India Defence

Navy plans to replace Chetak with light copters

 

In order to replace its ageing fleet of Chetak and Cheetah helicopters, the Indian Navy has put in a request for 56 Light Utility Helicopters. The Chetak and Cheetah helicopters manufactured by the government-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, are licenced Indian versions of the French Aérospatiale Alouette III and Alouette II. The Chetaks were inducted into the Indian Navy 30 years ago.
Officials disclosed that these LUHs will have twin-engines. Eight major helicopter manufacturers, including HAL, have been approached. Currently in the race are France’s Eurocopter, Russia’s Kamov and Kazan, the US-made Bell and Sikorsky, and the Italian Augusta Westland. These companies have been asked for field trials in India. Bids are expected in January next year, and the helicopters will be inducted into the Indian Navy by 2016. The demand for these helicopters has been hanging fire for the last five years. The Army and Air Force are close to finalising a deal for 197 LUHs, with the Eurocopter and Kamov reportedly in the lead for bagging the contract. The Navy is also in the process of procuring multi-role helicopters for which the European NH 90 and the Sikorsky are in the race.  

Tejas set for final air trials at Pokhran in February 2013.

 

India's indigenously developed light combat aircraft Tejas will be put to final test at the forthcoming air exercise `Iron Feast', to be held at Pokhran, in Rajasthan, in February next year.
Tejas will be tested for its capabilities, its lethality, endurance and precision at the air exercises, ahead of inducting it in the Indian Air Force, Air Marshal Anjan Kumar Gogoi, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, South-Western Air command, said at a press conference in Jaisalmer.
Tejas had undergone successful performance trials, including weapons trials ahead of its operational clearance and is now planned to be finally cleared for service after this exercise.
If the LCA's performance is found to be on par with IAF's requirements on every parameter, the first Tejas squadron will be deployed in Bangalore, he said.
Tejas is a lightweight multirole fighter with a tailless, compound delta-wing design powered by a single engine. The LCA programme, which began in the 1980s, was meant for replacing India's aging MiG-21 fighters.
It integrates technologies such as relaxed static stability, fly-by-wire flight control system, advanced digital cockpit, multi-mode radar, integrated digital avionics system, advanced composite material structures and a flat rated engine.
The IAF is reported to have a requirement for 200 single-seat and 20 two-seat conversion trainers, while the Indian Navy may order up to 40 single-seaters to replace its Sea Harrier FRS.51 and Harrier T.60.
The Tejas achieved a speed of over 1,350 km per hour (840 mph) during its sea level flight trials, thus becoming the second supersonic fighter developed indigenously by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited after the HAL Marut. The Tejas was cleared in January 2011 for use by Indian Air Force pilots.

4th Time Lucky? Army Floats Wheeled Gun Bid

 

Sigh. Because that's really all one can do about Indian artillery procurement. Oh well. After cancelling its last attempt at procuring 180 wheeled self-propelled 155mm artillery systems, the Army has begun the process afresh, sending out a new RFI to prospective vendors. The RFI, which specifies nothing apart from the requirement of a 155mm 45/52cal gun, leaves the door open for systems that could include the Konštrukta SpGH Zuzana 2, Nexter CAESAR, Rheinmetall RWG-52 and BAE-Bofors FH77 BW L52 Archer. 

Indian Air Force to deploy medium power radars, advanced helicopters

JODHPUR: Indian Air Force will deploy medium power radars and advanced helicopters in the western sector in order to strengthen its preparedness along the Indo-Pak border in Rajasthan.
While Jodhpur airbase will soon have a squadron of transport helicopters Mi-17 V5, medium power radars would also be deployed at Jaisalmer airbase, Air Marshal Anjan Kumar Gogoi, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, South-Western Air command, said at a press conference here.