India's first C-130J starts delivery flight

India's first C-130J starts delivery flight

FlightGlobal

The Indian air force's first of six C-130J tactical transports has left Lockheed Martin's Marietta manufacturing site in Georgia, at the start of its delivery flight to Hindon air base.

To make its public debut at the Aero India show near Bangalore in early February, the aircraft is the nation's second production example, registered as KC-3802. It was formally handed over to the service in Marietta in mid-December, and Lockheed published images of its departure on 28 January.

Both images © Lockheed Martin

India's acquisition is of six stretched-fuselage C-130J-30s, all of which will be delivered this year. It is also expected to approve a follow-on deal for another six.

BrahMos Aerospace to make cryogenic engines for Indian rockets

BrahMos Aerospace to make cryogenic engines for Indian rockets

Sify

Chennai, Jan 30 (IANS) Missile makers BrahMos Aerospace will manufacture the cryogenic engine once the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) perfects the technology, said a senior official Sunday.

The company is also hoping to induct its supersonic cruise missile into the Indian Air Force and develop hypersonic missile in six years' time, chief executive and managing director A.Sivathanu Pillai told reporters here.

'The ISRO is developing the cryogenic engine to power its GSLV (geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle) rockets. Once ISRO perfects the technology, we will make the engine as the space agency has asked us to do it,' Pillai said.

The company's wholly owned subsidiary BrahMos Aerospace Thiruvanthapuram Ltd (BATL) that already makes the liquid fuel powered engines and fuel tanks for rockets will make the cryogenic engine, he added.

BrahMos Aerospace is a joint venture between India's Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) that holds 50.5 percent stake and Military Industrial Consortium/MPO Machinostroyenia of Russia holding the remaining stake. According to Pillai, $300 million has gone into the venture.

Speaking about the supersonic cruise missile for the Indian Air Force, he said it will be ready next year.

'Our supersonic missile, traveling at Mach 2.8, is nine times faster than other missiles in the world,' he said.

About the hypersonic missile that would have a speed of Mach 7 - or seven times the speed of sound - he said: 'The basic technology is being developed. It will take around six years to come out with a missile.'

On the localisation levels achieved by the company in making missiles, Pillai said the Russians provide the engine components while Indian industries provide the guidance systems.

Last month BrahMos Aerospace and NPO Machinostroyenia signed an agreement ruling out 

any price escalation.

The Russian partner also committed full support of its specialists so that some of the components that are now imported could be locally manufactured.

2011-01-30 The Indian Navy is looking to procure ten mechanised amphibious crafts to enable troop landings on beaches which will enhance its amphibious warfare capability. The Navy has issued a Request for Information (RFI) to global ship-builders to know if they can deliver the craft to India within the specified time frame and also meet its requirements, a senior naval official told the news agency IANS speaking on condition of anonymity.

The craft is expected to be used to ferry military equipment and material between island territories of Andaman and Nicobar on the eastern sea board and Lakshadweep on the western side.

More from IANS:

The Navy has been using 10 such craft in Andaman and Nicobar islands for years now for inter-island movement, but have de-commissioned six of them in recent years. The fresh order will be to augment this capability, he said. The 55-tonne capacity craft can be carried on board the navy's five large Landing Ship Tank (LST) vessels of the Magar and Shardul class.

The craft will be used to launch either 150 troops and their warfare equipment, a T-90/T-72 battle tank, two infantry combat vehicles, two 2.5-tonne trucks or four light motor vehicles to enemy shores. It will also be able to operate out of Landing Pontoon Dock INS Jalashwa, which in its earlier avatar was USS Trenton of the US Navy, bought by India in 2007.

Jalashwa, at 17,000-tonne, is the second largest warship of the Indian Navy after its lone 29,000-tonne aircraft carrier INS Viraat.

"The craft will be used for ship-to-shore movement of assault material, equipment and personnel in support of amphibious operations, apart from search and rescue, casualty evacuation, humanitarian relief, and supply and replenishment of warships," the officer said, when asked about the role of these craft. The 23-metre long craft will have a cargo well and touch maximum speeds of 15 knots in fully-laden condition with an endurance level of six months out of dock or 200 nautical miles at full loading condition. It will be propelled by two diesel engines driving a water jet each.

With capability to operate during both day and night, the navy plans to use the craft for 20 years from induction. The craft will be armed with two mounted heavy machine gun with hands-free communication system with all-round arc of fire or shrapnel along with a protective steel plate to save the gun crew from enemy fire.

NEW DELHI (PTI): Under development for over two decades, India's indigenous fighter jet engine 'Kaveri' will be used for powering the home-grown fifth generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).

Being developed by DRDO's Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), the Kaveri engine was initially being developed for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas programme but now it will be used on the AMCA, which is expected to be ready by 2016-17, senior officials told PTI here.

The AMCA is a twin-engine indigenous fighter aircraft programme for which initial sanctions have already been accorded by the Defence Ministry, they added.

The indigenous fighter aircraft engine programme was first started in 1986 and has suffered delays and cost over-runs. It was also marred by the technology denial regimes in the 1990s.

After not being able to get the desired thrust for powering fighter aircraft, the DRDO entered into a Joint Venture with the French engine manufacturers Snecma to further enhance its capabilities.

"In recent times, the engine has been able to produce thrust of 70-75 Kilo Newton but what the IAF and other stake-holders desire is power between 90-95 KN.

