LCA Tejas Mk-II Prototype Hitting The Skies Near You By 2014

Courtsey Idrw.org

News coming from HAL reveal that first prototype of the LCA Tejas Mk.2 may be unveiled for the world in 2014.

At present HAL is looking to install a solid dependable line for various units of this craft. The following statement gives us a hint of their goal.

“HAL-ARDC is taking up for development and qualification of certain LRUs required for catering to LCA-Mark 2 version. The first prototype aircraft is slated for built during 2013-14, while series production(s) are planned for induction to fleet which is stated to be taken up in two phases commencing from 2016 onwards.”

Even though work seems to have begun on a war footing by getting a metal mockup ready and they have also floated numerous contracts for various plane parts like composites etc yet the author is a bit skeptical about the HAL's capability to stick to the time line. Not only that but 2014 is also the year in which MK-I is supposed to get operational clearance. Looking at HAL's previous abysmal record this project looks like another one for the history books.

Get Your Act Together, Says Anthony to HAL

The Defence Minister Shri AK Antony today asked the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to realign its business processes for strategic alliances and joint ventures, as also, to step up R&D efforts to remain globally competitive.

Addressing a meeting of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee attached to his ministry, Shri Antony said HAL should partner with design laboratories like DRDO and CSIR for the development of indigenous aircraft, engines and systems. He said, what is more, HAL should adopt best practices followed by the global leaders in the field of project management, quality control systems, vendor deployment and supply chain management.

HAL, the leading Defence Public Sector Undertaking, has a turnover of over Rs.13,000 crores and is set for a quantum jump with the planned acquisition and production of Light Combat Aircraft, Light Utility Helicopter, Medium Multirole Combat Aircraft, Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft, Multirole Transport Aircraft, Basic Trainer Aircraft in its assembly lines in the coming years.

Shri Antony said the opening of defence production to the private sector and the introduction of offset clause in defence procurements should provide the necessary fillip to the entry of several players from the private sector into the aircraft industry.

Keeping in mind the mammoth role that the HAL would assume in the coming years in the aerospace industry and the challenges that it would face, the government has set up an expert group under the chairmanship of Shri BK Chaturvedi, Member, Planning Commission to suggest measures to strengthen and restructure HAL.

The expert group has already met twice and is expected to submit its report soon. Among other things, the Group will suggest how best the spin offs from HAL order book can be earnest to ensure better involvement of the private industry in the defence sector. It will also suggest measures to enhance the synergies between HAL, the private defence sector and the civilian industry. The expert Group will assess the future technological and human resource requirements of HAL keeping in view the upcoming and emerging futuristic aeronautical technologies.

Taking part in the discussion the Members of Parliament appreciated the role played by HAL in the defence arena of the country over the years. They, however, pointed out certain shortcomings such as the delay in the induction of the Light Combat Aircraft in the Indian Air Force, delay in the development of Kaveri Engine, delay in phasing out of Mig-21 aircraft and lack of an aggressive strategy to export HAL products.

Replying to queries, Shri Antony said the government has taken a number of measures to acquire the most modern aircraft for the Indian Air Force in the coming years. Some of the aircraft have already been inducted into IAF and others are in pipeline. Shri Antony was optimistic that from 2020 onwards most of the airframes and platforms of the Indian Air Force would have incorporated new technology. Speaking at the meeting, the Minister of State for Defence Dr MM Pallam Raju said HAL today faces multifarious challenges. He said while the organisation has evolved over the last 70 years by producing some of the finest human resources and products, in future, HAL would increasingly play the role of system integrator.

The Members of Parliament who attended the meeting included Shri Manish Tewari, Shri Naveen Jindal, Shri Suresh Kalmadi, Shri Brijbhushan Sharan Singh, Shri Kalkesh N Singh Deo, Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi, Shri SS Ramasubbu, Dr. Shashi Tharoor, Shri Balwant alias Bal Apte, Dr. Mahender Prasad, Shri HK Dua and Shri Ishwar Lal Jain.

India Gets First Dhruv Helicopter Simulator

The Helicopter Academy to Train by Simulation of Flying (HATSOFF), the joint venture owned equally by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and CAE, today announced that its simulator cockpit for the civil/conventional variant of the Dhruv has been certified to Level D, the highest qualification for flight simulators, by India's Directorate General Civil Aviation (DGCA).


The civil/conventional Dhruv simulator cockpit has been integrated with the CAE-built full-mission simulator currently in operation at HATSOFF. The simulator features CAE's revolutionary roll-on/roll-off cockpit design, which enables cockpits representing various helicopter types to be used in the simulator. This is the world's first-ever full-mission simulator for the HAL-built Dhruv helicopter.


"We are very proud of achieving Level D certification for the world's first simulator representing the indigenously developed HAL Dhruv helicopter," said Wg Cdr (Retd) Chandra Datt Upadhyay Vr.C., Chief Executive Officer of HATSOF. "We look forward to welcoming the Indian Air Force and other civil operators of the Dhruv in offering simulation-based training that will undoubtedly prove to be a safe and cost-effective method for training Dhruv helicopter aircrews."


The cockpit for the civil/conventional variant of the Dhruv is the second for the HATSOFF training centre. The first cockpit for the simulator represented the Bell 412 helicopter and training for Bell 412 operators began in July 2010. Additional cockpits for the Indian Army/Air Force variant of the HAL-built Dhruv and the Eurocopter Dauphin will be added to the HATSOFF training centre over the next year.


