India y su industria aeronáutica

[Orel]

[champi]

La India prueba el Astra: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Indi ... 138894.cms

BHUBANESWAR: India Wednesday test-fired its short-range Astra air-to-air missile from a defence base in Odisha for the second time in two days, defence sources said.

The beyond visual range missile was tested at 2.05 p.m. from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in the district of Balasore, about 230 km from state capital Bhubaneswar.

Astra is a high-end tactical missile and is envisaged to intercept enemy aircraft at supersonic speeds in head-on mode at a range of 80 km and in tail-chase mode at 20 km.

El LCA biplaza naval sale de fábrica: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/20 ... ghter.html

By Radhakrishna Rao

The first two-seat trainer example of India's Tejas naval light combat aircraft will be flown for the first time before the end of the year, following the roll out of platform NP1 in Bangalore on 6 July.

In development for the Indian navy, the new version features several design changes from the Aeronautical Development Agency's baseline Tejas, already on order for the nation's air force.

These include the use of a longer and strengthened landing gear, an arrester hook to enable landing on an aircraft carrier and additional control surfaces and a leading edge vortex controller to reduce the fighter's required speed on approach to the vessel. Its front fuselage has also been changed to provide the pilot with better visibility over the nose.

La India busca UCAVs: http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i= ... =ASI&s=AIR

By Vivek Raghuvanshi
Published: 6 Jul 2010 17:10

NEW DELHI - India has entered the global market to purchase unmanned combat UAVs (UCAVs) following a request for information sent to defense companies in Europe, Israel, Russia and the United States.

UCAVs will be inducted in the Indian Air Force and used to fight terrorists in northern Jammu and Kashmir bordering Pakistan. The Air Force wants modern UCAVs with twin engines, low infrared signature, stealth features, electronic countermeasures and the ability to link with satellites.

The new UCAVs sought by India would be reusable and operate like combat fighter aircraft. Current drones in the inventory destroy themselves along with the target.

The total life expectancy of the UCAV should be at least 20 years and the drone should have advanced avionics and electronic warfare capabilities.

Y todo lo que le piden es sólo para atacar terroristas

Las primeras eliminaciones en el MMRCA se esperan este mes: http://www.8ak.in/8ak_india_defence_new ... month.html

07 Jul 2010 8ak (Manu Sood's article also published on Military.com's Dodbuzz here): While it's too soon to predict a likely winner for India's huge competition for 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA), the first indicators should be out as early as the next week when the technical evaluation committee's report comes out.

Reports state that this deal for 126 fighters will cost $10 billion, but there exist huge price variances between the offered fighters of varying capability. And this figure is a lifecycle cost '' not an acquisition cost — so it is not clear if the number of fighters is fixed or whether the budget figure is. Half the fighters would not qualify even before going in to trials depending on the answer.

This is the first indication of the general confusion in the competition. The second is why a single engine aircraft with a 1970's airframe is in the same competition as the most modern and expensive twin engine heavy hitter. The Indian Ministry of Defense has drafted the tender so broadly that most fighters would qualify. But this lackadaisical attitude will cost competitors hundreds of millions of dollars when they compete but fail. One competitor told 8ak that the competition could cost each bidder an average of $180 million given costs such as each bomb drop in live weapons' trials could cost up to US$1 million. In addition, most companies would have spent many hundreds of millions more to adapt their offering for the competition, for example developing the AESA radars.
...
The threat driving the competition is a two-front war with Pakistan and China. With both states having nuclear weapons a deep-penetration strike is virtually ruled-out as per Brig Kanwal of CLAWS (Centre for Land Warfare Studies) since it would risk over-flying an enemy's secret nuclear installations. He further says that there is an 80 percent to 90 percent probability that the next war will break out in the mountains and at least a 60 percent probability that the next war will remain limited to the mountains. In this scenario, the requirement of extended range is minimal.

