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Friday, October 26, 2012

As Expected…Yeh Toh Hona Hi Thaa

What I had been harping about tirelessly since 2007 (and I was the only one to do so openly) has now indeed happened: Afghanistan has formally notified Pakistan in writing that Kabul’s contention is that the Durand Line Agreement—signed by the erstwhile governments of Afghanistan and Imperial British India to demarcate their respective territories—was valid only for 100 years and the land that had been made part of the British holdings should return to the Afghans.

The emergence of this latest faultline is what Pakistan has always feared most ever since August 14, 1947. Needless to say, Kabul’s latest claim has enormous repercussions with regard to not only the future status of Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), but also the other provinces of Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan, as the next six months ahead will reveal.

Meanwhile, posted below are some new artworks regarding the JF-17 Thunder MRCA, though the data concerning the H-4 PGM is visually erroneous.

140 comments:

Anonymous said...

http://thediplomat.com/flashpoints-blog/2012/10/25/india-snubs-russia-on-fifth-generation-fighters/

i guess sir , this is partially wrong..india ain't buying any f-35s..right ?

rad said...

dear Prasun
please point out the source of tech for the 2 cruise missiles that are on the jf-17.Are both south african?. Its quite impressive to say the least.At least they know what they are doing and what systems they are working on, unlike people in charge of LCA. how effective is the mars antiradiation misile?. why dont we get some thing like that . how effective is the kh-31 in the antiradiation role?. we dont seems to have any equal to the airborne cruise missile they have . we could easily develop one with israel or convert the barak ie anti radiation to the role as well, but foresight and planning is a thing that people dont have here

Anonymous said...

hey dat's also wht i learnt frm others abt d aesa mmr. bt m askin tht hw can they????? i mean it's u who said earlier tht they r yet 2 produce a pesa mmr. so r u indicating tht they lipfrogged n entire generation of mmr.And please give basic info on z-19.

Soubhagya said...

Dear Prasun,
May you plz. give brief comparison between Tejas mk. 1 and JF - 17 in a war like scenario? I feel the photo you have posted in ur blog are enough to show that JF - 17 is superior to Tejas mk. 1 in terms of weapon package. But I want to hear from you. Thank you.

Jayadev said...

Hi Prasun,

Is India's relation with Russia deteriorating because the Russians think that India is becoming an ally of the US ?

Thanks & Regards,
Jayadev

Anonymous said...

Sir, What internal jammer will be there on Tejas mk1 ?

In your thread, ASPJs Developed For Tejas Mk1 & MiG-29UPG ,"The Ministry of Defence-owned Defence Research & Development Organisation’s Defence Avionics Research Establishment (DARE) has developed a family of internally-mounted self-protection jammers in cooperation with Italy’s Elettronica for installation on board the upgraded MiG-29UPG and the Tejas Mk1 light combat aircraft.
Being part of the integrated defensive aids suite (IDAS), the jammers are lightweight.......as well as the techniques generator.

What is this jammer that DARE is developing for Tejasmk1 .

Gessler said...

Sir thanks for your post in the last thread regrading the GRSE LCY. When will the first of these ships be ready?

Anonymous said...

The EW suites for both aircraft types receive emitter signals within the 2GHz to 18GHz band and transmit across the 6GHz to 17.5GHz frequency range. The MoD-owned Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) is presently series-producing the jamming suites as well as the related radar warning receivers.


For escort jamming purposes, the Tejas Mk1 and MiG-29UPG are expected to be equipped with ELTA Systems’ EL/L-8251 jamming pod, which offers wide frequency coverage between 1GHz and 18GHz.—Prasun K. Sengupta

So, upgraded MiG-29 and Tejasmk1 will carry EL/L-8251 pod

SherKhan said...

Hi Prasun,

I think you are about 60 years too late!!! In 1949 the Afghan gov said they do not recognise the line. Daud Khan said it more forcefully and even the Taliban government in 2001 did not recognise it. Infact they wanted one country. The taliban sentiments are not far from the reality of how our people feel about each other.

Anonymous said...

Credits goes to Najam Khan of PAF wall papers for creating this posters. Prasun at least give credit where it is due

Anonymous said...

Do the Indian special forces plan induction of assault rifles like FN SCAR http://www.fnherstal.com/index.php?id=182 .

How is FN SCAR compared to IAI TAR 21

Sayan said...

Sir, Why is IA buying obsolete 2nd gen SACLOS anit tank missiles like Konkurs-M when 3rd gen fire and forget missiles like Spike,Javelin are available. Fire and forget missiles are more convenient at attcking a target. IR sensors cant be fooled with aerosol screens.
Are their multiple ejector racks in Tejas which permits carraige of AAM and bombs ?
What is the equivalent of H-4,Raad,LS-6,MAR-1 for Tejas ? Is Tejas's payload 4000 kg ?

Chethan said...

Hi Prasun,
I am a regular reader of your blog and I avidly follow the updates on LCA Tejas. I have couple of questions:-

Have they test fired SD-10 from JF-17? Is it already operational on JF-17?

Why is ADA struggling so much to test fire BVR on Tejas considering the fact that the Tejas MMR is a derrivate of ELTA-2032 and is compatible compatible with Derby? Or are they trying to integrate dual pulse rocket motor ASTRA-MK2 (derrived from Brarak-8) on Tejas?

Anonymous said...

Sir the Spanish ruler Juan carlos I is on official visit to India right now. I've heard that AK Antony and the Spanish defmin have signed numerous defence pacts.

What is India looking to procure from Spanish defence sector? Are we going to acquire warship designs/LPD/LHD designs for building in India?

What is the scope for Indo-Spanish defence cooperation in the coming years?

Anonymous said...

sir ,
plzz see the below links..

1) http://idrw.org/?p=15240
2) http://idrw.org/?p=15232

regarding the 1st link..i see many errors here..like it mentions 5 active SAG battalions in NSG..when there are only 2..& 2 MARCOS battalions when there is only 1..
my question is whether more MARCOS & NSG battalions are being raised ??
& in such a command what will happen to paunchy IPS officers of NSG..WILL THEY BE SHREDDED ??
theses ips have no business in SOCOM..they shud only be there to police not to held leading positions in NSG & every god forsaken security agency..
2) & sir , isn't it better to provide the CAPFs with an integrated air arm of their own ??

Rahul said...

Hi Prasun , All fighter jets of recent design which are not built with hardcore steath in mind have a inherent degree of stealth measures incorporated in it like some VLO shaping,composite srtuctures and extensive use of RAM coatings. All teen series fighters that are being built now also have certain stealth featiures added to it. Aicrafts like EF Typhoon,Rafale,F-15SE have RCS ranging from 0.1 to <1 sqm. Typhoon has a RCS of 0.1 sqmetre. Sukhoi-30mki has a RCS of 7-10 sqm . As a result , in absence of AEWC EF or any other such fighter can detect Su from a long distance whereasSu wont be able to detect and track it due its low RCS. So the former can achieve a lock-on , launch a couple of BVR . Sukhoi will be a sitting duck. If a higher avg power ESA , AESA is used, the same stealth ac can be located at a favourable distance.Sukhoi will be able to look first. The same range at which a conventional jet can be located with a lower power radar, at the same range a stealth jet can be located and a R-77 can be fired.

So, one who can look further can shoot further and then escape out of the kill zone,engagm envelope of the other's BVR missiles. SO a longe range radar is required .

Is the perfoemance of MIRES -detection &tracking range exceed that of Irbis or at the least match it.

Anonymous said...

sir,
what is the max weapon load of tejas mk1 3500kg or 4000kg & tejas mk2 5000kg or 5500kg???

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To Anon@10.23AM: It is totally wrong. No F-25 JSFs & the order for FGFA still stands at 166 single-seat and 48 two-seat FGFAs, totalling 214.

To RAD: Here are the FACTS concerning the two types of cruise missiles & one type of glided bomb in the PAF’s inventory:
1) The H-2 Hammerhead is an unpowered, gliding cruise missile with a range of less than 30km.
2) The H-3 MUPSOW-1 ALCM is about 4.50 metres long, weighs about 850kg, has a 150km-range, houses an imaging infra-red (IIR) terminal seeker, sports twin dorsal air intakes and fixed horizontal and vertical tailfins, and has a rear-mounted turbojet engine, which is a reverse-engineered Turbomeca/Microturbo TRI 60-30 turbojet producing 5.4kN thrust and featuring a 4-stage-axial compressor. The AERO-built MUPSOW-1 comes armed with high-explosive runway-cratering bomblets.
3) The Ra’ad cruise missile, developed under Project H-4 by Kamra-based AERO, is a derivative of the H-3 LACM, the difference here being that instead of the Microturbo-built turbojet, use is made of the China-developed FW41-B turbojet, which is a reverse-engineered TRI 60-30 turbojet. In addition, the Ra’ad uses GPS for terminal guidance, & not IIR sensor.
4) The H-4 powered glide-bomb shown above was never acquired by the PAF. This weapon is actually the Raptor-2D.
5) The H-2, H-3 MUPSOW-1 & H-4 Raptor-2 were all developed between the mid-1980s and early 1990s by Denel Aerospace Systems’ Denel Dynamics Division (formerly Kentron Division).
6) H-3 MUPSOW-1 was reverse-engineered by China & the result is the Ra’ad ALCM.

Then, there are several visual inaccuracies in the visuals above. For instance, when armed with C-802K ASCMs or MAR-1 anti-radiation missiles or H-3 MUPSOW-1, use is also made of an external pod. For the C-802K & MAR-21, this is a DF pod just like the SIVA pod used by Su-30MKI when firing Kh-31A or Kh-31P missiles. For the H-3 MUPSOW-1, the pod used is a data-link pod (and not the CETC-built KG-300 EW pod) similar to the ‘PGSUS’ pod used by those IAF Mirage 2000s that are armed with PopeyeLite ASMs. The Su-30MKI & MiG-29UPG both are armed with turbofan-powered Kh-59T ASMs & related data-link pods. As for tactical PGMs, the LT-2 LGB & LS-6 GPS-guided unpowered glide-bomb are carried by the JF-17. But for the LT-2s, laser designation at nighttime is presently done by ground-based manportable laser target designators, since the CETC-built WMD-7 LDP (a reverse-engineered ATLIS-2 LDP) is a daylight-only pod.
As for tactical ARMs, both the upgraded Jaguar IS/DARIN-3s & Tejas Mk1, plus the Mirage 2000UPGs will be armed with MBDA-built ALARMs.

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To SOUBHAGYA: There’s nothing to indicate thus far that the JF-17 is superior to the Tejas Mk1, simply because the final weapons package for the latter has yet to be finalised.

To JAYADEV: Not at all.

