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A hero's tale: Paralysed Manipuri cadet R. K. Herojit to rejoin Indian Air Force's accounts branch as a special case
When the ill-fated Kiran trainer jet crashed into a field last August, dreams of a promising flight cadet to become a fighter pilot also came crashing down.
The accident that left flight cadet R.K. Herojit Singh confined to a wheelchair has, however, not been able to dent his spirit.
"I am better equipped to face all the hardships than ever before. I am not going to give up easily. I will once again prove myself in some other way," the flight cadet told Mail Today after the government, in a rare gesture, allowed him to be commissioned into the Indian Air Force (IAF) as an accounts officer.
The comeback
Herojit, who was paralysed waist down due to spinal cord injuries in the accident, is prepared to go back to air force academy in Dundigal from January 7 and begin his six-month training for the accounts branch.
He may have fallen behind his batch mates, who are now undergoing training on Hawk Advanced Jet Trainers to eventually fly state-of-the art Sukhois, but he's not disheartened.
"This is a part of life. It has made me stronger. I think I am better placed than anyone else to face any situation," he said.
His confidence is not without a reason. Herojit was one of the best cadets in his batch and had even earned the tag of the 'most accomplished cadet' during his training.
"By God's grace and efforts of my trainers, I was an above-average cadet," said Manipur's Herojit, who excelled in sports and got a blazer in swimming.
It is his strong credentials- his accomplishments first in the National Defence Academy and later in the air force academy - that made the IAF pitch for his commissioning with the government.Air chief NAK Browne made a special request to defence minister A.K. Antony for Herojit, which was accepted promptly.
The government has set a precedent by allowing him to get commissioned despite severe injuries. "I am very happy. I will become a precedent. It all happened very fast and in a smooth manner. My parents are also very happy," Herojit said.
August 22, 2011, the day that changed his life forever, is clearly etched in his memory.
He was returning to Hakimpet airbase around 5.10 pm after completing his flight profile in a designated sector. He had sighted the runway and was descending when an emergency in his cockpit forced him to eject.
Risky jets
It all happened in seconds, he said. "My parachute opened sweetly, I was descending sweetly," he said, adding, "I was conscious and landed clear of any obstacles."
Ejection is a necessary yet difficult option for pilots to escape from a crashing aircraft, as more often than not the force with which they get flung out of the cockpit injures their spine. The same happened in Herojit's case as well.
By its very nature, military aviation is risky and this dangerous journey begins at the training level. IAF gives basic flying lessons to flight cadets on Kiran jets, which ideally should be handled only after learning elementary skills on a more basic aircraft.
Kiran jets itself are not only short in numbers but also on extended life. Herojit has a message for other cadets: "It is only hard work that matters. A spinal cord injury might be a big concern for a common person but it also teaches a lot."
A hero's tale: Paralysed Manipuri cadet R. K. Herojit to rejoin Indian Air Force's accounts branch as a special case : North, News - India Today
When the ill-fated Kiran trainer jet crashed into a field last August, dreams of a promising flight cadet to become a fighter pilot also came crashing down.
The accident that left flight cadet R.K. Herojit Singh confined to a wheelchair has, however, not been able to dent his spirit.
"I am better equipped to face all the hardships than ever before. I am not going to give up easily. I will once again prove myself in some other way," the flight cadet told Mail Today after the government, in a rare gesture, allowed him to be commissioned into the Indian Air Force (IAF) as an accounts officer.
The comeback
Herojit, who was paralysed waist down due to spinal cord injuries in the accident, is prepared to go back to air force academy in Dundigal from January 7 and begin his six-month training for the accounts branch.
He may have fallen behind his batch mates, who are now undergoing training on Hawk Advanced Jet Trainers to eventually fly state-of-the art Sukhois, but he's not disheartened.
"This is a part of life. It has made me stronger. I think I am better placed than anyone else to face any situation," he said.
His confidence is not without a reason. Herojit was one of the best cadets in his batch and had even earned the tag of the 'most accomplished cadet' during his training.
"By God's grace and efforts of my trainers, I was an above-average cadet," said Manipur's Herojit, who excelled in sports and got a blazer in swimming.
It is his strong credentials- his accomplishments first in the National Defence Academy and later in the air force academy - that made the IAF pitch for his commissioning with the government.Air chief NAK Browne made a special request to defence minister A.K. Antony for Herojit, which was accepted promptly.
The government has set a precedent by allowing him to get commissioned despite severe injuries. "I am very happy. I will become a precedent. It all happened very fast and in a smooth manner. My parents are also very happy," Herojit said.
August 22, 2011, the day that changed his life forever, is clearly etched in his memory.
He was returning to Hakimpet airbase around 5.10 pm after completing his flight profile in a designated sector. He had sighted the runway and was descending when an emergency in his cockpit forced him to eject.
Risky jets
It all happened in seconds, he said. "My parachute opened sweetly, I was descending sweetly," he said, adding, "I was conscious and landed clear of any obstacles."
Ejection is a necessary yet difficult option for pilots to escape from a crashing aircraft, as more often than not the force with which they get flung out of the cockpit injures their spine. The same happened in Herojit's case as well.
By its very nature, military aviation is risky and this dangerous journey begins at the training level. IAF gives basic flying lessons to flight cadets on Kiran jets, which ideally should be handled only after learning elementary skills on a more basic aircraft.
Kiran jets itself are not only short in numbers but also on extended life. Herojit has a message for other cadets: "It is only hard work that matters. A spinal cord injury might be a big concern for a common person but it also teaches a lot."
A hero's tale: Paralysed Manipuri cadet R. K. Herojit to rejoin Indian Air Force's accounts branch as a special case : North, News - India Today
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Kaveri Engine: Drowning in Failure, GTRE Desperately Clutches at Straws?
