AMRAAM Integration into LCA-Tejas Mk1A

[Trango Towers]

another indigenous milestone for india...is there anything on this plane that's indigenous?

 

[StormBreaker]

India has been cleared to acquire Integrated Air Defense Weapon System (IADWS) which is the advanced form of National Advanced Surface to Air Missile System (NASAMS-II) along with it will it India has been cleared to get two main and important weapons system in the package that are 118 AIM-120C-7 and AIM-120C-8 missiles which are latest Beyond Visual range Air-to-Air missile with no external changes then what is used on fighter jets. LCA-Tejas Mk1A will be getting India’s Astra Mk1 BVRAAM which according to developers of the missile system is comparable to the AIM-120C-5 which is used by Pakistani Air Force F-16 fleet in terms of range and technical specifications. India has decided not to integrate Russian BVRAAMs like R-77 and R-37 due to performance issues but has tested an older version of the Derby BVRAAM which was originally procured for the Sea Harrier upgrade program which now has been retired from Tejas Mk1 aircraft.

Israel has offered India its upgraded I-Derby BVRAAMs which has double the range and according to weapons maker offers 80% of the operational performance of the Meteor air-to-air missiles which are super exclusive to the 36 Dassault Rafale at least till now since MBDA the makers of the weapons system do not want to clear it for integration with India’s Su-30MKI and Tejas Mk1A fleet anytime soon.

So India is left practically with only one option that is I-Derby BVRAAM. DRDO has promised to double the range of future variants of Astra BVRAAMs and according to certain media reports a Dual-Pulse motor with additional booster might be offered as Astra Mk2 with a range of around 140-150km against fighter-sized aircraft and Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) which DRDO is developing with Russia and is equipped with solid fuelled air-breathing ramjet engine might become Astra Mk3 in near future with a range from 140-300km for fighter and AWACS sized targets.

Technical flexibility Tejas Mk1A will come equipped with Israeli ELA ELTA-2052 AESA Fire Control Radar which already has been integrated with the ARMAAM variant due to Israeli manufacture which also needs to cater to both Israeli origin BVRAAMs and AMRAAM which are used by the Israeli Air force. South Korean FA-50 which is Light attack/fighter version equipped with EL/M-2032 multimode planar array fire-control radar which is used in current Tejas MK1 use AIM-120 AMRAAM as its main BVRAAM on its FA-50 Block 20 variant which is still in work and interestingly also offered Israeli ELA ELTA-2052 AESA Fire Control Radar if any prospective customer desired to have an AESA Radar instead of older EL/M-2032 fire-control radar, which at least confirms that technically at least it’s viable.

Americans Clearance AMRAAM Family has been integrated into Non-American fighter jets like Saab’s Gripen and Gripen-E, Euro-Fighter Typhoon, and light class fighter jet aircraft like FA-50. so It is unlikely Americans will object in the integration of AMRAAMs on the LCA-Tejas Mk1A and Mk2 soon since we are already getting them in another form. Why AMRAAM? Astra Mk1 BVRAAM which is comparable to AIM-120C-5 is a commendable achievement for the DRDO and India but the amount of time take to reach also suggests the development of smaller missile systems particularly air to air weapons are not so easy and the future variant of Astra will take no time to come. Astra Mk1 BVRAAM production is yet to be scaled up and it still has entered only limited scale production and as per media reports initially will be cleared only with the Su-30MKI fleet and later will move to LCA-Tejas Mk1A and Mk2. Production constraints will ensure that Tejas Mk1A will feature either Israeli I-Derby BVRAAM or the older Derby BVRAAM till the scale of Astra production is scaled up and IAF places orders in larger numbers. Astra Mk2 and Astra Mk3 won’t be available at least for the next 7-10 years which means Tejas Mk1A and Mk2 will have to rely on at least one foreign-made BVRAAM along with Astra MK1. AIM-120C-7 and AIM-120C-8 are way superior then Astra MK1 in terms of range and technical specifications and is the system which we are already getting in the country.


Conclusion Until Astra Mk1 are mass-produced and until Mk2 and Mk3 arrive in the picture, Tejas Mk1A will require a foreign BVRAAM it can be I-Derby BVRAAM or AMRAAMs, even when Astra Mk1 is available in large numbers just to maintain a rigid combo of BVRAAMs it will continue to have secondary missile as a back up until off course Astra Mk2 and Mk3 arrives.

https://idrw.org/can-amraam-be-integrated-into-lca-tejas-mk1a/ .

@Water Car Engineer @MilSpec @Dash

Pardon me but I find this article quite less helpful.

@Bilal Khan (Quwa) @Adam_Khan Remember the recent AMRAAM sell by USA to India ? But that was said to be for Air defence systems.

The article here is probably confusing the generalization “AMRAAM” with “AIM-120 Raytheon” missiles.

Or is it ?

