Tejas fighters in large numbers matter

 

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The critics of home-grown Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas might be struggling to chart a new flight path for their future assault. With the euphoria over the induction of the first Tejas Squadron continuing, some of the fieriest critics have already switched sides. After all, success breeds success.
After waiting in the wing for over 15 years since its first flight, the Indian Air Force (IAF) finally inducted two Tejas fighters on July 1, signalling the beginning of a new era in country’s military aviation. The No. 45 Squadron of the IAF (Flying Daggers) would be based in Bengaluru for the next two years, fine-tuning all aspects of flying, ground-handling and repair of a new fighter plane.
Having chased Tejas for nearly a quarter of century as a defence writer, it was a great moment of pride to see Group Captain Rangachari taking the bird for the first official sortie in IAF colours. The long wait has finally ended and Tejas has flown into IAF hangars. The onus now completely shifts to Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) to produce it in large numbers and Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) to fasten the Final Operational Clearance (FOC) process. Those who saw ADA-HAL relationship from close quarters would agree that both should now look at Tejas through the eyes of IAF. This shift in focus and thought process would propel the project ahead.
For the project from here on, it’s all about numbers. As per the current plan, the next 18 production variants should be delivered to IAF by 2018 to form the full squadron. Many firmly believe that unless HAL gets more firm orders, the private sector wouldn’t join hands. The HAL says that by ramping up its infrastructure, production rate would increase and they would deliver 120 aircraft by 2025.

The above is my Comment piece that appeared in Deccan Herald Edit Page,
dated 05 July 2016. Read the full report here: http://bit.ly/29rLzCI

Tejas may create history with flying demo at Bahrain air show

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Bengaluru, Dec 08: Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas is throttling to script history probably by becoming the first home-grown Indian fighter jet to have flown outside the country’s airspace.

If no last-minute glitches (from babudom or technical) get onboard, then Tejas will strut its stuff at the 4th edition of Bahrain International Air Show (BIAS), scheduled from January 21-23, 2016. BIAS-2016 is being held at the Sakhir Airbase.

Senior officials of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and Ministry of Defence (MoD) will brainstorm one last time in New Delhi on December 9 (Wednesday) to take a final call on Tejas’ all-historic out-bound flying mission.

“The green signal will be given on Wednesday after the crucial meeting. There are many nagging issues that need to be sorted out, including which country it would stop over during ferry to Bahrain,” says an official.

* Two aircraft being readied ahead of the show

* Tejas flying picks up after a lull period

* Flight-testing envelope will be expanded

Full report, here: http://bit.ly/1TYrYHd

Cmde Balaji (Retd) takes over the reins of ADA at critical phase

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Bengaluru, July 3: The Department of Defence Research and Development on Friday handed over the reins of Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) to Cmde Cadaba Devnath Balaji (Retd).

An Outstanding Scientist and currently the Project Director of LCA (Navy), Cmde Balaji (Retd) has been appointed as the Director of ADA and Programme Director (Combat Aircraft).

He replaces P S Subramanyam, who superannuated on June 30. Balaji will have around 2 years of service left, before attaining 60, in 2017.

As reported by OneIndia earlier, a search committee headed by former DRDO Chief Dr V K Aatre decided to hand over the baton to Cmde Balaji (Retd), who is part of ADA since 2002. (http://www.oneindia.com/india/hunt-on-pick-top-brain-head-india-s-tejas-programme-1790398.html)

Crucial juncture for LCA project: He takes over as the ADA chief at a crucial juncture when the LCA Tejas project is expected to get the Final Operational Clearance (FOC) by March 2016, a deadline that has seen many extensions.

As the captain of the ADA, Balaji will also have to get the Naval LCA moving forward with the crucial arrestor hook landing trials expected later this year.

Interestingly, Balaji is the man responsible for writing the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) paper on NLCA in 2002. The CCS gave the project its approval in 2003 and many credit him for having taking the project from ‘paper to flight.’

Though the NLCA was dogged in a series of delays, it has gained momentum in the last one year with the Indian Navy backing the programme to the hilt. Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd and other partners too have been extending outstanding support to the programme.

Saw Tejas trainers from close quarters: Balaji also oversaw the Indian Air Force (IAF) Tejas programme from close quarters, especially the build of the trainer version PV5 leading to its maiden flight in 2009.

