Israel Failed, India Scouts New Partner To Unman Chetak Copter

[Lotus_stalk]

India has decided to reload efforts to spin off an unmanned version of its in-service Chetak/Alouette III light utility helicopter, a platform in service in large numbers with the Indian military and still built under license by HAL at Bengaluru. The project, revealed first here on Livefist earlier this month (titled R-UAV a touch drily), is significant. This is basically HAL, the builder of the Chetak, choosing not to be cowed down by the failure of its earlier partnership with Israel’s IAI to create an unmanned version of the Chetak, the NRUAV. What we know now is that HAL and India’s Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) have decided to give the project a shot. But HAL has decided it definitely needs help.

Earlier this month, the UAV division at HAL formally published an Expression of Interest note inviting ‘global partners with proven capabilities in specific areas of design and development for conversion of 2 ton class Helicopters into Rotary Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (RUAV)’. HAL is specific about the share of work ahead already: ‘While HAL will be the lead designers for the project, HAL looks for Risk Sharing Development Partner for development of Automatic Flight Control System for conversion of 2 ton class helicopter into Unmanned Platform.’ The specifics of risk and cost would be worked out at the RFP stage potentially later this year.

The Indian Navy’s requirement for rotory UAVs is big. It has evaluated several systems over the years (from small systems like the Schiebel S-100 Camcopter to higher performance ones like the MQ-8 Fire Scout), but hasn’t managed to get anywhere close to concluding a deal. The Indian Navy had thrown its weight behind the HAL-IAI NRUAV effort because it saw great benefit in an unmanned version of a familiar platform — the Chetak is operable off every Indian warship that can receive a helo. While the Indian Navy is in the market for a new twin-engine utility helicopter, a Chetak-based UAV would potentially save it money and effort in both ship and shore maintenance and handling infrastructure.

Livefist has learnt that the HAL-ADE joint effort on the R-UAV is for the moment an internally funded programme that will be split on cost between HAL and the risk partner it is looking to sign on. It plans to pitch the product to the Indian Navy, Coast Guard and other services only once it has a demonstrable platform. HAL will be using a retired Chetak airframe for architecture and explore the option of getting an in-service Chetak airframe for the engineering phase. HAL will almost definitely be looking to create a set of modules that will allow the conversion of in-service manned helicopters into the R-UAV.

The automatic flight control system (AFCS) is obviously the heart of the R-UAV. Where the HAL-IAI partnership failed to prove a worthy flight control system for a rolling and pitching ship deck, a new partner will need to prove the capability. The challenges will be manifold, not least the development of all new control laws in an unmanned regime.

HAL’s EOI document makes it plainly clear that it is looking for a partnership that could end in an international joint venture to market the R-UAV abroad. The focus now will be on timelines. The Indian Navy won’t be willing to wait till the R-UAV becomes available for operations to fill its full requirement. While its own efforts to procure similar systems from abroad have remained fruitless for years, Livefist believes it is likely that the navy will look to commit funds for a handful of foreign-built systems, while committing future funds for the R-UAV on the contingency that it has a clear path forward. The experience with IAI hasn’t inspired confidence, but the Indian Navy will be hoping that second time lucky holds true.

Potential partners have been asked to respond to HAL’s Expression of Interest invitation by March 3.

 

[Lotus_stalk]

India’s Military Robot Program Detailed In Comprehensive New Video

Tejas UCAV? Here’s What HAL Needs To Do

A new effort to unman India’s LCA Tejas fighter platform to spin off a UCAV has been revealed in a fresh report in The Economic Times, reviving projections made a decade ago by the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO). HAL, which has ambitious plans to enter the unmanned systems space with both partnerships and new in-house development projects, has been looking at the Tejas for years, a platform it is of course deeply familiar with. The proposition is however much more complex than both HAL and DRDO will immediately let on.

The conversion of a full-fledged fighter system into an unmanned platform is an onerous task. Apart from the easier material changes, including removal of non-essential items (actually not a simple task on the Tejas, as maintainability roadblocks have shown), the conversion of the Tejas — like Boeing’s conversion of the F-16 to the QF-16 — will involve major changes to the flight control system (FCS). The conversion will also involve the installation of a kill switch/flight termination system to make sure ground control can destroy the aircraft in flight and the addition of telemetry sensors and systems. But the centrepiece of the conversion will be the Tejas FCS.

Official literature on the Tejas FCS describes it as a ‘quadruplex digital fly-by-wire flight control system to ease handling by the pilot, employing a powerful digital flight control computer (DFCC) comprising four computing channels, each with its own independent power supply and all housed in a single LRU’. It further goes on to add:

The DFCC receives signals from a variety of sensors and pilot control stick inputs, and processes these through the appropriate channels to excite and control the elevons, rudder and leading edge slat hydraulic actuators. The DFCC channels are built around 32-bit microprocessors and use a subset of the Ada programming language for software implementation. The computer interfaces with pilot display elements like the MFDs through MIL-STD-1553B multiplex avionics data buses and RS-422 serial links.

Tejas is intentionally made longitudinally unstable to enhance manoeuverability. The Control laws (CLAW) recover Stability and provide good Handling Qualities to the Pilot. They also provide invariant response with respect to variation in aerodynamics, fuel etc. and facilitate robust performance. The CLAW is carefree and ensures that various aircraft parameters are limited automatically. This enables the pilot to fly the mission without worrying about exceedance of parameters beyond a safe limit.

