SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG.

The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) has issued tenders for the development of a high-speed wing tunnel intake model of the AMCA at the estimated cost of under 60 lacs to further study and collect data on the intakes after AMCA incorporated Diverterless supersonic inlet (DSI) intakes after it went through a major redesign in its design.

VEM Technologies Private Limited also has started work on the 1:1 Scale model of AMCA that will go for the Outdoor Radar Cross Section (RCS) Test Measurement facility of RCI at Dundigal, Hyderabad, later this year that will help identify actual RCS measurement that already has been predicted by the RCS simulation software developed by the NAL but 1:1 Scale model will help prove the measurements that the software had predicted. The 1:1 Scale model of AMCA will use radar observing components that have been developed for the engineering model of the aircraft.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG.

Fresh tender documents for the supply of power supply and relay units for the Astra Mk2 program now confirms what was speculated for a while now that the Astra Mk2 will be the first Indigenous air to air missile that will feature an Ejection Launcher that is designed for the carriage and release of air to air missile from the fast jets which also ensures better safe missile separation on launch even in the most extreme of the flight conditions.

Another advantage of the Ejection Launcher is that it can be used on conformal stations such as those on the underside of the aircraft that offer reduced radar signature from the traditional wing pylon stations. Ejection Launcher comes as a combined pylon and launcher unit that is usually seen under the fuselage on modern high-performance fighter jets to reduce weight.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG.

India has issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) for a launch of a BrahMos missile from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands territory from 14-16 April 2021. as per information provided by the Twitter user @detresfa_. The anti-ship version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile has been tested from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands territory quite often.

Indian Air Force has raised a new squadron of Su-30 MKI fighter jets last year at the Thanjavur air force station in Tamil Nadu, where the fighters are equipped with the air-launched version of the 2.5-tonne BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, that flies at nearly three times the speed of sound.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held extensive talks with his Kazakh counterpart Lieutenant General Nurlan Yermekbayev recently that focused on defense industrial collaboration between the two countries. Kazakhstan is seeking India’s help in the modernization and upgradation of its predominately Soviet/Russian aircraft. Kazakhstan is also seeking cooperation in the co-development of aircraft component

Kazakhstan is seeking components and sub-systems to be procured from and BEL for the upgradation of the Mil Mi-17 fleet operated by the Kazakh Air Defense Forces. Alpha Design Technologies Private Limited (ADTL) is supplying smart displays, a new cockpit, transponder, Digital Voice Recorder (DVR), Missile Launch Detection System (MILDS) for the Mi-17 Helicopter that has caught the eye of Kazakhstan as per information provided to idrw.org.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG.

Based on the outcome of the preliminary design review of all systems, certain changes were brought to the Orbital module to meet the design constraints and it looks like the latest Gaganyan Crew module will be able to support only Two Indian astronauts instead of earlier plans to carry three Indian astronauts to space on a seven-day mission.

Isro has not officially confirmed this latest revision in the designs of the Gaganyan Crew module and if it will only carry two Indian astronauts for its first space mission. Four Indian astronauts who have been trained at Russia’s Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center near Moscow are back in India and are continuing their mission-specific training in India.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG.

The Indian space agency is likely to test RLV (Reusable Launch Vehicle) Landing Experiment later this year so that it can commence the Orbital Re-entry Experiment by next year. The landing Experiment will see the RLV wing-body will be carried using a helicopter and released at a distance of ~4-5 km ahead of the runway with a horizontal velocity. RLV will then glide and navigate towards the runway, and land with its landing gear deployed at a place called Chitradurga in Karnataka.

Next in 2022, RLV will ascend into orbit, stay there, re-enter and land on a runway like an airplane. 1:8 scale RLV has been developed for this experiments along with that New system like Landing gear, Parachute, Hook beam assembly, Radar Altimeter, and Pseudo lite were developed and qualified.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG.

India’s indigenous aircraft carrier 1 (IAC 1) INS Vikrant will soon be getting air defense cover from the long-range surface-to-air missile (LRSAM) system after the Navy started integration work of the missile system onboard INS Vikrant. The LRSAM is a joint development by the IAI and the DRDO, that has a range of 70+km and offers broad aerial and point defense against a wide range of threats to the marine arena from the air, sea, or land.

INS Vikrant will also be getting DRDO developed Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile (VL-SRSAM) that will supplement the LRSAM system for intercepting aerial threats to the aircraft carrier. VL-SRSAM has a range of 40km and they are talks of DRDO working on an extended LRSAM-ER variant for the Indian Navy which will feature an additional booster stage that will enable it to take down aerial targets at a range of 150+km.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG.

Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov and his counterpart S Jaishankar have laid the groundwork for PM Narendra Modi’s summit meeting with President Vladimir Putin that has been planned for later this year in India and it is expected that two countries will clear pending deal for the purchase of 33 Russian made fighter jets for the Indian Air Force (IAF).

Indian Air Force (IAF) plans to procure 12 Sukhoi-Su-30MKI that will be supplied in the assembly kit form to be later assembled in Nashik by the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Production of 140 Sukhoi-Su-30MKI from Raw material stages is over after HAL handed over the last two Sukhoi-Su-30MKI to IAF earlier this year. HAL and Russia’s Irkut have started formal price negotiation for the deliveries of 12 Sukhoi Su-30MKI assembly kits to India and a deal will likely be concluded when President Vladimir Putin visits India.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG.