Around 36 sorties of PV5 were personally monitored by him, after which it was handed over to the IAF programme. Incidentally, the Tejas trainers have the front fuselage of the naval variants.

As the Project Director NLCA, he was responsible for the first flight of NP-1 (Naval Prototype) on Apr 27, 2012. This feat was followed by the maiden ski jump launch on December 20, 2014 at the Shore Based Test Facility (SBTF) in Goa.

The design and build of this facility to replicate the aircraft carrier was in itself a challenge for Balaji and his team. (http://www.oneindia.com/india/oneindia-special-nlca-np-1-outperformed-our-expectations-says-ada-1647622.html)

Says he has already set immediate goals: He also oversaw the maiden flight of the NP-2 on February 7, 2015, just days ahead of 10th edition of Aero India. Executed efficiently by HAL, he has also steered the build of a ground-based naval variant purely for structural testing in a specially-created test rig.

Married to Rama Balaji, a teacher, his elder son Karthik is with the Indian Navy and younger son Anuj is employed in the US.

Speaking to OneIndia, soon after taking over the charge, Balaji said that he has already set his short-term goals.

“I must say I am stepping in with two key priorities. The FOC for IAF programme has to be met by early next year. Then comes the carrier capability trails of naval variant towards the end of 2016,” says Balaji who lost his father at the age of nine, in a road accident. He was later brought up by his mother Amrita Devnath, as her only son.

BALAJI FACTFILE

* Cmde Balaji (Retd) is born on 13 March 1957

* Holds a BE in Mechanical Engineering

* Commissioned into the Indian Navy in September 1978

* Served as the Air Engineer Officer of INAS 310 (Alize bomber) for 3 years embarking Aircraft Carrier Vikrant in 1981

* Worked with Sea Harriers in 1985

* Took Masters in Aerospace Engineering from IISc 1986-88

* Senior Instructor at Naval Institute of Aeronautical Technology (NIAT), Kochi, 1988-89

* Served as Lt. Cdr Chief Engineer officer onboard INS Beas 1989-91

* Station Air Engineer Officer at INS Hansa, Goa 1991-95

* As a Commander served INS Magar 1995-97

* Was attached to ALH project office in HAL 1998-2002

* Coordinated the naval team for landing of ALH on INS Ganga

* Deputed to ADA in 2002

* Wrote CCS paper on NLCA in 2002

* Appointed as Project Director Navy in 2005

* Left Navy in 2006 and joined ADA as a Naval Project Chief

Copyright@OneIndia

TALKATHON: Projects are bigger than people; Tejas story will inspire many generations: Subramanyam

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Bengaluru, June 30: P S Subramanyam, one of the top-notch military brains in the country says that the lessons learned from developing Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas will act as a guiding force for all future fighter programmes.

In an exclusive interview to Mathrubhumi English, Subramanyam, the outgoing Director of Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and Programme Director (Combat Aircraft), said that he and his team saw through the Tejas project through some of the most challenging times.

The Distinguished Scientist retired June 30 after being at the helm of affairs of ADA from 2005. Excerpts.

MB: Your tenure will probably go down in the history of Indian military aviation as the most challenging one. Isn’t it an irony that you had to leave the project just months ahead of its Final Operational Clearance (FOC)?

PSS: The Mk-1 configuration aircraft started coming after I took over in 2005. The challenge started with PV-2, which is the present Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) configuration aircraft. In the last 10 years there were major transformation in the aircraft and systems. I would say 80 per cent changes took place in the last 10 years in terms of design and systems. 

Now, FOC is on track and I am happy that it will be achieved in the next six to nine months. Remember that projects are bigger than people. There are capable hands to take the programme forward. I am not running away and will be always available to offer any help.

MB: So what are the major changes to Tejas in the last 10 years?

PSS: Well, there are many. There were changes to the front fuselage, cockpit layout, radome, windshield and canopy. Almost 80 per cent avionics changed and even the wings underwent modifications due to R-73 missile. The rear fuselage too had to be changed to accommodate GE404-IN20 engine. Even the MMR (Multi-Mode Radar) underwent changes after the indigenous effort to make one did not succeed. So we had to go for Israeli Elta Radar. Even the fuel system got changes for better CG (Centre of Gravity) management. New Communication systems too came in. Fourteen aircraft were built during my regime and around 2500 flights achieved in 10 years. Tejas story will inspire generations to come.

