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.
