From Vayu Aerospace Review Issue II/ 1992

The Advanced Jet Trainer

There has been continuous debate in Indian (and foreign) media on the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) and even now no one quite knows the fate of that project. However, even with best estimates the LCA is targeted for service only from the year 2001. What has been relegated into relative obscurity in the dust and haze of the LCA situation, however, is the pressing requirement of the Indian Air Force for an Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT). One has been hearing for the last few years that the AJT is a Priority Number One requirement and that the lack of such an aircraft would start to critically affect the output of new combat pilots by the year 1992. We are already into 1992 and very little has been heard about the AJT over the past few years !

HAL focus on Civil Aircraft

HAL is now deliberately shifting focus to the design, development, manufacture and marketing of civil aircraft. According to HAL’s Chairman, collaboration with foreign aircraft companies is being examined and “negotiations are on. We hope to strike a deal with one of the Companies.” HAL had plans to co-produce turboprop airliners with capacity of 50-70 seats and are participating in the development of a 100 to 120-seat jetliner as also an executive aircraft with 10-seat capacity. Negotiations for joint collaborations would reportedly take place this year. Meanwhile, sub-contracts have been placed on HAL by some of the world’s major airliner manufacturers including Boeing, Airbus Industrie, British Aerospace, Fokker and Dornier.

ALH Progress

The prototype of HAL’s Advanced Light Helicopter will be test flown “positively” by September 1992 according to Chairman HAL. The development programme of the ALH has suffered a year’s delay owing to “some technical discrepancies in the gear box” but these are now sorted out. The prototype was in the final stages of integration and all system tests had been carried out. The 5-ton ALH is being developed for the Indian Air Force Army and Navy while a Civil version (with a seating capacity of 14 pax) would be developed after deliveries to the Services are underway, slated for 1995-96. The detailed project report had been submitted to the government for production but the investment sanction was yet to be cleared.

Russians suspend Rocket Technology transfer

The Russians have suspended transfer of rocket technology to India, following pressure from the United States, Russian President Boris Yeltsin has therefore ordered “a pause” in fulfilling the $200 million contract between the Russian Space Agency ‘Glaskosmos’ and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

HAL/BAe Software JV

The pilot scheme for a Joint Venture Software Company between Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and British Aerospace of the UK has passed the first earnings milestone for the last financial year. Both companies have made significant investment in facilities and high technology equipment to ensure that the scheme is successful. The pilot activity is housed in a separate Software Enclave adjacent to the HAL Complex in Bangalore. A dedicated satellite link provides voice, data and facsimile communications directly between the offices of the UK and Indian staff, and allows direct access from Bangalore into BAe Computer Complexes in the UK.

Indo-Malaysian Defence Co-Operation

During the Malaysian Defence Minister’s visit to India, detailed discussions were held on various matters of mutual interest with the Indian Government. There is considerable scope for co-operation between the two countries in the fields of science and technology, industrial production and trade. On Defence co-operation, various on-going programmes were reviewed and new initiatives taken. It is learnt from reliable sources that India will assist Malaysia in its diversification plans for the modernisation of its armed forces, perhaps also influenced by the collapse of the Soviet Union.

US Assistance on LCA

The United States is continuing high-tech assistance for development of India’s light combat aircraft (LCA), as confirmed by Dr VS Arunachalam, Secretary DR&DO. He said that the LCA project was going very well and the aircraft would be ready by 1995. He explained that even in Europe, only the French Rafale was equipped with this type of technology. Meanwhile, the Defence Minister had directed that the aircraft should be flying by 1995-96 and defended the time being taken to put the aircraft together, saying that even in the US it “takes years to design and manufacture such a prototype”.

New Aircraft and Weapon Systems for CIS

Leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) were recently invited to examine new combat aircraft and missile systems developed by various bureau of the former Soviet Union. On display was the Sukhoi Su-27IB, a new two-crew, side-seating variant of the interceptor. Produced at a Sukhoi plant at Novosibirsk, however future of the Su-27 Flanker is uncertain and it is doubtful if the Su-27IB will survive the proposed defence cut-backs.

Another aircraft on display was the MiG-29M ( NATO Fulcrum Plus) prototype, with glass cockpit, incorporating two multifunction displays and fly-by-wire controls. The MiG-29M has a new infra red search-and-track (IRST) system, similar to that on the navalised MiG-29K.