MB: What was the most satisfying moment during your command?

PSS: I would say the handing over of SP-1 to the Indian Air Force, the first Series Production aircraft, is the most memorable moment. I can proudly say I saw through the programme end to end.

MB: During your tenure, there were many attempts to close the project. How did you manage to overcome those pressures?

PSS: Okay. We had faced many unexpected encounters while taking Tejas project forward. In 2007, we came to a situation which almost was like to be or not to be. There were several meetings held to close the programme. From our end, we gave confidence to the government and convinced them that it is a doable project. There were occasions in the past that many wanted to merge ADA with some other organisations. We faced all the rough weather bravely.

MB: Who are the people who were behind these ‘undercover operations?’

PSS: They were not undercover operations, but open attempts. Names don’t matter as we have come a great distance ahead successfully.

MB: We understand that the FOC is likely to spill over to next year?

PSS: The programme has come this far and we are confident of achieving the FOC by March 2016. The current delays are just passing clouds and we will have access to all hardware within a month. Nothing can stop achieving FOC now.

MB: What was it like handling multiple agencies, which had different command and structure?

PSS: Interesting one (Laughs). I am not sure whether we have any other national programme running with so many stakeholders associated with it. It made me a better leader. Barring ADA, I had no control over any of the stakeholders in the programme. Still, I got the support of everyone, which I am proud of.

MB: Media has been mostly very critical of the programme, but you never came out countering them.

PSS: (Laughs) If I had to that, who would have run the programme? I believe that everyone has a job to do and I did mine. The media never had the right appreciation of the time and cost of the programme. Every time a new figure came out along with a new set of timelines.

With Rs 7500 crore, we made 14 aircraft and also set up a production line. Isn’t it far superior than the expenditure twice incurred in any other programme in the world? Honestly, we were ever affected by any media reports.

MB: What are your immediate plans?

PSS: I want to get connected with the youngsters. I will visit universities and talk to engineering students. I want to share with them the Tejas story. In the next 10 years, India should be second to none in military aviation. If aviation needs to grow, we need to introspect our position in science and technology today. I have already set a blueprint in my mind to target youngsters.

In the last 10 years, I have not gone for any vacation. Even Sundays were working days. Probably, now I will get some time to listen to some old Hindi and English songs. 

MB: Songs like…

PSS: My all-time favourite number is Mary Hopkin’s -- Those were the days my friend…

Mathrubhuimi English

We survived strong moves to close Tejas project in 2007: Subramanyam

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Bengaluru, June 30: Outgoing Director of Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and Programme Director (Combat Aircraft) P S Subramanyam says that there were massive efforts by a section to close the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas project in 2007.

The Distinguished Scientist and the man who spearheaded the project for the last 10 years, was speaking to this Correspondent, probably his last interview to the media as the Tejas boss.

Subramanyam, retired from the services today after attending an official farewell organized by Team ADA at its Bengaluru facility near Old Airport Road.

The soft-spoken man hailing from Vijayawada, spearheaded the programme from 2005, after taking over the reins of ADA from M B Verma.

Subramanyam is the second largest serving chief of ADA (10 years), after Dr Kota Harinarayana, who had served the project for 16 years till 2002.

We bravely retrieved the project: “Yes, I can tell you that we had to wade through several pressures while taking this project forward. In 2007, the programme saw one of its worst periods. It was almost like to be or not to be. I can proudly say that we bravely retrieved the project and gave the shape it is in now,” Subramanyam said.

He said there were several meetings held virtually to close the programme. “I stood ground and gave the confidence to the government that it is a doable project and we will deliver it on time. The rest is history and we never looked back,” he added.

Admitting that the ‘2007 project closer move’ came as a jerk to the team, Subramanyam said neither he nor his team ran away scared.

“Yes, we were shaken, but we knew we had a challenging task on hand. In the next two years (2007 to 2009) we demonstrated the capabilities of stores, sensors and weapon integration.

He also revealed that there were several occasions in the past that many wanted to merge ADA with some other organisations.

“So, while taking on the technology challenges of LCA, I has the head of ADA had to deal with other issues as well,” he added.

