quadbikeLM and Boeing can lower the bids because of the huge volumes they deal with. And I think they will do this which would put pressure on the competiton.
quadbikeNishant Nears End Of Confirmation Trials
India’s Nishant UAV entered its last lap of confirmation trials in Pokhran April 26.
Officials with India’s Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) say that the unmanned aircraft has met all requirements.
The final flight is scheduled for April 27, according to a member of DRDO’s 60-strong contingent at Pokhan.
The trials, which began on April 20, are testing the quality of the UAV’s high-resolution video images and tracking abilities, which are both crucial for forward operations (Aerospace DAILY, April 26). “Nishant has proved that it is better than other UAVs during extreme wind, temperature and sandy conditions at Pokhran. Its visibility during extreme hostile conditions has been proved to the user,” a source said.
Four UAVs from the limited series production (LSP) family were active during the Pokhran trials. DRDO is confident that the Indian army, will now go ahead and place orders for another eight aircraft in phases.
“We are keen to hear from the users now,” a source added. “Apart from the army, we had senior officials from other internal Indian forces present during the trials. We have done our bit and now let’s wait and see what the user has to say.”
quadbikeIndia to deploy indigenous coastal surveillance system
Bangalore: An indigenously built coastal surveillance system would be deployed in 46 strategic western and eastern locations in the country from this November to check intrusions from sea and counter such threats, officials said today.
Being developed by the Bangalore-based defence PSU Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL), the system includes radars and electro- optic and meteorological sensors and would be mounted on light- houses or towers at these locations, company officials said.
“It will give complete operational picture of the sea up to 20 km deep into the sea. So, all targets can be brought into a screen and they can be seen from regional centres,” BEL’s Director (R&D), I V Sarma told PTI here.
“We will start deploying the stations (at identified locations) by November or so,” he added.
BEL’s Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Kumar Datt said the system has already been demonstrated at two locations and the trial phase had been completed.
The company is now awaiting an order — valued at more than Rs 500 crore — from the Indian Coast Guard, which would maintain the stations with BEL’s technical support.
Under the strategically-important project, officials said 46 locations have been identified along the western and eastern coasts where stations would be be set up.
The round-the-clock system would enable authorities to collect “radar and visual output”.
“The concept is to look into the sea, and identify intrusion attempts,” Datt said.
BEL sources said a centre would be set up in New Delhi which would get information gathered by the surveillance system, while there would also be some regional centres.
The entire software for the coastal surveillance system has been developed by BEL’s central research laboratory located in Ghaziabad.
BEL officials said the company is expected to complete the process of installing the surveillances system by June next year, after which the second phase would begin to cover “each inch” of the coast.
So, within three years, India is expected to deploy the system along the entire coast.
Datt said BEL was in the process of deploying an intelligent CCTV surveillance system in the Parliament under a Rs 30 crore order.
BEL officials said this project involved integration of over 400 cameras on a IP platform with an integrated command and control centre.
quadbike‘Scorpene sub project hit by 3-year delay’
NEW DELHI: The government on Monday admitted that the mammoth Rs 18,798 crore project to construct six French Scorpene submarines at Mazagon Docks Ltd in Mumbai had been hit by massive slippages, which in turn would adversely impact Navy’s underwater combat capabilities.
TOI was the first to report that the project, under which the six submarines were to roll out one per year from December 2012 onwards, is running close to three years behind schedule.
“There has been delay due to initial teething problems, absorption of technology, augmentation of MDL infrastructure and procurement of MDL purchased material. The first submarine is now expected to be delivered in the second half of 2015,” defence minister A K Antony said.
quadbike“The P-17 frigates, heralds a paradigm shift in the design”
Interview with Rear Admiral KN Vaidyanathan, Director General Naval Design
Shivalik, the first Ship of the P-17 Class, appears different from earlier designs of IN ships. What are the major new design features of this class of ships? Please elaborate on stealth features in particular and how were they achieved during design and construction and during acquisition of equipment from the industry?
