Mirage upgrade: To be completed within 10 years

[Patriot]

Armaments may prove to be a costly affair for India's Mirage 2000 upgrade

The Indian Air Force (IAF)'s plans to upgrade its fleet of Mirage 2000 fighters could be delayed following issues over the armaments package of the upgraded aircraft.

While both the IAF and the French company, Dasault are keen to get the project off the ground at the earliest, informed sources told defenseworld.net that discussions still needed to be concluded on the issue of the complement of weapons to be fitted on to the aircraft which is to be upgraded to the Mirage 2000-5 MkII standard.

An Indo-French joint statement had said in December 2010, "discussions concerning the upgrading of Mirage-2000 aircraft are expected to be finalized soon". There has been no official word on the progress of the Mirage 2000 upgrade deal after that.

Defenseworld.net has learnt from industry sources that the price, an estimated INR10,000 Crore (US$2.2 billion) itself considered high for upgrading around 50 aircraft, may go up by an estimated US$700 million if one considers the cost of procuring, integrating and clearing the armament of the upgraded aircraft. Post-upgrade, the aircraft is to have Beyond Visual Range (BVR) and air-to-ground missiles with look down, shoot down and multi-target engagement radar and fire control system.

After the upgrade, all the current weapons inventory will be redundant; the procurement of new weapons to equip the upgraded aircraft is projected to cost upwards of U.S.$700 million-$1bn. The discarded weapons with their associated equipment are understood to be unusable on other IAF platforms and will thus be a significant write off.

 

[debasree]

Armaments may prove to be a costly affair for India's Mirage 2000 upgrade

The Indian Air Force (IAF)'s plans to upgrade its fleet of Mirage 2000 fighters could be delayed following issues over the armaments package of the upgraded aircraft.

While both the IAF and the French company, Dasault are keen to get the project off the ground at the earliest, informed sources told defenseworld.net that discussions still needed to be concluded on the issue of the complement of weapons to be fitted on to the aircraft which is to be upgraded to the Mirage 2000-5 MkII standard.

An Indo-French joint statement had said in December 2010, "discussions concerning the upgrading of Mirage-2000 aircraft are expected to be finalized soon". There has been no official word on the progress of the Mirage 2000 upgrade deal after that.

Defenseworld.net has learnt from industry sources that the price, an estimated INR10,000 Crore (US$2.2 billion) itself considered high for upgrading around 50 aircraft, may go up by an estimated US$700 million if one considers the cost of procuring, integrating and clearing the armament of the upgraded aircraft. Post-upgrade, the aircraft is to have Beyond Visual Range (BVR) and air-to-ground missiles with look down, shoot down and multi-target engagement radar and fire control system.

After the upgrade, all the current weapons inventory will be redundant; the procurement of new weapons to equip the upgraded aircraft is projected to cost upwards of U.S.$700 million-$1bn. The discarded weapons with their associated equipment are understood to be unusable on other IAF platforms and will thus be a significant write off.

we can buy new fighters like f-18 by spending 2.2billion ,spending such a huge sum on old platform is not good move

 

[lambu]

India set to sign $2.4bn Mirage deal with France
Rajat Pandit, TNN | May 19, 2011, 04.04am IST

NEW DELHI: Faced with a dual threat from China and Pakistan, which have even come together to manufacture fighter jets, India is really cranking up military aviation contracts. Even as the $4.1 billion deal for 10 American C-17 Globemaster-III strategic airlift aircraft awaits the final nod from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), another major contract is now headed that way.

Defence ministry sources on Wednesday said the long-awaited deal with France for the upgrade of 52 Mirage-2000 multi-role fighters in IAF's combat fleet is "finally ready" at a cost of almost Rs 11,000 crore ($2.4 billion).

"This is also now going to CCS for approval. Another big contract, which was being progressed simultaneously, for around 450 MICA (interception and aerial combat missiles) systems to arm the upgraded Mirages is also in the final stages now," said a source.

This comes after long-drawn negotiations with French companies Dassault Aviation (aircraft manufacturer), Thales (weapons systems integrator) and MBDA (missile supplier), which were "initially asking for much more", said sources.

Under the contract, the first four to six Mirages will be upgraded in France, while the rest will be retrofitted in India by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) with transfer of technology from the French companies.

