India, Russia to ink pact on aircraft production

[Contrarian]

India, Russia to ink pact on aircraft production

India and Russia may move a step closer towards realising their long-pending goal of joint development and production of a fifth generation fighter aircraft during the visit of Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov to the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) in Bangalore next week.

Both sides will also sign an agreement for joint development and production of 18.5 ton class multi-role transport aircraft (MTA) at an estimated cost of Rs 2,675.6 crore and joint development of engines for MiG-29 fighters, sources said, adding that the agreement would be inked between HAL chairman Ashok Baweja and the director general of Russian conglomerate United Aircraft Corporation Alexi Fedorov.

The Russian defence minister is visiting HAL as a part of a ground preparation tour on the eve of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit on January 25-26 during which some announcements on the fighter may be expected. Besides HAL, he would visit the Indian Space Research Organisation. Mr Ivanov will tour Delhi and Bangalore between January 23 and 24.

The two nations are expected to arrive at some sort of understanding on the fifth generation fighter project first proposed almost five years ago when George Fernandes was the defence minister.

Sources said that an inter-governmental agreement may be in the offing. But the details of the fighter are unknown though scientists from both sides have exchanged ideas on the project a number of times in the last few years. For the MTA project, both countries are expected to share the cost on 50:50 basis following the Brahmos model in which an effective cruise missile was co-developed and produced through a joint venture.

The Indian contribution of Rs 1,337.8 crore will come from the Indian Air Force’s capital acquisition budget.

The pros and cons of both deals featured prominently in the HAL board meeting here on Thursday. While the IAF is likely to procure 45 MRTA, the Russian side will pick up 100. The delivery schedule is expected to begin by 2015. India and Russia will manufacture the engines for MiG-29 fighter and an agreement will be signed during Ivanov’s visit.

The decision was taken on Thursday at a meeting of Cabinet Committee on Security chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

http://deccanherald.com/deccanherald/jan202007/national1752007120.asp

 

[Contrarian]

Cheers!! Finally some good news comming.

The MRTA(Multi Role Transport Aircraft) would completely reform, modernise and streamline the IAF's transport fleet. At present they use the old An-32's. They are $hit planes. The MRTA would be a direct competitor to the C-130J, at a much much lower cost.It would be fuel efficient and be jet powered rather than turbo props.

People under estimate the transport aircrafts of any AirForce, cuz they are not glamerous enough, infact these planes are the lifelines in any war. Im glad the govt is modernizing them.

Here's a superb video of the MRTA:

And the 5th gen. It would all be done at the end of this week. Cheers!
I read some reports that it is intended to be superior to the F-35 and a direct competitor to the F-22, but possibly lower. It would have much greater than 100% increase in performance wrt the Su 30MKI or the Su-35.

What depends now is it whether its the PAK-FA/T-50 or the MiG 5th gen concept which would be called as MCA

I would rather say that since Russia is in the final stages for the T-50, and that is the reason India is hesitant to join in that, India should go in for the MCA, or the MiG 5th gen light fighter. This would give a 5th gen light fighter to India, and if need be there would already be the 5th gen heavy fighter ie the T-50 avaiable for us to procure

Otherwise if we go with teh T-50, we would only have the one option of one 5th gen heavy fighter, which would be expensive. If we go with the MiG one, it would be relatively cheaper along with giving us the option of both heavy 5th gen if we need it and the light one, that we would already have.

 

[Neo]

The MRTA looks a lot like the C-17 but smaller.
Nice video!

 

[Contrarian]

It has the same airlift capacity in terms of total tonne's carried, mate.

EDIT:
Sorry i thought u said C-130.
This plane would have 17-25 ton capacity.

This plane is a counterpart of the C-130'J'. It has all the modern avionics, plus
C-130's capacibility to land on unprepared runways and short take off.
Though India has already bought 6 C-130'J' for its special forces. The MRTA would streamline India's transport fleet from the many different types of planes that it uses. Would help a lot!!

 

[centaurzhere.abdul]

Waiting for the Fight Generation Aircraft.

 

[joey]

Neo> I have posted the video in multimedia section long time ago, The frontal design and cockpit would be designed by HAL "russians are somehow not so good cockpit designer" and the back part by ruskies.

The back crane can hold 5 tonnes.

