VictorThe US NEVER offered India F-16s.
It was “reported” by one Indian website and as per usual, copied by other newspapers/websites and suddenly became “news”
India would have LOVED to get its hands on some new F-16s, not just from a technical point of view but symbolically and politically it would have been a diplomatic triumph, thats probably why the US would never release them.
The US could effectively block the LCA engines, Phalcon Deal and Hawk deal if it wanted to, so it already has alot of leverage over India…….
The US has tech leverage over other countries? You don’t say?! Thank you Captain Obvious for stating saving the day by stating the obvious.
For the record, LM offered but it was rejected by both GOTUS and IAF.
Victorhttp://www.flightdailynews.com/singapore2004/02_24/avionics/hal.shtm
From Feb 2004 but has more details about the Dhruv…
Lord Corp engineers smooth ride on HAL Dhruv
Lord Corp has won a contract for AVCS chipsets.
With as many as six examples of its Dhruv twin-engined military/civil light helicopter ready to perform in the Changi skies over the next few days, Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) is nicely placed to soak up any spare demonstration slots.
The two-crew, 12-passenger Dhruv – which arrived on board an Antonov An-124 freighter – won civil certification from Indian authority DGCA last October, and HAL is aiming for European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) approval later this year. The Indian manufacturer reports 300 contracts with domestic civil and military operators and is exploring export sales.
Potential buyers would be advised to compare this week’s experience with what will be on offer when HAL shows off a pair of Dhruvs at the FIDAE show in Chile next month – those aircraft will be fitted with a pre-production vibration-control system from US helicopter systems specialist Lord Corporation.
Last month Lord was awarded a contract for series production of 20 shipsets of its Active Vibration Control System (AVCS) for installation in Dhruv, also known as the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH).
First
The first aircraft with production-standard AVCS is expected to fly in the third quarter of this year.
“We look forward to partnering with HAL on other technologies in the future,” says Jim Potter, Lord’s international technical director for aerospace products. “In the meantime, we’re developing further Dhruv applications that will substantially reduce HAL’s costs while enhancing service life, improving reliability and reducing direct operating costs. Flight testing and certification are planned for the second half of this year.”
The US company’s involvement in the programme began with contracts to supply elastomeric bearings for the main and tail rotors, bearings for the pylon isolation system and instrument-panel isolators. Then in mid-2002 Lord was asked to help minimise fuselage vibration, using its proven AVCS technology.
A contract for diagnostic ground and flight testing was awarded in September 2002, and the AVCS capability was demonstrated in November 2002. Subsequent flight tests of a prototype system in two aircraft – one with a skid undercarriage, the other with wheeled gear – revealed impressive vibration reductions, the company says. While the initial objective was to cut vibration in the cockpit, the tests showed that the system yielded improvements throughout the aircraft in all flight conditions.
AVCS is based on the use of active “frahms” (actuators) to reduce fuselage vibration arising from the mechanical and aerodynamic effects of the main rotor.
Sensors
Responding to data from fuselage-mounted sensors, the system controller commands the frahms to act as needed to cancel vibrations. Benefits include a more comfortable, less fatiguing ride for passengers and crew and improvements to the serviceability and operating lives of onboard systems.
Two, three or four frahms can be used simultaneously, depending on mission and conditions.
VictorVictor
There were 6 DIFFERENT prototypes in 1991, with different engines, weapons etc,
Different weapons?
What, one proto had a 125mm SB gun, another had a sling shot, another had a paintball gun? It’s good thing the PA chose the one with the 125mm SB gun.
VictorVictor
If you knew anything you would know that there are significant differencces between MBT-2000 and the eventual production standard Al Khalid, please dont belive everything you read on BR…..
If by BR you mean PakDef…
From PakDef, as quoted already by Harry:
Additional details of the Khalid, the first prototype of which was completed in June 1991 and which is also referred to as the MBT-2000 or P-90, are given under Pakistan.
VictorDo you really know anything about the Pakistan Army?
You can ask that question with a straight face while not knowing that the Al Khalid is also known as the MBT-2000? 😀
VictorNot IAF pics per se but some indicative pics of where the development of Dhruv is heading.
