commentary - aircraft upgrade projects - feb 2010

8/14/2019 Commentary - Aircraft Upgrade Projects - Feb 2010

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Flight of Capability

The Indian Air Force-IAF at present is grappling with a sharp decline in the number of

its fighter squadrons, which presently stand at a precarious number of 32. The

sanctioned strength of the IAF is 39.5 squadrons.

However the IAF is confident that operational procurement plans are in place to ensure

its capability to operate in Indias expanding strategic environment, stretching from thePersian Gulf right up to the Malacca Strait.

The 4th largest air force in the worlds eventual aim is to transform into an

Expeditionary aerospace force, with an innate capability of rapid deployment and

operations at a global scale.

This commentary provides a quick round-up of some of the major upgrade programs

underway.

A look at the present

Aircraft upgrade

programs.

February 2010 I A Commentary on Aircraft Upgrades

MIG 29 BAAZ; In the Background is the Su-30 MKI.


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IAF chief, Air Chief Marshal P.V. Naik,

has outlined a three-pronged strategy

for the Air Force. One, to see first and

see the farthest, with air-borne warning

and control systems (AWACS) and

satellites. Two, to reach first and the

farthest, with mid-air re-fullers toenhance the radius of operations of its

fighters. And three, to hit hard and

accurately, with advanced missiles and

precision guided munitions. (PGM)

Program: MIG 29 BAAZ upgrade / Engine

Proposal finalized December 06, inked inMarch 2008 with RSK-MiG

Price:o US$ 1,000 million for 62 unitso US$ 250 million for 120 engines

Background: In February 06, the Indian

government decided to upgrade its existing

fleet of MiG- 29S, MiG-29B and the twin seate

MiG-29UB. This upgrade would provide the

fighters with multi role capabilities and

improve their ability to carry advanced

weapons. The upgraded aircrafts would be

called MiG-29SMT / UBT fighters and thei

flight-hour lifetimes would be extended from

25 years-2500hrs to 40 years-3500hrs. The

Russian company RSK-MiG already had a

dedicated upgrade kit for this program. It was

decided that the first 6 fighters would be

upgraded in Russia, while the rest would be

upgraded in India- at the base repair depot

Nasik. The program was to be completed in 3

years from the date of the contract being

signed. (August 2008)

The upgraded fighters would be fitted with

extra fuel tanks in a thickened center spineAlso included in the upgrade would be a new

avionics suite including the Phaztron Zhuk-ME

radar and in-flight refueling capacities.

Engine: The Indian govt. has also signed in

2006; contracts to license produce 120 units of

the the RD-33 series III jet engines, worth US$

250million. These engines would be an

improvement on the existing RD-33 series I and

II engines that are currently installed in the MiG

29 fleet.

Present Situation: The program is now slated

for completion only by 2014, almost 3 years

behind schedule.

The IAF was to provide RSK-MiG the associated

list of equipment and specifications. These


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components would reportedly have come from

Indian, Russian, French and Israel (Elbit).

However, the IAF is yet to finalize this list and

provide it to RSK-MiG.

Program: Mirage 2000 upgrade

RFP floated in April 2008, 2 years afterthe program was finalized.

Estimated cost of US$ 1,500 million for51 units to be upgraded to the DASH-5

standard.

Background: Thales responded to the RFP in

July 2008. Under the proposed plan, the

company would deliver the first two aircraft

from in France within 40 months of the signing

of the contract, and would simultaneouslyassist HAL in upgrading another two aircraft in

India. Thereafter, HAL would upgrade one of

the remaining 47 aircraft, every month. The

upgrade would extend the service life of the

aircraft by an estimated 20 years.

Under the upgrade, the entire frame would be

stripped down to be re-wired and re-equipped

with new avionics, mission computers, glass

cockpits, helmet-mounted displays, electronic

warfare suites and weapons systems. These

upgrades would enhance the fighters longerrange detection across the spectrum, its

tactical situation awareness, longer range

weapon firing capability against multiple

simultaneous targets and its weapon stealth

and extended operating envelope with the

capability to engage ground targets while

countering airborne threats. The new weapons

suite would include MBDA MICA, ASRAAM

missiles and other NATO standard air-to-

surface guided weapons.

Present Situation: During Prime Minister

Singhs state visit to France in July 2009, the

two countries were slated to ink the US$ 2,100

million Mirage upgrade. However, the deal did

not go through. Initially, Thales had made an

offer of US$ 2,900 million for the upgrade; this

after protracted negotiations had been reduced

to US$ 2,100 million, which also the IAF found

exorbitant. The IAF claimed that instead of

spending US$ 41 million on each MIRAGE-2000,

it would prefer to buy brand new fighters. It is

worth noting that the original purchase cost of

the each MIRAGE-2000 was US$ 31 million.

