What is going on with the UPG program? All the test planes are in India, any good pics of them there? Any info about the first Indian outfitted frames?

No new info other than the six that were being upgraded at MiG complex at HAL Nashik. IAF and HAL PR sucks.

Reading between the lines, DRDO’s ‘Year Gone By’ would appear to support the contention that the recent Nirbhay test used a Russian rather than indigenous turbojet:

It is. The Indian engine is also said to have roots in the Russian one.

Fom MoD year end statement:-
– Astra is already in user trials.
– HeliNa is integrated with Rudra
– The definitive engine for Nirbhay is called Manik (Ruby), rated at 450 Kgf, currently undergoing endurance tests.

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=114175

High & BroadBand L/D…. Seems we have a little son of the PakFa here, regarding Stealth usage and profile of penetration into Denied airspaces 🙂

TwinBlade, do you have a better resolution image of the ADVKavery because being able to read the text would be helpful. Thanks in advance

That’s the best available. The stream from which it was taken was fairly low res.

Let’s see how alive Kaveri is in 2 or 3 years’ time. As far as I can make out from what I read from GTRE it’s definitively dead. Wasn’t it the director of the organisation who said that GTRE were taking the “bold step” (or something equally silly) of giving up on something that was beyond their capabilities?

Kaveri in it’s current form is being wound up (the word killed is incorrect to describe what is happening with it). The design does not have much scope of improvement and hence all further works to develop it further are being shut down. Kaveri still is the de-facto engine for UCAV because no country will allow their engine to be integrated on a UAV courtesy MTCR.

GTRE was incapable of developing the engine intended for LCA. If the know how to develop the “basic” Kaveri was lacking, how on earth is GTRE going to develop an advanced Kaveri? If you have tried learning how to walk and failed, the idea of deciding that you will learn how to run instead is nothing but fantasy IMO.

Their role in the Advanced Kaveri will be restricted to the parts they could develop successfully for Kaveri and what reasonably lies within their capabilities.

Imported engines for AMCA, uprated variants of existing desings, with local mods like TVC. 3 tons in internal bays and MTOW of 24.2 tons. The requirement is 105 KN but they are keeping a few KN thrust extra.

http://ibnlive.in.com/blogs/sauravjha/2976/65454/a-note-on-indias-advanced-medium-combat-aircraft-amca-project.html

Moreover, even as various aspects of stealth technology are being worked upon, the fact remains that the AMCA test vehicles will be powered by imported low bypass turbofan engines. According to Dr Tamilmani, an engine selection process is not just underway, but is actually being hastened. Six engine original equipment makers (OEMs) have been sounded out for what is essentially an upgraded & up-rated version of an existing engine that could provide 110 kilo newton (KN) of wet thrust. “The RFPs will be sent out by April 2015, and in another eight months we will firm up our choice of engine to power the AMCA,” says Dr Tamilmani. “We however have to do a lot work on our own to develop thrust vectoring for the AMCA,” he adds.

At the moment, the greatest hypothetical weight configuration of the AMCA design (with fuel and a certain weapons mix) has been calculated to be around 24.2 tons and ADA designers are confident that even with 105 KN engines, the AMCA would be able to meet design aerodynamic parameters. However given the experience with the LCA program, ADA this time really wants that 5 KN margin in order to be safe rather than sorry. It seems that the AMCA will also have an unusually large internal weapons bay that will have the capacity to accommodate around three tons worth of weapons. The AMCA will also feature six underwing pylons for externally carried weapons.

The total spend on the programme so far has been under Rs 100 crore. The project has been taken up on the basis of a preliminary staff qualitative requirement from the Indian Air Force (IAF) and is currently in the project definition phase. Dr Tamilmani believes that for around Rs 4000 crore it would be possible to build 3 or 4 flying prototypes, the first of which should take to the skies by 2020-21.

From earlier info, empty weight of 11 tons and around 6.5 tons of internal fuel and the thrust vectoring is supposed to be 2D.

DRDO’s 100 km ranged 1000 kg glide bomb tested successfully. It’s supposed to have a terminal seeker.
https://twitter.com/SJha1618/status/545921988322000896
So the smart bomb with system on chip, INS and terminal seeker has now been unveiled.

A 1000 kg glide bomb designed and developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) was successfully tested today, in Bay of Bengal of the coast of Odisha. The bomb was dropped by an Indian Air force aircraft, The bomb, guided by its ‘on board navigation system’ glided for nearly 100 km before hitting the target with great precision. The flight of the glide bomb was monitored by radars and electro-optic systems stationed at Integrated Test Range (ITR).

http://frontierindia.net/drdo-tests-1000-kg-glide-bomb-capable-of-hitting-targets-100-km-away

From Saurav Jha’s twitter feed, a fairly reliable source on Indian programs.

AMCA has entered project definition phase. Six engine OEMs are being evaluated. RFP for engine will be issued in 2015.

AMCA will be powered by two 110 KN class engines.

Indigenous turbofan development continues. Kaveri project itself wraps up as a TD. But the new programme is already underway.

The Indian Air force wants the LCA MK-II time table brought forward. They are fully integrated with the program.

IAF fully supports the AMCA program also. And is basically running the UCAV program.

Do note however, that AMCA wind tunnel tests actually took place in an American facility

The Mi-17 inclusion makes little sense, unless India has some massive requirement I am unaware of.

IMRH (10 to 15 ton class). But that’s a co-development program, looking to heavily modify an existing proven design for both naval and high altitude role. HAL is currently fishing for partners.