Shivalik, the first of class of the P-17 frigates, heralds a paradigm shift in the design of future surface combatants for the Indian navy. While the sleek and stealthy appearance of Shivalik, sets her as a class apart from earlier indigenous designs, the ship embodies several new design features to give her much improved operational capabilities. “Stealth” has been a major thrust area from the early stages of the design. Apart from this, the design embodies several new concepts for improved survivability, seakeeping, ship handling and on-board habitability. The watertight subdivision of the hull meets the most stringent damaged stability requirements and the distributed power supply systems using Energy Distribution Centres (EDCs) has allowed zoning in the Power Generation & Distribution (PGD). The incorporation of the TACS (Total Atmosphere Control System) for the ship’s air conditioning and ventilation system, which features considerably reduced number of external air induction/exhaust terminals, gives her a very user friendly citadel which is easy to operate and maintain. This gives the additional benefit of uncluttered exteriors of the ship which has significantly reduced the Radar Cross section (RCS) of Shivalik. The hull form with carefully crafted hull sections and load water plane, gives the vessel excellent sea keeping qualities together with very good propulsion performance as a result of low shaft rake and very low appendages resistance. The relatively large rudders give the ship excellent manoeuvring performance as has been borne out by the ship trials. Use of modular accommodation has considerably improved on board habitability. The design of Shivalik evolved with considerable focus on reducing the ship signatures. Primary focus was on reducing the RCS, Infrared signatures and the Radiated underwater noise of the ship.RCS: The hull form features flared main hull and sloped full beam superstructure to considerably reduce specular reflections. Special care was taken to avoid dihedral and trihedral corners which cause multiple radar scattering. The boat deck has been concealed behind radar suppression screens. The Gun turret in the foxle has a stealth canopy and the flush deck Vertical Launch Missile (VLMs) for the Surface to Surface Missiles (SSMs) have been conducive to reduced RCS. The helo hangar has sloped shutters and flush deck rails for helo traversing gear. The hull form and superstructure was evolved iteratively by extensive 3D CAD modelling and continuous RCS signature evaluation using specialist signature evaluation software.
IR Signature Reduction: The infrared signature reduction is achieved by using Eductor Diffuser IR suppression devices for the Gas turbine and the diesel engines. Besides exhaust gas cooling, hot metal cooling is achieved to afford good look-down protection from hostile IR sensors. The engine room ventilation with sea water coolers and acoustic enclosures for DAs help to reduce hull contrast temperatures.
Radiated noise: Acoustic studies were undertaken from early design stages by modelling the structure and airborne noise characteristics of machinery equipment to predict the underwater radiated noise. The results of these studies helped drive a balanced approach to noise reduction guiding the selection of machinery configuration and mounting arrangements with specifications for the structure borne vibrations and air borne noise which were included in the procurement orders of the equipment. Acoustic signatures were verified during factory acceptance trials, before clearing the noise critical machinery for installation onboard ship. The sea water suctions are arranged from carefully designed sea chests, to avoid radiation of fluid borne noises due to pump impulses.
Procuring machinery and equipment meeting the stringent vibration and airborne noise specifications was quite a challenge. However, I must say, the Indian industry has come some way to meet the requirements, but there is much road ahead to cover.
What are the major new systems in the Shivalik class? What are the new features in terms of the layouts on the ship?
Shivalik is the first IN ship to have a Combined Diesel or Gas Turbine (CODOG) propulsion plant. This propulsion configuration combines the compact high power/speed benefits of the gas turbines with the long endurance advantage of the diesel propulsion. The twin shaft arrangement features relatively large, slow running propellers which, while driving the ship efficiently at the top speed, also have high cavitation inception speeds compared with earlier designs. This feature of the propeller compliments the low noise features of the machinery to provide silent speed regimes of operation up to cruise speeds. The Integrated Machinery Control System (IMCS) features multifunction displays with distributed Remote Terminal Units (RTUs) riding on a dual redundant Gigabit Ethernet data bus to monitor and control the ship’s propulsion and auxiliary systems including the Battle Damage Control System (BDCS). The Automated Power Management System (APMS) manages the generation and distribution of electric power in the ship. The ship has an ATM based Integrated Ship Data Network (AISDN) which serves as the backbone on which the external and internal communication systems, data communication between weapons and indigenous sensors and navigation data distribution are supported. The Integrated Versatile Console System (IVCS) replaces the earlier plug in systems providing multifunction display with touch screens for displaying all navigation data and status of weapons and sensors. The IVCS also supports the internal communication of the ship. The Combat management system, with fleet functionality, is a sophisticated development with considerable participation of the navy which will effectively co-ordinate the functions of the several weapons and sensors not only on board the ship but also those of other ships in company. The P17 packs all the punch of a destroyer in her design.
