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New
Delhi, 01 October 2002
A
comparison of India’s LCA with Taiwan’s Ching Kuo, Sweden’s
Grippen
and
China’s J 7 8 And 10 Programmes
India’s
LCA
India
has spent over one and half billion dollars since 1983 (of which
approximately 35 per cent was allocated towards payment for foreign
avionics equipment and consultancy fees) on the ambitiously
challenging and ab intio development of the Light Combat
Aircraft. Dr Kota Harinarayan and Dr KG Narayanan were the main
architects of the DRDO project and both have left for better
pastures, after struggling with the project for over 20 years. More
than 50 Indian research and production agencies are involved in the
project, which had to tide over sanctions imposed by the USA in
1998.
The
LCA programme is severely slowed down and becoming more expensive
and less promising by the day, unless, as is the view of many
experts, some radical collaboration is attempted with an experienced
aircraft manufacturer. From its very inception, the Indian DRDO
scientists kept declaring over-optimistic target dates to gain both
funding and customers, keeping the IAF and the Navy attempts to
monitor the progress at bay.
The
Government has now sanctioned a series production of six LCAs at
Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd., possibly to ensure service participation
and funding from the Air Force budget. The LCA programme is steered
by the Aeronautical Development Authority, Bangalore. It has so far
achieved 50 flying hours and speeds of 610 Kmph through 12 flight
tests on a Technology Demonstrator aircraft (TD1), a 30 minute
maiden flight by TD2 on 6 June 2002 piloted by Wing Commander Tarun
Banerjee, and a few other flights.
The
first two experienced test pilots Wing Commanders R Kothiyal and R
Nambiar have left the project to further their service careers
having spent a decade on the LCA. The test flight preparation is a
tedious and expensive activity. The ADE validates the control laws
by the Minibird and Ironbird test rigs at Bangalore. It also does
development work on the FCS and other systems, at Calspan Buffalo in
USA and BAe.
It
is now accepted that the small, light weight, delta configuration,
tail less LCA design is the smallest unstable fly by wire platform
ever tested, and TD 2 is due to attempt the challenging supersonic
flight. Fingers in Bangalore remain crossed.
The
8.5 ton tail-less composite airframe fighter plane is fitted with
equipment from Ericsson/Ferranti (multi-mode radar), Martin Marietta
(flight controls), General Electric (F404-F2J3 turbofan with
reheat), BAe (control law consultancy), Alenia (CFC wing panels),
Honeywell (Inertial Navigation System and ring laser gyro), Sagem,
Sextant, Martin Baker (ejection seats),
Moog (actuators) and many other foreign and Indian suppliers
who have been mainly associated with the project for the technology
demonstrators.
This
was a major flaw in the initial planning of LCA. The over optimistic
DRDO had decided ab initio to replace the GE engine with the
untested indigenous Kaveri GTX 35VS engine expected to generate
18,078 lb of thrust, 13% more than GE 404. This engine made by GTRE
in India with help from Snecma, and most other avionics in the final
versions, including the ejection seats, were to be finalised later.
They now accept that the Kaveri engine still undergoing tests in
Russia will not be ready within the time frame and even if it is,
and other equipment is changed, it will need reworking all over
again and the suppliers have warned them on shifting goal posts. ADA
head Verma is heeding this very serious warning. The project is
therefore at a crucial stage.
One
could learn some lessons from a comparison with similar LCA
programmes of China, Sweden and Taiwan, which have been equally
challenging but have succeeded sooner.
A
severe debate is therefore raging in the corridors of the Air force
and Naval Headquarters whether this most delayed project will see
operational induction of the planes into the IAF by 2007 as
announced by the outgoing Director, Dr. Kota Harinarayan who has
handed over to M B Verma or will it be obsolescent when it does. The
IAF, fearing delays, have made a pitch to order 140 upgraded 2000H
from Dassault to augment the 45 Mirages in the two Squadrons at
Gwalior and to replace the MIG 21bis Fleet, as it has been the
centre of controversies with accidents and loss of pilots.
HAL
has volunteered to carry out assembly of Mirages on the lines where
it produces the Jaguar, and the SU 30 MKI. The Navy has been
promised the LCA with folding wings with a capability to launch at
100 knots speed from the 37,500 ton Air Defence Ship to be built at
the Cochin Shipyard, with a take-off mass of 12 tons from a 12
degree ramp. The recovery will be by arrestor gear at 120 knots
landing speed and the Navy is skeptical whether this can be achieved
by Indian scientists, especially if the carrier is to be designed
around this plane. Hence the Navy has pitched for the MIG 29 K or
Rafael. The Russians have carried out trials of MIG 29K for the
Indian Navy at a specially prepared airfield near Moscow.
