In sync with the Prime Minister’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat, the Defence Ministry has notified three positive indigenisation lists to further push self-reliance in defence production. It has also been clarified that indigenisation did not mean working in isolation from the rest of the world, but producing within India with the active participation and support of other countries. The three lists till date cover 309 items which include towed artillery guns, short-range surface-to-air missiles, cruise missiles, offshore patrol vessels, next-generation corvettes, airborne early warning systems, tank engines, radars, rockets, naval utility helicopters, sensors, weapons and ammunition, anti-ship missile, anti-radiation missiles, among many more.
Both Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) have been re-galvanised. The 220-year-old Ordnance Factory Board has been dissolved and its units are corporatised under seven PSUs. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has brought in new rules Defence Acquisition Procedure DAP 2020 in military procurement in line with the Governments’ long-running targets to boost indigenous defence capability.
Specific to aviation, beyond the major programs of the DRDO and HAL, the CASA C-295 will soon begin production in India. HAL and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to convert a civil airliner to Multi Mission Tanker Transport (MMTT) aircraft in India. Earlier, in September 2021, the DRDO was cleared to convert Air India’s six A-319s and A-321 variants into Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft.
Fighter Aircraft Production
Two squadrons of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) ‘Tejas’ Mk1 aircraft are already inducted. The more operationally capable 83 LCA Mk1A aircraft are on order. The first-flight is expected in second half of 2022, and deliveries from 2024 onwards. The Medium Weight Fighter (MWF) LCA Mk2 design is frozen, the metal cutting is taking place and first-flight is scheduled for end 2023. The aircraft should induct in 2028 by when the Mk1A supplies would be complete. The fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) critical design review is planned to be completed by mid-2022. The aircraft roll-out is planned in 2024 and first-flight in 2025. The approval from Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) is expected by mid-2022. With these, the fighter aircraft manufacturing eco-system in the country is fully in place. But considering the depleting numbers of IAF squadrons, the LCA production must go up to at least 18-20 aircraft a year, and later to 24.
Helicopter Production
The Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) variants are flying in large numbers across the three services and elsewhere. Nearly 340 have been built. The armed ALH ‘Rudra’ have been inducted. Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) and Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) are under induction. The Indian Multirole Helicopter (IMRH) is already under design. India should not have to buy helicopters from abroad.
Transport Aircraft Production
The nearly $3 billion deal for procuring 56 C-295MW transport aircraft for the IAF to replace the Avro 748 transport aircraft with EADS-CASA has been signed. Another six aircraft will be required by Coast Guard. 16 aircraft will come in flyaway condition. Remaining will built in India by a Tata Consortium within 10 years. India had earlier built the HS-748 and Dornier 228 in India under license production. Indigenous Hindustan 228 variant of the Dornier are being built for civil use. Meanwhile CSIR’s National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) have built the 14-seat ‘Saras’ aircraft. The same is under testing. Saras Mk2, the 19-seater version is under development.
Force Multipliers
‘Netra’ is the DRDO Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AEW&CS). It is built on the Embraer ERJ 145 aircraft platform. Three are flying with the Indian Air Force (IAF). Six AEW&C based on Airbus A320 platforms are being acquired from Air India and will be refurbished and modified in France to IAF/DRDO specifications. Since these aircraft will be through book transfer, the cost will be just around Rs 1,100 crore for all six. These will have the indigenous Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar. This project could take around 6-8 years. Meanwhile DRDO had proposed an upgraded Netra AEW&CS based on EADS CASA C-295 to the IAF as it already supports a static radar-dome configuration. Larger AEW&C built in India will greatly improve ‘Make-in-India’ capability.
IAF has been in a search for six additional FRA since 2006. First two attempts got aborted due to issues related to Life Cycle Costs and processes. DRDO had earlier proposed to locally modify Airbus A-330 aircraft into FRA. Now the decision is to convert pre-owned civil airliners into FRA, with cargo-cum-transport capabilities by HAL with support from IAI. This will give further impetus to indigenous defence production.
Aerial Radars and Weapons
India now produces a large number of indigenous ground radars. It is making the airborne ASEA radar with Israeli support for the LCA and for the ‘Netra ‘AEW&C. The indigenous “Uttam” AESA is reportedly ready for flight demonstration. India has a very successful surface and aerial missile systems program. The Akash air defence system has been inducted in large numbers. The Astra BVR missiles are getting integrated on more aircraft types. DRDO’s Astra missiles (80 km) are already under induction. It has been integrated with IAF’s Su-30MKI and will come on board Mirage 2000 and MiG-29 in the future. Limited series production of Astra missiles began in 2017. The Astra Mk-2 is an advanced version of the Astra Mk-1 missile and estimated range in excess of 100 km. It will be the Indian equivalent to Meteor BVRAAM, with ‘Dual-pulse rocket Motor’. Indigenous Air-to-surface missiles include DRDO ‘Nag’ (HeliNa) anti-tank missile. Its air-launched cruise missile BrahMos has already been tested from a Su-30MKI. BrahMos II would be a Mach-7 Hypersonic Cruise Missile. DRDO is also developing the Nirbhay nuclear capable cruise missile.
