Naval LCA to Receive Advanced HUD and Bore Sighting Equipment for Enhanced Targeting and Navigation

The Indian Navy's Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) is set to receive a significant upgrade to its targeting and navigation capabilities with the procurement of the Head Up Display (HUD) Mk1N-NP and Bore Sighting Equipment by the CSIR-Central Scientific Instruments Organisation (CSIR-CSIO), a laboratory under India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

The HUD Mk1N-NP, specifically designed for carrier-based operations, will provide pilots with an expanded vertical field of view, crucial for safe landings on aircraft carriers. This is achieved by offering a larger view over the aircraft's nose during the high-angle approaches required for carrier landings.


The Bore Sighting Equipment will ensure the precise alignment of the HUD with the LCA's weapon systems, guaranteeing accurate targeting information, thus enhancing the precision and effectiveness of the LCA's weapon systems in combat scenarios.

This procurement represents a major step in enhancing the operational effectiveness and safety of the Naval LCA, reinforcing India's commitment to indigenous defence technology development and self-reliance.

It also highlights the growing capabilities of CSIR-CSIO in the field of aviation display technology, building upon its previous success in developing Military Aviation Head Up Display Test Platforms and Bore Sighting Systems.

 

[Anant]

Um, when the LCA-N has already been rejected for large-scale procurement, why are we still spending resources on them? They do realise that doing all this isn't going to get them a large order, right?

 

[Sentoki]

I hope this is to fast track HUD development for TEDBF and not just a science experiment.

 

[Pink Panther]

Why didn’t they think about this earlier, but HUD is not a big deal anyways.

 

[bonito]

Um, when the LCA-N has already been rejected for large-scale procurement, why are we still spending resources on them? They do realise that doing all this isn't going to get them a large order, right?

Possibly deck based trainer. And some aircrafts to stress test.

 

[Pramkumar]

Navy should go for the 56 NLCA. Which will play as LCA MK1 for TEDBF. Also address the shortage in fighters for them.

 

[Vipul Kumar]

I hope this is to fast track HUD development for TEDBF and not just a science experiment.

All of amca and tedbf equipments are designed by drdo so there is now interference and problem in acquiring

 

[Pink Panther]

Navy should go for the 56 NLCA. Which will play as LCA MK1 for TEDBF. Also address the shortage in fighters for them.

Yes no need of Rafale-M until TEDBF is ready.

 

[Akshat]

Yes no need of Rafale-M until TEDBF is ready.

Not as per Navy or GoI.

 

[SR]

Yes no need of Rafale-M until TEDBF is ready.

Drdo can make a double engine version of LCA for Navy of lebth 15 metres & can upgrade later , so tedbf will be completed but drdo don't do

 

[Pink Panther]

Drdo can make a double engine version of LCA for Navy of lebth 15 metres & can upgrade later , so tedbf will be completed but drdo don't do

It will take a long time for DrDO to change the design to fit two engines, instead they could install one powerful engine. For an example
The United Arab Emirates' F16 Block 60 is powered by the General Electric F110-GE-132 turbofan with a maximum thrust of 32,500 lbf (145 kN), F21 is supposed to come with this engine, which is as powerful as twin engine Rafale-M that produce a total thrust of 150Kn with twin engines, since the weight of Naval Tejas is much lower than Rafale , it’s Power to wait ratio would be even higher than Rafale-M, this would give us an advantage of adding conformal fuel tanks which Rafale doesn’t, Rafale has to carry external drop tanks, only problem is MK1A’s size , payload and range, but Naval MK2 with GE F110-132engine would work perfect and can do whatever Rafale-M can do or even might exceed it in terms of function.

 

[Sandeep]

This is a critical piece of technology that we must develop 100% indigenously. If DRDO can't do it then let a private Indian company develop it indigenously without the help of a foreign country who exports the crucial technology and parts and allows the rest to be made in India.

 

[Anant]

Drdo can make a double engine version of LCA for Navy of lebth 15 metres & can upgrade later , so tedbf will be completed but drdo don't do

You can't just take a fighter design and add engines to it. You'd have to redesign the whole aircraft very substantially.

 

[Anant]

It will take a long time for DrDO to change the design to fit two engines, instead they could install one powerful engine. For an example
The United Arab Emirates' F16 Block 60 is powered by the General Electric F110-GE-132 turbofan with a maximum thrust of 32,500 lbf (145 kN), F21 is supposed to come with this engine, which is as powerful as twin engine Rafale-M that produce a total thrust of 150Kn with twin engines, since the weight of Naval Tejas is much lower than Rafale , it’s Power to wait ratio would be even higher than Rafale-M, this would give us an advantage of adding conformal fuel tanks which Rafale doesn’t, Rafale has to carry external drop tanks, only problem is MK1A’s size , payload and range, but Naval MK2 with GE F110-132engine would work perfect and can do whatever Rafale-M can do or even might exceed it in terms of function.

