Stealth vs. Stealth: China and Russia Set to Compete for Stealth Fighter Sales

 India is reportedly mulling Russia’s newly unveiled Checkmate fighter, drawing concern from Chinese experts.

It’s no secret that Russian defense giant Rostec’s new, lightweight fifth-generation Checkmate fighter is primarily an export product, aggressively priced to compete with western offerings like the Dassault Rafale and JAS-39 Gripen.

It is just as well established that Russia’s defense industry is targeting India as one of the plane’s first, and largest, potential customers. Rostec’s early July Checkmate teaser trailer prominently featured India, with Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov reiterating on the day of the plane’s reveal that “firstly, the aircraft will be oriented toward African countries, India, and Vietnam.”

A recent South China Morning Post article voiced the concerns of some Chinese defense observers over India’s potential Checkmate procurement. “The sales of stealth fighters are very political and still largely based on the political divide,” said Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and commentator, adding that India is among the most likely buyers of Rostec’s new fighter.

The context to which Zhongping is referring is the ongoing border standoff between Chinese and Indian forces in the Himalayas. Chinese experts have argued that India’s fourth-generation fighter fleet, headlined by a recent Rafale procurement, cannot match the capabilities of Beijing’s J-20 fifth-generation fighter. Against the looming backdrop of possible future clashes with China, the Indian Air Force has set forth a mission requirement for a next-generation fighter jet capable of going toe to toe with the rapidly modernizing Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force.

There were reports earlier this year suggesting that India indicated its interest in purchasing Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fifth-generation stealth fighter, but those prospective talks do not appear to have taken off. In the 2010s, India became a partner in the FGFA program to jointly develop an export variant of Russia’s fifth-generation Su-57 fighter.

                               Source : https://www.defenceaviationpost.com/

Boeing’s F-18 Super Hornets ‘Super Confident’ Of Beating French Rafale Jets To Grab Indian Navy’s Fighter Jet Deal

Rafale-M

F-18 Super Hornets

US aerospace giant Boeing seems confident about F-18 Super Hornets winning the Indian Navy’s carrier-borne fighter jet contract, outpacing the French Dassault Rafale fighter jets, according to the latest reports.

In January 2017, the Indian Navy issued an RFI (Request for Interest) to acquire 57 multi-role carrier-borne fighters, after long delays and technical glitches in building the indigenous HAL-Tejas for the Navy.

Among the four contenders in the race, the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet and Dassault Rafale navy-variant are head-to-head in winning the ₹24,000 crore deal, given the Indian Navy’s twin-engine preference. The other two are Sweden’s SAAB and Rosoboronexport of Russia.

Both Dassault and Boeing are marketing their fighters as suitable for the Indian Navy, claiming their respective aircraft can be easily integrated with India’s first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC-1), named Vikrant, set to be commissioned in 2022-23.

                                               Source : https://www.defenceaviationpost.com/
 

Indian Army To Conduct 13 Day Long Military Exercise With Russian Counterpart From August 1

 

Indian Army on Tuesday confirmed that India and Russia will jointly conduct a 13-day mega military exercise 'Indra 21' emphasizing on counter-terror operations  in the Russian city of Volgograd from August 1.

They also mentioned that successful completion of the 12th edition of the exercise will be nothing short of touching another "milestone" in intensifying the bilateral security cooperation and will also serve to reinforce the longstanding bond of friendship between India and Russia.

The Army said 250 personnel from each side will participate in the 12th edition of the joint military exercise.

"The 12th edition of Indo-Russia joint military exercise Indra-21 will be held at Volgograd, Russia from August 1 to 13," the Army said.

It said the exercise will entail the conduct of counter-terror operations mandated under the UN's framework of joint forces against international terror groups.

"Exercise Indra-21 will further strengthen mutual confidence and interoperability between the Indian and Russian armies and enable sharing of best practices between the contingents of both the countries," the Army said in a statement.

"The exercise will be yet another milestone in strengthening security cooperation and will serve to reinforce the longstanding bond of friendship between India and Russia," it added.

It said the Indian Army contingent participating in the exercise will comprise a mechanised infantry battalion.

Volgograd is a major Russian city situated on the western bank of the Volga river. 

                                  Source : https://www.outlookindia.com/

LCA-Tejas : Cleared for Export, DRDO and IAF to Work together in exploring possibilities

After been Cleared for Export by Ministry of Defence with firm backing of Indian air force which too has given its blessing, DRDO is working on exploring possibilities to hard sell its indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas to prospective buyers from overseas in 2016 on wards.

Sources close to the programme told idrw.org that after formal list of defence items which can be exported has been endorsed by the ministry of defence, which also included LCA-Tejas, DRDO and IAF are working on plans to work together in exploring potential buyers for the aircraft.

DRDO believes that long-delayed LCA-Tejas project which is finally inching towards its final FOC Certification and at the price point of around 30 $ million equipped with Modern Radar, digital fly-by-wire system, flight control systems and open architecture computer, LCA-Tejas can be easily termed among best aircraft currently in its type.

