a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://bp3.blogger.com/_RRbP6fpJWAc/SEEl_GNYnyI/AAAAAAAAAjI/oorr_5V1gV0/s1600-h/tejas.jpg”img style=”margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;” src=”http://bp3.blogger.com/_RRbP6fpJWAc/SEEl_GNYnyI/AAAAAAAAAjI/oorr_5V1gV0/s320/tejas.jpg” alt=”" id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206484410145742626″ border=”0″ //aTejas, the Light Combat Aircraft being developed by the Defence Research Development Organization (DRDO), is in the final stages of testing and expected to be launched by 2010, the organization’s Chief Controller W Selvaraj said today. “It is in the final stages of testing and by 2010 it is expected to be launched,” he said here while speaking at a review meeting of the DRDO Anna University and Sri Ramachandra University which jointly collaborated to set up an Ramp;D Centre in Medical Technology.p “After LCAs are launched, the MiG-21 fighters will be gradually phased out,” the Chief Controller said. The Defence Ministry has allotted Rs 105,600 crore as the annual budget and out of that, six per cent has been allotted to DRDO, he said./p From the allotted six per cent (around Rs 6,000 crore) 35 per cent goes to strategic defence, 15 per cent goes to human resource department of DRDO, 15 per cent goes to equipment and maintenance while the remaining 35 per cent goes to Ramp;D, he said.br /br /Sources: a href=”http://in.news.yahoo.com/pti/20080530/r_t_pti_nl_general/tnl-tejas-to-be-launched-by2010-114a2da.html”Yahoo! News/a and a href=”http://www.saharasamay.com/samayhtml/articles.aspx?newsid=99877″SAHARA Samay/a
Archive for May, 2008
LCA (Light Combat Aircraft) – Tejas to be launched by 2010
F-16IN Indian version of F-16
a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://bp1.blogger.com/_RRbP6fpJWAc/SDfqnj6O1aI/AAAAAAAAAjA/kBVFUJHzpH4/s1600-h/f-16in.jpg”img style=”margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;” src=”http://bp1.blogger.com/_RRbP6fpJWAc/SDfqnj6O1aI/AAAAAAAAAjA/kBVFUJHzpH4/s320/f-16in.jpg” alt=”" id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203885859825178018″ border=”0″ //aF-16IN is the proposed Indian version of the F-16, if selected by India for their procurement of 126 MRCA jets. The aircraft’s latest advanced features including an AESA radar, which gives the plane the capability to simultaneously track and destroy ground and air threats. “The F-16IN is the most advanced F-16 ever,” said Chuck Artymovich, the company’s director, business development. Lockheed Martin is also inclined to set up an assembly line in India in collaboration with Indian partners. As the deadline for India’s biggest defence deal ever nears, Lockheed Martin unveiled a new upgraded version of its F-16 with “super cruise” capability and AESA radar.The “super cruise” would give the fighter an extended range, and allows it to break trough the sound barrier without the use of fuel guzzling after-burners. This supercruise capability is however a a reporting error that took on a life of its own in the Indian news media. As the deadline for India’s acquisition of 126 multi-role fighter aircrafts nears, Lockheed Martin has equipped the export version of the fighters, for the first time with Active Electronic Scanned Array (AESA) radars, as reportedly specified in the Indian Air Force’s US$10 billion tender. The AESA radars give the F-16 capability to simultaneously track and destroy ground and air threats. The AESA radar had been cleared before by the US government for installation in 80 F-16s ordered by the United Arab Emirates. India is now confident that a similar green signal would be given in their case. The deal, awaiting clearance from the Cabinet Committee on Security, would be the first direct military sale by a US company to India. Speaking while unveiling the F-16IN, Lockheed Martin executive Chuck Artymovich said that the proposed fighter planes would also be armed with infra-red search and track pods as well as, counter-electronic warfare pods. “The F-16IN is a complete new aircraft and totally caters to India’s requirements and there could be no comparison with block 50 and 60 fighters, being made for other countries,” he said. Besides the F-16, other major contenders for the contract include Boeing’s F-18 Hornet, the Russian MiG-35, the French Dassault Rafale, the Eurofighter Typhoon offered by a consortium of European aerospace manufacturers and the Swedish Saab Gripen. At the ceremony, Lockheed Martin executives said they had met all requirements proposed in the Indian Request For Proposals (RfP) without giving out any details of the contents, citing confidentiality. They said that the company was prepared to meet the RFP requirements of offsets, and would do so in the field of aeronautics or for co-development of an Indian Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).
