13 July 2022
by Oishee Majumdar
TASL's Rajak-XLR surveillance system (pictured above) will be tested by the Indian Army in August. (Janes/Oishee Majumdar)
Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) has developed a new surveillance system – named Rajak-XLR (extra-long range) – that will be tested by the Indian Army in August, a source at TASL told Janes at East Tech 2022, held in Kolkata by the Indian Army's Eastern Command on 7 and 8 July.
Rajak-XLR consists of “a long-range continuous zoom-type thermal camera, long-range continuous zoom-type day camera, and a laser rangefinder for analysing the target's distance”, the source told Janes.
“The system has a 50 km detection range for vehicles and a 40 km range for detecting humans,” the source said.
The system “can also give an idea about the type of vehicle” it has detected, the source added.
The source also said that Rajak-XLR has been designed, developed, and manufactured by TASL with all components and modules being domestically built.
The system “will be mostly used by the Artillery regiment of the Indian Army”, according to the source.
Rajak-XLR is a more advanced variant of TASL's Rajak-ULR (ultra-long range) surveillance system.
The source told
29 March 2024
by Akhil Kadidal
The first production Tejas Mk 1A takes off from the HAL airport in Bangalore on 28 March 2024. (HAL)
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has test-flown its first production Tejas Mk 1A Light Combat Aircraft (LCA). However, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is unlikely to get the aircraft until mid-2024, an industry source told Janes .
According to HAL, the first production aircraft, serial no LA-5033, conducted an 18-minute successful sortie from the HAL airport in Bengaluru on 28 March. HAL intended to deliver at least one Tejas Mk 1A to the IAF by February 2024, a deadline that was subsequently moved up to 31 March. Janes understands that the handover of LA-5033 to the IAF could possibly require at least two additional months.
An industry source told Janes that the delay in delivery is because of ongoing “disruptions in the supply chain” for the programme.
28 March 2024
by Akhil Kadidal
This concept image of China's new attack helicopter, tentatively designated as Z-21, is based on photographs of the prototype aircraft in flight. (Janes)
China is developing a new attack helicopter that appears to be in the same weight class as the US Boeing AH-64 Apache and the Russian Mil Mi-28 Havoc.
Images of the new helicopter, which emerged on Chinese social media in March 2024, show an aircraft that is larger than the People's Liberation Army's (PLA's) in-service AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) Changhe Aircraft Industries Group (CHAIG) Z-10 attack helicopter, and with a wider central fuselage that is comparable with the Apache. The fuselage includes cheek fairings similar to the AH-64 Apache and a nose configuration similar to the Mi-28. The AH-64E and the Mi-28N have a maximum operating weight of 10–12 tons.
The new helicopter (tentatively designated as Z-21 by Chinese military observers) also appears to incorporate some of the PLA's latest combat helicopter features such as upward-facing engine exhausts to reduce its infrared signature.
27 March 2024
by Gareth Jennings
The Bird AeroSystems defensive aids installation fitted to an A319 airliner (pictured here) of an undisclosed European operator. (Bird AeroSystems)
Bird AeroSystems has fitted its aircraft defensive aids system (DAS) for an undisclosed European A319 operator, likely the Hungarian Air Force (HuAF).
The Israeli company said on 27 March that its Self Protection Radar Electro-Optic System (SPREOS) directed infrared countermeasure (DIRCM) and Aeroshield Missile Protection System (AMPS) had been fitted to multiple A319 aircraft for an undisclosed customer to protect against surface-to-air missile threats.
“At the core of this project is the SPREOS, a patented DIRCM system for missile approach verification, tracking, and laser jamming,” the company said. “The installation also included Bird's versatile AMPS solution, designed for both military and civilian markets, providing complete protection against ground-to-air threats, including [manportable air-defence system] MANPADS attacks, for helicopters and VVIP aircraft for heads of states. Additionally, the installation of the AeroShield pod solution on the Airbus A319 aircraft was expanded to be installed also for Dassault Falcon 7X aircraft,” it added.
Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) has developed a new surveillance system – named Rajak-XLR (extr...
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