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Tejas Flying Record World’s Best, Criticism Unfortunate, Says IAF Veteran Who First Flew TEJAS

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Tejas Flying Record World’s Best, Criticism Unfortunate, Says IAF Veteran Who First Flew TEJAS

New Delhi: For Air Marshal Philip Rajkumar (Retd), who turned 80 Sunday, flying the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas last February, was a remarkable experience he will always cherish.

Not because the retired IAF officer, then aged 78, was the oldest man to fly the Tejas. But because he had seen the aircraft mature into a full-fledged operational fighter from the days of the drawing board.

As a test pilot, he was in the Tejas hot seat for the fighter’s first 98 flights.

“Tejas is a remarkable aircraft and has the best flying record ever in the world,” Air Marshal Rajkumar said. “There have been over 5,000 developmental flights without a single accident whatsoever.”

Rajkumar, who was commissioned in 1962 and retired in 2001, is one of the most widely experienced test pilots of the IAF.

It was in September 1994, when he was the Additional Assistant Chief of Air Staff or ACAS (Ops) at Air HQ, that Rajkumar was sent to the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) — an autonomous agency under the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) created in 1984 — to oversee the flight testing of the LCA.

He was personally sought for the job by former President Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who was then the scientific adviser to the Prime Minister and director general of the ADA. Rajkumar went on to become ADA director and served in the role until after retirement.

“I served in the ADA from 1994-2003, during which I set up the National Flight Test Centre,” the retired officer said, referring to the ADA directorate tasked with Tejas testing.

Rajkumar, who has also penned a book on the TEJAS— Radiance in Indian Sky – The Tejas Saga, co-authored with journalist B.R. Srikanth— said the fighter jet has been the target of a sustained vilification campaign.

Some of the world’s most celebrated fighters — including India’s latest acquisition, Rafale — followed similar development timelines, he said, adding that the criticism directed in Tejas’ direction was “unfortunate”.

‘Tejas Delay A Misconception’

It was in 1983 that the Government of India, then led by Indira Gandhi, rolled out a project to build a new LCA as a replacement for the Russian MiG-21s.

The plan was to carry out the first flight of the new aircraft by 1994. However, the first prototype of LCA flew only in 2001. It was at the time that the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee christened the LCA “Tejas”. In December 2013, the Tejas got Initial Operational Clearance and, in 2019, the IAF was given the first aircraft with Final Operational Clearance.

Earlier this year, the Cabinet Committee on Security cleared a Rs 48,000-crore deal for 83 Tejas, which included 73 Mark 1A versions, marking the first big order for the LCA with the state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

According to Rajkumar, the “unfortunate part of the entire Tejas program was that it was the most criticised project in the world by the media and others”.

Contrary to allegations that the project has been a money-guzzler, he added, a total of Rs 14,293 crore was spent on the development of the Tejas between 1986 and 2020, when the Tejas’ naval version made its first landing on an aircraft carrier.

“It works out to be Rs 400 crore per year. And see what we have achieved with the Tejas program. We now have a world-class single-engine fighter, and all future projects, including the fifth-generation one, the deck-based twin-engine fighter, and Tejas Mk II, will be based on what we have gained in this program,” he said.

Asked about the criticism on account of the alleged delay in the development of the fighter, Rajkumar said this was a misconception. “Everybody calculates from 1983, when Indira Gandhi approved the plan to make an indigenous fighter. It was in 1986 that Rs 500 crore was given to carry out the project definition phase,” he said.

“French firm Dassault Aviation was roped in and they were paid a huge sum. They did the job. It was in 1991 when the plan was presented to the government and it was only in 1993 that money was allocated for a technology demonstrator. This was Rs 2,188 crore,” he said.

The date from which the program’s duration is calculated, he added, should either be when the technology demonstrator flew or when the first payment for the same was made in 1993.

Seeking to compare the Tejas timeline with that of other fighters, Rajkumar said when the Eurofighter project was initiated by the UK in the 1980s, they had already tested a fly-by-wire system (which replaces conventional manual flight controls with an electronic interface) on the Jaguar.

“The Eurofighter (developed by four European nations) came into service in 2003. They also took nearly 30 years (the fly-by-wire system was tested in the 1970s) to develop the aircraft despite having prior experience and technology. Similarly for the Gripen (Swedish) and even the Rafale (French),” he said.

When India started the project, the Air Marshal noted, it did not have any technology or experience of making a modern fighter.

“We started from scratch. We engaged the Americans and the French also. I still remember during one of the project meetings in the mid-1990s, I told a visiting American official that none in the room was earning even $1,000 per month as salary, including me,” he added. “The American was shocked on hearing this.”

The sanctions imposed on India following the Pokhran nuclear tests were also an impairment as all help being extended from outside was withdrawn, including technological know-how, Rajkumar said.

India’s nuclear tests in 1974 and 1998 were followed by sanctions from western nations, including the US.

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INS Arihant’s Nuke-Capable K-4 Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile ‘Ready To Roll’

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INS Arihant’s Nuke-Capable K-4 Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile ‘Ready To Roll’


NEW DELHI: India tested its nuclear capable K-4 submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), designed to have a strike range of 3,500 km, for the second time in six days on Friday. The missile test, as the one conducted on January 19, was undertaken from an undersea platform in the shape of a submersible pontoon off the coast of Andhra Pradesh according to a report by Rajat Pandit of TOI.

