Anti-Collision Systems For Future Indian Aircraft

18/12/2012 by Paul Fiddian - Armed Forces International's Lead Reporter

Anti-collision systems will feature in all future Indian Air Force aircraft, Defence Minister A.K Antony stated on 17 December 2012.

Operational requirements will dictate exactly which type will be fitted to particular aircraft, Antony told Lok Sabha - the Parliament of India's lower house.

Already, such technologies are integrated into several of the Indian Air Force aircraft used to transport VIPs, Antony explained, telling MPs: "The Indian Air Force presently operates Embraer executive jets and Boeing business jets for VIP duties. All these aircraft are equipped with traffic alert collision avoidance systems and ground proximity warning systems.

"The total cost of procurement of these aircraft and the associated equipment is inclusive of the collision avoidance systems mentioned above."

Indian Anti-Collision Systems

As a result of Antony's statement, such technologies are now set to become much more widely-deployed in India's skies. His anti-collision systems announcement followed by hours a near air-collision that occurred on 15 December 2012. This involved a pair of Boeing 737-800 airliners which, at one point, were less than five kilometres apart. Those on board weren't aware of just how close these aircraft got but, as a result of the incident, India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation is now investigating.

Ground proximity warning systems (GCAS) tell pilots when there's an immediate ground-based threat in the vicinity. Meantime, traffic alert collision avoidance systems (TCAS) check the surrounding airspace for signs of other aircraft and inform pilots when they're in danger of colliding.

Designed to work independently from air traffic control, TCAS has been serially upgraded over the years to reach the current TCAS IV status.

According to rules introduced at the end of 1998, TCAS II the minimum standard required for all aircraft, operating in Indian airspace, with either a payload capacity exceeding three tons or a passenger capacity of 30 or more.