Defence Aviation News

India Navy’s new stealth destroyer, Visakhapatnam, designed indigenously and fitted with advanced features, was launched here today, boosting the maritime force’s firepower capability. The Kolkata-class warship, the first of P15-B stealth destroyers, was launched by Minu Dhowan, wife of Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R K Dhowan, at Mazgaon Docks Ltd (MDL). Top Navy and MDL officials were present on the occasion. The ship, weighing approximately 3,000 tons during the launch, is slated to be christened as ‘INS Visakhapatnam’ on commissioning. The 163-metre-long vessel will be propelled by four gas turbines, and is designed to achieve a speed of over 30 knots at a displacement of approximately 7,300 tons. The indigenously designed stealth destroyer will have state-of-the-art weapons, sensors, an advance Action Information System, in Integrated Platform Management system, sophisticated Power Distribution System and a host of other advanced features. It will be...

India has signalled its intent to strike enemy targets with devastating force early on in a conflict. In September 2010 India’s newly constituted tri-services Strategic Forces Command (SFC) submitted a proposal to the Defence Ministry for setting up two dedicated squadrons of aircraft comprising 40 Su-30MKI air dominance fighters. The task of this “mini air force” is to deliver nuclear weapons. The picture became clearer in October 2012 when the Cabinet Committee on Security green lighted a programme to carry out structural and software modifications on 42 Su-30MKIs and acquire 216 air-launched BrahMos missiles. Until then, the BrahMos – the product of an India-Russia joint venture – was for exclusive use by the Navy. In March 2015 the SFC received the first of these 42 Sukhois equipped with the air launched version of the supersonic BrahMos. This is the first time that the SFC, which at present depends on the Indian Air Force (IAF) for delivering nuclear weapons un...

Mini Collapse of MMRCA deal has clearly shifted focus back to the development of Tejas MK-2 now. Defence minister Mahonhar Parrikar and Indian air force are closely monitoring the progress of Tejas MK-2 and have begun a monthly review of the project. Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) which is developing Tejas MK-2 is feeling the heat but is confident that things will fall in place soon as a major review of the project will be undertaken soon with all concerned parties. Tejas MK-2 will get final Technical freeze by the end of this year. project definition of Tejas MK-2 will be completed and the project will finally provide a road map to complete all the tasks to be executed over a fixed period of time before Aircraft is ready for Induction. Avionics & Radar idrw.org has learned from reliable sources that final Cockpit design layout for Tejas MK-2 has been frozen, MK-2 will sport Touch based two 6×8 main display with Smart MFDs and one 5×5 smart MFD which will have Day...

The Modi government has sounded the death knell for the deadlocked $20 billion MMRCA (medium multi-role combat aircraft) project to acquire 126 fighters, which was dubbed the “mother of all defence deals” around the globe after competition for it was launched by the previous UPA regime in 2007. Defence minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday also made it clear that if India goes in for additional French Rafale fighters, after the outright purchase of 36 jets decided during the Modi-Hollande summit in Paris last Friday, it will also be through government-to-government deals. The stalled final negotiations for the MMRCA project, in which Rafale emerged the winner in January 2012 after a hotly-contested open global competition, had envisaged the induction of 126 fighters – the first 18 through direct acquisition from France, with the rest to be made by Hindustan Aeronautics in India after transfer of technology. Even though Parrikar did not utter the words “scrap” or “cance...

India will place orders for 36 Rafale aircrafts which will be of exact standard which were tested by Indian air force under MMRCA Technical evaluation trials few years back which means it will be of the current production standard which is F3.3. Dassault is currently manufacturing Rafale fighter jets which are of standard F3.3. Egypt which recently also has placed orders for 24 aircrafts will get Same standard F3.3 Rafales said Dassault officials. F3.3 standard Rafale will be equipped with an active array RBE2 AESA radar from Thales. About F3.3 standard F3.3 standard Rafale will be able to carry Reco NG aerial reconnaissance (AREOS) pod and 3rd generation Multifunction Targeting pod ” Damocles ” both which have been developed by Thales. ability to carry French ASMP-A air-launched nuclear missiles is irrelevant to export customers like India and Egypt and that capability will be taken off the fighters for India. The f3.3 standard also gives Rafale ability to carr...

India will now negotiate direct purchase of 36 Rafale jets from France through a government-to-government deal worth around $4 billion, without any “Make in India” or technology transfer component, to meet IAF’s urgent “critical operational necessity” for new fighters. After Modi held extensive talks with French President Francois Hollande in Paris on Friday, it was announced that fresh commercial negotiations will now be held for the direct acquisition of two Rafale squadrons (each has 18 jets) in “flyaway” condition. “France has agreed to fast-track the deliveries and give us better terms for the outright purchase and longer maintenance support for the jets. Finding the money for this contract should not be a problem since it will have to be paid in instalments linked to deliveries,” said a source.The “politico-strategic” decision of negotiating the direct purchase of 36 Rafale jets that was taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi just before he left for Paris on Thursd...

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to France next week will herald a new  chapter for the Indian Air Force, as its dream project of having 360 degree ‘eye in sky’ is likely to take  off with both countries finalising a deal for procuring two Airbus-330 aircraft to be used as platforms for  AWACS-India programme. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), in its meeting held last Saturday, has given a go ahead  to the proposal of acquiring the aircraft for Rs 5,113 crore and the formal signing of the deal is likely during  Mr Modi’s three-nation tour, that will also take him to Germany and Canada. The DAC has also approved ‘Project Maitry’, under which, India and France will be working on  development of Short Range Surface to Air Missile (SR-SAM) for the Indian Navy. The two Defence deals are being seen as a consolation for France as the hectic efforts to seal a  deal of acquiring 126 Rafale fighter jets for the IAF were unlikely to get ...

China’s first Changhe Aircraft Industries Corporation Z-10 helicopter shipped to Pakistan completed its first test in Rawalpindi, according to internet users cited in overseas Chinese-language news outlet Duowei News. Earlier reports surmised that Pakistan was choosing its next-generation attack helicopters from either China’s Z-10 or Turkey’s A-129 to replace its obsolete AH-1S Cobras purchased from the United States back in the 1980s. Meanwhile, rumors from the Russian embassy suggested that Pakistan had placed an order for Mi-35 heavy assault gunship helicopters from Moscow. The Mi-35 may be used to test the Z-10’s performance in a real combat environment, although the Russian reports remain unconfirmed. Pakistan has been one of China’s strongest allies since the Cold War. With India looming as a rival and potentially an enemy, it is very likely that Pakistan will operate a Chinese attack helicopter in the future. The Z-10 helicopter is capable of attacking an enemy target ...