HAL has successfully developed BTA HTT-40 prototypes and certification process was underway. Initially post certification 70 Basic Trainer Aircraft will be procured and the balance 36 after operationalisation of HTT-40 fleet in IAF.

Spin Tests

This trainer has been designed and developed by HAL and is a basic fixed-wing aircraft. It will be equipped with Honeywell turboprop engine TPE-331-12B. In a span of five years, the HTT-40 has so far completed all the major spin tests.

In flight-testing, on 7 September 2019, in Bengaluru, HAL’s test pilots threw the HTT-40 into multiple spins and, each time, the trainer returned to level flight smoothly. In so doing, the HTT-40 cleared the so-called “six-turn spin test”, regarded as the ultimate and most difficult test for a trainer aircraft.

The HTT-40 has already met and, in many aspects of flight performance, surpassed the so-called “Air Staff Qualitative Requirements” (ASQRs), which lists out the flight performance — speed, turn, ceiling, etc. — that the IAF demands from an aircraft.

In November 2019, the chief of the IAF Air Chief Mshl RKS Bhadauria had taken the second prototype of HTT-40 basic trainer aircraft (TSR002) for a spin. In the flight which had lasted for almost one hour, the chief, who was accompanied by the HAL’s chief test pilot Gp Capt (Retd) KK Venugopal had assessed not only the stall and spin but also other flying characteristics of the aircraft.

ALSO READ IAF MODERNISATION: Tata Power SED to Modernise 37 Airfields

Earlier Opposition

Since 2012, the IAF had consistently opposed the HTT-40, first pressuring the MoD into importing 75 Pilatus PC-7 Mark II basic trainers from Switzerland, and then demanding more imports because HAL would allegedly never be able to steer the HTT-40 through all its tests.

“There is no need for [the HTT-40 trainer]”, then IAF boss, Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne, had dismissively stated at the Aero India show in 2013. “We have the Pilatus PC-7. It’s a proven aircraft. The project HAL plans is from scratch. Our indications are that the cost will be too high. There is no need for all this.” Each successive IAF chief followed the same line, criticizing the HTT-40, while demanding more Pilatus imports.

Successive HAL chiefs backed the HTT-40, committing Rs 350 crore of internal HAL funds to the project.

Pilatus Barred

The defence ministry in July 2019 suspended business dealings with Swiss plane maker Pilatus Aircraft Limited for one year for violation of a pre-contract integrity pact in a Rs 2,900-crore contract for 75 basic trainers, and also factoring in Indian investigations against the plane maker for alleged corruption and irregularities. The contract with Pilatus included a clause for follow-on purchase of 38 more planes.

Training Stages

Rookie pilots in IAF go through a three-stage training involving the Pilatus PC-7 MkII planes, Kiran trainers and finally the Hawk advanced jet trainers before they can fly fighter jets. As the Kirans are approaching the end of their service life, some amount of Stage 2 training is being done on the PC-7.

ALSO READ IAF MODERNISATION: Arming to be Ready

About HTT-40

HTT-40 is a new basic training aircraft being developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force (IAF). The new aircraft will replace the ageing fleet of HAL HPT-32 Deepak trainers that are in service with the IAF.

The aircraft will be primarily used for basic flight training, aerobatics, instrument flying and close-formation flights, whereas its secondary roles will include navigation and night-flying.

The first prototype of HTT-40 Trainer was rolled out from the Aircraft Research and Design Centre (ARDC) hangar, in February 2016.

The HTT-40 trainer made its first flight in May 2016.

The HTT-40 is a fixed-wing aircraft incorporating an all-metal airframe design. It features a bubble canopy, T-tail configuration and a retractable tricycle landing gear system with a steerable nose wheel.

The HTT-40 project was conceptualised by HAL to fulfil the IAF’s requirement of 181 trainer aircraft. Due to the HTT-40’s development delays, the air force placed an order in May 2012 for 75 Pilatus PC-7 Mk II turboprop trainers to meet its urgent operational requirements.

The MoD chose to procure 38 Pilatus trainers to replace its old trainer aircraft fleet in February 2015, while the remaining 68 aircraft will be sourced from HAL.

HAL completed works on ground test air-frame and also produced several air-frame structures for the first aircraft by mid-2015. The aircraft is projected to enter production by 2018. The serial production will start at HAL’s transport aircraft division (TAD) in Kanpur, India.

The air-conditioned, glass cockpit accommodates two crew, including an instructor and trainee in tandem seating configuration with zero-zero ejection seats. It integrates multi-function displays, and modern navigation and communication systems.