Initially sanctioned in 1989 as LCA power plant, the Kaveri is still undergoing flight certification 23 years later, with a thrust that is woefully short of LCA requirements.
The engine has been dropped as prospective power plant for the LCA because of it's thrust deficit, but GTRE is keen to push ahead with the development of the engine in order to... justify its existence!
After the initial de-linking of the Kaveri from the LCA, a desperate GTRE proposed the Kaveri as power plant for ships, even railway engines.
Chastised by the CAG for wasting government funds on the Kaveri, MOD has decided to continue development of the engine as a technology demonstrator engine for the LCA, still hopeful of retrieving some of the investments in the project.
Luckily for GTRE, the Kaveri project has been dropped a lifeline by DRDO's near quixotic ambitions and a questionable international regime - the MTCR - which prohibits sale to another country of technology that maybe used in a missile or unmanned vehicle exceeding 300 km in range.
Yet to successfully implement the LCA project, the DRDO has embarked on the development of a UCAV matching the capabilities of the X-47B and nEuron. The Indian analog is called Unmanned Strike Air Vehicle (USAV).
The MTCR precludes the import of a powerplant for the USAV, so GTRE has proposed a dry thrust only variant of the Kaveri on the USAV.
In a statement to Parliament on December 10, 2012, Defense Minister AK Antony confirmed that a Kaveri variant would be used to power the USAV, which incidentally was also the first time the GOI acknowledged the existence of the USAV.
On December 25, 2012, Business Standard reported that the decision to use the Kaveri as the USAV power plant was prompted by the engine's relatively good performance when operating without reheat during its flight testing.
During testing at the Gramov Flight Test Center, the Kaveri had demonstrated a dry thrust of 49.2 KN against a designed 51KN. With reheat the thrust deficit was substantial; 70.4 KN against the designed 81 KN.
UCAVs use unreheated engines in order to minimize their heat and noise signatures. Also, the thrust requirement for the USAV is more modest.
"Since the USAV will weigh less than 10 tonnes, the Kaveri's 50 KN will suffice. And, with the afterburner removed, we would significantly reduce the weight of the Kaveri," a top DRDO scientist told the Business Standard.
The DRDO plans to tweak the Kaveri to remove shortcomings noticed during its flight testing, ground test the engine at GTRE, send it back to Russia for flight testing and certification, and then fit it on a LCA (PV1) for more flight testing.
"After extensive ground testing at GTRE, the Kaveri will go back to Russia for flight-testing to ascertain that all the problems have been solved. This is essential for airworthiness certification. Finally, we will test the Kaveri in the single-engine Tejas fighter," said Dr CP Ramnarayanan, Director, GTRE.
GTRE has sought a sanction of Rs 595 crore from MoD for developing the "dry thrust only" versions of the Kaveri engines. The money will be utilized to build two prototypes at a cost of Rs 50 crore each and send them to Russia for flight testing, which cost Rs 80 crore back in 2010-11 and is likely to cost even more now.
"We will take 48 months from the date we get clearance from the government, for completing 50 hours of testing the Kaveri on the Tejas LCA. During the last 12 months, we will actually fly the Tejas with the Kaveri," added Ramnarayanan.
Stealthy UCAV with an Unstealthy Engine?
There is one big problem with using Kaveri dry to power the USAV - the engine is not designed for a low RCS aircraft. USAV, it is claimed, will be a stealthy UCAV. Typically, stealth aircraft powerplants use shaped intakes to prevent enemy radar from reflecting off their compressor blades. Also, the engines are designed to operate with shaped exhausts to reduce stern radar and heat signature The design changes for a stealthy engine are not trivial. Three years after it started test flying the T-50, it's fifth generation fighter, Russia has yet to fit a stealthy powerplant on it. GTRE inspires little confidence with its ability to incorporate these engines without killing the engine.
Kaveri as LCA Mk 2 / AMCA Power Plant?
GTRE has held talks with SNECMA of France to co-develop and co-produce a 90 kN thrust class upgraded Kaveri engine.
The proposed engine will be based on Snecma's 'Eco' engine core and serve as the power plant for LCA Mk II and AMCA.
It is claimed that the SNECMA variant of the Kaveri, referred to as K-10, will match the performance of the F414 and EJ2000 throughout the flight envelope of Tejas.
So far the K-10 project has made no progress, one reason being SNECMA's own skepticism about GTRE's ability to absorb the 'Eco' engine technology.
Kaveri Engine: Drowning in Failure, GTRE Desperately Clutches at Straws?
Initially sanctioned in 1989 as LCA power plant, the Kaveri is still undergoing flight certification 23 years later, with a thrust that is woefully short of LCA requirements.
The engine has been dropped as prospective power plant for the LCA because of it's thrust deficit, but GTRE is keen to push ahead with the development of the engine in order to... justify its existence!
After the initial de-linking of the Kaveri from the LCA, a desperate GTRE proposed the Kaveri as power plant for ships, even railway engines.
Chastised by the CAG for wasting government funds on the Kaveri, MOD has decided to continue development of the engine as a technology demonstrator engine for the LCA, still hopeful of retrieving some of the investments in the project.
Luckily for GTRE, the Kaveri project has been dropped a lifeline by DRDO's near quixotic ambitions and a questionable international regime - the MTCR - which prohibits sale to another country of technology that maybe used in a missile or unmanned vehicle exceeding 300 km in range.
Yet to successfully implement the LCA project, the DRDO has embarked on the development of a UCAV matching the capabilities of the X-47B and nEuron. The Indian analog is called Unmanned Strike Air Vehicle (USAV).
The MTCR precludes the import of a powerplant for the USAV, so GTRE has proposed a dry thrust only variant of the Kaveri on the USAV.