Sweden’s
JAS 39 GRIPEN
The
only other new generation multimission small fighter to enter
operational service is the Swedish Saab JAS 39 Gripen now on order
by South Africa. This programme was started in 1979 to replace the
Saab 37 Viggen and Saab 35 Draken. The first prototype flew in ten
years on 9th December, 1988. Software challenges, which
led to two Gripen crashes have been studied by the LCA team. However
the test pilot Radestrom, in both the crashes survived, and was able
to explain the overloading of shock movements, and the project
succeeded with BAe and US help. The Swedish Government ordered 96
single seat JAS 39A and 14JAS 39B aircraft in 1992 for fighter,
attack and reconnaissance roles.
As
all Gripen aircraft are able to perform these missions another 204
aircraft, including 28 two seaters, have been ordered. Propulsion is
provided by a licence-built version of the GE F404-400 engine (54 kN,
12,120 lb thrust dry and 80 kN, 18,100 lb thrust with afterburner).
The fighter features an advanced Ericson Pulse Doppler radar and
integrated crew station. Weapons include the AIM-9L/M (until the
availability of the IRIST) short range air to air missile, AIM-120
AMRAAM medium range air to air missile, Saab Rb 15 and AGM-65
Maverick air to surface missiles, DWS-39 standoff munitions
dispenser and various bombs, rockets and an internal 27mm Mauser
cannon. Aircraft deliveries are to begin in 2003 with the
designation JAS 39C (single seat) and JAS 39D (two seat) and will
incorporate a higher thrust engine, improved radar, crew station
enhancements, an IR sensor, enhanced signature reduction and other
improvements.
Taiwan’s
CHING KUO IDF
Taiwan
has always had a close relationship with the US Military Industrial
Complex. The CHING KUO IDF
(International Defence Fighter Ching Kuo) twin-engine project
commenced in 1985 two years after India, with R&D funding of
$2.5 billion for a seven-year period. It was initiated following the
USA’s refusal to supply ROCAF with up to 150 General Dynamics
F-16A/B. Bound by the Sino–US Shanghai II joint communiqué of
1982, which prevents Washington from supplying weapons off-the-self
to Taiwan, but permits private US companies to supply the weapons
technologies to their Taiwanese counterparts, CSIST and AIDC began
creating a design team for an indigenous multi-role fighter with the
help of California-based Eidetics International.
The
Regan Administration proposed that General Dynamics be made the
project’s prime design consultant in 1983. This was followed by
the creation of a joint venture company between AIDC and the Garrett
subsidiary of Allied Signal Aerospace, called International Turbine
Engine Company (ITEC), to develop the IDF’s powerplant, the 8350
pounds thrust TFE-1042-70 turbo fan. This same company supplied the
Indian ALH project with the LHTEC 800 engine but the process was
disrupted when sanctions were imposed. The first IDF prototype was
rolled out very fast on December 10, 1988. It made its first flight
on May 28, 1989 and second IDF prototype followed a few months later
because all proven equipment were utilised. The programme did suffer
two crashes. American avionics package included the General Electric
AN/APG 67C multi mode fire control radar, Bendix/El-Op HUD also
being selected by India, Lear FCS, Teledyne mission computer,
General Dynamics HOTAS, Bendix glass cockpit, Litton LN-93 inertial
navigation system and Collins communications. Over 200 IDF are on
order and two squadrons are in operational service with Sidewinder
missiles, bomb stations Vulcan 20mm cannons and Hsiung Feng-2
sea-skimming anti-ship missiles. The cost of each plane is around
$30 million while the Indian LCA is estimated to cost $20 million,
but final cost will depend on the weapon package.
China’s
J-7, 8 and 10
Jianjisi
is the Chinese word for a fighter and hence Chinese versions are
prefixed with the letter J and the export versions with F. China
consciously followed a policy since the late 60s to reverse engineer
the MIG 19(J6) and 21 series fighters and improve them with Russian
help which turned sour in the 70s. China also set about designing
the J8 LCA and to build up the nation’s aviation industry, which
is now burgeoning both in the Military and Civilian field, as its
economy has grown swiftly.
The
successful development of the J-7 was launched in 1981 by Song
Wencong and was first flown on April 26, 1984. Inspired by the
MiG-21PF, the J-7-III has a turning radius of 5904 feet at 16,400
feet altitude. Its power plant comprises a single WP-13 engine
manufactured locally. Airframe design features include a larger tail
and an increased backbone ridge to hold additional fuel,
single-hinged canopy, larger nose intake for larger radar radome,
optical gun sight, tail-mounted RWR, IFF and one under fuselage 23mm
cannon with two barrels.
The
110 F-7P Skybolts (a version of the F-7M) is under delivery to the
Pakistan Air Force (PAF) based at Chaklala and Peshawar. The
F-7P’s Defence System 7 avionics package, supplied by GEC
Avionics, comprises a Skyranger 7M ranging radar with anti-jamming
capability, Type 956 HUD with weapons aiming computer, air data
computer, 0101 HR A/2 radar altimeter, Type 602 digital IFF, Type
AD3400 VHF/UHF radio, XS-6A beacon receiver, WL-7 compass and Martin
Baker Mk.10L ejection seats. F- 7P also has 24 new modifications
specified by PAF. The fighters feature two 30mm guns on the wing,
and have a speed of Mach 2.05. It has four wing store stations and
one centreline station.
