Flight trials of the six contenders for India’s Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) tender have had an unusual side effect on the race to sell India aerial refueling aircraft. Asked to prove aerial refueling capability, the contenders, F-16, Gripen, Rafale, F/A 18, MiG-35 and Eurofighter have had no option but use the Indian Air Force (IAF)’s existing tanker, the Il-86 mid-air refueler to prove that their aircraft is capable of meeting IAF’s requirements as regarding aerial refuelling.
The Il-86 is a contender in India’s re-floated bid to buy fresh aerial refueling tankers. Fresh bids are due later this month and the besides the Il-86, the other likely contenders are the Airbus A-330 MRTT and the Boeing KC-X. The success of the MMRCA aerial refueling tests means that the IL-76 tanker will have a stronger case due to the fact that its capability has been proven on all the MMRCA bidders, one of which will be eventually selected.
In fact, the MMRCA contenders had to make major modifications to their aerial refueling systems to match the IL-76’s fuel pipe mating and locking systems to prove that the their aircraft can be refueled in mid-air.
Informed sources told Defenseworld.net that the Russian bid had “emerged stronger” after the MMRCA aerial refueling tests. The IL-86 had earlier been disqualified in favor of the Airbus A-330 MRTT but the Airbus bid was turned down following objections from the Indian finance ministry which found the aircraft “too expensive”. It is not known was the quoted price was.
Indian media quoting unnamed Airbus officials has reported that Airbus would be resubmitting its bid for the tanker contest. Boeing however has reportedly expressed that its bid would depend upon whether it wins the U.S. aerial tanker bid in which it is engaged in a bitter battle with the U.S. subsidiary of EADS which is fielding the A-330 MRTT.
Airbus’ tanker has been ordered by the U.A.E, Saudi Arabia, Portugal and Australian air forces while the Boeing KC-X was unveiled only in mid-2010 and the U.S. tanker contest is its first major bid.
The Il-86 has been an old workhorse for Russia, India and China.
At Aero India 2009, the Il-78 had made a demonstration refueling two aircraft simultaneously. It is quite likely that it may repeat this feat with the LCA Tejus at Aero India 2011.
The Israeli defence ministry has blocked the potential export sale of Israel Aerospace Industries' EL/M-2052 active electronically scanned array radar to a number of countries, with its action having an immediate impact on the Indian market.
The restrictions were imposed following pressure from the US administration, which has outlined its concerns to Israel several times in the past two years.
Washington's position is driven by an assumption that exporting IAI's advanced radar would undermine the sale of US-made systems on the international stage, sources say.
At one stage, Saab had considered offering the EL/M-2052 as part of its Gripen NG proposal for the Indian air force's medium multi-role combat aircraft requirement, but instead opted for Selex Galileo's ES05 Raven AESA.
IAI had also viewed the Indian Aeronautical Development Agency's Tejas light combat aircraft as a potential candidate for the AESA radar. The modular design weighs 130-180kg (286-397lb) and consumes 4-10kVA, depending on the design configuration, and has built-in growth potential, the company says.
Developed by IAI's Elta Systems subsidiary, the EL/M-2052 uses an array of solid-state transmit/receive modules designed to dynamically shape the radiation pattern using an ultra-low side-lobe antenna. It can perform simultaneous multi-mode operations, detecting airborne threats and supporting navigation and mapping, by producing high-resolution synthetic aperture radar imagery.
The sensor can detect and track up to 64 airborne targets from long range, and enable a pilot to engage several simultaneously using air-to-air missiles, IAI says. The sensor can also provide long-range target detection, classification and tracking in the anti-ship role.
NAVAL AIR STATION PATUXENT RIVER: The Marine Corps performed a significant maneuver today with the Corps’ short take-off and vertical landing variant of the Joint Strike Fighter, the STOVL F-35B Lightning II.
The BF-2, a test version of the fighter jet, accomplished its first vertical landing and conversion back to normal flight. This is an important step for the fighter that the Corps has scheduled to replace three other types of combat aircraft in its aging fleet: the EA-6B Prowler, AV-8B Harrier and F-18 Hornet.
The commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. James F. Amos has communicated that the Corps will track the progress of the new aircraft to ensure engineering and test points are accomplished over the next two years.
Despite some recent concerns over performance, cost and schedule, the Marine Corps contends that it is dedicated to the success of this program – and being able to operate and land virtually anywhere in the world while supporting the continuous tactical air missions the Corps demands.
The STOVL JSF will carry more ordnance with greater range than the F/A-18 Hornet, operate from austere expeditionary environments like the AV-8B Harrier, and ultimately possess electronic warfare technology similar to the EA-6B Prowler.
The Marine Corps anticipates reaching initial operational capability for the JSF F-35B in 2012-2013. This first proven capability step will include the a training squadron of 15 aircraft in VMFAT-501 at Eglin AFB, an operational test and evaluation detachment of 4 aircraft at Edwards AFB, and VMFA-332, the Corps’ first operational squadron of 10 aircraft, at MCAS Yuma.