In a statement to Parliament on December 10, 2012, Defense Minister AK Antony confirmed that a Kaveri variant would be used to power the USAV, which incidentally was also the first time the GOI acknowledged the existence of the USAV.
On December 25, 2012, Business Standard reported that the decision to use the Kaveri as the USAV power plant was prompted by the engine's relatively good performance when operating without reheat during its flight testing.
During testing at the Gramov Flight Test Center, the Kaveri had demonstrated a dry thrust of 49.2 KN against a designed 51KN. With reheat the thrust deficit was substantial; 70.4 KN against the designed 81 KN.
UCAVs use unreheated engines in order to minimize their heat and noise signatures. Also, the thrust requirement for the USAV is more modest.
"Since the USAV will weigh less than 10 tonnes, the Kaveri's 50 KN will suffice. And, with the afterburner removed, we would significantly reduce the weight of the Kaveri," a top DRDO scientist told the Business Standard.
The DRDO plans to tweak the Kaveri to remove shortcomings noticed during its flight testing, ground test the engine at GTRE, send it back to Russia for flight testing and certification, and then fit it on a LCA (PV1) for more flight testing.
"After extensive ground testing at GTRE, the Kaveri will go back to Russia for flight-testing to ascertain that all the problems have been solved. This is essential for airworthiness certification. Finally, we will test the Kaveri in the single-engine Tejas fighter," said Dr CP Ramnarayanan, Director, GTRE.
GTRE has sought a sanction of Rs 595 crore from MoD for developing the "dry thrust only" versions of the Kaveri engines. The money will be utilized to build two prototypes at a cost of Rs 50 crore each and send them to Russia for flight testing, which cost Rs 80 crore back in 2010-11 and is likely to cost even more now.
"We will take 48 months from the date we get clearance from the government, for completing 50 hours of testing the Kaveri on the Tejas LCA. During the last 12 months, we will actually fly the Tejas with the Kaveri," added Ramnarayanan.
Stealthy UCAV with an Unstealthy Engine?
There is one big problem with using Kaveri dry to power the USAV - the engine is not designed for a low RCS aircraft. USAV, it is claimed, will be a stealthy UCAV. Typically, stealth aircraft powerplants use shaped intakes to prevent enemy radar from reflecting off their compressor blades. Also, the engines are designed to operate with shaped exhausts to reduce stern radar and heat signature The design changes for a stealthy engine are not trivial. Three years after it started test flying the T-50, it's fifth generation fighter, Russia has yet to fit a stealthy powerplant on it. GTRE inspires little confidence with its ability to incorporate these engines without killing the engine.
Kaveri as LCA Mk 2 / AMCA Power Plant?
GTRE has held talks with SNECMA of France to co-develop and co-produce a 90 kN thrust class upgraded Kaveri engine.
The proposed engine will be based on Snecma's 'Eco' engine core and serve as the power plant for LCA Mk II and AMCA.
It is claimed that the SNECMA variant of the Kaveri, referred to as K-10, will match the performance of the F414 and EJ2000 throughout the flight envelope of Tejas.
So far the K-10 project has made no progress, one reason being SNECMA's own skepticism about GTRE's ability to absorb the 'Eco' engine technology.
Kaveri Engine: Drowning in Failure, GTRE Desperately Clutches at Straws?
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This shows how bad we are doing on training and combat helicopters front.
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INFO ON KAVERI ENGINE:
Introduction
Indigenous development of Kaveri Engine to power the Tejas aircraft was sanctioned on March 30, 1989 at a cost of Rs.382.81 Cr with a PDC of December 31, 1996. The cost of the project was revised to Rs.2839.00 Cr with PDC of December 2009. Further continuation of Kaveri project beyond the PDC has been approved by the Government within the sanctioned cost and scope.
So far, Rs.1996 Crore has been utilized in this project.
The engine remains under development but has been dropped as a prospective power plant for the LCA. It is now being developed as a technology demonstrator engine for the LCA. A dry thrust only variant of the Kaveri maybe used to power the Indian Unmanned Strike Air Vehicle (USAV). Also, more into the future, the Kaveri could be developed as the K-10 with the help of SNECMA to power the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).
History
Indigenous development of Kaveri Engine by the Gas Turbine Research Establishment(GTRE) to power the Tejas aircraft was sanctioned on March 30, 1989 at a cost of Rs 382.81 crore with a PDC of December 31, 1996.
Later, the GTRE secured an extension till March 2000, but once again failed to meet the revised deadline and was given time till December 2004.
The 2004 deadline was extended to December 2009 but GTRE failed to complete the project and opted for a JV with a foreign firm.
The engine remains under development and has been dropped as a prospective power plant for the LCA. It is now being considered for use on the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in its 2010-11 report said that Rs 1,892 crores had been spent over two decades on the project, but the country ended up buying General Electric (GE) engines at a cost of Rs 883 crore to power the LCAs.
The project had overshot its budget by 642 per cent without any perceptible results.
The project underwent five revisions of cost, and saw a 1,013 per cent rise in its foreign exchange element since inception.
The CAG report chided Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) for having finally opted for a joint venture (JV) with a foreign partner, when the purpose of the Kaveri project was to indigenously develop a high performance jet engine for use on fighters.
Over the years the project has only met two out of the six milestones prescribed even after delaying the project for 12 years, it regrets.
Current Development Status
In December 2012, Flight magazine reported that GTRE planned to integrate the Kaveri engine with a Tejas aircraft within the next 9 months, and if the integration proves successful, a Kaveri powered Tejas could fly by the end of 2013.
In December 2012, ADA Chief PS Subramanyam told the Business Standard, "The PV-1 was originally built to support the Kaveri engine. While the engine, in its present form, would not suffice for the Tejas, a Kaveri "dry engine" could be used for one of the futuristic unmanned systems.
The Kaveri engine is currently undergoing flight certification.
