India getting stripped down version of Russian FGA. Design has already been frozen

Categorized | Current Affairs, India CA

India getting stripped down version of Russian FGA. Design has already been frozen

Posted on 13 October 2008. Tags: FGA, India, Mig 29s, Russia

The spin doctors in India cannot hide the simple fact that Russia is not a reliable partner in providing defense supplies to India. The news stories emanating from New Delhi are humorous. On the one hand the Indian dense establishment is touting a “jointly developed” fighter with Russia. On the other hand, Sukhoi has repeatedly informed the Indians that the design of the aircraft has been frozen. It is pedantic to note the poignant comments of Air Vice Marshal Kak of the Indian Air Force.

Designs for the PAK-FA have already been frozen by the Sukhoi design bureau, which means that Indian aircraft engineers have already missed out on the critical knowledge curve of aircraft design. Also, the unequal status of the Indian and Russian aviation industries means India will be the junior partner contributing very little except finance. “So if we have missed out on the design phase, we have to analyse the cost-benefits of acquiring only super cruise and stealth technology for $ 10 billion,” asks Air Vice Marshal Kak.New Delhi, September 29, 2008 India Today

Each Russian FGA will come with 3 Buckets of Tri-Colored paint and “Made In India” decals which will be sent to India to complete the “joint design and production”

“We are in the process of defining what part of the contract to give to the Indian production agencies,” said Alexey Fedorov, president of the United Aircraft Corporation, the umbrella organization of Russian fixed-wing aircraft manufacturers New Delhi, September 29, 2008 India Today

The Indian spin doctors are now saying that India, Russia to have different versions of same fighter plane Sandeep Unnithan New Delhi, September 29, 2008. “Different Versions” of the same plane actually is euphemism for “stripped down version of the Russian plane”

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Indian missle failures. Scrap the program?

The declining Indo-Russian relationship. Delhi scrambles for new arms

India, Russia to have different versions of same fighter plane Sandeep Unnithan New Delhi, September 29, 2008 India Today

India as a Space power! The Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) being jointly developed by India and Russia will look substantially different for the two countries. While the Russian version will be a single-pilot fighter, the Indian variant will have a twin-seat configuration based on its operational doctrine which calls for greater radius of combat operations.

“The Indian FGFA is significantly different from the Rusisan aircraft because a second pilot means the addition of another dimension, development of wings and control surfaces,” said Ashok Baweja, chairman of the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), which is developing the aircraft alongwith Russia’s Sukhoi design bureau.

Speaking to mediapersons at the eighth Indo-Russian Inter-Governmental Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation (IRIGC), Baweja said that both sides had moved closer towards identifying the key areas of participation in the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft Programme (FGFA) for which both countries had signed a joint agreement in 2007. India would bring into play its expertise in composites, lightweight high-strength materials that significantly bring down the weight of an aeronautical platform.

The Russian aircraft is thus called because it is a successor to virtually every fourth and 4.5 generation fighter aircraft like the MiG-29 and Su-30 MKI in the inventories of both countries. It has been dubbed the ‘Raptorski’ for its similarity to the US F-22 Raptor that entered squadron service this year.

PAK-FA 'T-50'

The first prototype of the Sukhoi Design Bureau’s PAK-FA ‘T-50′ fighter aircraft is set to fly in Russia next year. “We are in the process of defining what part of the contract to give to the Indian production agencies,” said Alexey Fedorov, president of the United Aircraft Corporation, the umbrella organization of Russian fixed-wing aircraft manufacturers. Fedorov said that the process of identifying the participation of Indian partners in the FGFA would be completed by the year-end or in the shortest possible time.

According to Baweja, it features stealth, or a drastic reduction in the aircraft’s radar cross-section or ‘signature’, and the ability to ‘super cruise’ or jet engines that fly stealthily without engaging noisy afterburners even at supersonic speeds, embedded weapons with the capability to engage multiple ground, sea and air targets and seamless communication between the fighter, other aircraft and ground stations.
Baweja said that the first prototype of the FGFA was to fly next year with the ALF-31 FP engine. He said he would want an engine that had 15 to 20 per cent more growth than this engine in the final aircraft configuration. The FGFA is to enter squadron service by 2015 and will replace at least three classes of aircraft in the IAF.

The joint-venture borrows heavily from the success of the Brahmos project but seems fated to repeat its story. By the 1990s, Russia, the world’s only operator of supersonic surface-to-surface missiles, had already perfected the Yakhont missile but lacked the funds to pursue its development. Indian stepped in with the finance in 1998 and the missile was re-launched as the Brahmos.

Designs for the PAK-FA have already been frozen by the Sukhoi design bureau, which means that Indian aircraft engineers have already missed out on the critical knowledge curve of aircraft design. Also, the unequal status of the Indian and Russian aviation industries means India will be the junior partner contributing very little except finance. “So if we have missed out on the design phase, we have to analyse the cost-benefits of acquiring only super cruise and stealth technology for $ 10 billion,” asks Air Vice Marshal Kak.

Algeria had the guts and the gumptions to cancel the Russian purchase the return the sub standard planes back to Russia. Does India have the guts?

Algeria Returns Russian Migs, Demands Money Back

Russia sold the Migs-29′s to Algeria at cut-rate prices, and forgave past debts of $4.7 billion to get the deal. The photo shows an Iraqi Mig-29 shot down in Operation Desert Storm.AltNet October 24th, 2008

The Migs for Algeria were actually old airframes from the 1990′s with new equipment installed. The problem is that the frame and skin of an aircraft wears out, because it is constantly flexing in flight. Eventually it’s like repeatedly bending a wire in the same place, the metal starts to break apart. No wonder Algeria was mad. They have also canceled an oil contract with the Russian national oil company Gazprom.

After Israel bombed the nuclear plant in Syria, StrategyPage.com predicted that many Russian military deals would falter. The Russian radar and anti-aircraft systems that were installed in Syria obviously didn’t work. Once customers find out that the equipment doesn’t do what it’s supposed to do, they get cranky and cancel contracts. This may be a contributory factor in the case of Algeria.

Russian military equipment is usually much cheaper than U.S. equipment, or the best European equipment. However, it’s usually just not as good. Rickety old Russian Migs are good enough for attacking rebels, or neighbors, but if you have to go up against the U.S. or her allies, you’re toast.