THE FUTURE IS
MADE IN INDIA
A PRESENTATION OF GRIPEN IN – THE NEXT GENERATION FIGHTER AIRCRAFT MADE FOR INDIA, IN INDIA
POSTER
INSIDE
GRIPEN
MEANS
BUSINESS
“THE COMMANDER’S
DREAM”

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The Independent Choice
On 15th August 010, even as the peoples of create an independent aerospace industry whose
India celebrate the 63rd year of the nation’s
capability would be second to none.
independence, midnight oil is figuratively
In the following pages, attributes of the
being burnt at South Block which houses the Defence
Swedish Gripen NG (IN for India) are examined,
Ministry of the Government of India, a short distance
this fourth-generation fighter being promoted
from Vayu Bhawan, Headquarters of the Indian Air
as ‘the independent choice’ but one which is
Force. Select officers and officials have been engaged
nevertheless seen in context of cutting edge
for several years on examining the optimum medium-
technologies, affordability and the overriding
multi role combat aircraft (M-MRCA) for the Indian
factor of consolidating India’s aviation industry
Air Force whose selection and induction would
into the future.
augment the depleting force levels of the IAF.
Indeed, the process of evaluation of those aircraft
Pushpindar Singh Chopra
types that the Indian Air Force has focussed upon
The Society for Aerospace Studies,
began many years earlier. The professionals at Vayu
New Delhi
Bhawan have since carried out thorough technical
evaluation which was followed by flight trials of each
of the contenders in their countries of origin as also
representative field conditions in India, including
landing and take off at Leh, arguably the world’s
highest operational air base.
The decisions are nigh. However, this is not merely the
choice of a new aircraft type but its impact on the future
of self reliance in defence which will be far reaching.
Now is the time to take into consideration the myrid of
opportunities which this, the largest tender in the world
for new fighters, affords India and its endeavour to

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Topguns
The Future is Made in India 10
The Swedish Way 4
‘Aviation’ and ‘Space’ are undoubtedly the most
Professor Prodyut Das recalls the
significant technological influences of our time.
evolution of Sweden’s independent
This essay written by Air Marshal Brijesh D Jayal
aircraft industry and its relevance in the
(retd.) emphasises that the aerospace industry forms
Indian context.
the bedrock of national air power,
with the need to progress vital
issues so as to ensure that the
‘future is made in India’.
The Commander’s Dream 28
Peter Nilsson, former Lt. Colonel of the Swedish
IAF and the
Air Force, looks at the Gripen IN’s high operational
Next Generation of Air Defence 22
capability, rapid turnaround and minimal support
Air Marshal Philip Rajkumar, the well-known test pilot
requirements, providing the Commander with the
and formerly with the Aeronautical Development Agency
ability to meet most demanding of operations with
(ADA), examines the geo-political scenario and choice
minimum resources.
of the M-MRCA.
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The Swedish Way
The United States, Russia, Britain, Germany, Japan and France have the latest and most expensive technology
a legacy of defence engineering experience that has transcended
but fair common sense, honesty of
engineering to become part of their cultural heritage. To model
purpose and accountability which yields
our own aerospace industry on the imperious traditions of these countries
world class results achieved by ordinarily
is unnecessary, but the absence of such traditions must not become an
competent personnel within a short time.
excuse for failure. Fortunately knowledge has a sedimentary nature. What
Essential too is enthusiasm and zeal for
is the latest, best and top-secret today loses importance and then relevance
the project on hand. Granting these few
and finally utility with the passage of time. Sometimes, hard acquired
conditions, quite astonishing results can
knowledge is found to be useless, sometimes it is irrelevant. There is also
be achieved with limited resources: there
the matter of diminishing returns. There is thus no need (nor indeed the
is actually no magic though the results
possibility) to emulate the heritage of others as a precondition to having
may seem magical. China, Sweden,
our own healthy aerospace industry.
Brazil and even Taiwan and Korea have
India must look at those countries which have less imperious a heritage
demonstrated as to what can be achieved.
in this context. Such search reveals that hoary and immense traditions are
We will choose Sweden as an excellent
not a necessary precondition. It reassures one that what is important is not
model to emulate.