"I think with the JV with Snecma in place now, we would be able to achieve these parameters in near future," they said.

On using the Kaveri for the LCA, they said the engine would be fitted on the first 40 LCAs to be supplied to the Indian Air Force (IAF) when they come for upgrades to the DRDO in the latter half of the decade.

Due to the absence of an indigenous engine, the GE Aviation engines from the US were procured to power the LCAs and recently, another tender was awarded to the American company for supplying 99 engines for the advanced version of Tejas.

On the present status of the programme, officials said the maiden flight test of Kaveri was completed successfully during the Flying Test Bed (FTB) trials at the Gromov Flight Research Institute in Moscow November last year.

During the coming months, 50-60 test flights will be carried out to mature the engine in terms of reliability, safety and airworthiness.

These trials would pave the way for further flight trials of Kaveri engine with a fighter aircraft, they added.

Indian navy probes warship collision

Indian navy probes warship collision

Sify

Indian defence officials began a probe Monday into a collision between a warship and a merchant vessel near Mumbai, in the latest incident in the busy waters outside the city, an officer said.

The INS Vindhyagiri suffered damage and a fire broke out near the engine room as she returned to the city's naval dockyard on Sunday with the families of navy personnel on board.

"The cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained. That will only happen subsequent to the naval board of inquiry that will be set up," defence ministry spokesman Captain M. Nambiar told AFP.

Firefighters and military personnel battled thick smoke to bring the fire on the Leander class frigate under control as she was towed back to the dockyard from the busy shipping channel off India's financial capital.

Nambiar said the ship, which was commissioned in 1981, was listing in the dock's shallow waters because of damage to her hull but would right herself once pumping began.

Defence officials in New Delhi said that ammunition on board was cleared and that "all efforts" were made to contain the fire and flooding.

"Necessary measures have also been taken to prevent any spillage of oil from the ship," a statement said.

About 150 people were on board the vessel and had been on a short excursion when the collision happened with the Cyprus-flagged MV Nordlake, which was leaving Mumbai's Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT).

No one was injured, said Nambiar.

Six months ago, two cargo vessels collided off Mumbai, sending containers spilling into the sea, grounding one of the ships and causing it to list badly.

Shipping traffic into and out of JNPT and the Mumbai Port Trust -- which together handle about 40 percent of India's maritime cargo -- was severely disrupted after the waterway was closed due to the hazard.

INDIAN AIR FORCE NEED MODERN UPGREDATION FOR TEJAS FIGHTER

                             INDIA'S NUMBER ONE DEFENSE BLOG
Airframe Modifications

Minor modifications are being made to the LCA Tejas Mk1 airframe to accommodate the slightly larger engine. The fuselage has been extended by 500mm.

The dimensions of Mk2 will be as follows

Span : 8.20m
Length: 13.70m
Height: 4.52m

Upgrades

Besides a more powerful engine, Tejas Mk-2 will feature other improvements. Here is the complete list of planned upgrades

Higher Thrust Engine
Structural Weight Reduction
Aerodynamic Improvements
Upgrade of Flight Control Computer
Electronic Warfare Suite
Avionics Upgrade
In flight refuelling retractable probe
On board oxygen generation system
Increased fuel capacity.


Features
Supersonic at all altitudes
15km service altitude
Tailless compound delta wing
Composite structure
Improved performance
Improved maintainability
Imprved Survivability
Digital Fly by wire
Fuel dump system
Multi mode radar
 

LOCKHEEH MARTIN DISPLAYED F 35 AT AERO INDIA 2011

         INDIA'S NUMBER ONE DEFENSE BLOG
Lockheed Martin to display F-35 joint strike fighter at Aero India 2011 : Defense news


The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the latest fighter plane from Lockheed Martin which is designed to become the mainstay of the U.S. as well several allies air force and navy, is likely to be displayed at the Aero India 2011 show in Bangalore.

Lockheed Martin to display F-35 joint strike fighter at Aero India 2011

Lockheed Martin is pitching the aircraft’s B or C versions for India’s potential tender for carrier-based fighters to replace the Sea Harrier and equip the indigenous aircraft carrier currently under construction at the Cochin Shipyard and scheduled to be launched in 2014.

Orville Prins, Lockeed Martin’s Vice President, Business Development for India said in New Delhi that the F-35 is the next generation fighter to suit multiple roles for the U.S. and its allies. Lockheed Martin is seeking U.S. government approvals to offer the aircraft to India. “We are trying to bring the F35 to the Aero India show so that Indian Navy can have a feel of the aircraft.

We don’t know yet if the F35 will take part in the flying displays”.


India had floated a request for information (RFI) earlier this year to seek a carrier based fighter plane.

The RFI will be followed by an RFP as soon as the precise requirements are finalized, which could be in mid-2011. Thereafter the acquisition process will begin.

India has already selected the Russian MiG 29K fighters for the Admiral Gorshkov and the reason for going in for an international competition for the indigenous aircraft carriers was that the Indian Navy was looking to replace the entire Sea Harrier fleet besides have a fighter which was capable of take off and landing on the relatively small deck of the indigenous carriers.

The thinking in the Navy was not in favour of a vertical take off and landing plane like the Sea Harrier but rather a catapult- launched aircraft due to problems with maintenance, high fuel consumption during take off and landing and consequently limited fuel for operational use.