The VMFA-332 aircraft will be equipped, manned and trained to execute Marine missions and deploy ashore or afloat from U.S. Navy amphibious assault (L-Class) ships.
The Russian Air Force has lifted a ban on the flights of Tu-95 Bear strategic bombers imposed after an An-22 Cock transport plane was destroyed in a crash last December.
The plane crashed in the Tula Region on December 28, killing all 12 crew members.
The Air Force decided to ground all Tu-95s and An-22s because both aircraft types share the Kuznetsov NK-12 turboprop, whose failure was suspected as the main cause of the crash.
The An-22 remains the largest turboprop-powered aircraft in the world. Around 45 remain in service with the Russian Air Force and most are over 40 years old.
President Hu Jintao reportedly confirmed that China's first stealth fighter jet, the J-20, underwent its first test flight Tuesday, making the first official acknowledgement of the plane's existence since the surfacing of online photos in December.
US Defense Secretary Robert Gates, currently in Beijing, was told that the test was not timed to coincide with his trip. His visit has seen Chinese military figures and officials frequently repeat that China's military development remains decades behind that of Western countries.
"I asked Hu about it directly, and he said that the test had absolutely nothing to do with my visit and had been a pre-planned test. And that's where we left it," Gates was quoted by Reuters as saying Tuesday.
Responding to a question on the fighter jet, Guan Youfei, deputy director of Foreign Affairs Office of the Defense Ministry, said Tuesday that China's military hardware development was not aimed at any other country.
During his meeting with Gates, Hu stated that China and the US share extensive common interests and enjoy broad prospects for cooperation, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
The Pentagon chief hailed his Beijing visit as a "positive" step forward but called for patience, saying military ties with China could not be improved overnight, AFP reported.
"I think this is an arena where we have to play the long game," Gates added.
Gates will visit the command base of the Second Artillery Force of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) today before flying on to Seoul.
An aviation enthusiast surnamed Zhang, who live-broadcast on fyjs.cn the test taking place near the Chengdu Aircraft Design Institute, told the Global Times that the J-20 had been escorted by a J-10S trainer, had taken off at 12:50 pm and had landed at 1:10 pm after making a few passes over the airfield.
Citing pictures posted by bloggers, Xinhua reported that people cheered after the prototype landed safely, showing pictures of a large group of people standing around the plane.
Yang Yao, one of China's top test pilots, told the Global Times that after the maiden flight, the J-20 will undergo a battery of tests prior to being approved for use in the field, a process that usually lasts at least three years.
"After that, at least another year is needed before full production of the plane. Then the Chinese pilots will need to learn how to maneuver this new-generation fighter jet, which will take a certain amount of time," he said.
Ni Feng, a researcher of US Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that "the timing of the J-20's maiden flight is a coincidence, but it showed that China is more confident and honest in unveiling its military progress. This is a step forward for promoting mutual trust with other major players in the global community."
Gary Li, a China expert with the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, called the exposure a sign of "unofficial transparency."
"The PLA would not have decided to unveil such a leap in aeronautical development in such a manner if they were not confident about it," Li said.
Despite the absence of official technical details of the J-20, some Western analysts are comparing it to the US Air Force's F-22 Raptor stealth jet, the world's only operational fifth-generation stealth fighter.
Due to defense cuts, the US has ceased the production of the F-22 in favor of the F-35, a cheaper fifth-generation fighter jet that has fewer capabilities.
Retired US Air Force Lieutenant General Thomas McInerney wrote in a Fox News story last week that the F-35 will be no match for the J-20, repeating his call for inserting funding for F-22s into the Pentagon's defense budget for 2011.
Carlo Kopp and Peter Goon, partners in the Air Power Australia think-tank, told wired.com, a US-based technology website, that the US Navy's F/A-18 Super Hornets and the F-35 fighter jets are "aerodynamically and kinematically quite inferior" to the J-20.
They claimed that due to the J-20's larger size, the Chinese plane would be optimally designed for fast, high-altitude interception using long-range missiles, as opposed to close-range dog fighting.
Li Daguang, a military expert at the PLA National Defense University, disagreed with those predicting the potential outcome of battles between the J-20 and F-22.
"It is too early to say whether the J-20 can challenge the F-22, since we don't have any technical details for the Chinese plane. I also have doubts over the plane's stealth capability," he said.
"The J-20 is definitely stronger than previous Chinese jets, but one plane's development doesn't necessarily bring about great progress in the country's overall air strength," he added.
The US-based Aviation Weekly reported that, based on the pictures, the J-20 jet has features that make it less compatible with stealth activities.
"The J-20 may not match the all-aspect stealth of the F-22," it said.
Some analysts said the J-20, with a larger size and a higher ground clearance than the F-22, might be a mixture of a stealth jet and a bomber.