To Anon@1.24PM: The internal jammers using ELT-568 AESA-based antennae will be on board the MiG-29UPGs & Tejas Mk2s. Earlier plans for using them on Tejas Mk1 have been scrapped & instead the Tejas Mk1 will use DARE-developed internal jammers. More info on this is available at: http://trishul-trident.blogspot.in/2011/04/aspjs-developed-for-tejas-mk1-mig-29upg.html

The poster in that thread (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/ZwHf70wl1x8/TZo3Z3Ys4DI/AAAAAAAAACc/MuvwudiiVfI/s1600/Internal+EW+suite+for+Tejas+Mk1+LCA+.jpg) clearly shows the internal jammer.

To GESSLER: They should be ready for delivery by 2014.

To Anon@1.53PM: Any IAF combat aircraft equipped with an open-architecture mission avionics suite will be able to carry EL/L-8251 pods. These include the Jaguar IS/DARIN-3, MiG-29UPG, Mirage 2000TH, Tejas Mk1, Tejas Mk2, Su-30MKI & even MiG-27UPG.

To SHERKHAN: The events now taking place reflect an altogether different reality, & not that of 1949 or 2001. A unified Af-Pak as a sovereign territorial entity is not even a remote possibility, since even the Ruskies & Chinese are opposed to any such idea.

To Anon@3.34PM: Credit goes to unnamed Chinese bloggers who originally designed such wallpapers. Others just inserted their respective watermarks on the posters.

To Anon@4.04PM: No.

To SAYAN: Konkurs-M is still highly effective against armoured targets like Type 69IIP & Type 85IIIAP MBTs and M-113 APCs. One cannot compare it with Javelin. What’s the Javelin’s effective range compared to the Konkurs-M’s 4km-range? As of now there are multiple-ejector racks for Tejas Mk1 only for practice bombing.

To CHETHAN: The SD-10 is fully qualified on the JF-17 Thunder. It is not ADA that’s primarily involved with the Tejas FCS’ fire-control systems integration. It is CABS & DARE. And neither of them have a credible airborne testbed. MMRs like ELM/2032 cannot be tested on board lumbering HS-748s. One requires a turbofan-powered airborne tested for such R & D efforts. Astra Mk2 is years away from service induction.

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To Anon@9.05PM: If you had been following my previous threads on IN & the reqmt for S-80 ‘Super Scorpene’ SSKs (from Spain’s NAVANTIA), you would have by now realised what the latest bilateral military-industrial cooperation agreements inked between Spain & India are all about. LPHs are another possibility & shipyards like HSL can be expected to team up with NAVANTIA for this project. Then there’s SANTA Barbara (now part of GDLS of the US) which is a pioneer in tubed field artillery systems like 155mm howitzers. Don’t forget that it was SANTA BARBARA that first developed the 155mm/45-cal GC-45 towed howitzer in the early-1980s, & it was this design that subsequently became known as the South African G-5 & Austrian GHN-45. Therefore, this company could become an ideal partner for DRDO in case the DRDO, as part of a time-/money-wasting exercise, wants to spend the next 10 years developing a 155mm/52-cal ‘indigenous’ towed howitzer.

To Anon@9.31PM: No additional MARCOS or NSG battalions are being raised. Neither will paunchy IPS DGs of CAPFs be replaced or done away with. A central pool of fixed-wing aircraft & helicopters should be created for use by all CAPFs & the NDMA.

To RAHUL: The moment any airborne combat aircraft is being painted by a hostile MMR, it will know about this through its RWR and it will then begin taking evasive measures like getting out of the radar’s search envelope. Furthermore, dissimilar air combat will never take place within blindspots. There will always be either AEW & CS platforms or ground-based radars providing early warning of hostile airborne targets. Therefore, nose-mounted long-range MMRs are not reqd at all. Furthermore, the days of active radar-guided BVRAAMs are numbered since airborne internal jammers like elements of the Spectra EW suite, DASS & Virgilius will be able to easily neutralise BVRAAMs like AIM-120, R-77 & Meteor.

Anonymous said...

najam khan at paf wallpapers himself designs the wallpapers and has posted these specs under his poster -- you can see posters by ANTIBODY aswell with a comparison with gripen

Anonymous said...

Prasun,

Are you sure about MWD-7 being "daylight only"?

[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/RVHwA.jpg[/IMG]

Anonymous said...

Sir, Why was plans for installing Virgilius jammers on Tejas mk1 scrapped ? Is DARE developed jammer as sophisticated and as capable a system as Virgilus or other contemporary self defense jammer ?

Hunt said...

Prasunji,

All major deals speak about highly capable platforms. But what about the Weapons packages that come with it? It is not clear what are the numbers that the weapons are coming with it.

And according to you, Is Tejas Mk2 a 4.5+ generation fighter with new upgraded cockpit and mission avionics?

Rahul said...

Hi Prasun, If there are AEWC supporting the Sukhoi-30mki then there will also be AWACS supporting the other group of fighters. So both sides will have AWACS advantage .

Is the RCS of EF. Typhoon really 0.1 sqmeter ? In a simulated duel between Su-30mki & EF Typhoon who will be able to detect & track the other first and engage in a BVR shot . Don't you think Su-30 with 10 sqm RCS will be detected first by EF at about 130-150 km whereas Su-30 MKI will be able to detect EF at 50-70 km. If one is consider RCS reductioneasures and radar performance in both acs without the effects of jamming and AEW&C & ground based radars , then pls tell what will possibly happen .

Considerable efforts must be spent to reduce RCS of Sukhoi-30. Who knows what is the peak power of BARS as all such figures are classified . IAF may have asked oem NIIP for a powerful transmitter . It willbe good if a high power TWT is used .

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To Anon@4.12AM: The poster speaks about the projected capabilities of WMD-7. In reality, both the JH-7A bomber & J-10 M-MRCA till this day haven’t been seen armed with either day/night LDPs or even LANTIRN-type pods, which were first showcased in November 2008 in scale-model form at Zhuhai. Earlier this year in February, J-10s seen dropping LT-2 LGBs were shown along with manportable laser target designators, & not the WMD-7. That’s the reason why till to date, the JF-17 has never been shown carrying an underslung WMD-7, since the WMD-7 is very much a system still under development as far as its FLIR capability goes.

To Anon@9.35AM: That’s because it would have only delayed the flight certification of the Tejas Mk1 in its final operational configuration.

HUNT: Things are always clear if one takes the trouble to do research & follow-ups, which the ‘desi mass-media’ entities don’t like to do. Just take the instance of the on-going developments regarding the alleged corrupt practices regarding the procurement of helicopters from AgustaWestland. While it is crystal-clear from the MoD statement that the MoD is probing only the case of the AW-119 being disqualified in the pre-qualification stage for the LOH/LUH competition, the ‘desi mass-media’ folks are automatically inferring that since this involves an AgustaWestland product, then there must be something fishy about the AW-101 VVIP helicopter procurement as well. This is how disinformation & maligning takes place, thanks to the ignorant ‘desi’ mass-media.
By the way, is anyone aware that US-supplied unarmed Predator-A MALE-UAVs have been in service with an Indian intelligence-gathering agency for more than eight years? I have illustrations to prove it.

To RAHUL: Peak power output of NO-11M BARS PESA-MMR is not classified. I had given the figure in the previous thread.

Anonymous said...

unarmed Predator-A MALE-UAVs have been in service with an Indian intelligence-gathering agency for more than eight years?
and no body knows about it . it's certainly a good news.
How many of these are in India ?

Anonymous said...

Regarding Durand line very very happy times are ahead for India I guess .

Mafiya said...

Prasun. H-2 is a 60 KM guided Missile. Tested in High Mark 2010 Exercises in front of foreign observers.

"The H-2 weapon - a wide-range television guided missile, was dropped by two Mirage aircraft in High Mark 2010 exercise at a mud platform, from around 60 km away from the target, thus making it possible to create a lethal and precise attack at far-off range."

You should properly verify your facts before putting them on web

Mafiya said...

Prasun RAAD ALCM shares most of the subsystems of Babur LACM and Navigation of Raad is same as of Babur LACM. Then how can you say RAAD ALCM is a chinese engineered H-3 ALCM which resulted in to RAAD?

KSingh said...

Prasun,

In the light of 2 very diasppointing bits of news-the AW-101 and LUH procurments being questioned. What do you think the liklihood of these going foreward is? Wrt the VVIP helo- weren't deliveres meant to start in the next few weeks? And if so does that mean delivery will be postponed till investigations are carried out?


And wrt the LUH bid-what is the liklihood the deal will be singed this FY? Will the DAC rule favourably in favour of getting the Fennec? Afterall it is only a minor issue wrt the long stretchers?


What are the chances of both?

Rahul said...

Hi Prasun, Pls ans the rest . You have answered a small part. IAF can at any time ask NIIP to replace transmitter LRU with a highern power one . Pls ans the RCS part .

Anonymous said...

Sir, A few queries .

1. When was PopeyeLite integrated with Mirage 2000. You said that there were some problems associated with the integration with Mirage 2000.

2.What is the approx no of Popeye lites acquired by IAF ?

3.Popeyes are also in service with IAF. According to one of your threads it is the specified payload of Su-30. Are these also Lite version ?

4.Lite has a CCD/IIR seeker . What seeker Popeye has ?

5.Turbofan powered Kh59T which are carried by MiG-29,Su-30 has a TV sensor only . So how can it be used at night and when there are obscurants such as smoke,fog near,above target as light rays wont be coming through .

6.Isnt there a IIR version of Kh-59 ?

7.There is no equivalent of LS-6,H-4 in IAF .

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To DASHU: That’s right. Four Predators were acquired at the same time as the Pakistan Army was supplied with two Griffin Eye manned ISR platforms. Performance data on the two can be found at:
http://www.ga-asi.com/products/aircraft/griffineye.php
&
http://www.ga-asi.com/products/aircraft/predator.php
The reason the ‘desi’ mass-media folks aren’t aware of it is because they can’t tell the woods from the trees. They would have known had they paid attention to the exhibits at DEFEXPO 2012. But during this expo they were all running around like headless chicken for chasing both Ravi Rishi & V R S Natarajan & spending all their time at the BEML-TATRA pavilion! Will upload in the near future the relevant posters showing the Predator UAS that were displayed at HAL’s pavilion during DEFEXPO 2012.

To MAFIYA: What foreign observers saw during the High Mark 2010 exercise was a guided-missile exploding at a firing range. None of the observers could verify either the missile’s engagement envelope nor its powerplant. Therefore, none of the observers present can be in a position to verify anything except the explosion, leave alone facts. Suffice to say that an unpowered gliding PGM cannot have a 60km-range when launched from a combat aircraft at medium altitude. The laws of physics guarantee that. What Ra’ad & Babur have in common is only the RLG-INS. The propulsion system & terminal guidance system are totally different. In fact, the Ra’ad & Turkey’s SOM have more components in common than the Ra’ad & Babur. If you bother to do some homework you will realise that the Ra’ad & SOM use turbojets, while the Babur is powered by a turbofan.

