SP's Aviation June 2008

Aviation Air Marshal P.V. Naik, IAF’s Vice Chief suggests an Aerospace Force Pg 12 • French Recipe Pg 25• ILA-BERLIN show review: Playing the Green Card Pg 33• Emergence of F/A-18 Pg 26

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ISSUE 6 • 2008

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India’s Strategic Reach

Fast Forward

Military Pilots Special Attributes

RNI NUMBER: DELENG/2008/24199

Fighter Engines

PAGE 16

CRUISE & Stealth

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Table of Contents

Aviation

Regular Departments 5 A Word from Editor 6 NewsWithViews

Face to Face

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Death knell for Kaveri?

A shot in the arm for IJT Phoenix is ready to Bake

12 AIR MARSHAL P.V. NAIK

9

InFocus

Cover Story

10

SP’s

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ISSUE 6 • 2008

Roughshod, Russian Style

16 JET ENGINES SPEED & STEALTH

Reality Bytes

41 44

Military

26 38

OPERATIONS STRATEGIC REACH EXPLAINED WHERE EAGLES DARE INDUSTRY F/A-18: TIME-TESTED, FUTURE PERFECT TYPHOON TRIUMPHS

Special Report 25 INITIATIVES FRENCH RECIPE

NewsDigest LastWord

Socked & Shaken

16 Speed & Stealth: Advent of the gas turbine engine— commonly called a ‘jet’ engine—ushered in a revolution in aviation almost as vital as the Wright Brothers’ first flight

Cover Photo: A reheating F-22 Raptor powered by two 156 kN Class P&W turbofans, each fitted with a thrust vectoring exhaust nozzle for enhanced performance and manoeuvrability.

Photo Credit: USAF photo

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CRUISE & Stealth

SP's Avn 6 of 08 Cover final.indd 1

Show Report

PUBLISHER AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jayant Baranwal

ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR: Ratan Sonal LAYOUT DESIGNS: Raj Kumar Sharma

33 BERLIN AIR SHOW ZOOM IN FOR A GREEN SKY

ASSISTANT EDITOR Arundhati Das

© SP Guide Publications, 2008

In Memory 39 REQUIEM FOR A FIELD MARSHAL

Hall of Fame 40 THE BLANCHARDS

SENIOR VISITING EDITOR Air Marshal (Retd) V.K. Bhatia

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26 F/A-18: FUTURE PERFECT

30

CONTRIBUTORS India Air Chief Marshal (Retd) S.P. Tyagi, Air Marshal (Retd) P.K. Mehra, Air Marshal (Retd) Raghu Rajan, Air Marshal (Retd) N. Menon, Group Captain (Retd) A.K. Sachdev, Group Captain (Retd) Joseph Noronha Europe Alan Peaford, Phil Nasskau, Rob Coppinger USA & Canada Sushant Deb, Lon Nordeen, Anil R. Pustam (West Indies) CHAIRMAN & MANAGING DIRECTOR Jayant Baranwal

WHERE EAGLES DARE

33

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NEXT ISSUE: General Aviation—Myths & Musts Issue 6 • 2008

7/9/08 3:26:20 PM

A Word from Editor

SP’s enjoyed a long and illustrious relationship with late Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw,who always greeted SP’s founder,the late Shri S.P. Baranwal,with unstinted support.

We,at SP’s,remember‘Sam Bahadur’ as an officer and a gentleman.

H

igher, faster, stealthier. From the earliest simple designs, with thrust rating of 4 to 5-kN, to the present day 150-kN+, modern military engines sport multi-stage compressors and turbines, afterburners, vectored thrust, and are capable of super-cruise in dry power. The cover story traces this fascinating journey of military engines which indeed has been highly challenging and exciting. Significantly, this issue also highlights the attributes of a military pilot. Sheer bravado alone does not spur the military flier to achieve the assigned task, instead a lot of planning and training goes into preparing for a mission subsequently executed in the most professional manner.

Rumblings of unethical behaviour by the Russians are threatening to sour the decades-old relationship between Moscow and Delhi, a topic debated threadbare in InFocus and Forum. Interestingly, even as views diverge on the correctness of harbouring a grudge against the Russians for the ills plaguing the projects progressing under their aegis, the bottomline that emerges is that the Russians appear to be still grappling with the nuances of a “free market economy”, the opportunities it affords and the attendant responsibilities.

Talking of procedures, quite au fait with the tardy decisionmaking process in the Indian government system, the French have sprung a rather pleasant surprise, offering to supply—on fast track—40 of the new generation omni-role combat aircraft, the Rafale, as an interim solution to arrest the rapid erosion in combat potential. Echoing somewhat similar concerns

AT THE LEMOORE US NAVAL AIR STATION WHICH OPERATES F/A-18S

in an exclusive interview, the Vice Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal P.V. Naik, said: “As a growing regional power, India’s area of interest is large. In order to meet the security challenges and fulfill our responsibilities in the region, we need to be effective anywhere within the strategic area of interest.”

India has the potential for strategic reach but some components are not in place and some others are missing. Strategic reach missions would require forces that have trained together for considerable lengths of time to iron out differences that arise due to different backgrounds. Elsewhere, at Nellis US Air Force Base in Nevada, the Royal Air Force’s newest fighter aircraft, the Typhoon, proved its air-to-surface capability.

Away from home, Phil Nasskau captured all the action in Berlin Air Show, ILA2008. Showcasing a large influence from official partner country India, the six-day event beginning from May 27 saw the skies above Berlin criss-crossed by a variety of different aerial versions—old and new. Coming as a dampener to the bustling aviation sector is the hike in fuel prices, whys and wherefores of which are discussed in LastWord.

On June 27, India lost a bold and upright son with the demise of Field Marshal S.H.F.J. Manekshaw. Ever since its inception, SP’s enjoyed a long and illustrious relationship with Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw. SP’s founder, the late Shri S.P. Baranwal, during his frequent interactions with the Field Marshal, was always greeted with unstinted and warm support.

We, at SP’s, will always remember ‘Sam Bahadur’ as an officer and a gentleman.

Jayant Baranwal

Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Issue 6 • 2008

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5

NewsWithViews

DEATH KNELL FOR KAVERI?

At the inauguration of the Defence Avionics Research and Establishment in Bangalore on June 14, India’s Defence Minister A.K. Antony said India is in the process of scouting for a partner to develop higher-thrust engine for its ambitious Light Combat Aircraft (LCA). “The LCA will be a reality. For higher-thrust engine, we must have a new engine. We are looking for a partner to develop this,” he told reporters after inaugurating the establishment’s new campus. “The Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) are working jointly towards this,” he said. The IAF has already placed an order for 20 LCA, another order for 20 more is in the pipeline, Antony said, stressing on the need to develop indigenous technologies to counter challenges posed by import restrictions and technology transfers.

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ILLUSTRATION: MAMTA

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he Defence Minister’s June 14 pronouncement is significant on two counts. First, the reference to a higher thrust engine, and second, the collaboration between the DRDO and the IAF in the matter—a clear allusion to the Kaveri engine being developed indigenously by the Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE).

To jog memories, the Kaveri programme was conceived in tandem with the LCA programme in the early 1980s for India to produce its own state-of-the-art light jet fighter which would be powered by its own state-of-the-art jet engine.

Kaveri has been designed as a low-bypass-ratio afterburning turbofan engine featuring a sixstage low-pressure (LP) compressor with transonic blading, annular combustion chamber, and cooled single-stage High Pressure and Low Pressure turbines. The core turbojet engine of the Kaveri is the Kabini, (a tributary of the Kaveri River).

The general arrangement of the Kaveri is very similar to contemporary engines for combat aircraft, such as the Eurojet EJ200 that powers the Eurofighter Typhoon, SNECMA M88 developed for the French Rafale, General Electric F414 fitted on the F/A-18 Super Hornet and the Pratt & Whitney F119 fitted on the US Fifth Generation fighter F-22, the Raptor.

The similarity ends there.

While all the other engines have been mated with the airframes for which they were developed and the aircraft operationalised, the Kaveri is yet to emerge from the development lab. At its historic debut on January 4, 2001, the prototype LCA, in deviation from the original plan, in place of the Kaveri, had in its belly a General Electric F404-GE-F213 afterburning 80.1 kN-thrust turbo-fan imported from the US. The LCA prototypes continue to be powered by General Electric. Confidence on Kaveri ever seeing the light of day is so low that Hindustan Aeronautics Limited has placed an order for 41 F404-GE-IN20 engines from the US company to 6

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power the ‘limited series production’ LCAs for the IAF and for naval prototypes.

What ails the Kaveri? From ‘throwing up’ turbine blades to vibrations in the compressor area at certain engine speed, the Kaveri also reportedly failed twice in the high-altitude tests carried out in Russia. The problems are allegedly so serious that technical assistance from the French SNECMA and the Russian Saturn has also proved ineffective. Yet another dilemma concerns the Kaveri’s design. Built primarily for the indigenous Tejas lightweight fighter, its intended peak static thrust of 80.5 kN with afterburning falls way short of the IAF’s core Air Staff Requirement (ASR) for the engine thrust to be in excess of 90 kN. Affording 85 kN maximum static thrust, the General Electric F404-GE-IN20, though better than the Kaveri, still does not fully meet the ASR and can at best be used as a stopgap arrangement. For exploitation of the complete operational envelope of the Tejas, it would be essential to develop or acquire a totally new engine with thrust rating in conformity with the ASR. As a senior IAF official put it, “It would be better to opt for an engine that has much higher thrust (than the Kaveri) and growth potential and make the necessary changes to the Tejas’ fuselage, if required.”

Development of the Kaveri engine was projected in 1989 to cost Rs 382.81 crore (nearly $82 million). By 2004, the GTRE had spent over Rs 1,300 crore ($325 million). Aware that the Kaveri would not be ready for the LCA before 2012, the Cabinet Committee on Security revised its estimates for the projected total development cost to Rs 2,839 crore ($700 million). Clearly, the latest utterances by the Defence Minister has put paid to even this possibility.

Time the DRDO faces reality and adopts a pragmatic approach to develop a new engine with foreign collaboration, even if it sounds the death knell for the Kaveri. SP — Air Marshal (Retd) V.K. Bhatia

NewsWithViews

A SHOT IN THE ARM FOR IJT

The floundering Intermediate Jet Trainer (IJT) programme of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) got a much-needed shot in the arm with the arrival of a prototype of the long-delayed Russian engine to power the trainer. Developed by the Russian aero engine house NPO Saturn and christened AL-55I (I for Indian), the custom-made engine—which was to have arrived in India last November—has a higher thrust rating than the French-made Snecma Larzac 04H20 engine, which is at present flying the two IJT prototypes. A scaled-down version of the AL-31FP engine that flies the Su-30 MKI combat aircraft, the AL-55I has been built in keeping with the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) air staff requirements. Official sources said the Russian engine had already been fitted on the IJT prototype.

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anctioned in 1999, the Rs 200-crore Hindustan Jet Trainer 36—also referred to as the Intermediate Jet Trainer (IJT)—project was undertaken by HAL to replace the IAF’s 225-plus ageing fleet of Kiran jet trainers. Designed and built by the HAL, the Kiran fleet was inducted into the IAF early 1970s as the basic jet trainer and replaced piston-engine Harvard IVD in Stage II training.

Commencing on a promising note, the IJT’s maiden flight was undertaken in March 2003—merely 20 months after metal cutting, a remarkable achievement by any standard.

Despite the promising start, the IJT programme subsequently got mired in problems. As a stop-gap arrangement, HAL settled for an under-powered engine, the French Snecma 04-30 turbofan, Larzac that delivered a maximum thrust of 1,400 kg. While the maiden flight was a success, the major impediment continued to be the power plant. While the Larzac engine was adequate for the initial development of the prototype, its thrust rating was not good enough for the production version. In a global tender for an engine of required specifications, Russian NPO Saturn emerged winner. Consequently, a $350 million (Rs 1,500 crore) contract for the development of a new engine for the IJT was signed with much fanfare in Moscow on August 16, 2005 in the presence of President Vladimir Putin at the MAKS 2005 air show.

Designated as the AL-55I, the new engine would be designed to deliver 1,700 kg of thrust. Quote from Snecma to develop an upgraded version of the Larzac engine was apparently significantly higher.

Other perfectly logical reasons favoured the Russian option. The AL-55 engine, for instance, had already been partly engineered as a part of the development process of the more powerful engine, the Saturn AL31F, that is fitted on the Su-30 MKI. As such, at the time of contracting, much of the devel-

opment work in respect of the AL-55I would have already been completed. The other advantage was the assurance by NPO Saturn to make available a more powerful version of the engine capable of delivering 2,300 kg of thrust. Such an engine would be required in the future for the two-seat Combat Air Trainer which was on the drawing board at HAL. However, the clinching argument was that a fully functional production line for the AL31F engine was already available at HAL Koraput in Orissa. Common features of the two Russian engines and their production processes, together with the large pool of available manpower experienced in Russian engine technology, would make it relatively easier for HAL to undertake licenced production of the AL-55I engines at the factory in Koraput.

At present, the IJT programme is well behind schedule. The original plan for series production was 2004-05, a tall order to begin with. Arrival of the AL-55I will certainly elevate spirits at HAL and is being perceived as a shot in the arm for the project. There is, however, one major impediment. Russia claims heavy cost overrun and is now willing to transfer manufacturing technology only if India pays an additional $64 million (Rs 277 crore).

However, even with the additional demand, the overall cost of the AL-55I project would still be lower than the French quote, a claim difficult to confirm as the precise figures are not available. Suggestions from various quarters in Russia range from ‘finding an amicable solution’ to ‘pay up quietly’. While the Indian establishment is on the horns of dilemma over the Russian practice of routinely slapping extra charges with gay abandon, room for manoeuvre appears somewhat limited. If not resolved soon enough, the issue could delay the IJT programme further with serious ramifications for basic jet training in the IAF. SP — Air Marshal (Retd) B.K. Pandey Issue 6 • 2008

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NewsWithViews

PHOENIX IS READY TO BAKE

Days of struggling with sticky Martian dirt later, the Phoenix Mars Lander met with unexpected success on June 12 in getting its first soil sample into an onboard laboratory for analysis. The breakthrough came after the lander spent days vibrating a screen over its onboard Thermal Evolved Gas Analyser (TEGA) in hopes that the clumpy soil would break loose and fall into the onboard ovens. Since touching down near the Martian North Pole a month ago, the three-legged lander has been busy poking its long robotic arm into the sticky soil and collecting scoopfuls to bake in a test oven and peer at under a microscope. The Phoenix mission is led by Peter Smith of the University of Arizona with project management at Jet Propulsion Laboratory and development partnership at Lockheed Martin, located in Denver.

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ILLUSTRATION: MAMTA

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xploration of Mars has been a significant pointer of human endeavour. Major players have been the US and the erstwhile Soviet Union with some contribution from Europe and Japan. Since the 1960s, scores of robotic spacecraft, including orbitors, landers and rovers, have shot off for Mars. The first attempt was made by the Soviets on October 10, 1960, but the Marsnik 1 mission collapsed during the launch. Several attempts later, the first successful ‘flyby’ mission was achieved when the US Mariner 4, launched on November 28, 1964, arrived in the vicinity of Mars on July 12, 1965.

Mariner 4 stayed in the Martian orbit for over two years till the mission was terminated in December 1967.

Astronomical costs matched by a dismal success record, with about two-thirds of the 43 missions ending in disaster, has led researchers to jokingly raise the spectre of The Great Galactic Ghoul which subsists by devouring Mars probes. The phenomenon is also informally referred to as The Mars Curse. However, of late, the celestial demon’s insatiable appetite appears to have subsided as the last six missions have so far been successful. As of 2008, there are three pieces of equipment (all US) functional on the surface of Mars, beaming signals back to the Earth: the Spirit rover, the Opportunity rover and, of course, the Phoenix Lander.

Phoenix was launched on August 4, 2007. After journeying for seven and half months to traverse a distance of 680 million km, it entered the Martian atmosphere on May 25. Travelling at nearly 21,000 kmph, it quickly slowed down to a speed of 8 km per hour and with the help of rocket thrusters, achieved a near perfect touchdown. This was the first time a Mars probe had landed in the North Pole region of the planet.

Foremost of the two objectives of the Phoenix mission is to study the geologic history of water—the key to unlocking the story of past climate change. The second is to search for 8

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Issue 6 • 2008

evidence of a habitable zone that may exist in the ice-soil boundary. On a mission to unearth information on the geological and possibly biological history of the Martian Arctic, Phoenix is carrying a plethora of instruments. The robotic arm, equipped with camera and a soil collector, capable of digging down to 0.5 m below the surface and scooping the soil to bring it onboard and into a TEGA. With built-in ovens and a gas analyzer, the TEGA can heat soil and ice and sniff the resulting vapours for life-friendly elements.

The moment of Eureka has yet proved elusive, but the countdown has begun with the Phoenix turning up a promising lead when it uncovered, what scientists believe, are ice flecks in one trench and an icy layer in the other. Similarly, with the successful transfer of soil into the TEGA, the baking action has also started.

This is expected to help in identifying the basic ingredients that would allow life to prosper in the Martian arctic environment.

Most living things not only need water but also sunlight, oxygen and organic carbon to thrive. The range, however, has expanded with the recent discoveries of micro-organisms (also known as extreme life forms or extremophiles) trapped in unexpected nooks and crannies of the Earth, such as glaciers, volcanic vents and battery acid-like lakes.

Extreme conditions on the Earth replicate the harsh environment found on Mars. Mars is like a desert with no hint of water, although studies of rocks suggest the planet may have been wetter in the past.