With advances in technology, the fighter itself is losing importance and fast becoming a carrier for equipment such as AESA radars, sophisticated missiles and electronic warfare equipment. With miniaturization similar capabilities can be built in to smaller, lighter planes.
...
Given the above it looks as if a cheaper fighter will best suit India's limited budget. This bends the odds in favor of single-engine competitors or the Russians, who are expected to offer the MiG-35 at a cheap price.
...
The continuing strength of the Russian-India relationship has repeatedly surprised everyone. In a pure political face-off it is unlikely that any country would be able to outmaneuver Russia.
...
The U.S. often has the best technologies but arms export restrictions can counterbalance the technology advantages. In a war with either Pakistan or China India cannot risk a situation where the U.S. might withhold support of spares or otherwise try to influence India's behavior. However, the lure of U.S. backing India for a UN Security Council seat is quite lucrative and in a July 2010 report by senior Pentagon official Michele Flournoy made it clear that the U.S. is putting a lot of strategic value on the fighter aircraft deal and has made it clear that they would like to see a U.S. choice.
...
France has recently, virtually given up on sales to Pakistan and thereby made a strong commitment to India that will not go unnoticed. While they are a more reliable defense partner than the US, they are prone to mind-numbing price increases as witnessed in the Scorpene, Mirage upgrade and more recent Turbomeca/HAL deals. EADS has pointed out that it is actually supported by a consortium of four countries plus France but Indian analysts believe that India would have little influence over a consortium and hence their political value is diminished.

The key drawback with the Gripen is that Sweden is seen as the least politically influential country. But there is a catch! What is and should be most important to India, possibly even more than international politics is to build indigenous capabilities.
...
It is 8ak's expectation that the final selection will be purely politics and will not be based on cost. Russia may have been eased out with the Sukhoi deal and US is in danger that its restrictive policies may become unpalatable in India (transport planes restrictions are different from fighters). Eurofighter and Rafale are great platforms and if cost was not an issue, then these would win. But budget and numbers are an issue so, if Saab pushes hard enough, you never know. And that is the current prediction 'you never know...'

Al igual que el autor del artí­culo, también creo que la decisión será mayoritariamente polí­tica.

[Orel]

Al igual que el autor del artí­culo, también creo que la decisión será mayoritariamente polí­tica.

Y económica. ¿Cuándo no?

[champi]

La India se hace con 57 nuevos Hawk: http://www.baesystems.com/Newsroom/News ... 05123.html

28 Jul 2010 | Ref. 172/2010

Delhi, India - In a move underlining the importance of BAE Systems' presence in India, the company has secured a new order, worth over £500 million, with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), to supply products and services to enable a further 57 Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) aircraft to be built under licence in India for the Indian Air Force (40 aircraft) and Indian Navy (17 aircraft).  

The final terms and conditions for the contract were signed by Guy Griffiths Group Managing Director International, BAE Systems, in the presence of British Prime Minister, David Cameron on his historic visit to India and BAE Systems' Chairman Dick Olver.

The aircraft will be manufactured under licence at HAL's facilities in Bangalore and BAE Systems will provide specialist engineering services, the raw materials and equipment necessary for airframe production and the support package for the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy end users. 

Commenting on the news BAE Systems Group Managing Director, Programmes and Support, Nigel Whitehead said:

“HAL is the premier aerospace company in India and BAE Systems is proud to be able to build on its long-standing relationship with HAL to deliver a further batch of this excellent aircraft to increase the Indian Air Force's fast jet training capacity and establish a similar fast jet training solution for the Indian Navy. The Hawk AJT fast jet training solution enables an Air Force or Navy to provide front line pilots for even the most modern fighter aircraft such as the Eurofighter Typhoon or Sukhoi SU-30.”

Guy Griffiths added:

“This new order continues and strengthens the long standing relationship between BAE Systems and HAL.  It highlights the importance of BAE Systems' strategic development of India as a home market, and the benefit of solid Government support.”

This year BAE Systems and Mahindra & Mahindra launched Defence Land Systems India a joint venture whose first product is a mine protected vehicle designed and developed specifically for India.  BAE Systems is committed to developing a domestic business in India and will continue working with industry in India to develop further capabilities in the defence and security sectors.”