According to a GOI Press Release dated December 10, 2012, 9 prototypes of Kaveri Engine and 4 prototypes of Kabani (Core) Engine have been developed and 2200 hours of test (ground and altitude conditions) has been conducted.
The following two major milestones have been achieved:-
Successful completion of Official Altitude Testing (OAT); and
Demonstration of First Block of flight of Kaveri Engine in Flying Test Bed (FTB).
Kaveri Engine was integrated with IL-76 Aircraft at Gromov Flight Research Institute (GFRI), Russia and flight test was successfully carried out upto 12 km maximum altitude and maximum forward speed of 0.7 Mach No. Twenty Seven flights for 57 hours duration have been completed.
Flight trials for Technology Demonstration of Kaveri Engine with LCA Tejas Mk-I are expected to commence in about 3 years time.
A DRDO official told the press in August 2011:
"Nine prototypes of Kaveri engine and four prototypes of Kaveri Core (Kabini) engines have been developed with over 2,000 hours of testing...the engine is proven with almost 80 kilonewtons (kN) of thrust now."
Overweight, Underpowered
GTRE has already spent Rs 200 crores ($411 million) developing the engine since 1989, but the power plant is still overweight.
As in January 2011, the engine was developing 70-75 KN thrust against the IAF requirement of 93-100 KN.
Flight Testing Timeline
A Kaveri engine (K-9) was flight tested for the first time on November 3, 2010.
According to a DRDO press release dated November 4:
"The indigenously designed and developed Kaveri Engine was successfully flight tested by DRDO yesterday during the Flying Test Bed (FTB) Trials at Gromov Flight Research Institute (GFRI), Moscow, Russia. The engine was tested from take-off to landing and flew for a period of over one hour up to at an altitude of 6000m at a speed of 0.6 mach in its maiden flight. The engine control, engine performance and engine health during the flight were found to be excellent. With this test, Kaveri Engine has completed a major milestone of the development program. During the coming months further 50-60 test flights will be carried out to mature the engine in terms of reliability, safety and airworthiness. These trials would pave the way for further flight trials of Kaveri Engine with a fighter aircraft.
An existing IL-76 aircraft was modified as a Flying Test Bed for this trial, with Kaveri engine replacing one of the four engines of the aircraft. The modifications included instrumentation required for trials as well as integration of mechanical, electrical and fuel system. The engine was controlled by the pilot from the cockpit. A number of taxi trials were carried out with Kaveri Engine integrated with the aircraft, before this maiden flight. The engine data was recorded in the aircraft as well as transmitted to ground station by telemetry."
A team of 20 scientists from Gas Turbine Research Establishment, DRDO, have been working along with GFRI for these trials. Dr Prahlada, Chief Controller, R&D (Aeronautics & Services Interaction) briefed the Media about the significance of the first flight.
During the coming months, 50-60 test flights will be carried out to mature the engine in terms of reliability, safety and airworthiness.
These trials will pave the way for further flight trials of Kaveri engine with a fighter aircraft.
First Phase FTB Trials Successfully Completed
On May 2, 2011, DRDO announced that it had completed the first phase of flight testing - using a Flying Test Bed (FTB) Il-76 aircraft at Gromov Flight Research Institute (GFRI) in Russia - was successfully completed, DRDO announced on May 2, 2011.
The engine had logged 11 test sorties and 20 flight hours and had tested to a max altitude of 12 km and a max speed of 0.7 Mach.
The tests involved validating engine performance under different operating conditions of the engine.
Flight Testing Status on December 21, 2011
As on December 21, 2011:
The Kaveri engine had completed the first block of flight testing on the FTB, logging 27 sorties and 55 flight hours.
The Kaveri and Kabini engines had been tested for a total of 2050 hours at ground and altitude conditions for various requirements including performance, operability, endurance, environmental, etc.
Flight Testing Status on May 14, 2012
According to a GOI Press Release
Two important milestones of Kaveri project that had been successfully achieved by May 2012 were:
Completion of Official Altitude Testing for 73 hrs at Central Institute of Aviation Motors (CIAM), Russia.
Flying Test Bed (FTB) trials for 55 hrs with IL-76 Aircraft conducted at Gromov Flight Research Institute (GFRI), Russia.
Endurance testing for about 2100 hrs has been conducted at Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE).
Technology Demonstrator
The Kaveri engine developed so far is being looked upon as a technology demonstrator. Following flight certification, it is planned to be tested on a LCA to demonstrate its compatibility with the aircraft, but will not be used on production variants of the aircraft.
Instead, GTRE will develop a production version of the Kaveri in collaboration with Snecma of France. The production variant of the engine is referred to as Kaveri K-10. It will be a 9 ton class engine.
Indian Unmanned Strike Air Vehicle (USAV) Power Plant
In August 2011, a DRDO official told the press that the indigenous Kaveri engine maybe used to power the India USAV currently under development.
According to the official, DRDO has also developed a marine Kaveri engine with 12 MW power output by "designing a free-power turbine to generate shaft power" for propulsion of warships in which the Navy has shown "a lot of interest."
"With Kaveri, we have proven several gas turbine technologies for a variety of applications. Indian Railways is also interested in knowing whether Kaveri can be used for powering trains," said the official.
In a statement in Parliament on December 10, 2012, Defense Minister AK Antony confirmed that a Kaveri variant could be used to power the Indian Unmanned Strike Air Vehicle (USAV).
On December 25, 2012, Business Standard reported that the Kaveri engine used that the decision to use the Kaveri as the USAV power plant was prompted by the engine's relatively good performance when operating without reheat.
During testing at the Gramov Flight Test Center, the Kaveri had demonstrated a dry thrust of 49.2 KN against a designed 51KN. With reheat the thrust deficit was substantial; 70.4 KN against the designed 81 KN.
