DRDO, PSU and Private Defence Sector News

[Corvus Splendens]

IRIS-T ?

 

[Lonewarrior]

View attachment 215584
IRIS-T ?

Yup
Vanilla IRIS-T covered in s*it ton of fiducial markers

 

[blackleaf]

The warhead of Barak-8 is a whopping 60kg bund blasting device and it's seeker is precise enough to do a hit-to-kill interception.

Now come to hit-to-kill vehicles, modern HTK vehicle are extremely lightweight. The LEAP KV on Standard Missiles are a mere 6kg unit.

So reading everything, especially keywords like "LRSAM", "kill vehicle" and "dual pulse motor"...my intuitions tell we are planning to replace the HE warhead of Barak-8 to make something similar to PAC-3 CRI or Aster-30

Why is the warhead on the Barak-8 60 kg in the first place if its seeker is precise enough for hit-to-kill?

A 60 kg warhead is what Russian or Chinese missiles have. Barak-8 with its Israeli guidance should be up to Western standards.

 

[Lonewarrior]

Why is the warhead on the Barak-8 60 kg in the first place if its seeker is precise enough for hit-to-kill?

A 60 kg warhead is what Russian or Chinese missiles have. Barak-8 with its Israeli guidance should be up to Western standards.

Initially the seeker was quite accurate but not HTK, so they went for a bigger warhead to guarantee a failsafe. But with upgrades to seeker electronics and especially software ones the accuracy kept on increasing.

Moreover Israel is one of those countries that try to follow the pros of both the Western and Russian doctrines.

 

[Gyyan]

Are there plans for mk2 to super cruise?

 

[Blood+]

I'm very happy to share this with you. The DRDO chairman says Arjun Mk-II will be one the focuses of DRDO for 2030!
: The tank Indian army will select in 2030

There you go, fixed it

Armata would be a better choice though (with a different autoloader, of course).

 

[Fatalis]

Barak-8 is already more or less indigenous; all critical components are made in India so it makes absolutely no sense to reinvent the wheel unless we come up with something radically advanced.

Moreover the upcoming ERSAM or XRSAM whatever it is, is pretty much just a Barak-8 with an additional booster, do I don't think they plan to replace Barak-8. Atleast in near future

How much increase in the range is expected with this kind of booster?

 

[Fatalis]

Now, I am painting a very faint picture in my mind.

MRSAM + M1/M2/M3 Booster can possibly be 3 new missiles.

Idea of M1/M2/M3

 

[Fatalis]

Airbus pitches A-400M transport aircraft for IAF’s Medium Transport Aircraft contest

Airbus has pitched its A-400M aircraft to replace AN-32s in the Indian Air Force fleet; aircraft offers higher carrying capacity, longer range and altitude than competitors; Airbus open to ‘Make in India’ component for potential deal

www.thehindu.com

Anyone with the subscription? Please post the article here

 

[NoobWannaLearn]

Airbus pitches A-400M transport aircraft for IAF’s Medium Transport Aircraft contest

Airbus has pitched its A-400M aircraft to replace AN-32s in the Indian Air Force fleet; aircraft offers higher carrying capacity, longer range and altitude than competitors; Airbus open to ‘Make in India’ component for potential deal

www.thehindu.com

Anyone with the subscription? Please post the article here

Aircraft manufacturer Airbus has pitched its A-400M transport aircraft in response to the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Request For Information (RFI) for a Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) with a carrying capacity of 18 to 30 tonnes. The submission deadline for the RFI issued in December 2022 was extended till March 31, and it has two other contenders, the Lockheed Martin C-130 and Embraer C-390. The MTA is a potential replacement for the much smaller AN-32s in service, and could also replace the larger IL-76.

“Yes, we have responded to the RFI and offered the A-400. It is a value addition. The A-400 carries twice the payload to twice the range than the competitors. It is bigger than the others [in competition],” Jean-Brice Dumont, head of Military Air Systems, Airbus, said while speaking to a small group of visiting journalists from India, earlier this week. “It’s about showing how we bring value,” he said of the pitch.

Venkat Katkuri, head of Airbus Defence and Space in India said the contest is in the RFI stage and they had shared their intent with the IAF. To questions on a possible ‘Make in India’ component as part of the potential deal, on the lines of the C-295 transport aircraft, Mr. Katkuri said they were open to it, and to industrialising the A400, should the numbers be viable.