Whatever the case, Phoenix is well equipped to unravel the mystery during its stay on Mars, which hopefully will extend halfway into the Martian winter. Also, the collective trio of Phoenix and the two rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, should be able to determine, once and for all, whether it would be prudent to continue exploring the Red Planet at such exorbitant costs or, without wasting any more time and effort, gainfully divert the ‘Earthly Resources’ elsewhere. SP — Air Marshal (Retd) V.K. Bhatia

InFocus

DIPLOMACY

Roughshod:

RussianStyle T

he Russians have done it yet again. In the line of fire this time around is the contract on the supply and subsequent licenced production of AL-55I engine at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Koraput for India’s Intermediate Jet Trainer (IJT) programme. Russian engine manufacturer NPO Saturn, maker of the AL-55I, has claimed that it has spent more time and money on developing the engine than it had bargained for, and that manufacturing technology will only be transferred to India if HAL pays it an extra $64 million (Rs 277 crore), over and above the contracted amount. In 2005, NPO Saturn had pipped French engine maker Snecma to the $350 million (Rs 1,515 crore) contract to design the AL-55I engine and transfer technology to India.

Dismayed, HAL’s design chief reportedly made a dash to Moscow to persuade NPO Saturn to reconsider its demands; highly unlikely, though, that the Russians would budge from their stand. Russia’s Ambassador to India Vyacheslav Trubnikov acknowledges that the company has asked for more money but makes light of the whole episode, saying, “I don’t think the question is extraordinary. Both sides are engaged in the fixing of the price. Discussions are in progress to determine how many engines India will be allowed to manufacture.” Considering the surfeit of ongoing defence deals with Moscow, worth a whopping $15 billion (Rs 60,000 crore) or more, the additional charges demanded by the Russians may not amount to much. What, however, is extremely disconcerting is the increasing inclination displayed by the Russians to alter and revise the original, signed and sealed firm contracts at their own discretion—that, too, midstream, leaving the Indians with little but a ‘Hobson’s Choice’.

Initial tremors were felt when the Russians hiked the price of the Gorshkov to nearly double the original contracted sum of $1.5 billion (Rs 6,485 crore) with the addition of an extra $1.2 billion (Rs 5,100 crore). Worse, the delivery schedule of the aircraft carrier—renamed Vikramaditya by the Indian Navy (IN)—slipped by three years to 2011. Significantly, this is not the only naval project that has run into stormy waters.

A similar refrain was repeated with respect to the delivery of three new frigates as well as a 10-year lease programme of an Akula Class nuclear submarine for the Indian Navy. Frustrated and furious, IN Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta had in a public outburst negated any scope for renegotiation on the Gorshkov price or delivery schedule, pointedly suggesting that Moscow’s demand for more money should make Delhi “think where our relations with Russia are headed”.

Russian roughshod rules have stung the Indian Air Force (IAF), too. First, in the Su-30 MKI deal, Moscow unilaterally altered the escalation clause by hiking it from 2.55 per cent

Dismay and debate is not just about the perceived arbitrary hike in cost, but encompass the larger spectrum of business ethics.

Here,the Russians are certainly found wanting in living up to promises.

to almost double at 5 per cent per year.

The next dealt with the purchase of 80 Mi-17 1V helicopters for the IAF. The contract was signed in March 2007 with a pricetag of $650 million (Rs 2,800 crore). Here, too, the price has been hiked to a staggering $1 billion (Rs 4,321 crore).

Touted as a unique contract in the recent history of India’s defence equipment procurement, in this case no global tenders had been floated. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) had decided purely on the basis of the IAF’s preference for this chopper based on the latter’s earlier experience, recording the purchase as a follow-on order. The rather unjust demand for more than a 50 per cent price hike by Russia’s Rosoboronexport has irked the MoD no end. Sources in the ministry go so far as to condemn it as a painful betrayal of trust. Latest unconfirmed reports suggest the matter may have been amicably resolved—but the scars irrevocably remain.

Prising open old wounds is the latest salvo from NPO Saturn on the AL-55I deal. Sources in HAL reconfirm that all issues, including those pertaining to costs, technology transfer and licenced-production, had been settled as part of the original contract between HAL and NPO Saturn. Top MoD brass is understandably furious at the latest development but grudgingly admit that even with the extra $64 million, NPO’s price will be less than what Snecma had quoted.

What is unnerving for the Indian establishment is the remarkable consistency with which Russia is making trash of contractual obligations in the ongoing deals for which there are no convenient exit options. Dismay and debate is not just about the perceived arbitrary hike in cost, but encompass the larger spectrum of the degree of ethics practiced in the conduct of business. Here, the Russian side is certainly found wanting in living up to its promises. So far as the AL-55I deal is concerned, good news is the first engine has already arrived and was successfully tested in a ground run at HAL. This engine will replace the earlier underpowered French Lazrac engine fitted on the prototypes and will be the standard engine for the production aircraft. This will also ensure that the IJT programme remains on track.

In the long run, however, India would have to find a firm ground while dealing with the Russians, and also, diversify. SP — Air Marshal (Retd) V.K. Bhatia Issue 6 • 2008

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RealityBytes

PHOTOGRAPH: PIB

Forum

DIPLOMACY

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hy is it that, of late, practically each and every Indo-Russian defence deal is caught in a quagmire of controversy? Arbitrary price escalation by Russia, as well as unacceptable time overruns in executing projects, have strained the special relationship that bound the two countries for the past half-a-century.

Memories of yesteryears recall the Cold War era, when reeling under the onslaught of the Chinese military actions in the early 1960s and rebuffed by the US due to its non-aligned policy, Delhi had no option but to turn to the erstwhile Soviet Union for weapons, and Moscow readily obliged—not merely by supplying defence equipment at ‘friendship prices’ but also adhering to a tenacious treaty of ‘strategic friendship’. Till now, the ties between the two have stood the test of time, even braving the tumultuous breakup of the USSR after it lost the Cold War to the US. India also absorbed the paradigm shift evident in the newly emerged Russian Federation’s style of conducting defence deals, whereby friendship prices replaced hard bargaining, and soft loans or barters gave way to payments in hard currency.

India did not flinch even when it got caught in an unsavory situation of grave spares shortage, in the aftermath of the disintegration of the Soviet Union. So deeply enduring was the special relationship that India continued to equip its armed forces with Russian equipment. Most notable was the acquisition/licenced-production of as many as 230 Su-30 MKI air dominance fighters for the Indian Air Force (IAF). Even in the now vastly changed global scenario and emergence of the US as a supplier of high-tech arms, India continues to be pretty much dependent on Russia for defence equipment. Just the ongoing deals are worth a staggering $15 billion (Rs 60,000 10

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Steeped in the communistic command economy for the better part of the last century, the Russians appear to be still grappling with the nuances of a“free market economy”— the opportunities it affords and the attendant responsibilities

crore) or more. Besides Gorshkov and associated weaponry, major deals include three new frigates and a 10-year lease of an Akula Class submarine for the Navy, induction of additional 350 T-90s main battle tanks for the army (eventually, with licenced-production in the country, the figure is likely to go up to 1,700) and, for the IAF in addition to the Su-30 MKIs, 80 Mi-17 IV helicopters, upgrade of the existing MiG-29 fleet, plus additional Il-78 flight-refuellers and Il-76 Airborne Warning and Control Systems. As if this were not enough, amidst the ongoing Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) acquisition programme and developing its own Light Combat Aircraft and Medium Combat Aircraft, India also signed a $5billion (Rs 21,500 crore) deal with Russia to jointly develop and produce the PAK-FA Fifth Generation fighter aircraft.

With so much going for the Russians, why must they indulge in, what many say, tantamount to unethical business practice?

One view is that decades of near monopoly over the Indian defence market has led to aggressive behaviour of the most arbitrary and inexplicable nature in the Russians. Industry observers are of the opinion that the perception of India being a solely captive and dependent customer of its defence equipment might have triggered the sudden and rather harsh disposition from Russia, making it indulge in unwarranted hike in prices, that too after contracts have been signed and projects duly commenced.

“So long as cost escalation remains within the limits spelt out in the contract, there is no issue. However, in the case of major contracts for weapon systems with Russia in recent times, the demanded cost escalation apparently bears no respect for the terms of contract,” points out Air Marshal (Retd) B.K. Pandey, former Air Officer Commanding in Chief, Training Command.

FORUM DIPLOMACY Most telling is the whopping $1.2 billion (Rs 5,100 crore) demand over and above the agreed amount of $1.5 billion (Rs 6,485 crore) towards refitting of the Gorshkov, including the induction of aircraft, such as MiG-29K jet fighters and Kamov helicopters, and weapon systems. Further, a steep hike from 2.55 per cent to 5 per cent in the annual inflation pertaining to the Su-30 MKI deal and the hike in price from $650 million (Rs 2,800 crore) to $1 billion (Rs 4,300 crore) for the 80 Mi-17 IV have stunned and dismayed the Indian establishment. Former Chief of Army Staff General (Retd) Shankar Roychowdhury observes, “Defence relationships are purely commercial and any breach of contract has to be penalised. A signal can also be conveyed that Russia’s track record in the ongoing projects puts the Russian bid (MiG-35) for the IAF contract for 126 MMRCA in jeopardy.”

Quelling apprehensions, Air Chief Marshal (Retd) S.P. Tyagi, former Chief of the Air Staff, IAF, says, “Factors dictating cost hikes and increase in base price—like inflationary rate and rupee-dollar/rouble-dollar exchange rates—are complex and highly variable in nature. In the recent past, we have seen a massive devaluation of the US dollar, necessitating a review of some agreed escalation rate. In any case, for the Su-30 MKI deal, for one whole year India and Russia went hammer and tongs to finally arrive at the cost prior to signing the agreement.

Agreed there has been a hike in “PUTTING THE BLAME ENTIRELY ON RUSSIA WOULD, IN MY OPINION, BE FOOLHARDY. ONE MUST REMEMBER THAT WHILE EVERYONE ELSE IS WILLING TO SELL, RUSSIA IS THE ONLY ONE TO HAVE OFFERED INDIA THE OPPORTUNITY TO CO-DESIGN AND CO-DEVELOP THE PAK-FA FIFTH GENERATION AIRCRAFT.” — AIR CHIEF MARSHAL (RETD) S.P. TYAGI, FORMER CHIEF OF THE AIR STAFF

explanation or compensation. Sounding a pragmatic note, Air Chief Marshal (Retd) Tyagi, however, feels several factors can contribute towards delays. “When talking of delays in deliveries, the fault may lie with the Original Equipment Manufacturer or could be for other reasons. For instance, the Su-30 MKI project was delayed because many items were to be supplied

by India and we were unable to do so in time,” he points out.

So despite the perceived high-handedness, why does India display a debilitating déjà vu in its perseverance to continue associating with Russia—be it for the Fifth Generation PAKFA, engines for the Intermediate Jet Trainer programme or the joint development of a medium lift military transport aircraft?

“We have only ourselves to blame for our predicament,” says General (Retd) Roychowdhury, “because even today, a subconscious nostalgia about the ‘friendship days’ of the Soviet Union still remains, and we think that Putin’s Russia (de facto) still shares the same ‘special relationship’ with India.” Asserting that “those days” are gone and it is a whole new world now, the former Army Chief points out, “Russian defence technology may be well proven and time-tested but Moscow needs to be told that its current record will put the PAK-FA Fifth Generation fighter project in grave jeopardy unless matters are rectified.”

The truth, as in most cases, lies somewhere in between. “The Rus“DEFENCE RELATIONSHIPS ARE PURELY COMMERCIAL AND BREACH OF CONTRACT HAS TO BE PENALISED. A SIGNAL CAN ALSO BE CONVEYED THAT RUSSIA’S TRACK RECORD IN THE ONGOING PROJECTS PUTS THE RUSSIAN BID (MIG-35) FOR THE IAF CONTRACT FOR 126 MMRCA IN JEOPARDY.” — GENERAL (RETD) SHANKAR ROYCHOWDHURY, FORMER CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF

“THE RUSSIANS WILL UNDOUBTEDLY REFINE THEIR ARITHMETIC IN DUE COURSE AND PERHAPS IN THE NEXT ROUND, FOR RUSSIAN EQUIPMENT,

price, but the reasons thereof have sians will undoubtedly refine their INDIA MAY HAVE TO PAY HIGHER THAN FANCY WESTERN PRICES. UNDER THESE CONDITIONS, THE WESTERN OPTION MAY, IN THE FINAL been argued and debated, and unarithmetic in due course and perANALYSIS, PROVE TO BE MORE COST-EFFECTIVE AND LESS TRAUMATIC.” doubtedly heavily bargained.” On haps in the next round, for Rus— AIR MARSHAL (RETD) B.K. PANDEY, FORMER AIR OFFICER COMMANDING IN CHIEF, TRAINING COMMAND the Mi-17 IV deal, he adds, “The sian equipment, India may have contract is yet to be signed and as to pay higher than fancy western such it would be irrelevant to talk prices. Under these conditions, about cost hike. But even so, one must consider whether the the western option may, in the final analysis, prove to be version of Mi-17 being offered to India comes with the latest more cost-effective and less traumatic,” says the former Air avionics and fitments, over and above the standard model. If Officer Commanding in Chief, Training Command. Steeped we don’t like the price, we can reject the offer.” in the communistic command economy for the better part While the MoD is justifiably peeved, what could be the dif- of the last century, Russia appears to be still grappling with ficulties in the Russian camp? “For over seven decades, the the nuances of a “free market economy”—the opportunities it erstwhile USSR followed a highly regimented centrally con- affords and the attendant responsibilities. That, to an extent, trolled economic system,” explains Air marshal (Retd) Pandey. explains the abrupt behaviour and arbitrariness on the com“The Russian economy was completely isolated from global mercial side of the defence deals. As Air Chief Marshal (Retd) market forces and political expediency—rather than profit- Tyagi reasons, “Putting the blame entirely on Russia would, ability—was the overriding consideration. It is possible that in my opinion, be foolhardy. One must remember that while in the initial quotes by Russia for recently concluded deals, everyone else is willing to sell, Russia is the only one to have whether for a new system or upgrade, the staff might have re- offered India the opportunity to co-design and co-develop the sorted to the use of inflexible outdated templates, totally inad- PAK-FA Fifth Generation aircraft.” equate to cope with the financial dynamics of global currency Nevertheless, Russia must also realise that India cannot markets and mega deals running into billions of dollars. forever abide by the ‘mafia’ style of functioning adopted by its Yet another disturbing factor is the inevitable delay in deliv- defence companies and associated state departments. At the ery plaguing almost all the projects associated with the Russia end of the day, only ethical business is good business. SP who, to add insult to the injury, has not been forthcoming with — Air Marshal (Retd) V.K. Bhatia Issue 6 • 2008

SP’S AVIATION

11

PHOTOGRAPHS: SP GUIDE PUBNS

FACE TO FACE

AIR MARSHAL P.V. NAIK

‘Imperative for the IAF to emerge an

Aerospace Force’ Crowning a distinguished career spanning 38 years with the Indian Air Force,Air Marshal P.V.Naik took over the mantle of the Vice Chief of Air Staff on January 1.

In an extensive interview to SP’s Editor-in-Chief Jayant Baranwal and Senior Visiting Editor Air Marshal (Retd) V.K. Bhatia,Air Marshal Naik outlines his hopes and aspirations for the force.

SP’s Aviation (SP’s): In recent years, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has emphasised on strategic reach, precision strike and all-weather capability. What is being done to achieve these capabilities in qualitative and quantitative terms?

Vice Chief of Air Staff (VCAS): The IAF is building its capabilities based on its perceived future requirements and role. In this, we are looking at the relevant technologies, keeping in mind economic realities and budgetary constraints. Our acquisition plans are tailored to provide us key future capabilities of strategic reach, employing space capability. We have already made a beginning with induction of long-range aircraft, aerial refuellers and will shortly be getting the Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS). All combat jet fighters acquired in the future will have the capability to be refuelled in flight. Improved surveillance is also around the corner, with the Aerostats, AWACS and new radars. We also require weapon systems which are precise as well as capable of long and ‘Beyond Visual Range’ engagements. Besides strategic reach, we need to build up necessary capabilities for utilisation of space-based assets for our nation’s security.

SP’s: Each service has professed interest in acquiring Network Centric Warfare (NCW) capabilities. What is being done to meet the requirements in this regard?

VCAS: NCW is an operational concept that derives its synergy power from effective linking of dispersed ‘Knowledge Entities’. Towards achieving this capability, IAF is acquiring AWACS, Operational Data Link and Integrated Air Command and Control System, and fusing detection for multiple sensors to develop a common Air Situational Picture in real time.

12

SP’S AVIATION

Issue 6 • 2008

SP’s: The IAF’s new Air Power Doctrine stresses on ‘Parallel War’ and ‘Effect-based Operations’. Do these mesh with the joint tri-service doctrinal concepts, including the Indian Army’s ‘Cold Start’ concept?

VCAS: We are already geared up to meet the requirements of the ‘Cold Start’ doctrine. IAF today follows an effect-based approach rather than a numerical approach. Technology now permits parallel warfare, which allows simultaneous engagement of a number of targets in a well-orchestrated manner.

SP’s: Is the IAF looking to augment the capabilities of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) as force multipliers? Any plans to integrate UAV operations in a tri-service scenario?

VCAS: The UAV is a potent force multiplier with unique characteristics, which can enhance our operational capability and preparedness by optimally integrating the existing resources.

The IAF has been the pioneer in operational exploitation of the

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FACE TO FACE AIR MARSHAL P.V. NAIK UAVs and is integrating these with a variety of weapon platforms. We have plans to upgrade these platforms as well as induct more UAVs with enhanced capabilities and performance.

The three services have successfully inducted and are operating UAVs for the past few years. Proactive steps towards sharing of maintenance facilities and calibration facilities have been initiated.

SP’s: The IAF is inducting more Su-30 MKI aircraft. What are the primary and secondary roles being assigned to the fleet?

VCAS: Technology plays a major role in capability assessment of an aerospace power. The Su-30 MKI is a multi-role aircraft which can be used in air defence (AD) and ground attack roles and, more importantly, in a mix of both roles.