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To KSINGH: The MoD statement issued clearly states that the MoD is concerned only about the LOH/LUH evaluation process. It makes no mention about any wrongdoing about the AW-101 selection/procurement process. Therefore, the AW-101 deliveries will be as scheduled. The LOH/LUH procurement won’t be affected since the AW-119 was disqualified at a very early stage. The LOH/LUH procurement is not a pressing reqmt & it can wait for another two years. In fact, it is not even reqd since the Cheetal & Chetan solutions from HAL can easily meet all operational reqmts until the arrival of the HAL-designed LOH/LUH. I don’t see what’s the hurry for replacing the SA.315B Lama/Cheetah & SA.316B Alouette III/Chetak. These helicopters are after all functioning perfectly well with several other navies, air forces & armies (including that of Pakistan).

To RAHUL: RCS figures for any existing combat aircraft are highly speculative, that’s all I can say as of now. Replacing a transmitter or TWT is a complex & messy process that had severe repercussions the processor, receiver & exciter. It is therefore not worth the risk & cost.

To Anon@5.29PM: 1) After OP Parakram. 2) Less than 40. 3) PopeyeLite is for Mirage 2000. 4) Both have CCD/IIR sensors. 5) Not TV, but LLLTV. The missile will be used when there are no obscurants near or above the target, it’s that simple. 6) Yes. 7) There is a gliding, powered version of the Sudarshan LGB under development, & the Nirbhay will be far more superior to the H-4 & Ra’ad.

Rahul said...

Hi Prasun, MIRES AESA will use backend components of BARS. As you said that replacing TWT is a comple process does it implies that MIRES will have same 4 kW peak power of BARS & so an inadequate range ?

R-27ER1 has a 130km range which is more than that of R-77. It is the longest range BVR in service with Sukhoi-30 .

Anonymous said...

Hi sir,

1. Ar the Su-30MKIs deployed on the chinese border equipped with EL/M-2060P SAR pods for recon missions? If yes then have they been used in any recon flights near chinese borderd recently?

2. Does the Nirbhay have an Indian-built turbofan engine or the Russian 36MT mini-turbofan?

3. What cruise missiles does the Shivalik frigates carry? Klub or BrahMos?

Thanks in advance

Anonymous said...

Sir, Thanx for replying.
1.What is the approx no of Popeye that is meant for su-30mki aquired ?

2.If an IIR,CCD seeker version of kh-58 is present why wasn't it acquired by IAF & in bulk ?

3.Is the no of Kh-59 also <100 ? With such small no of missiles what will be achieved ?

4. Why isn't DRDO developing an IIR,mmw version of glidung,rocket powered Sudarsan like AASM, walleye ?

5. Nirbhay ALCM wull be nuclear armed and not conventionally armed . So it will be if nit much use in battlefield. Raad , H-4 are conventionally armed and are meant for striking heavily defended high value targets like airfields,SAM sites,logistics areas.

Anonymous said...

Sir,
Has AS 550 failed in High Altitude Hover-Out-Of-Ground-Effect at 6000 m .?

What is the developement status of stealthy variant of JF-17 , J-10

Anonymous said...


Hi, What is the difference between 9M317 & 9M317ME missiles ?

Mr. Ra 13 said...

What is the prospective planning of Afghanistan to take back the area of Pak occupied Pakhtoonistan.

Mr. Ra 13 said...

Is the JF-17 a menace to India due to its quality or quantity or both or any other reason.

Anonymous said...

Sir! when will LSP 8 of tejas will fly???
Is there any issue with that, causing delay in first flight of that.???

Unknown said...

Prasun,

Do you have any idea what the rifle for the F-INSAS will be? Ie what will be the next-gen rifle for the IA? And has the FN SCAR got any chance?

And when will we see the first fully-kitted out IA soldier in F-INSAS?

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To RAHUL: PESA-MMR makes use of a single TWT, but AESA-MMR is a totally different piece of kit. R-27ER1 is never used in a standalone mode. It is always used along with R-27ET-1, which means as the targetted aircraft is preoccupied with avoiding the R-27ER1, it is the R-27ET1 that scores the real kill. The same approach is adopted by the Mica-EM/Mica-IR combination. But the advent of multi-sensor warning systems & integrated countermeasures suites has ensured that the days of BVRAAMs with single seeker-types are numbered. In future one will see the advent of BVRAAMs like FRAAM, RVV-AE-ZRK, RVV-PD & Meteor that are equipped with dual-mode seekers, similar to what’s happening with next-generation ATGMs like JAGM.

To Anon@7.34PM: Already answered Point 1 in previous thread. Nirbhay ALCM uses a HAL-developed turbofan. P-17 FFGs carry Novator 3M54E Klub-N ASCMs.

To Anon@7.52PM: Popeyes acquired so far is about 20. IIR-CCD sensor for Kh-58 is designed for drop-in installation, meaning the existing LLLTV sensor can easily be replaced any time. Regarding CALCMs, RFPs are already out & the Taurus KEPD-350 could well be selected. However, there’s a need for developing similar CALCMs powered by the HAL-built turbofan.

To Anon@9.11PM: The AS.550C3 Fennec had failed the cold-start trials during the first round of evaluations about seven years ago. The Bell 407 Shen had emerged tops at that time. Stealthy JF-17 & J-10 variants are still years away from rollout.

To Anon@12.09AM: Read this: http://china-pla.blogspot.in/2007/10/054a-air-defense.html

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To Mr. Ra 13: What we’re now witnessing are rivaling powerplays due to the impending national leadership changes due in Afghanistan & Pakistan. The next Afghan President who will replace Hamid Karzai (who can’t remain as President beyond two terms) will try his/her level best to play the ethno-nationalist card, which will directly impact negatively against Pakistan. Another factor to be taken into account is the reality of the Afghan provinces south of the Kabul River being populated by tribes & warlords who do not have a national perspective on territorial issues, while the Afghans living north of the Kabul River (i.e. the Northern Alliance) are much more civilised & have ideas on regional geo-economics that are increasingly common to those cherished by Russia, India & China. Consequently, post-2014, it is the triad of China-India-Russia that will call the shots & Beijing has already warned Islamabad that unless it recognises this reality & joins the party, it will become the nett loser. In the months ahead, therefore, one can expect the emergence of a regional caucus comprising China, India & Russia that will determine the future fate & status of Afghanistan. If Pakistan does not play ball, then it will only mean that the Afghanistan of the future will become economically far more vibrant & stable than Pakistan (it already is, in fact), and consequently will be in a far more stronger position to impose its terms & conditions over Pakistan, i.e. demanding the abandonment of the Durand Line & insisting on a redrawing of the Afghanistan-Pakistan international boundaries. If this happens, then India & China too would be encouraged to seek direct overland access to Central Asia via Afghanistan’s Wakhan Corridor (the subject of former COAS Gen V K Singh’s PHD thesis submission), meaning something drastic will have to be done to the existing Pakistani province of Gilgit-Baltistan. Interesting days ahead, indeed!
The JF-17/ZDK-03 combination is neither nor will it ever be an offensive menace for the IAF either quantitatively or qualitatively, since the ORBAT of the PAF even by 2020 will not permit the PAF to undertake any meaningful offensive air campaigns against India, since its combat aircraft inventory will be severely depleted by then due to the decommissioning in future of large numbers of Mirage -3/5/50 that are presently in service. The situation could get far more worse for the PAF if the AL-31FN turbofans are not available for the FC-20 M-MRCA & the Depot-level MRO facilities for the RD-93 turbofan do not reach Pakistan soil. Then, the only option will be to switch over to the WS-13 turbofan from China, a task that will further delay the service-induction of the JF-17s in large numbers, since a WS-13-equipped JF-17 has not even been rolled out so far.

To Anon@2.09AM: LSP-8 won’t emerge for as long as the LSP-7 does not receive its CofA.

To UNKNOWN: The next-gen assault rifle for F-INSAS-capable troops won’t be selected before 2016. F-INSAS-capable troop formations will be tested out on a pilot-scale by 2014. FN-SCAR is only one of the contenders as of now. Nothing more can be said beyond that at this moment.

Rahul said...

Hi Prasun, How can a targetted ac defeat a IR/IIR guided BVRAAM like R-27ET1 ? In case of RF guided BVRAAM because of radar emissions targetted aircraft's RWR provides significant early warning. But in case of passive IR guided missiles no such warning is available. And it is said that modern IR AM are almost impossible to seduce,confuse defeat with flares .They have built in IRCCM.

IR BVRAAM are a pain in the ass. Are IAF fighter pilots properly trained in defeating,jamming RF & IR guided BVRAAM & IR WVRAAM & in breaking lock. Such training makes all the difference in an air air engagement .

VMT for explaing in such a lucid manner.

In case of Sukhoi-30 UPG , some warning can be available due to MAWS in case of any AAM , be it BVRAAM,WVRAAM & be it RF or IR guided . The same is true for Mirage 2000,Jaguar. MiG-29UPG doesnt have any MAWS. So they will be easy prey to IIR guided BVRAAM as there will be no warning available. IAF ought to have fitted MiG-29UPG with a .MAWS

Rahul said...

Hi Prasun, How can a targetted ac defeat a IR/IIR guided BVRAAM like R-27ET1 ? In case of RF guided BVRAAM because of radar emissions targetted aircraft's RWR provides significant early warning. But in case of passive IR guided missiles no such warning is available. And it is said that modern IR AM are almost impossible to seduce,confuse defeat with flares .They have built in IRCCM.

In case of Sukhoi-30 UPG , some warning can be available due to MAWS in case of any AAM , be it BVRAAM,WVRAAM & be it RF or IR guided . The same is true for Mirage 2000,Jaguar. MiG-29UPG doesnt have any MAWS. So they will be easy prey to IIR guided BVRAAM as there will be no warning available. IAF ought to have fitted MiG-29UPG with a .MAWS

IR BVRAAM are a pain in the ass. Are IAF fighter pilots properly trained in defeating,jamming RF & IR guided BVRAAM & IR WVRAAM & in breaking lock. Such training makes all the difference in an air air engagement .

VMT for explaing in such a lucid manner.

Anonymous said...

"The Indian Army is raising two new Divisions--41 Mountain Div (based in Binaguri, West Bengal) and 56 Mountain Division (in , Nagaland, during the 11th Defence Plan (2007-2012)). Due to this, an extra 55,000 personnel will be recruited and their support costs will be a nett addition to the MoD's sanctioned establishment costs. By 2011, III Corps (now being restructured as the offensive Corps) will comprise 56 Mtn Div, 41 Mtn Div and the Rangla-based 2 Mtn Div (presently under IV Corps). From then on, the XXXIII Corps in Sukhna for the Sikkim sector, III Corps in Dimapur and IV Corps in Tezpur will be 100% China-centric, with all three possessing adequate capabilities for launching offensive operations beyond the LAC into the Tibetan Plateau. To cater to the airmobility and aerial logistics replenishment reqmts of these three Corps, an additional 50 Mi-17V-5s will shortly be ordered for the IAF over and above the 80 already ordered. Also, 12 Heron 2 UAVs are being procured by the Army for these three Corps-sized formations. The remaining two holding Corps under HQ Eastern Command will each have one rapid-reaction airmobile infantry Brigade for localised contingencies along the Bangladesh and Myanmar fronts."