This means the overall Mirage upgrade package, including the fire-and-forget MICA missiles and the infrastructure build-up at HAL, will eventually cross the Rs 15,000-crore mark.

It obviously raises questions whether it would be more prudent to simply buy new fighters rather than upgrade older ones at such a huge cost. IAF, however, argues the "retrofitted" Mirages -- with new avionics, radars, mission computers, glass cockpits, helmet-mounted displays, electronic warfare suites, weapon delivery and precision-targeting systems -- would remain "top-notch fighters" for almost two decades more.

With a depleting number of fighter squadrons (each has 16 to 18 jets), down to just 32 from a `sanctioned strength' of 39.5, IAF is going for a mix of upgrades and new inductions to stem its fast-eroding combat edge over even Pakistan.

There is, for instance, the ongoing upgrade of 63 MiG-29s under a $964 million deal inked with Russia in March 2008. Then, India is also progressively inducting the 272 Sukhoi-30MKIs contracted from Russia for around $12 billion. Moreover, the first lot of the around 120 indigenous Tejas Light Combat Aircraft will begin joining the force from end-2013 onwards.

India also wants to ink by December this year the $10.4 billion project for 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA), in which only the French Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoons are now left in contention after ejection of the American, Russian and Swedish jets.

On top of this all, India hopes to begin inducting 250-300 advanced stealth fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA), being co-developed with Russia, from 2020 onwards, in what will be its biggest-ever defence project at around $35 billion.

India set to sign $2.4bn Mirage deal with France - The Times of India

 

[pppppppp]

Does it in any way make it obvious that Rafale is not being selected for MMRCA?

 

[Parthy]

India set to sign $2.4bn Mirage deal with France
Rajat Pandit, TNN | May 19, 2011, 04.04am IST

There is, for instance, the ongoing upgrade of 63 MiG-29s under a $964 million deal inked with Russia in March 2008. Then, India is also progressively inducting the 272 Sukhoi-30MKIs contracted from Russia for around $12 billion. Moreover, the first lot of the around 120 indigenous Tejas Light Combat Aircraft will begin joining the force from end-2013 onwards.

India set to sign $2.4bn Mirage deal with France - The Times of India

The medias either boost the numbers or lash the defence establishments.... they never give right news and right numbers....

 

[SpArK]

Heart of the IAF Mirage-2000 Upgrade​

At the heart of theRs 9,640 crore upgrade of 51 IAF Mirages-2000s by a consortium of Dassault, Thales and HAL, is the Thales RDY-2 advanced multimode pulse doppler radar.​

 

[SpArK]

More Stuff on the IAF Mirage-2000 Upgrade​

 

[SpArK]

 

[Armand2REP]

The upgrade comes with RDY-3... not RDY-2. It should also be with TopSight-E since that is also going in MiG-29Ks.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

Mica, mica missile, air to air missile, air missile system - MBDA


MICA

Multi-mission Air-to-Air missile system

MBDA has developed MICA, the multi-mission air-to-air missile system for the Rafale and the latest versions of the Mirage 2000-5 combat aircraft. It is a multi-mission missile system with a high level of tactical flexibility to suit the latest generation of multi-role / swing role aircraft.

Breaking away from established doctrines, the very high technical standards set by MICA are the result of an innovative operational concept. These evolved from the global understanding of the air-to-air battlespace and the appreciation of the need for a weapon system that would ensure asymmetry to win in aerial combat.
MICA stands for "Missile d'Interception, de Combat et d'Autodéfense". A clear statement that this single missile system had to cover all facets of the air-to-air battle - BVR (Beyond Visual Range) intercept, dogfight and self-defence.

The MICA system comprises 2 versions: RF MICA with an active radio frequency seeker and IR MICA with a passive imaging infrared seeker. Both missiles are fully qualified and in mass production.