The RFI states that it is envisaged to commence deliveries of the platform within 36 months of the signing of the contract; the specific number of MTA required is not mentioned; vendors have been asked to provide a ‘Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) cost of aircraft and associated equipment’ for a batch of 40, 60, and 80 aircraft, respectively.

Airbus is pitching the A-400M, which can carry a maximum payload of 37 tonnes, as a replacement for the old fleets of C-160, C-130 and IL-76 aircraft. It has 178 orders from 10 countries, with the order book going up to 2030. Airbus officials pitched A-400M as a “game-changer” for the IAF, which can carry heavy and outsized loads over longer distances and can fly up to a maximum altitude of 40,000 feet.

The A-400M can deliver mission-critical equipment directly where they are most needed, onto short and unpaved airstrips where IL-76 and C-17 cannot operate, Roberto Martinez, Airbus’ A400M marketing manager said, while giving a detailed presentation.

The C-130 has a maximum carrying capacity close to 20 tonnes, while the C-390 can carry up to 26 tonnes.

In the past, several IAF officials had stated that the C-295MW, 56 of which have just been contracted, which falls in a similar category as the AN-32 in terms of cargo carrying capacity, would be considered as a potential replacement for the AN-32, given that a running assembly line would be available once the 56 aircraft are delivered. However, based on the load carrying capacity specified in the RFI (18 to 30 tonnes), the C-295 no longer fits the bill as it’s in the 5-10 tonnes category.

This is an opportunity to replace the AN-32s with an aircraft of higher carrying capacity, given the changed requirements and circumstances, a defence source said. In the backdrop of the 2020 stand-off in eastern Ladakh with China, the Indian Army is now looking to procure a light tank with a maximum weight of 25 tonnes. The MTA could potentially be considered to carry the light tank, officials indicated.

An earlier project to jointly co-develop and produce an MTA of 20 tonnes with Russia to replace the AN-32s was scrapped a few years ago after initial design discussions, as reported by The Hindu earlier.

The IAF operates around 100 AN-32s, which are the work horses of the force, and they have all been upgraded recently under a $400-million deal signed with Ukraine in 2009. Some of them were upgraded in Ukraine a decade ago to improve avionics and increase engine lifespan, while several others are being upgraded at an IAF repair facility in Kanpur.

In September, the Defence Ministry signed a ₹21,935 crore contract with Airbus and Space S.A., Spain for the procurement of 56 C-295MW transport aircraft to replace the Avro aircraft in service with the IAF, which it is executing in a partnership with Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and a ‘Final Assembly Line’ is being set up in Vadodara, Gujarat as part of the deal.

In addition to the AN-32s and Avro aircraft, the IAF’s transport fleet consists of the IL-76 heavy transport aircraft and IL-78 mi-air refuelling tankers from Russia; and 12 C-130J Super Hercules and 11 C-17 Globemaster strategic airlift aircraft from the U.S.

 

[Fatalis]

Aircraft manufacturer Airbus has pitched its A-400M transport aircraft in response to the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Request For Information (RFI) for a Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) with a carrying capacity of 18 to 30 tonnes. The submission deadline for the RFI issued in December 2022 was extended till March 31, and it has two other contenders, the Lockheed Martin C-130 and Embraer C-390. The MTA is a potential replacement for the much smaller AN-32s in service, and could also replace the larger IL-76.

“Yes, we have responded to the RFI and offered the A-400. It is a value addition. The A-400 carries twice the payload to twice the range than the competitors. It is bigger than the others [in competition],” Jean-Brice Dumont, head of Military Air Systems, Airbus, said while speaking to a small group of visiting journalists from India, earlier this week. “It’s about showing how we bring value,” he said of the pitch.

Venkat Katkuri, head of Airbus Defence and Space in India said the contest is in the RFI stage and they had shared their intent with the IAF. To questions on a possible ‘Make in India’ component as part of the potential deal, on the lines of the C-295 transport aircraft, Mr. Katkuri said they were open to it, and to industrialising the A400, should the numbers be viable.

The RFI states that it is envisaged to commence deliveries of the platform within 36 months of the signing of the contract; the specific number of MTA required is not mentioned; vendors have been asked to provide a ‘Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) cost of aircraft and associated equipment’ for a batch of 40, 60, and 80 aircraft, respectively.

Airbus is pitching the A-400M, which can carry a maximum payload of 37 tonnes, as a replacement for the old fleets of C-160, C-130 and IL-76 aircraft. It has 178 orders from 10 countries, with the order book going up to 2030. Airbus officials pitched A-400M as a “game-changer” for the IAF, which can carry heavy and outsized loads over longer distances and can fly up to a maximum altitude of 40,000 feet.