$13,5 millones por aparato en cifras redondas, lo que parece un precio demasiado razonable para la India. Otras fuentes apuntan un precio "ligeramente" superior: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/20 ... iners.html

By Craig Hoyle

The Indian government has signed a deal worth more than £700 million ($1.01 billion) to acquire a further batch of 57 BAE Systems Hawk 132 advanced jet trainers.

Representing a follow-on purchase to a previous deal for 66 of the aircraft, the new trainers will be produced under licence in Bangalore by Hindustan Aeronautics.

BAE says it will "provide specialist engineering services, the raw materials and equipment necessary for airframe production and the support package for the Indian air force and Indian navy end users" under the deal, with its involvement to be worth over £500 million. The services will receive 40 and 17 Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour 871-powered aircraft, respectively.

Ahora mejor. A los $773 millones que se lleva BAE hay que sumarle otros $228 más que se quedan en la India. Así­ que el precio final es de $17,5 millones por unidad.

Sobre el C-130J hindú: http://www.indiastrategic.in/topstories653.htm

By Sangeeta Saxena Published: July 2010

Lockheed Martin's India CEO Roger Rose told India Strategic in an interview that the infrastructure to operate the six aircraft that the Indian Air Force is buying is nearly complete at the Hindon air force station near the Indian capital and that all the aircraft will be “delivered on time, on schedule and within the budget.”

The first aircraft has already been painted in IAF colours, and examined by IAF representatives and pilots in the US at the company's Marietta aircraft production facility. Appropriate training arrangements for Indian pilots, both in the US and India, were also being implemented in accordance with the nearly USD one billion deal that included the six aircraft, spare engines and other parts, training and maintenance facilities in India.

“We are in fact ahead of schedule in every respect,”Mr Rose, a former US Navy submariner, said.

Lockheed Martin was now in discussions with IAF on the potential sale of six more C 130Js, as per the options in the agreement, and a couple of more aircraft, albeit with lower configuration, for the Border Security force (BSF) and Indian Coast Guard.

The C 130J is a special operations aircraft to land and takeoff from a battle zone. It is capable of operating from rough dirt strips to drop or pick up men and material from hostile areas. It is equipped with missile defence systems.

“The flexible design of the Super Hercules enables it to be configured for many different missions, allowing for one aircraft to perform the role of many, including mid-air refueling. Much of the special mission equipment added to the Super Hercules is removable, allowing it to quickly switch roles. Equipped with an infrared detection set (IDS), the aircraft for the first time will provide the IAF an ability to conduct precision low-level flying operations, airdrops and landings in blackout conditions,”Mr Rose said.

The aircraft is also good for civilian use in India's mountainous north-eastern regions.

As for the first aircraft for the IAF, it is now entering pre-delivery test flights to check the aircraft and systems. All the six aircraft are due to be delivered by 2012..

[champi]

Otra más de rumores, que hoy parece que vengo del corro de la peluquerí­a: http://livefist.blogspot.com/2010/08/mm ... -next.html

The MMRCA Competition: What Next?
Two days ago, I received a mysterious phone-call from a Russian journalist who claimed to have very reliable information that the Indian Air Force and the Defence Ministry had chosen the MiG-35 in the $12-billion medium multirole combat aicraft (MMRCA) competition, and had communicated as much to both MiG chief Mikhail Pogosyan as well as UAC president Alexey Fedorov. Cut. A well-known senior Indian defence analyst, who junketed off to Farnborough this month, assured me just before he left, that the Typhoon was going to sail through to the finish line -- I'd stopped listening by this time, but he said something about "knowing people in the know". Cut.

There's a lot of stuff swimming around out there about the MMRCA, and it's all tantalizing. Rumours of first blood.

