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Thursday, May 8, 2014

Interesting Innovations

Elbit Systems yesterday unveilled its SKYLENS wearable heads-up display (HUD) for enhanced flight vision system (EFVS) applications. Packed in a lightweight, easy-to-install device, similar to a pair of sunglasses, SKYLENS is a revolutionary approach to meet the challenges of today’s aviators. 
Suitable for day and night operations and for all weather conditions, the system provides heads-up information while minimising the dependency on airport instrumentation. Equipped with SKYLENS, aircraft are capable of take-off and landing in low-visibility conditions and in locations that non EVS-equipped aircraft could not access previously. SKYLENS, a part of the ‘Clearvision’ EFVS family, displays high-resolution symbology and video on a transparent visor, providing pilots with cutting-edge heads-out capabilities. 
Designed and built for use by commercial and military aviation anywhere in the world, the system provides a unique solution for retrofitting existing platforms, small cockpit aircraft and helicopters. The new system, which is in advanced processes of airworthiness certification, is expected to enter into service by end of 2016.
Meanwhile, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is at an advanced stage of integration and ground testing for the EL/M-2022ES active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar—the latest addition to its best selling EL/M-2022 maritime patrol radar (MPR) family. The EL/M-2022ES AESA-MPR, developed by IAI's subsidiary and group, ELTA Systems Ltd, implements the proven operating modes of the EL/M-2022 family, together with additional modes derived from the unique capabilities of AESA technology. The radar system combines mechanical scanning in the horizontal plane with fine-beam-shifting, and full electronic scanning in the vertical plane, providing improved detection, particularly at high sea states, and enabling efficient use of the radar in air-to-air and air-to-surface modes. Using state-of-the-art signal processors, based on the latest powerful multi-core components, allows implementation of new algorithms that take maximum advantage of AESA technology. A significant improvement in target detection performance is in imaging modes such as inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) and in ground moving target indication (GMTI) modes. The system is undergoing qualification tests for airborne applications, preparing it for delivery by mid-2015 and is fully compatible with current radar installations, meaning it can easily be retrofitted on to existing Heron-1 and Searcher Mk2 MALE-UAVs.

215 comments:

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Anonymous said...

Hello Prasun,
Have details of IAF's C-130 crash investigation been released? What were the conclusions drawn from LM's data retrieval from the flight data recorder? Are you aware of any corrective measures that the IAF has implemented?

Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Hindu is crying whenever Modi is trying to remove policy paralysis

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/for-quicker-decisionmaking/article6082838.ece?homepage=true

Slava said...

Sir
You had written a reply to one of the questions as to why China cannot use the df 21 "carrier killer" effectively and cannot rely on satellite information to detect a carrier group reliably . Can you go into more detail ?
You mentioned that you had heard it at a seminar . Can you tell us which seminar and who said it ?

Thomas A said...

Hi Prasun,
Regarding IAC-1 construction, is it completely in hold ? ohh, some internal fittings on rest of the structure were going on, Also some component independent of floating one, is being worked inside the yard, as of March 2014.

Kittu said...

since his retirement in 2005, for the last 9 years wont he be improved in foreign policy given his institution actively engages variety of professionals from all parts of govt? am talking NSA ajit doval role as you was saying he wont make a good NSA. Ofcourse Shivasankar Menon is bright WRT china.

Also Prasun da, I want you to please answer us on a daily basis pls...

kittu

Anonymous said...

@Prasun

http://idrw.org/?p=38512

seems like someone is really reading your blog.

Sreenivas R

Unknown said...

Intresting aticle on Kargil War....
www.ceip.org/publication/fa=49421

raw13 said...

PA are unlikely to go with z-19, too new and untested. PA has not been too happy with lot of chinese stuff, when its used in day to day battlefield. This is why SH-1 never came. Mil-35 is perfect for FATA, unlike mil-17 is it very well armored and can carry around 8 troops. It will perform better than the Ah-1F cobra's (higher payload, better sensors, longer range). It requires very little maintenance and shares the same engine as PA mil-17s as well as other bits and pieces. Easy logistics. Only thing is PAA might go with the Mil-28. Now that will be interesting!

raw13 said...

@Prasun

What do you make of this analysis?

This indian gent seems to agree that the real players in SA/CA are russia-china-pak, with india isolated. Russia has realized that to work with pak they have to offer something concrete and have accept pak's pre-condition (non-negotiable) , no india!

http://blogs.rediff.com/mkbhadrakumar/2014/06/02/south-asia-on-cusp-of-strategic-realignment/

and another interesting article on what is really going on:

http://blogs.rediff.com/mkbhadrakumar/2014/06/04/taliban-feast-on-goat-curry-and-rice/

Mr. RA 9 said...

So now can we be convinced that the Pakistan666, Red Dragon China and Big Beast USA along with the Russia are all have together. And that the India is isolated from the whole world.

Anonymous said...

Any update on HAL-UAS’ MTA ?

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To JOYDEEP GHOSH: Who says the US or the EU are quiet? Haven’t they still maintained the weapons imports embargoes in place? It is impossible for any consumer—Indian or otherwise—to resist an enticing bargain. As for the PRC imploding, I don’t see that as a near-term prospect. The PRC’s internal security forces are far too large & formidable to allow such a nationwide implosion. The problems in Xinjiang are the direct outgrowth of what’s going on inside Pakistan’s FDATA areas.

