PL 10 vs LCA Tejas Python 5, LDRE starts work on Bigger Uttam AESA, PLA's New Lethal Submarine

Electronics and Radar Development Establishment LRDE starts work on Bigger Uttam Mk2 AESA fire control radar

Electronics and Radar Development Establishment LRDE has floated fresh tenders for the development of two pre production units of bigger Uttam Active electronically scanned array AESA fire control radar FCR with the main antenna incorporating 992 arrays of TR modules instead of 780TR modules that is on the Uttam Mk1 radar antenna meant for Tejas Mk1A program.

Tender documents call for the assembly of two units of Uttam Mk2 by L1 winning vendor and L2 vendor that has a delivery schedule of 7 months just in time before the first rollout of the LCA AF-Mk2 aircraft in august next year.

Most of the backend process of the radar will remain the same only the antenna size will have higher TR modules with different power setups for better search and tracking range, so the need for extensive trials and testing of the radar will be minimal since Uttam hardware is scalable and most of the testing will be planned on board first two LCA AF-Mk2 that will be been rolled out by 2025 and begin its flight development.

Electronics and Radar Development Establishment LRDE has proposed Uttam Mk2 also to be used for the IAF’s Russian origin Mig 29 UPG fleet and Navy’s Mig 29K fleet. LRDE is also working on Uttam Mk3 with improved performance that will cater to the larger nose cone and power capability of the Sukhoi Su 30 MKI. IAF and HAL both are backing the development of Uttam Mk3 for the entire fleet of Sukhoi Su 30 MKI under the Mid life upgrade “Super Sukhoi” Program that is in the pipelines.

China’s PLA Navy Is Developing A New Kind of Lethal Yuan-Class Submarine

China could be developing a new Yuan-class submarine, but in a completely novel version.

The Yuan-class boats play a pivotal role in the Chinese PLA Navy’s ambitions to become a true blue water navy and dominate the Indo-Pacific. These are conventionally powered diesel-electric submarines.

They are also China’s first conventional submarines with an AIP Air Independent Propulsion technology, making them some of the quietest diesel electric classes in service.

According to an early assessment by the US Naval Institute, the Yuan class was primarily designed as “an anti-ship cruise missile platform capable of being submerged for long periods of time in difficult to access shallow littorals.”

However, the new submarine has a radically redesigned sail.

The submarine doesn’t appear to be much longer than the previous ones, indicating that it does not have a Vertical Launch System VLS for ballistic missiles. However the new boat appears generally cleaner and more modern than existing Yuans, at least on the outside.

With many additions like a new aircraft carrier, stealth frigates, and submarines, the PLA Navy is believed to be making rapid expansions of its military assets. These are also linked to Beijing’s growing aggression towards its neighbours as well as Taiwan, which China claims as its territory.

JF 17s PL 10 vs LCA Tejas’s Python 5 and their Israeli lineage

A week before when India’s Homegrown LCA Tejas fighter jet tested and cleared Israeli Python 5 fifth-generation close combat air to air missile for operational use in combat, Chinese JF 17 Block III was sported flying with Chinese PL 10 short range, close combat air to air missile that still shares some lineage with the Israeli Python air to air missile family, thanks to the transfer of technology that happened in the 1980s between Israel and China in the supply of Python 3 “that later became PL8 in PLAAF.

PL 8 was Python 3 that was license produced locally in China that was termed as 3.5 Generation close combat air to air missile that found its way into PL 9 that was a successor to the PL 8 but carried much of the Israeli technology including its using the same airframe, rocket motor, proximity fuze, and warhead but had better having a higher off boresight capability of 40 degrees that was much better than 30 degrees off boresight capability found in Python 3 and PL 8 and “had higher High resistance to countermeasures”. PL 8 and PL 9 are still seen on PLAAF fighter jets confirming that they still are operational.

For Successor of PL 9, the Chinese went for a completely new design of PL 10.

PL 10 was specifically designed for Chinese J20 Stealth fighter jets and the missile seeker can be slaved to a helmet mounted display thus allowing the pilot to turn his head towards the target to lock on.

LCA Tejas in addition to Python 5 will be getting an Advanced Short Range Air to Air Missile as its backup Close Combat air to air missile that also has 90 degrees off boresight capability. India is also working on the development of a medium range, infrared homing air to air missile based on Astra Mk1 airframe with TVC vanes that also includes a 90 degrees off boresight capability.