FOC will be in by March 2016: He refused to name the people who were acting against Tejas project and ADA during 2007. “Names don’t matter now as we have moved on. Let’s focus on the current status of the project. Nothing can stop the Final Operational Clearance (FOC) completion now. By 2016 March, the FOC will be done,” he said.

When asked about the most challenging task he had to undertake as the Tejas project chief, the NIT Warangal top brain said: “I had no command on any of the stakeholders in the programme, barring ADA. Yet, I managed to get the support of everyone, which is what I am proud of.”

He said the media never had the correct appreciation of the time and cost of the programme.

“With Rs 7500 crore making 14 aircraft and establishing a production line, is far superior than the expenditure twice incurred in any other programme of the world,” Subramanyam added.

OneIndia

Weapon trials: Tejas to demonstrate fire power ahead of FOC

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Bengaluru, June 29: The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas is all set undertake critical test flights carrying an array of missiles and bombs to complete its scheduled weapon trials.

Top sources with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed to this Correspondent that the integration of Russian–made Close Combat Missile (CCM) R-73 has been completed.

The ground integration of the Israeli-made CMM Python-5 too has been completed ahead of the flight trials. The Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missile Derby has also been integrated on to the aircraft.

Tejas can carry two CCMs with a range of 15 km at the extreme end pods. These missiles can home on to the enemy aircraft based on their heat signature.

The Derby (two missiles) is being integrated on the mid-board-pods of Tejas and they have a range varying between 80 and 100 km. 

The home-grown fighter carries the laser-guided bomb (LGB) Griffin, which has a range of 5-6 km. Tejas will also carry LGB Paveway, which according to sources, has already demonstrated its capabilities with an accuracy of 1 meter. 

“These missiles have demonstrated their capabilities to strike with precision during day and night,” says an official.

BVR missiles to be tested in July: The laser-designator pod also has been integrated on to the aircraft. “Tejas can carry drop tanks with 1200-litre and 800-725-litre capacity. The R-73 has completed flight trials in Goa, Jaisalmer and Jamnagar over 10 times. The LGB has been tested for six times now,” the official said.

The BVR testes scheduled to be held in May has now been fixed for July at forward bases. “The CCMs and BVRs used on Tejas are capable of SSKP (Single Shot Kill Probability). In a war scenario, the pilot can increase the kill probability by opting for firing both CCMs, or both BVRs together,” the official added.

The integration of Russian-made gun for Tejas Gsh-23 has been completed. The gun has been already ground tested at a facility in Nasik. 

FOC may spill over to March 2016? When asked whether Tejas would skip the December 2015 deadline for Final Operational Clearance (FOC), the top MoD official said: “There are still some passing clouds hanging around. But the teams from Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) are confident of beating the deadline.”

However, another official told this Correspondent that the programme might skip the December deadline by maximum three months.

“May be it will spill over to the last quarter of this FY. The FOC will be in by March 2016,” he said.

Refuelling probe, nose cone radome awaited: To complete the FOC points, the air-to-air refueling probe from Cobham hasn’t arrived yet. The nose cone quartz radome too is being awaited.

There are already some rumours floating around in the corridors of HAL and ADA over the delay in accessing these pending foreign systems.

A Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) official says that they are hopeful of thrashing the issue.

“Definitely there are concerns. But, we are hoping to get clarity by July. Hopefully, we should have access to all hardware within a month. We don’t see any more technology challenges after the integration of these pending items,” says the senior DRDO official.

ADA says that almost 75 per cent of work related to FOC has been completed. The siblings of Tejas have completed 2971 flights so far logging around 1909 hours, at the time this piece went live on the web.

@OneIndia

#PlaneCarnival: IAF will get 36 Tejas in FOC format: ADA Chief

By Dr Anantha Krishnan M

https://twitter.com/writetake

Thrilled by the assurance given by the Chief of Air Staff Air Cheif Marshal Arup Raha, Team Tejas is on Cloud 9 as the curtains are drawn on 10th edition of Aero India 2015.

Putting an end to all speculations, Raha had categorically stated at Aero India that the Indian Air Force (IAF) has full faith in Tejas and its capabilities.

In an interview to OneIndia, P S Subramaniam, Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) Director overseeing the Tejas project said that the Chief ‘s statement has rejuvenated the team.

IAF Chief's remarks lifted the team's morale

"We read it in the newspapers and it has lifted the morale of all entire teams in ADA, HAL, DRDO and NAL. In a development programme, delays are natural and we are now ensuring that the Final Operational Clearance (FOC) is achieved as planned in December," Subramaniam said.

