As the Indian Air Force is running short of fighter jets, HAl built two seater upgraded Jaguar DARIN III has got the initial operational clearance (IOC) to join the Indian Air Force. In a statement issued by Hindustan Aeronautics limited (HAl) in Bengaluru on Wednesday the upgraded Jaguar DARIN III has been accorded initial operational clearance.

The deputy chief of Air Staff Air Marshal RKS Bhadauria flew the attack aircraft on the skies of Bengaluru and according to HAl IAF has given IOC to induct the upgraded  fighter to the Air Force.

“Deputy Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal RKS Bhadauria gave the IOC to the upgraded Jaguar Darin-III twin-seat aircraft after flying it here recently,” said HAl in a statement.

As part of the IAF’s modernisation plan, HAl is upgrading about 120 of the IAF’s four-decade-old Anglo-French-built fighters, which can carry nuclear weapons like the French Mirage 2000s.

“The Jaguar upgrade is one of the best for data handling and overall capabilities,” said Bhadauria after flying it with test pilot Wing Commander V Prabhakaran as co-pilot from HAl’s airport in Bengaluru.

The upgradation includes Jaguar’s cockpit being fitted with autopilots, next generation avionics and lethal armaments at an estimated cost of Rs 3,000 crore to enhance its operational life till 2030.

The Jaguar fleet of the IAF is based at the Ambala air force station in Punjab. HAl’s mission and combat system research and design centre developed the system requirement capture, software, hardware, electrical and mechanical equipment to modify the vintage fighter and extend its life.

“The Jaguar is equipped with world-class avionics system and has open system architecture mission computer, engine and flight instrument system, fire control radar inertia, navigation system with GPS and geodetic height correction,” said HAl Chairman and Managing Director T. Suvarna Raju in the statement.

Besides HAl, certification agencies, trial team of the Aircraft Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE) and other agencies were involved in upgrading the Jaguar to Darin-III from Darin-1 standard.

The upgrade includes digital video recording system, flight data recorder, smart multi-function display, radio altimeter with 20,000 feet range and friend or foe identification facility. The upgrade incorporates new state of the art avionics architecture including the Open System Architecture Mission Computer (OSAMC), Engine & Flight Instrument System (EFIS), Fire Control Radar, State of the Art Inertial Navigation System with GPS and Geodetic height correction, Solid State Digital Video Recording System (SSDVRS), Solid State Flight Data Recorder (SSFDR), Smart Multi-Function Display (SMD), Radio Altimeter with 20000 ft range, Autopilot with Alt Select & HNAV and Identification of Friend or Foe (IFF).

The total design and development covering system requirement capture, specification preparation, software, hardware, electrical and mechanical design and development were carried out indigenously at HAl’s Mission & Combat System Research & Design Centre (MCSRDC) and aircraft modification was done at Overhaul Division.

D.K Venkatesh, Director (Engg. and R & D), R Kaveri Renganathan, CEO (BC), Air Vice Marshal Sandeep Singh, Commandant ASTE and other senior executives witnessed the flight.  Besides HAl, certification agencies, trial team of ASTE and other agencies were involved in the upgrade programme.  Three DARIN I Standard Jaguars have been upgraded to DARIN III Standard by HAl.