Mirage upgradation

[AVERAGE INDIAN]

Are therse The Vajra project Upgrades??

Word is that the upgrade will bring India's Mirages to the full Mirage 2000v5 Mk 2 standard external link, including a new RDY-3 radar with greater air-air and air-ground capability, a new night vision compatible all-digital cockpit, and improved electronic warfare systems. These will be tied into a joint tactical information data link system (JTIDS, usually Link 16 compatible but not always), plus helmet-mounted sights for wide-angle heat-seeking missiles. As part of the upgrade, the aircraft will also be equipped with MBDA's Mica family of medium range missiles.

MBDA was probably unamused by India Defence's December 2006 description of its wares as "an advanced medium-range missile that is the French counterpart to the more capable American AMRAAM missile [link added]". MICA would actually replace both the radar-guided Super 350 MRAAM and Magic-II short-range infrared missiles on Indian Mirages, offering better performance and range. While the MICA-RF does have mediocre range compared to the AIM-120C AMRAAM, or even the Russian R-77 used by the IAF's SU-30MKIs, it's unique in offering a MICA-IR heat-seeking IR version for a potent medium range 'no warning' targeting option. French pilots who used the MICA-IR over Libya report that its sensor alone is a useful input to their systems, and its passive seeker with lock-on after launch means that it can be fired from beyond visual range at enemy aircraft, without creating any warning from the opposing fighter's radar warning receivers. India will join France, Egypt, Greece, Taiwan and the UAE as operators of the Mirage 2000/MICA combo.

Work on the upgrades would be performed by a French-Indian consortium including Dassault (aircraft manufacturer), Thales (weapons systems integrator), MBDA (missiles) and India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/indias-fighter-upgrades-mirage-2000s-next-02891/

 

[AVERAGE INDIAN]

Indian Air Force Mirage 2000 Upgrade Progresses Despite Groundings

Although a $2.2 billion upgrade of India's Dassault Mirage 2000 fighters is progressing, around a quarter of the fleet of 49 is grounded because a contract for spares has remained unsigned for years, AIN has learned from sources involved in the program.

"Bureaucratic holdups have caused delays. As a result, parts are being cannibalized and there are some aircraft [inactive] since 2010. Life of some parts, especially avionics, is expiring," said an engineer not willing to be identified. Repairs of the Mirages are carried out at the base repair depot in Gwalior in the central state of Madhya Pradesh. The depot also does material planning and storage of primarily third- and fourth-line spares. The Indian Air Force declined to comment.

Meanwhile, the upgrade to the 2000-5 standard is progressing. Two aircraft have completed flight trials and are awaiting certification. Delivery to HAL is expected within two months. The third aircraft is expected to fly soon. Another two will be retrofitted in Bangalore byHindustan Aeronautics (HAL). The remaining Mirages will be reassembled in India with tooling to be supplied by Thales. While a timeline of seven years has been given to upgrade all the aircraft, a defense consultant characterized as "ambitious" any projection for HAL to produce six a year. However, HAL chairman RK Tyagi told AIN, "We can produce up to 10 a year." The HAL team has already gone to France for training. Test benches in Gwalior will require upgrading, for which bids have not as yet been released.

The new capabilities include longer-range detection and weapon firing against multiple targets and an extended operating envelope that will allow a border-protection mission. The multitrack RDY-3 radar equipment on the Indian Mirage is the same generation the French air force uses on the Mirage 2000D, with range increased to 50 nm from the existing RDM radar's 40 nm.

India is ordering 164 Litening 2 targeting pods from Israel's Rafael for the upgraded Mirages, as well as for Su-30 MKIs. The nation has also cleared a proposal to buy more than 400 MICA short- and medium-range air defense missiles. These will replace the Magic II short-range infrared missiles and Super 350 MRAAM on the Mirages.

Indian Air Force Mirage 2000 Upgrade Progresses Despite Groundings | Aviation International News

 

[Hari Sud]

Somebody in the Defence Ministry is to be hauled up for the spare parts order delay. Babus delay and delay until the suppliers comes up with a bribe package acceptable to them. With these machinations, they compromise the national security, but the Babus do not care. They want their own cut in the deal.

 

[sorcerer]

Dassault hands over two upgraded Mirages to India, eyes Rafale

Even as the government on Wednesday announced the dates of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to France on April 9, 2015, Dassault handed over two upgraded Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft to the Indian Air Force in a formal ceremony at the Dassault Aviation Flight Test Centre in France. Mr. Modi will also travel to Germany on April 12, 2015 and Canada on April 14, 2015 before returning on April 17, 2015.

India had in 2011 signed a $ 2.4 billion grade deal with Thales and Dassault of France for upgrading its fleet of 51 Mirage 2000 aircraft it acquired in the 1980s and a separate $1.23 billion deal with MBDA for MICA air-to-air missiles to equip them.

"We are trusted partners of the Indian armed forces and have developed a strong local supply chain which helped us to make the upgrade of the Mirage 2000 a real success story," said Pierre Eric Pommellet, Thales executive vice-president emphasising on Make in India.

Defence Ministry officials said that the next two aircraft will be upgraded by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) with French assistance while the remaining will be upgraded with technology transfer.

The upgraded aircraft will fill a crucial void at a time of dwindling fighter strength of the Air Force with delay in conclusion of Rafale deal and induction of Light Combat Aircraft.

India is currently negotiating with Dassault for the purchase of 126 Rafale aircraft under the multi-role fighter aircraft deal. However differences have cropped up over pricing and work share. France is keen to wrap the deal before Mr. Modi's visit.

"The Rafale is the next logical step"¦," declared Eric Trappier, chairman & CEO of Dassault Aviation at the ceremony.

After the upgrade the aircraft are "almost new" with their life extended by 10-15 years. Upgrades include state-of-the-art avionics, multi-mode radar, mission computers, glass cockpit, helmet-mounted display, electronic warfare suites among others.



Dassault hands over two upgraded Mirages to India, eyes Rafale - The Hindu