The A-400M can deliver mission-critical equipment directly where they are most needed, onto short and unpaved airstrips where IL-76 and C-17 cannot operate, Roberto Martinez, Airbus’ A400M marketing manager said, while giving a detailed presentation.

The C-130 has a maximum carrying capacity close to 20 tonnes, while the C-390 can carry up to 26 tonnes.

In the past, several IAF officials had stated that the C-295MW, 56 of which have just been contracted, which falls in a similar category as the AN-32 in terms of cargo carrying capacity, would be considered as a potential replacement for the AN-32, given that a running assembly line would be available once the 56 aircraft are delivered. However, based on the load carrying capacity specified in the RFI (18 to 30 tonnes), the C-295 no longer fits the bill as it’s in the 5-10 tonnes category.

This is an opportunity to replace the AN-32s with an aircraft of higher carrying capacity, given the changed requirements and circumstances, a defence source said. In the backdrop of the 2020 stand-off in eastern Ladakh with China, the Indian Army is now looking to procure a light tank with a maximum weight of 25 tonnes. The MTA could potentially be considered to carry the light tank, officials indicated.

An earlier project to jointly co-develop and produce an MTA of 20 tonnes with Russia to replace the AN-32s was scrapped a few years ago after initial design discussions, as reported by The Hindu earlier.

The IAF operates around 100 AN-32s, which are the work horses of the force, and they have all been upgraded recently under a $400-million deal signed with Ukraine in 2009. Some of them were upgraded in Ukraine a decade ago to improve avionics and increase engine lifespan, while several others are being upgraded at an IAF repair facility in Kanpur.

In September, the Defence Ministry signed a ₹21,935 crore contract with Airbus and Space S.A., Spain for the procurement of 56 C-295MW transport aircraft to replace the Avro aircraft in service with the IAF, which it is executing in a partnership with Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and a ‘Final Assembly Line’ is being set up in Vadodara, Gujarat as part of the deal.

In addition to the AN-32s and Avro aircraft, the IAF’s transport fleet consists of the IL-76 heavy transport aircraft and IL-78 mi-air refuelling tankers from Russia; and 12 C-130J Super Hercules and 11 C-17 Globemaster strategic airlift aircraft from the U.S.

It does makes sense to replace An-32, Il-76 and Il-78 with A400M.

80 aircrafts to replace around 103 An-32, 17 Il-76 and further 12 to replace 6 Il-78.

 

[binayak95]

That's like 90 years.. Can the airframe actually survive that much use?

The last 8 squadrons are all post 2008. So 70 odd years, and yes the airframe if maintained well can survive that long.

It shouldnt be allowed to, of course. New build SU30MKIs would be a far better option, as would new build engines. But given the state of Russian arms manufacturing at the moment, any chance of getting fresh Titanium ingots from there are slim to none for the foreseeable future.

 

[Arjun Mk1A]

The last 8 squadrons are all post 2008. So 70 odd years, and yes the airframe if maintained well can survive that long.

It shouldnt be allowed to, of course. New build SU30MKIs would be a far better option, as would new build engines. But given the state of Russian arms manufacturing at the moment, any chance of getting fresh Titanium ingots from there are slim to none for the foreseeable future.

I believe except the AL31F engine and TVC Nozzle. We can redevelop the entire Su 30 MKI by ourselves.
Airframe - Possible with usage of Composites.
Radar - Uttam MK3
Avionics - Even Current Su-30mki have lot of DRDO avionics getting installed.
Engines - Something not possible for now. Maybe if we can develop an AL31F class engine then we can re-manufacture them.

But this above work will be what chinese done on J-16. Even USAF still going with F15 with new F15EX models.

But since we are talking about IAF, nothing is permanent.

 

[Love Charger]

The last 8 squadrons are all post 2008. So 70 odd years, and yes the airframe if maintained well can survive that long.

It shouldnt be allowed to, of course. New build SU30MKIs would be a far better option, as would new build engines. But given the state of Russian arms manufacturing at the moment, any chance of getting fresh Titanium ingots from there are slim to none for the foreseeable future.

Iranians cry day and night on telegram, for sukhoi delivery from Russ,if you think our vayusena is in bad state , look at the state of their tizparvazans ( fast flyers)

 

[Lonewarrior]

It does makes sense to replace An-32, Il-76 and Il-78 with A400M.