Indian Air Force Museum at the Palam Air Force Station in Delhi has been opened to the visitors after being closed due to the CCP Virus pandemic in the country and some of the visitors were surprised to see a Pakistani Air Force operated F-86 Sabre fighter jets that were supplied by the United States was getting ready for its restoration work.

Earlier this year, while commemorating 50 years of defeating Pakistan in the 1971 war, Indian Air Force (IAF) Chief RKS Bhadauria was gifted a legacy F-86 Sabre aircraft as a return gift from Dhaka. F-86 Sabre that arrived came with Bangladeshi markings and will be restored to its original paint scheme of the PAF by the staff of the Museum that is overlooking the restoration work.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG.

A new biography on former Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar that was penned down by Nitin Gokhale has said that the initial push for procurement of Dassault Rafale on urgency bases and had suggested off the shelf purchase rather than delaying and spend time in contract negotiation with Dassault for local manufacturing of the jet that was stuck due Quality assurance of the jet and the price, that was to be made by the HAL in India.

“Manohar Parrikar – Brilliant Mind, Simple Life (Bloomsbury)” has a Rafale chapter with details giving out interesting details, on how the process of Rafale procurement was carried out and one of the interesting revelation was that former Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar recommended off the shelf purchase of 63 Dassault Rafale from France directly but with no clarity on how and why the number was later reduced to just 36.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG.

Indian Army along with the Ministry of Defence has issued Request For Information (RFI) for procurement of 155 mm/ 52 Calibre Mounted Gun System that can be employed in plains, mountains, high altitude area, semi-desert, and desert terrain along the Northern and Western Borders of the country for the execution of Artillery tasks. RFI that idrw.org has gone through has laid down some of the requirements like that 155/ 52 Calibre Gun System should be able to fire all in-service ammunition at the time of trials and precision ammunition under procurement.

The vehicle of 155/ 52 Calibre Mounted Gun System should have the capability to operate in existing road and track network existing and created in mountain and desert terrain in own Northern and western Borders. 155 mm/ 52 Calibre Gun System should have an Inertial Navigation System based sight system with the capability to orient and fixing the location of the Gun System. The FCS should also have the capability to provide day and night direct and indirect firing. FCS should be compatible with Project SHAKTI.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG.

 3 Rafale fighter jets took off from France’s Istres airbase on Wednesday and will be covering a total distance of close to 7,000 km between India and France. “These 3 include two single-seater and one twin-seater aircraft. The aircraft are likely to arrive at Air Force Station, Ambala, on April 1, The Indian Embassy in Paris said in a statement.

Further 7 batches of Rafale will make its onward journey next month . Delivery of all 36 aircraft would be completed as per schedule by end 2021. The first batch of five Rafales arrived in India on July 28 2020 and was officially inducted in September at Ambala Air Base in Haryana on September 10 2020 by the central government.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG.

The South Korean defence minister Suh Wook’s on his visit to New Delhi to bolster bilateral defence cooperation has offered to co-develop a light battle tank for the Indian Army, that is suitable for high altitude operations. Korean company Hanwha defense has developed K21-105, a Light Tank that has a 105mm turret mounted on a proven K21 chassis for the Korean Army, but India is looking at using the hull of the K9 Vajra 155mm/52 caliber Tracked Self-Propelled Howitzer as a base to mate it with an indigenous gun to be used as a Light Tank.

Indian Army is looking to operate a Light Tank that will weigh around 30+ tons that technically puts it in the Medium Class of Tank category. Indian Army is considering equipping it with either a 105 mm or even 120 mm gun that will be fitted with High Altitude Operable Powerpack (Engine + Transmission) of 1000hp that will be fine-tuned by the DRDO.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG.

Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) operated Rustom 1, a medium-altitude and long-endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) that was carrying out demonstration trials for the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) at the base station in Jagdalpur, that is located 15km away from Naxal infested Bastar region while coming in for a landing yesterday crashed into outer perimeter wall.

The strategic technical command center of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), has been shifted to the Naxal hotbed of Bastar in Chhattisgarh, to provide security forces enhanced aerial surveillance to conduct anti-Maoist operations, Due to which CRPF has been at the lookout for inducting some UAVs in support of its operations.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) yesterday conducted the maiden test flight of SP-21, the fifth FOC-Standard Tejas Mk1 fighter jet, and SP-22, the sixth FOC-Standard Tejas Mk1 fighter jet successfully. SP-21 was Piloted by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Chief Test Flying (Fixed Wing) Rajeev Joshi (retired). SP-22 aircraft was piloted by the Unknown HAL Test Pilot that idrw.org couldn’t verify at the point of filing this report. HAL is working hard to get SP-23 to conduct its maiden flight by end of this month as the financial year targets mounts, but the aircraft most probably will be ready only next month.

SP-21 and SP-22 were seen flying in its primer due to march-end woes to meet its target but the aircraft will soon be moving to the paint shop where it takes usually takes around 5-7 days for it to get IAF livery before it can be handed over to the second Squadron by end of next month. SP-21 completed its maiden fight in the early morning, while SP-22 completed its maiden flight in the afternoon. Both had approx. 35-40 min sorties and carried out basic pre-delivery inflight checks before they safely landed back.