The first pics shows what an armed Dhruv of the Army/IAF and Navy would most likely carry.
The second pic shows a configuration of an armed Coast Guard Dhruv meant for SAR, maritime recon, EEZ enforcement, etc. Notice the radar, roof mounted FLIR, and of course the HMG.
Lastly, a CGI of the ASW configured Dhruv for the IN. Notice the two LWT, the dunking sonar, and of course the radar. Although the pic doesn’t show it but the helo might also recieve the roof mounted FLIR as well.
VictorAre the Flogger’s swing wings’ angle sweep controlled by the FCS or manually set?
Correct me if I’m but the F-14’s wing sweep angle is controlled by the FCS, just curious if the Flogger’s wings worked the same way.
VictorNavy approaches ISRO for spy, communication satellite
The Navy Chief said that networking among all platforms by using satellites is necessary to bring synergy in the deployment of weapons and sensors.
NEW DELHI, DHNS:
The Navy has approached the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to have exclusive satellites for communication and high-resolution space imaging in an effort to modernise naval operations.
“We have recently approached ISRO for two types of satellites. One would be for communication to be parked in the geo-stationary orbit at an altitude of 36,000 km while the second one would be for imaging from the space,” a senior Navy officer told Deccan Herald on Wednesday.
Asked what would be the resolution for the imaging satellite, the officer said that it should be able to give images having resolution of less than one metre.
Satellites which produces such high resolution images — routinely used for spying by many countries — can read the license plate of a car from the sky.
So far ISRO has made only one satellite named technology experiment satellite (TES), which produces images having one-mtr resolution. TES was launched in October 21, 2001 on board an indigenous polar satellite launch vehicle and its images are believed to have been supplied to the Army periodically for strategic purpose.
“A formal agreement with ISRO may happen soon,” the officer said, adding that the Navy in the past had used images from Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) series of satellites for various reasons.
The new Navy Chief Admiral Arun Prakash too admitted that the Navy was seeking the launch of a dedicated communication satellite through ISRO as part of Navy’s new initiative of networking of all platforms. He, however, did not comment on the imaging satellite.
Talking to reporters for the first time after taking over as the new Navy Chief, Admiral Prakash said that networking among all platforms is necessary to bring synergy in the deployment of weapons and sensors.
Asked about the long-pending Scorpene submarine deal, he said the project to acquire six French submarines is awaiting Cabinet clearance. Once acquired, Scorpene can match the capability of Pakistan’s Augusta class submarines. Interestingly, a French company DCN International is making both.
“The Cabinet Committee on Security sought certain clarifications which have been provided to them. The process slowed down during the election phase and now its being revived,” Admiral Prakash said. It is learnt that one of the reasons for delay is certain political pressure to allow German HDW submarines instead of the French product.
The Navy chief for the first time acknowledged the existence of the advanced technology vessel (ATV) project to build Indian’s own nuclear-powered submarine. “It’s a DRDO project and the Navy has no knowledge about its status,” he said tersely 😀
VictorThose ships will the kick the llama’s ass in that region. They look, spec wise, to be much superior to anything in that region and perhaps Asia. Too bad they will only get three, which means two available at any one time.
VictorAs per Pakistani press reports, there’s 700,000 Indian troops in Kashmir, which leaves about 300,000 – 400,000 Indian troops for desert type warfare.
With the IA having access to greater number of helos now for an equivalent size force as PakArmy, the IA still has a better troop to helo ratio for the operational theatre.
VictorHere’s a 7 min promo vid of the EL/M-2022A.
VictorDo-228 is one of my favorite but little known aircraft. Don’t overlook these small but handsomely equipped MPAs when talking about the IN’s capabilities.
They are equipped with EL/M-2022A radar, AMOSP, datalink, and four onboard MFD consoles. These aircraft are very good MPAs for their size and price.
In this pic, one can see the radar and AMOSP bulges.