The HATSOFF training centre, located near HAL's headquarters in Bengaluru, also features multimedia classrooms, computer-based training, brief/debrief facilities, a training management information system and crew accommodations. The full-mission simulator features a common motion system, vibration platform, and visual display system, along with the four separate cockpit modules that can be used in the full-mission simulator. When a cockpit is not used in the full-mission simulator, it will be used as a fixed-based flight training device (FTD).


CAE is a world leader in providing simulation and modelling technologies and integrated training solutions for the civil aviation industry and defence forces around the globe. With annual revenues exceeding C$1.6 billion, CAE employs more than 7,500 people at more than 100 sites and training locations in more than 20 countries.


Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is a premier aeronautical complex of SE Asia, with 19 production divisions and ten R&D centres. HAL's expertise encompasses design, production, repair, overhaul and upgrade of aircraft, helicopters, aero-engines, accessories, avionics and systems. The current workforce is around 35,000 with over 50% having more than a decade of aircraft industry experience.

Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv Is A Piece Of Junk: BSF

Here comes more trouble for India's indigenous plans, in a letter sent to the home ministry Border Security Force(BSF) has requested that these choppers be replaced.

"The Advanced Light Helicopters- Dhruv-- are not helpful in our operations like casualty evacuation and troop reinforcements. They are useless for us. Most of the times these helicopters are under servicing and there are issues about its capabilities to fly beyond a certain height," BSF sources said.

"We have informed the Home Ministry in this regard.

The helicopter keeps developing regular snags," they said.

The air wing in these naxal-affected areas is under the command of the Border Security Force (BSF) and is used by the personnel of CRPF, ITBP, SSB and state police forces.

The BSF air fleet at present has six ALH 'Dhruvs' and two more will soon be inducted.
The Home Ministry, meanwhile, has also finalised a deal to lease six additional helicopters from a private vendor after a tender in this regard was floated last year by the government.

"These helicopters will be in place by June this year and will help security forces deployed for anti-naxal operations,"the sources said.

The present fleet of 'Dhruvs' placed in Raipur (Chhattisgarh) and Ranchi (Jharkhand) are also out of work due to reasons of want of spare parts or requirements of servicing.

The BSF air fleet, according to sources, will also be inducting a large transport plane as the two Avros that it has are non-operational due to technical reasons.

The helicopter was first exported to Nepal and Israel, and is on order by several other countries for both military and commercial uses. Military versions in production are for transport, utility, reconnaissance and MedEvac roles.The Dhruv has become the first major Indian weapons system to have secured large foreign sales. HAL hopes to sell 120 Dhruvs over the next few years, and has been displaying the Dhruv at airshows, including Farnborough and Paris in order to market the Dhruv.

Now what is the way forward if our own forces hate this machine,then what about the foreign buyers. I believe unless HAL takes note of the problem seriously and rectifies them , future of Dhruv depends upon it.

Eurofighter Typhoon Frontrunner To Win The $11 billion MMRCA Contract

Eurofighter Typhoon is the front-runner for the USD 11 billion contract Indian Air Force Multi-Role Combat Aircraft deal, a senior official of the BAE Systems has said indicating that if the contract goes through a part of fighter manufacturing would be off loaded to India.

"The negotiation for crucial commercial terms will begin next month," Michael Christie , Senior Vice President, BAE Systems India told a group of visiting journalists at BAE Systems' production centre at Warton, Lancashire, in UK yesterday.

India had short-listed French Dassault Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets for the project to acquire 126 fighters, while rejecting American Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet, Lockheed Martin F-16, Sweden's Gripen and Russian MiG-35 fighters.

Dassault and Europefighter have been asked by the Ministry of Defence to extend the offer validity.

"If Typhoon is chosen, the order for the contract will be firmed up in the first quarter of next year and "delivery of aircraft will begin in 2015," Christie indicated.

According to Christie, Typhoon is a generation ahead of Chinese aircraft J10 Thunder.

"China also unveiled a proto-type of J20. But typhoon is one of the most advanced aircraft, The missile capability of the aircraft and radar capability are of a different level," he said.

It is built by a four-nation European consortium - Britain, Germany, Italy and Spain - with Britain and Germany having 33 per cent stake each.

Answering a question on indigenisation of HAWK, Christie said "The indigenisation programme is very successful".

India had contracted to receive 66 HAWK - 26 built in the UK and 42 under licence by HAL in Bengaluru under a 1 billion pound agreement and the contract was widened by New Delhi to purchase 57 more HAWKs under licence production.

Today, the Indian Tricolour is flying proudly outside the BAE Warton production centre, along with the British flag, thanks to the massive Indian order, which is keeping the company going.

Christie said that India is keen to have 70 per cent of the Typhoon to be produced in India and the 30 per cent in the UK.

BAE is keen to make India a partner of the Consortium, Christie said.

Asked whether India could export HAWK, Christie said, the existing agreement does not allow it.

"We are in discussion to find how we can do that". Christie said, adding, "Typhoon has taken us to the next generation of aircraft".

"If India were to finalise the agreement for Typhoon, it will be produced in Bengaluru. They will have to create new space for it in Bengaluru", he said.

SAAB planning Joint Venture with HAL

HAL's light helicopter Dhruv uses SAAB manufactured airborne electronic warfare system. Now SAAB wants to set up a JV with HAL to manufacture these system and export them to other countries.
As per regulation SAAB will hold 26 percent in this JV. It plans on closing down its manufacturing unit in South Africa and moving it to India after the contract is finalized. It plans on opening an R&D center and hiring 300 engineers over five years.
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