A "full MICA" configuration on an aircraft such as RAFALE gives a very flexible and high BVR fire power for Air Superiority and Air to Surface missions. MICA missile in BVR mode introduces a new way of waging air combat by offering multi-target capability at extended ranges with the two interoperable versions (RF or IR). All MICA firing stations are fully BVR, operating MICA in both versions IR or RF with or without data link target updating.
MICA consistency provides the necessary asymmetry to give the combat pilot the critical tactical advantage that makes the difference between success or failure of a mission.
In short range (SR) combat, a MICA configuration on an aircraft offers a full "new generation" capability thanks to the outstanding performance of the missile (extreme agility and manoeuvrability). An additional advantage lies in the possibility of launching MICA with its seeker (namely IR) either locked-on to the target or not, while still featuring all BVR qualities.
The same MICA missile also features in MBDA vertically launched VL MICA naval and ground based air defence systems.


Programme status

Lightweight and compact, MICA was originally designed as a "multi-aircraft" missile that could easily be integrated onto any modern fighter aircraft on a maximum of available store stations according to its eject or rail launching capabilities without significantly reducing aircraft performances.

MICA is integrated on French RAFALE and the latest versions of the MIRAGE 2000, and is already in operation around the world.

MICA is also under integration on Mirage F1 bringing a modern air-to-air BVR capability to this type of aircraft. Such a modernization programme thus features the unique BVR capability with double IR or RF weapon terminal guidance.

 

[Armand2REP]

India Clears $2.1B Upgrade for 51 Mirage Aircraft
By VIVEK RAGHUVANSHI
Published: 19 May 2011

NEW DELHI - India's top acquisition body has cleared a $2.1 billion deal to upgrade 51 Dassault Mirage 2000H aircraft, ending a four-year wait.

A Mirage 2000 jet fighter takes off from Nancy-Ochey, France. India will spend $2.1 billion to upgrade 51 Dassault Mirage 2000H aircraft. (File photo / Agence France-Presse)

At its May 19 meeting, the Cabinet Committee of Security (CCS) agreed to the French proposal to allow only French missiles on the upgraded Mirage aircraft, ruling out a proposal to arm the planes with Israeli missiles, said a Defence Ministry source.

A contract is expected within three months, and the program is to be complete within five years after that.

Under the deal, lead integrator Thales and Dassault will upgrade four Mirages in France, then help India's state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) perform the work on the other 47. MBDA will help deliver a variety of missiles for the upgrade.

The upgrade includes replacing the avionics with two mission computers, an advanced navigation system, and pulse doppler radar that can look down to detect targets through clutter out to 70 nautical miles.

The new glass cockpit will come with two lateral displays and an advanced head-down display. The upgraded radar warning receiver will have an instantaneous wide bank receiver and an integrated missile approach warning receiver that can provide continuous information on time to impact. A new jammer will be able to handle multiple surveillance acquisition radars. Other new gear will include a digital video recorder, data transfer system, and simulation systems.

The upgraded aircraft will be able to carry four beyond-visual-range missiles and other missiles and smart ammunition.

India OKs $2.1B Upgrade for 51 Mirage Aircraft - Defense News

 

[joe81]

India is taking the Pakistan-Chineese threat seriously.

On the whole, I think the Chinnese weapon system are thought to be high grade by the media. A top Chineese General has stated that Chineese military is no match for US.

China will never attack India. It will only encourage Pak to do so which anyway is in the path to self destruction.

 

[mayfair]

The upgrade comes with RDY-3... not RDY-2. It should also be with TopSight-E since that is also going in MiG-29Ks.

Do you think Mirage upgrade will have a negative impact on Rafale's chances for MRCA?

 

[StealthSniper]

Maybe India is allowing the Mirage contract to go ahead because they might be planning to award the contract to the Eurofighter for the MMRCA?

They did start buying American equipment before they disqualified both American fighter jets and the French already have the Scorpene contract on hand (and that's not going well), so maybe this clears the way for the Eurofighter to win the contract.

 

[ejazr]

At its May 19 meeting, the Cabinet Committee of Security (CCS) agreed to the French proposal to allow only French missiles on the upgraded Mirage aircraft, ruling out a proposal to arm the planes with Israeli missiles, said a Defence Ministry source.

What was the advantage of agreeing with this proposal. Doesn't this mean we are locked to French missiles only and hence no competitor. If we had dual capability, there would be competition between French and Israelis to provide us with a better deal.

 

[Bot]

At its May 19 meeting, the Cabinet Committee of Security (CCS) agreed to the French proposal to allow only French missiles on the upgraded Mirage aircraft, ruling out a proposal to arm the planes with Israeli missiles, said a Defence Ministry source.