China’s
own combat aircraft J-8 was designed by a team headed by Huang
Zhiqian who died in May 1965 and Wang Nanshou, who began work on two
prototypes early in 1967. The first flight took off on July 5, 1969.
From then until 1979 it accumulated 663 flying hours during 1,025
flights. Gu Songfen was appointed chief designer in September 1978
and small-scale production was authorised the following year. The
first of three J-8-1 prototypes was lost on June 25, 1980 and the
second prototype flew on Apri1 24, 1981, equipped with the Sichuan
SR-4 radar.
USA
offered cooperation to thwart Russia. Two airframes were despatched
to the USAF's Wright Patterson AFB in 1986 for studying potential
enhancements. The J-8-2's aft fuselage has a folding ventral fin and
all-flying horizontal stabiliser. It also has a pop-out ram-air
emergency turbine under the fuselage. Chaff and flare dispensers and
a drag chute are on the tail. The tail is 80 per cent composite. The
airframe life is 3500 hours. The fighter has seven external stores
stations and a single-point refuelling receptacle. Its power plant comprises two Liyang WP-13A-2 turbojets each providing 65.9 kN or
14,815 lb-thrust with afterburners.
Under
the programme code named 'Peace Pearl', the Chinese gained great
expertise from USA. 50
J-8s were to be upgraded under a US$500 million FMS-funded programme
and 55 spare avionics packages were to be procured between March
1990 and early 1992. The avionics package was to include a
Westinghouse APG-66 radar (contract worth $41.4 million signed in
December 1987), fire control computer, back-up control and interface
unit, CW illuminator plus flight control software, variable speed
constant frequency power generator,
Litton LN-39 inertial navigation system (contract signed in February
1988), GEC Avionics wide-angle HUD, mission and air data computers.
It was also to have had one autopilot with attitude hold and
stability augmentation, VHF/UHF and single band HF radios, radar
missile detectors and jammers, and an ILS unit. The PRC terminated
this programme in April 1990, primarily due to a $220 million cost
overrun, and the US reluctance to proceed with the project after
Beijing cracked down on Chinese pro-democracy demonstrators in
Tiananmen Square in June 1989.
Efforts
are now currently underway to develop an export derivative of the
J-8-2, powered by two augmented WP-13B turbojets each rated at 7000
kilogram’s static thrust at sea level, 6 per cent more than that
of the WP-13A on existing J-8-2s. The engines are built by Liyang
Machinery Corporation, which is manned by 12,000 employees distributed among three specialised factories for
aero-engine assembly, blade producing, punching and pressing,
welding, design institute and a warehouse. In its efforts Liyang is
assisted by the China National Aero-Engine Corporation (CAREC),
which is staffed by 2000 senior engineers and has seven subsidiary
factories manufacturing engines. CAREC also has four specialised
research institutes, which include the Shenyang Aero-Engine Research
Institute, Jiangyou Aero-Engine Research Institute, Wuxi Aero-Engine
Research Institute, and the Zhuzhou Aero-Engine Research Institute.
China
is now in the final stages of unveiling its own indigenous designed
advanced LCA the F-10 fighter, which was first flown in 1998. This
aircraft will be in the league of the F-16C Fighting Falcon. It is
reported to have two digital computers, dual Mil STD 1553B data bus,
composite construction, Litton LN 39 Inertial Navigation system,
Israeli HUD and ELTA EUM 2011 radar and good engine capability
assisted by SNECMA of France. China claims it has built 13,000
aircraft and 49,000 engines. It is reported the F-10 is Israeli
supported and will be a combination of the Israeli upgraded F-16s
and Kifir.
China’s
ambition is to have an Air Force whose morale was boosted by the
shooting down of the US PC3E surveillance plane off Hainan last
year, with more modern aircraft like 72 SU-27 and SU-30MKs. In the
field of radars, Republic of China (PRC) unveiled its JH7/FBC1
fighter-bomber, equipped with the band X JL10A “Shen Ying” pulse
Doppler look up and down fire-control radar which could be fitted on
the J-10 developed by the No 607 Institute of Electronic Technology
at Wuxi.
Conclusion
India
will have to audit and speed up its LCA programme, as the only major
achievement has been the home made FCS, Mission computer and
Quadruple fly by wire system, but it has a long way to go to prove
the machine’s handling capabilities and then to weaponise it. It
would be appropriate to quote Gen Liu Shunyao, Commander PLAAF who
said, “Air Power will become the main fighting force in local wars
and have increasing influence on the progress and outcome of war.”
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