80 aircrafts to replace around 103 An-32, 17 Il-76 and further 12 to replace 6 Il-78.

Replacing An-32 with A-400M! Kaahe Bhaiya

Shouldn't C-295 be a closer replacement of An-32? The price of C-295 is somewhere around $50m in the current deal to make 53 of them and it includes ToT too. So if we order a further 80 of them then the price will go further down. Now compare that to the price of A-400M; $150-180m. You can basically buy a whopping 240 C-295 for the same price of 80 A-400M.

Moreover C-295 is better suited for the kind of tactical mission An-32 is designed for; shorter take-off/landing, operating from semi-prepared strips. Not to mention it's one of those extremely rare cargo plane that has hardpoint for carrying adequate armaments for landing in contested areas. CASA also gives option to add side firing autocannon to effectively make a gun ship.

 

[Lonewarrior]

I believe except the AL31F engine and TVC Nozzle. We can redevelop the entire Su 30 MKI by ourselves.
Airframe - Possible with usage of Composites.
Radar - Uttam MK3
Avionics - Even Current Su-30mki have lot of DRDO avionics getting installed.
Engines - Something not possible for now. Maybe if we can develop an AL31F class engine then we can re-manufacture them.

But this above work will be what chinese done on J-16. Even USAF still going with F15 with new F15EX models.

But since we are talking about IAF, nothing is permanent.

By 2050 France would have replaced it's production line of Rafale with that of FCAS, but smaller countries like those in MENA or South East Asia still need a Rafale like fighter so they'll try to shift the production line to somewhere else; something the Muricans where trying to do by calling F-16 F-21.
TL;DR Rafales would be much more cheaper in 2050 than today.

Now compare that to the levels of upgradation you mentioned; replacing airframe with a composite one. It won't be cost effective solution to upgrade Sukhois when you can get a better platform at cheaper rate

 

[Lonewarrior]

How much increase in the range is expected with this kind of booster?

Hard to guess without any sufficient datapoint

Like Aster 30 is almost 4 times the range of Aster 15 but Barak ER is just 2 times that of Barak 8 while both the systems using a typical arrangment of booster to increase range. The variation is too much

So if we assume they replace the 60kg warhead with something smaller then it would be safe to assume atleast 2-3 times the range of Barak 8.

 

[Aniruddha Mulay]

Replacing An-32 with A-400M! Kaahe Bhaiya

Shouldn't C-295 be a closer replacement of An-32? The price of C-295 is somewhere around $50m in the current deal to make 53 of them and it includes ToT too. So if we order a further 80 of them then the price will go further down. Now compare that to the price of A-400M; $150-180m. You can basically buy a whopping 240 C-295 for the same price of 80 A-400M.

Moreover C-295 is better suited for the kind of tactical mission An-32 is designed for; shorter take-off/landing, operating from semi-prepared strips. Not to mention it's one of those extremely rare cargo plane that has hardpoint for carrying adequate armaments for landing in contested areas. CASA also gives option to add side firing autocannon to effectively make a gun ship.
View attachment 215651
View attachment 215652
View attachment 215653

C-295 seems to be most versatile platform out there.
Transport, ISR, Armed ISR, MPA, AEW&C,etc. you name it, the platform has all grounds covered.
This is huge huge huge opportunity for the IAF with licensed production of this platform now in India, it should not be wasted by ordering merely 56 airframes

 

[mist_consecutive]

https://aninews.in/news/national/general-news/iaf-asks-french-firm-dassault-to-integrate-indian-weapons-on-rafale-fighter-jets20230723132617/

Good step. Astra Mk-2 on Rafale ? (The Honeytrapped Kurulkar said Astra is better than Meteor).

 

[Lonewarrior]

https://aninews.in/news/national/general-news/iaf-asks-french-firm-dassault-to-integrate-indian-weapons-on-rafale-fighter-jets20230723132617/

Good step. Astra Mk-2 on Rafale ? (The Honeytrapped Kurulkar said Astra is better than Meteor).

Not just a good step but an extremely necessary one. Astra isn't better than Meteor, this whole thing is for something else.

Rafale is one funny aircraft. It has the most advanced EW system (Spectra and all) for any non-5th gen fighter and it carries no anti-radiation missile. Yup, you heard it right, it's probably the only plane in its class to lack any ARM missile support.

So if we can add NGARM (Rudram-I) to it then only we can exploit the full potential of both NGARM and Rafale's EW system.