EADS Offers Mako Trainer Technology For LCA

[jha]

EADS Offers Mako Trainer Technology For LCA​

EADS Military Aircraft Systems is in talks with India’s Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) to offer technology support for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) that originally was developed for the abandoned Mako trainer.

A $20 million contract between EADS and India for consultancy on flight trials of the LCA is set to be finalized by the end of the year.

ADA is responsible for the design, monitoring and development of the LCA project. The consultancy contract to EADS will fast-track flight testing toward Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) and Final Operational Clearance (FOC).

The scope of work includes Flight Envelope Expansion, High Angle of Attack flight testing and aero-data validation, external stores carriage and release and flight tests.

The Mako High Energy Advanced Trainer (HEAT) project was abandoned because it was felt there was no room for an additional trainer in Europe, with Italy’s Alenia Aermacchi M-346 aircraft and South Korea’s T-50 Golden Eagle aircraft already in the fray.

Mako shares some commonality with India’s LCA. “The technology of Mako can be brought to India to develop over time a trainer — first for India and then for export,” a government official says.

Opportunities for Indian design engineers to get expertise and influence design targets are plentiful. “Mako technologies that range from modern materials like carbon fiber to flight control computing could be channelized,” the official adds.

Mako was being offered with optional and alternative radar systems, including the BAE Systems Bluehawk, Thales RD-400 or the AN/APG-67 multi-mode radar. The fuselage was made of aluminum, with mainly carbon fiber air intakes and tail unit.

The EADS Innovation Works India effort launched last year is part of a strategy by EADS to build up research capabilities in the country. “We would like to build our own resources in India, [either] alone or with potential Indian partners,” says Bernhard Gerwert, CEO of EADS DS, Military Air Systems. “That is not related to one project. We have started activities for [a] defense engineering center to cover the entire electronic business for Electronic Warfare, radar technology and avionics.” EADS also has responded to a Request for Information for development of an active electronically scanned array radar for the LCA.

EADS Offers Mako Trainer Technology For LCA | AVIATION WEEK

 

[CONNAN]

mako trainer image

 

[CONNAN]

 

[Just Yash]

Their canceled trainer is as good as our fighter !!!!!!!!

 

[CONNAN]

Their canceled trainer is as good as our fighter !!!!!!!!

it is not about being good yaar its about absorbing the technology

 

[Sri]

It looks like a strealth fighter, and they wanted a stealth fighter as a trainer , anyway it looks great.

what we are going to get is only its technologies anyway not the aircraft so does make it all that interesting.

 

[jha]

Their canceled trainer is as good as our fighter !!!!!!!!

NAH..in just first pic it looks good...in all the other pics it looks slightly better than the other trainers.just slightly better.

 

[ramu]

it is not about being good yaar its about absorbing the technology

Yes, the amount of time India spends in testing and validation is significant. The best practices in the EU if it can be absorbed by our defense agencies for such a small amount of money, it is a big bonus...

 

[Guynextdoor]

LCA already has a trainer right? I guess what this project can do is fasten waht we call 'Combat Attack Trainer' which are being looked at to supplement and compensate for AJT Hawks. But I guess it's good that EADS is starting discussions with possible export market right at the start.

 

[flanker143]

Yes, the amount of time India spends in testing and validation is significant. The best practices in the EU if it can be absorbed by our defense agencies for such a small amount of money, it is a big bonus...

with this deal will we be the getting mako tech or what ??? ain't the tech for lca already ready ?? so why new (tested)tech ???

is this for just skipping test period by getting already tested test ??

cant get this plz hlp .....

 

[sancho]

It looks like a strealth fighter, and they wanted a stealth fighter as a trainer , anyway it looks great.

That's possibly the reason why it was rejected at the end, too advanced for a trainer I would say. However I hoped for such a JV for LCA, because EADS is already involved in development and we have their EJ 200 engine on offer too. I would love to see an LCA MK3 with such stealthy airframe/air intake/fuselage changes, an Kaveri-EJ engine with increased thrust and 3D TVC. It is the perfect time to combine these deals, to get the maximum benefit out of them!

P.S. here is a pic of the windtunnel model, which shows the nice airframe design and that I would like to see on improved LCA versions:

 

[SpArK]

Eads by so far giving the most value added serices in regards to MRCA.

Hope the new tender will justify the rate concern and the best fighter wins

 

[sancho]

Eads by so far giving the most value added serices in regards to MRCA.

Hope the new tender will justify the rate concern and the best fighter wins

Mate, this has nothing to do with MMRCA! They can offer good help and techs for LCA, but in MMRCA the EF is so far not a good choice and by the fact that even EADS and Eurojet had delinked other deals from MMRCA, we can guess that they know that their chances are low too.

 

[SpArK]

Mate, this has nothing to do with MMRCA! They can offer good help and techs for LCA, but in MMRCA the EF is so far not a good choice and by the fact that even EADS and Eurojet had delinked other deals from MMRCA, we can guess that they know that their chances are low too.

This has everything to do with MRCA.

They are not offering these as a goodwill gesture.

 

[sancho]

This has everything to do with MRCA.

They are not offering these as a goodwill gesture.

They aim here seems to be a JV for an advanced trainer that could be exported, they will get their share too, so of course it's nothing for free, but also has nothing to do with MMRCA. Several companies are making JV with Indian counterparts, which of course will have some advantages in regard of offsets, in case they win MMRCA. However, they will not reject, or cancel these in case they won't win, because they benefit anyway.