Is this trur barring additional 59 Mi-17v5 ? Or another mess-up by some desi journo .

Anonymous said...

Mr.Prasun, below is the link of the manufacturer of the WMD-7, which clearly states its a day/night pod with targeting opion, don't know how you came up with a theory that it is not a day/night pod based on a picture which most probably is validating the concept of J-10 launching PGMs with land based laser designator. And the Chinese company is marketing the system with its day/night capability, had it been not what they say, they can't market it with something which it does not have. So, plz next time don't base your comments based on uncomplete information:

http://www.catic.cn/indexPortal/home/index.do?cmd=goToChannel&cid=927&columnid=2122&cpid=1655&columnType=102&likeType=view&ckw=AEOE&lang=US&dataid=4322


And this is what AFM had to say about H2, AFM is much much more reliable then what you have to put up:

http://www.defence.pk/forums/pakistan-strategic-forces/28713-h2-h4-aam-agm-10.html#post1975509

Below pic from Turkish AS where JF-17 participated and see what the A2G section had to say, H2 & H4 both included.

http://img585.imageshack.us/img585/1682/ws13.jpg

And Ra'ad CM is not a Chinese design or copy of something and its not even H4, rather they had nothing to do designing it. Its a Pak- South African development, just like H2 & H4.

Anonymous said...

And also, read below what PAF AVM / officials had to tell JDW about the WS-13 being tested in a FC-1 in China and that was way back in 2010.

http://sgforums.com/forums/1164/topics/406416

so, again you are wrong that no FC-1/JF-17 is flying / testing with WS-13. Pictures are not needed always.

http://sgforums.com/forums/1164/topics/406416

Anonymous said...

sir ,
plzz post details of predator in the indian service..
we'll like to see the illustrations..
plzz sir..

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To Anon@11.40AM: Since you have decided to invite ridicule upon yourself, I will be more than happy to oblige you. Firstly, the WMD-7 pod is NOT made by CATIC. CETC is the manufacturer. Secondly, publications like AFDM or JDW don’t ever visit Zhuhai to attend the Airshow China expos, whereas I have. Therefore, chances of me obtaining first-hand info directly from Chinese OEMs are far far greater than you can ever imagine. Lastly, it does seem that the PAF is lying its arse off by displaying this poster: (http://img585.imageshack.us/img585/1682/ws13.jpg). Why? Let’s see….because the AM-39 Exocet has not been under production by MBDA for the past five years. That’s why the C-802K is now being qualified on the JF-17. Secondly, Durandal anti-runway bombs too are no longer in production. In fact, the anti-runway bomb specified for all PAF combat aircraft is the HAFR-2 (see my previous blog at: http://trishulgroup.blogspot.in/2009/07/pakistans-home-grown-solutions-part-2.html). The same goes for Rockeye CBU-100 Mk20 cluster munition, which has been superceded by the CEM (again, see my previous blog at: http://trishulgroup.blogspot.in/2009/07/pakistans-home-grown-solutions-part-3.html). Lastly, EVERYBODY in cyberspace was clueless about what the KLJ-7 radar was all about until I uploaded its specifications at: http://trishulgroup.blogspot.in/2009/07/airborne-multi-mode-radar-data.html
Annual product directories updated every year by both CATIC & CETC are available with me, & not with the likes of AFM, JDW or AW & ST. Therefore, kindly reflect upon all the spectacular bullshit you’ve posted above, & try to use your common sense, that is, if you have any of it. And by the way, the famous JF-17 poster (http://img585.imageshack.us/img585/1682/ws13.jpg) can only prove that all that PAF has been claiming thus far about C-802Ks, Hafr-2 & CEM is in fact utter rubbish, that is unless you acknowledge that what I’ve stated about the C-802K, Hafr-2, CEM, KLJ-7, WS-13 & RD-93 is all true. And the lesser you speak about the Ra’ad the better, because the facts again were revealed by Turkey’s TUBITAK-SAGE at the Defence & Security Equipment International (DSEi) exhibition in the UK between September 10 and 13, 2011.

To Anon@11.54AM: A picture is always worth a thousand words. I too have spoken to several ‘unnamed PAF officials’ at airshows in Farnborough, Paris, Zhuhai, Dubai & Singapore, and each & every time they’ve stated that the WS-13 will at best become available not before 2020. In fact, such remarks were published in one of AW & ST’s official show dailies that were distributed at the 2010 Airshow China in Zhuhai. But you wouldn’t know about all this, because you were not even anywhere near Zhuhai, were you???

Anonymous said...

Hi , Checked out the details of 9M317E & 9M317ME . 9M317ME is a further developement of 9M317E. But it has a range of only 32 km wheras 9M317M has 45 km range .

1.There are 24 9M317 in Batch 1 of Talwar class of range 45 km.
2.There are 36 9M317ME in batch 2 of Talwar class of range 32 km.
3.There are 24 9M317ME in Shivalik class with 32 km range.
4.There are 48 9M317 in Delhi class with 45 km range.

Your corrections and comments pls.

Anonymous said...

Sir,Thanx again.

1. Is DRDO developing an IIR,mmw version of glidung,rocket powered Sudarsan like AASM, walleye ?

2.You said some time back that IAF procured around 100 Popeye . ??

3.Is IIR seekers for Kh-59 in IAF service ?

4. What is the principal standoff AGM for Su-30mki ?

5. Why is there no procurement of AGM,bombs like AASM as part of Mirage 2000 upgrade deal ?

Anonymous said...

Prasun sir,,given your previous posts in this thread, I have some questions to ask -

1 - How many RD-93 engines has pakistan ordered from Russia? And how many of them have so far been implemented into flying JF-17s?

2 - Is any further deal for follow-on RD-93 engines been signed or will be signed with Russia?

3 - If WS-13 wont be ready before 2020, will the JF-17 Block-2 be delayed until then? How many Block-1 can Pak produce until then,,,I think Block-1 does not pose credible threat to Su-30MKI and Mig-29SMT,,,let alone SuperSukhoi and Rafale, which will also be procured by 2014-2015.

4. Can the LCA carry the Kh-35E Switchblade anti-ship missile like the new MiG-29UPG?

5. The new upgraded Fulcrum for IAF has a CFT on its hump, how much has the range on internal fuel been increased with this new addition?

6. How reliable is the RD-93 on JF-17 Block-1? How many hours does the hot section last? I think the hot section of the GE F414 lasts upto 6,000 hours before overhaul.

7. I've read in yor previous Defexpo 2012 thread that IN is looking for 9 new SSNs and that the most likely option is the French Barracuda-class. But has France officially offered the SSN to India? Will they be equipped with French or Indian nuclear reactors if they are ever bought?

Ofcourse IN would want more SSNs especially since we have a growing number of SSBNs and a large fleet of SSNs is needed to provide underwater protection to these SSBNs...at most we'll get a 2nd Akula-II from Russia but the remaining SSNs will have to be of French origin fitted with Indian reactors if im right?

Anonymous said...

Hi PRASUN, Are Indian MiG-29UPG getting a dorsal fuel tank just aft of the cockpit. With so much new equipment , will not the empty weight wing loading of MiG-29 increase ?

What will be the best LUH for the armed forces AS550C3 or Ka-226T. Ka-226T can carry a heavier load at 1400 kg,has a higher ceiling,and can seat 9 passengers. AS550C3 has a lower payload , can carry 4 pasengers. But it comes fitted with chaff,flare dispensers,is ballisttic tolerant to 7.62 and has a gearbox capable of running dry for 30 min. Ka-226 doesnt have thesde features .

Sumit Basu said...

Hi Prasun,

Are the Ruskies not allowing India to set up a military base in Tajikistan from where the IAF can operate Sukhois ?

Thanks,
Sumit

abs said...

@Prasunda
I was recently talking to a Kashmiri youth and he told me that the terrorists gain entry along the LOC only because of INDIAN troops complicity. He tried to impress upon me that the troops in lieu of money let the terrorists in.
Is there any truth in it???

On a lighter note your caption "yeh toh hona hi thaa" remind me of a song from the movie "Lovestory:2050" lolzzzz

rad said...

HI prasun
what would be the best surveilance radar on he alh as there seems to be a want for it , the selex radar?.
please give a link to the mig -29 upgrade details.
in which pat of the phalcon are the dircm located.

Sujoy Majumdar said...

Prasun Da,

Boeing today won the Heavy Helicopter deal . But how is this possible since the Chinook is a medium lift helo & not a heavy lift helo like the MI 26. Is the US arms lobby the most powerful arms lobby in Delhi ?

Thanks,
Sujoy

sntata said...

Dear Prasun,
1. Have the sea-trials of Arihant begun? Has the PWR gone critical?
2. What happened to the project to develop rotary wing-based UAV with Israeli help?
3. What is the present status of BEML/Polish collaboration for Light Tank? What is its expected weight?




Anonymous said...

Hi Prasun da

Seems Chinook has won the IAF heavy lift tender beating Russian MI 26.Russians have lost many defence tenders in India recently.Apache win in combat helo,P8i posidon slected over Il76 MPA to start with.Reg the tankers tender, word is that EADS A330 is likely to bag and DCNS/Navatia win likely over Amur for Six submarines and Eurocopter Fennec over Russian Kamov.I do have a concern,though Russians have failed sometimes to provide spare parts in time,but this recent trend will further complicate our relations with one of our best friends.Russia is our time tested friend who has shared with us technology that no other country will ever will.Sukhoi FGFA is biggest example..Dont u think this recent defence purchases by us from western countries will propel Russia to open up more to Pakistan, which is not all good for us..Ur Views pls...VMT

Priyabrata Gupta said...

Hi Prasun ,

How are the L1 ( lowest bidder ) price arrived at ? Are these calculations made public ?

Thanks,
Priyabrata

Mr. Ra 13 said...

Your near revelations are galvanizing.

You are correct! All borderlines of Pakistan are under question and grave doubt and they may shrink back to a zero area and volume.

Mr. Ra 13 said...

To me it seems that for most of the immediate and non-ToT type of deals, India is going mainly for USA.

Whereas for the long range and detailed development projects India does not have many options other than to go with Russia.

In nutshell, Purchases with USA and Projects with Russia and they both involve all sort of businesses.

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To Anon@5.36PM: 9M317ME M-SAMs have not been ordered by India for any of its warships.

To Anon@5.53PM: 1) No. 2) Plans were to procure 100 Popeye & PopeyeLite. But this reqmt has not yet been fulfilled 3) Not yet. 4) Kh-59T 5) They are part of the deal, but have not been disclosed by ‘desi’ mass-media.