This will enhance the IAF’s capability both in offensive and defensive roles. Quantitatively and qualitatively, induction of Su-30 MKI, along with the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) and Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA), will offset the force draw down due to phasing out of ageing fleets.

SP’s: What is the progress on the 126-aircraft MMRCA deal for the IAF? VCAS: Technical Evaluation Committee for the MMRCA is in progress. The time frames being considered are as per Defence Procurement “Besides Policy 2006.

material. In both the countries, the IAF was the first to deliver much needed relief materials.

SP’s: The IAF, through its Western Air Command, has reportedly reopened the Daulat Beg Auldi (DBO) airstrip in the Aksai Chin for fixed-wing operations. Are there similar plans to reactivate other airstrips, such as Chushul and Fukche?

VCAS: The IAF has successfully carried out fixed wing trial landing at DBO airstrip and for now, it is suitable for use only in emergency. For routine operations, this airstrip would have to undergo some restoration work. We would explore the option of activating other airstrips in the area depending on our operational requirement.

SP’s: The IAF’s AD environment—low level radar surveillance or surface-to-air missiles—has reportedly been hit by obsolescence. Is there any plan to acquire additional Aerostat radars to beef up its existing tethered surveillance capabilities?

VCAS: The IAF is in the process of acquiring radars in various categories. Two Aerostat systems have already been procured and installed. The induction of AWACS later this year will significantly enhance our AD capability. Regarding surface-to-air guided weapons, a two-pronged strategy is in place: upgradation and procurement.

strategic reach, the IAF needs to build up necessary capabilities for

SP’s: With the IAF laying stress on acquiring Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities for war fighting, what type of equipment and platforms are being considered for procurement?

VCAS: ISR equipment/platform must have multi-spectral capability with adequate nation’s operational infrastructure to analyse and transmit the data in real time. The need for surveillance by day/night from standoff ranges with metric/sub-metric resolution would dictate the build up of satellite and UAV based capability, besides induction of multi-spectrum reconnaissance/surveillance capability aircraft. Our country already has adequate commercial spacebased remote sensing capability and the IAF is subscribing to this source as well for meeting its ISR requirements.

utilisation of space-based assets for our

SP’s: Have the IAF and the Indian Army gone hand-in-hand for the new request for proposal (RFP) for procurement of light utility helicopters? Does the navy have similar plans?

VCAS: The Defence Acquisition Council has granted Acceptance of Necessity for the procurement of light utility helicopters. The RFP for combined requirement of the IAF and the Indian Army is likely to be issued shortly. We are not aware of any plans by the navy in this regard.

SP’s: The IAF recently did a remarkable job in providing succour to people severely affected by natural calamities in Myanmar and China. What kind of assistance was provided?

VCAS: We provided assistance to Myanmar and China by airlifting relief material, like medicines, tents, food, blankets and sleeping bags. The IL-76 and An-32 transport aircraft flew about 150 hours, airlifting close to 450 tonnes of relief 14

SP’S AVIATION

Issue 6 • 2008

security.”

SP’s: Proposed acquisition of the Super Hercules will provide great boost to the IAF’s air transportation capabilities. What kind of operations are being envisaged for these aircraft?

VCAS: The IAF is in the process of acquiring six C-130J (Hercules) aircraft from the US to utilise in special operations.

SP’s: What is the future of the Tejas?

VCAS: Development of the LCA, though initially delayed, has picked up momentum and we expect it to be inducted into the IAF soon. The LCA is expected to achieve Initial Operational Clearance in 2010.

SP’s: Has the final choice been made on the engine to power the LCA? What is the future of the indigenous Kaveri?

VCAS: The LCA is being powered by the GE404-IN-20 engine.

For the Kaveri, the possibility of a joint venture for co-development and co-production of the engine is being explored.

SP’s: Will the IAF be a part of the ISRO announced plans to undertake manned space flight in a decade or so?

VCAS: Space offers a number of war winning capabilities, like near instantaneous communications, continuous surveillance and highly accurate navigation. In the context of the IAF, the emphasis would be on ‘Force Enhancement’ missions. In keeping with the revolution in technology, it is now imperative that the IAF transform itself into an Aerospace Force, as space is a seamless extension of the third dimension and has now been universally acknowledged as the new ‘high ground’ to dominate the battlefield. The IAF is very much a part of India’s manned space programme. Its expertise would be used for selection and training of crew, as also for designing the life support systems of the space capsule. SP

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JET ENGINES

PHOTOGRAPH: PRATT & WHITNEY

C O V E R

S T O R Y

MILITARY

Stealth PEED

&

By Air Marshal (Retd) V.K. Bhatia

Advent of the gas turbine engine—commonly called a ‘jet’ engine—ushered in a revolution in aviation almost as vital as the Wright Brothers’first flight Story on Page 18

16

SP’S AVIATION

Issue 6 • 2008

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MILITARY

PHOTOGRAPH: USAF

I

JET ENGINES

F NECESSITY BE THE MOTHER OF INVENTION, little wonder then that the jet engine to power the military fighter aircraft got invented around World War II. In their quest to fly higher and faster, designers of fighter aircraft hit a dead end with the propeller-driven piston-engined aircraft whose speed remained restricted in the vicinity of 500 mph. It was realised that if the aircraft performance were ever to increase, a way would have to be found to radically improve the design of the piston engine—or, alternatively, a wholly new type of power plant would have to be developed. The latter proved to be an easier option with the advent of the gas turbine engine—commonly called a ‘jet’ engine—which, as the events unfolded, would usher in a revolution in aviation almost as vital as the Wright Brothers’ first flight.

Earlier attempts at jet engines gave birth to hybrid designs in which an external power source was used to first compress the air, which was then mixed with fuel and burned to produce jet thrust. However, the key to a practical jet engine was the gas turbine, which was used to extract energy from the engine itself to drive the compressor. While some pioneering work was reported in the early 20th century, it was the First World War and the looming clouds of the Second World War that lent momentum to the research work in this field.

In 1928, RAF College Cranwell cadet Frank Whittle formally submitted his ideas for a turbojet which he developed further to bring out a patent.

Whittle failed to enthuse the British government about his invention, and development continued at a slow pace. However, across the English Channel a different story was being enacted in Germany. Hans von Ohain, working on a similar contraption, was introduced to Ernst Heinkel, one of the most notable aircraft industrialists of the day, who immediately saw promise in the design. Under Heinkel’s patronage, Ohain’s efforts ultimately culminated in the design of HeS 3 (5 kN) jet engine which was fitted to Heinkel’s simple and compact He 178 airframe and flown on August 27, 1939. The He 178 was the world’s ‘first jet plane’. Meanwhile, Whittle’s engine was starting to look useful. In 1941, in the thick of the Second World War, a flyable version of his engine called the W.1 (4 kN), was fitted on the Gloster E28/39 airframe specially built for it, and first flew on May 15 of the same year at RAF Cranwell.

Emerging trends would have one believe that future jet engines would have all or most of the attributes, such as greater power with vectored thrust and super-cruise capabilities

18

SP’S AVIATION

THE EVOLUTION

One of the earliest commercially mass-produced ‘straight through’ version of the centrifugal jet soon after the war ended was the de Havilland Goblin which powered the twin-boomed Vampire fighter aircraft. A large number of these aircraft were also acquired by the then fledgling Indian Air Force (IAF) in the post-Independence era of early 1950s. The author recalls having flown more than 200

Issue 6 • 2008

THE THRUST FACTOR: GE / ROLLS-ROYCE F136 ENGINE

hours on the Vampire aircraft, riding on the Goblin engine.

One big problem with the early so-called ‘centrifugal-flow’ engines was that due to the technological constraints of the time, the power output or thrust generated could not go beyond certain limits. This problem was addressed with the introduction of the axial-flow compressor, which is essentially a turbine in reverse. Air coming in front of the engine is blown rearwards by rotor blades (converging ducts), where it is crushed against a set of non-rotating blades called stators (divergent ducts). Germany was the first to sufficiently master the axial-flow compressor technique and began to mass produce the resulting engine named Jumo 004 in 1944 as a powerplant for the world’s first jet fighter aircraft, the Messerschmitt Me 262 (and later the world’s first jet bomber aircraft, the Arado Ar 234). But, for a variety of reasons, these aircraft arrived too late to decisively impact Germany’s position in World War II. Nonetheless, these will be remembered as the first use of jet engines in service.

After the war, the German jet engine technology was extensively studied by the victorious allies and contributed heavily on early US and Soviet jet fighters. Although German designs were more advanced aerodynamically, the simplicity of design and advanced British metallurgy meant that Whittle-derived designs were far more reliable than their German counterparts. British engines were also licence-manufactured in the US as well as sold to the USSR who reverse engineered them with the Nene engine going on to power the MiG-15 of the ‘MiG Alley’ fame during the Korean War. By the 1950s, the jet engine was almost universal in combat aircraft and piston engines were confined to powering cargo, liaison and other special duty aircraft. Even here, improvements in the turboprop (a jet engine with propeller/s) pushed the piston engine out of the mainstream, leaving it to power only the smallest general aviation designs and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). By the 1960s, all large civilian aircraft were also jet powered. But it was not till the 1970s when, with the advent of high bypass jet engines, fuel efficiency exceeded that of the best piston and propeller engines, heralding the era of fast, safe and economical travel for general public.

MILITARY JET ENGINES

From the earliest 4 to 5-kN thrust to the present day 150-kN+ thrust, with afterburning and variable-thrust, sporting multistage compressors and turbines, and powerful enough to supercruise in dry power, it has indeed been a highly challenging

MILITARY

JET ENGINES

and very interesting journey for the military chamber without the turbine blades melting. This The key to jet engines. The earliest mass-produced jet meant the whole compressor-combuster-turbine a practical engines were predominantly centrifugal-flow setup in the core of the engine provided hardly jet engine engines which powered the aircraft of the any power, and the Blackbird flew predominantly was the late 1940s and early 50s, such as the British on air bypassed straight to the afterburners, form, Vampire, French Ouragan or Mystere, Rusing a powerful ramjet effect. No other aircraft did sian MiG-15 and the first US operational jet this including the competing Soviet aircraft, the which was used fighter, the P-80. to extract energy famous MiG-25 Foxbat. The so-called tri-sonic With advancements in metallurgy and aircraft, MiG-25 was built around its two massive from the engine other engine technologies, the inherent adTumansky R 15(B) turbojet engines. Although the itself to drive vantages of the axial-flow engines made available thrust was sufficient to reach M 3.2, the the compressor them the first choice for jet fighter designers. engine design not having the same features as The world famous Sabre jet (F-86 series) was the Blackbird’s J 58s, a limit of M 2.8 had to be equipped with the General Electric J47—the imposed on the aircraft to prevent supposed total first axial-flow turbojet approved for comdestruction of the engines due to overheating of mercial use in the US. Between 1946 and the turbine blades.

1956, as many as 7,800 Sabre jets were produced which gave it the distinction of the most mass-produced THE CURRENT SCENARIO western jet fighter. General Electric, meanwhile, produced a At present, use of jet engines in one form or the other is all staggering 30,000 J47s which went on to power not only the but universal in military aircraft. Exceptions are in the case Sabres but different types of aircraft in single and multi-engine of some specialised platforms for specific tasks, such as UAVs. configurations.

Here too, some of the bigger High Altitude Long Endurance Eruption of Cold War between the two power blocs—West- (HALE) types of UAVs and newly developed UCAV combat platern & Eastern—resulted in an unprecedented arms race, which forms are converting on to jet engines. While advanced models also gave catalytic push to ever faster fighters and bombers. The of turbojets are being used for the jet fighters, turboshafts are jet engines also went through metamorphic changes in com- commonly used on the military helicopters and some military plexities and capabilities. More and more powerful turbojets transporters use turboprop engines. (See table on page 20.) were introduced to expand the speed and altitude envelopes.

Practically all the frontline fighters of the world use turboThe Super Sabre, first of the 100 series US fighters was also fan jet engines, with a combination package of fan plus axial the first US fighter capable of supersonic flight in level flight. flow compressors in varying numbers. Practically all of them By this time, augmented thrust technique had been invented have afterburners (augmented thrust), with the latest techthrough the use of afterburners. Soon, ‘Mach 2’ fighters were nology of vectored thrust being introduced in some of them vying for superiority on both sides of the Atlantic. The English to greatly enhance aircraft manoeuvrability. In this category Electric Lightning was perhaps the only aircraft in the world to come the engines fitted on the US F-22A Raptor (F119-PWhave ‘one on top of the other’ twin engine configuration with 100), the Russian Su-30 MKI, being operated by the Indian Air its Avon 301R afterburning engines. The other notable Mach 2 Force (AL-35F) and the proposed RD-33MK thrust-vectoring fighters of the era were the US F-104 Star Fighter and the fa- engines for the under development MiG-35. The latter aircraft mous Mikoyan design of the Soviet bloc—the MiG-21—which is on offer to meet the IAF’s requirement of 126 Medium Multiearned the sobriquet of the most mass-produced jet fighter in Role Combat Aircraft. the world, with more than 10,000 variants taking to the skies.

A somewhat novel engine design technology has been inAmong the early jet engine designs there is one particular corporated in powering the latest US Fifth Generation stealth engine which stands out as a pièce de résistance or an en- joint strike fighter (JSF), the F-35 Lightning. The JSF is being gine extraordinaire—the Pratt & Whitney J58-P4, fitted on the developed in three versions—F-35A, land-based conventional 1960s US skunk-work design SR-71 Blackbird Mach 3 strate- take-off and landing (CTOL), F-35B short take-off and vertical gic reconnaissance aircraft. The J58-P4s were the only military landing (STOVL) and the F-35C carrier-based CTOL (CV) verengines designed at the time which could operate continuously sion. Two different engines are being developed for the F-35: on afterburner, and actually became more efficient as the aircraft went faster. Each J58 could produce 145 kN of static thrust. The J58 was unique in that it was a hySETTING POWER STANDARDS: brid jet engine. It could operate as a regular turbojet at SNECMA M-88 THAT POWERS RAFALE low speeds, but at high speeds it became a ramjet.

At lower speeds, the turbojet provided most of the compression and most of the energy from fuel combustion. At higher speeds, the turbojet throttled back and just sat in the middle of the engine as air bypassed around it, having been compressed by the shock cones and only burning fuel in the afterburner. At around Mach 3, the increased heating from the shock cone compression, plus the heating from the compressor fans, was already enough to get the core air to high temperatures, and hardly any fuel could be added in the combustion

PHOTOGRAPH: SP GUIDE PUBNS

gas turbine

Issue 6 • 2008

SP’S AVIATION

19

MILITARY

JET ENGINES

MILITARY JET FIGHTERS & ENGINES User Country/ Service

Aircraft

Engine Manufacturer

Engine(s)

US/ USAF US/ USAF

F-15E

Pratt & Whitney

F-16

Pratt & Whitney Or

*Compressor Arrangements

Bypass Ratio

Thrust

2 x F100-PW-229

3F, 10A, a/b

0.36

129.5 (29,100)

1 x F100-PW-229

3F, 10A, a/b

0.36

129.5 (29,100)

kN **(lb st)

Or

General Electric

1 x F100-GE-129

3F, 9A, a/b

0.68

129.0 (29,000)

US/USN

F/A-18 E/F

General Electric

2 x F414-GE-400

3F, 7A, a/b

NA

97.9 (22,000)

US/USAF

F-22A Raptor

Pratt & Whitney

2 x F119-PW-100 Advanced technologies turbofans with two dimensional thrust vectoring

3F, 6A, a/b

0.45

155.6 (35,000)

US/USAF, USN

F-35A

Pratt & Whitney

1 x F135 advanced technologies turbofan

3F, 6A, a/b

0.57

177.9 (40,000)

UK/RAF

Eurofighter

Eurojet

2 x EJ200 advanced technology turbofans

3F, 5A, a/b

0.4

90.0 (20,250)

France/FAF

Rafale

Snecma

2 x M 88-2E4

3F, 6A, a/b

0.25

75.0 (16,872)

India/IAF

Su-30MKI

Saturn

2 x Lyulka AL-35F (AL-31FM)

4F, 9A, a/b

0.57

122.6 (27,560)

India/IAF

Mirage 2000

Snecma

1 x M53P2

3F, 5A, a/b

0.35

95.0 (21,355)

India/IAF

MiG-29

Klimov

2 x RD-33

4F, 9A, a/b

0.49

814 (18,300)

China/PLAAF Pakistan/PAF

FC-1 or JF-17

Klimov

1 x RD-93 (derivative of RD-33)

4F, 9A, a/b

0.49

81.4 (18,300)

China/PLAAF

J-10

Saturn

1 x Lyulka AL-31FN

4F, 9A, a/b

0.57

122.6 (27,560)

Note: *Compressor Arrangements: F = Fan stages, A = Number of axial stages, a/b = afterburner or augmentor **lb st = pound static

the Pratt & Whitney F135 and the General Electric/Rolls-Royce F136. The STOVL versions of both powerplants use the innovative LiftSystem, patented by Lockheed Martin and built by Rolls-Royce.

Different from the preceding generation of STOVL designs (such as the Harrier), the LiftSystem is composed of a lift fan, driveshaft, clutch, two roll posts and a ‘3 Bearing Swivel Module’. The latter is a thrust vectoring nozzle which allows the main engine exhaust to be deflected downward at the tail of the aircraft. The lift fan near the front of the aircraft provides the counter-balancing thrust. Roll control during slow flight is achieved by diverting pressurised air through wing mounted thrust nozzles called Roll Posts. The F-35B is being developed to replace the US Marine Corps and the RAF/Royal Navy’s Harrier jump jets. Later on, the JSF versions will also replace the US Navy and US marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet fighters.