To Anon@12.29PM: Are you kidding? The IAF has NEVER released the results of an Board of Enquiry to date. If one is lucky, then one of the future issues of the IAF’s Flight Safety Magazine will explain very briefly what went wrong & what steps were taken to avoid such incidents in future.

To SLAVA: What I had stated was this: “Lastly, a word of caution for all those jingos who are under the erroneous impression that China has developed the DF-21D MRBM as an anti-ship ballistic missile. For, just consider the sheer challenges in terms of target acquisition: In case of the South China Sea, three bands of 46 satellites each (138 spacecraft in all) operating in 40-degree inclined polar orbits would be required to provide constant fleet monitoring. The size of the satellite constellation is driven by the need for continuous coverage and high resolution. High resolution dictates low-earth orbits. Low-earth orbits in turn dictate how many satellites must be in each band to avoid gaps in coverage, and also how many bands there must be to cover the whole sea given a 300nm field-of-view per band. Continuous coverage could be achieved from higher altitudes using fewer satellites, but resolution would deteriorate to a point where it was no longer suitable for use as targetting data.”

The above is self-explanatory. A seminar last year conducted by the National Maritime Foundation in New Delhi brought out such details & the speaker was a former US Navy Admiral.

To KITTU: He has been with a think-tank (see: http://www.vifindia.org/), which was set up in 2004 with the help of generous funding given by the NDA-1 govt. Being part of or being associated with think-tanks even for 9 years does not bring about the kind of intellectual transformations that are acquired when one is attached full-time to professional academic institutions. A brief looks at the CVs of all past NSAs of the US of A will reinforce my PoV.

To SREENIVAS R: VMT. Hopefully the grand plans will also include construction of roads, railways, information/communications infrastructure & power transmission/distribution networks, without which such settlements will remain pretty much isolated.

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To RAW13: Why should the PA opt for attack helicopters that can carry 8 infantrymen? The PA has never initiated any counter-insurgency campaigns since its inception since it has been extremely shy of absorbing casualties. And its campaigns to date in Baluchistan, Swat & South Waziristan have been launched & implemented as low-intensity military campaigns involving pulverizing air-strikes, field artillery fire-assaults & direct-fire by MBTs & that’s precisely why the civilian casualties from collateral damage have been extremely high, which has further alienated the internally displaced folks from these areas. The PA’s Mi-171s & the Mi-35Ms require far more MRO support than their Western counterparts. Only when powered by VK-2500 engines does the maintenance man-hours per flying hour register a drastic decrease.

Regarding the weblink containing M K Bradrakumar’s PoVs, they’re full of factual errors & consequently his conclusions are also wrong. For instance, Russia NEVER had imposed any arms embargo on Pakistan. That’s how the PA continued inducting Mi-171s into service throughout the 1990s & 2000s & the PAF acquired its RD-93 turbofan-powered JF-17 Thunder MRCAs. And how can India ever remain isolated when the foreign ministers of China, India & Russia have been holding annual dialogue sessions WRT Afghanistan & Central Asia since the past decade? Today, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is arriving in Delhi for urgent consultations. Furthermore, it is India that that has the expertise for providing MRO support for the Afghan An-32Bs & Mi-17V-5s & that’s why India is extending financial support to the Afghan Air Force via Russia. On top of all this, starting this year, the annual intake of Afghan officers for various type training-related courses is being dramatically increased by India. No wonder Mian Mohd Nawaz Sharif & Sartaj Aziz during their meeting with NaMo requested India to appoint ministerial-level special representatives for discussing two issues: conflict resolution & a mutually agreeable final solution for the J & K issue; & Afghanistan.

In conclusion, therefore, if Pakistan wants India out of Afghanistan, then it has to do two things: insulate ordinary Afghans from India-produced TV soap operas & bollywood movies; & prevent Afghan military officers from going to Indian military training institutions/establishments. And neither of them can ever be achieved by Islamabad. Just see how India-produced soap operas & Bollywood movies are still flooding Pakistan’s TV channels 7 cable TV networks, despite the ISI’s best efforts to get GEO TV banned. If charity indeed begins at home, then all such India-origin entertainment programmes/advertisements will first have to be banned inside Pakistan, before attending to Afghanistan—a move that will only incite full-scale civil war inside Pakistan.

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To Mr.RA 9: Arey yaar, just read my reply to RAW13 above, & relax. Don’t fall for premature, speculative points of view. First, look at the big picture & then delve into the details & you’ll discover the real lurking devil that threatens to devour India’s immediate western neighbour. Furthermore, this neighbour’s troubles are increasing by the day, as evidenced by the earful the PA’s COAS got two days ago. Read this:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/china/Step-up-crackdown-against-militants-China-tells-Pak-army-chief/articleshow/36113796.cms

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

Excellent decisions all:

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/cut-the-red-tape-cabinet-secretary-tells-officials/article6090171.ece?homepage=true

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Beware-of-lobbyists-dont-take-favours-Modi-tells-MPs/articleshow/36166103.cms

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/No-file-should-go-through-more-than-4-layers-Cabinet-secretary-to-departments/articleshow/36167501.cms

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/approach-me-directly-pm-tells-secretaries/article6082979.ece?homepage=true&ref=relatedNews

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