Sukhoi PAK-FA to be armed with IMPOSSIBLE-TO-EVADE K-77M missile

Sukhoi's PAK-FA fifth generation fighter plane being jointly developed by Russia and India is all set to be armed with never-seen-before advanced air engagement system.
 

 

The K-77M air-to-air missile will combine fire-and-forget guidance and single-shot-kill that will triumph over any evasive manoeuvres by the target.
 

"The major innovation of the K-77M air-to-air missile is its guidance system, based on an active phased array antenna (APAA) of its own, Izvestia daily reports. With APAA onboard, the missile has zero reaction time to unexpected evolutions of the target, which means that once it locks on an aircraft, it would hit it no matter what aerial acrobatics the target would perform to shake off the inbound killer missile," quoted Russia Today.

 

 

The APAA is the most modern technology and is extremely expensive to produce. It consists of large number of cone-shaped cells installed on the nose of the missile. The information obtained from all the cells help system complete a picture and engages the target.

 

The Sukhoi PAK-FA
 

Indian Air Force has signed partnership deal with its most trusted ally- Russia, to jointly develop a Fifth Generation Fighter Place that is expected to be ready by 2022. The Indian version would be based on currently in-development Russian Sukhoi PAK-FA T-50 prototype.

 

 

The aircraft will be jointly developed by Hindustan Aeronautical Limited (HAL) and the Sukhoi concern in Moscow. Once operational, it will replace the existing fleet of, Soviet-era, MiG-29 and Sukhoi Su-30MKI.

 

 

 Under the USD11-million deal, India will receive its first working prototype by 2014, followed by a second prototype in 2017 and the third in 2019, from Russia.
 

The three prototypes would be subjected to extensive evaluation to test various components, onboard systems and general handling of weapon delivery.

Development of Sukhoi FGFA on course, full-scale development contract being drafted

The front-end engineering design of Sukhoi FGFA, the fifth generation fighter plane being jointly developed by Russia and India for Indian Air Force has been completed.

 

The United Aircraf Corporation (UAC), the company beghind the designing of the state-of-the-art fighter jet, is under the process of preparing the contract for full-scale development of the jet.

The Sukhoi/HAL Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) or Perspective Multi-role Fighter (PMF) is a fifth-generation fighter being developed by India and Russia.

 

The Indian model will bear slight difference from its Russian counterpart based upon the needs of Indian Air Force.

FGFA was the earlier designation for the Indian version, while the combined project is now called the Perspective Multi-Role Fighter (PMF).

Two separate prototypes will be developed, one by Russia and a separate one by India.

 According to erstwhile HAL chairman A.K. Baweja (speaking shortly after the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Committee meeting on 18 September 2008), both the Russian and Indian versions of the aircraft will be single-seater. The first aircraft is to begin testing in India in 2014, with introduction into service expected by 2022.

 

Last year, India and Russia signed a contract to arm the jet with never-seen-before advanced air engagement system.

The K-77M air-to-air missile will combine fire-and-forget guidance and single-shot-kill that will triumph over any evasive manoeuvres by the target.

"The major innovation of the K-77M air-to-air missile is its guidance system, based on an active phased array antenna (APAA) of its own, Izvestia daily reports. With APAA onboard, the missile has zero reaction time to unexpected evolutions of the target, which means that once it locks on an aircraft, it would hit it no matter what aerial acrobatics the target would perform to shake off the inbound killer missile," quoted Russia Today.

 

A few small production pushes for LCA

A newly created division for the light combat aircraft (LCA) and a bid to make 80 per cent of its components locally are among recent moves taken to spur production of the made-in-India fighter plane once it crosses the last milestone for airworthiness, according to its developer and production agencies.

 

The LCA Division was carved out a few months ago at the manufacturing partner, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. here.

 

In the last one year, R&D agency Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and HAL met small- and mid-sized component manufacturers several times and encouraged them to take up some more components. They aim to raise the LCA’s indigenous content to 80 per cent in three years, up from the present 50 to 55 per cent. The steps are meant to double the rate of delivering the aircraft to the Air Force.

 

Production target

 

Chief of Defence Research and Development Organisation Avinash Chander, and HAL and ADA officials met about 50 Indian vendors at one such meeting. HAL Chairman R.K. Tyagi told them that starting 2015–16, “we aim to roll out 16 LCAs every year, [increasing] from the initial target of eight a year”.

 

Currently, 168 of the 344 LCA components are made in the country.

 

A key defence scientist involved in the programme said HAL and ADA would help manufacturers to pick up at least 10 more simple components and offer the use of government-owned manufacturing and test facilities.

 

“We have the capacity in the country and we have started the process [of increasing local manufacture]. This cost would not exceed the cost of imports. What is significant is, in the long run, this expanded vendor base will readily support future programmes such as the fifth generation fighter aircraft and the multi-role transport aircraft [that HAL and Russia are to co-develop], the advanced medium combat aircraft and LCA MkII,” the scientist told Submariners World.

 

The LCA already has a separate production facility and hangars set up at around Rs. 300 crore.

 

Under development for 25 years, the LCA will enter production and join the Air Force once it passes the last test for battle-readiness, the final operational clearance (FOC). Defence scientists maintain that the FOC should be possible before 2015 as planned.

 

S-300 and S-125 anti-aircraft missile complexes put into test in exercises of Azerbaijani Air Forces

According to the exercise scenario, the conventional enemy violating the airspace was found and the datum about it were passed over to the combat management station. Air targets were caught by radar and were immediately shot down by conventional shootings from S-300 PMU-2 "Favorite" and S-125 "Pechora-2» TM-type anti-aircraft missiles.

 

During the implementation of tasks, military aircrafts involved in the project completely destroyed the conventional enemy’s ground targets, combat vehicles, and combat engineering facilities with uncontrollable missiles and destructive aviation equipments.

 

After the training flights, Zakir Hasanov presented to pilots the most modern protective helmets and suits that meet NATO standards.

 

Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev presented to every pilot practically more efficient and comfortable leather waistcoats.

 

NATO Airforce training slated for Czech Republic

A large NATO aviation training with the participation of pilots and soldiers from 11 allied countries will take place in the Czech Republic in early September, Magdaléna Dvořáková, from the general staff press department, told ČTK.

Along with Czech Gripen fighters and Soviet-made Mi helicopters, there will be the F-16s combat aircraft and Apache helicopters, Dvořáková said.

The Czech government approved the exercise called Ample Strike 2014 this January.