I didn’t know that; does it help and advise the pilot or does it do all the work while the pilot simply keep his hand on the abort switch? what are the succes and accident rates? does it use GPS or optical systems?

Apparently there are different modes, with some giving the pilot visual cues to landing while others syncing the aircraft’s autopilot to enable a fully automatic landing.
You can read the history of ACLS here.
http://www.tsretirees.org/memory/Femiano.doc

Edit: Some more info
http://nosint.blogspot.in/2007/06/super-hornet-demonstrates-unpiloted.html

Monday, June 04, 2007

Super Hornet Demonstrates Unpiloted Approaches
Researchers are analyzing data from the first “hands-off” live-fly operations around an aircraft carrier–information that could lead to a specially modified F/A-18F Super Hornet landing on a ship without a pilot touching the controls in as little as two years.

A pair of Boeing test pilots just completed a series of unannounced landing approaches and waveoffs with the USS Harry S. Truman operating near Norfolk, Va., on May 17-18.

They closed to within 420 ft. of the carrier before conducting a ship-controlled waveoff. The test aircraft–the first two-seat F/A-18F built–has been reconfigured as a surrogate unmanned combat air system (UCAS)

Just checked to see what the state of the HAL LUH programme is.

There was a spat with Turbomeca last year about the transmission for the Shakti engine in the single-engined LUH; looks like HAL has gone its own route to design a new box but with “imported technology”. Seems a model of it ( or an actual example ) was displayed at Aero India 2013 last week.

Payload is to be 500 kg over 350 km, ceiling 6,500 metres. Not clear if that payload is to be lifted at that altitude, if so then it’s quite impressive. The re-engined Chetan ( SA.316B with TM333 ) can lift just 60 kg in those conditions!

Edit: no, the LUH payload is as rated at sea-level. Where the Chetan can lift a theoretical 840 kg…

LUH should be able to carry at least 1100-1200 Kgs at sea level, given that it is expected to be equipped with either a 1000kW Turbomeca Shakti or 1166kW CTS800, giving it more lift than Ka-226 or Fennec. The Chetak has an MTOW of 2200 Kgs and an empty weight of 1230 Kgs. There is no way it is carrying 840 Kg at sea level without returning back to base in 5 minutes 😉

Su-30 MKIs are receiving the reworked R118 system with improved coverage. This is the Eagle Eye system. Six antenna’s instead of 4, as on the other aircraft which are getting the R118 tailored for the fact that the Su-30 MKIs front (With canards) requires a unique solution.

The existing R-118 unit, at the core of multi sensor warning system.

Edit: For fast moving aircraft and AEW&Cs, the UV maws would be replaced by two tone IR Maws.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vZwIs3Rmmcw/URgMb-sa73I/AAAAAAAAD9g/W3qig3SVXtI/s1600/DARE’s+EW+Products-3.jpg

Would a 3 stage blisk fan turn the engine into a viable product or might this be the first of a number of improvements needed to overcome deficiencies in the engine? What about addressing afterburning thrust? The figures I saw indicated that static thrust was close to target but afterburning thrust fell a long way short of target.

It seems like an all new engine design altogether. From existing 49/71 KN engine they are looking to leap forward to a 75/110 KN engine. The existing Kaveri, had it been rebuilt with latest in material technology, would have had a very limited growth potential.
Its a good thing that they are looking at a 5 year development cycle.

Russian Knights at Aero India 2013

What does “pilot associate to reduce pilot workload” mean?

Sounds like a decision aide system.

What’s the deal with ‘Nag’, have they made progress since it failed it’s field trials last year?

Since Rudra deliveries have started, Helina deliveries should follow soon.

Correction: Helina deliveries are not expected anytime soon. Rudra will enter service with either Spike-ER or Pars-3/Trigat.

o
if the MiG-29 had such great payload capabilities for a2g then why did the Indians use the Mirage 2000 for bombing instead of the MiG-29 during the war?

Before Kargil, both the fulcrum and M2K were being used for A2A roles only. In Kargil, due to dangers of manpads and high altitudes, Jaguars and MiG-27 were facing significant issues in doing their bombing runs. M2K, being built to standard western avionics buses and the being the most compatible with existing avionics packages designed by Israelis was equipped with the necessary avionics needed for a2g operations in a very short time. Something that was next to inconceivable at that point in time for MiG-29.