General Awareness Series: Latest Acquisitions of the Indian Air force - Part 2

In the first part of this series we saw what our IAF possess and how is our strength increasing. In this part lets see the rest of the latest possessions and how the strength is increasing, because our men with wings were brave but now they cannot be defeated.

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All you need to know about India Air Force Part 1

All you need to know about India Air Force Part 2

•    Sukhoi/HAL FGFA

The FGFA programme or the Prospective Multi Role Fighter (PMF) programme is a result of the joint collaboration by Sukhoi and HAL. The PMF would basically add 43 more improvements over the existing T 50 including stealth, super cruise, advanced sensors and network and combat avionics. India initially decided to purchase 148 single seat and 66 twin seat variant of the FGFA, this decision was later changed to 216 single seat and additional spending for twin seat aircraft.  Among the 43 improvements, lets look at those which make this aircraft more deadly.

            Stealth:

Stealth Technology also termed as LO Technology (Low Observable Technology) is a part of military tactic which enables the machine to evade electronics surveillances carried out by the enemy radar. A number of factors contribute to make the aircraft almost invisible from the radar to detect. These may be:

            1.      The shape of the aircraft

            2.      The material of aircraft

            3.      Visibility

            4.      Reducing Infrared detection

            5.      Reducing Radio Frequency

Click for General Awareness Series: Latest Acquisitions of the Indian Air force - Part 1

Supercruise:

Armed with either Saturn 117 or AL-41F1, each engine of the aircraft will be able to generate a thrust of 93.1 kN of dry thrust and 147.1 kN of thrust in afterburner state. Thus allowing the plane to super cruise i.e. making it capable to travel faster than the speed of sound.

Radar:

The fighter plane would be equipped with Active Electronically Scanned Array Radar. This radar system is unique in the fact that unlike other radar systems it allows the fighter plane to transmit through radar while remaining in the stealth mode. The radar system’s transmit and receiver system are composed of several small modules, the radio waves emitted from each module interface constructively at certain angles, thus allowing the radar to send them in certain directions while muting them out in other directions. The direction can be controlled electronically. The noise created in other directions due to the destructive overlapping would make it impossible to detect.

• ·         Air to Air Astra Missile

India’s indigenous made beyond visual range Astra missile had been successfully launched by DRDO. The missile is capable of hitting both short range targets (20km) and long range targets(80km) by using varied propulsion methods. The missile can lock - on, on its target before or after it is launched. Also it is capable of carrying 15kg of warhead which is Highly Explosive. The maximum range of Astra missile is 110 km with a tail chase range of 20km, the Mark 2 version which is under development will have a maximum range of 150 km and tail chase range of 40 km.

• ·         HAL Light Combat Helicopter(LCH)

Catering to the need to fight at high altitude like Kargil, HAL announced to create attack helicopters which could fight at such high ranges. After years of effort LCH was made. The helicopter is being designed to fit into anti infantry and anti-armor role (against tanks) and capable enough to operate at high altitudes. The helicopter is made stealthy by using a digital camouflage system, is capable to undergo day and night operations. The Helicopter is also equipped with a glass cockpit with multifunctional displays. Also the helmets would have display giving the pilot to arm the weapons in direction his head is pointing. It would be used for counter insurgency, anti tank and against slow moving aerial objects.

• ·         Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV)

DRDO is developing UAV’s, which would be used in all the three division of the armed forces. The UAV’s would be equipped with laser-guided weapons and would be stealthy.

About the Author: Shekhar Tanwar is a computer science engineer who is working with a renowned MNC and is a die heart defense aspirant. Guitar is his passion and he is very firm believer of physical fitness. This article is a way to help defense aspirants to present his critical views on the topic, on the forum so that collective exchange of thoughts can take place.