Time to phase out Cheetah helicopters, which have become death traps
The Army Aviation Corps and the Air Force operate close to 200 Cheetah helicopters. There have been more than 30 crashes in the last few years. Cheetah and Chetak are single engine helicopters with obsolete avionics, lacking key features like moving map display, ground proximity warning system and weather radar. The Indian military has been flying these choppers beyond the manufacturer’s permissible limit as it has no other option.
The fleet has been plagued by frequent crashes and
serviceability issues. The Army Aviation Corps and the Air Force operate close
to 200 Cheetah helicopters. There have been more than 30 crashes in the last
few years and close to 40 personnel, including pilots, have died, several
others have been wounded. Almost 80 percent of these helicopters have outlived
their lifespan of 30 years, the rest will cross the 50 year mark in early 2022.
In a 2015 internal communication, the Army headquarters had said that Cheetah
helicopters have virtually become “death traps”.
Quite often, there are no roads to strategic heights like
Siachen, making the Cheetah a lifeline for India’s high-altitude operations.
The primary workhorse for the Indian military has been serving high altitude
areas in observation, surveillance, logistics and rescue roles. But These
Helicopters lack an autopilot system which aggravates the chances of
mishandling of controls in case of pilot disorientation in bad weather.
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defence ministry will review Submarine torpedoes deal this
week
According to the original plan, the Indian Navy was to
procure ‘Black Shark’ torpedoes from Italian firm WASS, owned by the
AgustaWestland chopper scam tainted Italian firm Finmeccanica, which had
rebranded itself as ‘Leonardo’ a few years ago.
The plan was that the Navy’s immediate requirement of
heavyweight torpedoes would be met by foreign procurement, while the long term,
larger requirement would be fulfilled through the indigenous manufacturing
route. However, the deal got cancelled in 2016, and a new proposal was
initiated.
The Services are to decide if there is an alternate project
available, adding that the torpedoes will most likely be procured from abroad
since there is no functional indigenous alternative as of now.
First glimpses of Uttam and Astra onboard LCA Tejas
A Promotional video of the LCA Tejas released by the DRDO
shows first glimpses of the Uttam Aesa Fire Control Radar installed on one of
the LSP Tejas that has been used as a Testbed aircraft. Uttam Mk1 that will be
seen on the LCA Tejas Mk1A fleet will have 780 TR modules which will be
installed on the last batch of 52 Mk1A that goes into production from 2026
onwards.
Mk1Aey will also be getting Astra Mk1 Beyond Visual Range air
to air missiles with a range of 110km for which presently systematic flutter
testing to be followed by the inflight flutter and captive trials will commence
in the next few months before the missile is cleared to fire.
As seen in the recent indigenous sensor and weapons package
that DRDO has planned for the LCA Tejas Mk1A program. Astra will be the first
indigenous weapons system that will be followed with the integration of Rudram-1,
Anti Radiation air to surface missile, 1 tons Long Range Glide Bomb, Smart
Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW) a precision-guided anti-airfield weapon, and 450 kilograms
Tara High Speed Low Drag GPS guidance and control kit.
Making of the C295 Multi Mission Maritime Aircraft for the
Indian Navy
The C295 tactical air lifter will soon be manufactured by
Airbus Tata in India and rightly has been chosen to be modified into a Multi Mission
Maritime Aircraft variant for airborne surveillance with Command, Control,
Communications, Computers Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance
capabilities for the Indian Navy. For C295 to become reality, the Navy had to
sacrifice its planned purchase of the third batch of six P8I Neptune Maritime
Patrol Aircraft.
CABS officials have revealed that 70% of the sensors required
for this program are similar to the sensors that have already been developed
for Airborne Early Warning and Control program for the Indian Air Force and the
same can be used with minor adaptations. Testing of new AESA radar has already
started that can carry out detection and tracking of air and sea surface
targets.
C295 can be armed with MK-54 Lightweight Torpedoes and two
MBDA’s anti ship missiles underwings to meet its anti-submarine warfare
requirements.
DRDO’s Ultraviolet based Missile Approach Warning Systems
will be installed on all Airbus C295 brought for the IAF and the same might be
deployed on the C295 multi mission maritime aircraft along with EO/IR sensors.
Army signs contract with idea Forge to procure additional
SWITCH 1.0 drones
The Indian Army has again signed a contract with idea Forge
to procure an undisclosed number of a high-altitude variant of SWITCH 1.0
unmanned aerial vehicles to strengthen its surveillance along the Line of
Actual Control. The Army in January 2021 had signed the previous contract with
the Mumbai based company to supply an undisclosed number of SWITCH 1.0 drones
for approximately USD 20 million.
In a statement on Monday, ideaForge said it has fulfilled the
January 2021 contract by supplying the specified number of SWITCH 1.0 drones to
the Indian Army within the prescribed time limit.
SWITCH 1.0 UAV is a fixed wing drone that is capable of
vertical takeoff and landing and it can be deployed at high altitudes and harsh
environments for day and night surveillance.
BSF border patrol all set to gun down Pakistani drones with
specialized devices
Border Security Force will soon be procuring handheld ‘Anti
Drone Guns’ to prevent Pakistani drones from entering Indian Territory. These
handheld anti drone guns will be useful for patrolling teams in border areas
who sometimes see drones flying but couldn’t do more as it is out of their
firing range.
Anti Drone Gun will be Hand Held, easily transportable and
operable in day and night environment. The system should be easily deployable
with ease and should be a lightweight Unmanned Aircraft System, & countermeasure
solution designed for one hand or two hand operations.
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