Israeli jets scrambled to intercept Blair plane
Israeli fighter jets scrambled to intercept a plane carrying Middle East peace envoy Tony Blair this week after his pilots failed to identify themselves, an Israeli security source said on Friday.pThe former British prime minister, who has been charged by the international community with helping the Palestinians on their way to statehood, was en route to Jerusalem from the World Economic Forum in Egypt with other delegates on Wednesday and was unaware of the incident, his spokeswoman said./pp”They were unaware there was any problem with the flight and there was no follow-up,” the spokeswoman, who is based in Jerusalem, said. “They didn’t hear about it until it was in the media afterwards.”/ppThe security source, who declined to be named, said the jets were called back to base after pilots flying the plane carrying Blair identified themselves./ppAs a guard against possible attacks, Israel requires all planes entering its airspace to provide an identification code and the source said it was standard procedure to intercept those who failed to do so./ppBlair was in the West Bank city of Bethlehem this week to help drum up international investment for the Palestinian territories as President Mahmoud Abbas holds statehood talks with Israel./ppAn Israeli army spokesman declined official comment./ppSource: a href=”http://in.news.yahoo.com/reuters_ids_new/20080523/r_t_rtrs_wl/twl-israeli-jets-scrambled-to-intercept-2186892.html”Yahoo! News/abr //p
Advanced Mission Extender Device- A fighter pilot's toilet
a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://bp2.blogger.com/_RRbP6fpJWAc/SDA7pyp9edI/AAAAAAAAAi4/ZExhkWMyldk/s1600-h/AMXD.jpg”img style=”margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;” src=”http://bp2.blogger.com/_RRbP6fpJWAc/SDA7pyp9edI/AAAAAAAAAi4/ZExhkWMyldk/s320/AMXD.jpg” alt=”" id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201723158771366354″ border=”0″ //aUp until recently when Fighter pilots had to go to the toilet the answer was a heavy-duty bag. But it’s not a great solution. “Piddle packs” — heavy-duty bags containing absorbent sponges — have been blamed for at least two crashes over the years, and they’re not always tidy.br /br /That project turned into the Advanced Mission Extender Device, known in military jargon as the AMXD.br /br /After four years of testing by the Vermont Air National Guard and the Air Force and about $5 million in government and private funds, AMXD is spelling relief for pilots aloft.br /br /Under the old system, pilots routinely avoid liquids before taking off to prevent the unmentionable. But dehydration can make them more susceptible to the G-forces typically seen in fighter aircraft, Harvie said.br /br /When nature’s call becomes too pressing to ignore, a pilot has to fly and unbuckle the harness at the same time — while using both hands to maneuver around in a seat to which he or she is virtually molded.br /br /The aerobatic maneuver is even harder for female pilots.br /br /On long or cold-weather flights, the amount of gear and clothing made the maneuver nearly impossible, and pilots would sometimes have no choice but to relieve themselves in their flight suits.br /br /In the AMXD, a cup for a man and a pad for a woman is strategically placed before the pilot dons a flight suit.br /br /An instructional DVD tells pilots: “When the time comes to urinate, unzip the flight suit, remove the hose…. The control unit will pump the urine from the cup to the collection bag, where it will be chemically gelled.”br /br /Pilots are free to think about other business.br /br /Harvie said the reviews have been positive from pilots of both genders. “One woman had the device taken away after testing and was quite unhappy about having to return to the old method,” he said.br /br /”The AMXD worked as advertised. I believe it’s a much better system and needs to be fielded ASAP,” says an unidentified pilot in a testimonial on the instructional DVD.br /br /The Air Force recently bought its first 300 systems for U.S. pilots around the world at $2,000 each.br /br /There’s room for expansion. The air service has more than 4,200 fighter pilots who fly planes that have no bathrooms, planes like the F-16, F-15, A-10 and the most advanced fighter, the F-22.br /br /The system has already seen action in combat zones: Female helicopter pilots from the Netherlands used the system in Afghanistan.br /br /Harvie said it’s too early to know whether the device will become standard issue, but it has attracted plenty of interest. “The Navy and Army are starting to look at the system for ground troops and carrier pilots, and looking at a version for private-sector uses,” Harvie said.br /br /Harvie said the Belgian Air Force has bought the system for its F-16 pilots.br /br /Source: a href=”http://edition.cnn.com/2008/US/05/16/airforce.relief/”CNN/a
