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16 Mar 17. India to fit six new C-130J s with terrain warning system. The Indian Air Force (IAF) is to equip six new Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules transport aircraft equipped with the Terrain Awareness Warning System (TAWS), it was disclosed on 15 March.
A solicitation posted by the US Air Force (USAF) on the US Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) calls for the delivery of six C-130Js with the terrain elevation data for the TAWS. This TAWS subscription will run for 40 months starting 31 May 2017 through 31 August 2020, and will likely be renewed after.
As noted in the solicitation, the aircraft will be fielded by 87 Squadron based at Air Force Station (AFS) Arjan Singh (formerly Panagarh airbase) in the Burdwan district of West Bengal. 87 Squadron is not currently operational, and would be stood-up to receive these aircraft.
Responses to the solicitation should be submitted no later than 4:00PM EST 30 March.
The IAF currently fields four C-130Js, having ordered six in 2008. One aircraft was lost in an accident in March 2014 (a replacement was announced, but not approved), and in February of this year a second was severely damaged while taxiing at Thoise airfield in Ladakh. The current C-130J fleet is operated by 77 Squadron based at AFS Hindon, near the capital New Dehli.
These latest six aircraft that are being solicited were contracted in December 2013 for USD1.1bn. As with the current fleet, these aircraft will be fitted with defensive aids, Indian-specific communication systems, and chin-mounted electro-optic/infrared (EO/IR) sensor turrets.
(Source: IHS Jane’s)
16 Mar 17. New Payloads for tactical UAS. Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is expanding its optronics (EO/IR) family with new payloads designated for tactical UAS, robotic vehicles and drone applications used by ground and homeland security forces. These new EO/IR payloads are developed by TAMAM, the inertial navigation and electro-optical house of IAI. The NanoPOP, a new payload which weighs only 200 g, features day and night camera, designed for small drones and small robotic vehicles in mind. It provides high-quality observation capability for ranges of hundreds of meters during daytime and nighttime. Robust image stabilization capabilities ensure long-range observation performance and an ultra-fast panoramic image capturing rate. Weighing only 1.1 kg and equipped with day and night sensors, the MicroPOP is a lightweight day/night stabilized observation system for long-range observation missions and ultra-fast panoramic photography. The MicroPOP payload is designed for use in tactical UAV‘s such as the IAI BirdEye 650/650D/400, loitering munitions such as the IAI Green Dragon and small robotic vehicles. The newly-launched MicroPOP is the upgraded version of the MicroPOP which sold hundreds of units to clients across the globe with day or night sensor. (Source: ESD Spotlight)
16 Mar 17. Radar for forested areas. Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) presented its new ELM-2112FP persistent surveillance foliage penetration radar, designed to detect threats that could not be identified previously in areas of dense foliage and forestry. Developed by IAI subsidiary, ELTA Systems the radar has been operationally deployed for several years and will be displayed for the first time at the LAAD Defense & Security exhibition in Rio de Janeiro Brazil, April 4-7. The ELM-2112FP radar is based on Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) technology and enables personnel and vehicle movements to be detected for up to several kilometers in forested areas, in real-time and irrespective of whether or not there is a clear line-of-sight.
The depth of detection through foliage depends on the type of growth and density. The radar is capable of continuous surveillance of the area of interest, while providing simulta