The autopilot provides pilot relief functions. This helps the pilot to do more head down activities (especially mission critical activities) without being concerned about the aircraft departing from its flight path. The autopilot is also equipped with advanced features like auto level (which helps the pilot recover the aircraft if he gets disoriented and also during night flying), safe altitude recovery (which automatically pulls up the aircraft if it comes too close to the ground) and navigation modes (which steer the aircraft automatically along a pre-determined flight path).

HAL’s research will therefore centre around autonomous flight functions, the combat management system and the mission computer. As the LCA Tejas goes through the motions of proving itself across the gamut of precision and other weapons, HAL’s logic is that a proven flying platform makes sense as a non-stealth weapons delivery platform. The utility (and viability) of a non-stealth platform for weapons delivery by a country like India remains one of many questions. India, as Livefist has reported, is developing the Ghatak stealth UCAV for precisely the same mission, but with a specific emphasis on stealth qualities and therefore, missions into enemy airspace.

Economics and survivability issues aside, the research HAL is conducting on the familiar Tejas platform could have deep experimental value going forward. In a best case scenario, it gives HAL fundamental experience in flight control system architecture for unmanned/autonomous systems in combat envelopes — something very far from what it has even thought of attempting so far. Skeptics would argue that HAL has chosen to do the most difficult task first, though others suggest that this is low-risk option for very valuable research and will not require additional resources, especially since this is technology no country will share without very expensive benefits. Of course, if things click, a possible target drone version of the Tejas for air combat training (like the QF-16) is a possibility.

Brahmos Vision 2050

 

[Tshering22]

India has decided to reload efforts to spin off an unmanned version of its in-service Chetak/Alouette III light utility helicopter, a platform in service in large numbers with the Indian military and still built under license by HAL at Bengaluru. The project, revealed first here on Livefist earlier this month (titled R-UAV a touch drily), is significant. This is basically HAL, the builder of the Chetak, choosing not to be cowed down by the failure of its earlier partnership with Israel’s IAI to create an unmanned version of the Chetak, the NRUAV. What we know now is that HAL and India’s Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) have decided to give the project a shot. But HAL has decided it definitely needs help.

Earlier this month, the UAV division at HAL formally published an Expression of Interest note inviting ‘global partners with proven capabilities in specific areas of design and development for conversion of 2 ton class Helicopters into Rotary Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (RUAV)’. HAL is specific about the share of work ahead already: ‘While HAL will be the lead designers for the project, HAL looks for Risk Sharing Development Partner for development of Automatic Flight Control System for conversion of 2 ton class helicopter into Unmanned Platform.’ The specifics of risk and cost would be worked out at the RFP stage potentially later this year.

The Indian Navy’s requirement for rotory UAVs is big. It has evaluated several systems over the years (from small systems like the Schiebel S-100 Camcopter to higher performance ones like the MQ-8 Fire Scout), but hasn’t managed to get anywhere close to concluding a deal. The Indian Navy had thrown its weight behind the HAL-IAI NRUAV effort because it saw great benefit in an unmanned version of a familiar platform — the Chetak is operable off every Indian warship that can receive a helo. While the Indian Navy is in the market for a new twin-engine utility helicopter, a Chetak-based UAV would potentially save it money and effort in both ship and shore maintenance and handling infrastructure.

Livefist has learnt that the HAL-ADE joint effort on the R-UAV is for the moment an internally funded programme that will be split on cost between HAL and the risk partner it is looking to sign on. It plans to pitch the product to the Indian Navy, Coast Guard and other services only once it has a demonstrable platform. HAL will be using a retired Chetak airframe for architecture and explore the option of getting an in-service Chetak airframe for the engineering phase. HAL will almost definitely be looking to create a set of modules that will allow the conversion of in-service manned helicopters into the R-UAV.

The automatic flight control system (AFCS) is obviously the heart of the R-UAV. Where the HAL-IAI partnership failed to prove a worthy flight control system for a rolling and pitching ship deck, a new partner will need to prove the capability. The challenges will be manifold, not least the development of all new control laws in an unmanned regime.

HAL’s EOI document makes it plainly clear that it is looking for a partnership that could end in an international joint venture to market the R-UAV abroad. The focus now will be on timelines. The Indian Navy won’t be willing to wait till the R-UAV becomes available for operations to fill its full requirement. While its own efforts to procure similar systems from abroad have remained fruitless for years, Livefist believes it is likely that the navy will look to commit funds for a handful of foreign-built systems, while committing future funds for the R-UAV on the contingency that it has a clear path forward. The experience with IAI hasn’t inspired confidence, but the Indian Navy will be hoping that second time lucky holds true.

Potential partners have been asked to respond to HAL’s Expression of Interest invitation by March 3.

Do we really need Chetak as unmanned?

There are smaller more stealthier helicopter drones that we can make which will make it easier to operate rather than a bulky manned helicopter turned into an unmanned platform.

In fact, we could look at something like the Schleicher helicopters and ADA could design an ultralight unmanned helicopter.

 

[Kinetic]

Do we really need Chetak as unmanned?

There are smaller more stealthier helicopter drones that we can make which will make it easier to operate rather than a bulky manned helicopter turned into an unmanned platform.

In fact, we could look at something like the Schleicher helicopters and ADA could design an ultralight unmanned helicopter.

dont understand really!! why they are going mad over this.

 

[ranadd]

Whoever does PMO for DRDO should be sacked right away. There is no need for making this aging machine to be a UCAV. And no need for Tejas UCAV.