South Korea develops core technology for stealth fighter
p class=”first”Seoul, May 12 (IANS) South Korea has developed the core technology for radar-evading stealth fighters and is preparing for a test flight of a fighter equipped with the technology, WAM news agency reported Monday./ppIt has been nine years since the Agency for Defence Development (ADD) and other South Korean defence research institutes began developing stealth fighter technology in 1999, the report quoted Yonhap News as saying./ppThe ADD successfully conducted a test flight of a miniature fighter equipped with the technology late last year, an official said, refusing to reveal whether the core technology is based on a coating or an alloy./ppThe ADD is preparing for a test flight of an F-4 fighter equipped with the technology, according to the official./ppSouth Korea has a plan to begin purchasing up to 60 stealth fighter jets, like F-22s or F-35s, in 2012 for deployment until 2019./ppIn addition to the plan of purchasing stealth fighters from abroad, South Korea also plans to secure the stealth technology, another official said, noting that ‘China, Russia and Japan are striving to secure the stealth technology and apply it to their weapons systems with the aim of securing command of the air in north-east Asia.’/pp’We hope to develop all the core technologies for embodiment of functional stealth by mid 2010,’ he said, adding South Korean defence research institutes have already developed part of the technology for designing fighters and naval vessels for effective evasion of radar and radio waves./ppSource: a href=”http://in.news.yahoo.com/indiaabroad/20080512/r_t_ians_wl_asia/twl-south-korea-develops-core-technology-d5d6288.html”Yahoo! News/abr //p
Pugachev's Cobra
a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://bp3.blogger.com/_RRbP6fpJWAc/SCWqGDP0y2I/AAAAAAAAAiY/Sxa6RagI8bk/s1600-h/800px-Su-27_Cobra_2b.png”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 468px; height: 117px;” src=”http://bp3.blogger.com/_RRbP6fpJWAc/SCWqGDP0y2I/AAAAAAAAAiY/Sxa6RagI8bk/s320/800px-Su-27_Cobra_2b.png” alt=”" id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5198748365796723554″ border=”0″ //aThe Pugachev’s Cobra (or Pugachev Cobra) is an aircraft cobra maneuver. It is a demonstration of the pitch control authority, high angle of attack (AOA) stability and engine/inlet compatibility at high angles of attack of the aircraft (i.e. supermaneuverability). The maneuver allows for very quick turns which can make an attack fail or put the pilot in a position to execute an attack. It is an example of air combat maneuvering (ACM), specifically poststall maneuvering. The Pugachev’s Cobra is considered to be one of the most dramatic and demanding maneuvers performed at air shows worldwide. The maneuver is so named after the Sukhoi OKB (design bureau) test pilot Viktor Pugachev, who first performed the maneuver officially in 1989 at the Paris Le Bourget air show.br /br /pThe maneuver consists of the pilot pulling the aircraft to a 90°–120° angle of attack, then back down to zero. In a properly performed Pugachev’s Cobra, the plane maintains a straight and level flight throughout the maneuver./p The vertical form of this maneuver is called a Cobra, named after the snake that behaves in a similar manner. Performing the maneuver on the horizontal plane results in the aircraft effectively stopping while the enemy overshoots, leaving the aircraft in a position for a straightforward missile attack on the enemy aircraft.
Ecuador military plans to buy 24 Brazilian fighter planes
Ecuador’s Air Force chief says the country plans to purchase 24 Brazilian Super Tucano fighter planes to help bolster its military strength on the border with Colombia.br /President Rafael Correa has said Ecuador needs the reinforcements since Colombia’s March 1 cross-border military raid on a rebel camp.br /Gen. Rodrigo Bohorquez says the planes will cost up to US$300 million (¤194 million).br /Bohorquez said Friday that the purchase will be made within the next two months, and Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer SA will deliver the planes within a year.br /Correa, who cut off diplomatic ties with Colombia following the raid, said in April that Ecuador would modernize its aging air force to enforce its border.