FUTURE TECHNOLOGIES & MANUFACTURERS

Which way are the technologies moving to meet the requirements of the NextGen fighter aircraft? There will be differing demands to suit different aircraft designs. But the emerging trends would have one believe that future jet engines would have all or most of the attributes, such as greater power with 20

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vectored thrust and super-cruise capabilities. In addition, stealth will start occupying the centre stage of design features which, apart from placement of engines on aircraft, will also have an impact on the air intake and exhaust designs. A case in point is the JSF F-35 Lightning II, whose engine will not only have durable stealth features but at 40,000+ lb st, would be the most powerful jet engine ever fitted on a fighter aircraft.

Design and development of jet engines is a highly technologically complex task, which explains why only a handful of manufacturers have been able to achieve global standards and stature. The prominent players in the field of jet engine manufacturing for military fighter aircraft include Pratt & Whitney, General Electric, Rolls-Royce and Snecma from the Western World whereas, Klimov and Saturn occupy the pride of place among the Russian manufacturers. The Chinese are also moving forward with their ‘WP’ series of jet engines but will take some more time to achieve the global standards. India, too, has been struggling for the past two decades to develop the Kaveri jet engine to power it’s indigenously designed Light Combat Aircraft. With success still eluding the scientists at the Gas Turbine Research Establishment, the initial production aircraft are being fitted with the imported 83.2kN (18,700 lb st) General Electric F404-GE-IN20 afterburning turbofans. SP

Today, combat means extreme environments.

Mountains, deserts, harsh terrain, unpredictable weather and visibility. There’s only one helicopter strong enough and tough enough to deploy forces, firepower and equipment under such extreme conditions; that’s Chinook. From high altitudes to high heat, day or night, in adverse weather, Chinook delivers what matters most—total confidence.

MILITARY

OPERATIONS

Lack of co-operation and coordination among India’s government departments has been commented upon frequently and the Kargil Review Committee was scathing in its indictment of intelligence agencies.Such a situation does not bode well for strategic reach mission.

StrategicREACH

A

By Air Marshal (Retd) Narayan Menon Bangalore

s the crow flies, the distance from Israel to Entebbe in Uganda is 4,000 km. On the night of July 3, 1976, four Israeli Air Force C130 Hercules transport aircraft carrying about 100 Israeli commandos took off from near Tel Aviv and flew a deception route to Entebbe covering a distance of nearly 5,400 km. The C-130s were followed by two Boeing 707 jets carrying a small ground operations command group and a medical team. The mission was to rescue the remaining 130 crew and passengers, mostly Israeli, of Air France Flight 139, an Airbus 300, which had originated from Lod in Israel and was on its way to Paris via Athens when it was hijacked.

The hijackers were supported by Ugandan military which was sympathetic to the Palestinian cause. Meticulously planned and executed, the mission’s completion saw 256 of the total of 260 passengers and crew either released or rescued, even as all seven hijackers were eliminated.

Another instance of Israel’s judicious employment of ‘strategic reach’ to protect its perceived national interest was the destruction of the Tammuz 1 (also known as Osiraq) nuclear reactor, located 18 km southeast of Baghdad. On June 7, 1981, the Israeli Air Force launched a strike with eight F-16 Fighting Falcons escorted by six F-15 Eagle aircraft. The mission flew 1,100 km through Jordan and Saudi Arabia before reaching the target. In a swift and devastating attack, the reactor was destroyed, crippling Iraq’s nuclear ambitions.

PHOTOGRAPH: SP GUIDE PUBNS & USAF

INDIAN OPERATION IN MALE

India showcased its strategic reach in 1985 when a group of terrorists besieged the island of Male, the capital of Maldives, in the Indian Ocean. Hulule, the island with the runway, is adjacent to Male and at a distance of 800 km from Thiruvananthapuram (TVM). On the morning of November 3, 1988, the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) heavy lift Il-76 squadron at Agra was put on alert as was a collocated para unit of the Indian Army. Finally, it was decided that two Il-76 aircraft carrying 400 para-commandos would land at Hulule. The plan was to fly from Agra to TVM and then to Hulule.

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At 1800 hours on November 3, the two Il-76 aircraft took off from Agra and landed at Hulule at 2150 hours, covering nearly 3,000 km. The para-commandos then got into action and secured the island of Hulule. After commandeering boats, the commandos set course for Male which, too, was secured. Many terrorists were captured; others attempting to flee on a ship along with some hostages were captured by the Indian Navy. Three more Il-76 aircraft landed at Hulule, the last one at first light on November 4. Fighter escort plans had to be shelved and Mirages that had flown into TVM the night before returned to their base in Gwalior. Speed, executed with an element of surprise, had clinched victory for the Indian armed forces. As in any operation, the post-mission debrief revealed procedures and actions that required improvement and resulted in refinements in the joint ‘out of area’ contingency plans.

THE BIG PICTURE

There is no agreed single definition of ‘strategic reach’. Simply put, strategic reach is the capability of the armed forces to conduct and/or sustain operations in areas well beyond the borders of the country. And it need not only be through employment of airpower. Britain’s hold over many countries in the 19th century was an outstanding example of strategic reach and it was accomplished entirely by employment of sea and naval power. But the loss of its empire and the ascendancy of air-power saw Britain downscale its strategic operations and USA became the dominant protagonist of strategic reach.

The US’ Strategic Air Command, being under the Army Air Forces at the end of World War II, was entrusted the mission “be prepared to conduct long range offensive operations in any part of the world, either independently or in cooperation with land and naval forces; to conduct maximum range reconnaissance over land or sea, either independently or in cooperation with land and naval forces; to provide combat units capable of intense and sustained combat operations employing the latest and most advanced weapons; to train units and personnel of the maintenance of all strategic forces in all parts of the world;

MILITARY OPERATIONS

DYNAMICS REDEFINED: EVEN THOUGH US MILITARY HAS UNDERGONE VARIOUS CHANGES, IT HAS CONTINUOUSLY HONED ITS STRATEGIC REACH CAPABILITIES

to perform such special missions as the Commanding General • Equipment commonality/compatibility with friendly Army Air Forces may direct”. The composition of the US miliforces if an inter-operability environment is envisaged. tary has undergone changes since that time and it is now expe• Combined training of select army, navy and air force perditionary in nature. But it has continuously honed its strategic sonnel to create special forces ‘in being’ to undertake reach capabilities. A military general sitting in the US obtains special operations/missions at short notice. high-resolution visuals of the battlefield in Afghanistan via sat• An interdisciplinary body comprising intelligence agenellite imagery, passes instructions that are bounced off another cies, scientists, geo-political analysts, military and other set of satellites to US warships in the Indian Ocean, which fire experts to maintain a continuous scan on emerging techa barrage of cruise missiles at targets in the area between Afnologies and suggest options to the political leadership ghanistan and Pakistan in an attempt to eliminate the al Qaeda during emergent or crisis situations. leadership tracked while using their satellite telephones. This is strategic reach in today’s environment.

HOME RUN Strategic reach is an outcome of national endeavour and it If India’s capabilities are assessed against these requirements, would be difficult to encapsulate all components of it. However, a mixed picture emerges. In the heavy air-lift category, there an analysis of successful strategic reach missions would reveal are a total of 17 Il-76 aircraft—14 with the IAF and three that all or some of the following capabilities/resources/assets with the Aircraft Research Centre. Six C-130 J Super Hercuare necessary, and this is not an exhaustive list: les configured to Indian specifications for special operations • Heavy air and sea-lift capability. Airlift capability is es- will be inducted shortly. The Il-78 tankers can be converted sential to transport the required payload of men and re- to the freighter role but heavy-lift missions will, in all probsources to the target destination within specified time- ability, come with tanker requirements also. In any case, the lines. Sea-lift capability is required for resupply. process of conversion is complex and best avoided. In a surge • Combat aircraft, tankers and long-range bombers. Air- situation, civilian airliners could be utilised, but it would be craft carriers and a blue water naval force. prudent to rely on organic military resources. Here it would • Airborne warning and control systems (AWACS) to pro- be worthwhile to recall that in 2005, China’s People’s Liberavide radar cover to own assets en route and over tar- tion Army Air Force placed orders for 68 Il-76 aircraft and get area.

30 Il-78 tankers to augment the country’s • Space-based assets for surveillance, heavy lift capability.

Simply put, strategic command & control and for sustaining India has combat aircraft and tankers. reach is the capability It is also getting set to induct 126 mediNet-centric operations.

• Bases in friendly foreign countries or um multi-role combat aircraft and will be of the armed forces bilateral agreements to use each othjointly producing Fifth Generation fighters. to conduct and/or ers facilities. The US and Britain mainThe tanker force will need augmentation sustain operations tained bases in Japan and Germany in the next decade; in the interim, buddy in areas and Washington still maintains them. refuelling is a viable option for long range Forces positioned at such bases can be missions. The Indian Navy is hampered by quickly deployed and supply managethe low availability of carrier-borne aircraft of the ment becomes relatively easier. and the second aircraft carrier is yet to be country.And it need • In the absence of such bases, a long commissioned. The navy is in the process not only be through range supply chain has to be estabof building up a blue water force but curemployment of lished, secured and sustained. The rent capabilities are a matter of concern.

Berlin Airlift, though necessitated for The country’s AWACS aircraft are yet to airpower. different reasons and under different be inducted and operationalised. Once the circumstances, is an example of a sucthree AWACS are received, it will take time cessful long range supply chain. for IAF personnel to achieve competency

well beyond the borders

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PHOTOGRAPH: EMBRAER

MILITARY OPERATIONS in operating the systems; till then, no alternative options are flow and technological progression is so dynamic that it is not available. Currently, there is a void in this capability. possible for a decision-making body to choose the optimum The need for space-based assets and Net-centric warfare from an array of alternatives without obtaining inputs from capability has been articulated by the three services, and specialists and experts. Some degree of transparency has to two earlier IAF Chiefs and the current CAS have emphasised be accepted, but this would be better than a decision taken in the urgency for setting up a tri-service aerospace command. secrecy by a small group. The December 24, 1999 hijacking However, there has hardly been any forward movement in of an Indian Airlines Airbus 300 Flight 814 en route to Delhi this regard. While Indian space scientists have achieved from Kathmandu is one example. The hijacked plane landed many successes, the benefits for the military have been few. in Amritsar, Lahore and Dubai before parking at Kandahar, AfChina has 10 or more military satellites in space, India has ghanistan. Playing to a gallery of emotionally charged relatives just one. Space-based assets are a crucial component of stra- of the passengers in the hijacked aircraft, India’s top decisiontegic reach missions and the setting up of an aerospace com- making body capitulated without considering the strategic opmand brooks no further delay. tions available or the consequences of capitulation. Post-KanIn a bold and far-sighted initiative, India in 2002 undertook dahar episode, the loss of lives and property due to terrorism the repair and rebuild responsibility for the airbase at Ayni, near and damage to credibility has been far, far greater than the Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan. Alarm bells immediately cost in lives India would have had to pay even if the rescue rang in Pakistan where newsattempt had been botched paper headlines screamed: at that time. This surrender ‘India extends strategic reach stood out in stark contrast to with Tajikistan base at Ayni, Israel’s handling of the Enbuilt by Indian engineers and tebbe incident. Unfortunately, capable of supporting fighter the situation has changed operations’. President Pervez little since then. The NationMusharraf was reported to al Security Advisory Board be taking up the matter with has been constituted and a Tajikistan government. The national security advisor apimpact of just this one base is pointed. But coordination is an example of how strategic still lacking in the higher echreach can alter regional powelons. Every agency is more er balances, though it is aninvolved in protecting its turf AN ORGANIC COMPONENT OF STRATEGIC REACH: EMBRAER’S ERJ 145 other matter that Russia, unwith embarrassing results.

PLATFORM HAS NOW BEEN SELECTED BY THE INDIAN DEFENCE RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATION FOR AEW&C PROJECT. (FULL STORY ON happy with Delhi’s perceived Recently, it was reported PAGE 41.) THE DEAL IS WORTH $210 MILLION (RS 905 CRORE). proximity with Washington, that on the eve of Manmohan THE EMBRAER 145 ISR IS SEEN HERE IN BRAZILIAN AIR FORCE’S COLOURS. has opposed any Indian miliSingh’s visit to a neighbourtary presence in its area of ining state, a top intelligence fluence. Bilateral agreements official briefed the Prime have been opposed by political parties in India. Inter-operabil- Minister on the host country’s leadership without the slightity clauses in military-to-military contracts have also been the est inkling of the latest shift in power dispensation that had victims of ideological mind-sets. ushered in a new administration, effectively rendering his version of the government setup null and void, and essenCONSTRAINTS & CONSIDERATIONS tially a thing of the past. Lack of co-operation and coordinaAt present, India does not have the wherewithal to secure and tion among the various government departments has been maintain a long range supply chain after the initial establish- commented upon frequently and the Kargil Review Comment through heavy airlift. Maintenance only by air would mittee was scathing in its indictment of intelligence agenbe prohibitively expensive as learnt from the experience in cies. Such a situation does not bode well for strategic reach Siachen. India needs to hasten induction and operationalisa- mission, where the highest levels of cooperation and trust tion of the aircraft carriers and a blue water naval force to be among various organs would be vital for success. able to sustain a long range supply chain.

India has the potential for strategic reach but some comCreation of an integrated defence staff, the tri-service com- ponents are not in place and some others are missing. Acmand at Andaman and Nicobar and the strategic forces com- quisitions are in the pipe-line or have been catered for in mand has given a fillip to joint training in the services but there future plans to fill the existing voids. Organisations organic is much ground to cover. Strategic reach missions would re- to the Indian state have to shed their ‘We know everything’ quire forces that have trained together for considerable lengths attitude and accept that in today’s environment of specialiof time to iron out differences that arise due to different back- sation and convergence, there are others who are better ingrounds. Equipment needs to be standardised and uniformity formed and knowledgeable. Co-operation and coordination established in procedures. The Indian soldier, sailor or airman are vital for acquiring strategic reach which is an outcome is essentially an intelligent being and can be melded to form a of national effort. formidable and pro-active force but the unspoken apprehenAn earlier IAF Chief had observed: “India has to forget sion frequenting the three services, that their personnel would geographical boundaries to protect its interests outside it.” lose identity, is holding back genuine joint training.

The intent to acquire strategic reach has been articulated.

In today’s world, generation of knowledge, information India has the potential. We now have to realise it. SP 24

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S

PECIAL REPORT

INITIATIVES

PHOTOGRAPHS: (ABOVE) H P GROLLEAU; (RIGHT) SP GUIDE PUBNS

French E xcruciatingly tedious pace adopted in the acquisition of 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) has come as a dampener for the Indian Air Force (IAF) faced with a steadily dwindling combat fleet. Impeded by innumerable delays and dithering, the deal finally gained some momentum in this its seventh year with the six contenders submitting their responses to the RFP well within the April 28 deadline. The race now effectively enters the next stage of technical and commercial evaluation. From the pace at which the process has moved thus far, it is difficult to estimate the time frame in which the IAF could have the MMRCA in operational service.

Quite au fait with the tardy decision-making process of the Indian government, Dassault, a long time partner with the IAF, has sprung a rather pleasant surprise, offering to supply—on fast track—40 of the new generation omnirole combat aircraft, the Rafale, as an interim solution to arrest the rapid erosion in combat potential. It is understood that India baulked at responding to this offer the last time it was made.

The aircraft on offer may have the French equivalent of the AESA radar which is currently under development. Besides, the Rafale is clearly a generation ahead of the two aircraft of US origin in the race for the contract— Boeing’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and Lockheed Martin’s F-16 Fighting Falcon. Although not explicitly stated, it would be reasonable to assume that the French offer is independent of the ongoing $10-billion (Rs 40,000 crore) MMRCA programme for which Dassault is one of the six contenders. But it can well serve as a stepping stone. Whether the Indian establishment is equipped to handle the dynamics of the new situation in the wake of the French offer at this juncture, is difficult to state with any degree of certainty.

Undeniable, however, is a certain degree of affinity IAF displays for French combat aircraft. The 60-odd Mirage 2000 procured in the 1980s proved to be the finest among the contemporary aircraft held on the inventory. This fleet will continue to serve with the IAF

Recipe

for at least another two decades after the proposed upgrade which is currently under negotiations. The IAF would have been satisfied with the newer version, the Mirage 2000-5 Mk II, to augment the fleet, but Dassault was not in a position to keep lines open indefinitely awaiting the Indian decision. Some years ago, Dassault had made repeated offers to transfer the Mirage 2000 production facility with international marketing rights. For some inexplicable reason, the offer was not accepted. Finally, the company opted to offer the Rafale instead as the MMRCA. French military hardware comes without any political strings attached.

In the emerging world order, weakening of the US, changing equations with Russia and the rising economic status, France perceives a new regional role for India. In this context, France is apparently looking at new opportunities to upgrade political and economic ties with the emerging regional power and replace Russia as an arms supplier. Even during the Cold War, India obtained French military hardware in sizeable quantities. It is only logical that any renewed effort at elevating and strengthening ties is accompanied by major arms deals which India is seeking and France is in a position to oblige. In any major acquisition, cost effectiveness rather than cost ought to be the more critical factor.

The French offer coming during the visit of the head of state President Nicolas Sarkozy in January must, therefore, be viewed as well beyond a simple commercial proposition. Support for India’s quest to develop nuclear energy to meet surging demand, driven by a resurgent economy and for ending nuclear isolation is evident in the French perspective of strategic partnership with Delhi. What should not be ignored is that the visit, characterised by bonhomie and optimism, came in the background of the abrupt termination of negotiations with EADS for the 197 Fennec helicopters for the Indian Army. In the interest of long term friendship, France graciously chose to put the abortive $600 million (Rs 2,500 crore) deal behind them. SP

France has offered to supply— on fast track—40 of the new generation Rafale as an interim solution to arrest the rapid erosion in combat potential

— Air Marshal (Retd) B.K. Pandey

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MILITARY

INDUSTRY

F/A-18

TIME-TESTED,

Future Perfect

PHOTOGRAPHS: BOEING

EYEING WORLD EXPORTS: F/A-18S AT LEMOORE NAVAL AIR STATION IN THE US. THE AESA RADAR (INSET) HAS ENHANCED THE CAPABILITIES OF THE FIGHTER, ENABLING IT TO EFFECTIVELY ADDRESS THE DYNAMISM OF FUTURE WARFARE.

