U.S. fighter bids for India hit tech-transfer snag

At issue, among other things, is advanced radar know-how India wants as part of any deal for the 126 new fighter jets it plans to buy from one of six global aerospace powerhouses, say current and former Pentagon officials.

Lockheed Martin is proposing a version of its widely sold F-16 Fighting Falcon but has not made public any detail of which radar it will offer.

Boeing has said it is pursuing U.S. government approval to sell its F/A-18 Super Hornet “Block 2” strike attack aircraft, used by the U.S. Navy and Australia. It is equipped with what Boeing has called “ground-breaking” Raytheon Co (RTN.N: Quote, Profile, Research) APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar.

Asked about deliberations on licensing the so-called AESA radars for export to India, U.S. Navy Secretary Donald Winter told the Reuters Aerospace and Defense Summit: “I know that that’s under consideration.”

“There’s a very well detailed process that is followed by the department (of defense) that I’m not expert on, and I would defer to those who are,” Winter said on Wednesday.

“The Indians want as much co-production and as much technology transfer as they can get,” said retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kohler, who stepped down in August as the Pentagon’s top arms-sale official. “The U.S. government has to decide how far it will go toward meeting India’s requests.”

Ron Somers, president of the council that represents 275 of the biggest U.S. companies investing in India, referred to India’s fighter market as “a tremendous opportunity for U.S. companies that should not be missed.”

“We hope the U.S. government will get its act together,” Somers said by telephone. “Time is of the essence if we hope to compete with foreign companies for this hugely important deal.”

Lockheed Martin and Boeing declined to comment on the U.S. government’s delay in approving their India packages, as did the Indian embassy in Washington.

Bob Gower, vice president of Boeing’s F/A-18 program, said Boeing was confident the U.S. government ultimately will clear release of the APG-79 radar.

“The F/A-18 has an advantage in that we are the only airplane in the competition with a fielded production AESA radar,” Gower said in a written response last month to questions from Reuters. “I like our competitive position on the AESA radar.”

The United States already has sent AESA technology to Singapore and the United Arab Emirates, but they did not demand as much access to the underlying know-how as India has done, Ostrove said.

Washington might resolve its AESA-related dilemma by clearing a “dumbed down” version, he said. Substituting a less powerful processor, for instance, would make it less capable than one now flown by U.S. Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornet pilots.

“This would allow the Indians to build the radar themselves while preventing the most advanced American technology from leaving the country,” Ostrove said.

Raytheon Successfully Tests New Air-Launched Missile Defense System

TUCSON, Ariz., Dec. 4, 2007 /PRNewswire/ — Raytheon Company has successfully flight tested a key component of the Network Centric Airborne Defense Element missile defense system with the intercept of a test ballistic missile. The Dec. 3 test at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., demonstrated the NCADE infrared seeker’s ability to acquire and track a ballistic missile target in the boost phase.

NCADE is an air-launched weapon system designed to engage short- and medium-range ballistic missiles in the boost and ascent phase of flight. NCADE provides an interim or near-term solution to boost or ascent phase threats.

“This test provides clear evidence that the NCADE seeker is a viable solution against a boosting ballistic missile threat,” said Mike Booen, Raytheon Missile Systems vice president of Advanced Missile Defense. “NCADE fills a critical niche in the Ballistic Missile Defense system and provides a revolutionary, low-cost approach to interceptor development and acquisition.”

An Air National Guard F-16 test aircraft from the Air National Guard-Air Force Reserve Command Test Center, Tucson, Ariz., launched the AIM-9X airframe that carried the NCADE seeker.

The NCADE interceptor leverages many proven components and technologies, including the aerodynamic design, aircraft interface and flight control system of Raytheon’s Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile. The commonality with AMRAAM enables NCADE to launch from a wide variety of aircraft. NCADE’s small size enables it to be carried by and launched from smaller unmanned aerial vehicles, providing a potential operational advantage.

NCADE also leverages proven imaging infrared seeker components from existing Raytheon production programs. This enables a potentially rapid development and fielding path.

Last year, Raytheon teammate Aerojet successfully tested the NCADE second stage axial propulsion system, demonstrating the maturity of this new propulsion system. Future testing will involve the missile’s divert and attitude control system.

BRF member and journalist, Vishnu Som who was given the opportunity to fly and evaluate four jets in the MRCA competition : F-16, F-18, Gripen and MiG-35, has made available the first episode in which he flies the F-16, on NDTV website.

The link to that video is :

http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/videopod/default.aspx?id=20228

Something similar has been posted here before. Nothing confirmed as yet.

IAF’s MRCA tender: As some seek extension, Lockheed Martin OK with March 2008 deadline

New Delhi: US defence major, Lockheed Martin, has clarified that it would meet a March 2008 deadline set by India to bid for the world’s largest military aircraft deal, estimated to be worth at least $10 billion over its lifetime.

