Indian Selection of Future Targeting Pod in 2013

[sudhir007]

Indian Selection of Future Targeting Pod in 2013 | Defense Update - Military Technology & Defense News

India has floated a tender for the delivery of more than 100 advanced targeting pods for its strike fighters, Two systems are under consideration – the French Damocles pod, already employed on Mirage 2000 and Rafale, offered by Thales of France, that has teamed with Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL) for this program, and the Israeli Litening, the latest version of the targeting pod developed by RAFAEL. According to company officials, the Litening pods being offered are superior in technological terms. RAFAEL and Lockheed Martin are often competing targeting pod procurements worldwide as their products – Litening and Sniper are similar in capabilities and performance. In India, however, the US company remained out of the competition for unexplained reasons.

India is already operating previous generations of Litening on its fighter planes and RAFAEL has sourced Indian subcontractor significant contracts for the supply of subsystems and services for these products.

Both companies have passed the technical selection and are expected to demonstrate their pods in upcoming months. Selection of the Lowest Bidder (L1) will follow later this year (2013).

While the teaming Thales has struck with BEL positions it as a favorite supplier for MMRCA and Mirage 2000 upgrades, the advantages of commonality with existing and new targeting pods is not ignored by the IAF, even if it is not part of the parameters to be considered for the selection. Thales recently announced it is embarking on an improvement of its Damocles pod, a step likely to assist its product offering in India as well.

According to RAFAEL, the Litening pods deployed with the IAF could be upgraded to the same level as the new pods, bringing the total inventory of targeting pods to more than 200, all would be interchangeable between all strike aircraft configured to carry targeting pods. These aircraft could also carry our recce missions, using the RECCELITE pod that has recently become operational with the IAF.

 

[anant_s]

Some information on both the pods

Thales Damocles

The Damocles is a modular, eye-safe laser, high performance targeting pod selected by the French Air Force for its attack fighter aircraft fleet. It features a long-range laser designator, an integrated navigation FLIR and high resolution imagery.

Damocles is fully compatible with Paveway and BGL laser guided bombs, imagery guided weapons, and future AASM GPS/INS guided weapons. It also features a secondary reconnaissance capability.

http://www.thalesgroup.com/Countries/United_Kingdom/FIA_2012/Documents/DAMOCLES_Datasheet/

Litening Airborne Day/Night Navigation & Targeting Pod

http://www.rafael.co.il/marketing/SIP_STORAGE/FILES/7/477.pdf
* Reduced pilot workload during targeting and tracking
* High accuracy and reliability
* Reduced operational limitations
* Simple maintenance and support
* Low life cycle cost
* Growth potential
* Upgrades existing aircraft with multi-mission capabilities
* Adaptable to most aircraft
* Detection, recognition, identification and laser designation of air-to-surface and maritime targets
* Accurate delivery of laser guided munitions, cluster and general purpose weapons
* Laser spot detection and tracking
* Identification of aerial targets from the Beyond Visual Range (BVR)
* Long range data and video down-link option

 

[rashtriya.rifles]

Israeli Lightening Pod wins hands down !!

 

[KS]

Arent the MKIs equipped with LITENING.

Indian Armed forces and their logisitical nightmares..

 

[sancho]

Arent the MKIs equipped with LITENING.

Indian Armed forces and their logisitical nightmares..

The Russian fighters and LCA are, the Mirage weren't so far and Rafale currently have the Damocles pod, so this competition is only aimed on reducing the price of additional Litening pods, especially when we have to pay for the integration into Mirage and Rafale later. I have no doubt that we go for the Litening IV, including an upgrade for our current pods.

 

[Abingdonboy]

The numbers are far too low are they not? 200 for a fleet the size of ~400 right now (present numbers of MKIs,Mirage,Mig-29UPG and Jags). And with this number of a/c that can use a LDP increasing from now on the number of LDPs is going to have to increase significantly.

@sancho what do you think? Are these numbers far too small?

 

[sancho]

The numbers are far too low are they not? 200 for a fleet the size of ~400 right now (present numbers of MKIs,Mirage,Mig-29UPG and Jags). And with this number of a/c that can use a LDP increasing from now on the number of LDPs is going to have to increase significantly.

@sancho what do you think? Are these numbers far too small?

First of all, you don't need an LDP for any fighter, since the one with the pod can provide laser guidance for the other too, as seen in Kargil. Secondly, MKIs already have it, procuring dedicated numbers of LDPs for Jags, that are limited capable and requires escort anyway (LCA, Mig 29, MKI, all with Litening), is not needed either. Also the article just says more than 100 and not a precise number so wait and see.