Tejas LSP-4 Fires R-73 Missile Again

DRDO Statement: As a run up to the impending achieving of IOC and release to service, a Tejas detachment has been operating from INS Hansa in Goa, conducting the last phase of flight trials. One of the main objectives of the current phase of flight trials was clearing the firing envelope of air to air close combat missile from the Tejas. The R-73 missile, which is the chosen air to air close combat missile for the Tejas. The missile is integrated with the on-board Digital Stores Management System (SMS) and Open Architecture Mission and Display Computer. The missile selection is performed from the high resolution Multi Function Display (MFD) pages integrated with the state of the art on-board avionics. All of this equipment form the IOC standard of Avionics.

The test firing was done from the Tejas LSP-4 aircraft, piloted by Gp Capt. George Thomas, Group Director (Flight Test Operations) of the National Flight Test Centre, ADA. The test aircraft was accompanied by a chase Tejas piloted by Gp Capt Suneet Krishna. This critical test was closely monitored and controlled by the Test Director Wg Cdr Toffeen, supported by the safety pilot, Gp Capt (Retd) RR Tyagi, from the mobile telemetry positioned at the test location. The data and video from the test aircraft were also available at the base station in Bangalore through a dedicated fibre optic link set up for this purpose.

This flight test demonstrated the following important requirements of the user:
a) Safe separation of the missile from the test aircraft.

b) No Missile plume effect on the engine operation
c) Avionics and Weapon system functionality and safety interlocks
d) Aircraft Handling quality assessment during missile release
e) Effect of missile plume on the composite structure.

More firings of the missile are planned during the current week leading to CCM firing envelope clearance for the Tejas. The composite team of ADA, HAL, NAL and ADE designers is involved in the planning of the subsequent firing tests. The aircraft are being supported outstation by a composite HAL and IAF team with DGAQA and CEMILAC personnel. The result of this critical test has added yet another feather on the cap of ‘Team Tejas’ and the entire team is looking forward to the successful completion of the balance tasks.

22 thoughts on “Tejas LSP-4 Fires R-73 Missile Again”

  1. shiv!!!This is fooling the public again!!! This opne loop resr has already been done in GOA using PV series many months ago!!! now the difference should be usage of the on board multi mode radar and nothing has been mentioned about it in your report!! The onboard MMR on LSP4 has to first to track the target in air to air mode using mono pulse single target tracking mode ,in this case can be a PTA or a tethered target. The coordinates of the tracked target will be passed on to the weapon launch computer which calculates the release point of the missile. The radar, weapon launch computer,target CW illuminator all will form a closed loop till the missile hits the target!!!!This is the acid test for gauging the effectiveness and accuracy of the Radar while firing an Air to Air Radar guided missile.!!! so Radar is not proved yet then…from your reports it implies!!!

  2. all i have to say is
    "those who flew her never critised her;
    those who criticised her never flew her"
    credits to my friend who found this

  3. What a achievement firing a R-73 ?
    Great Job!!!
    I hope the R-73 did not get the LCA itself.

    We are in a world of AIM-120D.

    After 25 -30 yrs of R&D LATE CRASH AIRCRAFT LCA is going to be produced ? and stationed at Sulur Airforce station to guard the local people Or it may be used during the local politicians visit like a protection.

    Dont waste hard earned peoples tax money in the name of R&D.

    Just killing this Program will save in billions.
    Instead its going to kill IAF pilots and public in mass numbers when its going to fly ? in 2 digits.

    Regards,
    TAX PAYER

  4. "What a achievement firing a R-73 ?
    Great Job!!!
    I hope the R-73 did not get the LCA itself.

    We are in a world of AIM-120D.

    After 25 -30 yrs of R&D LATE CRASH AIRCRAFT LCA is going to be produced ? and stationed at Sulur Airforce station to guard the local people Or it may be used during the local politicians visit like a protection.

    Dont waste hard earned peoples tax money in the name of R&D.

    Just killing this Program will save in billions.
    Instead its going to kill IAF pilots and public in mass numbers when its going to fly ? in 2 digits.

    Regards,
    TAX PAYER"

    Stop R&D???? you mean when we can buy a plane why waste money on R&D??? Right???

    BTW kitna tax bharta hai bhai tu???