Would require a slight redesign of the engine nacelle and housing due to the larger size of the F110, and would also require some weight balancing due to the increased weight, but definitely an idea worth considering.

 

[Pink Panther]

Would require a slight redesign of the engine nacelle and housing due to the larger size of the F110, and would also require some weight balancing due to the increased weight, but definitely an idea worth considering.

It is easier this way and faster to make that change than adding another engine, HAL could just make a couple of prototypes based on MK2 frame and fit this engine F110 instead of F414 engine and at-least see how they perform, the beauty of Naval Tejas is it’s LEVCONS an advanced form of LERX that is used for Lift instead of Canards like in SU-57, Worlds only two aircrafts with advanced Leading edge extension are SU-57 and Naval Tejas.

 

[Shanker]

Um, when the LCA-N has already been rejected for large-scale procurement, why are we still spending resources on them? They do realise that doing all this isn't going to get them a large order, right?

This must be useful in TEDF Aircraft too!

 

[neil]

Um, when the LCA-N has already been rejected for large-scale procurement, why are we still spending resources on them? They do realise that doing all this isn't going to get them a large order, right?

What they need is a working platform on which they can test out these innovations.

TEDBF is nowhere near flight operations, while naval LCA has flying prototypes.

Later on, it will not be a very complex matter to shift these gadgets to TEDBF.

 

[Anant]

This must be useful in TEDF Aircraft too!

Might be. Let's see.

 

[Boomeranger]

Navy should go for the 56 NLCA. Which will play as LCA MK1 for TEDBF. Also address the shortage in fighters for them.

N-LCA can be very easily converted for IAF use and change of engines to GEF414 ones quite easily. Because of it's "LREX-canards" it will have better low-speed handling characteristics and also, better agility aerial manouvering dog-fighting ability too!

 

[Boomeranger]

Why didn’t they think about this earlier, but HUD is not a big deal anyways.

Did you not know that JF17 Blk3 ver. jets are having 3D-Holographic-HUD and LAD 100% SAME as in F35 cockpit with side-stick and all???

 

[Boomeranger]

It is easier this way and faster to make that change than adding another engine, HAL could just make a couple of prototypes based on MK2 frame and fit this engine F110 instead of F414 engine and at-least see how they perform, the beauty of Naval Tejas is it’s LEVCONS an advanced form of LERX that is used for Lift instead of Canards like in SU-57, Worlds only two aircrafts with advanced Leading edge extension are SU-57 and Naval Tejas.

ARREYY BABAJI F110 is a very very large engine and CANNOT fit in Tejas engine bay AT ALL!!

 

[Boomeranger]

You can't just take a fighter design and add engines to it. You'd have to redesign the whole aircraft very substantially.

But, Dassault made Mirage2000 with twin engines called Mirage4000.

 

[Anant]

But, Dassault made Mirage2000 with twin engines called Mirage4000.

Boss, the Mirage 4000 is a considerably different and larger aircraft than the Mirage 2000, and involved a major redesign process. Canards were brought in, the rear portion of the aircraft was redesigned, wing area went up by almost 80%, etc.

Let me put it through an analogy: If the Tejas Mk 2 were to be a twin-engined aircraft instead of a single-engined aircraft, would you call it the same aircraft as the Tejas Mk 1/1A? No, because both aircraft are fundamentally different, even though one is based on the other.

In many ways, the Rafale would take a lot of lessons from the Mirage 4000 and put them into an aircraft roughly the size of the Mirage 2000. However, the Mirage 2000 and Mirage 4000 are different aircraft.

 

[Pink Panther]

ARREYY BABAJI F110 is a very very large engine and CANNOT fit in Tejas engine bay AT ALL!!

MK 2 is big as well, with minor changes they could easily fit this engine.

 

[Pink Panther]

Did you not know that JF17 Blk3 ver. jets are having 3D-Holographic-HUD and LAD 100% SAME as in F35 cockpit with side-stick and all???

Holographic is too much for Tejas, MK2 is supposed to have side stick, India has the tech for holographic, so no big deal.

 

[Crusader 2024]

Navy should go for the 56 NLCA. Which will play as LCA MK1 for TEDBF. Also address the shortage in fighters for them.

The small size of the Naval LCA was not suited for carrier operations from the beginning. That said, with all of the delays. I would have just built the LCA as advanced trainers. The air force version could have a secondary strike role in times of conflict or war. While the naval version wouldn't need long range or payload. This would have made some sense. "IMHO"

 

[Crusader 2024]

MK 2 is big as well, with minor changes they could easily fit this engine.

Sorry, not so simple....moving up from something like the F414 to a F110 would require a major redesign. Which would take a very long time and cost a great deal of money. In short would never happen.....(sorry)