The layout features wide alleyways and uncluttered upper decks. A centre line passage between the two helicopter hangars provides a clear lobby between the helo deck and the inside of the ship. The flush deck rails of the helo traversing system, besides being conducive to lower RCS, gives the ship much improved operational flexibility for the helicopter. The large bridge with generously provided bridge wings is ergonomically designed. The large windows of the bridge give very good all round visibility and the diverse equipment on the bridge are neatly packed into consoles for good aesthetics.
How has Shivalik performed in the sea trials? What are the highlights of the signature reductions realised on Shivalik?
Shivalik has undergone extensive sea trials for proving her machinery and ship handling. The sea trials have been very satisfactory and the ship handling has been seen to be very good. The ship sails rock steady even at her top speed. The hull is vibration free and the machinery reasonably quiet.
How does the design of Shivalik compare with other designs of her class? With the experience of Shivalik, what would be the direction for the design of the follow on class P-17A?
Shivalik design embodies many firsts in IN ships. The CODOG propulsion plant, the Ship Data network (AISDN), the new Total Atmosphere Control System (TACS) for the ship’s air-conditioning and ventilation, IMCS, APMS, the distributed PGD system using EDCs, the IVCS, etc., set her quite apart from earlier designs in terms of design concepts, automation and operational advantages. The ship compares very well with contemporary world designs in terms of capabilities packed into a class of ship of her size. The design and construction of Shivalik have produced a wealth of experience on which to further improve the P17A design. P17A will be more stealthy with covered mooring deck and flush deck mounted (VLM) weapon systems. The number of antennae on the ship will be reduced by use of a multifunction radar. The design will also explore better options for roll stabilization of the platform. In order to help cut down build periods and improve productivity, it is planned to go in for modular integrated construction for P17A. The design, project management and life cycle will be supported by a more comprehensive CAD/PLM.
How have the other new design projects benefited from the design experience of Shivalik?
Continuous design engagements of the Design organization is vital for the enhancement of design skills and nurturing of design capabilities. After the design of the P-15 class, there was some lull period when no new ship projects were sanctioned. However with the commencement of P 17 in the mid nineties, there was a resurrection of the design capabilities of DGND and the somewhat dormant skill sets got rejuvenated. P 17 is truly a watershed in the design history of the navy in terms of adopting new design concepts and new strategy for the design projects. This has set a definite course for managing and progressing the designs of P15 A destroyers, P 28 corvettes and P 71 Indigenous Aircraft carrierWhat are the challenges faced by the Navy for the new design projects? Is the Navy able to attract quality manpower for specialized tasks like warship design? To what extent, the now available IT tools, have changed the paradigm of design processes?