The Saab Viggen

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Which country first put into service
But why choose Sweden? Because, half a world away,
a jet fighter with swept wings and an
half a century back, the processes of birth of the Swedish
afterburning engine? The first single-
aerospace industry has relevance for what must become
seat fighter in service to have an ejection
the model for rebirth of India’s aerospace industry.
seat for the pilot? The first to have a
Sweden is a democracy (unlike China). Like India,
Mach 2 STOL jet fighter which could
Sweden is a socialist country, in fact has always been
be operated from stretches of highway
more socialist than us. We used socialism to curb private
and designed from the outset to be
initiative; the Swedish state was staunchly socialist but
operated in extreme cold weather by
avoided areas where professionals of the private sector
conscript personnel and not use the then
could do better. The government did not get into the
fashionable and expensively researched
business of making warplanes and weapon systems. It
VG technology to achieve breathtaking
allowed its private sector to do so, the state certainly
STOL performance? Which was the first
giving financial guarantees.
fighter aircraft which had computers
Sweden is also very relevant because its industry then
to reduce the pilot’s work load during
(like our private sector at present) had no aerospace
landing and in normal flight? The first
background. The Swedish engineering industry went
fighter-bomber to have a bombing
through a painful, but very short, learning phase to
computer? (This is by no means an
become consistent innovators and thought leaders. India’s
exhaustive list). It is Sweden.
private sector too can replicate this. Sweden is relevant
because, population wise, it is a very
tiny country. In our case, we have some
aerospace leaders who consistently
India with its
try to frighten off reforms in this vital
enormous
sector by saying how difficult it is to
meet competition, how difficult it is
resources,
to have accountability, how difficult it
experience....
is to have timeliness, how difficult it
is poised to
is to have gain (the litany is long): the
message is ‘keep things just as they are’,
take over and
possibly to maintain their comfortable
win a great
turfs - we are all human.
The Saab J37 Viggen (service entry
proportion of
June 1971) seen above was the world’s
the potentially
first canard jet fighter and also the first
with thrust reverser, one of the earliest
massive world
with an auto throttle for landing and
market.
to use a frameless semi cylindrical
windshield which is now so fashionable.
339 Viggens were built. The JAS 39 Gripen coupled
tradition with fly-by-wire and composites which by this
time had become technologically secure to Saab. The
total production of all these Saab fighters exceeded two
thousand numbers. The dates of first flight and service
entry are of particular interest to us as these were about
the time, respectively, that the HF- Marut was going
into operations and the LCA development just about
getting started.
India with its enormous resources, experience with
Western and Russian technology and hoperfully,
involving mature private sector, is poised to take over
and win a great proportion of the potentially massive
world market. Once we emulate Sweden’s example!
Prof. Prodyut Das
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The Gripen NG
The Next-Generation Gripen, or Gripen NG, is warfare system that gives the NG a unique
the successor to today’s proven Gripen C/D,
active and passive electronic attack (EA)
an aircraft that is both evolutionary and
capability – which adds the AESA to the
revolutionary. Evolutionary because the NG is based on
vital EA mission. The NG is also equipped
today’s in-service Gripen, the multi-role fighter ordered
with a missile approach warning and self
by five air forces worldwide. With over 130,000 flight
defence system, which is unheard of for a
hours behind it, Gripen has an indisputable track record
tactical fighter aircraft in this class.
for low operational costs and total life cycle costs that
Gripen’s advanced cockpit design
feeds directly into Gripen NG.
and sensor suite puts the pilot in total
At the same time, Gripen NG is a revolution
control of the air battle. The aircraft’s
because it combines advanced technology
unmatched range of air-to-air and air-
Gripen NG is and operational effectiveness in an affordable to-surface precision weapons allows
package that no other fighter aircraft can hope
Gripen NG to dominate that battle
a revolution to match.
against all targets on land, at sea or in
because it
The Gripen NG takes the tried and tested
the air. A video datalink specifically
elements of the Gripen design and improves
designed for the CAS mission connects
combines on these. The new aircraft has a more powerful the NG directly to ground forces, while
advanced General Electric F1G engine with the its air-to-air datalinks integrate the
ability to supercruise. Its redesigned airframe
airborne force and ground control assets
technology and operates at higher weights, allowing more fuel into an unbeatable package.
operational and weapons to be carried. A unique avionics
Most importantly, the complete
architecture makes weapons and systems
Gripen NG system is controlled by its
effectiveness in integration even easier and quicker. The NG user, with complete freedom to modify
an affordable operates with a fully-networked, fully-fused and adapt all of its components to meet
sensor and communications systems that gives
national needs, without restrictions or
package it cutting edge capabilities for any mission, licensing issues. None of the technology
from close air support (CAS) to beyond visual
embodied in the NG is risky or unproven,
range air-to-air combat.
but it is unique and sophisticated. All of
Among the key missions systems that make Gripen NG
it is harnessed by a Saab team with a
such a formidable future fighter are its all-new Selex-Galileo
record for on-time and on-cost delivery
ES-05 Raven AESA (active electronically scanned antenna)
that is second to none.
radar, developed in cooperation with Saab Microwave.