The solid-fuelled K-4 missile is being developed by DRDO to arm the country’s nuclear-powered submarines in the shape of INS Arihant and its under-development sister vessels. INS Arihant, which became fully operational in November 2018 to complete India’s nuclear triad, is currently armed with the much shorter K-15 missiles with a 750 km range.

“The K-4 is now virtually ready for its serial production to kick-off. The two tests have demonstrated its capability to emerge straight from underwater and undertake its parabolic trajectory,” said a source.

India has the land-based Agni missiles, with the over 5,000-km Agni-V inter-continental ballistic missile now in the process of being inducted, and fighter jets jury-rigged to deliver nuclear weapons. But INS Arihant gives the country’s deterrence posture much more credibility because nuclear-powered submarines armed with nuclear-tipped missiles are considered the most secure, survivable and potent platforms for retaliatory strikes.

Once the K-4 missiles are inducted, they will help India narrow the gap with countries like the US, Russia and China, which have over 5,000-km range SLBMs. The K-4 missiles are to be followed by the K-5 and K-6 missiles in the 5,000-6,000 km range class.

The 6,000-ton INS Arihant, which is propelled by an 83 MW pressurised light-water reactor at its core, in turn, is to be followed by INS Arighat, which was launched in 2017. The next generation of nuclear submarines, currently called S-4 and S-4*, will be much larger in size.





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After Upgradation, Sukhoi Su-30MKI Indigenisation To Reach 78%

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After Upgradation, Sukhoi Su-30MKI Indigenisation To Reach 78%


India has received clearance to upgrade 84 Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jets, which will result in 78% indigenization after the upgrade

In a significant step towards bolstering its military might with indigenously developed technology, India is poised to witness its Russian-origin Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jets evolve into a domestic platform. Speaking at a recent lecture.

The upgrade program is being led by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in partnership with the Indian Air Force and other partners. The upgrade is expected to cost US$7.5 billion.

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) granted Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for the upgrade. The upgrade is part of India’s efforts to improve the capabilities of its primary fighter aircraft, it refers to as the “Super Sukhoi”.

This initiative is a part of a larger effort by the Indian Air Force to modernize its ageing fleet. Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari asserted the critical role of an offensive air force as demonstrated in current global conflicts and emphasized India’s move towards an indigenized arsenal. To this end, the IAF has been proactive, from upgrading its Mirage 2000 to enhancing its MiG-29 fleet.

In summary, the IAF’s commitment to updating their combat forces with the latest technology, including shifting to fifth-generation fighter jets, ensures operational preparedness and a strong deterrence capability. The gradual indigenization of its air fleet marks a pivotal shift in India’s defence landscape, reducing dependency on foreign imports and fostering technological sovereignty.





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Akash Weapon System Exports For The Armenian Armed Forces Gathers Pace

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Akash Weapon System Exports For The Armenian Armed Forces Gathers Pace


According to unconfirmed reports, Armenia is a top contender for an export order for Akash SAM system manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL).

While there is no official confirmation because of the sensitivities involved, documents suggest that the order for the same has already been placed the report further added.
There are nine countries, in turn, which have shown interest in the indigenously-developed Akash missile systems, which can intercept hostile aircraft, helicopters, drones and subsonic cruise missiles at a range of 25-km. They are Kenya, Philippines, Indonesia, UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Vietnam and Algeria reported TOI.

The Akash export version will also be slightly different from the one inducted by the armed forces. The 100-km range air-to-air Astra missiles, now entering production after successful trials from Sukhoi-30MKI fighters, also have “good export potential”, said sources.

Akash is a “tried, tested and successfully inducted systems”. Indian armed forces have ordered Akash systems worth Rs 24,000 crore over the years, and MoD inked a contract in Mar 2023 of over Rs 9,100 crores for improved Akash Weapon System

BDL is a government enterprise under the Ministry of Defence that was established in 1970. BDL manufactures surface-to-air missiles and delivers them to the Indian Army. BDL also offers its products for export.

Akash Weapon System

The AWS is a Short Range Surface to Air Missile (SRSAM) Air Defence System, indigenously designed and developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). In order to meet aerial threats, two additional Regiments of AWS with Upgradation are being procured for Indian Army for the Northern borders. Improved AWS has Seeker Technology, Reduced Foot Print, 360° Engagement Capability and improved environmental parameters.

The project will give a boost to the Indian missile manufacturing industry in particular and the indigenous defence manufacturing ecosystem as a whole. The project has overall indigenous content of 82% which will be increased to 93% by 2026-27.

The induction of the improved AWS into the Indian Army will increase India’s self-reliance in Short Range Missile capability. This project will play a role in boosting the overall economy by avoiding outgo of precious foreign exchange to other countries, increasing employment avenues in India and encouraging Indian MSMEs through components manufacturing. Around 60% of the project cost will be awarded to the private industry, including MSMEs, in maintaining the supply chain of the weapon system, thereby creating large scale of direct and indirect employment.





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