India Establishing SBTF For Naval Tejas
Jun 23, 2010
By Anantha Krishnan M.
BENGALURU, India
India is setting up its first shore-based test facility (SBTF) to flight test the naval version of its homegrown Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA).
The SBTF will be established at the naval air station in Goa and will be the third such facility in the world along with those of the U.S. and Ukranian navies. The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limiteds (HAL) Aircraft Research and Development Center are concluding last-minute, end-to-end tests in Bengaluru leading up to the aircrafts July 6 rollout (Aerospace DAILY, June 23).
Its a near-perfect recreation of a ship on the shore, a naval source tells AVIATION WEEK. The SBTF at Goa is based on Indias Indigenous Aircraft Carrier [IAC] thats being built at Cochin Shipyard, with the same measurements. The facility simulates an aircraft carrier with ski jump and arrested recovery.
SBTFs steel structure is being constructed by Goa Shipyard, while all civil engineering activities are being conducted by Research & Development Establishment (Engineers), Pune.
The integration and installation work of all the specialized equipment for the facility will be done by the Russians, an official says. This facility is a major boost to the Tejas naval program, as the Indian government had included all the necessary funding for the SBTF program [which] was cleared in 2003. We have been very keenly following this program right from the word go.
The naval test pilots attached to the National Flight Test Center will carry out all the initial flights of the NP-1 and NP-2 naval Tejas prototypes at HALs military airport in Bangalore leading up to the carrier-suitability test (CST). The unit will then move from CST to SBTF. The takeoff area ramp will be ready by the last quarter of 2011 and the landing area will be complete in 2012. A full-fledged telemetry unit also is coming to Goa.
Sources also confirmed that in addition to training Tejas naval pilots, the SBTF will have the ability to train MiG-29K pilots prior to carrier operations.
The SBTF is being established under the guidance of the Naval Project team operating from ADA in Bangalore.
Tejas photo: ADA
India Establishing SBTF For Naval Tejas | AVIATION WEEK