In June 2015, Honeywell was selected by HAL to supply the TPE331-12B turboprop engines for the high-performance HTT-40 military trainer aircraft. The TPE331-12B turboprop engine, equipped with full-authority digital engine control (FADEC) system, develops a maximum power output of 950 shaft horsepower (shp).

It is one of the most widely-employed turboprop power-plants in operation. It enables the HTT-40 to offer users quick acceleration, low-fuel consumption, high-reliability and the flexibility to conduct a range of training missions. The reliable turboprop engine also allows HAL to develop a range of variants that will deliver increased levels of performance.

Honeywell has delivered more than 13,000 TPE331 engines to both military and civil operators worldwide. The fleet of TPE331 engines accumulated more than 122 million flight hours to date. The engines power a range of aircraft, including light aircraft and advanced unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

The HTT-40 trainer offers the best-in-class fuel economy and power rating. It takes-off from a short distance and has a high rate of climb. It has a maximum speed of 450km/h and can reach a maximum distance of 1,000km. The stall speed with flaps down is 135km/h.

The certified operational ceiling of the trainer is 6,000m, the ‘G’ limits are +6/-3 and airborne endurance is three hours.

Comments

While it’s a thumbs-up for the design and development of the HTT-40, HAL has to rise to the occasion now and produce them to a time schedule that the IAF wants.

The HTT-40 aircraft has undergone a string of elaborate tests at HAL to demonstrate that it is safe for rookie pilots and meets the IAF’s exacting standards for trainer planes. HAL could begin the production of the trainers by early next year.

HAL has manufactured the IAF’s fleet of Hawk advanced jet trainers (AJT), with technology from BAE Systems. With the HTT-40 poised for final clearance, a breakthrough on the IJT could mean that the IAF’s entire training aircraft fleet comprises of HAL-built aircraft.

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Project Cheetah

The unmanned aerial project – code-named Project Cheetah – is for arming Heron UAVs with laser-guided bombs, precision-guided munitions and anti-tank missiles. Project Cheetah has been pending for a long time and now the three Services have decided to revive it. It is likely to cost the exchequer over Rs 3,500 crore. The armed forces have pressed for equipping 60-90 drones with stronger surveillance and reconnaissance payloads to keep an eye on the enemy and take them out if and when needed. The Air Force will have join hands with the Israel defence major Israeli Aerospace Industries (IAI) for the modifications.

The upgrades would also enable the IAF ground station handlers to operate these aircraft from far-off distances and control them through satellite communication system.

The decision to revive the ‘Project Cheetah’ has been taken in view of the recent border standoff with China along the Line of Actual Control (LoAC) in eastern Ladakh.

The upgraded UAVs can be used against conventional military operations as well as in counter-terrorism operations in future, if required. With such a capability in its fold, in future scenario if the Army units inform about any particular launch pad of terrorists getting active, the Indian Air Force (IAF) can deploy its armed drones to unleash a silent punishment to terrorists from 30,000 feet over the ground.

With the upgrade in reconnaissance capabilities, the forces on the ground would also be able to get pin-point intelligence about hideouts in areas where men have to be involved in operations.

The upgrades would also enable the Armed forces’ ground station handlers to operate these aircraft from far-off distances and control them through the satellite communication system. The precision guided missiles would also help in specific elimination of desired targets and there would be none or minimum collateral damage in such operations.

After silently hovering over Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) over suspected launch pads for some time gathering accurate intelligence the drones can launch an attack and return to the base causing greater damage than what the troops can do.

For turning their surveillance drones into killer vehicles, the IAF has taken a cue from the United States. For the Americans, drones are the weapons of choice for taking out terrorist leaders or destroying their safe houses. The Americans regularly smoke out terrorists using their MQ-1 Predators and Global Hawk as it has killed several more than 2,500 terrorist leaders in Afghanistan and Pakistan alone during its war on terror in these countries.

Current Holding

The Indian armed forces, so far, do not have drones which can fire ammunition from air. However, they do have “kamikaze drones” – Harop — which can hover over a target. On command from a ground-based controller, they can self-implode on the target.

The Heron drones with the IAF and Army have high-resolution surveillance cameras and electronic signal tracking systems, but their operating system will have to be modified for hitting targets.

The current holding of medium and high-altitude UAVs is as follows:

Heron          68
Searcher Mk 2   108
Harop (Harpy 2)                10
Nishant                 12

The cost of each imported bird varies from Rs 48 to 80 crores. Nishant is believed to cost about Rs 20 crore. In comparison the Tejas LCA Mk 1 cost Rs 445 crore and a Su-30MKI costs about Rs 360 crore.