At this point in the game, it's common for vendors to pick journalists' brains about what they're hearing. Well, what they're hearing is a lot of noise. A carefully crafted cacophony of permutation, combination and possibility -- some delectably elegant, some morbidly unthinkable. The campaign chiefs from Boeing and Lockheed-Martin, for example, have frequent briefings in Delhi -- thinly veiled opportunities for them to get exchange notes with reporters about where things stand on the MMRCA, what the rumours are, what they're picking up from "people in the know". All of the rumours are tantalizing in their potential to create massive upheaval -- political, technological, doctrinal, what have you. And in the run up to what is expected to be a downselect this year -- but what is also likely to not be a downselect at all -- I thought I'd put down everything I've heard in the last six three months. The structure, I should say right away, does not indicate a descending order of probability. And yet, it might.

For the purpose of clarity, let me state that the six competitors are the RAC-MiG MiG-35, the Boeing F/A-18IN Super Hornet, the Dassault Rafale, the EADS Eurofighter Typhoon, the Saab Gripen IN and the Lockheed-Martin F-16IN Super Viper.

SCENARIO 1: NO DOWNSELECT: All six contenders make the cut. Commercial negotiations begin with all six companies, and bam, they hand it to one. Right through the field evaluation tests (FET), there have been rumours of scrubs, snags, even hearsay that four of the six failed the test leg at Leh. All six competitors independently assured the press that their horses had come through beautifully and that all rumours of climb-rate disappointments and payload inadequacies were malicious nuggets passed around by "vested interests". Can't think of one person who isn't a vested interest, actually. If all six aircraft dodge the "downselect", it'll mean the FET gave the IAF nothing it could really work with in terms of defining what it really wants to go with. Always bear in mind the supremely incomparable airplanes the IAF is working to compare.

SCENARIO 2: NO DOWNSELECT, BUT PREFERENCE INDICATED: All six contenders make the cut, but are presented in the IAF's report to the MoD in descending order of preference. Best of both worlds -- everyone makes it past the first guillotine.

SCENARIO 3: THE NEGATIVE RECOMMENDATION: An interesting one. The IAF submits its report to the MoD along with a list solely indicating the aircraft it definitely doesn't want. The government then takes a political decision among the ones the IAF doesn't mind operating.

SCENARIO 4: SINGLE OUT: IAF chief PV Naik says the MMRCA field evaluation trials make for an international yardstick on how fighters should be evaluated the world over '' a masterpiece of a testing templace. Most people believe him, because they're still trying to figure how a disparate line-up of aircraft can be meaningfully compared with a result-oriented focus. Many were shocked when Boeing elbowed in the Super Hornet into the MMRCA competition way back when the Mirage-2000-V was still in contention and widely believed to be the signature platform for the MMRCA. Things have changed drastically since. This scenario suggests that the IAF has come round to wanting a twin-engine platform. So goodbye F-16IN and Gripen IN.

SCENARIO 5: KEEP IT REAL, KEEP IT MEDIUM: An old scenario that's more wishful thinking than anything else. There's nothing “medium”about the Typhoon, Rafale and Super Hornet. So the downselect pushes forward only the MiG-35, the F-16IN and the Gripen IN.

SCENARIO 6: GRIPEN, MIG OUT: The downselect eliminates the Gripen IN and the MiG-35. The former, because it's Swedish (and woe betide any government that ever buys anything Swedish ever again). The rumour goes that the government has expressly instructed the IAF not to allow the Gripen past the FET phase. The latter because its Russian, and there's a limit to the whole eggs in one basket thing.

SCENARIO 7: NO OP AESA? GOODBYE!: Only the F-16IN and the F/A-18IN make it because they're the only two contenders with fully operational AESA radars (the NG APG-80 and the Raytheon APG-79 respectively). The others are work in progress, and the IAF doesn't want to take a chance. That the IAF has been super-impressed by both American AESAs doesn't hurt.

SCENARIO 8: TYPHOON OUT: A nightmare scenario for EADS, considering the weight of its pitch. This scenario suggests the Typhoon is ejected from the competition as a result of deficient air-to-ground performance, and that all promises aren't worth the cost of the airplane.