Jonas Jakobsson
The aircraft is equipped with a Saab Avitronics electronic
Experimental Test Pilot, Saab
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The IAF’s Doctrine
The IAF’s Air Power Doctrine (APD),
rst articulated in 1995, provides the
main roadmap “to ensure that the
IAF remains a viable deterrent against its
principal potential adversaries.” The
doctrine lays emphasis on certain
fundamental issues, including
the need to accord offensive air
operations the same priority as
air defence, the acceptance of a
reduction in force levels, but
compensated by an increase
in technology levels, with
emphasis on the acquisition
of force multipliers and
improvements in command,
control, communications,
computers,
intelligence
(C41) structures, plus a
revamped, modernised air
defence and communications network.
12th Plan. Though the IAF is inducting heavy air
In 2007, the IAF reportedly decided to reformulate its
dominance fighters such as the Sukhoi Su-30MKI
doctrine, keeping in mind the need to transform itself
and force multipliers like Il-78 mid¬air refuellers
into an aerospace power with “potent strategic reach.”
and ‘Phalcon’ AWACS, numbers do matter in the
This doctrine revolves around the primacy of air power
ultimate analysis.
in ‘shaping’ the battle eld but it has become necessary
It is interesting to note that the former IAF CAS,
to update its plans since globally the employment of air
Air Chief Marshal SP Tyagi, even warned the
power has seen considerable change and the IAF has
government that “unless immediate steps are taken
inducted a wide array of sophisticated technologies.
to arrest the reduction in the IAF’s force levels, the
Moreover, the new doctrine also factors in the valuable
nation will, for the rst time in its history, lose the
experience gained, especially in beyond visual range
conventional military edge over Pakistan.” Even
(BVR) combat, during joint exercises conducted with
though the strength of IAF combat squadrons has
technologically-advanced air forces.
temporarily fallen below the authorised level, the
Given the range of threats faced and the fact that the
IAF needs to project its demand for the future in the
assets of the IAF are dwindling, it does make the task
light of the increasingly dominant role it would have
of allocating roles more dif cult. It was only after the
to play. While technology and weapon-load carrying
1962 Sino-Indian conflict that a 50-squadron force was
capacity of the present/future front-line force will
mooted, but even today the IAF continues to have an
offset to some extent the actual numbers of aircraft
inventory plan of some 39.5 combat squadrons, actual
required, given the multiplicity of roles and the vast
numbers being smaller.
extent of frontiers to be covered, a strength of 40-45
The IAF continues to phase out of its MiG series of
combat squadrons is considered necessary by 2020.
combat squadrons and consequently the present strength
Unless there is a drastic change in our processing
of the IAF fighter squadrons is down to about 30, with
methodology, this is indeed a challenging goal for the
many more older MiG variants lined up for progressive
next 15 years.
retirement. Even with new acquisitions, India will only
have 35.5 fighter squadrons by the end of the 11th Five-
Air Commodore Jasjit Singh, Director,
Year Plan (2012), and 37.5 squadrons by the end of the
The Centre for Air Power Studies (CAPS), New Delhi
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“Beyond Situation Awareness”
While others are talking about situation This is where Gripen IN moves to the
awareness, the Gripen IN goes beyond.
next level of information superiority:
Situation awareness (SA) involves being
understanding and appreciating the
aware of what is happening around you to understand
battlespace situation. We call it going
how information, events, and your own actions will
‘Beyond Situation Awareness’.
impact your goals and objectives, both now and in the
With leading edge sensor and weapon suites,
near future. Lacking SA or having inadequate SA in an
Gripen IN allows the warfighter not just the
air combat situation normally ends with a disaster.
ability to collect information in the battlespace,
While situation awareness is obviously vital for Net
Gripen IN also gives the capability to process,
Centric Warfare and execution of combat missions, it is
analyse and act on the gathered information.
not the real key to success in the information-intensive
More than 30 years of experience with
battlespace of the 1st Century. It is only an enabler.
airborne data links, a fully digital glass
We agree with the fact that as a fighter pilot you need
cockpit, a weapon suite second to none,
situation awareness to be able to achieve information
makes the Gripen IN the most flexible multi
superiority. However we do not agree that this is enough.
role fighter in the market ready for the 21st
Simple awareness is not enough.
