Sri Lanka News Updates with Discussions

Lankans life expectancy up by 10 years

is he aaaaahh....trying figure out the correct hole?

The MiG-29SMs on order will each be equipped with a Phazotron Topaz-MP (N-019MP) Multi-Mode Fire Control Radar. The unit can track a Cessna sized target from about 150km and engage it at 85km. It has the capability to track 10 and fire at 2 simultaneously. It also has advanced air-to-surface modes that include Doppler Beam Sharpening (DBS), Synthetic Aperture Scanning (with a 5x5 m resolution) and Moving Target Detection (MTI). It can track and target a truck sized target from 25km and a motorboat at 120km. It can simultaneously engage 2 ground targets at once. It has a new mission computer in the MVK-04, which is substantially more powerful than the Ts100.02-02 digital computer found on the MiG-29A.

The aircrafts original OEPS-29 IR Search and Track (IRST) sensor as found on the MiG-29A is replaced with an Improved version of the KOLS-29 IR/Laser-Ranger. The nominal IR tracking range has been increased from 18km to 25km in the rear-hemisphere with a range resolution of 3 m. The new unit has far superior search limits in the azimuth and elevation. It is able to search, detect and track targets against their thermal radiation at all altitudes, in the lookup and lookdown modes, day and night and in a jamming environment as well as provide air or ground target ranging by means of a laser range-finder. In upgrading and integrating the optical electronic fire control & navigation systems, a new data display system is used in the MFD-54 multifunction colour display complex, with an additional weapons store management display unit in the centre console. Flight navigation and radio-communication is also added to the multifunctional computer, along with the GPS receiver and additional radio-stations. The aircraft also feature a new wide angle HUD.

Most importantly, the MiG-29SM avionics are linked though a MIL STD 1553B data bus.

The armaments suite selected will include Vympel R-73E IR-guided AA missiles, R-27ER1 and R-27ET1 medium range IR/R-guided missiles, as well as several KAB-500L, KAB-500Kr laser/TV guided bombs. It would appear the SLAF has acquired several manportable ground-based LDR-3 laser target designators from Pakistan's Al technique Corp to guide these munitions to their targets.

Also to be delivered in this time frame are 3 x Oboronprom JSC Mil Mi-35M attack helicopters.

The Mi-35M's for the SLAF will come fitted with a 9K113K all-weather weapons suite. This includes the Urals OPS-24N 'Zarevo' optronic system - which includes the GOES-342 gyro-stabilised chin-mounted turret, IRTV-445MGII thermal imager with a 4km range, and the BREO-24 radio communications suite. The Mi-35M's cockpit displays are NVG-compatible.

The aircraft will have an all new main and X-shaped tail rotor fabricated from composite materials. While its main and tail rotor hubs and gearbox are the same as those developed for the Mi-28NE attack helicopter.

The original wings on the Mi-24 are replaced with new stronger, lighter weight stub wings on the Mi-35M, each equipped with twin APU-8/4U weapons pylons, each of which can carry four or eight supersonic anti-armour guided missiles (130mm 9K114 Shturm-S with 5km-range or 9M120 Ataka with 6km-range) depending on the weapons configuration.

The order also covers an unspecified number of 9K114M (HEAT) and 9K114F (Thermobaric) Shturm missiles.

While the SLAF will be responsible for first and second level maintenance of these new acquisitions, the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Indo-Russian Aviation Ltd (IRAL) will provide flying training, technical type-training and depot-level maintenance support for them. IRAL is currently providing similar product support to the SLAF's existing Mi-17V-5s, and Mi-24V/35P HIND Attack Helicopters, and for the 7 x Ex-Ukrainian MiG-27Ds and one MIG-23UB trainer of No5 Fighter Squadron.

This fact was a closely guarded secret until recently. However, it is only a matter of time before this is made public.

Further to these acquisitions from Russia, the Sri Lankan Air Force is also upgrading several of its Kfir ground attack aircraft, along with a few Mi-24V's.

The SLAF recently acquired 2 - for the time being let me say - advanced UAV's from Israel. I will keep the make and payload capability a secret for the time being.

Anyway, along with this acquisition the Sri Lankan Government also negotiated a deal with the Israeli Government for Elta to supply 4 x EL/M-2032 advanced Multimode Airborne Fire Control Radars to the SLAF. Crucially, this upgrade to the SLAF Kfirs was to be carried out by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) - Sure to raise a few eyebrows is the fact that it is the Indian Government that is paying for these radars, not the Sri Lankan Government.

The EL/M-2032 has greatly enhanced Air-to-Air, Air-to-Ground and Air-to-Sea capabilities compared to the Elta EL/M 2001 on the existing SLAF Kfir. In the Air-to-Air modes, the radar enables long-range target detection and tracking for weapon delivery or automatic target acquisition in close combat engagements. In Air-to-Ground missions, the radar provides very high-resolution mapping (SAR), surface target detection and tracking over Real Beam Map (RBM), Doppler Beam Sharpening (DBS) and High resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) maps in addition to A/G ranging. In Air-to-Sea missions the radar provides long range target detection and tracking, including target classification capabilities (Range Signature (RS), Inverse SAR (ISAR)).

The plan is to upgrade 2 x C.7s, 1 x C.2 and 1 x TC.2. The Kfir C.7s will be flown to India later this year, followed by a C.2 and a TC.2 early in the new year.

Indian companies are once again involved in the SLAF's second major upgrade programme. The contract to upgrade 6 existing SLAF Mi-24V's into the Night Attack Role was given to a joint IAF/HAL initiative last year. Two aircraft have already been upgraded with a limited Night Attack capability. The remaining 4 will be given a more extensive mod.

The new upgrade will include replacing the existing cockpit displays to accommodate the ANVIS/HUD-24 Night Vision system. A new composite main and tail rotor, along with a new main and tail rotor hub and gearbox - inline with the Mi-35M upgrade. The existing L-166V-1E Ispanka microwave pulse lamp 'Hot Brick' IR jammer is to be replaced with the more capable Ukrainian KT-01 AV Adros IR Jammer - field tested to have successfully jammed the SA-18.

This upgrade is planned to begin by the start of the new year.

Cha...However i try to make the forum to be decent,

I am not able to restrain these morons.

:-((

Cha...However i try to make the forum to be decent,

I am not able to restrain these morons.

more than 150 sla have been killed in last 4 days and more than 500 injured

haevy fighting continues at palamoddai and vellankulam areas

Mr Brown:

What is happening to LNP? For last two days, it wasnt accessible.