And these are just eight possible scenarios. I haven't mentioned the obvious permutations. It's going to be a yahtzee. Will keep updating this post as I hear more. And, of course, feel free to comment with more scenarios if you've heard any.

[champi]

Parece ser (la fuente es "la Fuerza Aérea" pero sin concretar nada ) que los preferidos de la IAF para el MMRCA son el Rafale y el Typhoon: http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/the-d ... s-typ.html

India's TimesNow TV reports the country's air force wants to choose between only the Eurofighter Typhoon and Dassault Rafale for the 126-aircraft contract called medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA).

It's difficult to assess the reliability of the report. The journalist cites only "the air force" as the source for his potentially bombshell scoop. The Rafale and Typhoon seem to be popular in India. An unscientific poll posted last week by Indian aerospace blog LiveFist showed that Typhoon and Rafale are the most popular aircraft in the competition.

[champi]

Suplemento de 32 páginas sobre el Gripen en la última edición del India Today Magazine, gracias a Livefist: http://www.scribd.com/doc/35842834

[polluelo]

El culebrón sigue, el MdD dice que no hay lista ninguna, ni de favoritos ni de eliminados:

http://www.janes.com/news/defence/jdi/j ... _1_n.shtml

[champi]

La India encargará 59 Mi-17: http://www.defpro.com/news/details/17718/

08:29 GMT, August 20, 2010 NEW DELHI | The Indian Air Force will soon order an additional 59 Russian Mil Mi-17 helicopters on top of the 80 ordered earlier, the IAF chief said on Thursday, according to RIA Novosti.

The first deliveries of the 80 Mi-17 helicopters, ordered in 2008, will begin later this year, Air Chief Marshal Pradeep Vasant Naik said in an interview with India Strategic.

[champi]

Sobre el Kaveri: http://www.defpro.com/news/details/17818/

13:53 GMT, August 25, 2010 According to the Indian Press Information Bureau, the following information was recently given by Indian Defence Minister, Shri AK Antony in written replies to members of the Parliament of India:

Development of Indigenous Cauvery Engine for LCA

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is developing Kaveri engine for Light Comber Aircraft (LCA). The technologies / productions of Kaveri engine which attained maturity during the development process are given below:

(i) All major engine sub-assemblies have been tested for aerodynamic performance and structural integrity (life & safety) requirements from qualification point of view.
(ii) Critical sub-systems have been developed.
(iii) Full authority Kaveri Digital engine Control System (KADECS) has been designed and developed.
(iv) Various critical technologies in the fields of instrumentation/measurement, health monitoring, data acquisition, etc. have been developed.
(v) Twelve materials (Titanium, Steel and super alloys) have been developed and type certified.
(vi) Directionally Solidified (DS) casting technology and high temperature tip brazing technology for the High Pressure and Low Pressure turbine blades & vanes have been developed.
(vii) Adequate manufacturing technology base has been established.

The reasons for the delay in developing the said engine are as follows:

(i) Non-availability of critical materials, viz., nickel and titanium based alloys in the country.
(ii) Low priority from foreign manufacturing agencies in view of the Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ) vis-í -vis the production order quantity from other engine houses.
(iii) Lack of manufacturing infrastructure for critical components.
(iv) Flying Test Bed (FTB) trials were not originally envisaged but included subsequently, based on the recommendations of Certification Agency and IAF.
(v) US sanctions imposed during 1998 affected the delivery of critical systems & components.
(vi) Lack of infrastructure of engine testing and component / system level testing within the country leading to dependency on foreign agencies.

Kaveri engine testing under simulated altitude and forward speed conditions during February 2010 has been successfully completed. Another engine has been integrated with IL-76 aircraft at Gromov Flight Research Institute (GFRI), Moscow for ground and flight test which is expected to complete by October 2010.

These two major milestones would make ‘Kaveri' engine certified for flight operations.

