This picture taken by Shiv Aroor at an IN mess, shows two MiG-29Ks flying over the INS Viraat which has a few SHars embarked on it.

More details on the current series of flight tests of the Tejas Mk1 in Dabolim, Goa.

link to Aviationweek article

By Anantha Krishnan M.
BENGALURU

India’s Tejas Light Combat Aircraft is ready to undergo another round of crucial sea trials in Goa.

Sources tell AVIATION WEEK that this time the testing will involve the firing of a missile and the jettisoning of a drop tank. The trials are set to take place this week at Naval Air Station Hansa, Dabolim, in Goa. Tejas successfully completed earlier sea trials in September as part of its Out of Station Flight Test Plan.

Pilots from the Bengaluru-based National Flight Test Center will perform the weapon trials this time.

“The density of air and humidity is very high in Goa. This time during the sea-level trials we are evaluating the radar, helmet-mounted systems and instrument landing systems,” a source said. “We will also test the radar warning receiver.”

In addition to firing a Russian-made R-73 air-to-air missile, the pilots are scheduled to test the safe drop tank separation from the aircraft.

“We have done all the ground-based tests. We are planning four-five drops at various speeds, altitudes and angles of attack,” a source said. “Tejas can carry 5,000 liters of fuel, including 1,200 each in drop tanks [and] 2,400 in wings and fuselage.”

Tejas also can carry two outboard R-73 missiles and two mid-board beyond visual range (BVR) Derby missiles from Israel.

“We have fired an R-73 missile in October 2007 against a zero target. It is important to see the safe separation of the missile,” the source said. Plume separation studies, which involve interaction with a missile’s exhaust, also will be carried out during the trials.

Various Tejas platforms have performed 1,481 flights, clocking about 878 hr. Tejas also has achieved Mach 1.6 at 15 km. altitude and a calibrated air speed of 1,350 kph.

Tejas is scheduled to complete its pre-initial operational clearance requirements by Dec. 27.

From that AW&ST article-

Program officials indicate that talks have begun with Sweden’s Saab on a technology consultancy and partnership, although the company refused to comment

So they’re looking to talk to SAAB about technology consultancy and partnership for the AMCA ! Excellent decision IMO..I’ve been saying this a few times in the past too, that it would be wonderful for the project if an external risk sharing partner is included, to not only help overcome any particular technological challenges, but to also make timelines sacrosanct. Will also help in marketing this fighter to other nations.

you’re right, it was the Su-30K that the No.24 Hawks painted in that special scheme..

image link

For the same reason that existing test pilots have taken their own kits to NFTC. There is only 1 picture of a test pilot flying a Tejas with a DASH HMDS. The rest have all been using their own helmets, carried over from their last squadrons.

The IAF officer’s point that

“there was a very committed effort toward envelope expansion, though we have fallen short in certain key specifications which we will continue to work on”

seems to indicate that this is more a case of ADA and NFTC (National Flight Test Center) not having been able to complete all the test points in time.

The article says that EADS’ help has been enlisted for expanding the test flight envelope to meet the services’ requirements..which again indicates that they have still not yet fully explored all the test points of the flight test regime which will finally reveal the full performance that they had initially agreed to with the IAF for IOC.

LSP-6 was supposed to be the high-alpha platform and my guess is that since it hasn’t yet flown, they won’t be able to meet the Dec-27 deadline for the high-alpha aspect of its performance.

I just hope that retd. Air Chief Marshal Krishnaswamy’s recommendation to first induct the fighter and then iron out the issues is taken seriously. If they keep delaying induction saying that its not upto the agreed specifications, it would be a very big mistake.

And going by what the Air Force officer involved with the program said “it appears that the exercise of resolving certain performance parameters will spill over into the post-induction phase” it looks like a pragmatic approach has finally been adopted.

yes and the DASH has been integrated with the Tejas Mk1’s cockpit. The question was whether this particular IN test pilot would come with his own Top-Owl F and use it plainly as a regular helmet.

I’ve seen the rest of the test pilots each having their own different helmets, some with the Russian helmet used on the Su-30MKI (like when Grp Cpt George Thomas flies it), others with the Mirage-2000 type French helmets and some with the British helmet used by Jag pilots.

This wasn’t the standard camo earlier. the different PVs have slightly different colour schemes with a couple of them having lighter ghost gray colour and the N-LCA twin seater (PV-5) has a slightly different one as well. But they now seem to have settled on this one for the IAF, since even PV-5 (the twin seater) had exactly the same scheme.

Griffon39, those are dummy R-73s and the R-73 is the only missile to have been test fired from the Tejas as of now. The IN has asked for the Derby BVR missile to be integrated onto the N-LCA and the IAF will most likely get the Python-5 for its version. This was recently clarified by the LCA Programme Director, when he said that by the time it attains FOC in 2013, it will get a new Close combat missile, most likely implying the Python-5. Since the Spyder SAM (with Python/Derby missiles) is going to be delivered to the IA, the offsets required that Python-5 seekers be built in India as far as I can remember. May help in reducing the cost if more are ordered by the IAF also, in addition to the IA.

Not sure which BVR missile the IAF version of the Tejas will get..maybe the R-77 or the Derby as well..and later on, the Astra.