UCAVs use unreheated engines inorder to minimize their heat and noise signatures. Also, the thrust requirement for the USAV is more modest.
"Since the USAV will weigh less than 10 tonnes, the Kaveris 50 KN will suffice. And, with the afterburner removed, we would significantly reduce the weight of the Kaveri," a top DRDO scientist told the Business Standard.
The DRDO plans to tweak the Kaveri to remove shortcomings noticed during its flight testing, ground test the engine at GTRE, send it back to Russia for flight testing and certification, and then fit it on LCA PV1 for more flight testing.
"After extensive ground testing at GTRE, the Kaveri will go back to Russia for flight-testing to ascertain that all the problems have been solved. This is essential for airworthiness certification. Finally, we will test the Kaveri in the single-engine Tejas fighter," said Dr CP Ramnarayanan, Director, GTRE.
GTRE has sought sanction of Rs 595 crore from MoD for developing the "dry thrust only" versions of the Kaveri engines. The money will be utilized to build two prototypes at a cost of Rs 50 crore each and send them to Russia for flight testing, which cost Rs 80 crore in 2010-11 and is likely to cost even more now.
We will take 48 months from the date we get clearance from the government, for completing 50 hours of testing the Kaveri on the Tejas LCA. During the last 12 months, we will actually fly the Tejas with the Kaveri, added Ramnarayanan.
Snecma - Kaveri / Kaveri K-10
In 2009, DRDO offered to co-develop and co-produce 90 kN thrust class upgraded Kaveri engine with M/s Snecma, France, within 48 months from the date of project inception.
DRDO and M/s Snecma will be jointly responsible for engine design, development, flight trials and certification in Tejas.
The modified Kaveri engine will match the performance of the F414 and EJ2000 throughout the flight envelope of Tejas.
Minimum changes are required in the airframe to integrate this engine without affecting the weight and configuration of Tejas.
The proposed engine will be based on Snecma's Eco engine core.
Snecma, which had earlier indicated that TOT for the core may take 15 years, now believes it can be done in 5 years. It proposes a minimum production run of 250 engines to make the joint venture viable.
The Indian Air Force is inclined towards a proven engine that is already in production and flight worthy for meeting immediate requirement.
Snecma M88 ECO
The M88 ECO is a development of the M88-2 engine which powers the French Rafale. The M88-2 has a thrust of 50 to 75 kN and full authority digital engine control (FADEC) for carefree handling anywhere in its operating envelope.
M88 ECO is a technology demonstrator now under test, designed to reduce the M88-2s cost of ownership and increase its thrust to 9 tons (19,800 lb).
Government nod for Snecma - GTRE tie up
On December 14, 2009, Defense Minister Shri AK Antony, told the Lok Sabha in a written reply that the proposal on the Kaveri-Snecma engine joint venture for LCA Tejas continues to be under consideration.
In late December 2009, GTRE officials told The Hindu that the government had given the go-ahead to pursue the joint venture option and talks with Snecma could start early next year.
The government nod followed a backtracking by the IAF on its opposition to the engine based on the recommendations of a team, headed by Air Vice-Marshal M. Matheswaran. The team, which included officials from the ADA, the IAF and the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, submitted a report that stated that an engine developed jointly by Snecma and the GTRE would not meet the IAFs performance requirements.
The IAF had earlier also sought the delinking of the Kaveri and Tejas project.
Being Developed as AMCA Powerplant with Snecma Help
In January 2011 a senior MOD official told PTI that the Kaveri engine has been dropped as a prospective power plant for Tejas Mk II. Instead, the engine will now be developed to power the twin engined Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), which is expected to be ready by 2016-17.
The official also confirmed that the tie up with Snecma was in place.
"I think with the JV with Snecma in place now, we would be able to achieve these parameters in near future," the official told PTI.
The GOI told Parliament on February 22, 2011.
"It is proposed to develop production version Kaveri (K10) engine on co-design & co-development basis with M/s Snecma, France. The technical evaluation for this proposal has been completed. Tender Purchase Committee (TPC) with members from DRDO, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Indian Air Force (IAF), Indian Navy (IN) and Integrated Finance (R&D) is negotiating the commercial aspects."
Snecma - Kaveri Project Status
In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha on November 22, 2011 Defense Minister Shri A.K. Antony told an MP that DRDO "is negotiating with M/s SNECMA, France for co-development and co-production of Kaveri Aero Engine for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk-II."
In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha on August 8, 2011 Defense Minister Shri A.K. Antony clarified that DRDO is yet to enter into an agreement with Snecma for developing the Kaveri K10 engine.
"However, DRDO is negotiating with M/s Snecma, France for co-development and co-production of Kaveri aero engine for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas MK-II. The project proposal will be put up for Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approval after the completion of price negotiation.
"Indian Air Force (IAF) has been consulted at every stage and is part of negotiation. IAF has cleared the Kaveri engine co-development proposal with M/s Snecma, France. The draft engine technical specification has been examined and cleared by IAF. IAF has further suggested that the engine design should have minimal impact on the LCA Tejas airframe for future retrofitment."
Modified Kaveri Engine for Indian Navy Ships
In July 2008, DRDO tested a marine version of the Kaveri engine on the Marine Gas Turbine test bed at Naval Dock Yard, Vishakapatnam. The Indian Navy facility is capable of testing Gas Turbines upto 25 MW of shaft power through a reduction gearbox and a water brake dynamometer.
The Kaveri derivative, called the Kaveri Marine Gas Turbine (KMGT), was tested to its potential of 12 MW at ISA SL 35°C condition which is the requirement of Indian Navy for propelling the SNF (Rajput) class of ships.
The engine was demonstrated to the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and others including the Scientific Advisor to Raksha Mantri Shri M. Natarajan, Vice Admiral B.S.Randhawa, Dr. D.Banerjee, CC (R&D).