La India quiere mejoras en el tercer Il-76 AEW: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/20 ... 6-aew.html

By Arie Egozi

The third Ilyushin Il-76 airborne early warning aircraft ordered by the Indian air force will carry additional systems for enhanced performance. The AEW aircraft is expected to arrive later this year in Israel for preparation by Israel Aerospace Industries' Elta Systems subsidiary, for delivery to India in 2011.

Two converted Il-76s carrying the Elta AEW Phalcon suit have already been delivered to India. Based on their operational experience India's Defence Research and Development Organisation has asked IAI to add to the third aircraft systems for enhanced performance.

IAI has no comment on the request, but it is understood that the additional systems may include sensors that would improve the "threat picture" even under adverse conditions.
...
Earlier this year India requested a proposal from IAI for another three Il-76s. That deal could be worth around $1.5 billion.

[champi]

¿El EFA y el Mig-35 fuera del MMRCA?: http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_ia ... on_1437393

Published: Monday, Sep 13, 2010, 17:59 IST
Place: Kapurthala | Agency: PTI

Indian Air Force today said it will acquire 126 latest multi-fighter aircrafts within a year.

"We are in the final stages of placing orders to acquire 126 multi-fighter aircrafts from US, France or Sweden within a year," Air Marshal Anil Chopra told reporters during his visit to the Sainik School here.

Light Combat Aircrafts (LCA) would also be added to the air force soon, he said.

Chopra, who belongs to Kapurthala and a pass out from the Sainik School, later interacted with the students.

[Orel]

Parece ser que la oferta que ha hecho Eurojet a India por 99 de sus EJ200 para el LCA supera a la hecha por GE por sus F-414: 666 millones de dólares (vaya numerito ) frente a 822.
Sendos motores se han mostrado técnicamente aptos para motorizar el LCA.

Cosas obvias, dicen que en Europa se teme que EEUU presione fuerte por el suyo, y que elijan el que elijan, dará más puntos al caza correspondiente a la hora del MMRCA:

Europe has an edge over the US in the tightly-fought contest to sell India a next-generation engine for the homegrown Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA). Informed sources have told Business Standard that when the bids were opened last week, European consortium Eurojet bid $666 million for 99 EJ200 engines, against US rival General Electric, which quoted $822 million.

Both engines had been earlier adjudged technically suitable to power the Tejas Mark-II. Therefore, according to the ministry of defence's procurement rules, the vendor offering the lower price is to be handed the contract.

But the champagne corks aren't popping yet at Eurojet. Both engine-makers have been asked for certain clarifications by Wednesday, and senior Eurojet executives are worried that Washington could pressure New Delhi to opt for the US engine in the interregnum.

At stake here is far more than a few hundred million dollars. Industry experts say India's choice of engine for the Tejas would significantly shape the choice of a medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA), an $11-billion contract for which the Indian Air Force is evaluating six fighters. Of these, the Eurofighter has twin EJ-200 engines, while GE F-414 engines power the US-built F/A-18 and Sweden's Gripen NG fighters.

Says Air Vice Marshall (Retd) Kapil Kak of the Centre for Air Power Studies, the IAF's official think tank, “It is as clear as daylight. Selecting the EJ200 for the Tejas would boost the Eurofighter's prospects in the MMRCA contest.”

“Its engines, which form about 15-20 per cent of the cost of a modern fighter, would be already manufactured in India for the Tejas. For the same reason, rejecting the GE F-414 would diminish the chances of the two fighters that fly with that engine,”he added (se refiere al SuperHornet y al Gripen NG).

http://www.business-standard.com/india/ ... id/408579/

[Orel]

Y más info sobre la oferta de motores para los LCA Tejas (EJ200 ó GE F-414):
http://weapons.technology.youngester.co ... ej200.html

Primero: como curiosidad, ya que hablábamos de ello en el tema del Raptor, dice que cada caza (no sé si monomotores en concreto, como es el LCA) gasta 2 ó 3 motores durante su vida operacional.

Segundo: que aunque el pedido inicial serí­a por 99 motores, podrí­a acabar siendo de entre 200 y 300, según la cantidad de Tejas finalmente comprada y desgaste de la flota.