VictorIndia Needs To Replace Aging Combat Fleet, Naval Chief Says
By UTTARA CHOUDHURY, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, NEW DELHI
India’s new naval chief said Aug. 11 the force urgently needs to replace its aging combat ships, admitting it was facing a desperate shortage of manpower and equipment.
“My job is to see that the navy stays in fine fettle,” Admiral Arun Prakash told a press conference in New Delhi, his first since taking office last month.
“We need to arrest declining force levels, which will keep going down till 2012 as aging ships get decommissioned. We have got 150 ships, we need to sustain that level,” he added.
According to the navy, fleet strength will shrink to 127 warships in three years if aging ships are not replaced.
“Very few orders were placed in our shipyards in the period between 1985 and 1995. The good news is that 19 ships are in various stages of construction at our shipyards,” said Prakash.
“But we need more modern submarines sweepers and ultra modern offshore patrol vessels. We would like new nuclear submarines, but it depends on the government,” he added.
India is mulling plans to buy warships on international markets due to a potential shortfall by domestic manufacturers in the next two years.
India hiked military spending by almost 18 percent in the year to March 2005 to 770 billion rupees ($16.73 billion) from 653 billion rupees the year before to fund a massive military acquisition program.
Military experts hailed the hike but said it was not enough to fund all the long-planned purchases of a Russian aircraft carrier, British jet trainers, French submarines and a 900 million-dollar project to increase the firepower of the infantry.
“We need funding to maintain force levels. Last year, we received a 17 percent share of the defense budget. If we had got a 20 percent (this year) all our operational needs would be taken care of,” said Prakash.
“We would like the government to give us more money,” he added.
Prakash said that while 12 Dornier aircraft were being inducted for short-range patrolling activities, the Indian navy was “still on the lookout for good, long-range” surveillance aircraft.
The Indian navy is hoping to buy the U.S. Navy’s P3 Orion aircraft to improve its capability in anti-ship, anti-submarine, surface surveillance and search and rescue missions. Currently, P3 Orions are in service in 17 countries.
It also is eyeing the U.S. Navy’s Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicles, which perform rescue operations on disabled submarines.
“It is under negotiation. It is on our list of priorities but nothing has been finalized yet. Once the technical inspections are concluded we will take a decision,” said Prakash.
In April, Russia handed over to India the Tabar frigate, the third ship Moscow has built for New Delhi’s navy under a one-billion-dollar contract signed in 1997.
In January, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov announced in New Delhi that Moscow — after about a decade of negotiations — would sell to India the 44,570-ton Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier along with 28 MiG-29K maritime fighter jets for some $1.5 billion.
“Refurbishing work is being carried out on Admiral Gorshkov at a furious pace. She will be a brand new ship when she joins us in 2008,” said Prakash.
French defense group Thales and naval shipbuilder Direction des Constructions Navales (DCN) have also completed negotiations with New Delhi on the building of six Scorpene submarines in India but are awaiting final approval for the two billion-euro ($2.37 billion) deal.
“The Scorpene deal has been negotiated and scrutinized at various levels by the navy. It is now awaiting final cabinet clearance,” said Prakash.
Prakash succeeds Admiral Madhavendra Singh, who retired on July 31.
VictorI dont see the yakhont vls aft of the sail!
Perhaps this pic of the Yasen will clear some stuff up 🙂
VictorThe ATV being based on the Yasen makes sense because the Yasen is about 8700 tonnes displacement dived and 6000 tonnes surfaced. Not the 12,000 tonnes people are thinking.
Also, the inner hull diameter of the ATV should be about 10m. I am assuming this because in the article, they mention trying to fit the reactor into a 10m diameter hull section for testing. With a 10m inner hull, the outer hull’s diameter is probably around 12m, giving a 1m offset 360′ around the hull. And wouldn’t you know it, the Yasen’s outer hull diameter is also 12m.
The Yasen also has eight VLS tubes as is assumed for the ATV. The Yasen does have eight torp tubes, which is different from the ATV. The lower displacement of the ATV is probably because it is shorter than the Yasen as Yasen is a 8-9 compartment boat while the ATV, according to the article, is seven compartments big.
Btw, all my Yasen info comes from Janes Fighting Ships.
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