To Anon@5.54PM: 1) About 100. Of these, only about 50 have been installed so far. 2) No. 3) Only 95 RD-93-powered JF-17s will be available by 2020 in case the WS-13 doesn’t arrive by then. 4) The LCA (Navy) Mk1 should be able to carry two Kh-35Es. 5) Same as that of the MiG-29SMT. 6) Only 700 hours. 7) If the Barracuda SSN was not on offer to India, then it would not have been shown at DEFEXPO 2012 at DCNS’ booth. Things can’t get more official than that. 8) One can only hope that the DAE will succeed in developing a lifelong 200mW PWR for powering SSGNs or even SSNs.

To Anon@6.36PM: Aerodynamic performance of the MiG-29UPG will be the same as that of the MiG-29SMT. To me, the best LOH/LUH/RSH solution will be the Cheetal version of the SA.315B Lama/Cheetah. No other helicopter has so far broken the Cheetah’s flight altitude record. Therefore, just imagine what a re-engined & upgraded Cheetal can achieve!

To SUMIT BASU: How exactly will the IAF benefit by flying any of its combat aircraft out of Ayni air base in Tajikistan?

To ABS: Corruption of the type you’ve mentioned is not rife among the IA at all, rather, it is widespread within the CAPFs, especially the BSF. Thus far, I’ve spoken to more than 100 Pakistanis & Indian Kashmiris who have since given up militancy & have settled down to run their families, & ALL of them have said three things to be noted: the best infiltration routes were always along the working boundary that straddles Jammu; the BSF was always amenable to being compromised; the worst human rights violations committed in J & K since 1990 can all be attributed to BSF personnel.

To RAD: LRDE & CABS are co-developing the Extra Vision 2004 MMR for Dhruv ALH. Previously, the SV-2000 Super Vision MMR was reportedly co-developed by LRDE & CABS, but was never put to production. MiG-29UPG is essentially a combination of the MiG-29SMT (in terms of aerodynamics & airframe design) & MiG-29K (in terms of cockpit avionics & mission sensors). A-50I PHALCON does not have a DIRCM as yet.

To SUJOY MAJUMDAR, CH-47F, AW-101, Mi-26T, CH-53K all come under the heavylift helicopter category. Medium-lift helicopters comprise Mi-17V-5, NH-90, Sea King Mk42B/C & EC-725 Cougar.

To SNTATA: 1) Not sea-trials, but harbor-trials. PWR went critical last July. 2) NRUAV project was scrapped three years ago. 3) BEML & BUMAR had only inked an MoU to market the ANDERS light tank in India. There was no other form of collaboration of any kind involved. In other words, BEML was only to act as a marketing agent for BUMAR of Poland.

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To Anon@11.29PM: Russian OEMs will NEVER be able to compete in Pakistan against Chinese OEMs. Therefore, India need not have worries on that front. On the other hand, any high-tech military hardware provided by Russia to Pakistan is most likely to be ferried to China for reverse-engineering, something the Ruskies & French know only too well.

To PRIYABRATA GUPTA: The pricing mechanism that determines the L-1 bidder is an elaborate one that is described in detail in the RFP. And yes, the final tabulation of pricing levels done by the MoD is always made known to all the bidders involved in a competitive bidding process.

To Mr.RA 13: Every deal inked with the US thus far & to be inked in future has had & will have mandatory ToT of various types, especially the all-important intellectual component. For instance, almost 100% of all senior officials from all three Indian armed services end up being graduates of various US military-educational institutions like air/naval/land warfare colleges, National Defense University, etc. In the 1960s & 1960s such officials used to graduate from UK-based institutions, but since the early 1970s, it was been an almost exclusively a US affair. Such intellectual-level ToTs have been & will continue to be indispensable as India’s armed forces marches ahead to master the art of waging knowledge-based warfare. In sharp contrast, even during the Cold War era, not a single military officer from India ever stepped inside a military-academic institution anywhere within the USSR, & this trend continues till this day. Therefore, in terms of military-industrial business quantum, the US-India pie will grow phenomenally larger within this very decade, since the skilled human resource pool reqd within India already exists in the form of such US-trained Indian military personnel that are specialised in various trades. On the other hand, India-Russia military-technical cooperation is not across-the-board & is isolated to a few select areas only. Sustained people-to-people contact in all spheres of military-industrial businesses between India & Russia is either non-existent or is highly regulated, which prevents Indian companies (as sub-contractors) from becoming part of the global supply chain for Russian OEMs.

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To RAHUL: The only way to neutralise BVRAAMs like R-27ET1 is by equipping combat aircraft with multi-sensor warning systems (MSWS) integrated with defensive aids suite. IIR-guided AAMs can indeed be seduced, confused & defeated with flares, since flares too are getting more sophisticated. That’s another reason why dual-mode sensors will be required in future for BVRAAMs.

abs said...

http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/economy/growth-understated-expect-gdp-above-65-says-pronab-sen_737782-1.html

&

http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/economy/growth-understated-expect-gdp-above-65-says-pronab-sen_737782-1.html

&

http://www.projectsmonitor.com/MISC/is-indias-gdp-growth-understated-in-201112

Being an entrepreneur do you really think that the growth in INDIA has been majorly understated? Especially when the unorganised sector and SME sector comes into play?

seconfly I would also like to know if the corrupt anti natiionalist practices of the BSF are changing? If not then what would you suggest to stop and reverse the current practice

joydeep ghosh said...

@prasun da

dont mind but you said to Anon@9.05PM: implies that Spanish S80 will be the Super Scorpene.

But last time when i asked you said 'The Super Scorpene on offer to India won’t be bigger than their Brazilian counterparts since the Indian Super Scorpenes will have a smaller plug-in module for housing the AIP, whereas Brazil’s Super Scorpenes will have a far larger plug-in module for accommodating a pressurised water reactor'

its known that S-BR is 2000 tons and S80 is 2400 tons, if S80 is selected 2 things will be sure

1. Scorpene numbers will go up to 9
and will eventually touch 12 as by the time 1st Scorpene comes 1st kilo will be ready to retire

2. AIP powered S80 numbers will eventually touch 9 and these will be used for strategic role armed with 750 km k missile or Brahmos SLCM

thanks

Joydeep Ghosh

Priyabrata Gupta said...

Thanks Prasun .

But how come the Chinook emerge as the L1 . The cost of a Chinook is Approx $38 million & that of a MI 26 is $ 14 million ? So, at the very onset there is a saving of $24 million if the Mi 26 would have been purchased.

Thanks,
Priyabrata

Anonymous said...

Hi PRASUN, What is the degradation in agility,sustaining AoA ,sustained & instantaneous turn rates of MiG-29SMT,UPG when compared to basic MiG-29. There must be some decrease in agility due to increase in basic weight without any increase in wing area ?

Between AS550 Fennec & Ka226T which is the better choice ? Do Ka226T comes with chaff and flare dispensers,dry gerabox running capacity and the other survivability fetures present in AS550C3.

Anonymous said...

The Powerplant on MiG-29 UPG is it RD-33MK ser3 with 9000 kgf thrust or RD-33 ser 3 with 8300kgf thrust ? Is the engine the same on MiG-29K ?

Anonymous said...

Hi Prasun da

You hve repeatedly said that the NRUAV project has been scrapped..Do u know any reasons for this??Is the Indian navy considering the NG Fire SCout now??..VMT

Rahul said...

Hi Prasun, Apart from Sukhoi-30, Mirage 2000UPG,Rafale which other aircrafts will have multi-sensor warning systems (MSWS) integrated with defensive aids suite.

And if there is no other way of countering BVRAAM like R-27ET1,MICA IR & other similar BVRAAM why didnt the decision makers at IAF HQ incorporated a MAWS in MiG-29 upgrade program ?MiG-29UPG doesnt have any MAWS. So they will be easy prey to IIR guided BVRAAM as there will be no warning available. So what will the MiG-29 now do to comabt the threat ?

Are there plans to integrate a MWAS at a latter date ?

Hunt said...

Prasunji,

Even with small high price the Mi 26 (Can carry more than 20000 Kgs) is a totally different aircraft compared to CH 47 (Can carry more than 10000 Kgs). Mi 26 is a lot much more a bigger air frame which can be used for multipurpose applications (Like transporting combat vehicles inside the bigger air frame) which seems not possible with CH 47.

Anonymous said...

Prasun ji...

1. What is the South Korean minesweeper than IN is buying? What is it class-name? Is it built by Kangnam?

2. The BSF already has its own air wing consisting of HS-748 AVRO, Hawker Beechcraft, and Embraer EMB-135 fixed-wing aircraft, NIshant UAVs and HAL Dhruv & Mi-17 helicopters. Are they looking to procure any new medium-lift turboprop aircraft to replace the aging AVRO? IAF has floated an RFP for 58 aircraft to replace it's own fleet of AVROs, any chance BSF could also go for the same aircraft? Maybe C-27J Spartan.

3. How many C-130J or C-130J-based derivatives could the Armed Forces ultimately buy? What is the probability of a full-fledged C-130J production line in India by TASL?

4. Is IA still looking for FGM-148 Javelin or are they more interested in the Israeli Spike ATGM that comes with full ToT now?

5. What could be the Power-to-Weight Ratio of the Arjun Mk-2 MBT with 67.5 tons weight and the new 1,500hp engine?

Mr. Ra 13 said...

Why CH-47 has been preferred over the Mi-26.


Anonymous said...

Hi, In your post , "Batch 2 Of Three Project 1135.6 Frigates Being Readied" ,
you wrote :'For area air defence, the Dolgoprudny Research and Production Enterprise DNPP JSC, which is part of the Almaz-Antey Air Defence Concern, is supplying the vertical-launch version of the Shtil-1 SAM system, which will comprise thirty-six 9M317ME SAM rounds.The missile is 5.18 metres long and 360mm in diameter. Launch weight of the 9M317ME is 58kg. It is armed with a 62kg blast fragmentation warhead initiated by a dual-mode radar proximity fuze, or a contact fuze. The range is between 3.5km and -32 km, while the altitude coverage is from 5 metres up to 15km.'
hence 9M217ME is already there on Batch 2 of Talwar class. U are telling no such missiles have been ordered.

Many variants of Shtil 9M317 are in service with IN ships.Its all very confusing . Will u pls share light on what variant is present on what ships and in waht no ? Do all these variants have 45 km range instead of 32 km.

Anonymous said...

Hi Prasun, Why is the max mach of Sukhoi-0mki 1.9 and not 2.0 like other Sukhoi variants.

Anonymous said...

When max speed of Su-27 is 2.35 & service ceiling is 18.5 km how service ceiling of Su-30 be 17.3 km ?

Anonymous said...