E

volved from its predecessor, F/A-18 Super Hornet is a multi-role combat aircraft in the 30-tonne AUW Class with all the attributes of a Fourth Generation+ weapon system.The Block 2 offered to India—christened the F/A-18IN— includes a redesigned forward fuselage to accommodate the Raytheon APG79 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) fire control radar which not only provides much superior air-toair detection and tracking ranges but also higher resolution air-to-ground mapping at longer ranges.The cockpit is fitted with a colour digital map and the pilots are equipped with night-vision goggles.

On a tour of Lemoore Naval Air Station, US, SP’s Editor-in-Chief Jayant Baranwal (seen above as receiving the brief from an USN pilot) got to study the aircraft that comes fitted with new mission computers, fibre-optic network, Raytheon AN/ ASQ-228 ATFLIR targeting pod and Boeing joint helmet-mounted cueing system.The aircraft can also carry a plethora of NextGen weapons on its 11 weapon stations.These include the AIM-9X and AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, Harpoon, and SLAM/ SLAM-ER air-to-surface missiles plus JDAM and JSOW air-to-ground weapons.

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MILITARY INDUSTRY

‘A tactically superior combat capability for IAF’

Talking exclusively to SP’s Aviation Editor-in-Chief Jayant Baranwal,Michael E. Rietz,Boeing Programme Director–India, F/A-18 outlines the multiple roles and assets of the Super Hornet being offered to India AIRCRAFT OPERATIONAL ASPECTS

SP’s Aviation (SP’s): What are the main features/capabilities of the F/A-18IN Super Hornet being offered to the Indian Air Force (IAF) in response to the RFP for acquiring 126 Medium MultiRole Combat Aircraft (MMRCA)?

Michael E. Rietz (Rietz): The Super Hornet will provide the IAF a tactically superior and combat-proven multi-role combat capability. The Super Hornet’s exceptional warfighting capability is further enhanced by its renowned reliability, ease of maintenance, and exceptional operational availability—all of which contribute to its low Life Cycle Cost.

The Super Hornet includes the latest generation of military technologies. Key technologies, such as its advanced AESA radar, are operational today with the US Navy (USN), which will result in lower MMRCA programme development and schedule risks than other competing aircraft. A technology insertion plan for the Super Hornet will continue to be implemented by the USN to ensure continued combat excellence over its service life. India will have the opportunity to jointly participate with the USN in future technology upgrades. The Super Hornet will remain a highly capable and combat relevant asset in the USN force structure for the next 40 years, thereby ensuring the IAF availability of spares and repairables for long-term support.

Boeing and its industry partners will provide timely transfer of advanced manufacturing technologies and internationally recognised programme management practices to enable the successful licensed manufacture and on-schedule delivery of Super Hornets by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the MMRCA Lead Production Agency, to the IAF. Boeing and its industry partners commit to a 50 per cent direct offset programme that will provide Indian industry access to a wide variety of advanced aerospace technologies and offer its defence and aerospace industry the opportunity to establish meaning-

ful, long-term business relationships with the US industry.

SP’s: The IAF needs a Fourth Generation MMRCA. Does the F/ A-18IN truly lie in this category in respect of airframe, engine, avionics and weapon delivery capability in comparison with the contenders from across the Atlantic?

Rietz: A universally-accepted definition of what constitutes the various generational capabilities and technologies of military aircraft is ambiguous at best. It’s more relevant to talk about “capability” than “generations.” That said, with the USN’s planned technology insertion for the Super Hornet, known as the Flight Plan, the Super Hornet will remain at the leading edge of military technology and capability for many years to come. The Super Hornets in the fleet today are already equipped with many technologies and capabilities that are considered “next generation” by many competing aircraft. For example, Raytheon’s APG-79 AESA radar is operational with the USN today and is the latest generation of AESA technology flying on any aircraft in the world today and for many years to come. And many of the other advanced technologies that are operational on the Super Hornet today; such as higher order processing, computing and linking systems, networked targeting; are only long-term, developmental promises being made by many other aircraft manufacturers.

SP’s: There is some mention in the media that Boeing is offering an improved version (some say Generation 4.75) of Super Hornet to other countries in the near future. What are the important modifications being targeted to make this aircraft bridge the gap between Fourth and Fifth Generation?

Rietz: We are continuously evaluating emerging threats and customer requirements, and how we can improve the Super Hornet.

As those needs and threats evolve, we will work with our customers to ensure our products are relevant in countering those threats and meet customer requirements.

SP’s: How will the F/A-18IN differ from the standard F/A-18E/F currently in service? What is the most unique feature of the Super Hornet that sets it apart from the contemporary jet fighters worldwide?

Rietz: The F/A-18IN Super Hornet configuration that the USN has offered to India is based upon the USN’s F/A-18E/F Super Issue 6 • 2008

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MILITARY INDUSTRY Hornet and has been customised to meet the requirements set forth in the MMRCA RFP. The APG-79 AESA radar in the Super Hornet reflects the latest generation of radar technology. The APG-79 is in operational service today with the USN Super Hornets, thereby offering India a proven and low risk approach to this revolutionary military technology.

SP’s: What will be the network-centric capabilities of the Indian Super Hornet? Will it be compatible with the existing/in–thepipeline systems, such as the Indian Airborne Early Warning and Control (AWACS)?

Rietz: The Super Hornet has paved the way for the US military in the area of Network Centric Operations. The Super Hornet has demonstrated in combat the ability to receive tactical data and imagery from various off-board sources (AWACS, other fighter aircraft, ground troops, command and control facilities) and effectively present it to the pilot to maximise his situational awareness and enable him to execute the most effective attack, and survive. The Super Hornet is also able to obtain, process, and transmit data and imagery from its on-board sensors (for example, high resolution ground images generated by its AESA radar) and provide it via its high speed data link to other assets on the network.

avionics and airframe systems, results in lower life cycle costs over the aircraft’s life span, and makes the Super Hornet a very dependable and affordable combat fighter for the IAF. SP’s: Could you throw some light on the maintainability of the aircraft? Will the IAF be able to sustain a desirable serviceability figure of a minimum of 80 per cent? What kind of spares support will the IAF get throughout the service life of the aircraft to be able to do so?

Rietz: USN Super Hornet squadrons have frequently demonstrated operational availability in excess of 80 per cent. There is no reason why the IAF should not be able to sustain operational availability similar to that of the USN, assuming it exercises maintenance, spares, and repair practices comparable to how the USN supports and maintains its fleet of Super Hornets.

The USN and its Hornet Industry Supplier team continue to implement proven supply chain management solutions for spares, spares provisioning, spares inventory visibility, consumables and repairs. Teaming with industry to achieve supply chain performance and efficiency provides affordable readiness while reducing life-cycle cost over the aircraft’s Total Technical Life.

SP’s: Once inducted, the aircraft will remain on the inventory of the IAF for many deAIRCRAFT TECHNICAL ASPECTS cades. How will it be ensured that the IAF also benefits from all the future upgrades/ SP’s: How do the F/A-18IN’s Life Cycle Costs improvements which are envisaged and/or compare with that of the F-16 as both origicarried out on the aircraft? nate from the same continent? What is the exRietz: The USN plans to fly the Super Hortent of competition from the F-16, which, like net for at least the next 30-plus years in a in the the F/A-18, has an impressive record of capawide variety of multi-role combat missions. bility and reliability?

The USN’s long-term fighter force structure RFP, and provide the Rietz: A very large part of the Super Hornet’s includes Super Hornets and F-35Cs flying necessary technology appeal to the USN is operational availability side-by-side in peace time and in combat transfer to enable and low cost of ownership. In fact, the USN well into the 21st century.

HAL to deliver the and Boeing have worked together to design To ensure that the Super Hornet remains remaining 108 aircraft.” combat relevant for many years to come, the Super Hornet to be a fighter that won’t see a scheduled visit to a maintenance dethe USN has developed a technology inserpot any time during its 6,000+ hours design tion roadmap, known as the Super Hornet life. The alternatives offered by the Super Flight Plan, which defines the planned incluHornet’s competitors often require removing sion of a wide variety of advanced weapon, a fighter from service for months at a time sensor, and avionics technologies that will for major and lengthy structural refurbishbe retrofitted into the Super Hornet as they ment and other depot-level requirements, thereby increasing become available. The Super Hornet was specifically designed the cost of ownership and reducing its availability to the IAF’s with growth in mind, including unused space, electrical power, operational squadrons. and cooling to enable the insertion of those future technologies.

As an example, the Super Hornet’s two General Electric F414-GE-400 engines are a demonstrated model of performance THE RFP & CONTRACT and reliability. The F414 requires only minimal servicing and no scheduled maintenance to achieve its designed operating life of SP’s: Did the company experience any difficulty in preparing the 2,000 hours of operation between overhauls for the hot section response to the RFP? Is your offer likely to be financially competi(equaling 13 years of operations for an aircraft that is planned tive vis-à-vis the other aerospace majors in the fray? to fly 150 hours per year) and 4,000 hours of operation for the Rietz: The operational requirements, cost of ownership metrics, cold section (equaling 26 years of operations for an aircraft that transfer of technology (ToT) targets, and industrial offsets obligais planned to fly 150 hours per year). This long life, coupled with tions set forth by India in the MMRCA RFP reflect an aircraft that a modular engine design, provides an engine that is very reliable will meet the military needs of the IAF for many years to come and easy to maintain. Should an engine need to be replaced, Su- at a low cost of ownership with the necessary level of technolper Hornet ground crews can change it very quickly and easily. ogy to enable Indian industry to play a major role in the assemThis exceptional engine robustness, coupled with the demon- bly of the aircraft and the IAF to fly the aircraft with high levels strated reliability and ease of maintenance of the Super Hornet’s of operational availability. The Super Hornet proposal offered

“The USN and Boeing are prepared to deliver the first 18 aircraft to the IAF as per the delivery

schedule stipulated

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MILITARY INDUSTRY by the USN, Boeing, and the rest of the Super Hornet team is consistent with those challenging RFP requirements. The Super Hornet team looks forward to being invited to the Field Trials evaluation phase of the competition where it can demonstrate the advanced capabilities of the F/A-18 Super Hornet and how this proven multi-role combat fighter can bolster India’s military and industrial base.

SP’s: The MMRCA contract carries a huge 50 per cent ‘Offset Clause’. How do you propose to handle it and, along with the industry, will there be something special for the end user, that is, the IAF, also?

Rietz: While we acknowledge the complexities and challenges of India’s offset requirements, Boeing views it as an opportunity to bring long-term win-win business and industrial benefits to India and to Boeing. To date, Boeing has successfully met or exceeded more than $29 billion (Rs 1,25,045 crore) in offsets around the world, and we’re anxious to bring that same experience and the same results to India.

SP’s: As per the provisions of the contract, after the delivery of the first 18 aircraft, the remaining 108 are to be manufactured by HAL in India. What would be the level of technology transfer to India? Will it, for example, include the AESA radar technology and source-codes?

Rietz: The Super Hornet ToT associated with the Super Hornet co-production plan and maintenance plan is consistent with the requirements set forth in the RFP. Specific details related to the ToT associated with the AESA radar and software source codes will be subject to mutual agreements between the US Government and the Government of India.

SP’s: Would the deal with Boeing IDS for the F/A-18IN be laced with stringent end-use conditions and if so, what will be the nature of these conditions?

Rietz: Boeing is not in a position to be able to disclose the nature of any discussions that are currently taking place between the US Government and the Government of India on the subject of end-use conditions.

SP’s: In case of the MMRCA contract award going in favour of the Super Hornet, is there a possibility of immediate transfer of a squadron worth of aircraft from US reserves to the IAF to help arrest its dwindling assets? These could later be replaced by the newly manufactured aircraft.

Rietz: The IAF has expressed no interest to date in receiving used aircraft. In fact, the RFP specifically states that the aircraft that they are to receive in response to the MMRCA must have 100 per cent of their defined life available.

The USN and Boeing are prepared to deliver the first 18 aircraft to the IAF as per the delivery schedule stipulated in the RFP, and provide the necessary technology transfer to enable HAL to deliver the remaining 108 aircraft from kits provided by the USN and Boeing and/or indigenous parts from India industry. The IAF can have confidence in this delivery commitment as demonstrated by the fact that through April 2008 Boeing has delivered 100 per cent of the 350-plus Super Hornets to the USN on schedule to its original contract delivery plan, with 98 per cent of those deliveries actually occurring ahead of schedule.

Super Hornet deliveries to the USN are currently averaging twoplus months ahead of schedule.

SP’s: Of the six contenders, there are two single engine machines with considerably lower all up weight. Do you think comparing lightweight single engine combat aircraft with medium weight twin engine aircraft is like comparing apples with oranges?

Rietz: The only aircraft comparison that is relevant to the MMRCA competition is the degree to which each competing aircraft is able to meet the operational requirements set for the by the MoD in the MMRCA RFP. We are confident that the demonstrated multi-role combat capabilities and low cost of ownership offered by the F/A-18IN Super Hornet will be looked upon very favorably by the MMRCA evaluation team.

STRATEGIC ASPECTS OF THE DEAL

SP’s: Do you foresee any threat to the MMRCA deal from the Fifth Generation aircraft programme initiated as a joint venture project between Russia and India?

Rietz: No, our understanding is that these two programmes are distinct and fulfill separate IAF needs.

SP’s: The IAF will have a fleet of 230 Su-30 MKI. Do you feel that an aircraft like the F/A-18IN, whose capability and performance is only slightly lower, really has a place in the IAF? Rietz: The extent to which the Super Hornet will be a good fit for the IAF is indicative of the requirements set forth by the MoD in its MMRCA RFP. The Super Hornet is an extremely capable aircraft that offers exceptional reliability and ease of maintenance for low cost of ownership for the IAF. It will serve as an exceptional complement to the Su30 MKIs in the IAF.

“The Super Hornet will remain a highly capable and combat relevant asset in the USN force structure for the next 40 years, thereby ensuring the IAF

availability of spares and repairables for

long-term support.”

SP’s: With specific reference to the uncertainty over the Indo-US nuclear deal, would the deal with Boeing IDS for the F/A-18IN be well insulated against the fluctuation in relations between India and the US? Rietz: We are hopeful that both nations can see their way to resolving any remaining outstanding issues that stand between them and this historic accord. Boeing has been a strong supporter of this agreement. We believe the agreement is mutually beneficial and will strengthen ties and trade between the two countries. The breadth and scope of this relationship is larger than any one single issue and includes strong military-to-military ties as well as deep commercial relationships.

SP’s: How do you assess your chances of success in bagging the contract?

Rietz: We are confident that the Super Hornet is the winning solution for India because of its demonstrated multi-role combat capabilities, its demonstrated operational availability, its demonstrated low cost of ownership, and its commitment to the transfer of advanced military and industrial technologies. SP Issue 6 • 2008

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MILITARY

OPERATIONS

Where Eagles

DARE

What are the attributes of a military pilot?

Not just grit, determination and commitment to mission accomplishment even at the peril of one’s life,but also execution of the task in a cool,calm, collected and alert frame of mind.

By Air Marshal (Retd) V.K. Bhatia

FIRST INDO-PAK WAR, MAY 1948—The Indian Army garrison in Leh is in a grim and desperate situation, with Pakistani troops literally knocking at its doors from Khaltse in the Northwest and Khardungla in the Northeast. Reinforcement from the air urgent but the IAF’s only transporter, the DC-3 Dakota, is neither modified to fly at the en route heights nor equipped with deicing system.

Fully aware of the risks, Air Commodore (Baba) Mehar Singh lands his ‘Dak’ with army reinforcements at the improvised air strip at a height of 10,700 ft (at that time, the highest in the world). More sorties follow after the first historic attempt. Ladakh is saved.

SINO-INDIAN CONFLICT, NOVEMBER 1962—The Chinese declare a unilateral ceasefire after occupying large tracts of territory in the North East Frontier Agency. But in withdrawal, they leave a large number of wounded Indian soldiers who have to be heli-lifted from Tawang to Tezpur. Air Force Station Tezpur has newly inducted Mi-4s but hardly any trained pilots. The lone Flight Commander is down with raging fever but his is a life saving mission. He takes with him a brand new pilot officer (PO) posted to the collocated Toofani fighter 30

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MILITARY OPERATIONS squadron who has not even touched the flying controls of a helicopter, leave alone fly it. With super-Herculean effort he lifts the chopper past the ‘transition’, hands over the controls to the young PO, “Fly it like a conventional fixed wing aircraft and take me to Tawang”. “Yes, sir. But where is Tawang?” queries the PO. Looking at his now half-unconscious captain, he knows there will be no answer. Gingerly picking up a million-map from the floor of the cockpit, he orientates himself and map-reads his way to Tawang.

The 45-minute journey in a state of feverish slumber rejuvenates the ailing captain to a degree that he manages to land without any mishap at the high-altitude helipad. Mi-4 can take only nine passengers. But the line is long and time-criticality for evacuation is such that 18 seriously wounded soldiers come aboard. The overloaded Mi-4 is incapable of a hover take-off from that altitude. The captain lines up at the far end of the helipad, opens full power and sprints down the slope, flinging the heavily laden chopper into the yawning gap below. The plunge helps the chopper quickly pick up safe flying speed, preventing it from crashing into the valley floor (a ski-jump in reverse!). Evacuation is successful.

