DRDO, PSU and Private Defence Sector News

[abhi_the _gr8_maratha]

nirbhay have an imported engine..... But an indigenous in research
.
what we import is depends upon missile.

 

[cobra commando]

HTT-40 wind tunnel tests by year end

August 30, 2014: HAL has revealed that it plans to undertake comprehensive wind tunnel tests to study spin and recovery characteristics for compliance to FAR-23 (aerobatic category) standards on its HTT-40 basic trainer aircraft by the end of this year or early 2015. HAL has announced its requirement for a test agency to design and manufacture the required scale model/s to achieve all test objectives, which include rotary and static tests towards development of mathematical model for analyzing the spin and recovery characteristics of HTT-40. The scope of work includes model design, manufacture, testing, analysis of results and associated mathematical model generation for compliance. HAL has revealed that the HTT-40 weighs about 3000 kg. The winning vendor will also be required to provide a simulation (mathematical) model of the HTT-40 aircraft to aid HAL in understanding predicted aircraft spin response and recovery controls based on wind tunnel/ other data. Already fighting an up-hill battle on the basic trainer front, HAL wants to ensure there are no slippages in the programme. And given the problems it has had with the HJT-36 in terms of spin and stall characteristics, in addition to "very low" engine flying hours before overhaul.
HTT 40 wind tunnel tests by year end - SP�s Exculsive

 

[ersakthivel]

http://www.drdo.gov.in/drdo/pub/newsletter/2014/september_14.pdf

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Instruments Research and Development
Establishment (IRDE), Dehradun, has developed a
Stabilised Electro Optical Sight (SEOS) with two-axis
stabilisation and integrated automatic video tracker
facility. SEOS has three electro-optical sensors, viz.,
3rd generation 3-5 µm (640 x 512 FPA) thermal Imager
(TI) with optical zoom, colour day TV with optical zoom
camera and eye-safe laser range finder (ELRF). The
day TV camera and TI are having a narrow field of view
(NFOV) of 0.8° x 0.6° and wide field of view (WFOV) of
5° x 4° with additional 2 X electronic zoom in TI. These
sensors provide a recognition range of 7 km for a NATO
type of target. ELRF provides range of the target from
200 m to 9995 m with an accuracy of ± 5 m.


--------------------------------------------------------

 

[cobra commando]

Bharat Electronics and Thales incorporate new radar JV - IHS Jane's 360

 

[cobra commando]

The 3D Tactical Control Radar (3D- TCR) developed by Electronics & Radar Development Establishment (LRDE) during high-altitude trials at the Himalayan region. Photo: LRDE-DRDO-SPR(M)
(Source: Tarmak007)

 

[ersakthivel]

What is the point of getting technology if you don't factor that in your contract that I will substitute your materials with my products made from my materials. Not one of them have been done, nor substituted as yet.
We have MIDHANI which is supposed to be developing aircraft materials – we don't use any of those materials in aircraft production within the country. We import all of them. We import carbon fibers for the LCA. So the LCA is quite import-dependent, for those of you who don't know.

-Air marshal matheswaran

matheswaran claims that Midhani produces nothing,

MIDHANI - Titanium & Titanium Alloys

Titan 12/15----Excellent resistance to corrosion by a wide range of natural and artificial environment ---Excellent strength to weight ratio in view of low density and high strength---Airframes, aircraft engine parts, gas compression, chemical desalination, marine components, plate heat-exchangers, platinized anodes, surgicals implants, anodes for chlor-alkali cells, jigs, fixtures and baskets for electro plating.

MIDHANI - Clientele

Client list mentions HAL.
MIDHANI - Clientele

then where are the products sold?


Broadsword: Strategic materials producer, Midhani, on high growth curve

http://www.midhani.gov.in/annl_reps/ar-09-10/ar-0910-eng.pdf

American, Japanese and European non-proliferation officials are keenly aware that Hyderabad based company, Mishra Dhatu Nigam (Midhani), supplies key materials for India's nuclear, space and missile programmes. Midhani figures on all these countries' "Entity Lists", which have legally blocked supplies of materials, know-how and equipment.

But this international blockade has been in vain, I learn, during an exclusive visit to this most secretive of defence PSUs. "Despite the sanctions", says Chairman and Managing Director (CMD), K Narayana Rao, "Midhani today manufactures the world's best maraging steel, a critical component in nuclear reactors, fuel enrichment centrifuges, missiles and space rockets. The Indian Space Research Organisation's GSLV rockets are clad in Midhani's maraging steel."

Such breakthroughs in strategic materials have placed Midhani in an unusual position. With international sanctions still in place, Midhani has joined one of the world's most challenging, futuristic and expensive projects: The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, or ITER, a $10 billion, multinational project that aims to generate electricity through nuclear fusion by 2018. India joined the project in 2005.

