The HAL at its stand at AERO INDIA
2005 –– a world class show –– displayed
the armed version of the ALH for the Indian Army,
which is to have MBDA's ATAM system for their
MISTRAL Air to Air missile in a quad pod, which
experts reckon can easily be fitted, along with a
20mm GIAT gun and Belgium supplied FZ rocket
launchers, making the helo a potent weapon
especially if the NAG anti tank missile succeeds
soon.
It therefore likely that the Light
Combat Helicopter proposal sponsored by the IAF may
face rough weather in its weapon fit, if the Army is
not taken on board, now that it has issued its new
Doctrine and attack helicopters form a major feature
in the ORBAT of the Army Vision 2020. The Combat
Light Helicopter mock up displayed year at Aero
India 2003 was conspicuously absent. These are
interesting developments –– the Army is in the
final stages of carrying out trials of the BELL 407
and EUROCOPTER AS 350 for utility and altitude
operations, and deserves integrated combat
helicopter support. The ARMY Aviation Corps have an
impressive stall at the show with professionals at
hand.
MBDA Offers Mica At
Aero India. Rafael Offers Python
By
Cmde Ranjit B Rai (Retd)
India is now being wooed by offers
of the latest technology from Israel and France
simultaneously, whilst Russia has always been a
supportive supplier. MBDA the European MBDA
Consortium present at the show made offers for the
MICA, but it can be wooed to integrate the 80+
nautical miles ranged Meteor Beyond Visual Range
Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) with Indian Air Force (IAF)
if the Grippen is selected and then for the
Sukhoi-30MKI fighters and therefore requires serious
consideration. The present Russian BVRAAMs like R-27
(AA-10 Alamo) and RVV-AE (AA-12 Adder) in service
with the IAF Sukhoi-30s and MiG-29s also serve the
Chinese Peoples Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF)
and thus their performance spectrum could be
compromised to a potential adversary, which is bound
to blunt the effectiveness of these otherwise
excellent AAMs to some degree.
Moreover as Meteor is slated to
enter operational service sometime around 2010 and
as MBDA has hinted on a technology transfer
arrangement, the Meteor project can have a positive
impact on the indigenous light (150kg-80km range)
Active-Radar Homing (ARH) Astra BVRAAM project
guided and led by the Hyderabad-based Defence
Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL). The
model and details are displayed at the show. DRDO is
now learning to reverse engineer and collaborate
more freely and has succeeded in the Nishant UAV,
CAT, Vision 2000 and WLR radars, with export
potential.
The Israeli stalls displayed the
Rafael BVR Python 4 and 5 missiles along with
another more modern one, which has IAF interest. The
Navy is to get the Derby BVRs so the professional
BVR scene is becoming competitive as the LCA weapons
fit seems decided by the IAF. It is set to sign a
contract for 20 plus 20 worth Rs. 4000 crores very
soon. The soft spoken and distinguished fighter
pilot Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal S P
Tyagi indicated this during his press conference.
For more
details of the METEOR BVRAAM and other missiles
please see our article ‘AERO
INDIA 2005 –– BVRAAMs FOR IAF’, posted
yesterday.