Earlier in Aero India 20015  held in India many Prospective buyers were briefed on the fighter’s unique features and abilities in combat role and lot of Interest as been seen on Trainer variant of Mark-1 version to be used as LIFT (lead-in fighter trainer aircraft.) aircraft .

DRDO is planning to use a Trainer and SP Aircraft to be used for exploring export potentials in next few years after enough jet has been delivered to Indian air force and FOC Certification is completed.

Single engine multi-role supersonic fighter, Tejas will replace the IAF’s ageing Russian-made MiG-21 fleet and with many friendly Countries who are still looking for replacing their Mig fleet will be first briefed about the jets capability.

                                                                SOURCE : SOURCE: IDRW NEWS NETWORK (INN)

J&K : IAF MiG-21 Aircraft Crashes in Budgam District

SRINAGAR:  A MiG-21 fighter jet of the Indian Air Force crashed in the fields in the Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, with the pilot managing to eject safely.

The aircraft had taken off from Srinagar airfield and was on a "routine" training sortie.

Defence Spokesman Colonel S D Goswami told PTI that "A MiG-21 Bison of IAF crashed in Soibugh area of Budgam district at around 10.59 AM but there was no loss of life reported in the incident."

The pilot managed to eject from the plane "just in time" and he was retrieved from the crash scene by an army helicopter.

A court of inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the crash, the spokesman added.

                                                                       SOURCE : www.ndtv.com

Combat Ready : PAK FA Gets Improved Highly Maneuverable Missiles

Undoubtedly, the PAK FA fifth-generation fighter will be armed to the teeth with the latest weapons Russia has to offer. One of these is a modernized version of Russia’s best highly maneuverable short-range missile crucial for winning quick-action close-range aerial battles.

The Vympel R-73 (NATO reporting name: AA-11 Archer) is an infrared heat-seeking air-to-air missile with an operational range of up to 19 miles. It was designed to engage virtually any type of aircraft – from cutting-edge jet fighters to drones and cruise missiles.

What makes the R-73 so deadly is a unique targeting and guidance system. The missile has a passive infrared homing head capable of locking the missile on a target before launch. It is capable of tracking and hitting targets at large off boresight angles even if the enemy is using electronic warfare systems.

“Their exceptionally high accuracy is ensured by the missile’s main secret, the so-called transverse control engine, which rules out misses during the final approach trajectory. The transverse control engine is still without parallel in the world,” Military Analysis Network noted in their review of the R-73.

Not surprisingly then, the upgraded R-73E will be fitted on the stealthy Sukhoi PAK FA, also known as the T-50.Duks, who manufactures the R-73, is currently working on making the missile 25-30 percent better, company’s CEO Yuri Klishin told RIA Novosti.

The upgrades include better operating range, improved homing-head lock-on, greater protection, increased reliability, more autonomy, etc.The improved R-73E “is expected to enter service in the near future,” Klishin added. “PAK FA will surely be armed with [this missiles].”Melee aerial battles featured prominently in the 20th century warfare and are likely to take place in the future despite a popular belief (or a misconception?) that greater speeds and longer range weapons will make dogfighting obsolete.

he PAK FA is a single-seat, twin-engine jet fighter designed by the Sukhoi Design Bureau. Its unique features make it the best in its class among other similar aircraft in the world, and it is the first operational aircraft in Russian service to use stealth technology.


                                                                            SOURCE: SPUTNIK

Fifth test of China's WU-14 hypersonic glide vehicle conducted

China successfully carried out the fifth test of its WU-14 hypersonic glide vehicle from the Wuzhai missile test range in northern China’s Shanxi province on Aug. 19, reports the Washington Free Beacon.

Pentagon officials said the WU-14 — as it has been designated by the Pentagon — not only traveled along the edge of the atmosphere but also demonstrated evasive maneuvers during the latest test, the report said. This information indicates that the hypersonic glide vehicle was designed particularly for a potential war with the United States, the report said.

US missile defense systems are developed to intercept missiles that follow predictable flight paths. They are unable to counter maneuvering warheads and glide vehicles, said the report.

A defense official said the WU-14 is viewed as a serious emerging strategic threat that could complicate US nuclear deterrent efforts. Richard Fisher of the International Assessment and Strategy Center said that the best defensive response the US has is to speed up the development of its railgun technology.

Lora Saalman, another expert on hypersonic technology with experience studying in Beijing, said the two most recent WU-14 flights have been unprecedented in terms of pace and frequency and that the WU-14 is the latest in a qualitative arms race against the US. The hypersonic glide vehicle is very likely to be designed to extend the range and flexibility of China’s anti-access, area denial strategy beyond that of DF-21D anti-ship missiles, according to Saalman.

“If this conventional system is mounted to reach an intercontinental range, then it could represent an effort to catch up with or even beat the United States to the punch on its own Conventional Prompt Global Strike aspirations,” Saalman said. A WU-14 vehicle carrying a nuclear warhead would then become a direct threat to the US homeland.

Admiral Cecil Haney, commander of the US Strategic Command, also indicated that hypersonic glide vehicles are new weapons that pose an emerging threat, according to the report.


                                                                       SOURCE: WANTCHINA TIMES