There are several new challenges faced by the Navy for the new design projects. To meet the genuine new aspirations of the naval staff in terms of required platform capabilities, there is considerable pressure on new indigenous equipment suppliers to meet the more stringent noise and vibration specifications given by the designers. It is a challenging task for the project managers to drive the indigenous suppliers to meet specified standards. It is a recognized fact the world over, that any warship design is an evolutionary process, particularly in an environment of developing industry such as ours. Given this fact, it is very challenging to meet the cost and time budgets for equipment development which in turn impact the ship construction programme. The task of balancing the conflicting requirements of incorporating the latest available technologies whilst freezing specification at a finite time, poses special challenges in a country like ours. This is so as we are still maturing on many technology areas and would yet like to maintain high indigenous content. Manpower for the specialist tasks of design is another challenge faced by the Navy. However even today, the Navy is the only repository of the large pool of skilled and experienced warship designers. Naval officers, going through the grill of elaborate training in the Navy with wide job profiles relevant to preparing them as designers, still continue to be the most promising feeder source for the naval design organization. With available IT tools, there has been a paradigm shift in design processes. The availability of a suite of initial design software allows a wider exploration for optimizing design. This has consequently made the process more officer-centric. The wide area network (WAN) connectivity with the shipyards has facilitated easier and faster exchange of design drawings,data and documents with the shipyard. The availability of CAD modelling software with good integration of a Product Data Manager (PDM) will provide a robust platform for optimizing design layouts and maintaining good configuration control in design. The PDM will help capture all relevant data and linked information arranged in an organized product structure. In the near future, the available IT design tools will help progressing designs in a multi-user environment through enterprise wide efforts with collaboration of platform designers, shipbuilders, equipment suppliers and system developers.
What is the Navy expecting from the Indian Industry for the future naval platforms?
The Navy, with several new ship projects on the anvil, is looking for considerable support from the Indian industry to successfully realize the naval ship projects. The industry is urged to invest efforts to develop naval equipment meeting the stringent standards, particularly for noise and vibration, as these are crucial to meeting the performance requirements of the ship. Modularity of systems, with standard well-defined minimum interfaces with the ship will be the thrust for the future. This will help the ship design and construction to proceed on the basis of the agreed interfaces while the equipment supplier can concurrently develop equipment within the confines of the module. Such an approach will also, to a large extent, accommodate evolutionary designs of state of the art equipment to meet the rising aspirations of the naval staff. Further, given the complexity, magnitude and resource intensive nature of development of new naval systems, a navy-industry relationship founded more on partnership than mere customer-supplier relationship would be required. This will give confidence to both parties for sharing the risks of development as well share the benefits of new technology with reduced costs.
quadbikeThere is a chance but HAL will have to deliver to the IAF first. And by the time it will be able to afford foriegn deliveries you can expect the JF 17 / Gripen etc. to take most of the target market.
quadbikeHardly this would just mean MRCA will go down the FMS route. No bribe no scandals, everything accoutned for.
quadbikeLOLOL..
Gripen beats both 🙂
Only 3rd world fighters qualify for this thread. Ty 😉
quadbikeAh the Bulgarians again ! NG now and PAK FA once the Greek economy recovers.
quadbikeThe thruster that fell into sea
Amid the din of big rockets and cryogenics, a small but very significant step into space, which plunged into the sea along with the GSat-4 satellite, went completely unnoticed.
Even its mention in the brochures and other publicity literature was so unobtrusive and couched in jargon that perhaps an enthusiast would probably have glossed over its significance.
We are speaking of the ‘plasma thrusters’.
Fuel is the key
First a little background. A satellite is put in a particular orbit the choice of which largely depends upon what the satellite is meant to do. In that orbit, it keeps circling Earth at a particular ‘orbital velocity’, which is a function of Earth’s gravity acting upon it. But, since in the cosmos a body is acted upon by a number of gravitational forces, a body like the satellite, often swerves from its orbit and could either crash into Earth’s atmosphere or slowly spin away into space.
In order to prevent a satellite from thus getting lost, small engines are fitted in and these can be fired by signals from Earth. When a satellite begins to go astray, its trackers on Earth fire one of these engines to nudge it back in line. But once these engines run out of fuel, the trackers can’t do this and the satellite goes out of control. Therefore, the fuel these engines contained determines the life of the satellite.
Typically, in a satellite, half the space is occupied by these engines, leaving only the rest for equipment such as transponders or cameras.
The GSat-4 was a little different. Instead of conventional chemical engines, it had four ‘plasma thrusters.’ Because of this, the life of the satellite would have been seven years, instead of 4-5. At optimum use, these plasma thrusters could enhance the life of a satellite to even 15 years.