As reported by OneIndia earlier, the IAF will start inducting Tejas series production (SP-3) aircraft onwards into IAF.

As per the contract, HAL will have to deliver a total of 20 Tejas series production aircraft in the Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) format and another 20 in the FOC mode. The IAF also needs 80 Tejas Mk-2s, which are being powered by the GE 414 engine.

This report appeared on OneIndia on 22 Feb 2015. Full report here: http://bit.ly/1DJCEmw

LCA Navy creates history in Goa; India joins an elite club

By Anantha Krishnan M

https://twitter.com/writetake

Bengaluru, Dec 20: India on Saturday created a slice of naval history when the first home-grown naval jet Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Naval Protytype-1 (NP-1), a trainer, took off from the Shore Based Test Facility (SBTF) at INS Hans in Goa for the first time. As reported by OneIndia recently, the NP-1 was piloted by Cmde Jaideep Maolankar, Chief Test Pilot of National Flight Test Centre (NFTC) situated in Bengaluru. 

The SBTF replicates a static model of the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) being built at the Cochin Shipyard in Kerala. The aircraft undertook the ski-jump (take-off) 300 meters away from the ramp – having a curved upward shape at one end. The telemetry feed of the crucial trial was also available at NFTC, which was closely monitored by an expert team.

Sources who witnessed the NP-1 event at SBTF told OneIndia that the aircraft accelerated more than expected. “We were hoping for a 150 knot safe fly away at a climb rate of 6.4 degrees. But, the aircraft had a higher acceleration with a climb rate of around 11 degrees, which showcased the confidence of the pilot on the platform,” an official said.

Naval history created, says DRDO D-G: Dr K Tamilmani, one of the visible faces of DRDO and its Director-General (Aero) told OneIndia that NP1 smooth take-off during the first attempt itself will give a huge boost to the programme. “There have been delays which are justifiable if you have tracked the programme from close quarters. We were dating complex technologies and NP-1 scripted naval history at INS Hansa,” Dr Tamilmani said.

He said as part of the current campaign, NP-1 will have five more tests at SBTF (only ski-jumps) to meet all mission parameters. “Based on the test points achieved, we will schedule the next leg of trials. The aircraft will undertake ski-jumps 90 meters from the ramp, with all weapon stores in place,” Dr Tamilmani added.

To a specific query, the top scientist said that the arrester-hook landing trials of NP-1 will be conducted within 6-8 months. He confirmed that the second prototype of naval LCA (NP-2) will undertake its first flight in Bengaluru soon. The NP-1 had its maiden flight on April 27, 2012.

The DRDO quoted its Chief Dr Avinash Chander in an official release saying that it hopes to see home-grown combat aircraft soon flying from the decks of Indian aircraft carriers. 

Validation of the efforts by design teams, says Navy: The Indian Navy is yet to officially name the aircraft and the Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R K Dhowan had recently expressed concerns over the delay in the programme. The Admiral had also reviewed the project ahead of the SBTF trails. 

Reacting to the NP-1’s achievement on Saturday, Rear Admiral D M Sudan, Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Air) told OneIndia from New Delhi that the NP-1 ski-jump is a validation of the effort of the design team.

“The launch of NP-1 from the SBTF is a historic event. It also shows the faith the Navy has reposed in this indigenous development programme. This event would provide an impetus towards timely achievement of future milestones,” Rear Admiral Sudan said.

We predicted the behavior of the aircraft, says ADA Chief: P S Subramanyam, Director, Aeronautical Development Agency, told OneIndia from Goa that it was a ‘text-book style’ launch of NP-1 at SBTF.

“India has become only the third country in the world (after US and Ukraine) to have carried out such a launch. This technology is only available to a few nations. We were able to predict the behaviour of the aircraft during the entry on the ramp, while on the ramp and after its exit,” he said.

He said Saturday’s mission was a well-orchestrated one with many agencies involved. He said the NP-1 did not have an arrester hook fitted on it. “The arrester-hook landing is not a critical test as ski-jump. Today what we have achieved will be remembered for a long time to come,” Subramanyam said.

Our Take | OneIndia

* All the stake-holders need to be patted on their back for this stupendous achievement. 