Russia has already become the first to use the hypersonic missile in combat in Ukraine. Ukraine has indicated that cruise missiles and Precision Guided Munitions (PGM) will be extensively used. High-energy laser weapon pod for fighters are being designed to engage threats and also as defences against adversary weapons. Ammunition stocking will be important.
Uninhabited Aerial Systems (UAS) and Counters
Drones are a major area of action. Private sector has come big into small drones. The armed forces have begun acquiring these including drone swarms. Drone counter systems are also being procured. However, many components of the drone, including motors, batteries and sensors are imported and need to be indigenised. Also till date the large unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) are being developed only by DRDO, and very few large indigenous UAVs have been delivered to Indian armed forces. IAF awaits TAPAS BH-201 and Ghatak class surveillance and combat UAVs. With Adani-Elbit JV already making Hermes class of UAVs, some private sector large UAVs may also inducted.
Indian Private Sector in Aircraft Production
A few big private industrial houses are now well established in aircraft defence manufacturing. Tata Aerospace and Defence (Tata A&D) have been making the AH-64 Apache combat helicopter fuselage. They are also making aero-structures for Boeing’s CH-47 Chinook helicopters. All C-130Js delivered to customers around the world have major aero-structure components from India producing 24 C-130 empennages annually. Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, also relies on Hyderabad-based Tata Advanced System Limited (TASL) as the manufacturing base for its global supply of cabin for the S-92 helicopter. Tata group is working with GE to manufacture CFM International LEAP engine components in India. Lockheed Martin selected TASL to produce F-16 wings in India. There are many Indian private companies making defence electronics, large aero-components, advanced technology components and sub-systems. Dynamatic Technologies makes assemblies of vertical fins for Sukhoi 30 MKI fighters. They are also supplying aero-structures to Airbus for its A320 family of aircraft and the wide-body 330 aircraft. Hyderabad’s VEM technologies manufactures centre fuselage for LCA Tejas. Many Indian MSMEs and start-ups are entering defence production. Many private players including start-ups have also entered drones and counter drone manufacturing for armed forces.
Critical Aviation Technologies
AMCA is being built in two phases. AMCA Mk1 will be equipped with existing GE414 engine. While the aircraft shape has been frozen, the Mk1 will have external weapons stations and may be less stealthy. The AMCA Mk2 will have the more powerful indigenous engine that will be developed along with a foreign partner. Mk2 will also imbibe some sixth generation technologies. Ultimately, India must master thrust-vectoring engines. Advanced avionics, improved secure jamming-resistant data-links are other features. It must also acquire technologies for stealth features, hypersonic platforms and weapons, optionally manned systems, stealthy rotary wing and heavy platforms. It must also get advanced IR technologies, indigenous missile approach warning system (MAWS), Artificial intelligence (AI) and robots, Directed energy weapons (DEW), and Electronic Warfare hardware, also look at developing V/STOL aircraft.
India Ahead
Flight Global’s Stephen Trimble says “AMCA is clearly India’s best option for preserving sovereignty and flexibility over the long-term, but it is the highest risk”. Technologically, the AMCA is a project that runs concurrent to India’s Ghatak stealth unmanned combat aircraft. The earnestness with which Atmanirbharta is being driven, the defence production in India has got a major boost. According to the Defence Ministry, the indigenous content of LCA-Tejas was 75.5 by numbers and 59.7% by value of the aircraft in 2016. It planned to reach 70 percent by value in LCA Mk2, and is targeted to be 80 percent by 2030. Since no country parts with high-end technologies so easily, joint-venture route is best suited for India. Maintaining developmental schedules is important both for IAF’s operational capability and also to prevent obsolescence setting in. Building the AMCA, the mid-sized regional jet, large unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and Medium helicopter are important stages ahead. Lastly, there is the need for greater R&D funding. Time to act is now, lest India gets left behind.
-The writer is a IAF veteran (PVSM AVSM VM VSM) and Director-General Centre for Air Power Studies (CAPS). The views expressed are personal and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