Global Giants Bid for Indian Fighter Deal
a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://bp3.blogger.com/_RRbP6fpJWAc/SB0d1VDvTqI/AAAAAAAAAhY/Rt0adNyK7BA/s1600-h/mrca.png”img style=”margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;” src=”http://bp3.blogger.com/_RRbP6fpJWAc/SB0d1VDvTqI/AAAAAAAAAhY/Rt0adNyK7BA/s320/mrca.png” alt=”" id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196342347078520482″ border=”0″ //aNEW DELHI – Global aviation giants on April 28 submitted bids to sell 126 warplanes to India – the world’s richest fighter aircraft deal worth $12 billion. Six aeronautical companies from Russia, the United States and Europe offered their proposals to the Indian defense ministry well before an official deadline ended, the companies said.U.S.-based Lockheed Martin said its proposals, which run over 10,000 pages, describe an upgraded version of the F-16 fighter jet. “The F-16IN is a unique configuration of the F-16, designed to address the requirements specified in India’s request for proposals,” said Orville Prins, a Lockheed Martin vice president. “Our proposal also represents a long-term partnership between the air forces of India and the United States and between Indian industry and the F-16 industry team,” he added. Seattle-based Boeing, which is offering F-18 Superhornets, said it submitted its 7,000-page bid on April 24. “One of the concerns here in India is the cost of owning and maintaining combat fighters over their lifetime,” said Vivek Lall, a vice president in Boeing’s military wing. “The Super Hornet offers a very attractive life-cycle-cost dynamic, since the fighter won’t need a scheduled visit to a maintenance depot until it has clocked a minimum of 6,000 hours of flying time, and even well beyond that,” he said in statement. The European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company (EADS), in its 7,000-page submission pushed the Typhoon Eurofighter, saying scores of air forces were flying the multi-role aircraft. EADS suffered a setback in December when India scrapped a $600 million deal for 197 military helicopters from Eurocopter – an unit of the consortium. Bernhard Gerwert, CEO of EADS’ military wing said that the company was ready to meet Indian deadlines. The Indian air force contract includes outright purchase of 18 war jets by 2012 with another 108 of the same planes to be built in India. India also has an option to buy 64 more such jets. Russian manufacturers of MiG-35 and MiG-29, as well as Sweden’s Saab, which is hawking its Gripen fighter, and French Dassault, which constructs the Rafale and Mirage, also handed over bids to the Indian authorities. Dassault has promised to supply 40 Rafale jets on a fast-track basis as part of the deal, while Gripen is offering larger technology transfers.The bids were scheduled to be opened later April 28 for technical evaluation. Army commanders meanwhile began reviewing India’s arms purchase laws which stipulate that foreign firms selling products worth $600 million or more must re-invest 50 percent of the amount to build local manufacturing capacity. New Delhi introduced this clause into all its big defense deals in 2003 as a way of protecting itself from non-delivery and to boost the domestic arms industry. “The commanders’ conference which began today is discussing the merits and de-merits of the policy before it goes for a final revision in June,” a ministry official said. New Delhi called for the war jet bids in August last year as the air force’s operational fighter fleet plunged to a low of 576 aircraft, from nearly 750 in early 2000.
Ekranoplan: Caspian Sea Monster
During the mid-1960s chilly height of the Cold War, US photo reconnaissance spotted a strange apparition on the shores of the Caspian Sea – a gigantic 100m-long aircraft with inexplicably truncated square wings. US Intelligence dubbed the beast the “Caspian Sea Monster”, unaware that the Russians were developing not, as they thought, an enormous conventional seaplane, but rather a 550-ton water-hugging behemoth designed to use the ground effect to skim the ocean at high speed, undetected by radar.
Hawk crashes in Bidar, both pilots safe
BIDAR: THE Indian Air Force has lost its brand new Hawk-132 trainer aircraft which crashed soon after taking off from Bidar Air Force Station on Tuesday.br /br /The two pilots in the aircraft, which was recently acquired from Britain to improve flight safety record, bailed out safely.br /br /In an embarrassment to the IAF, the aircraft has been lost just a couple of months after it was inducted at an elaborate ceremony attended by Defence Minister A.K Antony and top officials of British Aerospace Systems, the maker of Hawk.br /br /The IAF said an enquiry has been ordered to investigate the reasons for the accident. Sources said the rate of climb severely diminished and the aircraft made contact with the ground in the vicinity of the airfield.br /br /As it took barely a few seconds for the aircraft to come down, only one of the two pilots managed to eject. The other one remained trapped in the aircraft but is said to be safe.br /br /The IAF kept the accident under wraps for more than 24 hours as it was officially announced only on Wednesday that the aircraft has been lost.br /br /The IAF said no person was injured or killed as a result of the accident and there was no damage to civil or other property.br /br /Hawk-132 was specifically made for India to train IAF pilots in handling advanced fighter jets. The IAF had bought 66 Hawks from BAe systems out of which eight have arrived. The aircraft are based in Bidar.br /br /The need to buy an advanced trainer was felt more than two decades ago to curtail high accident rate of the IAF. The IAF fighter pilots train on MiG-21s, a relatively difficult machine to handle.br /br /The accident of Hawk has raised serious questions about the safety aspect of the aircraft.br /br /The induction has not been without teething problems. There were complaints about the availability of spares as a result of which the aircraft were even grounded for a brief period.
