AMCA Replaced F-35 Jets Deal?, K9 Vajra Export, Htse-Shakti Engines, Agni 4P Missile Test

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.

Update on AMCA & TEDBF, New Chinese UAV for LAC, Indigenous Warship Building

Aeronautical Development Agency ADA waits for an Official nod for the indigenous stealth fighter and TEDBF

The government is yet to approve India’s homegrown fifth generation fighter program, the advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA) that was supposed to come in the first half of this year, and after a slight delay, will likely now happen by end of this year. ADA had put the proposal up for funding approvals along with that project cost estimated at 15000 crores for the manufacturing of the two technology demonstrators and few prototypes.

Indian Air Force will be procuring AMCA in Two Phases and has decided to procure around 120 AMCA Stealth jets to make up around Six Squadrons. In Phase-1, 40 units making up 2 Squadrons of AMCA Mk1 with IOC Configuration, powered by American F-414 engines will be entering service around 2032 onwards. In Phase-II, 80 units of AMCA Mk2 with FOC Configuration powered by new indigenously manufactured higher 110 kilo newton thrust engines will enter service from 2035 onwards.

In 2018, ADA had received seed money for the design and research of the AMCA Program from the government in the tune of 200 cores. In Aero India 2021, the final design of the AMCA jet was showcased earlier this year that included the incorporation of Diverterless supersonic inlet air intake for better frontal stealth aspect, and now the work on wind tunnel testing of the air intake have started.

ADA is also working on the 5minus TEDBF program for the development of the carrier based fighter jet for the Indian Navy and currently two designs are been pursued by the nodal design agency in close corporation with the Indian Naval officials who have been deputed in ADA for the program. ADA is using seed money cleared for the development of the LCA Navy Mk1 for the design and development of the TEDBF program and it is estimated that around 13000 crores have been asked by the ADA for the development of the first two prototypes of the TEDBF by 2026 that will enter production by 2030-31.

China develops UAV with plateau operations capabilities, to deploy at LAC

China has developed an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with plateau operations capabilities and plans to deploy it at Line of Actual Control with India in Kailash mountain range.

The UAV has been developed in Shaanxi and completed its first flying and control task at Gar Gunsa in Tibet Autonomous Region. The flight was undertaken by the Hailan Aviation team.

“The UAV took off from an elevation of 4,700 metre — Baga Township — and completed its task of patrolling, control and search operation in the Kailash mountain region.

The Kailash mountain range originates from the southern bank of Pangong Tso and runs northwest to southeast for over 60 km. It had been contested by India and China after the border dispute started in May last year.

The Kailash Ridge is characterised by rugged, broken terrain with heights varying between 4,000-5,500 metre. The ridge’s key features include Gurung Hill, Spanggur Gap, Muggar Hill, Mukhpari, Helmet Top, Rezang La and Rechin La. It dominates Chushul Bowl — an important communications centre.

Last year, after the border dispute at the northern bank of Pangong Tso in Eastern Ladakh, China made an attempt to take over Kailash mountain range on the night of August 29 and August 30, 2020.

Indian and Chinese military have met twice to resolve border disputes at other friction areas like Hot Springs, Gogra and 900 square kilometer Depsang plains. Amid this, China has again started enhancing troops, artillery and armour deployment in three sectors of Line of Actual Control — western (Ladakh), middle (Uttarakhand, Himachal) and eastern (Sikkim, Arunachal). The Indian forces are keeping a close watch on Chinese activities at LAC.

Indigenous Warship building Under MAKE IN INDIA Marching Towards Self Reliance

India has come a long way since the license production of Leander Class Frigates, and it is a matter of great pride that today we have the capability to design and build any kind of warships including an Aircraft Carrier.  It has been an arduous journey beginning with small auxiliary  ships  to destroyers and stealth frigates, full of learnings in, also full of constraints but the journey has been reasonably  successful  one. Today the Indian Navy can proudly claim to be the only Uniformed service in the world having in house capability to design their man of war.

Till  date,  the  Indian  Navy  has  developed    about  20  types  of  designs  ranging  from  small  crafts  to destroyers to Air craft Carrier to which about 100 ships have been built. The next logical step  taken  by  the  Navy  was  to  build  on  the  existing  strengths  in  ship  design  and construction and venture into more challenging projects using new concepts and latest technologies with more emphasis on increased indigenous content. The staff requirements for new shipbuilding projects were framed accordingly taking these factors into account,  which paved the way for design of new class of destroyers, frigates, corvettes and our first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier.