I think it will be too long and obstruct the Front Landing Gear.

The problem is that Russia also claims some of the area claimed by Canada as the extension of their continental shelf.

India asks for enhanced systems on third Il-76 AEW

The third Ilyushin Il-76 airborne early warning aircraft ordered by the Indian air force will carry additional systems for enhanced performance. The AEW aircraft is expected to arrive later this year in Israel for preparation by Israel Aerospace Industries’ Elta Systems subsidiary, for delivery to India in 2011.

Two converted Il-76s carrying the Elta AEW Phalcon suit have already been delivered to India. Based on their operational experience India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation has asked IAI to add to the third aircraft systems for enhanced performance.

IAI has no comment on the request, but it is understood that the additional systems may include sensors that would improve the “threat picture” even under adverse conditions.

In the meantime, India experts are visiting Israel regularly.

The Indian ministry of defence is seeking proposals to further bolster AEW capabilities with either additional converted Il-76s or smaller platforms such as the Gulfstream G550 with Israeli systems.

Earlier this year India requested a proposal from IAI for another three Il-76s. That deal could be worth around $1.5 billion.

Flightglobal

ADE’s first micro air vehicle may take off in 4 months

BANGALORE: The Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), a defence laboratory that comes under the country’s nodal Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), is confident that it will be ready with its first micro air vehicle (MAV) by the end of the year.

The programme’s director, VS Chandrasekharan, told ET that ADE, along with the National Aeronautical Laboratory, has designed and developed MAVs for counter-terrorism, urban warfare and relief and rescue operations, and expects to take another three-four months to deliver the final product.

“We are ready with the finished product for a particular specification, an MAV weighing 300 gm. Based on this, we are creating something for low-intensity conflicts,” Mr Chandrasekharan said. Micro and nano air vehicles are used to provide information in real time, while taking videos and transmitting the same back to the ground, enabling minimum reaction time. With miniaturisation being of paramount importance in developing the platform, efforts are on to design MAVs of 100 mm to 200 mm in size, and weighing less than 200 gm.

Mr Chandrasekharan also pointed out that the agency was ready to design MAVs of particular specifications rather than a single product of a generic design. According to him, the platform has received keen interest from the country’s military and paramilitary forces.

“The armed forces have expressed interest. Which is why we have been making the products and giving it to them to use it. The flight demonstrations have been seen by the integrated defence services, and we have received a very positive feedback so far,” Mr Chandrasekharan said. Terming the project as low investment, Mr Chandrasekharan said each MAV is expected to cost around `10 lakh.

The Economic Times

Only 7 Of 16 Submarines Operational: CAG Report

New Delhi, Aug. 24: Only seven Indian Navy submarines were operational out of the total fleet of 16 submarines till October last year, a report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has stated.

The CAG report noted, “It is pertinent to mention that only seven out of 16 submarines in the Indian Navy are operational and nine submarines are under refit/repair as of October, 2009.”

The CAG report noted that “75 per cent submarines in the Indian Navy fleet have already completed three-fourths of their estimated operational life.” Another CAG report submitted two years ago had said the average operational availability of Indian naval submarines “is as low as 48 per cent”.

Meanwhile, the CAG report also lambasted the “inordinate delay in commissioning the Indian Navy submarine rescue facility in the absence of a conclusive time-bound agreement with the US Navy”.

The CAG report estimated the response time to be 72 hours for launch of any rescue operations of a submarine as it would take that long for the deep submergence rescue vessel, stationed with the US Navy, to reach the rescue site.

The Navy is worried that over the next six years, the numerical strength of the submarine fleet may come down by 40 per cent (due to phasing out) if there is no substantial augmentation of the fleet.

The Asian Age