JF-17 is the export ver of FC-1. Since RD-93/33 engines have been disallowed for re-export, which engines would be fielded in the export versions ??

The A-380 is headed north and at present is flying over the pyrenees.

It flies.

any of you know apprx how much has been spent on R&D over the years on the LCA program?

apprx 1.25 billion dollars to date – Courtesy BR.

So this new APAR goes on the RAC Mig Light fighter? No T-50/MKI/MKK apps?

It is meant for the T-50, it has to be miniaturized further for the MiG for which work is in progress. This is the one meant for the T-50

The array with a diameter of 700 mm has already been launched into mass production,”

and the work in progress for MiG lite

Fazotron-NIIR actively works on developing the future active phased array radar to be mounted on the light fighter, being developed by MiG,”

Isn’t India stuck with the N-011M Bars radar? The Indian media says that the Su-30MKI contract is a deep license that includes manufacturing a fixed number of N-011M Bars radars and AL-31FP engines in India. So isn’t India stuck with the N-011M Bars radar and AL-31FP engine?

I have no idea about the APAR, but the Mk-3 version of the MKI will upgrade to AL-37 FU engines. And these engines would also be fitted onto the older versions.

http://www.aeroindianews.com/shownews.asp/news/47
Prototype 2 (LCA-PV 2) Ready for Take Off by the End of February or early March

All the seven prototypes of the indigenous fly-by-wire Light Combat Aircraft, Tejas will fly by March next year logging the flying hours requisite for its clearance, a senior official of the LCA Project said.

With the Prototype 2 (LCA-PV 2) ready for take off by the end of this month or early March, the LCA programme has been hastened to meet the deadline of handing over the aircraft to the IAF by 2008, LCA Project Director M R Ramanathan told UNI at the Aero India 2005.

The LCA PV2 would be in a configuration of the series production aircraft and would be fitted with a multiple display panel in the cockpit.

Dr Ramanathan said the fifth prototype would fly from October this year and would be followed by the six prototype in February next year. The seventh prototype, the twin-seater trainer version, would start flying from March.

He said work had been initiated for the trainer aircraft and also the Naval variant for which an additional Rs 600 crore had been released.

With a compound delta platform, LCA could fly in supersonic flights at all altitudes with a service ceiling of more than 15 Km and ‘G’ limits of about nine. Currently the aircraft was having a performance of four G and it would be steadily increased to 8.5 G, he added.

He said the IAF had insisted that the twin-seater LCA be made available at the earliest, so that IAF pilots can train on the aircraft before it is inducted into the air force.

With the first aircraft taking to the skies in January 2001, currently Tejas Technical Demonstrators One and two and LCA PV1 were logging flying hours with more than 360 sorties completed.

Dr Ramanathan said efforts would be made to ensure that the prototypes log necessary flying hours so that initial operational clearance was received for the aircraft. The final operational clearance would be sought later, he added.

DRDO for development of an hyperplane system

India Getting Ready to Enter Next Generation Hypersonic Missile Technology Zone – DRDO

The country’s premier Defence and Research Organisation (DRDO) on Friday said that India is getting ready to enter next generation hypersonic missile technology zone.

Prahalada, director of missiles programme, said, that a pilot project has been started, adding the demonstrator vehicle would be ready within three to five years time.

“We have taken up Research and Development, pure R&D, that can we assimilate technologies for going hypersonic. It can be an unmanned vehicle, it can be a missile, it can be transporter aircraft. It can be a disaster management supporting system. Anything is possible. So that requires a lot of R&D. These are real fundamental R&D in combustion, in fuel dynamics, materials like that. So we have started a small you can say a pilot project for hypersonic technology demonstrator like we did in Agni technology demonstrator in early 1980s,” he said on the sidelines of the Aero India show in Bangalore.

The technology would require development of special engines and materials for the missile as well as use of a fuel that would sustain high speeds.

The DRDO is developing scramjet engines that would have the ability to sustain such conditions. There is also the ongoing development of a hyperplane system for the proposed hypersonic missile

Russia, India draft agreement on MiG-29 modernization

11.02.2005, 22.26

BANGALORE, February 11 (Itar-Tass) — Russia and India have drafted a general agreement on cooperation in the modernization of MiG-29 fighter jets for the Indian Air Force, representatives of Rosoboronexport and the Urals Optical Mechanical Plant said at a joint press conference on Friday.

The plant and the MiG Corporation are the main contractors.

The agreement will be signed soon, plant general director Veniamin Elinson said. It is primarily a matter of high-tech optical radar and targeting stations, which determine the jet’s potential and combat efficiency. “India is a strategic partner of the Urals Optical Mechanical Plant, because it has plenty of Russian-made aircraft and their onboard electronic systems need modernization,” he said.

“The Urals plant is a long-standing partner and leading enterprise of Rosoboronexport,” Rosoboronexport deputy general director Viktor Komardin said. “The Urals plant is known for its reliability, high quality of products and profound research.”