Sir, IRST of mig-29 and sukhoi-30 cannot act as flir and provide thermal high res imagery of the terrain ahead like LANTIRN. No such modes or ability to act as FLIR is mentioned in Ural Optical and mechanical plant official site .

Anonymous said...

Prasunda, Why hasn't China developed an Operational Conversion Trainer variant of JF-17Block-I as yet? How will new PAF pilots learn to master the JF-17 if there's no OCT?

Will the Rafale deal really be signed in FY 2012? How many years will it take France to deliver the first IAF Rafale after contract has been signed?

Is France really providing any design assistance in the development of the AURA Stealth UCAV and the LRCM cruise missile? When could we see the first prototype of AURA roll out?

Is the FLIR sensor on the nose of the LCH Indian or Israeli?

Anonymous said...

Sir,
1. What procurement of air to ground weapons such as AASM , ARM are being made as part of Mirage 2000 upgrade program ? Desi media hasn't provided any info on this. Si let's hear it from you.

2. What EW pod does Mirage 2000 carry

3.What is the ARM at present for Jaguar IS,Sukhoi 30 ?

4.Are new gen Russian AGM like Kh-38 being procured ?

5.What were the result of the 3 day IAF commander's conference for critical EW systems .

sntata said...

Dear Prasun,
Will you please direct me to one of your former posts on F-INSAS?

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To ABS: Of course the annual GDP growth rates of India have been understated or underestimated since the early 1980s. The so-called ‘Hindu’ rate of GDP growth per annum has been about 8% per annum since the early 1980s & by the mid-1990s had gone up to as high as 9%. If the GoI gets its house in order & adheres to fiscal discipline, enacts taxation reforms (to get rid of the parallel economy) & gets the much-needed belt-tightening in terms of strategic disinvestments in PSUs, then the annual growth rate will be as high as 17%, which in turn will unleash enough funds reqd for massive investments in the educational/human resource development & infrastructure sectors.

To Anon@10.47AM: No MRO facilities exist in China for RD-93. Russia has so far refused to establish MRO facilities for AL-31FN & RD-93 turbofans inside Pakistan or China.

To JOYDEEP GHOSH: The S-80 & Super Scorpene are one & the same. The differences lie in the plug-in modules—one for MESMA or any other AIP solution like Stirling engine; and the other for housing a PWR & related reactor safety-control systems. The Brazilian Super Scorpene will have a displacement exceeding 2,400 tonnes. The S-80s with AIP plug-ins won’t displace more than 2,400 tonnes. Once the six S-80s are ordered for India, the Scorpene SSK family fleet of the IN will increase to 12. There are no plans of the IN to use the S-80s as strategic platforms & consequently, their primary role will be conventional submarine warfare & as hunter-killers for ASW. For strategic operations, the IN will have a dedicated fleet of SSGNs & SSBNs.

To PRIYABRATA GUPTA: You’re only talking about procurement costs. What about life-cycle costs? The Mi-26T requires 100 man-hours of maintenance per flying hour, whereas the CH-47F & AW-101 require only about 40 man-hours of maintenance per flying hour.

To Anon@12.17PM: There won’t be any decrease in agility of the MiG-29UPG since the RD-33-3’s max thrust-rating has been optimised to cater for increased weight. Between AS.550C3 & Ka-226T, the former is definitely a better choice.

To Anon@12.26PM: Yes, in terms of thrust rating. The RD-33MK-3, however, is marinised, i.e. it has special anti-corrosion treatments, which are not required for the land-based RD-33-3s on the MiG-29UPG.

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To Anon@1PM: It was primarily an issue of money. The NRUAV’s main champion was the then CNS, Admiral Sureesh Mehta, who previously was also an appointed Director of HAL. After his retirement, his successor never showed the same degree of interest & commitment in the NRUAV. Consequently, interest is now focused on the Fire Scout from Northrop Grumman. Mu personal preference, however, is for developing a NRUAV variant of HAL’s proposed single-engined LOH/LUH/RSH. Such a project can easily succeed if HAL teams up with Israel Aerospace Industries & undertakes this project on a JV basis.

To RAHUL: The EMB-145I too will have MSWS, as will the Dhruv Mk4 & Rudra, plus the LCH. On MiG-29UPGs, MAWS can be retrofitted in-country at the IAF’s 11 Base Repair Depot.

To HUNT: Yes, that’s true, but that’s not the primary military role of a heavylift helicopter. ATVs & LSVs can also be carried underslung by CH-47F. The Mi-26T on the other hand will be more useful for outfits like the National Disaster Management Agency & Border Roads Organisation, which too have a pressing reqmt for such helicopters.

To Anon@5.17PM: The Kangman Corp-built GRP-hulled minesweeper is originally a South Korea-built Lerichi-class MCMV from Italy’s Intermarine. BSF’s Air Wing does not have its own dedicated pool of licenced aircraft engineers, technicians or aircrew. All such personnel are outsourced from the IAF. Therefore, procuring additional aircraft just for one CAPF won’t make any sense. Instead, a new aviation charter services company needs to be created that will operate a fleet of fixed-wing and rotary-winged aircraft full-time, with agencies like CAPFs, BRO & NDMA chartering such aircraft whenever reqd. This will ensure resource consolidation & as well as efficient use of aircraft assets. China has already worked out such an arrangement & that has been one of the main reasons why China’s border transportation infrastructure development projects have been able to achieve rapid success. AS for C-130J-30s, the projected IAF reqmt is for 18 units. It does not make sense for TASL to create a licenced C-130 production line for such small numbers. However, what TASL could do is establish depot-level MRO facilities for not only the IAF’s C-130J-30s, but also for other C-130s that are operational in South Asia, East Africa & the Middle East, so that such a facility can undertake third-party MRO contracts. FGM-148 is still the preferred option for the IA. The IA was never asking for any licenced-production-related ToT. It was the MoD’s Dept of Defence Production & Supplies that was asking for such unwanted ToTs just to increase the size of BDL’s order-book. Power-to-Weight Ratio of Arjun Mk2 MBT with 67.5 tons weight and the new 1,500hp engine from Cummins India will be about the same as those of Leclerc or Leopard 2A7 MBTs. The figure will be higher in case one does away with ERA tiles & instead settles in for an APS suite.

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To MR. RA 13: Due to the obvious benefits of lower life-cycle costs, reduced MRO liabilities, faster delivery schedule, & its CofA that caters for the CH-47F’s ability to airlift LW-155 155mm/39-cal ultralightweight howitzers.

To Anon@6.47PM: The data on that thread was erroneous. The Batch 2 of Project 1135.6 FFGs indeed carry the 9M317 SAMs, & not the 9M317ME. The vertically-launched 9M317ME is instead being proposed for the mid-life upgrade of the three Project 15 Delhi-class DDGs. All FFGs equipped with Shtil-1 make use of 24 9M317 SAMs, while the DDGs have 48 9M317 rounds.

To Anon@8.09PM & 8.14PM: Max speed of Su-30MKI is Mach 2. Service ceiling is 17.05km. This is certified data from both IRKUT Corp & HAL.

To Anon@8.59PM: CATIC had estimated that those pilots that are already exposed to glass cockpits of combat aircraft like the F-16 would only require to undergo flight conversion using a fixed-based cockpit procedures trainer & tactical flight simulator. While this was a sound approach, this poses problems for those pilots that come straight out of Stage-3 flying & have had no prior combat aircraft flight experience. Regarding the Rafale M-MRCA, all the data that you’ve asked for is available in previous threads dealing with this subject. France has nothing to do with AURA & LRCM. It i8s Israel that’s involved with the LRCM project. FLIR turret on the LCH is from ELBIT Systems via the HALBIT Avionics JV.

To Anon@11.21PM: AASM, MICA-EM/IR & ALARM will be procured for both the Mirage 2000UPG & Rafale. The existing Barem EW self-protection pod on Mirage 2000H/TH will be retained. Jaguar IS has no ARM at the moment. Once upgraded to DARIN-3 standard, ALARM will be used. Su-30MKI uses Kh-31P Krypton ARM. Kh-38s won’t be procured. Instead, tactical CALCMs like Taurus KEPD-350 will be procured. I wasn’t a participant at the 3-day conference you’ve mentioned & nor was I invited to attend it for obvious reasons. Consequently, I’m not aware of the specific contents of the conference’s agenda or the minutes of discussion/deliberation. However, what I can safely state is that many of the airborne EW issues & aircraft upgrade issues being discussed in this blog constituted a major part of the deliberations.

To SNTATA: I haven’t yet created any specific thread on the subject of F-INSAS. But I will surely do so next month along with the long-promised thread on force-modernisation of the PLA along the LAC, rest assured.

Anonymous said...

Sir! since most of the deal is going or will go in the hands of either Americans or Europeans like LUH, P75I, MMRCA, Heavy lift and attack helicopter and many more, will it effect the military relationship with Russia or MOD have much more things to please them.

Anonymous said...

Hi Prasun,
I used to wonder why there was no collaboration or military exercises between USSR & India. I know one of cousins who was a high rank officer in Army said officers go to US for further training. When I asked him, why was not much training with USSR, he said, USSR officers always look at Indians with suspect. In fact everybody was suspicious to the Communists during Cold war era.

I also talked to one of my Russian colleagues in early 2000s about the Indo-USSR collaboration. He said that, Communists only trusted a very few guys (mostly from Congress) in India. They were not happy that Indians were not becoming Communists, and sticking to Hinduism (or religious). They even spied on Indian commies{!}, who were/are more pro-China than pro-USSR {I did not know that}.

Other than that, pre-Cold War Russians always thought that Indians were not as smart as Russians. So Indians were not qualified to get military techs. They also wanted India to be a buyer always, not a producer. They pressurized Indian Govt not to invest in R&D.

In another case, I met a Chinese professor, who said, "Shanghai Cooperation Organization was a mistake from Russia that China got its foothold on Central Asian Republics. Otherwise there was no way for China to make contact with the CIS."

Your thoughts, Please. Thanks in anticipation

Unknown said...

Prasun,

The DAC did not make any decisions on the LUH in their meeting today- what does this mean for the future of the LUH program? Is it game over completey now? Or is there still a possibility the LUH will still be signed this fiscal with Fennec being the winner?


Also with many new successful deals being announced such as the ULH (M777),Apache, Chinook etc when will this all be signed? This fiscal?


And will the ULH,Apache and Chinooks have follow-on orders?

Unknown said...

Prasun,

Will all the IAF fighter a/c have a common data-link? It was noted after Red Flag 2008 the MKIs couldn't talk to the Western fighters or AWACS and now that the IAF is inducting fighters from Russia, India (LCA) and soon France will they all be able to link together and will the IAF AWACS be able to link with ALL IAF fighters?

abs said...

