Did some MP like that joker Mysura Reddy raise any issues with the PC-7 MkII procurement (perhaps issues like why wasn’t it used over Libya and how others are buying the newer PC-9 instead :rolleyes:) due to which St. Antony has been sitting on that file without taking it forward?

Agni-V test likely in mid-April and K-15 SLBM is in the final phases of development after its 2 recent tests were succcessful. Those who criticize DRDO incessantly need to look at the strategic missile fields where except for the weapons that DRDO has developed, India would have nothing.

DRDO gears up for modern warfare

NEW DELHI: From the first test of Agni-V in a fortnight, an operational submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) by 2013 and a missile shield for Delhi by 2014 to combat drones, quick-launch micro satellites and Star Wars-like laser weapons in the coming years, DRDO promises to deliver on all fronts.

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For starters, India’s most-ambitious nuclear missile, Agni-V, which classifies as an ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) with a strike range of over 5,000-km, will be tested in mid-April, he said. India will break into the exclusive ICBM club that counts just US, Russia, China, France and UK as its members, once Agni-V is ready for induction by 2014-2015. The missile is crucial for India’s nuclear deterrence posture since its strike envelope will be able to cover the whole of China.

Concurrently, said Saraswat, “The K-15 SLBM is now getting ready for the final phase of induction after its two recent tests were successful.” The 750-km-range K-15 will arm India’s homegrown nuclear submarines.

As for the two-tier ballistic missile defence system, designed to track and destroy incoming hostile missiles , Saraswat said its Phase-I would be completed by 2013 and Phase-II by 2016.

DRDO is now also focusing on “space security”, with special emphasis on protecting the country’s space assets from electronic, or physical destruction by “direct-ascent” missiles, in the backdrop of China developing advanced ASAT (anti-satellite) capabilities.

Work is also in progress to develop several directed energy weapons , including a 25-kilowatt laser system to destroy incoming missiles in their terminal stage and a 100-kilowatt solid-state laser system to take out missiles in their boost phase itself.

India may announce the RFP for the Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) and Medium Range Maritime Recon (MRMR) soon.

link

India is readying requests for proposals (RFP) for two maritime patrol requirements: the navy’s Medium Range Maritime Reconnaissance (MRMR) aircraft and the coast guard’s Medium Maritime Patrol (MMP) aircraft.

Both requirements are likely to be for six aircraft initially, with options for six more, say industry sources. One source said the initial MMP requirement could be for nine aircraft.

The sources spoke to Flightglobal at Defexpo India 2012, where airframers displayed models of maritime patrol aircraft. RFPs for both requirements are expected in 2012, with one source saying the MMP RFP could be issued in April or May. India issued requests for information (RFIs) for both requirements in 2010.

Unlike the navy’s long-range maritime patrol aircraft requirement, which will be filled by the Boeing 737-based P-8I Neptune, the RFI suggests India will not require the MRMR to have anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities, with the aircraft focused on the maritime patrol mission and capable of carrying anti-ship missiles. It will replace India’s 12 Britten-Norman Islanders.

In the 2010 RFI, the navy stated that the MRMR aircraft will require a top speed of 300kt (556km/h) or greater and a patrol speed of 200kt. It will require a full self protection suite, including radar and laser warning receivers, an active electronically scanned array (AESA) surface-search radar and a forward looking infrared (FLIR) sensor.

One possible contender for the requirement could include a variant of the P-8I, although Boeing representatives at the show said they want to see the RFP before deciding how to address the MRMR campaign. They pointed out that a P-8I variant would be make sense from a logistical and crew training perspective given that India has already ordered eight P-8Is for long-range patrol.

Other contenders for the MRMR could include the Saab 2000 maritime patrol aircraft (MPA), the Airbus Military C295 MPA, and the Israel Aerospace Industries ELI-3360 (based on the Bombardier Q400). A previously issued RFP for the MRMR was withdrawn in early 2009.

Sources say the MMP requirement is somewhat less well defined. “Based on the RFI, the MMP is a really big beast,” says one source from a European airframer.

The RFI called for a diverse range of missions, including search and rescue, anti-surface warfare, environmental monitoring and medical evacuation with three intensive care stations.

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Howarth in India to try and push the Typhoon deal hoping that the Rafale deal may be scuttled since some moron MP (either he is a moron or he was paid to do so) raised ridiculous objections to it.

British Defence Minister in India to try and push Typhoon deal

Before people jump to conclusions about it being 5 times as much margin as it required, please keep in mind that this is Suman Sharma reporting. Not the brightest reporter out there and her technical knowledge is rudimentary at best. She tries to make up for it with enthusiasm but it doesn’t work on all issues. This sort of hearsay doesn’t carry much weight (pun intended) unless a reliable source states it (and Ajai Shukla is a lot more reliable..Shiv Aroor knows as much about structures as Suman Sharma does, which is not very much). When she says that they’ll reduce the composite content on the LCA to reduce weight, it says a lot about her reporting..it’s even above the 30000 feet level looking down. Unfortunately, the level of defence reporting in India is backward to be polite. When one reads journals like AW&ST, FlightGlobal with their extensively researched articles by journos who understand what they’re talking about (at least when it comes to their own nation’s defence), most of our Indian journos who write about Indian defence don’t really seem very competent.

As things stand, it’s not a deal stopper. They’ll redesign the gear and optimize it to bring the weight down to acceptable levels.

Agreed… Those LEVCONs give it an added level of coolness.

yes, and the larger and heavier landing gear makes it look more brutish than the IAF’s Tejas variants. When the final single-seat Naval prototype rolls out (not NP-2), IMO it will be the best looking of all the Tejas variants, with its lengthened fuselage (ala Mk2), LEVCONS and bigger landing gear.

Is the metal already cut for the MK2 or is it still in the drawing board?
What is stopping the Indian Gov from awarding Tech Demonstrator contracts to private firms? I don’t think it would be a bad idea. I don’t believe there are no Indian companies that could develop decent Military grade Semiconductors, Radars, Rocket propellants, etc.
After all most private firms survive by constant adaptation and exponential learning curves.

Currently there are no Indian private firms that can develop anything remotely close to the Tejas Mk1, forget Mk2. There is simply no experience in the private industry in this field as far as design goes and they are only at the component or small assemblies level. Mahindra and Mahindra for instance still took NAL’s help in developing the CNM-5 light airplane and had Gipps Aero in Australia (which they acquired) build and test fly it initially. Besides, ADA and HAL are intimately involved with and familiar with the Tejas Mk1 and hence are the most suited to develop the Mk2. For the AMCA however, I believe that more components and assembly design work should be outsourced to private firms with ADA/HAL/DRDO labs hand-holding them initially to build up their expertise.