The French urgency to get the deal signed

during President Sarkozys visit in early 2010

has signaled Thales to source a significant share

of work and components from India. This wil

help reduce their offer price. Indian avionics

manufacturers like Samtel-Thales Avionics, a

JV, will now manufacture certain upgrade

components locally. This will also assist Thales

in meeting its offset liabilities that will arise out

of the deal.

In the latest development (December 09)

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has emergedas a contender. The IAI proposal also includes

rewiring the aircraft to enable them to carry

the Rafaels Derby BVR missile and Python-V

short range missile. The armament

compatibility extends further with the

incorporation of various Israeli sourced air-to-

surface guided weapons. This Israeli firm has

also opted to provide a fully operationa

mission simulator to the IAF. According to a

source, the IAI offer is 40% cheaper than the

French proposal. Even though IAI is not the

OEM in this case, the company has significantexperience on similar aircrafts. IAI also

manufactures the KFIR, an aircraft similar to

the MIRAGE-III / IV.

Program: Aviant / Antonov An-32

Antonov proposed the upgradeprogram in 2005.

Contract signed in June 2009 withSpetsTechnoExport (STE) of UKRAINE.

Price: US$ 400 million for 104 units.

Background: The IAF presently operates 105

An-32s in the medium capacity transport

aircraft category. These aircraft were delivered

in 1984. The qualitative requirements as listed

by the IAF for the upgrade are- extending


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service life, enhancing operational capabilities,

easing crew workloads and reducing

maintenance costs. Under the program, the

first 4 - 6 aircraft would be upgraded in Ukraine

and the rest at the base repair depot- Kanpur.

The upgrade would extend the service life of

the aircraft by up to 20 years.

The upgrade package will include work on the

An-32s engines and avionics.

The aircrafts AI-20DM engines time interval

between overhauls would be increased from

2000hrs to 4000hrs and the total power plant

life to 20,000hrs. The operating range would be

increased from 900km to 1,400km- by

integrating an additional fuel tank. The

maximum take-off weight would also be

increased by 1,500kgs to 28,500kgs.

The avionics of the An-32 will also be replaced.According to sources, the IAI-ELTA developed

package, including a full glass cockpit with

standard MFDs and a control unit is the front-

runner. This avionics package also includes a

digital moving map, full NVG capability, in flight

mission rehearsal options, HUD for both pilots.

The significantly new advanced EWS in the

package will feature a radar warning receiver,

the fourth generation EL/M-2160 missile

approach warning system, laser warning

receiver and conventional countermeasures.Flight safety features being incorporated into

the upgrade will include an advanced terrain

avoidance warning system (TAWS) and an

enhanced traffic collision avoidance system.

(ETCAS)

Present situation: The upgrade program

commenced in Ukraine in December 09. and is

slated for completion by 2017. However the

Avionics package is yet to be firmed up.

Honeywell has also decided to participate inthe avionics upgrade as it has carried out a

similar upgrade on the An-32 of the Jordanian

air force.

Program: Jaguar upgrade / Engine

Avionics suite upgrade of 69 aircrafts:o From NAVWASS to DARIN IIo From DARIN to DARIN II

Engine Upgrade of 128 aircrafts Estimated program cost:

o Avionics-US$ 123 million.o Engine- US$ 670 million.

Background: The IAF received its first 38

Jaguars in a fly-away condition from BAe. These

aircrafts were fitted with the NAVWASS

(Navigation Attack Weapon Aiming Sub

System) from Marconi-Elliot Avionics Ltd, with

the Head-Up display (HUD) from Smiths. At thevery outset, the RAF had clearly told the IAF

that this particular equipment had a very low

reliability factor. However, the NAVWASS was

the standard equipment onboard the Jagua

aircraft and hence there was no easy

replacement. This made the IAF look at the

possibility of in-house development of an

inertial navigation system. (INS)

The project was managed by Inertial Nav-

Attack System Integration Organization (IIO

that was specially set up under the DRDO. TheIIO, termed the indigenous INS as the DARIN-

Display Attack Ranging Inertial Navigation

Sagem of France was appointed as the prime

integrator and the HAL as the prime agency fo

carrying out the aircraft work. ASTE, Bangalore

also played a role in the selection o

equipment, its previous experience in this field

coming very handy.

DARIN was given full operational clearance in

1984, 9 years after the program began. Each of

the Jaguars built by HAL under license isequipped with the DARIN avionics kit.

A newer version called DARIN-II is now being

fitted on all the Jaguars that were supplied by

BAe and the new ones being produced by HAL.