A plasma thruster is an engine that uses the discharge of plasma to propel an object. Plasma is a gas in which some electrons have been ripped off their atoms by the application of external energy. These electrons and the (remainder) ions co-exist, and this state is often referred to as the fourth state of matter, after solid, liquid and gas. Plasma exists everywhere. The sun, for instance, is a huge chunk of plasma.
Plasma, electrically charged gas, is influenced by magnetic field. In a plasma thruster (to put it in very simple terms), you create a magnetic field, with the help of which you can direct a jet of plasma out through a nozzle. A thrust, in the opposite direction, results.
Plasma thrusters are nothing new. They have been used off and on, even as early as the 1960s. There seems to be some resurgence in interest in them now. However, the GSat-4 was the first instance of them being used in India.
4 thrusters
The GSat-4 satellite had four of these thrusters – two made by Russians and two ‘made in India’.
Satellites launched by ISRO in future may be expected to use plasma thrusters for maintaining ‘attitude’, or orientation. These thrusters last much longer than the chemical rockets used today, as they are powered by electricity that the solar panels generate from sunlight. Consequently, not only will the satellites live long. Also, more on-board space will be freed for instruments.
The GSat-4 would have been a good learning experience. Alas, it’s gone!
quadbikeNavy Seals seal a bond
New Delhi, April 24: A US navy flotilla reached Goa yesterday for the latest edition of the Malabar series of exercises with the Indian Navy in which the two forces will practise anti-submarine warfare and special operations.
India does not conduct such large-scale naval exercises with any other country. The two navies believe they are “inter-operable”.
This is the first time the US Navy has sent its special forces, the Seals, with its frontline units for the exercise. The 14th round of the Malabar exercise will continue till May 2.
The ships from America’s Seventh Fleet include a guided missile cruiser, the USS Shiloh, destroyers USS Chaffee and USS Lassen, frigate USS Curts, a Los Angeles class nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Annapolis, two P3C Orion maritime surveillance aircraft and a 28-member US Navy special forces team.
From the Indian Navy’s Western Fleet, the guided missile destroyer, INS Mysore, and three guided missile frigates, the INS Godavari, INS Brahmaputra and INS Tabar, a submarine, the INS Shankush, Sea Harrier fighter aircraft, and helicopters are to participate in the bilateral exercise.
“Naval co-operation between India and USA epitomises the long-term strategic relationship between both countries. Both navies have, over the years, undertaken diverse bilateral activities such as training exchanges, information exchanges, and technical co-operation. Our nations have significant convergence of interests, especially in the maintenance of maritime security,” a statement from the Indian Navy said.
India and the US signed a Framework for Maritime Security Co-operation in 2006.
During the current edition of the exercise, the two navies will practise, apart from anti-submarine warfare, surface firing, maritime interdiction operations and Visit Board Search and Seizure.
“The interoperability achieved over the years as a result of such exercises has proved to be operationally beneficial, particularly during the ongoing Anti Piracy Operations in the Gulf of Aden as also during Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief operations such as the tsunami of 2004,” the navy statement said.
quadbikeIndian Navy keen to procure new Light Utility Helicopters
New Delhi: The Navy has initiated the process for procurement of new Light Utility Helicopters(LUHs) to replace its ageing fleet of Chetak choppers.
“We are on the look out for a twin-engined helicopter of modern airframe design and fully integrated advanced avionics
to replace our existing fleet of Chetak helicopters, which were inducted about 30-35 years ago,” Navy officials said here.The Navy recently issued a global Request For Information (RFI) for an unspecified number of new LUHs, asking the vendors to reply within next three weeks with details of their products.
The next step, the global Request for Proposal (RFP), is expected to be issued by the middle of this year to chopper majors like the European consortium Eurocopter, Italian Agusta Westland and the Russian Kamov.
These companies are already taking part in the field trials of the USD 600 million tender to supply 197 LUHs for replacing the French-origin Cheetah/ Chetak fleet of the Army and the Air Force.