For the marine engine derivative, GTRE scientists used the Kaveri core, added Low Pressure Compressor & Turbine as a gas generator and designed a Free Power Turbine to generate shaft Power for the maritime application.
Kaveri Jet Engine - IDP Sentinel
Introduction
Indigenous development of Kaveri Engine to power the Tejas aircraft was sanctioned on March 30, 1989 at a cost of Rs.382.81 Cr with a PDC of December 31, 1996. The cost of the project was revised to Rs.2839.00 Cr with PDC of December 2009. Further continuation of Kaveri project beyond the PDC has been approved by the Government within the sanctioned cost and scope.
So far, Rs.1996 Crore has been utilized in this project.
The engine remains under development but has been dropped as a prospective power plant for the LCA. It is now being developed as a technology demonstrator engine for the LCA. A dry thrust only variant of the Kaveri maybe used to power the Indian Unmanned Strike Air Vehicle (USAV). Also, more into the future, the Kaveri could be developed as the K-10 with the help of SNECMA to power the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).
History
Indigenous development of Kaveri Engine by the Gas Turbine Research Establishment(GTRE) to power the Tejas aircraft was sanctioned on March 30, 1989 at a cost of Rs 382.81 crore with a PDC of December 31, 1996.
Later, the GTRE secured an extension till March 2000, but once again failed to meet the revised deadline and was given time till December 2004.
The 2004 deadline was extended to December 2009 but GTRE failed to complete the project and opted for a JV with a foreign firm.
The engine remains under development and has been dropped as a prospective power plant for the LCA. It is now being considered for use on the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in its 2010-11 report said that Rs 1,892 crores had been spent over two decades on the project, but the country ended up buying General Electric (GE) engines at a cost of Rs 883 crore to power the LCAs.
The project had overshot its budget by 642 per cent without any perceptible results.
The project underwent five revisions of cost, and saw a 1,013 per cent rise in its foreign exchange element since inception.
The CAG report chided Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) for having finally opted for a joint venture (JV) with a foreign partner, when the purpose of the Kaveri project was to indigenously develop a high performance jet engine for use on fighters.
Over the years the project has only met two out of the six milestones prescribed even after delaying the project for 12 years, it regrets.
Current Development Status
In December 2012, Flight magazine reported that GTRE planned to integrate the Kaveri engine with a Tejas aircraft within the next 9 months, and if the integration proves successful, a Kaveri powered Tejas could fly by the end of 2013.
In December 2012, ADA Chief PS Subramanyam told the Business Standard, "The PV-1 was originally built to support the Kaveri engine. While the engine, in its present form, would not suffice for the Tejas, a Kaveri "dry engine" could be used for one of the futuristic unmanned systems.
The Kaveri engine is currently undergoing flight certification.
According to a GOI Press Release dated December 10, 2012, 9 prototypes of Kaveri Engine and 4 prototypes of Kabani (Core) Engine have been developed and 2200 hours of test (ground and altitude conditions) has been conducted.
The following two major milestones have been achieved:-
Successful completion of Official Altitude Testing (OAT); and
Demonstration of First Block of flight of Kaveri Engine in Flying Test Bed (FTB).
Kaveri Engine was integrated with IL-76 Aircraft at Gromov Flight Research Institute (GFRI), Russia and flight test was successfully carried out upto 12 km maximum altitude and maximum forward speed of 0.7 Mach No. Twenty Seven flights for 57 hours duration have been completed.
Flight trials for Technology Demonstration of Kaveri Engine with LCA Tejas Mk-I are expected to commence in about 3 years time.
A DRDO official told the press in August 2011:
"Nine prototypes of Kaveri engine and four prototypes of Kaveri Core (Kabini) engines have been developed with over 2,000 hours of testing...the engine is proven with almost 80 kilonewtons (kN) of thrust now."
Overweight, Underpowered
GTRE has already spent Rs 200 crores ($411 million) developing the engine since 1989, but the power plant is still overweight.
As in January 2011, the engine was developing 70-75 KN thrust against the IAF requirement of 93-100 KN.
Flight Testing Timeline
A Kaveri engine (K-9) was flight tested for the first time on November 3, 2010.
According to a DRDO press release dated November 4:
"The indigenously designed and developed Kaveri Engine was successfully flight tested by DRDO yesterday during the Flying Test Bed (FTB) Trials at Gromov Flight Research Institute (GFRI), Moscow, Russia. The engine was tested from take-off to landing and flew for a period of over one hour up to at an altitude of 6000m at a speed of 0.6 mach in its maiden flight. The engine control, engine performance and engine health during the flight were found to be excellent. With this test, Kaveri Engine has completed a major milestone of the development program. During the coming months further 50-60 test flights will be carried out to mature the engine in terms of reliability, safety and airworthiness. These trials would pave the way for further flight trials of Kaveri Engine with a fighter aircraft.
An existing IL-76 aircraft was modified as a Flying Test Bed for this trial, with Kaveri engine replacing one of the four engines of the aircraft. The modifications included instrumentation required for trials as well as integration of mechanical, electrical and fuel system. The engine was controlled by the pilot from the cockpit. A number of taxi trials were carried out with Kaveri Engine integrated with the aircraft, before this maiden flight. The engine data was recorded in the aircraft as well as transmitted to ground station by telemetry."
A team of 20 scientists from Gas Turbine Research Establishment, DRDO, have been working along with GFRI for these trials. Dr Prahlada, Chief Controller, R&D (Aeronautics & Services Interaction) briefed the Media about the significance of the first flight.
During the coming months, 50-60 test flights will be carried out to mature the engine in terms of reliability, safety and airworthiness.
These trials will pave the way for further flight trials of Kaveri engine with a fighter aircraft.