The DARIN-II has a HUD supplied by Elbit

(ISRAEL). An Elta (ISRAEL) built airborne sel


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protection jammer and an indigenous Rear

Warning Radar is also being installed. A Sagem

INS with Ring Guided laser (RGL) is further

enhanced with an embedded GPS; this

improves the accuracy to within 100m. To

improve redundancy, the Defence Avionics

Research Establishment (DARE) has supplied

twin mission computers.

The upgrade also includes a Litening Laser

Designator Pod, along with an Auto Pilot

supplied by SEXTANT- similar to the one

installed on the MIRAGE-2000. A new chaff

dispenser has also been added. On the 10

maritime Jaguars, the Agave radar is being

replaced with an Elta supply.

Present Situation: At present the DARWIN-II

upgrade is being carried out on the 17, twinseater Jaguars being produced by HAL. Nine of

these aircrafts were inducted in July 2005.

Progressively, the BAe supply will be upgraded,

followed by the HAL built jaguars.

Engine: When the Jaguar is carrying its

maximum permissible destructive and fuel

loads, the present Rolls-Royce / Turbomeca

power plants licensed produced by HAL provide

a thrust/weight ratio of only 0.5. It is only theskillful handling of the IAF pilots that the Jaguar

can compete with the very best despite this

underpowered engine.

As a major component of the upgrade, a

committee headed by K.V.L. Rao, an aero-

engine expert, has been tasked to recommend

an engine for the re-engineering of the Jaguar.

The two contenders are Rolls-Royces ADOUR

Mk821 and Honeywells F125IN. Both the

engines were successfully tested for the IAF in

Bangalore in June-July 2009.A final decision is awaited.

Program: MiG 27 Engine upgrade

Engine package for 40 units. Estimated cost: US$ 134 million

Background: DARE achieved the successfu

completion of avionics upgrade of MiG-27

aircraft. This pioneering effort was realized

using entirely indigenous expertise at a fraction

of cost. The project was initiated in the yea

2002 through a tripartite MoU between DARE

HAL and the IAF. The Initial Operationa

Clearance was accorded in June 2006 which ledto the subsequent formation of operationa

squadrons. The upgrades were successfully

completed in January 2009.

Present Situation: The IAF, after being very

satisfied with the Avionics upgrade, has

decided to also re-engineer the Mig-27s powe

plants. According to sources, the Su-30s powe

plant, the Al-31 is being seriously considered.

Program:Mi-17 upgrade

Cockpit & avionics upgrade of 160 units. Estimated cost: US$ 290 million

Background: The twin-engine helicopters are

primarily used for troop insertion/extraction

casualty evacuation, logistic supply, search and

rescue, reconnaissance and observation. They

operate in high altitude areas like the SiachenGlacier and have also been part of UN missions

abroad.

It is anticipated that there would be a cockpit

upgrade wherein, a state of the art LCD screen

touch screen and other features would be

installed in the cockpit, so as to reduce

attention of the pilot from the cockpit. Othe

features that the Mi-17 integrated helicopte

avionics system would have are instrument

approach, night and day navigation in all kinds

of weather conditions, increased flight safetyfeatures, better communication equipment

low-level flight safety due to terrain awareness

and warning system and night vision.

Present Situation: The RFP is expected anytime

now. Honeywell, Hindustan Aeronautics

Limited (HAL), and ROSOBORONEXPORT are


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the likely contenders expecting to recieve the

open RFP.

The 80 new Mi-17 helicopters, for which the

IAF order is with Kazan Helicopters; Kazan has

now approached Honeywell for the avionics.

Program: Sea King Mk42B & Ka-28PL Mid-Life

Upgrade (MLU)

Structural and Avionics upgrades of SeaKings and Kamovs.

Estimated program cost:o 18 Sea Kings- US$ 133 million.o 28 Kamovs US$ 189 million.

The responses to the RFPs have been received

by the MoD. The Technical Evaluation

Committee (TEC) is in the process of

scrutinizing them and a detailed evaluation will

follow. In the meantime it is understood that

the NCNC trials for the 2 platforms have been

completed. When the program was envisaged,

there were 18 Sea kings and 28 Ka-28s. At this

point of time it is unclear if these numbers still

stand or have reduced further. A school of

thought is for the Indian navy to simply keep its

fleet airworthy and not carry out the proposed

MLU. A possible scenario could be that the

navys focus is now on the 37 new Multi-Role

Helicopters and the 5 new Kamov-31s.

SU-30MKI- upgrade program yet to be finalized. IL-76 & IL-78- upgrade program yet to be finalized. Mi-35- upgrade completed. Sea Harrier-upgrade completed. IL-38- upgrade completed.

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commentary - aircraft upgrade projects - feb 2010

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