@prasunda
such high gorwth rates? Im very surprised, cuz perhaps even China wasn't able to achieve such high growth rates.
Though I don't doubt your expertise and wisdom, could you please elaborate a bit further as to how can you be so sure?

accidental loser said...

hi.
isn't it correct tht d ruskies refused china fr arrestor wires fr there new AC. if yes thn hw PLAN commisioned "The Liaoning"!!!!!
Does it means d carriers's devoid of any carrier air wing ryt nw?????????

sntata said...

Dear Prasun,
1. There are reports that Army is looking for an Early Warning System that can be integrated with existing helicopter frames currently available with us. What do you think will be the best option? You have said in another thread that Early Warning Helicopters should have a minimum of 4 hours endurance. Chethak and the re-engineered version Cheethal with Snecma/HAL Shakti engine are supposed to have an endurance of 6 hrs. What is the endurance of Dhruv? Regarding Early Warning System add-on, do you think we should go for Lockheed Martin's Vigilance pod or do you think DRDO/BEL can come with indigenous solution?
2. Are there any takers, from Army or Para Military Forces, for the Trichy Assault Rifle[clone of AK-47] developed by Ordinance Factory, Tiruchi?

Anonymous said...

Hello Prasunji, here are some more questions for you -

1) What are the future export propects of the Dhruv ALH to foreign nations? Both military and civil variants?

2) Any chance the LCH can also be exported to South American/South East Asian militaries?

3) What sort of product-support assistance is India providing for the Indonesian/Malaysian Su-30 Flankers?

4) When could the Astra-I BVRAAM be test-fired from the MKI? And when will it be integrated into the LCA Mk-1? What is Astra's maximum range really, 80km or more?

5) Will the new MiG-29UPG carry the new-build R-27AE active radar homing 130-km BVR missile from Ukraine?

Thanks in advance.

Anonymous said...

Sir when could the Liaoning Carrier be ready for service? When will the aircraft trials commence?

Vikram Guha said...

Prasun da,

I was of the opinion that the Chinook experiences problems in high altitude because there is this issue of poor visibility caused by the downwash from the twin main rotors of the Chinook . However ,it is believed that the Chinook has the ability to address the problem of "white out" ( in high altitudes) - which is addressed by the ability of the Chinook to fly in IFR conditions, with sensors to probe the clearance and distance from high obstacles.

You really appreciate your view on this.

Regards,
Vikram

Vikram Guha said...

** Would really appreciate your views on this **

Sorry for the typo.

-Vikram

Anonymous said...

Hi PRASUN, By just increasing the thrust of the engine, agility cant be maintained . Besides thrust agility also depends on empty weight,wing area and wing loading . The empty weight of MiG-29 has gone up. So wing loading has increased. Turn rates,AoA has a direct relationship with wing loading. In case of MiG-29K the wing area was increased.
So by how much will manuverabilty be reduced as compared to basic MiG-29 ? With new gen engines,modern radars and digitical electronics replacing the analogue ones, cant the increase of empty weight be kept to a minimum ?

Whats wrong with Ka226T ?

Anonymous said...

Hi Prasun, Su-27 has a max speed of 2.35M & service ceiling of 18.5 km. Then why is max spped of Su-30mki less than it and its service ceiling is 17.5 km ? Both use same powerplant. With higher thrust powerplants will Mach no & serv cei increase ?

Anonymous said...

Sir, What is the exact range of 9M317 missile ? What is the range of 9M317ME ?in many sites it is given that Delhi class DDG are fitted with 9M381 Shtil missiles .Are you absolutely sure that all warships are fitted out with 9M317 missiles ?

Are there any other threads of yours which contain such erroneous data ? What is the MR-SAM on INS Vikramaditya ? What is the CIWS ?

Anonymous said...

Sir how many ATGMs does our Army have in our active inventory?

Anonymous said...

Sir, Thanx a lot for answering to my queries.

1. Do Barem EW pods also undergo routine block upgrades ?

2.What are the areas , subcomponents in which EW pods, MMR receive block upgrades?

3. Is the longer range ARM Kh-31PD having range between 180 & 240 km in IAF inventory or does IAF intends to procure these missiles .

4. Is Kh-59mk2 in IAF service or are they going ti be ordered. When will massive procurements of standoff bombs,AGM like Kh-59mk2,Storm Shadow,ARM for SUKHOI begin. For waging a Desert storm type offensive camaign IAF doesn't have the required AGM both in quality and quantity.

5. After a Sukhoi-30 has completed its TTSL of 4000 hrs, can ut be relifed and its service life be extended ?

6.Hw many hours on an average does a Sukhoi pilot clock in each year ?

7.Some time back there was a report in the dailies that IA wanted 33000 Night vision scopes . Has this been accomplished. 33000 is too low a no for such a large no of troops. Is IA soldiers still night blind as said by desi media .

Anonymous said...

Prasun, exactly how many LCAs will be inducted by IAF?

> 40 Mk-1 Fighters
> 20 Twin-seat OCTs
> 83 Mk-2 Fighters

Is this right? How many N-LCA fighters and trainer variants will IN buy? Is there any progress on the Mark-1 based LIFT version as yet?

What is the Tejas Mk-3 supposed to be? Something like the stealthy version of JF-17/J-10? Can you shed any light on the Mk-3?

Unknown said...

Prasun,

Will the version the IAF will get of the Rafale be the very latest version? And in 2018 after delivereis of the Rafale to the IAF are already underway Dassualt aims to bring a new version the (F3-R) so will the Rafales being delivered later after 2018 be this new standard or will they be the same standard that the first deliveres are?

Unknown said...

Prasun,

when the MMRCA deal is signed do you ecpest much info on the exact details of the deal to be released? Ie the exact weapons package, the exact nature of the ToT, the exact support package, the exact number of simulators, the nature of pilot training etc? Or will this too be kept undisclosed?


+will IAF Rafales come with a HMDS? And if so why haven't the FrAF adopted a HMDS for their Rafales?

Sayan said...

Sir, MoD nod for Rs 6,000-cr purchase


The ministry cleared proposals to buy 3,000 Light Support Vehicles (LSVs) for the Army at a cost of Rs 1,500 crore. Ministry officials said the Army wants more rugged vehicles for its troops deployed in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast. - What weapons package will they have ? What will be the level of their ballistic protection ? Who will supply the vehicles ? A foreign OEM ? What are the contenders .

What is meant by the special operation vehicles that are being bought for marine commandoes ?

What SAR equipment are being bought for IA and IAF choppers ? 3000 HHT imager cost Rs 800 crore whereas a Cadet training ship cost 480 crore . How is this possible ?

Will the 2 new Dornier replace the older one ? What NBC equipment are being bought ?

How many Sindhughosh class subs have undergone refit ? After refit how many more years can it serve

Anonymous said...

Hi Prasun da

MOD cleared Purchase of 3000 HHTI....Only.Army is 1.1 million strong...This time seems these HHTI will be procured from abroad.As media reports say Srmy wants 3rd Gen. HHTI , not the 2nd Gen avaiable From BEL...

And Who are the Posiible contenders for the Army 3000 LSV s...VMT

Anonymous said...

Sir what is the status of the Swordfish-II programme for acquiring a 1,500-km ranged radar network? When will this be ready?

How many Swordfish/Green Pine radars does India currently have? Where are they deployed?

When is the next schduled test of Agni-5 ICBM? What is the progress on developing MIRVed warheads for these missiles?

Has the LSTAR AESA been inducted? What type of roles does LSTAR perform, just air surviellance or more?

Nirbhay debut test has again been delayed till December, what is keeping DRDO from testing the missile? First August, then October, and now December itself. Will we test it within 2012 or not?

Has HAL/DRDO planned any mast-mounted radar for LCH like AN/APG-78 Longbow on AH-64 Apache?

Various Russians have announced that a submarine-launched BrahMos will be tested by end-2012. Is this news true? When is the air-launched version test going to be be?

IAF Chief has announced recently that 2 more MKI squadrons will be brought up on the Easten Air Command, where will these be placed? How many jets/bombers does IAF plan to deploy on the Chinese front in the coming years?

What is the maximum speed (terminal & cruise stage) of the projected LRCM cruise missile? You've told me previously that the first such missile would be visible by 2014. Is its range 600km or 1,000km? Are Anti-ship versions also in development?

Has the MSMC Sub-machine gun been inducted into IA yet?

Rahul said...

Hi Prasun, Are there any plans at present for retrofitting MiG-29UPG with MAWS in-country ? Won't Jaguar IS have a MSWS ?

Why isn't DRDO conducting any test firings of Prahaar BSM ? When will it be operationalised & inducted into service ? Is there any news of akashmk2 .

Anonymous said...

Sir, By how much more in kg is MiG-35 MMRCA heavier than MiG-29SMT ?

Anonymous said...

Hi Prasun,

Why doesn't the IAF purchase the MIG 35 instead of the MIG 29 ? The MIG 35s are pretty affordable as well .

Thanks,

Anonymous said...

Sir, Is there any structural modifications, use of new composite materials,aluminium-li alloys in Su-35BM ?
In many places it is given The aircraft featured many other upgrades to its avionics and electronic systems, including digital fly-by-wire and a rear-looking radar for firing semi-active radar homing missiles. But how can a rear facing radar be presnt in the cylindrical portion between the engines. It contains two drag chutes . Whta advaced ECM,ESM is there in 35BM that is not there in SU-30MKI ? Isnt ths same materials- alloys compos that is used in construction of 35BM also used in Su-30mki .

To anon 11:09 PM. There is no definative MiG-35, Fly away cost is low but life-cycle cost is high .It requires more manhour in maintainence for every flying hour .

Anonymous said...

Waiting for your replies .

Anonymous said...

There are reports that A330 has been selected for the Airforce. Is this true.

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To UNKNOWN: It means that the RSH reqmt is being redrafted in light of the MoD’s recent decision to allow the IA to become the sole custodian of attack helicopters. Such a decision will have a serious impact on the RSH procurement project in the terms of the number of such helicopters to be acquired by the IA & IAF. I have repeatedly stated that the numbers of Apaches & CH-47Fs to be acquired is only an initial number, & follow-on orders will come in future. As for operational data-links (ODL), the laws of physics dictate that only a single type of ODL be acquired for seamless integration. The IAF’s Rafales will be of the latest production-standard at the time of delivery.

To ABS: It all depends on the methodology employed for calculating the annual growth rates. China’s annual growth rates since the late 1980s have been double-digit figures if one takes into account the unorganised sector as well.

To ACCIDENTAL LOSER: Arrestor wires were acquired from Ukraine.

To SNTATA: Not early-warning, but airborne battlefield surveillance. The best platform for this is the Mi-17V-5 equipped with an ISAR sensor package, as I had repeatedly stated earlier. Trichy assault-rifle, if it passes the user-evaluations, could well be acquired in very large numbers indeed.