First Phase FTB Trials Successfully Completed
On May 2, 2011, DRDO announced that it had completed the first phase of flight testing - using a Flying Test Bed (FTB) Il-76 aircraft at Gromov Flight Research Institute (GFRI) in Russia - was successfully completed, DRDO announced on May 2, 2011.
The engine had logged 11 test sorties and 20 flight hours and had tested to a max altitude of 12 km and a max speed of 0.7 Mach.
The tests involved validating engine performance under different operating conditions of the engine.
Flight Testing Status on December 21, 2011
As on December 21, 2011:
The Kaveri engine had completed the first block of flight testing on the FTB, logging 27 sorties and 55 flight hours.
The Kaveri and Kabini engines had been tested for a total of 2050 hours at ground and altitude conditions for various requirements including performance, operability, endurance, environmental, etc.
Flight Testing Status on May 14, 2012
According to a GOI Press Release
Two important milestones of Kaveri project that had been successfully achieved by May 2012 were:
Completion of Official Altitude Testing for 73 hrs at Central Institute of Aviation Motors (CIAM), Russia.
Flying Test Bed (FTB) trials for 55 hrs with IL-76 Aircraft conducted at Gromov Flight Research Institute (GFRI), Russia.
Endurance testing for about 2100 hrs has been conducted at Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE).
Technology Demonstrator
The Kaveri engine developed so far is being looked upon as a technology demonstrator. Following flight certification, it is planned to be tested on a LCA to demonstrate its compatibility with the aircraft, but will not be used on production variants of the aircraft.
Instead, GTRE will develop a production version of the Kaveri in collaboration with Snecma of France. The production variant of the engine is referred to as Kaveri K-10. It will be a 9 ton class engine.
Indian Unmanned Strike Air Vehicle (USAV) Power Plant
In August 2011, a DRDO official told the press that the indigenous Kaveri engine maybe used to power the India USAV currently under development.
According to the official, DRDO has also developed a marine Kaveri engine with 12 MW power output by "designing a free-power turbine to generate shaft power" for propulsion of warships in which the Navy has shown "a lot of interest."
"With Kaveri, we have proven several gas turbine technologies for a variety of applications. Indian Railways is also interested in knowing whether Kaveri can be used for powering trains," said the official.
In a statement in Parliament on December 10, 2012, Defense Minister AK Antony confirmed that a Kaveri variant could be used to power the Indian Unmanned Strike Air Vehicle (USAV).
On December 25, 2012, Business Standard reported that the Kaveri engine used that the decision to use the Kaveri as the USAV power plant was prompted by the engine's relatively good performance when operating without reheat.
During testing at the Gramov Flight Test Center, the Kaveri had demonstrated a dry thrust of 49.2 KN against a designed 51KN. With reheat the thrust deficit was substantial; 70.4 KN against the designed 81 KN.
UCAVs use unreheated engines inorder to minimize their heat and noise signatures. Also, the thrust requirement for the USAV is more modest.
"Since the USAV will weigh less than 10 tonnes, the Kaveris 50 KN will suffice. And, with the afterburner removed, we would significantly reduce the weight of the Kaveri," a top DRDO scientist told the Business Standard.
The DRDO plans to tweak the Kaveri to remove shortcomings noticed during its flight testing, ground test the engine at GTRE, send it back to Russia for flight testing and certification, and then fit it on LCA PV1 for more flight testing.
"After extensive ground testing at GTRE, the Kaveri will go back to Russia for flight-testing to ascertain that all the problems have been solved. This is essential for airworthiness certification. Finally, we will test the Kaveri in the single-engine Tejas fighter," said Dr CP Ramnarayanan, Director, GTRE.
GTRE has sought sanction of Rs 595 crore from MoD for developing the "dry thrust only" versions of the Kaveri engines. The money will be utilized to build two prototypes at a cost of Rs 50 crore each and send them to Russia for flight testing, which cost Rs 80 crore in 2010-11 and is likely to cost even more now.
We will take 48 months from the date we get clearance from the government, for completing 50 hours of testing the Kaveri on the Tejas LCA. During the last 12 months, we will actually fly the Tejas with the Kaveri, added Ramnarayanan.
Snecma - Kaveri / Kaveri K-10
In 2009, DRDO offered to co-develop and co-produce 90 kN thrust class upgraded Kaveri engine with M/s Snecma, France, within 48 months from the date of project inception.
DRDO and M/s Snecma will be jointly responsible for engine design, development, flight trials and certification in Tejas.
The modified Kaveri engine will match the performance of the F414 and EJ2000 throughout the flight envelope of Tejas.
Minimum changes are required in the airframe to integrate this engine without affecting the weight and configuration of Tejas.
The proposed engine will be based on Snecma's Eco engine core.
Snecma, which had earlier indicated that TOT for the core may take 15 years, now believes it can be done in 5 years. It proposes a minimum production run of 250 engines to make the joint venture viable.
The Indian Air Force is inclined towards a proven engine that is already in production and flight worthy for meeting immediate requirement.
Snecma M88 ECO
The M88 ECO is a development of the M88-2 engine which powers the French Rafale. The M88-2 has a thrust of 50 to 75 kN and full authority digital engine control (FADEC) for carefree handling anywhere in its operating envelope.
M88 ECO is a technology demonstrator now under test, designed to reduce the M88-2s cost of ownership and increase its thrust to 9 tons (19,800 lb).
Government nod for Snecma - GTRE tie up
On December 14, 2009, Defense Minister Shri AK Antony, told the Lok Sabha in a written reply that the proposal on the Kaveri-Snecma engine joint venture for LCA Tejas continues to be under consideration.
In late December 2009, GTRE officials told The Hindu that the government had given the go-ahead to pursue the joint venture option and talks with Snecma could start early next year.