* The successful completion of the critical nature of the mission at first attempt itself should further boost the confidence of the user on the programme.

* The Navy has been backing this programme to the hilt, which gave the ADA-HAL-NFTC combine to undertake ski-jump more confidently. User support sans any conditions important for desi programmes to flourish.

* The NP-2 should join the flight-line at the earliest which should help catch-up with some of the lost time.

Copyright @OneIndia

More photos from SBTF @INS Hansa | NP-1 ski-jump

Pix: DRDO

Official DRDO video of NP1 ski-jump from SBTF

One year after IOC-2, Parrikar says IAF will finally get Tejas by March 2015

By Anantha Krishnan M

https://twitter.com/writetake

Bengaluru, Dec 19: The Indian Air Force (IAF) will ‘officially’ get to fly the first series production (SP-1) variant of India’s Light Combat Aircraft Tejas by March 2015. Having skipped many deadlines in the past, the fresh dates announced by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar in Lok Sabha today, will again put the spotlight on Tejas, which is currently meeting the mandatory Final Operational Clearance (FOC) test-points.

Interestingly, Parrikar’s statement comes on the eve of Tejas completing one year after being given the Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) on December 20, 2013. “The first of the IOC standard Tejas (SP-1) has been built and successfully completed its maiden flight on September 30, 2014. This aircraft will be handed over to IAF by March 2015 after some upgrades,” Parrikar informed Lok Sabha in a written reply.

The SP-1 was rolled out from the brand new Tejas facility of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) in Bengaluru. The minister said that the second aircraft (SP-2) will also be ready by March 2015 for its maiden flight and the first 20 aircraft will be built by 2017-18. The first 20 Tejas will be in the IOC configuration and the remaining 20 in the FOC configuration.

FOC dates further pushed to Dec 2015: The minister also announced that the crucial FOC (meeting all parameters set by the IAF, which is called Air Staff Requirement) is “likely to be only achieved by end of 2015.” This programme was expected to get FOC by mid-2015 and sources tell OneIndia that the minister might have announced the fresh likely dates after getting a briefing from the IAF. 

DRDO Chief Dr Avinash Chander told OneIndia on Friday that all planned events of Tejas FOC are on track. “The programme is heading in the right direction and the trials mandated under FOC are being done,” Dr Avninash said.

On another query, the DRDO chief said that the third trial of Agni-5 missile will not happen this month. “The fresh dates are being worked out. It will be only sometime in January next year,” Dr Avinash said.

He also complemented the DRDO for successfully testing a 1000 kg glide bomb today (in Bay of Bengal off the Odisha coast). “India has now the capability to design, develop and launch heavy bombs for delivery up to 100 km away with high precision,” Dr Avinash was quoted by DRDO in a release.

DRDO says all major critical challenges achieved: DRDO Director-General (Aero) Dr K Tamilmani told OneIndia that the project has achieved all major challenges so far. “So far there are no critical challenges to overcome. A number of Tejas variants are undertaking trials and that’s a positive sign for the project,” Dr Tamilmani said.

When specifically asked about the FOC dates getting postponed, the top DRDO brain said: “We are awaiting for some more components (nose cone quartz radome and the air-to-air refueling probe) to arrive. There is a delay from the part of getting them.”

He said Tejas has proven multiple test-points related to its weapon release. “Functional aspects of the radar have been proved. Issues related to range will be fixed with the new radome,” he added.

We will ramp up production, says HAL: HAL Chairman Dr R K Tyagi said that Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) will ramp up the Tejas series production soon. “We are confident of increasing it from eight to 16 aircraft and we are in talks with the government. We hope the IAF order for Tejas goes up significantly from the current numbers,” Dr Tyagi said.

He also demanded a level playing field for HAL when the Ministry of Defence invites competitive bids. “Everyone should be given an equal chance. The HTT-40 programme is a challenge to our prestige and pride,” Dr Tyagi said, while releasing a new book on Tejas, IJT and Jaguar upgrade written by former LCA (Director) in HAL Yogesh Kumar. The book is titled: “Lead and Execute: The Art of Managing Large Scale Projects.”

Our Take | OneIndia

• It is a matter of concern that Tejas deadlines are getting shifted again.
• MoD must bring in more synergy between HAL-ADA.
• Lessons learnt from Tejas Mk-1 must act as pointers for future projects like Tejas Mk-II (if IAF needs it), AMCA, UCAV etc.
• Emotions have no place when your fighter plane needs to gain combat-readiness as desired by the user.