Century battlespace.
Saab’s Research & Development, which includes close
Gripen Test Pilot
Major Mikael Olsson
relationship with operations, shows the need to be able to use
Executive Officer of the Swedish Gripen
superior knowledge of the battle space to make decisions and
Operational Test and Evaluation Unit
take actions that allow domination of the battle space.
Swedish Air Force
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“Beyond Situation Awareness”
Cockpit for the Future
Executive Officer of the Swedish Gripen Operational Test
and Evaluation Unit, Gripen Test Pilot Major Mikael Olsson
confirms that:
After nearly 10 years of flying Gripen including numerous
international exercises, such as ‘Red Flag’ in the USA, I have
yet to see a more futuristic cockpit than the Gripen’s.
But we are moving forward. Together with Saab we are
building the cockpit for the future. A cockpit which not only
gives you Situation Awareness but which supports you in
your decisions and actions.
Knowledge itself, without an ability to understand and act
upon that knowledge, is not very useful.
We pilots say: with good Situation Awareness you
identified the fighter and missile which killed you! With new
technologies and ideas in the “Beyond Situation Awareness
– concept” you will be the one claiming that kill!
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The Future is Made in India
‘
Light Combat Aircraft, considered as the
‘ agship’ national aerospace project when
Aviation’ and ‘Space’ are
undoubtedly
the
most
signi cant
technological
it was launched in the mid-1980s. While
in uences of our time thus
the IAF has ordered a token number,
strengthening the thesis that
it will still be sometime before the IAF
technology of powered ight has
can genuinely count on this as a potent
changed the intellectual landscape
war fighting machine. Even as a new
forever, with air power diminishing
powerplant is being identi ed for the LCA
the importance of geography itself as
Mk.II, there are reports that the search is
an element of national power.
on for a partner to develop the indigenous
Independent India’s founding
Kaveri engine. The mooted ‘fourth
fathers had taken an early initiative
generation’ LCA programme seems to be
to invest in aircraft design and
overtaken by events such as the signing
production, exemplified by the
of an inter-governmental agreement
HF-24 Marut fighter-bomber of the
with Russia for the joint development of
1960s, as also the country’s ambitious
a ‘Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft’.
space programmes. However, owing
From all accounts however, most of the
to the lack of continuity,
design and development work has already
foundations of aviation
been completed by the Russians thus
The aerospace design and development rendering questionable the concept of
within the country remained
‘joint development’.
industry forms the largely underutilised, thus In any event, fifth generation fighters
bedrock of national denying the country its do not come cheap either and perhaps
air power. Its R&D technology and wealth it’s worth pointing out that the USAF is
creating potential. With
already learning this the hard way. The
drives technology India aspiring to become IAF has maintained that, notwithstanding
and promotes a global economic power, its component of modern multi-role
self-reliance and it follows that the nation aircraft, it must maintain minimum
must strive for a cohesive
combat aircraft strength. As the FGFA
international national policy on aerospace programme progresses, the IAF will be
competitiveness, power be tting its global faced with similar dilemmas as has the
apart from aspirations.
USAF, and it may find no rescuers.
During
a
recent
It is in this context that choice of the
numerous spin-offs International Conference medium-multi role combat aircraft
on
‘Energising
India’s
(M-MRCA),
fulfilling
the
stated
Aerospace Industry’ held in New
requirement of the Indian Air Force,
Delhi, the Air Chief called upon the
assumes criticality. There are six world
government to set up a technology
reputed companies which have offered
roadmap for the aerospace industry.
their best and latest to the IAF. After
He also called for a greater role
an extended and exacting process of
for the private sector in design and
technical and flight evaluation, the Air
development in order to help the
Force is reportedly submitting its report
Indian aerospace industry become a
and recommendations to the Government
major player in the global market.
for further progression. It will not be an
A few examples are relevant,
easy selection, considering the inevitable
none more than the case of the
pressures, not only economic and
10

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Document Outline

• FC.pdf
• 2.pdf
• 3.pdf
• 4.pdf
• 5.pdf
• 6.pdf
• 8.pdf
• 9.pdf
• 12.pdf
• 13.pdf
• 14.pdf
• 15+18-N.pdf
• 16+17-N.pdf
• 19.pdf
• 20.pdf
• 22.pdf
• 23.pdf
• 25.pdf
• 26.pdf
• 27.pdf
• 28.pdf
• 29.pdf
• 30.pdf
• 31.pdf
• BC.pdf

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