"We have produced a material called Low Activation Ferretic Martinsitic Steel, which the ITER project urgently needs", explains a Midhani scientist. "This steel must have very low activation, allowing it to be placed in a highly radioactive environment (e.g. inside a reactor) without becoming highly radioactive itself. The ITER authorities are presently evaluating it at the Institute of Plasma Research in Gandhinagar."

This foray into ITER is a one-time thing. Midhani remains a boutique manufacturer, focused exclusively on high performance materials for India's space, nuclear and defence programmes to save them from being hostage to a supplier abroad. This is production at the cutting edge, groping in the dark, mixing and matching elements to develop materials that users have defined only as a set of properties.

"We experiment, we play with Molly", explains Narayana Rao, describing the search for special alloys. Noting my startled look, he elaborates, "Molly is short for Molybdenum, an element that gives special properties to steel."

Midhani works in close partnership with the Defence Materials Research Laboratory (DMRL), located next door. DMRL, focusing on fundamental research, develops new alloys and materials; Midhani scales up DMRL's laboratory production into industrial production.

Set up in 1972, Midhani's mandate was to indigenously produce materials for India's strategic programmes, without regard to cost or profitability. Today, Midhani delivers not only critical materials but hefty profits as well. Midhani is now a Mini Ratna, Category-1 company; its profits have gone up six-fold in the last four years to Rs 40 crores in 2008-09.

With Midhani's regular customers ramping up operations, that bottom line is poised to grow. From an average of 4-5 launches a year, ISRO is stepping up to 8 launches per year. And since nuclear power generation is a growth sector, the demand for reactor materials is likely to rise sharply. "BHEL and L&T have got a steam generator order for the Indian 700 MW Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR)", says Narayana Rao. "I need to be ready with my equipment and materials."

The older Indian reactors, such as those at Kalpakkam, are also replacing critical components. Only Midhani supplies the metals needed for this.

Midhani has begun a Rs 200 crores expansion plan, with Rs 100 crores from its internal accruals supplemented by Rs 100 crores of equity participation by the MoD. It is adding a high-tech, 10-tonne vacuum arc refining (VAR) furnace, in which molten metal is purified by dripping it, drop-by-drop, through vacuum. The impurities, which become into gas at those temperatures, are sucked away by the vacuum.

Also being procured is a 6000-tonne forge press, to press steel into sheets as thin as 4 millimetres, needed for India's rocket programme.

"Today I'm running 2000 tonnes of products per year", says Midhani's CMD. "When the expansion plan is completed by 2010-2011, our output will double to 4000 tonnes. Turnover will go from Rs 300 crores to Rs 500 crores."

Indian Developments in Materials for Military Aero Engines | Frontier India

All the three kaveri engine fan discs have been produced in DMRL using Ti64 alloy,

It supplies BT-20 and BT-18 alloys to SU-30 MKI program,

hollow with internal cooling channels aerofoil castings by using CM247LC which should meet stringent quality standards.

These DS castings were qualified for air worthiness by CEMILAC for kaveri engines.

vaccume diffusion brazing process for tip and root of HPY blade of Kaveri engine has been developed in collaboration with Godrej and Boyce, Mumbai.

Recently, HAL (Koraput) has also developed shroud castings in CM247LC and 718 alloys for Kaveri engine and these castings have been qualified by CEMILAC. HAL has also acquired capability to manufacture DS and single crystal castings of turbine airfoils for Sukhoi aircraft engine AL31FP.

The development of Platinum-Aluminide coatings and thermal barrier coatings (TBC) are also in progress at DMRL in association with ARCI, Hyderabad.

Compressor blades of a α2-Ti3Al TiAl alloy have been forged at HAL (F&F). DMRL produced by isothermal forging route.


The site has details which list out several materials supplied by Midhani to Tejas and SUkhoi program and our Air marshals express their complete ignorance of it, even though they have the HAL balance sheet in hand!!!

 

[ersakthivel]

Foreign guns, made in India | idrw.org
SO after a decade ,we now have a working government!!!!

 

[Shaitan]

HAL reaches out to Indian electronics industry - SP’s Exculsive

 

[cobra commando]

DRDO to set up electronic warfare lab in Andhra Pradesh's Kadapa district

HYDERABAD: Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has proposed to set up a laboratory housing electronic warfare projects and an evaluation facility in Andhra Pradesh's Kadapa district. At a meeting with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu at CM Camp Office today, DRDO officials requested the government to allot land for the lab in Kopparthi village. The officials informed Naidu that about 3,383 acres has been identified in the village for setting up the lab. "The Chief Minister replied in the affirmative (to the request on land allotment)," a CM office statement said. The DRDO team informed Naidu that the Government of India had already sanctioned Rs 468 crore for the project's first phase proposed to be completed in 42 months. The total investment earmarked for the project is Rs 10,000 crore over a period of 10 years, the statement said. They told the Chief Minister the facility would also attract more investments from local as well as foreign firms. It would provide about 1,500 jobs to skilled, semi- skilled and unskilled personnel, it added.
DRDO to set up electronic warfare lab in Andhra Pradesh's Kadapa district - The Economic Times