  5. i think that 'tax payer' is a stupid porki. hey you are saying lca as late crash aircraft, what about your junk fighter-17 stupid.
    answer all the questions below first and then comment on tejas
    1.have junk fighter bandar!! undergone any tests like hot,cold weather and sea trials.
    2.do you have any videos or atleast pics of junk fighter bandar firing any missiles. i think bandar can carry only deepavali rockets
    3.you say bandar is indigeneous but can you explain what are all the porkistani parts in it.
    4.bandar has all metal airframe and avionics comparable to only india' ijt-sittara."note that sittara was developed quickly than tejas"
    5.tejas has an all composite airframe(80% 0r more)with relaxed static stability with fbw.(i think the porkistanis will take 50 years to know what is compoite airframe and fbw.
    tejas has already rocked during ai-07,09 and will sure rock in ai-11.
    "JAI HIND!!!"
    REGARDS
    – A TRUE INDIAN

  6. little knowledge is dangerous Mr. Taxpayer…..there are occasions where even an aircraft like Tornado have exploded while firing missles becoz of inproper seperation…as far as taxpayer money is concerned…ac aircraft like LCA wud cost far more if its purchased from west….just look at the Mirage upgrade whre itz $2 billon……

  7. The very reason DRDO is not testing R 77 or any other radar guided missile is the absense of a radar on the TEJAS. R -73 is a infrared guided heat seeking missile that does not requires any radar guidance.

    DRDO/HAL are fooling people since even the LSP-5 idont have a capable or no radar. Why dnt they simply buy the ELTA 2032/2052 and put it into TEJAS. After all from ENGINES to lightening pods to Ejection seats to helmets to missiles , everything is imported but TEJAS is "MADE IN INDIA".

  8. To [email protected]: So now you want Shiv to fabricate the news? How can Shiv or the DRDO say anything about the MMR when this latest missile-firing test involved a Vympel R-73E INFRA-RED guided within visual range air-to-air missile? FYI the weapons qualification parameters are many and require more than just one missile launch, as the press release says. This will probably involve interfacing the R-73E-related stores management system with the pilot's EDLBIT Systems-built Dash Mk3 helmet-mounted sight. And going by the looks of it, it seems the RAFAEL-built Derby will go on the Tejas Mk1 as the preferred BVRAAM, not the R-77/RVV-AE or the Astra.

  9. This TAXPAYER dude is some idiotic drone; possibly an agent of interests which do not want India to advance in military technology.

    The kind of missile whether it is an AAMRAAM or a MICA is not what is being tested here. What is being tested is the ability of the aircraft to aerodynamically handle the missile launch in different modes.

    Remember Kargil and the Mig27 which flamed out after it ingested smoke released after it fired its weapons? The aircraft had not been tested for firing weapons at the thin air at that altitude.

    And all your rants about saving Billions is complete non-sense. If India buys foreign weapons, all the money leaves the economy and creates jobs abroad. Any money spent within India, recirculates and creates economic growth. In the US they use 1 to 5 formula; i.e. one job which brings in new money, creates five new jobs in the region driven by the use of the money. So the real economic cost of these programs is much lower since the money is spent in growing and strengthening the Indian economy which also generates tax-revenue.

    Further the IAF is getting new aircraft whether it is the FGFA, the MKI or the MRCA. So it is not that the Tejas is the only option the IAF has.

    Best of luck to NAL, DRDO and IAF in using, growing and learning from the Tejas.

  10. Just wanted to ask?

    if IAF didn't have MRCA alias MMRCA program, would it have stated an intention and worked to acquire 80-120 tejas mk-1 after IOC & FOC before production of tejas mk-2 commences perhaps in 2018.

  11. @Parsun Gupt,

    The problem here is the timing!!

    After more than 2+ years, all of a sudden they started the aimless firing with the same set of objectives.

    Granted you have to do X No. of test to qualify, but why after these many years, Isn't tests done on a continuous basis to collect data??

    Oh did they test it on LSP #5, the production variant?? NOPE!!!

    KAL sUBBA is doing what he does best. Snake oil salesman.

  12. LOL @ Snake oil. Notwithstanding that, pls give the team their due. No doubt the Tejas is late, but designing and manufacturing a fighter after a gap of 20 yrs and getting 1400+ test flights in the air and back in the bureaucratic morass that is modern India is nothing short of a miracle. Just look around you at the best that the rest of the govt has to offer – 2G, Kalmadi, Adarsh are just the tip of the iceberg. Bijli and paani are not available almost anywhere you look, but you want the same Govt employees to churn out an F22. I think they're doing a good job.

  13. The previous first time firing of r-73 was using prototype tejas, which means it was a work in progress and the firing was the culmination of work done in integrating an ir seeking missile in tejas. But this test is to validate to the firing to the forces who check for the performance parameters they were supplied with were indeed true.
    next time tejas goes to leh this question may arise again the first time tejas went. The first time the aircraft performance are picked up by the developer and used to make modifications to make it suitable for the user and also the to check if the instrument breakdown in cold etc. The next time it is to show to the user that it has met their expectations. Its like mmrca trials now, weapons testing to be exact.

    @pranav
    fitting r-77 with tejas will take time, since the source code of elta e2032 radar supports Israeli weapons by default, it would need modifications of source codes to guide r-77 to 3/4th the distance. So derby would be used for the time being. R-73 is ir guided so the need for radar guidance is not required.

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