India's Heaviest Launch Vehicle GSLV Mk.III with Unmanned Crew Module

ISRO's most powerful launcher ever, GSLV Mk-III rolls out from the Vehicle Assembly Building to the launch pad for its Experimental Flight slated later in this month.
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Integration of the passive C25 Cryogenic Upper Stage with L110 liquid Core Stage in Progress at Vehicle Assembly Building


The passive C25 Cryogenic Upper Stage being hoisted at Vehicle Assembly Building


The partially integrated vehicle with S200 Strap-ons and L110 Core Stage outside the Vehicle Assembly Building


L110 Liquid Core Stage being prepared at Stage Preparation Facility


The core second stage of GSLV-Mk III, with 110 tonnes of liquid propellants, just before it was flagged off on Friday from the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu.


The two S200 Strap-ons during the integration of the vehicle


Original GSLV Mk.III Mockup (Old Pic - 2012)
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Work-Share, Design Sorted, Final FGFA, MTA Agreements & A Mini BrahMos On The Table During Putin's Visit Next Week

After a preliminary agreement between India and Russia were signed in 2010, a final agreement on the fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) was expected to be signed in July-August 2012, but got delayed as the Indian Air Force (IAF) did not approve the FGFA's single-seat design and also the work-share of 18%-82%, but now Russia has reportedly agreed on the 25%-75% work share between India & Russia, therefore the agreement is likely to be signed during Russian President V Putin's visit to India on December 10-11th. Also Russia has agreed on the two-seat demand of the IAF on the FGFA. The FGFA will have the BrahMos and the Indian-made Astra missiles.

The 200 FGFAs will be built at a cost of $30 billion.

Other agreements on the table are the MTA and BrahMos export.

The MTA, which will eventually replace the An-32, was signed in 2007, but negligible Indian participation in it has delayed the signing of the final agreement, also coupled with design, development and work-share problems, much like FGFA. The $600 million project for 205 planes(both for cargo & troop transportation)  - 100 for the Russian Air Force, 45 for IAF and 60 more for exporting to friendly countries, was expected to fly by 2015, but has been delayed.

The international market for MTA is estimated at 390 planes. Under the agreement, thirty percent of the annual production of planes could be exported to third countries. 

A BrahMos mini-missile agreement is expected to be signed during Putin's visit.The new missile  will be half of the present missile in length, will have a speed of 3.5 mach, will be able to carry a payload of 300, upto a range of 290 kms, and can be integrated on submarines and the FGFA, and will be inducted into service in 2017. A tripartite agreement between DRDO, NPOM lab and BrahMos is expected to be signed during Putin's visit.

BEL Completes Akash Air Defence System Firing Trials Successfully

Firing trials of the Akash Air Defence System, designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and manufactured by Navratna defence PSU Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), were conducted successfully at the Integrated Test Range, Balasore, Odisha, from November 17 to 22, 2014.

The Akash Air Defence system has been designed to defend and protect the nation’s assets from penetrating  aerial attacks. The Akash missile can fly at supersonic speed. 

At the latest firing trials, the systems were tested successfully under extreme flight condition of near boundary low altitude, far boundary high altitude and multi-target, multi-missile scenario. The flight trials were carried out on unmanned aerial target Banshee jet and para-flares. The targets were repeatedly destroyed by the Akash Missile System. This is the last in the series of flight trials carried out on the production version of the Akash Air Defence System for the Indian Air Force to validate complete intercept envelope of the Air Defence System.

The firing exercise was conducted under the able leadership of Outstanding Scientist, Mr G Chandramouli, Project Director, Akash, DRDL, and senior officers of the Indian Air Force. BEL’s team of engineers participated and steered the critical flight exercises. 

The Akash Missile System is an all-weather, point / area air defence weapon system for defending vulnerable areas / points against medium range targets penetrating from low, medium and high altitudes.

BEL is involved in the manufacture and integration of highly complex and sophisticated Ground Radars for Surveillance and tracking and control centers for the Akash Air Defence System. The missile guidance and air defence functions such as classification, threat evaluation, prioritization and missile launch are automated with manual over-ride. 

The Akash missile utilizes an integral rocket-ramjet propulsion system to provide thrust till intercept. A digital onboard computer enables automated mission sequencing and the embedded digital autopilot ensures flight stability and missile maneuvering. The onboard command guidance unit receives coded digital information from the Radar which is used for steering the missile towards the target.