 

[cobra commando]

HAL Proposes Formation Of Indian Aeronautics Commission

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited is suggesting the formation of Indian Aeronautics Commission and bring various organizations and institutes currently functioning under different ministries under one umbrella. "This will ensure greater cohesion, synergy, understanding and speeding-up decision making in aerospace related activities", Dr. R.K. Tyagi said in his key-note address delivered at the 9th International Conference on "Energizing Indian Aerospace Industry" organized by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in association with Centre for Air Power Studies (CAPS) here. He also said that it is important to exploit FDI and Joint Venture opportunities for development of indigenous industry in India's defence and aerospace sector. "Also, our industry must have greater say in selecting technologies for future platform developments and our offset focus should be on acquisition of cutting edge technology", he added. Dr. Tyagi touched upon other issues such as tapping Diaspora, supply chain management and securing strategic investments in defence and aeronautics sector.
He also felt that R&D culture in India needs revival. "We need long term strategic capability to drive design and development in our industry rather than merely concentrating on manufacturing and production targets. This is possible if we ensure the right funding mechanism for R&D, bring program management expertise at par with leading global companies and make efforts towards skill development and talent acquisition", he added.


Read more:
HAL Proposes Formation Of Indian Aeronautics Commission

 

[cobra commando]

Saurav Jha's Blog : Seeking the future: An interview with Dr G Satheesh Reddy, Director Research Centre Imarat

 

[rahulrds1]

DRDO to set up electronic warfare lab in Andhra Pradesh's Kadapa district

HYDERABAD: Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has proposed to set up a laboratory housing electronic warfare projects and an evaluation facility in Andhra Pradesh's Kadapa district.

The officials informed Naidu that about 3,383 acres has been identified in the village for setting up the lab. The DRDO team informed Naidu that the Government of India had already sanctioned Rs 468 crore for the project's first phase proposed to be completed in 42 months.The total investment earmarked for the project is Rs 10,000 crore over a period of 10 years, the statement said.

They told the Chief Minister the facility would also attract more investments from local as well as foreign firms. It would provide about 1,500 jobs to skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled personnel, it added. +

source : DRDO to set up electronic warfare lab in Andhra Pradesh's Kadapa district - Economic Times

 

[ezsasa]

There was a video in our forum regarding the current and future prospects of DRDO by Avinash chander. I noticed a peculiar hand gesture made by him when explaining that local defence industry should invest first in R&D and orders will come later. I don't think the business world works that way because no businessman in sound mind will invest 60 crores in R&D without knowing whether there will be returns on the investment. If that is the strategy of DRDO and Govt, i do not know how many more decades we will have to wait for Local defence industry to match up to DRDO's expectations.

Coming back to that peculiar hand gesture i was mentioning, i have seen that many times when ever we used to run behind govt babus for payments after finishing up work on the Govt contracts. I am not sure if people know that getting money from Indian govt is very tough, i have seen cases where we got payments after three years and that too we have to write off atleast 5-10% of contract value.We had a strict policy of no under the table payments to babus.

I do not know if DRDO behaves this way but let us hope they do not. If DRDO does these kind of things they will drive away good vendors and they will have to contend with shoddy vendors providing shoddy work and that could explain the delays on most of the projects.

 

[Twinblade]

Saurav Jha's Blog : Seeking the future: An interview with Dr G Satheesh Reddy, Director Research Centre Imarat

The proposed QR-SAM will have a stabilised EO tracking device in conjunction with radar guidance.
A Ka Band seeker for an unknown missile and an X-band seeker for anti shipping role is also in the works.
Astra's Ku band seeker (indigenous) will be a scaled down version of an existing seeker (probably from the BMD program), it starts testing next year.
In a surprise move, there will be no mm wave Nag. A new mm wave PGM (?) has been tested from a UAV (Rustom 1?). This mystery PGM can be fired from UAVs, fixed wing aircraft and clustered up in a missile like Prithvi.
The seeker as on this PGM will go on the anti radiation missile NGARM.
A two tone seeker for a short range missile (Astra-SR ?) is in works.
NAG missile gets a new IIR seeker for 6-7 km range and now will remain IIR only. The fab facility for manufacturing IIR seekers is on the way.

 

[Apollyon]

In a surprise move, there will be no mm wave Nag. A new mm wave PGM (?) has been tested from a UAV (Rustom 1?). This mystery PGM can be fired from UAVs, fixed wing aircraft and clustered up in a missile like Prithvi.

