American F-35s Fly First Stealth Aggressor Training Missions — Preparing US Pilots to Fight China’s J-20 Radar Evading Fighters
F-35A stealth fighters flying under the US Air Force have flown their first missions simulating the capabilities of enemy ‘red’ aircraft with similar radar evading capabilities in ‘red on blue’ exercises, also known as the Red Flag, at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.
The F-35A entered service in the US Air Force
from 2015, and is currently not considered fit either to be approved for mass
production or to enter high or medium intensity combat - having what is
referred to as an initial operating capability.
The fighter is currently the only manned post fourth
generation combat aircraft in production anywhere, but is now fielded in
sufficient numbers that some units can be devoted to training pilots by
simulating enemy capabilities.
The fighters first exercise, Red Flag 21-3,
concluded on August 6 after seven days and involved 15 US Air Force different
squadrons and more than 2,200 personnel.
The need to train pilots to counter enemy
stealth aircraft comes amid rising tensions with China, which fields the world's
only non-American in production stealth fighter deployed in full sized
squadrons.
Bharat Dynamics Limited to Set Up Unit in
Jhansi
Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) has signed an MoU
with Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority in Lucknow for
setting up a unit in the UP Defence Corridor. As per the MoU, BDL will acquire
215 acres of land in Jhansi under a lease agreement for an initial period of 30
years, which will be extendable up to 90 years. BDL is the only Defence PSU in
the country manufacturing missiles and underwater weapons for the armed forces.
Keeping pace with the current trends in the
global defence industry, BDL is investing in acquiring futuristic technologies
in the field of missiles, underwater weapons and airborne products to meet the
requirements of the Indian Armed Forces.
In pursuit of this, the company is
collaborating with leading major foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers like
Naval Group, France, Rafael Advanced Defence System Limited Israel, Thales, UK,
STE, MBDA, France/UK for various missile and underwater weapon programmes.
BDL is increasing its in house R&D
activities complementing the development programmes of DRDO to expand its
product range and mitigate dependence on foreign companies for imports.
Full Scale AMCA Pole Model to begin Mission
Systems Testing in 2023
Hyderabad based defence PSU, Midhani, has begun
supplying the titanium alloy material needed to make a full-scale model of the
airframe for the AMCA aircraft. The model, manufactured by the Vem Technologies
Private Limited will then move to the Outdoor RCS Test Facility, “ORANGE”, at
Dundigal and Kautilya Advanced Research Centre at RCI, Hyderabad later in 2022
for series of tests that are been planned.
AMCA full scale model initially will be to
validate the design and for the measurement of the Radar Cross Section and to
verify that the aircraft’s stealth characteristics meet specifications
determined by the Aeronautical Development Agency & DRDO along with IAF.
Future test phases will be to validate and
measure installed antenna pattern, gain and phase measurements for the AMCA’s
Communication, Navigation & Identification and Electronic Warfare systems.
These are some of the key milestones that need
to be achieved before the first flight of AMCA happens by 2025 said industrial
sources close to idrw.org and also confirmed some of the fabrication for the
scale model will begin later this year and delivery will happen in the next 6-8
months.
AMCA’s full-scale model weighing less than
4000kg will continue to be used to measure “clean” aircraft configuration and
external weapons configurations before AMCA could start its weapon trials in
later stages of the program. The model will have interchangeable components so
that lateral design changes are quickly tested and recertified when the program
is still in the prototype stage before it moves to the limited-scale production
stage.
GRSE lays keel for Indian Navy’s Anti-Submarine
Warfare Craft
Garden Reach
Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) laid down keel for the Indian Navy’s first
anti-submarine warfare (ASW) shallow water craft. GRSE Lays Twin Keels of 3rd
Survey Vessel (Large) & 1st Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft.
GRSE has delivered three P-28 class ASW
corvettes (INS Kamorta, INS Kadmat and INS Kiltan) to the Indian Navy. The
warships have around 90% indigenous content and tonnage of 3250 tonnes.
The Indian Navy commissioned in LCU L-58, the
8th and the last ship under Project LCU-Mark IV, on Thursday. Ships built under
this project are biggest & fastest Landing Craft Utility vessels worldwide
in its class.
Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited
(GRSE) has laid the keel of the Yard 3024, a ship of the Advanced Stealth
Frigate Project, P-17A, another milestone achieved by GRSE.
India's Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE) has delivered SCGS Zoroaster Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) to the Coast Guard of Seychelles.
