft would be 25 per cent more expensive than the imported Pilatus.

According to HAL, the aircraft proposed by it would be much more advanced than the Pilatus as it will have weapon firing capabilities also along with other advancements.

India to finalize $15 billion Rafale deal by March, Indian Air Force says

Source: REUTERS

                                      

India will finalize a $15 billion deal to buy 126 Rafale fighter jets from France’s Dassault Aviation by March 2014, an Indian Air Force official said on Thursday, after the deal had been held up by differences over local manufacturing.

India picked the Rafale for exclusive negotiations in January 2012 after a bidding contest against Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft, made by a consortium involving EADS, Finmeccanica and BAE Systems.

However, there were differences over the role of India’s state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd in manufacturing the jets.

Air Marshal S Sukumar, deputy chief of Air staff, told an aerospace conference the deal would be signed within the current financial year, according to a statement issued by conference organizer, the Confederation of Indian Industry.Under the deal, Dassault is expected to send 18 ready-made jets and would manufacture the rest in IndiaHindustan Aeronautics will be its lead partner.

Dassault had earlier expressed doubts about the ability of the local partner to make such a sophisticated fighter. Hindustan Aeronautics has been developing a light combat aircraft since the early 1980s with no success so far.

A spokesman for Dassault declined to comment. The French company is still hoping to finalize the deal by the end of the 2013.

India’s government wants to encourage Indian companies to partner with foreign suppliers to reduce its reliance on imports and boost a domestic defence industry that is dominated by underperforming public sector companies.

A separate tender to buy and build 56 military transport planes at an estimated cost of 119 billion rupees has been extended by two months, Sukumar also said. The defence ministry launched the tender in May to replace an ageing fleet of Avro jets.

The ministry had originally said the transport planes deal must be struck between a foreign supplier and an Indian private company. However, heavy industries minister Praful Patel said last week that public-sector firms already making products for the armed forces should have been allowed to take part in the bidding.

The defence ministry has said it will look into Patel’s complaint, potentially delaying the tender. Many of India’s foreign arms purchases run into long delays because of accusations of corruption and bureaucratic complications.

India launches Rs 13,000 crore IAF aircraft project involving private sector

Indian AirForce Avro

     India has kick-started another mega defence project by floating the global tender for the over Rs 13,000-crore acquisition of 56 transport aircraft to replace the ageing Avro fleet of IAF. The project, under which the first 16 aircraft will be bought off-the-shelf and the rest 40 will be manufactured in India, breaks new ground by specifying that the foreign aviation major eventually selected will have to tie-up with an Indian private sector company to produce the planes. 

       Defence PSU, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), which has a virtual monopoly in the military aviation arena, is being kept out of this project. The tender, or request for proposal (RFP), was issued to eight aviation majors — Embraer, Lockheed Martin, Airbus, Ilyushin, Casa, Saab and Alenia Aeronuatica — on Wednesday. Incidentally, Alenia Aeronautica is part of the Italian conglomerate Finmeccanica, which is facing charges of paying bribes to swing the Rs 3,546-crore contract to supply 12 VVIP helicopters to India in favour of its UK-based subsidiary, AgustaWestland.
Read more at: TimesofIndia

LCA Tejas LSP 8 takes on the skies!

The last aircraft in the Limited Series Production program of LCA-Tejas (LSP-08) took off on its maiden flight here today from HAL airport.  The performance of the aircraft was flawless, said Dr. R. K.Tyagi, Chairman, HAL. The aircraft was flown covering a flight envelope at supersonic speeds and at an angle of attack of 20 degrees which is the current maximum limit cleared by design. With this, the Initial Operation Clearance (IOC) for the aircraft can be expected soon. Air Cmde K.A. Muthana, VSM, Program Director (Flight Test) piloted the aircraft on its maiden flight.