Lockheed is among six short listed candidates to sell 126 multi role fighter jets to the Indian Air Force.

‘We have sought no extension and plan to meet the deadline,’ company vice president Orville Prins told reporters in New Delhi. His clarification came amid reports that three of the bidders had sought an extension to the March 3 deadline to submit proposals.

‘(But) we are not seeking any changes or dilutions, but some clarifications to make our bid robust,’ Prins said.

The long awaited global tenders were finally floated in August this year to six contenders, which include US companies Boeing and Lockheed Martin for the F/A-18 Hornet and F-16 Eagle, the Russian MiG RAC for its re-designated MiG-35, Swedish firm Saab for its JAS-39 Gripen, the French firm Dassault Aviation for its Rafale and the European consortium Eurofighter for its Typhoon.

According to reports, US manufacturer Boeing and Russian MiG are among those who have asked for more time.

The Indian Air Force chief has recently clarified that he is looking at the induction of these aircraft into the force by 2012.

Anybody in here who knows the context of this photograph ? 🙂

India, Russia sign pact to build combat aircraft

A leap forward: Defence Minister A. K. Antony signs an agreement for the fighter aircraft with his Russian counterpart, Serdyukov Anatoly Eduardovich, in Moscow on Thursday.

During the two-day session, co-chaired by Mr. Antony and his Russian counterpart, Anatoly Serdyukov, the sides decided to start drafting a new long-term programme for defence cooperation. The current programme for the period 2000-2010 involves 200 defence projects estimated at $18 billion.

Commenting on the 5th-generation jet pact, the head of the Sukhoi aircraft company, which is designing the plane, said joint work on the project would be modelled along the lines of the BrahMos missile joint venture.

“We will share the funding, engineering and intellectual property in a 50-50 proportion,” Mikhail Pogosyan said. “We hope that the export potential of the new aircraft will be higher now that it is a joint project between our two countries.” He disclosed that the Indian version of the 5th-generation aircraft would be different from the Russian version because of specific Indian requirements.

“Implementation of the project will bring closer the technological basis of the Russian and Indian aircraft industries, beginning with design and ending with production technologies,” a spokesman for the Russian Federal Agency for Military-Technical Cooperation told the RIA-Novosti news agency.

Otaku, indeed it is a win win situation for both parties. It will be interesting to look at the differences between the Indian and Russian versions.

The Hopes and Risks of the Fifth Generation

The signing of a Russo-Indian contract for the joint development and creation of the fifth generation fighter, or as specialists call it, the PAK FA (the future tactical aviation aircraft complex) is planned for today. The country’s defense minister, Araccaparambila Curian Anthony ((phonetic)), who flew into Moscow for a meeting of the intergovernmental commission on military and technical cooperation, will initial the agreement for India. From the Russian side it is the Sukhoy Aviation Holding Company, who has been making the domestic PAK FA for well over a year, which is known at the T-50 or I-21 project.

This aircraft has been “secret” up to now. Not one of the foreigners has seen it. Nonetheless, Russia’s air force commander-in-chief, General-Colonel Aleksandr Zelin, promises that our “five” will lift into the air at the end of 2009, and in 2010 it will go into series production.

There is a directly connection between the Russian T-50 and the joint Russo-Indian PAK FA. The Sukhoy management, who several years ago won the tender for the creation of the fifth generation fighter, understood such work would take huge financial expenditures and proposed the Indians take part in it. Sukhoy is delivering the Su-30MKI multirole fighter to India. Not only did India’s air force chief of staff and defense minister come to the Sukhoy OKB to get acquainted with the project, but so did the country’s president. They liked the airplane, but politely refused to participate in the work on it. Under the pretext of the fact that Delhi doesn’t need the twin-engined fifth generation fighter that Sukhoy is making, but a lightweight one with a single engine.

According to the Sukhoy Aviation Holding Company general director, Mikhail Pogosyan, the participation of the Indians in the PAK FA project at first will be purely financial, the original cost of the work is estimated at 10 billion dollars. However, this is only an initial amount. There already is an agreement that the sides will bear all expenses fifty-fifty. And afterwards, Indian and Russian designers will adapt this aircraft to their own air force needs.

Whether it will be a joint Russo-Indian PAK FA continuation of the T-50 or turn out to be a completely other aircraft still is unknown. It has not been ruled out that the new airplane nonetheless will be single engine. At the same time, it will maintain all the “generic” achievements and properties of the fifth generation fighter: high maneuverability, low radar signature, powerful weaponry, concealed within the fuselage skin, the ability for close interaction with ground air controllers and with space apparatus.

There is time for the creation of such a fighter. It, in the estimation of the designers, may be lifted into the sky in 2015 – 2017. True, with the condition that in this period there are no changes to Delhi’s approaches to military and technical cooperation with Russia.

Source: 17.10.06, Nezavisimaya Gazeta, Correspondent: Viktor Litovkin