To Anon@5.33AM: Unless the Dhruv ALH’s Mk4 version obtains FAA or EASA certification, its international export prospects are extremely dim. LCH has yet to obtain its CofA. It is too realy to say whether the LCH will be a successful product or not. For the RMAF & TNI-AU, HAL & IAF are providing human resource training-related assistance to the aircrew & ground crew of Su-30MK2s & Su-30MKMs. Astra Mk1 won’t go on the Tejas Mk1, period. The BVRAAM for Tejas Mk1 will be Dervy. MiG-29UPGs will have both R-77s & R-27ER1/ET1.

To Anon@5.34PM: The Liaoning 16 aircraft carrier will not become a truly operational platform for another four years, at the very least.

To VIKRAM GUHA: That problem was resolved long ago with the installation of rear-mounted CCTV sensors.

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To Anon@6.23PM: Like I stated earlier, just compare the airframe of the MiG-29B-12 with that of the MiG-29SMT, & you’ll be able to see for yourself the greater wing-area of the MiG-29UPG.

To Anon@6.34PM: Su-30M family members are heavier than the Su-27. However, the uprated AL-31FP turbofan with 20% more thrust will be available for the Super Su-30MKIs.

To Anon@7.10PM: Range of the MR-SAM on P-15 DDG is close to 40km. Shtil-1 is not the missile’s designation, but that of the fire-control system. INS Vikramaditya won’t have any MR-SAM at the time of delivery. Only AK-630Ms. An yet-to-be-selected SAM will be installed AFTER the aircraft carrier arrives in India.

To Anon@7.15PM: About 50,000.

To Anon@8.29PM: Barem EW pods’ EW threat libraries will also be upgraded. Kh-31PD is not in the IAF’s inventory, nor is the Kh-59 Mk2 in IAF service. The Su-30MKI’s airframe can be re-lifed, but new-build AL-31FPs will have to be installed. On average, about 170 hours is clocked by each Su-30MKI aircrew. The figure of 33,000 night-vision scopes does not refer to rifle-mounted scopes, but hand-held scopes.

To Anon@9.54PM: As for Tejas Mk1, so far orders have been placed for only 20 units. The follow-on 20 could well be shelved in favour of greater numbers of Tejas Mk2. There’s no such version known as Tejas Mk3.

TO SAYAN: Light Support Vehicles (LSVs) for the Army will be variants of MPVs. They won’t be like the JLTVs. The HSL-built special operations submersibles for MARCOS were designed by L & T & will replace the Italian Midgets.

To Anon@11.25PM: The procurement of 3,000 HHTIs is part of PROECT SANJAY. 3rd generation HHTIs are indeed available in-country. Will upload a detailed thread on PROJECT SANJAY tonight.

To Anon@2.48PM: The LRTR has been ready since 2006 & is available from ELTA Systems. Only 2 Green Pines are in-country. LSTAR AESA is a testbed & is not meant for service-induction. Nirbhay’s maiden test-firing has been delayed due to bad weather conditions prevailing in the Bay of Bengal. There’s no available space for mounting mast-mounted radar on LCH. EAC’s Su-30MKis will be based in Tezpur & Chabua. Air-launched LRCM’s range will be 600km & cruise speed will be over Mach2 but less than Mach 2.6 as per present-day estimates. MSMC is still undergoing user-trials.

To Anon@11.09PM: IAF isn’t purchasing any new MiG-29s. It is only upgrading its existing MiG-29s.

To Anon@11.26PM: All such data on the Su-35BM is highly speculatory. The fact remains that a tandem-seat Su-30MKI can do a lot more by way of interleaved operations than a single-seat Su-35BM.

abs said...

@Prasunda
Yep China has been growing at double digits since 1980. The good thing about it is increasingly they have let the organised sector (state led or private led) absorb the labour.
India should also set upon such a direction.
However don't you think the growth rates you are claiming would have resulted in much lesser poverty in India?

Anonymous said...

Sir the following Russian website - http://flotprom.ru/news/?ELEMENT_ID=123949

has published that article that the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) of Russia has stated that the new Boiler defects will take NO MORE THAN 2-3 MONTHS to be repaired and then the ship begins trials again. Is this news true? So when will IN get the carrier? By early next year or mid-next year?

Anonymous said...

Sir how many other countries in the world have developed turbofan-powered ALCMs so far?

US, Russia, France/UK, China, is that it?

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To ABS: Of course it would have, provided the GoI steadfastly stuck to the dictum of: 1) ensuring the steady of India’s GDP, & 2) ensuring the near-equitable distribution of the earned wealth among the country’s citizens. Just imagine how much more India could have earned & prospered had the entire North-East been integrated with India’s taxation net & supplier-chain. Provision of adequate transportation & banking infrastructure alone would have ensured that countries like Bangladesh & Myanmar would have become the engines of growth as well as markets for the entire northeastern region of India, with Kolkata emerging the regional business & financial hub. Regretably, this was not allowed to happen, & consequently, Bangkok & Singapore rose to become the regional business & financial hubs, while Kunming in Sichuan province today prospers as the regional hub where all smugglers from eastern & northeastern India go to for obtaining goods & services, all this while the GoI today gives the excuse of unavailability of migrant labourers from Bihar & Jharkhand as being the main reason why road/rail/air transportation infrastructure cannot be adequately developed in northeastern India!!!

To Anon@2.48PM: Yes, that’s absolutely true. INS Vikramaditya should then arrive in Indian waters by next October.

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To Anon@3.13PM: Turbofan-powered ALCMs have been developed so far by the US, Russia, Ukraine, China, India, Germany & Sweden. Turbojet-powered ALCMs have been developed by the UK, France, China, Israel & Turkey.

Anonymous said...

Hi Prasun da

Waiting eagerly for ur report on IA project Sanjay....Pls add good pics for better illustration...VMT

Anonymous said...

sir please give us some more info predator drone that india got
is iaf using it or is it d r&aw
wats its unit cost
i always dreamed of predator drones in iaf colors
cant even believe these babies were already here
sir u should have broke d news very early :-)
when did us congress gave permission to General Atomics Aeronautical Systems to sell these high tech drones to india

Anonymous said...

Hi PRASUN, Can you give a URL of such a picture. MiG-29B-12,MiG-29UPG both have the same wingspan of 11.4 m. MiG-29K has a wingspan of 11.9 m and hence it has a greater wing area. How van MiG-29UPG with same wingspan has a greater wing area ? You said earlier of the increased thrust of engines.You havent said anything regarding wing area . And the wingspan data is from RAC MIG site.

Anonymous said...

Is the Gardeniya ECM system and active jammer there in Indian MiG-29 ?

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To Anon@5.25PM: They're for R & AW's ARC.

To Anon@6.45PM: Check out any pix of MiG-29UPG prototypes in flight & compare it with those of MiG-29K & MiG-29SMT, especially the wingtip extensions.

Yo Anon@6.50PM: No, not on the MiG-29B-12s.

Anonymous said...

Sir, Thanx again for answering,

1. Apart from software upgrades and upgrade to EW threat library isnt there any upgrades to hardware components of the pod such as new processor , transmitter in routine block upgrades ?

2.When will longer ranging with range of around 200 km be inducted into service like Kh-31PD for Sukhoi and other fighters ?

3.The figure of 170 hour, is it all spent in the actual ac or this figure also includes the time on simulators.

4.Do IA soldiers wear NVG apart from the special forces ones and has any rifle mounted NV scopes been bought ?

5.Why isnt enough attention paid to procurement of sufficient guided standoff munitions for conducting effects based surface warfare ?

6.How many EL-2083 Airstar aerostat mounted radars are there in IAF inventory and how many are on order ?

Anonymous said...

Hi PRASUN, is the wing area the same as that of MiG-29K ? RAC MIG has increased the wing area to cater for the increased weight ? In your 2009 thread on MiG-29UPG, there wasnt any mention of changes in wing area . MiG-29SMT has the same wing area as earlier MiG-29. It is 38. This is data from RAC MIG. So, MiG-29UPG will have a greater wing area than MiG-29SMT.

Vikram Guha said...

Prasun Da ,
Are there any soft-kill countermeasure system ( anywhere in the world) that capture the adversary radar signal, analyze it, reproduce it, inject false targets into it and transmit it back to the adversary?

Thanks,
Vikram

abs said...

@Prasunda
with Mamata's antics and economic policies that focus little on development and more on populism. Such dreams are not to come true may be ever.

Anonymous said...

Sir, What is the range of 9M317 missile that is present on batch 1 and 2 of Talwar class, Shivalik class ? 9M381 missiles are there on P-15DDG . It has a range close to 40 km as you say. What is the range of 9M317ME ?

AK630M CIWS are fitted sideways. What will protect the vessel when ASHM,ASCM approcah the vessel from front or back ?

Anonymous said...

Sir, In our airforcw when does a wing commander,group captain retire ? Upto how long one is allowed to fly ?

Unknown said...

Sir, wrt the Predators being operated by RAW ARC- are you SERIOUS? Is this really true? I have NEVER, EVER heard this! Not even a whiff of this!


Can you please provide some proof/sources/illustrations?


It is quite a reveltaion!



Also wrt the LUH/LOH/RSH competion. Is it now confirmed by you that the procurement that is just got stuck is now over? Will the Fennec now not be procured? Or is there a chance the DAC will clear it and the Fennec will be ordered soon?

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To Anon@8.14PM: 1). No. No such upgrading is reqd as its principal job remains the same, i.e. jamming. 2) No idea. 3) It is 170 flight-hours. Another 100 hours on CPT, tactical simulator & weapons part-task training. 4) NVGs are not worn by every foot-soldier. Nor are NV scopes issued for every assault-rifle, although they will eventually be issued. 5) Budgetary constraints. Unless the teeth-to-tail ratio is reduced & the IA learns the art of fighting while outnumbered & still winning, matters will not improve. 6) Only two, against a reqmt for 70.

To Anon@8.21PM: Yes, the MiG-29UPG’s redesigned wing very closely resembles that of the MiG-29K, especially the trailing edge.

To VIKRAM GUHA: Not that I’m aware of.

To ABS: I concur. For them, patriotism has only a five-year shelflife.

To Anon@11.30PM: Range is close to 40km. 9M317ME’s range is 50km
(see: http://trishulgroup.blogspot.in/2009/03/batch-3-of-project-11356-ffgs-to-be.html)
ASCMs never approach any targetted warship from front or rear. They always approach from either starboard side or portside.

To Anon@11.48PM: Those answers can be found at the IAF’s official website.

To UNKNOWN: Of course it is true. HAL even showed its involvement with the Predator’s MRO activities in a poster during DEFEXPO 2012. So I guess that this expo was after all not that lacklustre, as claimed by some ‘desi’ journalists!!! As for the LUH/LOH/RSH competition, the selection process is over & in all probability the AS.550C3 Fennec will be ordered. But when & in what numbers has yet to be decided by the IA, since the IAF will no longer require the RSH/LOH versions (as it won’t be flying attack helicopter sorties anymore) & will therefore require only LUH versions for high-altitude SAR.

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