The IAF and the Army will get 384 LUHs over the next decade, of which 197 would be procured from foreign vendors and the remaining would be indigenously produced by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
As per the RFI, the Navy wants the helicopters to have controls for two pilots but it should be capable of being operated by single pilot also.
“The new choppers would be used to carry out search and rescue, casualty evacuation, observation and surveillance and limited electronic intelligence gathering,” officials said.
The choppers should have the capability to carry out anti-submarine warfare attack with torpedoes and depth charges besides anti-terrorism and anti-piracy roles.
The Navy wants twin-engine choppers to provide more survivability to its crew while flying over maritime zone.
The helicopters will be used for both shore-based and offshore operations and the Navy has specified they should be capable of operating from small decks and larger decks (up to aircraft carrier) in adverse weather by day and night.
It also wants the choppers to be operated from snow-covered surface, sleet, sand, water and slush.
quadbikeHAL,BEL beat pvt rivals to win Rustom project
The defence ministry will take time to involve the private sector in equipment manufacture, design, say analysts
Bangalore: State-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) have jointly won a bid to design and build Rustom, an unmanned aerial vehicle, or drone, for India’s defence research agency.
HAL and BEL edged out private firms in the race for the project—the first Indian military aircraft programme to invite the private sector to design and build a plane. Larsen and Toubro Ltd (L&T), Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) and Godrej and Boyce Manufacturing Co. Ltd were the other contenders.
Rustom would be a medium-altitude, long-endurance aircraft, to be designed to fly at least 250km at a stretch.
It’s the third large Indian defence project in the race for which private firms lost out to public sector rivals. India opened up defence equipment development and manufacturing to the private sector in 2002 in a move aimed at stepping up indigenization of military equipment. India still imports nearly 70% of its weapons and aircraft.
In the US, the government encourages private sector firms such as Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp. to compete for military projects and funds only the development cost of planes and weapon systems.
“HAL-BEL gave us a clear road map for manufacture,” said Prahlada, chief controller of research and development at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). He goes by one name.
In 2008, HAL was preferred over Godrej, L&T and Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd to build Saras, a 14-seat passenger plane, by National Aerospace Laboratories after its main customer, the Indian Air Force, insisted on the military plane maker.
BEL was selected in March this year to build the Indian Army’s tactical communication system, a contract of at least $1 billion (Rs4,450 crore). It was to be the biggest military project till date thrown open to domestic private companies. Seven firms, including L&T, the Tatas and Roltas Thales Ltd, a joint venture of Roltas India Ltd and France’s Thales Group, bid for the contract.
“This is a disappointment for us since we had been told that the projects would be open for participation by the private sector on a competitive basis,” said M.V. Kotwal, vice-president for the aerospace and defence business at L&T, India’s largest engineering firm. “Otherwise we would not have spent the time and efforts in preparing for the bids. Detailed plans for execution had also been presented as required,” he said.
L&T, which makes submarines and ships for the Indian Navy, bid for all the three contracts. TASL did not respond to emails for comment.
A defence ministry official, who is familiar with two of the three projects mentioned, said decisions were taken in favour of the defence public sector undertakings after assessing the capability of vendors for specific projects. He did not want to be named due to the sensitive nature of the business. An HAL official, who did not want to be named, said though the firm had been invited for technical talks, the Aeronautical Development Establishment, a DRDO agency, is yet to place an order.
In the Rustom contract, firms need to invest Rs400 crore in prototypes and trials that could take at least a decade, but there was no guarantee of an order from the armed forces once it is completed, said one official at a private firm who did not want to be named or his company to be identified. An HAL official confirmed this.
“If there is no assurance of an order, why should the private industry come forward and invest? We know it takes time to profit, but at least we don’t want to lose money,” the same company official said.
Analysts say that it would take time for the defence ministry to involve private participation in equipment design and manufacturing.
“The process does take a little time. There are efforts made in DPP (the defence procurement procedure) to involve private industry. But I think much more can be done,” said N.S. Sisodia, director general of the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses. He did not comment on individual contracts.
The defence ministry has brought in a made-in-India category in its latest DPP, which favours local firms in defence equipment design and manufacturing.
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