The cost of an drone modified to fire missiles is likely to be over Rs 100 crore each.

DRDO’s Efforts

The Defence Research & Devlopment Organisation (DRDO) is currently developing the Rustom-1 (12 hours endurance), Rustom-H (24 hours endurance) and Rustom-2 (TAPAS 201) (48 hours endurance) drone. For Rustom-2 nearly Rs 1500 crore have been spent so far. It is now intended to involve the private sector with its development.

Rustom-2 has received additional funding and is being developed for intelligence, surveillance & reconnaissance (ISR) roles with medium and long-range electro-optics, synthetic aperture radar (SAR), ELINT, COMINT payloads to provide situational awareness.

DRDO is also developing the 15-ton Aura UAV as a combat drone.

The main private players in this field are Larsen & Toubro, Tata Defence & Aerospace, Mahindra Defence, Bharat Forge, Data Patterns, Alpha Design, Dynamatic Technologies, Adani-Elbit JV, Asteria Aerospace and Alpha Design & Technologies.

In February this year, drones’ manufacturer Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) had announced a strategic partnership with public sector undertaking Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Dynamatic Technologies Limited (DTL) to jointly manufacture Heron Mk II drones. These are the armed variety. The ones India is looking to upgrade could possibly be done through the same partnership.

Challenges

Combat drone are expected to be autonomous with the ability to find, fix, track, engage and kill targets. For this they need to have the right propulsion, avionics, navigation systems, sensors and payloads. For medium altitude long endurance (MALE) UAVs engines of the Wenkel type (20-100 hp) and for the high altitude long endurance (HALE) UAVs, turbofan or turboprop engines (250-1000 hp) are required.

Designers, developers and manufacturers have to overcome challenges related to composites, aerodynamics, communication systems, embedded software, weapon systems, control mechanisms and so on.

Technology gaps that exist in India are to do with electro-optics (thermal cameras, FLIR), propulsion motors, high density Lithium batteries required for robotic systems, and so on.

Comments

The Chinese are arming Pakistan and their friends in the Middle-East with Wing Loong-1 and-2 armed UAVs, many of which are copies of American armed UAVs.

According to a January 2020 report by SIPRI, China is the second largest arms producer and its exports are helped by major sales of combat drones. China is today the third largest exporter of multi-role strike drones after Israel and USA.

The Chinese have sold armed drones to UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Algeria, Ethiopia, Iraq, Jordan, Myanmar, Nigeria, Turkmenistan and Zambia.

USA used Predator and Reaper drones to good effect in its war against terrorism in Syria, Iraq, Libya and Yemen. It accounted for over 2,500 terrorists killed in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The UAE has used Chinese Wing Loong-1 drones in Yemen and Libya. Turkey has used its own armed drones in Libya and against the Kurds. Yemeni Houthi rebels used the Qasef-1 kamikaze drones and the UAV-X (Samad-2/3) drones along with Iranian Quds cruise missiles to attack Aramco Oil refinery in Saudi Arabia on 14 September 2019.

The surprise sprung by Pakistan in Kargil in 1999 was a wake-up call. By the time the armed forces were deployed for Operation Parakram in 2001, Searcher UAVs had been acquired from Israel. The usefulness of UAVs was proved in the aftermath of the Uri and Pulwama attacks by terrorists launched from Pakistan. The Chinese intrusion in Eastern Ladakh in 2020 has closed the argument for procuring combat UAVs.

The post Project Cheetah to Arm Heron and Searcher Drones Revived appeared first on IMR.

With Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) having successfully developed Basic Trainer Aircraft (HTT-40) Prototypes and certification process underway, the DAC approved procurement of 106 Basic Trainer Aircraft from HAL to address the basic training requirements of the IAF. Post Certification 70 Basic Trainer Aircraft will be initially procured from HAL and balance 36 after operationalisation of HTT-40 fleet in IAF.

To improve the fire power of Indian Navy, the DAC approved procurement of an upgraded version of Super Rapid Gun Mount (SRGM) which is fitted as the main gun on board Navy and Indian Coast Guard (ICG) warships from Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL). The upgraded version of SRGM has enhanced capability to perform against fast manoeuvring targets like missiles and Fast Attack Crafts and increase the maximum engagement range.

In view of the availability of requisite capability for indigenous development of the ammunition, both in terms of ‘Manufacturing’ and ‘Technology’, the DAC approved procurement of 125 mm APFSDS (Armour Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot) ammunition for Indian Army as a ‘Design and Development Case’. The ammunition being procured will have a 70 per cent indigenous content.

The DAC also gave approvals that are likely to speed up the procurement of AK 203 and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle upgrades.

Source

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