Copyright@OneIndia

Tejas production variant SP-1 makes maiden flight in Bangalore | First flight without telemetry support | Two test variants on 'bombing mission' in Jaisalmer

Tejas seems to be out of the woods with the production variant's first flight. Photo: Basani Satish Kumar 

By Anantha Krishnan M

Express News Service

Bangalore: The Indian Air Force’s (IAF) wait to induct a home-grown fighter jet into its squadron inched a step closer when the first Tejas series production (SP-1) aircraft kissed the skies on Tuesday. Military sources confirmed to Express that during the 25-minute flight, Tejas SP-1 touched a maximum speed of 0.6 Mach, copying textbook maneuvers befitting a maiden outing. The sole take-away from this flight was the fact that there was no telemetry support to the pilot.

Built by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and designed by Aeronautical Development Agency, the Tejas SP-1 was flown by seasoned Test Pilot Air Commodore (Retd) K A Muthanna, with a Hawk trainer as the chase aircraft. “We did the HSTT (High Speed Taxi Trial) on Monday and the test results were flawless. During today’s flight, the pilot had no link-up with the telemetry team during the entire duration of the flight. This is a first for the programme, similar to what happens while in a squadron scenario,” an official associated with project said.

The build of the Tejas SP-1 seems to have given the team huge confidence to go for the maiden flight. “We had no corrections to make before and after the flight. This is different from what we were used to on earlier occasions. The production version aircraft is definitely superior on all fronts. We will resume the flight on SP-1 after a week,” the official said.

While the programme has to travel some more distance before the much-awaited induction into the IAF, two Tejas aircraft from the flight test programme are currently in Jaisalmer undertaking 'bombing mission.' “New weapons (250 kg and 450 kg bombs) are being integrated into the aircraft. The AoA (Angle of Attack) is also coming closer to 26 degrees, which helps the pilot to undertake care-free manoeuvring. In the next there months we are also lining up the aircraft to fire some new missiles as well,” the official said.

https://twitter.com/writetake
Also read: Did SP-1 fly for me?

Tejas set to begin high-altitude trials in Leh

By Anantha Krishnan M
Express News Service

Bangalore: The Final Operational Clearance (FOC) campaign of Light Combat Aircraft Tejas is set to gain momentum with the high altitude trials scheduled this week in Leh. Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) Director P.S. Subramanyam told Express on Tuesday that during the Leh trials, the aircraft engine will be started at lower than -10 (minus Ten) degree Celsius. "We will also evaluate the aircraft performance at low temperature and high altitude. This time, we need to also test the performance of various sensors at the hilly terrain," Subramanyam said.
Only one aircraft is participating during the current trials with ground support teams already being positioned at Nasik, Pathankot and Leh. "These trails will not exceed more than a week. We have the next phase of weapon trials in Jamnagar, scheduled in March," the ADA chief said. He said the number of test flights of Tejas dipped in January owing to the preparatory phase for the FOC campaign.
"Various activities for FOC have been initiated much before the Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) event in December 2013. Most of the FOC parameters that we need to achieve have reached the half-way mark," he said. Currently the aircraft from the Tejas flight-line are being upgraded to FOC configuration to undertake flight trials.
Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd Chairman R K Tyagi said that production activities at the company's the Light Combat Aircraft (Production Group) unit are pacing ahead as per the plan. "The project progress is being monitored on a daily basis now. We have completed the wings of the first series production (SP-1) aircraft and it has come out with nil deviations," Tyagi said. HAL is mandated to deliver SP-1 in the next three months.
In the FOC phase so far, the aircraft engine was switched on using a jet fuel starter three consecutive times (three times in a row), as mandated by the Indian Air Force (IAF). A rain-proof test was done on the limited series production (LSP-7) aircraft. The aircraft also was subjected to brake tests, while the integration work of the underbelly drop tank has begun at the HAL facility. HAL has also begun training of IAF technicians on the aircraft ahead of the Tejas squadron formation.