Is the decision in any way related to any kickback /blacklist issue on the part of IAI.

.

 

[mayfair]

It may also be a carrot to coax the French to sweeten the Rafale deal- more exhaustive ToT, more flexibility in end usage, pricing options. While Mirages may be restricted to using French armaments, India may be asking France to tacitly endorse potential future modifications and third party embellishments on Rafale. They may even leverage the willingness of GMBH to offer better terms to test the French resolve.

 

[Godless-Kafir]

What are the key differences between the AESA and the Multi Mode Doppler Radar, anyone?

 

[indiandude123]

What are the key differences between the AESA and the Multi Mode Doppler Radar, anyone?

Active electronically scanned array

As much as an advance over PESA as PESA was over mechanically steered antennas, every transmit/receive element in an AESA has its own source of radar energy. This allows the construction of extremely complex, low-probability-of-intercept active beams. There is no longer a single point of failure.

Different elements can be forming a complex low probability of intercept (LPI) transmitted signal, receiving signals reflected back to the AESA, or jamming hostile radars. Further, the AESA can receive either the reflections of its own transmitters, or listen for the reflections from another radar source, such as a large airborne radar aircraft. An AESA-equipped fighter can close to engagement range with a target its pilot sees clearly on the radar display, yet the fighter may be emitting no signals that can be tracked. The first warning received by the target is likely to be an incoming air-to-air missile.

AESA moves a generation ahead in low probability of intercept, as it can spread its signal among a pseudo-random set of transmitting antennas, creating a beam that is very hard to visualize. An AESA radar, such as the AN/APG-77 on the F-22 Raptor, the AN/APG-79 on the F-18 Super Hornet and the AN/APG-81 on all models of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter can also be used for electronic attack with the antennas transmitting to interfere with an enemy radar, or using them to receive hostile signals and collect electronic intelligence.

The AN/SPY-3 is the first U.S. shipboard AESA, which will first go into Zumwalt-class destroyers but may be retrofitted; it adds significant capability for littoral operations, making amphibious warfare ships an obvious candidate.

MULTIMODE RADAR IS MORE CLOSE TO PULSE DOPPLER RADER

Pulse Doppler Radar

As with the MTI system, pulse Doppler radar uses the Doppler effect to reject error and track moving targets. To a pulse doppler radar, speed is more important than range, so it uses a faster PRF than the MTI radar. The PRF of a pulse Doppler radar, for example, might be 300 kHz, while the PRF of an MTI radar may be 300 Hz. The good news here is that the pulse trains, for the two purpose, are sufficiently different that a single radar set can send and process both types. There are applications, however, where only accurate range or accurate speed is needed.

Take a conventional pulsed radar, and split the transmitted signal (i.e., before the power amplifier). Send this signal, along with a split of the received signal. The output of the mixer is the Doppler shift, Df.

The most common application is to color code the return information on the PPI display. For navigation and search applications, it can be convenient to display, in different colors, the targets that are moving toward the receiver, are not moving, or are moving away from it.

Pulsed Doppler is also the standard weather radar. The pulsed Doppler radar can detect and graphically display information about the relative motion of winds inside of storm cells and has proved useful in detecting tornadoes. A Doppler velocity display of a tornado will show the two colors which correspond to opposite directions of motion side-by-side.

High range resolution radar is a specialized form of pulse Doppler. It must use a very short pulse width to pick out specific targets from background noise. An intelligent receiver and display can be configured to display targets of interest, based on their physical size measured by this radar. Basic high range resolution radar, unfortunately, only works at short ranges.

An improvement on pulse compression radar, pulse compression radargets around the range restriction by modulating the frequency or phase of a pulse that has very high power but very narrow width. The modulation is another source of information that allows an even shorter pulse to give the same information. The shorter the pulse, the lower the average power, which is the limitation of power supplies, and the more energy that can go into a single pulse.

Radar - encyclopedia article - Citizendium

 

[JBH22]

Correct me if i'm wrong the pulse doppler radar will track the plane based on its speed so assume a situation where the plane is able to drop its speed near zero for e.g Mig-35 with TVC the doppler theoretically loses its track.Can someone clarify me on that TIA