The best thing about this plane is rough landing place, 850 km/hr cruising speed and only 1000 metres of runaway required.

would be a EXCELLENT platform for indias indigenous AWACS.

 

[Contrarian]

Russian planemaker MiG hopes to win Indian fighter tender

BANGALORE (India), January 22 (RIA Novosti) - Russian aircraft manufacturer MiG hopes to win a tender to supply fighters for the Indian Air Force, the company's general director said Monday.

India earlier announced a tender for the acquisition of 126 light fighters for its Air Force worth about $4 billion.

"We are ready to supply more than a hundred MiG-35 fighters to India," said Alexei Fedorov, who is visiting India as part of the Russian delegation led by Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov.

Fedorov said it was impossible to give an accurate estimate of the tender's actual value because most of the aircraft under the future contract would be license-manufactured in India.

Russia's MiG-35 will compete with U.S., Swedish and French jet fighters in the Indian tender.

"It is hard to estimate our chances to win the tender because the competition is very strong," Fedorov said, adding that the MiG-35 features a number of competitive upgrades, including improved avionics, advanced weaponry and a new pulse Doppler radar.

The MiG-35, an export version of the MiG-29M OVT (Fulcrum F), is a highly maneuverable air superiority fighter, which was shown for the first time in August 2005 during the MAKS Air Show outside Moscow.

The fighter is powered by RD-33 OVT thrust vectoring control engines. The RD-33 OVT engines provide superior maneuverability and enhance the fighter's performance in close air-to-air engagements.

The existing Russian-Indian military-technical cooperation program until 2010 lists up to 200 projects, worth about $18 billion, a Russian military official said earlier.

 

[Contrarian]

MiG-29K carrier-borne fighters have successful flight tests

Ahead of President Vladimir Putin's visit to India this week, Russia today carried out a successful inaugural test flight of Indian Navy's MiG-29K carrier-borne fighters, sending a strong message that Moscow was keen to retain its edge as the prominent military hardware supplier of India.

Manufacturers RAC-MiG officials declared that they were ready to transfer top-of-shelf technology.

The Mig-29K took to the sky at Gromov Flight Research institute on the outskirts of Moscow in the presence of top Russian and Indian embassy officials and later the Deputy Director General of the company Vladimir Barkovsky said the doors had now opened to commercial production of the aircraft for India.

"The first batch of the aircraft would be be handed over in June this year but would arrive in India in December a year ahead of the carrier Admiral Groshkov on which they would be based," he said.

Under the contract signed in 2004, India is to purchase 16 MiG-29KUB fighters from Russia, 12 single seaters and 4 twin seater trainers. The deal also envisages training of Naval pilots and technical crew and supply of mission simulators for the aircraft and setting up of a spare part centre in India.

MiG officials said the contract also gives India the option of buying another 30 aircraft for delivery before 2015, probably for country's own indigenous carrier which is likely to become operational by 2013.

The new Naval MiGs are billed to have improved operational performance, increased service life, expanded fuel capacity and combat load and are also fitted with multifunctional pulse Doppler radars and uptodate optic electronic systems.

The Fighters are intended for Naval air defence, gaining air superiority, destroying sea-surface and group targets with guided high-precision and armamnents day and night under all weather conditions, Barkovisky said.

The Naval MiGs would form the basic platform for shore based new MiG-35 fighters, which the company is offering for India's largest-ever over 12 billion US dollar bid to purchase 126 Medium Multi-role combat aircraft.

Armed with an array of eight air-to-air, air-to-ground and sea skimming missiles, the MiG-29KFs will give India's new carrier INS Vikramaditya the capability to strike deep into the enemy country.

The Naval MiGs are capable of mid-air refueling from the IAFs Il-78 tankers as well as other MiG-29KFs. Barkovskiy said the aircraft were configured on the open architecture principle, which would give Indian technicians leeway for carrying out inhouse further upgrades and arsenal build-up.

He also outlined that Company was in the process of concluding a major supply deal with India ahead of the Bangalore air show next month.

"Representatives of the Indian Ministry of Defence and the Indian Navy have actively involved in the configuration of the MiG-29KFs and many of the systems and sub-systems have been installed in the fighters on their suggestions," he said.
http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=445519

 

[Contrarian]

India, Russia to Build Fifth-Generation Advanced Fighter Jet

Russia and India are planning to sign an agreement on cooperation in building a fifth-generation fighter and a medium-size military transportation aircraft within the next few months, Russian Defense Ministry international military cooperation department chief Col. Gen. Anatoly Mazurkevich told journalists.