INDO-PAK WAR, 1971—In response to Pakistan General Yahya Khan’s declaration of war against India and the PAF’s pre-emptive strikes against IAF bases in the western sector on December 3, 1971, the IAF launches punishing across-the-board retaliatory strikes against major PAF bases. On a wintry evening on December 4, an Eagle formation of four Sukhoi-7 fighter bomber aircraft takes off from Rajasansi airfield at Amritsar and heads for the second time towards the target: a top secret PAF air base at Shorkot Road, tucked away deep inside the enemy territory.

Smug in the knowledge that the newly constructed air base is deceptively concealed, the enemy is taken by total surprise during the first forenoon strike by the same formation and pays a heavy price in terms of aircraft destroyed. Flying at ultra-low level in trying to once again approach their target stealthily, the Eagles, however, know that the enemy this time around would be better prepared. And so it is. Setting course from the Initial Point, they see the sky light up with ack-ack barrage over the target still 25 km away. It is like going to a wedding reception, albeit a lethal one, thinks Eagle One. However, undeterred by the enemy’s 100plus air defence guns, spewing their deadly ammo with tracers, he guides the formation for a pre-planned coordinated attack. “Pull up, pull up now!” he orders for the attack. So intense is the barrage that Eagle 4 is hit in the pull up itself, but the other three engage their respective ground targets successfully. Not only that, they gather again and turn around for the second attack which also goes through without any further mishap. On the return leg, the formation is engaged by the enemy’s Sabre interceptors lying in wait for the ambush. But once again, good evasive tactics and the now gathering darkness help the formation to evade the interceptors’ sidewinder missiles and make a successful get away. Eagle 4, who has to eject out of his crippled aircraft, later makes a bold attempt at breaking out of the enemy’s POW camp in Islamabad.

S

howcasing dare and rare ingenuity, the above narratives essentially refer to three types of Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots—fighter, transport and helicopter. The common thread linking all three is that they belong to the class of ‘military pilots’. What then are the attributes of a military pilot? Not just grit, determination and commitment to mission accomplishment even at the peril of one’s life, but also execution of the task in a cool, calm, collected and alert frame of mind. Sheer bravado alone does not spur the military flier to

achieve the assigned task, instead a lot of planning and training goes into preparing for a mission for execution in the most professional manner. Secondly, there is a substantial difference between military and civil aviation.

Civil aviation poses demands and challenges of a different nature. Not that the pilot of a civil airliner is any less professional, just that the requirements and environment of the job are starkly different. A scheduled civil flight is, what may be termed in the military parlance, ‘Route Flying’ that entails take-off from a well-equipped airport, climb, cruise and then descent along a set route in a premeditated and fixed manner, with the flight culminating on a set approach pattern and landing at another well-equipped destination airport. The flying, per se, is along a routine set pattern, with little or no room for deviation. Safety of pasTo be a military sengers and aircraft being of aviator, one has paramount importance, this type of flying is actually necesto have a burning sary in civil aviation to ensure passion for not standardisation and a safe just flying but also flying environment. These imfor meeting the peratives also dictate relentless technology upgrade and innovation encompassing all of the elements of civil aviation. military aviation Certainly, it would be incorrect to claim similar innovations are not being applied in the field of military aviation. But the demands and challenges of military aviation are much greater than civil aviation. Routinely operating in an hostile airspace, engaging in warfighting in conflict scenarios, flying with the minimum of aids and operating from semi-prepared airfields—all these and much more are part and parcel of a military aviator’s life. A military flier is trained to routinely take initiatives, including calculated risks, to cope with changing circumstances and operate in an environment studded with ‘Normal Operational Hazards’.

A case in point is the Leh landings. After ‘Baba’ Mehar Singh, IAF pilots have been routinely landing at Leh. But when the national air carrier contemplated commencing operations from Leh, quite a few of its pilots baulked at the idea of landing at this high altitude airfield, bereft of any worthwhile navigational or landing aids. The few daredevils who came forward were compensated with hefty allowances for every landing.

Compare this with the daredevils of a Cheetah unit wherein a single set of crew ferried out in just one day—and in the infinitely more demanding terrain of the northern Siachen Glacier—as many as 50 take-offs and landings in a rescue mission to bring back what remained of an army patrol that had got buried in an avalanche in its upper reaches. The prospect of any financial incentive had not even crossed their minds.

To be a good pilot, goes the popular belief, one has to be a born pilot. While that’s debatable, an inherent pilot’s aptitude is an imperative; the rest can be taken care of by systematic and meticulous training. But to be a military aviator, one has to have a burning passion for not just flying but also for meeting the multifarious challenges of military aviation. Significantly, a promotional hoarding in Delhi exhorts civilians to join the services with the solemn query, “Do you have it in you!?” SP

multifarious challenges

Issue 6 • 2008

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SHOW REPORT

BERLIN AIR SHOW

Green

Zoom in for a

Sky

PHOTOGRAPHS: ILA BERLIN/ALAN PEAFORD

As official partner country,India grabbed centrestage to showcase capabilities and attract business opportunities even as the organisers, German Aerospace Industries Association,claimed record sales with the spotlight firmly on innovations responsible for significant reductions in the emission of pollutants by aircraft

B

By Phil Nasskau, Berlin, Germany

erlin Air Show, ILA2008 did not disappoint. Showcasing a large influence from official partner country India, the skies above Berlin were criss-crossed by a variety of aerial versions—old and new. From the Dhruv-flying Sarang display team to a fine example of Messerschmitt’s Me-262 and a swift stop from an Antonov AN-124.

Germany’s Federal Chancellor Dr Angela Merkel inaugu33

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rated the six-day event on May 27 and undertook a 90-minute tour of the venue accompanied by the Indian Defence Minister, A.K. Antony, the German Federal Minister for Economics and Technology, Michael Glos, the Minister President of the Land Brandenburg, Matthias Platzeck, the Mayor of Berlin and Senator for Economics, Technology and Women, Harald Wolf, and the President of the Federation of German Industries, Jürgen Thumann.

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SHOW REPORT BERLIN AIR SHOW

Speaking at the show, Director of Programme Management Jack O’Bannion was keen to stress that the HC/MC-130J was “complementary to the A400M, not necessarily a competitor”, providing particular capabilities (especially the ability to refuel slow-flying helicopters) that would allow A400M operators to use Airbus heavy lifters for its primary role.

“The HC/MC-130J sits between the bigger transports and the smaller twins, and has the right combination of range, short/rough/austere strip capability, and payload. Larger transport aircraft lack the ability to operate from sub-standard strips, while smaller aircraft lack the Hercules’ range and payload,” O’Bannion reasoned.

Meanwhile, the Slovakian MiG-29 made its debut at Berlin. According to Russian Aircraft Corporation’s MiG Designer General Anatoly Belov, Europe remains a centre of activity for the MiG-29, with “almost 400 aircraft in service”. Aside from its digital (pixellated) camouflage scheme, the aircraft also features major avionics updates. Colonel Jozef Dobtrotka of the Slovakian Air Force describes the upgraded aircraft as

ADDING COLOUR TO TIES: SARANG, THE IAF’S HELICOPTER AEROBATIC TEAM WITH THE ADVANCED LIGHT DHRUV, FURTHER HIGHLIGHTED THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN GERMANY AND INDIA (‘ADJUDGED THE BEST AT BERLIN’, PG 41)

DEFENCE SHOWSTOPPERS

Lockheed Martin revealed its latest version of the new generation C-130J Hercules. The HC/MC-130J is a tailored common core, special operations variant intended to replace all the Heritage Herc types now used by the Special Operations Command of the US Air Force (USAF). These include HC-130N and HC-130Ps, and MC-130Es, MC-130Ps and MC-130Hs, used in Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) and by special forces. In the more distant future, Lockheed hopes that this common core airframe will form the basis of a gunship to replace the existing AC-130s.

Developed using company funds in order to meet the USAF’s ambitious target for service entry—though an official acquisition decision memorandum for 68 aircraft has now been issued to replace the older MC-130E and MC-130P and HC-130P aircraft—the overall ‘programme of record’ requirement is for 115 aircraft. The HC/MC-130J incorporates an in-flight refuelling receiver capability, and is fitted with the 250kt ramp and cargo door from the KC-130J (and the same air-to-air refuelling pods), the EO/IR imaging system from the HC-130H and the enhanced service life wing (with a 920 lb increased durability wing box modification) from the MC-130H. The aircraft has a dual display combat systems operator station not found on transport versions of the C-130J. In order to meet the ambitious Initial Operational Clearance date of 2012 (with a minimum of 10 aircraft in service), Lockheed Martin hopes to make the first flight in 2010, with first deliveries following in 2011. India has already selected a similar variant (based on the longer-fuselage C-130J-30) for special operations support, and other air forces have requirements to beef up their CSAR and special forces capabilities.

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SHOW REPORT BERLIN AIR SHOW

“the Slovakian MiG-29, because it is STRENGTH AND PERFORMANCE: a wholly-new aircraft, fully equipped NORTHROP’S F-5E TIGER II OF SWISS AIR with western avionics and new sysFORCE IN FLIGHT; (RIGHT) EUROCOPTER’S TIGER SHOWS ITS VALOUR tems, some of them even made in the Slovakian Republic”.

Buoyed by a “very positive feedback”, Eurofighter’s Chief Executive Aloysius Rauen expressed confidence that the company Sweden’s Saab did not hold back. A little over a month would get a response to its proposals for the third produc- after it was unveiled, the Gripen Demo flew for the first time tion tranche of the Eurofighter Typhoon just after the show at its Linköping site in Sweden on May 27. At the controls closed. Speaking at ILA, Rauen said he hopes to complete ne- were company test pilots Magnus Ljungdahl and Mikael Segotiations on pricing before the summer break to maintain idl and Saab said “the flight lasted for 30 minutes and went production continuity and avoid the cost of a gap in manu- totally according to plan”. First shown in April, the Gripen facturing. He confirmed that Britain and Italy had requested Demo shares the same outer dimensions as the Gripen C/ ‘options’, outlining the repercussions of ordering fewer air- D delivered to the Czech Republic, Hungary, South Africa craft in Tranche 3. He confirmed that these included a ‘zero’ and Sweden, and also ordered by Thailand, but uses some option and a 50 per cent buy by these two nations.

3,500 new parts. Key changes include a more powerful GE F414G engine, a new main landing gear stored in the wing, 40 per MEGA TRANSPORTERS: cent more internal fuel and an in(FACING PAGE) LOCKHEED creased maximum take-off weight MARTIN’S C-5 GALAXY; (LEFT) ANTONOV AN-124 of 16t.

RUSLAN

ON THE MISSILE FRONT

Elsewhere, MBDA revealed its M3D Modular Mini Missile technology demonstrator. The vehicle is actually a miniaturised flying platform intended for reconnaissance as well as target engagement. In the weaponised version the Mini Missile can be equipped with non-lethal or lethal means.

“Taking off and landing vertically the M3D is equally well suited for hover flight and for fast cruising flight. Although it has a flight endurance of just 15 to 20 minutes, it can undertake stationary observations, putting down on a roof or open space and transmitting back imagery for several hours via a real-time broadband data link, until commanded back into the air by the operator,” says MBDA’s Dietmar Kunze.

The Mini Missile is equipped with a complex, miniaturised autopilot with an inertial navigation system, with additional sensors including GPS, an earth magnetic field sensor and altimeters. All of this makes the M3D easy to control by operators with little specialist training. SP Issue 6 • 2008

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INDIA FIRM ON TOT

Defence Minister A.K. Antony expressed keenness to establish fruitful defence cooperation with countries prepared to transfer technology and interested in co-designing, co-developing and co-producing defence products Technology transfer was thrust into the limelight with Defence Minister A.K. Antony declaring “the era of procurement alone is over as far as India is concerned” minutes before boarding his flight to Berlin to attend ILA2008.

India participated in the Berlin Air Show as a partner country for the first time in the defence sector, garnering an excellent opportunity to showcase the country’s emerging capabilities in defence, aviation and aero-space sectors. “India’s participation marks another milestone in our cooperation with leading countries and global firms in the aviation and aerospace sector,” the minister said.

Emphasising that companies planning to sell major defence products to India must be prepared to part with technology, Antony expressed keenness to establish fruitful defence cooperation with countries interested in co-designing, co-developing and co-producing defence products.

Referring to the Indian defence sector, Antony said, “New policies to transform this sector by actively encouraging all players—whether private or public, Indian or foreign—to play a larger role in defence production through mutually beneficial partnerships, private investment and technology transfers have been put in place. Companies that proactively seek out industrial partners in India will enjoy advantages in our expanding market. In this context, we welcome recent commitments made by some European partners to transfer technology to Indian partners and locate production in India.”

Later, elaborating on Indo-German defence co-operation at a media conference in Berlin, the Defence Minister said he had impressed upon his German counterpart Dr Franz Josef Jung that India is a responsible country and Germany should be flexible as far as technology transfer was concerned. He was optimistic that outstanding issues in this regard would be settled soon in India’s favour.

Close to 25 Indian companies participated at ILA2008, including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), companies and organisations such as Bharat Earth Movers Limited, Bharat Dynamics Limited and Bharat Electronics Limited, the Indian Space Research Organisation, the Defence Research and Development Organisation and India’s aerospace association Society of Indian Aerospace Technologies and Industries.

Among other exhibits, HAL—which signed a delivery contract for the supply of the first three shipsets of Dornier 228 New Generation main structure components—displayed singlejet trainer HJT-36 Sitara, as well as lightweight civilian and military helicopter Dhruv. The Sarang aerobatics display team of the Indian Air Force demonstrated its skills.

FUEL CELLS ON THE RADAR

Space and technology held strong throughout the show and ILA2008 played host to airliner giants Airbus and Boeing’s fuel cell projects Airbus gave the first public display of its fuel cell development programme on-board an A320 research aircraft. Fuel cells are one of the most promising ‘step change’ technologies in aviation 36

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SPOTLIGHT ON INDIA: NARESH GOYAL OF JET AIRWAYS FORMALLY RECEIVES THE A330 EVEN AS GERMANY’S FEDERAL CHANCELLOR DR ANGELA MERKEL DOES THE HONOURS

and this research project is part of Airbus’ efforts towards eco-efficiency. The target by 2020 is to have cut carbon dioxide emissions by 50 per cent, nitrogen oxide emissions by 80 per cent, fuel consumption by 50 per cent and external noise by 50 per cent.

Airbus’ Hamburg-based Senior Manager Engineering, Auxiliary Power Systems, Hans-Jürgen Heinrich says the system is approaching 50 per cent efficiency, with the theoretical maximum at around 80 per cent. “Our eventual target is to be able to replace an aircraft’s APU system with a fuel cell, although I can’t put a target date on this yet,” he says.

The Airbus/DLR/Michelin fuel cell system was first flight tested in February this year—and for the first time on a civil aircraft. The cell produced sufficient electrical power to drive the aircraft’s backup hydraulic and electrical systems, generating up to 20kW of electrical power and creating no waste products other than 10 litres of water that’s pure enough to drink. The system uses only compressed oxygen and hydrogen to create the power, although Heinrich says it is intended to use oxygen from the air in further advanced versions of the cell.

Hours before the show, the aircraft successfully flew with a further-improved cell that occupies no more than a single square metre of the space in the rear hold and provided power to the aircraft’s electric ‘blue circuit’ hydraulic pump, which then successfully moved the aircraft’s ailerons, rudder and elevator, along with other flight control and emergency cockpit systems.

Boeing took its fuel cell a step further. Flying into the show was Boeing’s Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM)-powered Diamond Dimona motor glider—proof that a manned aircraft can maintain straight and level flight with fuel cells alone. Flight testing is now under way.

On the space front, the only toilet on the ISS broke down, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. But not everything went down the flush. The European Space Agency (ESA) unveiled a full-scale model of its Automated Transport Vehicle (ATV) Evolution manned spacecraft—a proposed vehicle that could be developed from its existing ATV. There was more. The ESA announced that it had successfully launched its second Galileo In-Orbit Validation (GIOVE-B) satellite the month before and that test transmissions of the first navigation signals are underway.

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TWO DEBUTS & A DEBATE

Even as heated exchanges between Austrian airframer Diamond and its erstwhile German engine supplier TAE caused a stir, there were two European debuts at the show Featuring several new offerings in the general aviation sector, ILA2008 served as a platform for the ongoing debate between Austrian airframer Diamond and its erstwhile German engine supplier Thielert Aircraft Engines GmbH (TAE).

Diamond announced its new diesel Austro Engine AE 300 2.0 170hp at the show, and it shares a common core with Thielert’s Centurion. Diamond’s Chief Executive Christian Dries said: “Solving our own problem is the priority, but we’re happy to work with others. There are more than 70 (Diamond) aircraft waiting for an engine.” Dries believes that the AE 300 is also a good retrofit option for other Thielert customers. “We’ll see if it fits into a (Cessna) 172. But it could also be an engine for the (Cessna) 182. I think the 182 with the AE engine would be good... not as good as our aircraft but only because we’ve got a new design with better aerodynamics.”

TAE’s recently appointed Provisional Insolvency Administrator Bruno Kübler said current public disquiet with the company was largely due to a “disinformation campaign” initiated

by Diamond Aircraft. “In the past few days, Diamond repeatedly let it be known that I was not very cooperative in negotiations and didn’t seem very interested in securing the TAE business in the long term. This is a blatant misrepresentation of facts.

“Fact is, Diamond offered to buy a large number of engines and spare parts, but at a price considerably lower than the price that would be charged to the end customers. That’s how Diamond tried to negotiate special conditions. Diamond has not yet directly responded to our offer of May 13 in which 90 per cent of required spare parts available would be delivered to Diamond. Now that more than one week has passed, we will release the parts for the market,” Kübler said at the show.

Under German insolvency laws, customers buying engines, spare parts or maintenance from TAE must now pay in advance. An immediate 20 per cent price hike also means that large customers like Diamond—and Cessna—are not happy and would probably prefer to wait for the inevitable sale of TAE to be completed before taking any further decisions pertaining to purchase and outstanding warranty issues, both pre- and postinsolvency.