The government nod followed a backtracking by the IAF on its opposition to the engine based on the recommendations of a team, headed by Air Vice-Marshal M. Matheswaran. The team, which included officials from the ADA, the IAF and the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, submitted a report that stated that an engine developed jointly by Snecma and the GTRE would not meet the IAFs performance requirements.
The IAF had earlier also sought the delinking of the Kaveri and Tejas project.
Being Developed as AMCA Powerplant with Snecma Help
In January 2011 a senior MOD official told PTI that the Kaveri engine has been dropped as a prospective power plant for Tejas Mk II. Instead, the engine will now be developed to power the twin engined Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), which is expected to be ready by 2016-17.
The official also confirmed that the tie up with Snecma was in place.
"I think with the JV with Snecma in place now, we would be able to achieve these parameters in near future," the official told PTI.
The GOI told Parliament on February 22, 2011.
"It is proposed to develop production version Kaveri (K10) engine on co-design & co-development basis with M/s Snecma, France. The technical evaluation for this proposal has been completed. Tender Purchase Committee (TPC) with members from DRDO, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Indian Air Force (IAF), Indian Navy (IN) and Integrated Finance (R&D) is negotiating the commercial aspects."
Snecma - Kaveri Project Status
In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha on November 22, 2011 Defense Minister Shri A.K. Antony told an MP that DRDO "is negotiating with M/s SNECMA, France for co-development and co-production of Kaveri Aero Engine for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk-II."
In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha on August 8, 2011 Defense Minister Shri A.K. Antony clarified that DRDO is yet to enter into an agreement with Snecma for developing the Kaveri K10 engine.
"However, DRDO is negotiating with M/s Snecma, France for co-development and co-production of Kaveri aero engine for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas MK-II. The project proposal will be put up for Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approval after the completion of price negotiation.
"Indian Air Force (IAF) has been consulted at every stage and is part of negotiation. IAF has cleared the Kaveri engine co-development proposal with M/s Snecma, France. The draft engine technical specification has been examined and cleared by IAF. IAF has further suggested that the engine design should have minimal impact on the LCA Tejas airframe for future retrofitment."
Modified Kaveri Engine for Indian Navy Ships
In July 2008, DRDO tested a marine version of the Kaveri engine on the Marine Gas Turbine test bed at Naval Dock Yard, Vishakapatnam. The Indian Navy facility is capable of testing Gas Turbines upto 25 MW of shaft power through a reduction gearbox and a water brake dynamometer.
The Kaveri derivative, called the Kaveri Marine Gas Turbine (KMGT), was tested to its potential of 12 MW at ISA SL 35°C condition which is the requirement of Indian Navy for propelling the SNF (Rajput) class of ships.
The engine was demonstrated to the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and others including the Scientific Advisor to Raksha Mantri Shri M. Natarajan, Vice Admiral B.S.Randhawa, Dr. D.Banerjee, CC (R&D).
For the marine engine derivative, GTRE scientists used the Kaveri core, added Low Pressure Compressor & Turbine as a gas generator and designed a Free Power Turbine to generate shaft Power for the maritime application.
Kaveri Jet Engine - IDP Sentinel
The A-5
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Many errors in the list of IAF jets...
Jaguar - 135+
MiG-21 - 173
MiG-27 - 145
MiG-29 - 67
Mirage 2000 - 49
Rafale - 126 to be ordered, not 86
Su-30MKI - ~170 in service, total 272 ordered
LCA - only 40 ordered, Mk-2 requirement is for 83, that becomes 103 if IAF decides to stop Mk-1 at 20 units.
FGFA order still stands at 214 and has not been downsized as per few sources like PK Sengupta.
cloud_9
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269 Su 30 MKI ,3 lost in accidents.......As far as the Mig 27's are concerned we have 80 of them (IAF planning to phase out MiG-27 combat planes by 2017).
Abingdonboy
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SUPER 30 MKI/MLU cockpits:
go to page 12, bottom left corner-DARE Bengalru
http://drdo.gov.in/drdo/pub/nl/2012/NL_April_2012_web.pdf
@sancho
go to page 12, bottom left corner-DARE Bengalru
http://drdo.gov.in/drdo/pub/nl/2012/NL_April_2012_web.pdf
@sancho
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I caan barely see the two screens, but if that is the cockpit then I am happy that it is a complete glass cockpit.
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Abingdonboy
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Well it tallies with what we have seen earlier:
This was snapped by an Indian and is said to be the Super 30/MLU MKI's cockpit, seems to match.
Abingdonboy
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Guys, check out this well written, well researched and objective analysis of the MMRCA comp:
http://carnegieendowment.org/files/dogfight.pdf
It is pretty outdated (was written in early 2011 and the situation has clearly moved on since then) but still well worth a read.
Going by his analysis India/GoI has largely stuck to his recommendations ie buy the best, do not let political considerations get involved, do not split the order etc
Enjoy!
@sancho
+ what happened to the sticky MMRCA thread??
http://carnegieendowment.org/files/dogfight.pdf
It is pretty outdated (was written in early 2011 and the situation has clearly moved on since then) but still well worth a read.
Going by his analysis India/GoI has largely stuck to his recommendations ie buy the best, do not let political considerations get involved, do not split the order etc
Enjoy!
@sancho
+ what happened to the sticky MMRCA thread??
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sancho
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Was discussed before and he only the first part of IAFs requirement is interesting, the later parts are obviously written later and highly biased towards the US and their fighters, that's why the specs of the fighters in the comparison were largly wrong.
The MMRCA thread is still there:
http://www.defence.pk/forums/indian-defence/4347-mrca-news-discussions-550.html
Sadly the Webmaster closed it, although the discussions and news reports about Rafale are still going on and the infos collected in the thread are still very informative.
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Abingdonboy
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