"These issues will be in the focus of a session of the Russian- Indian intergovernmental military-technological cooperation commission led on the Russian side by Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov, which is to take place in Delhi on January 24," Mazurkevich said.

"I hope agreements on the joint development of a fifth-generation fighter and a medium-size military transportation aircraft will be signed with the Indian side within the next several months," he said.

"The implementation of these projects is very important to both Russia and India," Mazurkevich said.

Taking questions from Interfax, Mazurkevich denied that a contract on Russia's selling a large number of tanks to India may be signed in the near future. "At least no such agreement will be signed during Ivanov's visit," he said.

The Russian defense minister will visit India from January 22 to 24.
http://www.india-defence.com/reports/2823

 

[blain2]

MiG-35 features a number of competitive upgrades, including improved avionics, advanced weaponry and a new pulse Doppler radar.

Maybe the AESA would not be available and may have to be retrofitted.

"I hope agreements on the joint development of a fifth-generation fighter and a medium-size military transportation aircraft will be signed with the Indian side within the next several months," he said.

This whole 5th gen. deal seems to be some ways off here. At least based on the comments quoted in the report.

 

[Contrarian]

Ofcourse the MiG 35 as of now features a pulse doppler radar. Zhuk has just made their first AESA. They want to show it on the MiG 35 in AI 07, but its not confirmed. But the production variant of MiG 35 is of a pulse doppler radar. India always customises its Aircraft when it buys them. There was an interview with the head of MiG, he said India does do that, and they are willing to put in the Elta 2052 in MiG 35, and the Russian AESA would also be available.
Its availble, but not on the MiG 35 now. It can be put.


On the 5th gen...
We have to wait and watch mate. Some reports say that India will make its choice known whether its MiG 5th or Su 5th gen with Putin, others like the one above say that it could take several months. Either way, im not complaining. It means that atleast the 5th gen is right on GoI's horizon.

 

[joey]

^^ misguiding bro even MMR is going to be PESA for LCA afaik.

 

[Contrarian]

Yes, its going to be PESA for LCA, i read the news report too.

But that is not what is going on for MRCA. I hope you have read the article of Gripen, in which its head said that IAF had asked or indicated that it wanted an AESA. And the IAF chief's statement that plz wait for RFP cuz we want only the best technology available.
Or Mig Chief's statemtent that 2052 can be put up in MiG 35. Or that the F-18 would have AESA??
We are getting AESA in the MRCA, one way or another.

 

[joey]

Ofcourse the MiG 35 as of now features a pulse doppler radar. Zhuk has just made their first AESA. They want to show it on the MiG 35 in AI 07, but its not confirmed. But the production variant of MiG 35 is of a pulse doppler radar. India always customises its Aircraft when it buys them. There was an interview with the head of MiG, he said India does do that, and they are willing to put in the Elta 2052 in MiG 35, and the Russian AESA would also be available.
Its availble, but not on the MiG 35 now. It can be put.


On the 5th gen...
We have to wait and watch mate. Some reports say that India will make its choice known whether its MiG 5th or Su 5th gen with Putin, others like the one above say that it could take several months. Either way, im not complaining. It means that atleast the 5th gen is right on GoI's horizon

mig 35 features AESA i think.

Russia is not mad it'll fit PDR radar and go for weapons integration etc etc...

5th gen blain nothing is final, but one thing sure we will go for our own design with russian engine technology.
our computer tech, software cockpit developement is much mature..

 

[Contrarian]

mig 35 features AESA i think.

Russia is not mad it'll fit PDR radar and go for weapons integration etc etc...

Mark my words, the MRCA will have AESA whatever it is, or a soon to be integrated AESA planned. ie we may buy MiG 35 now and then later change it like we did with Su-30MKI. Initial batches were normak Su-30K's.

5th gen blain nothing is final, but one thing sure we will go for our own design with russian engine technology.
our computer tech, software cockpit developement is much mature..

No Joey, no such possibility. We will aid the design etec, it will be either MiG or Su. Though i am inclined to think the MiG project will be taken, and that will be developed, and later would be showcased as MCA, and Indian.