If the news is indeed true then India is finally in its senses. They are making use of Tejas to potential, Say whatever to LCA, But if MK-1A happens, It is indeed quite a threat to our whole fleet given the integration of AIM-120C7

PAF spoke too loud last year, but the bargain was cheap, Just 2 jets while showcasing India the might of PAF with EW and BVR centric warfare.

We most probably don’t have much left up in sleeve to show further, Now they are planning and organizing themselves accordingly.

This is where PAF should tilt its focus to numbers along with already happening Block 3 and possibly other quality platforms. Rafales, Super sukhoi MKIs, M2Ks and after a decade, MK-1As, India is trying to up its game in long term.

@MastanKhan @Blacklight

 

[Arulmozhi Varman]

Not going to happen. Govt is pushing for fleet rationalization across IAF and IN fighter fleet. Going forward for most of indigenous aircrafts, it will be Astra and Derby. Russian ac will have R73,37 etc. French aircrafts will have Meteor and Mica. Having too many AAMs are another logistical headache.

Idrw is not a confidential website. They publish all sorts of BS based on whispers in toilets or someone told somebody guys.

 

[Safriz]

Tou phirr Raphelwa kaahay kou liya Rey?

 

[dbc]

NASAM can launch three types of missile, AMRAAM-ER, AMRAAM and AIM-9x.
The use of any NASAM missile on the Tejas will violate the End Use Agreement.

 

[StormBreaker]

NASAM can launch three types of missile, AMRAAM-ER, AMRAAM and AIM-9x.
The use of any NASAM missile on the Tejas will violate the End Use Agreement.

Earlier I asked you and others a question,

About CSF, Like is USA legally bound to give CSF and if not, Would face consequences internationally ?

 

[dbc]

Earlier I asked you and others a question,

About CSF, Like is USA legally bound to give CSF and if not, Would face consequences internationally ?

CSF is entirely discretionary, it’s not a bilateral agreement between the US and Pakistan.

 

[Secular]

After Corona Pandemic over.
No Budget left for fancy mility Toys.
So go for home made stuff.

 

[kongn]

MRCA competition will likely be scrapped.No new purchases for next few years.Excellent oppurtunity to expand on ongoing indigenization .

 

[Secularindian]

MRCA competition will likely be scrapped.No new purchases for next few years.Excellent oppurtunity to expand on ongoing indigenization .

They will purchase Aircraft carrier
They have if they want to get it commissioned

After Corona Pandemic over.
No Budget left for fancy mility Toys.
So go for home made stuff.

Naval lCA rejected
F-18 is for navy

NASAM can launch three types of missile, AMRAAM-ER, AMRAAM and AIM-9x.
The use of any NASAM missile on the Tejas will violate the End Use Agreement.

Integration Of Amraam that will comes with Navy

India asked similar for meteor on MKI but rejected by MBDA

Please Quote this End user agreement???
MBDA never Put on such clause they are happy To integrate ASRAAM With Jaguars And LCA
They Simply Rejected Russian Aircrafts

 

[Pakistani Fighter]

Care to elaborate?

@Secularindian

 

[Secularindian]

@Secularindian

It's use on J&K
And Naxal ops
As of now IaF barred from using Airforce internally
It will works IBG

 

[Cookie Monster]

India Going For F/A-18 for NAVY IAC-1
Mig-29K is rejected by Navy

So American Planes Will surely come as We cannot Afford Both Rafale for Navy And Air-force in same time

I'm not gonna speculate on whether IN will get Rafale(naval variant) or F18...but as far as cost goes...
IN will probably be better off with Rafale bcuz IAF is already getting it. The naval variant will be very similar to the air force version with only a few differences. So the logistics already established for the IAF Rafales would also carry over for the IN Rafales for the most part. This would be probably better(cost wise) as opposed to getting a whole new type of fighter(F18) and then setting up all the logistics for it separately.

 

[Secularindian]

I'm not gonna speculate on whether IN will get Rafale(naval variant) or F18...but as far as cost goes...
IN will probably be better off with Rafale bcuz IAF is already getting it. The naval variant will be very similar to the air force version with only a few differences. So the logistics already established for the IAF Rafales would also carry over for the IN Rafales for the most part. This would be probably better(cost wise) as opposed to getting a whole new type of fighter(F18) and then setting up all the logistics for it separately.

Boeing Already place its logistics in India Boeing started venture With TATA 5 years ago they prepared india PVT players For both MMRCA Navy
And No makes spares And Parts Of Apache's ,P8I ,Chinooks,C-17 etc.

https://www.boeing.co.in/boeing-in-india/tata-boeing-aerospace.page
https://www.boeing.co.in/products-a...efense-space-and-security-in-india/fa-18.page

Americans are Lobbying Heavily And Dassault is nowhere Not even Considered for waiting

IN started Trials on F/A-18 compatibility test with Indian AC's

India Sooner or Later Goes For F-35 this Integration is For Test bed of American technology

 

[rockstarIN]

I will not be surprised if Navy selects F-18s as I would like Rafales.

Navy needs more commonality with US Navy as they perceive one common adversary.