India Rejects American F-35 but Thumbs Up for Make In India Stealth Fighter AMCA
The effort is being led by India’s DRDO and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for building Make In India 5+ Generation Fighter AMCA which is far better than American F-35 in all aspects.
The Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) program has its
roots in an Indian effort to modernize the Indian Air Force stock of older
fighters.
The AMCA project has undergone multiple iterations, but the
core requirement is for a stealth, single seat multirole fighter. In 2018,
India withdrew from the joint Russian Indian Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft
(FGFA) program to manufacture a new fighter based on Russia’s Sukhoi 57 fighter
jet.
As a fifth-generation fighter with “sixth generation
characteristics,” the AMCA will boast a very low radar cross section for
superior stealth performance, integration of certain AI based systems for
streamlined operation, and an advanced cockpit display with a touch screen
interface. The AMCA’s avionics suit will be headlined by a large suit of
advanced radars and electronic warfare systems.
The AMCA will also reportedly feature thrust vectoring
engines for superior manoeuvrability.
The fighter will feature Beyond Visual Range missile
targeting capability. In addition to the usual air to air missiles, standoff
weapons, and guided bombs, the fighter will also reportedly support directed energy
weapon systems.
AMCA is currently expected to make its maiden flight by 2025,
with serial production to begin by 2028.
Partnering with South Korea, India seeks to export K9
howitzers to third countries
India is seeking to export the K9 self-propelled howitzer to
third countries in cooperation with South Korea, It will be a “win-win”
partnership between the two sides.
India recently deployed K9 Howitzers along Line of Actual
Control, which are manufactured by the Indian company, Larsen & Toubro, in
technical collaboration with the South Korean company Hanwha Defense.
The Indian armed forces are very satisfied with the
performance of the K9 Vajra platform, where the K9 Thunder has been very
effectively adapted and indigenously built for Indian conditions and
requirements.
The variant of the platform also has good potential in third
countries, and governments of India and South Korea and their industries are
cooperating to take these opportunities forward.
The collaborative project between South Korea and India to
produce the K9 Tanks is in tune with New Delhi’s “Make In India” initiative
aimed at turning the country into a global manufacturing hub.
India Issues fresh NOTAM, Likely test of Agni-5 MIRV
India has issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) for a launch of
an experimental flight vehicle in the Bay of Bengal for the period from 27-28
October.
Danger Zone has been defined for 3000km leading to
speculation that it will be a fresh test of either a Agni-5 ballistic missile
or a Submarine launched ballistic missile.
NOTAM exactly matches area defined in previous for 23 to 24
September 2021 when DRDO postponed Agni-5 MIRV Trials. India in June earlier
this year had tested next generation nuclear capable ballistic missile Agni
Prime that has a range of 2,000 kilometers.
DRDO reportedly is also working on Agni 4-P that is an
advanced next generation nuclear capable ballistic missile with a range of
4000km to replace the existing missile Agni-4 that is a non canister variant.
DRDO that has been simultaneously working to develop multiple
independently targetable re-entry vehicles (MIRVs) for the Agni missiles is
planning to demonstrate the technology on the Agni-5 in the upcoming trials.
Will HAL break French Engine Monopoly on Indigenous
Helicopters?
Under development since 2015, HAL’s 1200kW Turboshaft engine
is been readied for trials soon. HTSE 1200 engine would be used as a power
plant for 3 to 6 tons category helicopters and recently HAL announced that the
first technology demonstrator was developed after the program achieved 100%
speed run on the core engine and also competed Sea level trials of core engine
successfully.
India co-developed 1000kW Ardiden 1H1/ Shakti engine that
powers the Dhruv and LCH Light Combat Helicopters.
HTSE-1200 engine in the next few months will be extensively
tested on all parameters from the HAL facility in its near production stage
initially from the ground based facility using a Test Helicopter mockup and
later plans to manufacture a prototype that will be mated with the flying
testbed helicopter to demonstrate the engine which over next few years will be
tested in all parameters and conditions before it can enter production and can
be offered as a local substitute to the HALL-Safran Ardiden 1H1/Shakti engine.
HTSE-1200 engine will help break dependence on the French
company for the supply of the engine but also create a local ecosystem of the
indigenous engine.