Tercero: que aunque ambos motores son aptos para el LCA, es mentira que estos y el caza no requieran cambios. Ambos motores suponen cambios menores aunque no desdeñables, modificaciones que no se sabe cuánto tiempo llevarí­an.
Y los motores también requerirí­an pequeños cambios. Ambos fabricantes afirman que los cambios podrí­an estar listos tras dos años o menos desde la firma del contrato.

Cuarto: El EJ200 es más moderno, flexible, ligero y con mayor capacidad de crecimiento que el GE F-414. Á‰ste a cambio es algo más potente. (Yo, visto así­, prefiero el EJ200, sin duda )

....
Both engines had been earlier adjudged technically suitable to power the Tejas Mark-II. Eurofighter has twin EJ-200 engines, while GE F-414 engines power the US-built F/A-18 and Sweden's Gripen NG fighters. Furthermore, the order for 99 engines for the Tejas Mark-II is just a foot in the door to the Indian market. Given that each fighter goes through two to three engines during its operational lifetime, the four to five planned squadrons (84-105 fighters) of the Tejas Mark-II would actually need 200-300 new engines. Sources in the Aeronautical Development Agency confirm that both GE and Eurojet engines fully met the technical requirements to power the Tejas Mark-II. The EJ200 — which IAF favours — is the more modern, lighter and flexible engine with greater potential for growth. The GE F-414 is heavier, but provides a little more power.

" There's a lot of buzz over the Tejas Mk-II engine competition, with a flurry of reports suggesting that the Eurojet EJ200 is positioned to win the deal, and not close competitor General Electric with its F-414-400. The connection between the Tejas Mk-2 engine and the MMRCA is inevitable, so first, let's get a couple of things out of the way as far as the Mk-2 question is concerned. Both the F-414 and EJ200 were equally compliant with the qualitative requirements of the Indian Air Force. Second, despite what either of the companies has said, there's a good deal of modification that both engines will require for integration with the Tejas -- both engines are dimensionally different too, with one short and stubby and the other longer and more slender.

Both engine makers promise that they can modify their engines for the Tejas and complete certification in two years or less from the time of contract signing. For example, when I visited Eurojet headquarters near Munich in January, the company's managing director Hartmut Tenter said, "There will be some changes to the mounting assembly, a different hydraulic pump and an additional generator pack. In addition, engine interfaces might' need changes depending on how the LCA is configured. But we are confident of having a fully certified engine ready in less than two years."

Both engine houses have been known to claim that the Tejas airframe will require no airframe changes for the new engine. Untrue. The Indian Air Force and HAL have both confirmed that the selection of either of the two engines will mean minor -- but not negligible -- changes to intake architecture, aft fuselage and engine interface structures on the Tejas airframe. How long that will take is a good question.

According to sources, GE's pitch -- technology and offsets aside -- has been underscored by the experience of the F-404, variants of which currently power the Tejas Mk-1. The company has also thought of the F-414 for the Tejas well before it was officially decided that a new engine would power the Mk-2. Eurojet, on the other hand, has pitched the EJ200 with the very tempting notion of a dedicated EJ200 global production line in India, along with true qualitative technology transfer, that will include single crystal technology to HAL and GTRE.

But none of this may actually matter now, since both engines have performed well and met all or at least most requirements, and have an approximately equal level of compliance.

Chao

[polluelo]

Pues entonces los indios lo que harán siguiendo la tónica habitual es pedir la mitad de motores de cada. Y luego compraran un caza ruso para el otro contrato con un motor distinto.

Y cuando lleven diez años modificando el avión para meterle los dos motores decidirán que lo mejor no es que cada mitad lleve un modelo distinto sino que cada avión lleve uno de cada, con lo que estarán otros diez años modificandolo para terminar montando un motor chino que tampoco será un derivado del motor ruso sino otra cosa distinta.

Total, para cuando terminen ya no se usarán motores a reacción porque se habrá acabado el petroleo y entonces tendrán que modificarlo para llevar unos iónicos.

[Orel]