India Successfully Flight Tests Upgraded Jaguar Aircraft

India’s state-run defense manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has successfully flight tested the avionics of the upgraded Jaguar aircraft “Darin III” in Bangalore today. “This is significant moment for HAL as the upgrade will result in major operational improvement with regard to all weather air to ground, air to sea and air to air capabilities through incorporation of multi mode radar”, says Dr. R. K. Tyagi, Chairman, HAL. HAL hopes that the upgraded aircraft with higher capacity alternators can allow the Jaguar to become one of the fiercest jets in the fleet. The upgrade includes system requirement capture, specification preparation, software, hardware, electrical, mechanical design and development, all of which was indigenously done by HAL. The upgrade incorporates new state-of-the-art avionics architecture including Mission Computer (MC), Engine and Flight Instrument System (EFIS), Solid State Digital Video Recording System (SSDVRS), Solid State Flight Data Recorder (SSFDR) and additional functions in inertial global positioning system (INGPS), autopilot, radar and RWR. The aircraft now also has modern navigation, EW and weapon delivery system with INGPS using primary and reversionary modes, state-of-the –art, man-machine interface (near glass cockpit) with two smart multi function display and head-up display.