Retaliating, Dries contended Kübler’s comments were “wrong and misleading”. “There is no way I would have wanted to profit—at the expense of Diamond’s customers—from the deal proposed by TAE and its administrator.”

Further up the ladder, Rolls-Royce successfully ran its 16,100 lb BR725 engine that will power Gulfstream’s G650.

“The engine powered up for the first time and attained 80 per cent of its full thrust rating,” says Rainer Hönig, Project Director for BR725. Although engines caused a stir, there were two European debuts at the show—Piper Matrix in Europe and the launch of kit-built home-grown NEO light single helicopter. The Matrix touched down into ILA2008 and is a variant of Piper’s longstanding PA46 series of aircraft, which is also available in the turboprop Meridian form, or piston-powered Malibu. “This is really a high-end VFR aircraft, but with a cruise speed of 250 kts,” says Frank Wortmann, demonstration and sales for Piper Generalvertretung Deutschland. “This is the type of machine that appeals to the SR22 or Columbia (now Cessna) aircraft

owner and wants to step up to a bigger cabin. We’re seeing a lot of interest from France,” he adds.

On the rotary aspect, all eyes were on NEO—a brand new kit-built helicopter from Germany’s Youngcopter. Björn Jung, the man behind the NEO, says the prototype is currently in ground testing and the projected cruise speed is 100kts, “but should be faster”. With an unnamed Japanese Wankel engine with 180hp to power the three-bladed main rotor, it will offer a range of 300nm. More importantly, the helicopter will run on mogas.

Elsewhere at the show, Cirrus proudly displayed its 4,000th aircraft which features the Cirrus Perspective cockpit unveiled just the week before at EBACE. Getting down to business was Pilatus with its PC-12NG as it delivered the first NG to its northwestern US sales and service centre, Western Aircraft.

NEW LAUNCHES, FRESH ORDERS

Loaded shopping carts and soaring sales figures ensured the commercial aviation sector a spot in the limelight Keeping pace with the defence sector players at ILA2008 was the air transport sector with Russian airframer Sukhoi part buoyed and part relieved after the Superjet made its maiden flight just before the official opening of the show. The Superjet 100 flew from the company’s Komsomolsk-on-Amur facility, marking the beginning of an extensive trial programme involving six test examples and around 600 flights before certification is achieved.

Fellow countryman Oleg Demchenko, President, Irkut Corporation used the show to outline details of the company’s proposed MC-21, intended as a replacement for the Tu-154 in Russia (a potential 600-aircraft market) and for aircraft like the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737. Irkut hopes to leverage a 15 per cent reduction in operating costs over today’s aircraft through composite technology and new engines.

Airbus, meanwhile, said it expected to finalise the A350 XWB’s “aero-lines” in July as it heads for the detail definition freeze of the baseline -900 version at the end of the year. However, the airframe says it still has two years to refine the wing design of its largest model the -1000, which will be the last A350 variant to enter production. It didn’t stop there for Airbus.

With the handover ceremony of an A330-200 to Jet Airways, the company also received an order from Gulf Air, as the carrier looked to double its Airbus fleet. The order comprised 15 A320s and 20 A330-300s.

Russian carrier KD Avia signed an order for 25 A319s at the show, too. Elsewhere, RUAG’s Dornier 228 New Generation turbo-prop will resume series production at its Oberpfaffenhofen site in Bavaria. Final assembly, outfitting and equipment installation will remain in Bavaria but a deal with Hindustan Aeronautics will see primary structures such as the wings, fuselage and tailplane manufactured in India.

Germany’s MTU Aero Engines announced it was to take a 15 per cent risk sharing partnership in two P&W engines—the PW810 and the Geared Turbofan (GTF)—which share a common core. The PW810 has Cessna’s Columbus as a launch platform and produces 10,000 lbs (45kN) thrust, while the GTF produces 15,000 to 17,000 lbs (68 to 77kN) and will feature on Mitsubishi’s MRJ. However, if Bombardier launches its C-series regional airliner at the upcoming Farnborough, as is suspected by industry sources, the GTF will be the sole source of power on that airframe, too.

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PHOTOGRAPH: EUROFIGHTER

MILITARY

INDUSTRY

TYPHOON

Triumphs

The RoyalAir Force’s newest fighter aircraft has proved its air-to-surface capability,thereby passing its latest major hurdle on the way to becoming a fully fledged multi-role combat aircraft

P

articipating in why it is really important that this aircraft should have the Green Flag, air-to-surface capability.” a major exWing Commander Gavin Parker, Officer Commanding XI ercise held at Nellis United States Squadron, said during pre-exercise training at Davis MonAir Force (USAF) Base in Nevada, seven Typhoons from XI than Air Force Base, Arizona, his squadron worked closely Squadron, based at Royal Air Force (RAF) Coningsby, Lin- with 17 (Reserve) Squadron, the Typhoon Operational Evalucolnshire, dropped munitions and fired cannons with such ation Unit, also based at RAF Coningsby, and over a twoprecision that these have been declared combat ready by the week period dropped a total of 67 munitions comprising target date of July 1.

43 Paveway II bombs, eight enhanced Paveway IIIs and 16 A joint USAF and army exercise in which close air support 1,000 lb (454 kg) free fall weapons. “It has been an outstandfor ground forces is a crucial element, Exercise Green Flag ing success. The aircraft loved the hot and dry conditions.

West aims to prepare air and ground forces for deployment It achieved a 99.3 per cent strike rate at Davis Monthan, to overseas operational areas. It is played out in scenarios which means we achieved 99.3 per cent serviceability. We which simulate the sort of asymmetric only lost two sorties, one due to high combat experienced in conflicts such as wind when no-one flew, and the other “The mantra in the those in Iraq and Afghanistan. to a technical failure—again, unprecRoyal Air Force is ‘agile, “What we have in Typhoon is a edented in my knowledge and experiworld-beating aircraft. The mantra in ence,” Parker said. adaptable and capable’. the Royal Air Force is ‘agile, adaptable Besides the Typhoon, this exerThat is precisely what and capable’. That is precisely what this cise involved around 6,500 US Army this aircraft is.” aircraft is,” said Group Captain Stuart ground troops receiving their final Atha, Station Commander of RAF Contraining prior to deploying to Iraq, —Group Captain ingsby. “We knew it was a world-beater and a USAF F-16 Fighting Falcon Stuart Atha, in the air-to-air environment, but we unit, normally based in Japan, which weren’t sure about the air-to-surface is also bound for Iraq before the end Station Commander, capability. Nevertheless, you just have of this year. British Forward Air ConRAF Coningsby to look at the world today to see the trollers worked alongside their USAF relevance of an air-to-surface role, and counterparts. SP 38

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In

Memory

O

Requiem for a

Field Marshal

ld soldiers never die, it used to be said, they just fade away. When a sovereign or head of state ceremonially presents a Field Marshal’s baton to a soldier, he is conferring the highest honour a nation can bestow on one of its valorous warriors.

Ironically, since Field Marshals are “created” for life, they never retire. They do, however, die.

In the passing away of Field Marshal Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw, MC, the nation has lost not just a courageous soldier and a leader of great distinction, but a bold and upright son of India. The Gurkhali nom de guerre “Sam Bahadur” bestowed on him was a token of the tremendous respect and affection in which he was held by his comrades-in-arms, as well as of his personal courage for which he received a battlefield Military Cross during the Burma campaign.

When Indian forces liberated Bangladesh, taking 93,000 Pakistani combatants prisoner, it was indubitably one of the most comprehensive victories in India’s long history. The architect, undoubtedly, was Sam Manekshaw, who had the graciousness and strength of character to assign credit for this feat

of arms to his Commanders-in-Chief and other subordinates. But of equal significance, in many ways, was Manekshaw’s conduct during a period of grave national crisis from April to December 1971, and the tact and firmness with which he guided the political leadership.

Blessed with the gift of sparkling wit and often wicked good humour, Sam had just the right blend of soldierly bearing and suave manners to make him an idol for officers and jawans alike. With his bristling moustache and twinkling eye, he was a hugely popular raconteur, and an immediate hit with the ladies because of the courtesy and attention he invariably showed them.

No man could have served his nation better, in word deed and action. A national icon, and hero of his times, the Field Marshal’s life contains many lessons, not just for soldiers but also for ordinary Indians, which one hopes will be studied and emulated.

After his death in the battle of Trafalgar on October 21, 1805, Vice Admiral Lord Nelson’s mortal remains were carried home by ship. The state funeral accorded to this British hero on January 9, 1806 in St Paul’s cathedral was attended by members of the royal family, ministers, admirals, generals, 10,000 troops and almost all of London.

Present at Field Marshal Manekshaw’s funeral, held in distant Connoor, were students of the Defence Services Staff College, a lone Minister of State and a solitary Vice Chief of Army Staff from New Delhi.

O tempora o mores.

In the passing away of Field Marshal S.H.F.J.Manekshaw, MC, the nation has lost not just a courageous soldier and a leader of great distinction, but a bold and upright son of India

“WHILE THE COUNTRY REMEMBERS WAR HEROES DECORATED FOR GALLANTRY, FEW MILITARY LEADERS HAVE FIRED THE IMAGINATION OF THE NATION LIKE FIELD MARSHAL SAM MANEKSHAW DID. CREDIT PERHAPS GOES TO THE AURA OF LEGEND AROUND THE MAN WHO LED THE INDIAN ARMY TO ITS MOST DECISIVE VICTORY IN THE FORCE’S LONG AND ILLUSTRIOUS HISTORY. PART OF THE LEGEND IS DUE TO HIS DAPPER PERSONALITY AND HIS ABILITY TO GET IN AND OUT OF TROUBLE.”

—AIR CHIEF MARSHAL (RETD) S.P. TYAGI

—Admiral (Retd) Arun Prakash

Former Chief of the Naval Staff

PHOTOGRAPHS: SHARAD SAXENA

FORMER CHIEF OF THE AIR STAFF

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Hall of Fame

PHOTOGRAPHS: WIKIPEDIA

T

HIS IS THE STORY of perhaps the most remarkable couple in the history of aviation and certainly the bravest woman of the balloon age. Sophie Blanchard was born Marie Madeleine-Sophie Armant on March 25, 1778 to unremarkable French parents. She would probably have died in obscurity, but for her marriage to Jean-Pierre Blanchard, a French inventor, who had abandoned his first wife and four children in order to pursue ballooning. Jean-Pierre was born on July 7, 1753. He made his first ascent in a hydrogen balloon on March 2, 1784 and later became the world’s first professional balloonist. The first successful manned balloon flight had taken place just a few months earlier on November 21, 1783 when two Frenchmen got airborne in a tethered hot air balloon constructed by the famous Montgolfier brothers.

In 1785, Jean-Pierre demonstrated the parachute as a means of safely abandoning a balloon, a dog being the passenger. Early parachutes were cumbersome, made of linen stretched over a wooden frame.

Jean-Pierre, however, made his from folded silk—taking advantage of the strong and lightweight material to produce more compact parachutes.

In 1793, his balloon ruptured and he used a parachute to escape death.

Jean-Pierre Blanchard had rather poor business sense and was heavily in debt when he married Sophie in 1804. The couple believed that a female balloonist would attract the crowds and help make enough money to rid them of their financial woes. Consequently, Jean-Pierre took Sophie up for her first ascent in a balloon on December 27, 1804 at Marseilles. Though she was not the first woman to get airborne, the feat was still rare enough. She was, however, the first woman to pilot her own balloon—a feat she accomplished on August 18, 1805—and the first to adopt ballooning as a career. Given her light frame, relatively less gas was needed to inflate the balloon and lift her into the air. Sophie was terrified by loud noises and riding in carriages and was generally of a nervous temperament. She was variously described as “small, with sharp 40

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Issue 6 • 2008

bird-like features”, “small and beautiful” and even as “small, ugly and nervous”. In the air, however, she was utterly fearless.

Ballooning was risky and accidents were common. During a joint flight in 1807—her 11th ascent—the couple crashed. Jean-Pierre suffered a head wound. Sophie escaped with minor in-

Sophie Blanchard (1778–1819) & Jean-Pierre Blanchard (1753–1809)

Jean-Pierre Blanchard had a rather poor business sense and was heavily in debt when he married Sophie in 1804.

The couple believed that a female balloonist would attract the crowds and help make enough money to rid them of their financial woes. Consequently, JeanPierre took Sophie up for her first ascent in a balloon on December 27, 1804 at Marseilles. juries but the shock apparently left her speechless for a while. Jean-Pierre’s luck finally ran out in 1809, when following a heart attack while aloft he crashed and succumbed to serious injuries. Sophie could well have abandoned ballooning and pursued a staid vocation. However,

she was deep in debt and needed the money. She specialised in night flights, often staying airborne all night. To minimise expenses she was as frugal as possible in her choice of balloon. A hydrogen balloon spared her the distraction of having to tend a fire to keep the craft airborne, enabling her to concentrate on her act—the most foolhardy feats were the most appreciated.

France was in a state of flux. The French Revolution, Napoleon’s tempestuous reign and the restoration of the monarchy in 1814 happened in rapid succession. Napoleon was tremendously impressed with Sophie’s abilities and gave her the title “Aeronaut of the Official Festivals”. She even drew up military plans for a balloon invasion of Europe, which never took place. Later Louis XVIII dubbed her “Official Aeronaut of the Restoration”. Famous throughout Europe, Sophie made several long trips, losing consciousness on a couple of occasions. In 1811, after having to ascend to avoid being trapped in a hailstorm she again lost consciousness and spent 14 and half hours in the air as a result. On a trip to Turin in 1812, while crossing the Alps, the temperature dropped so low that she suffered a nose bleed and icicles formed on her hands and face.

She almost died in September 1817 when her balloon landed in a marshy field—she would have drowned had not help arrived soon after landing.

On July 6, 1819, while making her 67th ascent to start an impressive display involving air-launched fireworks over the Tivoli Gardens in Paris, her hydrogen-filled balloon caught fire and Sophie, entangled in the net which surrounded it, fell to her death. She was the first woman to die in an aviation accident.

The story of Sophie’s tragic death was told throughout Europe. For some, it proved a point—an example of a woman exceeding her station.

Writer Grenville Mellen, for instance, scoffed that it showed “a woman in a balloon is either out of her element or too high in it”. Sophie—who loved her balloons and described the feeling of ballooning as an “incomparable sensation”—would have ignored the jibe. SP — Group Captain (Retd) Joseph Noronha, Goa

Digest

NEWS

MILITARY Asia-Pacific Military top brass meets Antony on pay hike On June 26, Defence Minister A.K. Antony discussed with the Indian military’s top brass the draft of a high-level committee’s review of the Sixth Pay Commission’s recommendations but the meeting remained inconclusive. The Ministry of Defence refused to comment on the meeting, an indication that nothing concrete had been achieved. It was also not clear whether another meeting would he held to address the armed forces’ concern over being short-changed by the pay panel as they were expecting substantial hikes against the 40 per cent raise that had been proposed. Antony’s meeting with Indian Navy Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta, Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major and Indian Army Vice Chief Lt General M.L. Naidu was being viewed as a last-ditch effort to address the discontent.

India, France to float JV for surface-to-air missiles India and France may soon join hands to make the latest variants of SAMs with a lethal 100 per cent kill probability, on the lines of the successful IndoRussian BrahMos supersonic cruise missile. The proposed joint venture, for which intense groundwork has been done by the missile industry officials from both countries, could take shape in a year’s time. ‘Maitri’ is the proposed name of the new series of lethal co-produced missile.

IAF’s Sarang adjudged ‘The Best’ at Berlin Air Show Sarang, the IAF’s helicopter display team, has been adjudged the ‘Best looking close formation’ aerobatic team at the ILA Berlin Air Show 2008.

Of the five aircraft formation teams from India, Switzerland, Austria, UK and Germany, Sarang stood out conspicuously.

From Berlin, the team of four Dhruv helicopters, 14 officers and 32 airmen, led by Wing Commander Shashank Mishra, flew to England to participate in various air shows.

INDIA ACQUIRES THREE EMBRAER AEW&C JETS The airplanes will be used to develop the country’s surveillance programme mbraer and the Indian Government have signed a deal for three EMB 145 Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) jets. The contract includes a comprehensive logistics package comprised of training, technical support, spare parts, and ground support equipment. The proven ERJ 145 platform, currently being used on Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions in Brazil, Mexico and Greece, will join the AEW&C programme under the responsibility of India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

“Embraer is proud to have the Indian Government as a customer. Our relationship started in 2003 with the purchase of five Legacy aircraft for transporting public officials,” said Luiz Carlos Aguiar, Embraer Executive Vice-President, Defence and Government Market. “In our commitment to a long-term relationship with the Indian Government, we look forward to continue collaborating in strengthening the country’s airborne operational capabilities.”

The first delivery is scheduled for 2011. The three aircraft will be outfitted by the customer with cabin equipment and mission systems, and will join four Legacy jets in operation by the Indian Air Force (IAF) used to transport Indian VIPs, as well as foreign dignitaries. A fifth Legacy belongs to the Border Security Force (BSF), under India’s Home Ministry.

E

ABOUT THE EMB 145 AEW&C The EMB 145 AEW&C is a member of Embraer’s ISR family of aircraft and systems.

It is based on the ERJ 145, one of the most successful regional jet platforms in the world, with more than 1,000 aircraft flying worldwide and over 12 million flight hours accumulated by more than 100 operators.

The primary mission of the EMB 145 AEW&C—equipped with a powerful air surveillance radar and command and control system, plus a complete set of mission support systems, such as electronic measures, communication systems with data link, and self-protection devices—is to detect, track and identify targets in its patrol area and transmit this information to friendly forces, in order to provide them with an accurate and comprehensive operational picture.