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We are offering a battle-ready Teajs to IAF now: ADA Chief

By Anantha Krishnan M

Express News Service

Bangalore: The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) chief P S Subramaniam says that Tejas is completely battle-ready and its increased number of flights in the last 3 years (over 1000) is a testimony to the maintenance, safety and operation features of the aircraft. In an interview to Express on Thursday, Subramaniam said that the Tejas has proved its flying capabilities at all important Indian Air Force (IAF) and a couple of naval bases.

“This year we have touched almost 50 flights and have conducted outstation trials at Jamnagar, Jaisalmer, Gwalior, Leh, Utterlai (near Jodhpur) and Goa. The aircraft has demonstrated the capabilities to operate like a typical squadron. On many occasions the same aircraft has flown more than once in a day. Many have accused us in the past that Tejas was not capable of flying more than once in day. But we have demonstrated flying thrice in a day, which is a pointer towards the ease at which it can be serviced,” the ADA chief said.

He said many local IAF technicians have appreciated the flying and serviceable qualities of Tejas, which was against the general opinion. “Today, the product speaks for itself and we were all glued to improvising its performance for the last many years. The weapon delivery capabilities of Tejas in many modes were demonstrated and over a dozen times we have fired the R-73 E missile. The electronic warfare trials were also conducted at an IAF base in central India,” Subramaniam said.

He said the Tejas is fully battle ready and over the years his team has converted it into a fighting machine from a flying machine. “The IAF is convinced today that they are accepting an aircraft which is completely combat ready. The IAF team in ADA interacted constantly with us to make sure that they get a maintenance-friendly aircraft. The IAF wanted us to cut down the servicing time, which has been done on priority. Today, if Tejas goes for a combat mission, it can be readied for another mission within an hour’s time,” Subramanian said.

The ground support equipment specifications have also been evolved. There are about 20 major ground equipment developed for Tejas. “We have also made some new tools for the IAF technicians and many of their concepts have been incorporated. Today Tejas is a fighter evolved from hundreds of feedback we received from designers, engineers, pilots and technicians. We have gone through the motions of making a new generation fighter and faced many difficulties. The induction of Tejas into IAF will being soon and that should silence most of the critics. Plane-making a serious business and making military platforms is a complex exercise. We have covered some distance and Tejas is the answer,” he said.

Copyright@The New Indian Express

Tejas needs to cross 6 milestones in 15 months ahead of FOC

By Anantha Krishnan M

Express News Service

Bangalore: The Tejas fighter will have to cross 6 milestones in the next 15 months before the aircraft is given the final operational clearance (FOC). Tomorrow's (December 20) initial operational clearance (IOC) event, ahead of the expected induction of the first series production aircraft into the Indian Air Force (IAF) by March 2013, would pave way for the IAF pilots to undertake independent flight evaluation of Tejas.

Dr K Tamil Mani, Director-General (Aeronautical Systems), DRDO and Chief Executive Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification, told Express that the integration of new missiles identified by the IAF will top the agenda in the FOC phase. “The aerodynamics, structures and the integration of the missiles with the radar are important events for Tejas now. We need to evolve the algorithm,” Tamil Mani said. The beyond visual range (BVR) missiles from Israel – Derby and Python -- with a range of 70 km and each weighing 150 kg, have been identified for Tejas.

The Russian-made 23 mm GSH gun is the next in line to be integrated on the aircraft. Capable of firing at 3600 to 4000 rpm, the integration of this gun is seen as a challenge considering the vibrations involved during action. “Lots of surrounding LRUs need to be certified again for higher level of vibration. Ground firing or butt firing needs to be done initially before getting the gun onboard Tejas. The projectile speed of the gun is around 750 meter per second,” he said.

Tejas will also have an air-to-air refuelling probe (Cobham, UK) in the FOC configuration. “We have started the integration work. Similar work was done on Jaguar and AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning and Control) platform. We have the expertise now,” he said. The Tejas will also increase the angle of attack (AoA) from 22 to 24 degrees enabling the pilot to go for care-free manouvering.

The braking system of Tejas will also need to be improved. “The heat capacity needs to be increased. Else we will have to put a better cooling mechanism for the brakes, similar to the fans in the MiGs,” Tamil Mani said.

The nose cone radome of Tejas is another part that is expected to get a re-look. “Now the radome is made of composite materials and we will change it to quartz. Today we are getting a radar range of 45-50 km and we need to improve the same to 80-plus km with the new material,” the official said.

Copyright@The New Indian Express