India readies its light combat aircraft

By Hari Sud
Column: Abroad View

Published: May 29, 2009

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Toronto, ON, Canada, — Take lightweight composite materials and build a very capable airframe. To this, add a highly advanced avionics suite from Israel, a U.S.-made high-thrust engine for Mach 2 capability, a 23-mm rapid-fire gun and an array of Indian and Russian air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles. The end product is a lightweight, fourth-generation dogfighter combat jet. This is India’s newest fighter aircraft.

The aircraft will replace the aging but highly capable MiG-21s in India’s inventory. Priced at US$20-25 million, it will appeal to third world air forces looking for value at affordable prices.

In his “Fighter Planes 1960-2002,” Lemoine Julien describes the Indian light combat aircraft: “The fighter has been designed to match the demands of modern combat scenario of speed, acceleration, maneuverability and agility. It also incorporates modern design concepts like static instability, digital fly by wire, modern avionics, multi-mode radar … etc.”

India’s project is unlike a similar one by China that is greatly disadvantaged by an Israeli-designed frame and other parts reverse engineered with Russian and U.S. technologies, making it difficult to sell outside China’s sphere of influence. Most countries prefer to buy original technologies.

In the next 20 years, 4,000 combat aircraft of all designs are due for replacement all over the world. The timing is perfect for India’s light combat aircraft, which is currently undergoing trials. It is expected to be inducted into India’s air force in 2010 and available for export five years later. Flying the Indian Air Force’s colors successfully will be a reassurance to future buyers.

The label of light combat aircraft is mainly due to materials in the airframe. Its loaded weight is expected to be 11 tons, while that of a medium combat aircraft is 15 tons. The aircraft is comparable to fighters like the F-16, F-18, Rafael, Grippen, Su-30, and Eurofighter, which have superior metal airframes. Therefore they have been around much longer and perform the dual role of a bomber as well. They are priced in the US$40 to $60 million range.

A heavy combat aircraft fully loaded and fueled weighs above 20 tons. The Russian-built Sukhoi-MK1, supplied to India, is in this category and is the world’s best. Its Israeli-supplied avionics and most advanced Russian missiles helped it beat the U.S. F-15 and F-16 fighter jets in simulated combat. This got the U.S. Air Force so concerned that it asked to speed up the development of the superior F-22 Raptor.

The project, conceived in 1985, received its first government funding only in 1993. Its maiden flight was on Jan. 4, 2001. In between, its development was grounded when former U.S. President Bill Clinton ordered sanctions on India after it conducted a nuclear test in 1998. Engine integration to the aircraft was held up and so was the software developed for its avionics suite. It was a two-year setback.

Since its maiden flight in 2001 a number of models have been built and locally developed engines have been tested. Also, integrating several technologies from different sources has been successfully undertaken. Its weapons integration and high altitude airfield usage was recently undertaken. Its weapons suite is one of the most modern and original, designed to scare enemy ranks.

Enemy missiles cannot catch the aircraft because its composite material prevents a missile lock. Also its lightweight and high-thrust engines give it better maneuverability than the J-10 or Pakistan’s version of the JF-17 Thunder.

Its design philosophy is reminiscent of the Indian-made Gnat fighter, which in 1965 played havoc with the much-touted U.S.-built F-86 Saber jet. The latter was heavy and had difficulty chasing the very light and highly maneuverable Gnat fighters. Saber’s missiles would fly off the mark, as the Gnat turned and spiraled away on the dime.

Although Pakistan claimed to have shot down a number of Gnat fighters in the 1965 war with India, this was pure marketing propaganda for the Americans, who were selling the Saber jets in the world market and needed some outlandish claims.

What the Pakistanis shot down on the first day of the war were subsonic Vampire fighters of World War II vintage. The Vampires were sent to bust Pakistan’s tank columns heading toward Jammu in India. The Pakistanis incorrectly labeled the Vampires as Gnats.

The versatility of the light combat aircraft is in its modern heads-up display and hands-on throttle and stick, which provide accurate targeting information and reduce pilot fatigue during combat. Fly by wire is an added advantage during a dogfight.

The state-of-the-art multi-mode radar, laser designator pod, forward-looking infrared and other optima electronic sensors provide the pilot very accurate targeting information. An advanced electronic warfare suite gives it a high survivability factor during deep penetration into enemy territory. A 32-bit processor provides mission control and flight management.

It also carries the world’s best R-73 missile of Russian origin. Its wings have three hard points each and one extra under the fuselage to carry a variety of bombs and missiles. Its high-performance radar gives it a beyond-visual-range missile attack capability. Its total weapons payload is 4,000 kilograms, which is high in its own class.

The Chinese J-10 is basically Israeli designed and the cancelled “Lavi” fighter. It is another lightweight fighter in the market and has all the right design characteristics except for some of its avionics. The other electronics and weapon systems are pirated copies. China watchers have classified it as a bit higher than a third-generation aircraft based on original technologies by the Israelis in its design and development. Later, China added copied technologies but failed to impress analysts.

China’s light combat aircraft are similarly priced as their Indian counterparts at US$25-30 million.

The Pakistani-Chinese designed version of the JF-17 Thunder is a cost-effective light combat aircraft with a price tag under US$20 million and a poorer cousin of the J-10.

India is not yet ready to export its light combat aircraft, as only prototypes have flown. The first combat squadron may begin service in the Indian Air Force in 2010-11. In comparison, the Chinese J-10 has been in service for the past three years. The Pakistani JF-17 Thunder is an unnecessary waste of money, for prestige only. While China’s advantage of early delivery is now over, air forces of the world will nevertheless watch both Chinese and Indian aircraft before they make a decision.

None of the planes discussed above have flown in combat, which is their true test. That may not happen for a long time, however, as the presence of a fourth-generation fighter in any nation’s inventory may act as a peacemaker.

(Hari Sud is a retired vice president of C-I-L Inc., a former investment strategies analyst and international relations manager. A graduate of Punjab University and the University of Missouri, he has lived in Canada for the past 34 years. ©Copyright Hari Sud.)