Further, the EMB 145 AEW&C is also able to perform airspace management, fighter allocation and intercept control, signals intelligence, and surveillance of borders, seas and Exclusive Economic Zones. Ten EMB 145 AEW&C aircraft have already been delivered to several air forces worldwide.

Antony announces formation of special space cell Defence Minister A.K. Antony announced the formation of an Integrated Space Cell, under the aegis of the Integrated Defence Services Head Quarters, to counter “the growing threat to our space assets”.

Addressing the Unified Commanders’ Conference, he said, “Although we want to utilise space for peaceful purposes and remain committed to our policy of non-weaponisation of space, offensive counter space systems and an improved array of military space systems have emerged in our neighbourhood.” The new cell, he added, would integrate the armed forces, the Department of Space and the Indian Space Research Organisation.

Nishant undergoes flight test UAV Nishant, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation for the Indian Army, was successfully flight tested near Kolar in Karnataka. Nishant is one of the few UAVs in the world in its weight class capable of being catapult launched and recovered by using parachute, thus eliminating need for a runway, as in the case of conventional take off and landing with wheels. The current tests are Pre Confirmatory Trials before induction into the services.

Pak reimbursement claims under scanner in the US The US has reimbursed Pakistan about $5.56 billion (Rs 24,124 crore) in Coalition Support Funds (CSF) for its

QuickRoundUp AIRBUS • Airbus has started transporting the first aircraft segments to the new singleaisle assembly line in Tianjin, China. The assembly process of the first aircraft for Sichuan Airlines will start in August 2008 and delivery of the first aircraft is scheduled for first half of 2009.

AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE • Australia’s air capability has been further enhanced by the successful trials of a new radar warning receiver and acceptance by Australian Air Force of the Joint Direct Attack Munition ‘Smart Bomb’. As part of the Hornet upgrade programme, Australia’s fleet of F/A-18 is also being fitted with upgraded Radar Warning Receivers, counter-measures systems and radar jamming systems.

BAE SYSTEMS • BAE Systems has received a contract to develop the NextGen mission-planning framework for US military aircraft operations. The Joint Mission Planning System is a software development effort between the air force and navy.

BELL HELICOPTER • Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company, is seeing an increased interest in their Huey II kits as operators around the world look to upgrade their older Hueys. The kits represent a major upgrade that includes a new tail boom, rotors and modifications to the engine.

BOEING • Boeing and Biman Bangladesh Airlines have announced an order for two Boeing NextGen 737-800s, with purchase rights for two additional 737s.

BOMBARDIER AEROSPACE • Bombardier Aerospace have announced that it has received a order for four CRJ700 NextGen regional jets. The airline which placed the order has also taken options on an additional four CRJ700s.

DEFENSE SECURITY COOPERATION AGENCY • The Defense Security Cooperation Agency has notified Congress of a possible FMS to the Republic of Korea of various munitions and weapon systems at an approximate cost of $200

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Digest

NEWS

APPOINTMENTS DAVID JOYCE NAMED PRESIDENT AND CEO OF GE AVIATION General Electric Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt announced on June 2 the appointment of David Joyce as President and CEO of GE Aviation.

GULFSTREAM’S KURTINA POLLEN PROMOTED Gulfstream Aerospace, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics, recently promoted Kurtina Pollen to Customer Communications Manager, Product Support.

IAN KING APPOINTED CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF BAE BAE Systems announced on June 27 the appointment of Ian King, currently Chief Operating Officer, UK and Rest of World, as Chief Executive with effect from September 1.

RAYTHEON ANNOUNCES EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENTS • Dr Taylor W. Lawrence named President, Raytheon Missile Systems.

• Mark E. Russell named VP, Engineering, Technology and Mission Assurance.

• Lynn A. Dugle named VP and Deputy General Manager, Raytheon Intelligence and Information Systems. efforts to combat terrorism along its border with Afghanistan. The Department of Defense (DoD) provides CSF to 27 coalition partners for costs incurred in direct support of US military operations. Pakistan is the largest recipient of CSF. Now, the Government Accountability Office has found that the DoD may have reimbursed costs that were not incremental, not based on actual activity or were potentially duplicative.

Europe Rheinmetall, BAE ink MoU for German Air Force radar Rheinmetall Defence and BAE Systems recently signed an MoU to equip the German Air Force Tactical Air Command and Control Service with active long-range radar systems (project ARED). The 42

SP’S AVIATION

nuclear weapons are stored for use by the host nation’s own aircraft, are at the centre of the findings of the Blue Ribbon Review.

Americas

agreement involves, as the first phase, the equipping of the Tactical Air Command and Control Service with six new systems.

‘Most nuclear weapon sites in Europe do not meet US security requirements’ An internal US Air Force probe has determined that “most sites” used for deploying nuclear weapons in Europe do not meet Department of Defense security requirements. A partially declassified version of the full report, recently obtained by Hans Kristensen, Director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists, reveals a much bigger nuclear security problem in Europe than previously known. The national nuclear bases in Europe, where

DSM’S FIBRE FOR HIGHEST STRENGTH AT LOWEST WEIGHT

D

SM Dyneema BV, inventor and manufacturer of Dyneema, the world’s strongest fibre, and Capewell Components LLC, a US manufacturer of military aerial delivery and life support systems, jointly showcased a new military air cargo pallet and net system featuring the unique filament at the Berlin Air Show.

On account of Dyneema High Performance PolyEthylene fibre’s exceptional strength-to-weight ratio, the new Capewell pallet and net system is the lightest in the world. Dyneema fibre also affords enhanced camouflage through its exceptionally low visibility to infrared, near-infrared and radar detection.

Further, Dyneema demonstrates 10-time higher abrasion resistance than traditional net materials; increased softness and flexibility to reduce damage to the aircraft and its fixtures; highest chemical resistance of any synthetic fibre to withstand aircraft fuel and fluids; and exceptional bending fatigue properties for extended life.

At the end of the lifecycle of a net, the material can be recycled and reused.

Issue 6 • 2008

Boeing bags USAF Research Laboratory contract The Boeing Company has been awarded a contract by the US Air Force Research Laboratory to develop and mature technologies required for airborne electronic attack from long distances, filling the stand-off electronic attack role. The contract includes systems engineering studies on potential pod installation on the B-52H aircraft, as the designated demonstration airframe.

CIVIL AVIATION Asia-Pacific Air China to purchase 20 Airbus 330s Air China announced on June 27 that it would purchase 20 Airbus 330 series aircraft from Airbus Company. The aircraft purchase will be conducted through AIE, an import and export company under Air China’s parent company.

AI’s cargo service delayed Air India’s (AI) ambitious freighter (cargo) service project with Nagpur’s Dr Ambedkar International Airport as its hub has been postponed for an indefinite period again. This project, it has been claimed, has the potential to place Nagpur on the global aviation map even before the Multimodal International Hub Airport at Nagpur (Mihan) starts operations. AI was supposed to launch its cargo services within the country from July 1 connecting six major hubs.

New DGCA named Naseem Ahmad Zaidi, India’s representative at the International Civil Aviation Organisation, has been named the next Director General of Civil Aviation and will succeed incumbent Kanu Gohain. Subject to clearance from the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, Zaidi is likely to take office in September.

QuickRoundUp million (Rs 867 crore). The main items requested are Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air and Maverick missiles, JDAM, and laser-guided bombs.

EADS • EADS Defence & Security has achieved a milestone with production of its 500th target drone. Since 2003, this line of drones has grown to include four models with seven variants.

EUROCOPTER • The Spanish Army Disaster Response Unit has just taken delivery of its first Eurocopter135, a multi-purpose twin-engine helicopter specially useful for emergency medical services and law enforcement missions.

GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE • Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics, has reached an agreement with NetJets to supply a total of 40 new Gulfstream aircraft.

JINGLE AIR • Mesopotamia Group has established “Jingle Air” to move cargo in and out of remote locations in Afghanistan and offer helicopter services throughout the country. With a fleet of Mi-8 HIP heavyduty helicopters and five flight teams, Jingle Air can move up to 3.2 million pounds of cargo across Afghanistan.

LOCKHEED MARTIN • Lockheed Martin has received a US Air Force contract for a seventh production lot of the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile cruise missile. This will bring the total contracted cruise missiles to 1,053.

NORTHROP GRUMMAN • Northrop Grumman Corp has received a $9.1 million (Rs 40 crore) modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed price contract for hardware and services required to operate and maintain AN/AAQ-28 LITENING AT Block-2 Pods in support of the Government of Finland’s F/A-18 Foreign Military Sales Programme.

OEM DEFENCE SERVICES • Diehl Aerospace, Liebherr Aerospace, Safran, Thales and Zodiac have signed

Digest

NEWS

QuickRoundUp a deal to create OEM Defence Services to provide armed forces with innovative through-life support solutions for aerospace equipment.

RAYTHEON

IAF Debuts in Exercise Red Flag Exercise Red Flag is held thrice a year and the IAF would be participating alongside South Korean Air Force and the French Air Force, apart from the USAF coring a first, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is all set to par- and the French Air Force with their latest Rafale, apart from the ticipate in Ex-Red Flag 08—a multinational air exercise to USAF. Red Flag was originally conceived in 1975 by USAF with an be held at Nellis Air Force Base in the US from August 9 advanced aerial combat training format, the purpose being to to 23. ensure that pilots are trained well enough to survive in air comResponding to an invitation from the United States Air bat and win air battles. The exercise holds tremendous learning Force (USAF), the IAF will be taking along eight SU-30 MKI, opportunity for all the participating air forces. two IL-78 air-to-air refuellers and one IL-76 transport aircraft.

Prior to the main Exercise Red Flag 08 at Nellis, the IAF’s Comprising 156 personnel below officer’s rank and 91 officers contingent would be working up at Mountain Home Air Base in (including 10 members of Garud IAF Special Force team), the Idaho, US from July 17 till August 7. At Mountain Home, the IAF contingent is being led by Group Captain D. Chaudhury and Ex- contingent would be flying with the F-16s and F-15s of USAF. The ercise Coordinator would be Group Captain Ajay Rathore. purpose of the work up phase is to streamline the procedures Exercise Red Flag is held thrice a year and the IAF would be and have a clear understanding of the new flying environment. participating alongside South Korean Air Force with the F-15K The IAF contingent departed from Pune on July 7.

S

INDUSTRY Asia-Pacific Ecuador orders Dhruv Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has secured an order for the supply of seven Dhruv

Advanced Light Helicopters to the Ecuadorian Air Force. HAL faced strong competition from Elbit, Eurocopter and Kazan.

Its offer of $50.7 million (Rs 220 crore) for seven helicopters was about 32 per cent lower than the second lowest bid from Elbit. The contract

SHOW CALENDAR

URL: www.nbaa.org

14 July – 20 July FARNBOROUGH INTERNATIONAL AIRSHOW Farnborough, England URL: www.farnborough.com

17 September – 19 September JET EXPO 2008 Moscow Crocus Expo, Moscow URL: www.jetexpo.ru

23 July – 25 July CIAM CANCUN INTERNATIONAL AVIATION TRADE SHOW & CONGRESS Hilton Cancun Golf & Spa Resort, Cancun, Mexico URL: www.expo-ciam.com 28 July – 3 August EAA AIRVENTURE Wittman Regional Airport, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USA URL: www.airventure.org 10 September NBAA REGIONAL FORUM Bedford, Massachusetts, USA

1 October – 5 October JAPAN AEROSPACE 2008 Yokohama, Japan URL: www.japanaerospace.jp 6 October – 8 October NBAA ANNUAL MEETING AND CONVENTION Orlando, Florida, USA URL: www.nbaa.org 12 October – 13 October AIR POWER MIDDLE-EAST CONFERENCE 2008 Armed Forces Officers Club, Abu Dhabi, UAE URL: www.shephard.co.uk/ AirPower-ME

is likely to be signed in a few weeks and the first helicopter will be delivered in six months.

C-27J Spartan successfully completes first flight Alenia North America, a subsidiary of Alenia Aeronautica and part of the Finmeccanica Group, have announced that the first C-27J Spartan for the US Army’s Joint Cargo Aircraft successfully completed its maiden flight in Turin, Italy.

SPACE

• Raytheon Company has received a US Navy order to provide the Advanced Targeting Forward Looking Infrared pod to the air forces of Australia and Switzerland. The foreign military sale award calls for the delivery of 18 ATFLIR systems to Australia and one ATFLIR pod to Switzerland.

SAGEM DÉFENSE SÉCURITÉ • Sagem Défense Sécurité (Groupe SAFRAN) has come out with its new high-performance airborne optronics unit called EUROFLIR, which is a multifunction airborne surveillance system that makes use of the company’s best current know-how in sensors, gyrostabilization, platform integration, image processing, chain-of-command insertion, operational maintenance.

SWISS AIR FORCE • In the second half of 2008, flight and ground tests for the succession of the F-5E/F Tiger—the so-called Partial Tiger Replacement—for Swiss Air Force will take place at the Emmen airbase. For about four weeks, the three candidates, Gripen, Rafale and Eurofighter, will be tested in a strict selection process.

TURKISH AIR FORCE • Turkey and US have signed a letter of offer and acceptance for the modernisation of 117 Turkish Air Force F-16s to a common avionics configuration.

UK ARMED FORCES

Americas Jason-2/OSTM Mission successfully launched A ULA Delta II rocket has successfully launched the Jason-2 satellite in support of the Ocean Surface Topography Mission (OSTM/Jason-2).

It marked the second NASA mission launched on a Delta II

by ULA during June. Following a 55 minute flight, the OSTM/Jason-2 spacecraft was deployed on its mission to provide a minimum of three years measurement of global ocean surface topography. •

• Increasing sophistication of UAVs used by UK armed forces means that the current airspace is now insufficient to accommodate the full training requirement. The MoD is, therefore, undertaking public consultation on proposals to extend the existing segregated airspace to include an additional area.

US AIR FORCE • US Air Force has announced the award of two contracts to Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company for the procurement of six modified KC-130J aircraft and non-recurring costs associated with modifying KC-130J.

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Word

LAST

Socked &

SHAKEN ILLUSTRATION: MAMTA

F

RAYED AND STRAINING UNDER THE WEIGHT OF MOUNTING LOSSES, the tight rope just turned perilously slippery for airlines in India. Hike in aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices by 18.5 per cent as a fallout of rising international oil prices has plunged airline operators into a major crisis, pitching them up against a seemingly insurmountable hurdle that could pose a serious threat to their very survival.

Administered by government-owned oil companies, the bolt has rattled the finances of airlines—already reeling under a cumulative loss of Rs 4,000 crore—into paroxysms of despair and despondency. In the emerging scenario, business models, especially of low cost carriers, run the risk of being rendered irreversibly unviable. Worse, if one were to consider the signals emanating from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), it may not be possible to curb the price surge through enhanced global production. The possibility of significant reduction in levies by the central and state governments also appears remote, leaving the airlines with no option but to pass on the burden to the customer. Travellers are, in fact, already experiencing the aftershocks with fares rising meteorically and low cost air travel receding rapidly into the annals of aviation history.

Dismantling of the Administered Pricing Mechanism and the entry of a few private players some years ago notwithstanding, the government continues to dictate price and taxation levels. Through its public sector oil companies, the government still controls the market with near monopoly in the areas of import of crude, refining and marketing. Price levels of finished products within the country are not exposed to market forces.

Price of ATF in India bears a direct correlation with international price of crude which is on the rise spurred by imbalance between global demand and supply. Further, the rapidly growing economies of India and China fuel speculative trading, thereby aggravating price rise. Sustained high fuel prices would affect India’s economic growth which in turn would adversely affect the growth of the aviation industry.

ATF sold in India is not imported as such but produced by Indian refineries from imported crude on which the duty is 10 per cent. However, oil companies levy 20 per cent as ‘Refinery Transfer Price’, plus a sizeable percentage of this figure as profit margin as also production cost and contingencies. Saddled to this are central excise duty of 8 per cent and sales tax charged by state governments which varies from 4 to 39 per cent. The logic of the tax structure, especially the large variation in sales tax among the various states, is difficult to comprehend or construe. For instance, even with a coastal refinery in Karnataka, the price of ATF in the state is significantly higher than Delhi which is miles away from any refinery. Then again, the combined earnings of the state governments collectively from sales on ATF is estimated to be in excess of Rs 5,000 crore annually. There is certainly a case for reduction of duties and taxes as also improvement in efficiency at refineries to cut production cost.

Burdened by central and state taxes, the sale price of ATF in India is 70 per cent higher than the international level. Consequently, ATF constitutes a much higher component of operating cost, believed to be to the tune of 45 per cent in airlines in India as compared to 15 per cent abroad. For some strange reasons, Indian carriers pay a higher price for ATF as compared to 44

SP’S AVIATION

Issue 6 • 2008

Hike in aviation turbine fuel prices has rattled the finances of airlines—already reeling under a cumulative loss of Rs 4,000 crore—into paroxysms of despair and despondency foreign carriers whether in India or abroad.

While a government constituted committee is searching for a solution, the airlines must also set their house in order. Apart from a reasonable hike in fares, a slew of fuel saving and cost cutting exercises must be implemented.

Efforts must be made to replace fuel-guzzlers with fuel-efficient aircraft, review capacity utilisation and reschedule expansion plans, drop low-density and short-haul routes, reduce frills both for passengers and crew, rationalise salaries, minimise recruitment of expatriates and adopt the practice of ‘hedging’ in the ATF market despite the risk of ‘hedge loss’. From competition, airlines need to move to cooperation and collaboration in an environment of faith and mutual trust. Civil aviation authorities, on their part, must contribute by improving air traffic management to not merely reduce but eliminate congestion both on the ground and in the air, realign airways to provide shortest routing and rationalise airport charges.

For now, both the government and the airlines appear to be at their wit’s end. Unless all stakeholders act in unison—and fast—the perilous tight-rope walk could well spell disaster for the airline industry. SP — Air Marshal (Retd) B.K. Pandey

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