This new PGM with MMW seeker is Indian equivalent of Brimstone. Maybe this is the reason why Helina with MMW is not happening. Also this 'PGM' was test fired from a Lakshya drone :shocked:.

 

[ladder]

This new PGM with MMW seeker is Indian equivalent of Brimstone. Maybe this is the reason why Helina with MMW is not happening. Also this 'PGM' was test fired from a Lakshya drone :shocked:.

Test fired from Lakshya?? Where is that written?

 

[cobra commando]

ADE scouts mini flying test bed

September 15, 2014: The Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), the DRDO's laboratory focusing on unmanned air systems, has published a requirement for a mini flying test bed. Interestingly, it has mentioned that the UAV Factory LLC Penguin BE electric UAV meets its requirements, but that it will consider other platforms with similar parameters and configuration. The UAV needs to have a take-off weight greater than 20 kg and an endurance of 2 hours or more and a length/ wingspan of 3 metres each. The UAV needs to come with the ability to switch between an electric engine and an IC engine. The UAV have a payload capacity of minimum 6 kg with a take-off run of less than 30 metres and an altitude of about 6 km. The ADE has listed mandatory features on the testbed UAV, including modular composite structure, fast assembly, large access hatches, removable payload bay, airframe should be ready for the autopilot and payload integration, provision for swappable universal payload mount, preinstalled main landing gear, steerable suspension nose leg with servo, wing GPS compartment, low noise, low vibration, digital servos, push-pull connectors between the wing and tail plane, propeller assembly, aluminum servo mounts for wing and tail plane and servo wiring.
ADE scouts mini flying test bed - SP�s Exculsive

 

[cobra commando]

Breakthrough in indigenous E/O sensor tech

September 15, 2014: A heartening new indigenous development could take care of India's over-dependence on foreign suppliers for critical electro-optical sensors for surface payloads. The DRDO's Instruments Research and Development Establishment (IRDE) in Dehradun has developed a Stabilised Electro Optical Sight (SEOS) with two-axis stabilisation and an integrated automatic video tracker facility. The indigenous SEOS has three electro-optical sensors, 3rd generation 3-5 µm (640 x 512 FPA) thermal imager (TI) with optical zoom, colour day TV with optical zoom camera and eye-safe laser range finder (ELRF) . The day TV camera and TI sport a narrow field of view (NFOV) of 0.8° x 0.6° and wide field of view (WFOV) of 5° x 4° with additional 2 X electronic zoom in TI. These sensors provide a recognition range of 7 km for a NATO type of target. ELRF provides range of the target from 200 m to 9995 m with an accuracy of ± 5 m. According to DRDO, "The modular approach of this sight results into a quick customisation for different applications namely fire control solution for armoured fighting vehicles, surveillance from high speed boats and low altitude aerostat, and tracking system for a QR-SAM." The DRDO will be looking to integrate the new sight onto a slew of upcoming products.
Breakthrough in indigenous E/O sensor tech - SP�s Exculsive

 

[cobra commando]

September 15, 2014: The DRDO's Chandigarh-based Snow & Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE) has published a requirement for one advanced surveillance aircraft to undertake snow and avalanche studies in the high altitude northern parts of India. The SASE is looking for a twin-engine platform with an operating altitude of 32,000 feet, a range of 2,000-km and a maximum payload of 690-kg, including one passenger. The MTOW of the aircraft needs to be a minimum of 5,000-kg. The aircraft should be capable to operate from airfields up to 3300m AMSL and also cold start up to (–20 deg.Celsius) without adverse impact on engine, which should have self-contained starting system capable of min 3 or more consecutive internal starts without any adverse effect. Obviously, the aircraft needs to be fully tropicalised and capable of prolonged operations in heat, dust, cold and high humidity conditions prevalent in India. SASE wants a highly capable aircraft sporting a glass cockpit, and sporting the following avionics and communications systems: dual VHF COM, single HF COM, dual navigation receivers integrating VOR, LOC, ILS, single flight management system (FMS), Flight Data Recorder/CVFDR-120 min, Dual Air Computers (ADC)/ Auto pilot, Attitude Heading Reference System (AHRS), Automatic Flight Guidance System, Colour Weather Radar (=200Nm range) with storm scope, Traffic alert and Collision avoidance System (TCAS II), Terrain Awareness and Warning System (TAWS), RVSM (Reverse Vertical Separation Minimum) compliance, intercom/headsets, transponder C & S with data enabling, dual GPS with R-NAV or P-RNAV compliance and ELT (Emergency Location Transmitter).
Tender our for snow survey aircraft - SP�s Exculsive

 

[ladder]

Cochin Shipyard gets Rs 2,700 crore package

Cochin Shipyard gets Rs 2,700 crore package | Business Standard News