Pretty much confirmed that the Tejas Mk1 and Mk1A will get the indigenous Astra and Astra Mk2 BVRAAM weapons and not the Meteor from MBDA. Apart from the cost of the Meteor, MBDA wanted India to share code and actual examples of the radar that would be used on the platform on which the Meteor would be integrated. They weren’t comfortable with the Elta 2032 MMR on Tejas Mk1 and the Elta 2052 AESA on the Mk1A.

Astra BVRAAM integration on the Tejas Mk1 has begun.

Air Force’s LCA to get Astra, not Meteor

NEW DELHI: The Air Force is keen to make the indigenous Astra missile its standard long-range weapon for fighter aircraft and is promoting its integration on board the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) as well as other platforms, top officials have told ET.

The LCA will not bear Meteor — beyond visual range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) — that is standard on the Rafale fighter jets, with the French side expressing its reluctance to integrate the weapon with an aircraft equipped with an Israeli-origin radar and the Air Force determined to bring down the heavy imports bill by selecting a home-grown option.

“We are not even looking at the French option. We want to promote the indigenous system and have it equipped across all our platforms. The Astra development programme has been satisfactory,” a top official said.

Sources said after the missile is inducted into the Su30MKI fighter jets from which it has been tested, the system would be integrated on other foreign-origin combat aircraft. The performance of the Astra, sources said, is regarded to be better than similar Russian systems currently in service.

User trials for Astra have been completed and the next stage, DRDO officials say, is for the first production order for the missile system. On board the LCA, integration tests are being carried out and the missile is likely to be part of the weapons package for 83 of the Mk1A version that is set to be ordered shortly.

Currently, the missile has a range of over 100 km and has been successfully test-fired against Banshee target aircraft simulating all possible threat scenarios. In the most recent user trials last September, the missile was launched with a warhead against manoeuvring targets that were neutralised, including a direct hit of the target at maximum range.

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Brahmos-A. The newly resurrected No.222 ‘Tigersharks’ squadron will be dual tasked as an Air Dominance and Maritime Strike squadron, based in South India at Thanjavur AFS in Tamil Nadu state. Will work closely with the Indian Navy to take protect India’s interests in the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal region. Should also see detachments sent to the Andaman & Nicobar islands, with Su-30MKIs armed with the Brahmos-A  ALCM.

Finally South India gets first Su-30MKI squadron

A force induction tomorrow on India’s peninsular tip will be one of the most significant in years. A squadron of the Indian Air Force’s most capable in-service jet, the Su-30 MKI will be commissioned into a unit in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu — a unit dusted off the shelf after it was closed down in 2011.

The 222 Squadron ‘Tigersharks’, which began life in the late sixties in Ambala with a complement of Su-7 fighters was ‘numberplated’ in 2011 after a stint with MiG-27 jets. It has been revived now to house Su-30 MKI planes marked out for the maritime role, which centres around a deterrent ethic, but includes anti-ship operations if the need arises.

India’s new Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and IAF chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria will oversee the induction on Monday in Thanjavur. The IAF’s Southern Commander and Indian Navy’s Eastern Commander will also be in attendance, all part of an emphasis on tri-service unity.

While the IAF is rightly reluctant to point deployments at any one country or threat, the positioning of Su-30s for the first time in India’s south on a permanent basis (there have been temporary detachments before) is clearly at least in part a response to Chinese activity in the Indian Ocean, and specifically the Indian military’s area of responsibility.

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Sources tell Livefist that at least some of the Tigersharks squadron Su-30s will be modified versions capable of deploying a BrahMos-A supersonic anti-ship cruise missile. The BrahMos-A is expected to be cleared for operational service this year. The Indian Navy handles airborne anti-submarine operations with its fleet of P-8I jets stationed also in Tamil Nadu, about 300 km north of Thanjavur in Arakkonam.

The 222 Tigersharks will be the second fighter squadron in the state of Tamil Nadu. The other is the 45 Flying Daggers squadron housing the IAF’s first LCA Tejas Mk.1 jets situated 250 km east of Thanjavur in Sulur.

 

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Frenetic pace of testing. In just 4 days, 18 cycles of landing, hot refueling and taking off from the carrier, between prototypes NP-1 and NP-2. Looks like a whole lot of data is going to be available for DRDO and NFTC to pore over after the carrier compatibility trials are over.

Twitter link

Confirmations now that #NLCA completed 6 cycles today taking the tally to 18 in last 4 days. Today NP1 & NP2 did 3 landings & take-offs each from #INSVikramaditya, continuing their stellar performances. 4 videos combined here for visual treat.

The second LCA Navy prototype, NP-1 has also landed on INS Vikramaditya and conducted multiple bolters, landings and take-offs along with hot refueling on the carrier.

https://twitter.com/writetake/status/1217011669924081665

#NLCA NP1 has also completed arrested landing and take off in sucession now from #INSVikramaditya. It was piloted by Dax — Capt Shivnath Dahiya.

https://twitter.com/writetake/status/1217018107497025536

Confirmations now come in that Dax made another landing on #INSVikramaditya flying NP1, minutes after his first touchdown. As this tweet flies out, hot refueling on ship is on for more sorties. Some action there folks!!

https://twitter.com/writetake/status/1217020700067688448
[quote]NP1 took off around 1.30 pm & did over shoots for practice followed by trap. Hot refuelled took off & did one more trap. Hot refuelled & returned to base. So 2 arrested landings & 2 ski-jump takeoffs from #INSVikramaditya in a single sortie.

And a sort of confirmation from the Navy, that the LCA Navy Mk1 has proven niche technologies that will now pave the way for the Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter.

From Twitter

Twitter link

With this feat, the indigenously developed niche technologies specific to deck based fighter operations have been proven, which will now pave the way to develop and manufacture the Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter for the #IndianNavy.