Cheppali GF-19 Garuda

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GF-19 Garuda
Role Multirole fighter
Manufacturer Cheppali International
First flight 20 April 1990
Introduction 9 July 1995
Status In active service
Primary user Tennai
Program cost US$30 billion
Unit cost
$25 million

The Cheppali International GF-19 Garuda is a Tennaiite twin-engine, all-weather multirole fighter designed and built by Cheppali International. Equipped with a wide range of weapons, the Garuda is intended to perform air supremacy, interdiction, aerial reconnaissance, in-depth strike, anti-ship strike and nuclear deterrence missions.

Many of the aircraft’s avionics and features take advantage of the work carried out on the GF-20 Berunda and expand upon it. Some features that were included during development were direct voice input, AESA radar, and an integrated IRST sensor. The aircraft is available in two main variants: Garuda A twin-seat land based version and the Garuda B twin-seat carrier-based version.

Development

The C100B; One of five variants explored by Cheppali. Cheppali ultimately chose the C100D variant to develope.

Design

Overview

The GF-19 is a twin engine, midwing, multimission tactical aircraft. It is highly maneuverable, due to its good thrust-to-weight ratio, digital fly-by-wire control system, and leading-edge extensions, which allow the Garuda to remain controllable at high angles of attack. It utilizes a delta wing configuration. The wing has full-span, leading-edge flaps and the trailing edge has single-slotted flaps and ailerons over the entire span.

Canted vertical stabilizers are another distinguishing design element, one among several other such elements that enable the Garuda’s's excellent high angle of attack ability, including oversized trailing-edge flaps that operate as flaperons, large full-length leading-edge slats, and flight control computer programming that multiplies the movement of each control surface at low speeds and moves the vertical rudders inboard instead of simply left and right.

Composite materials were are extensively in the construction of the GF-19 in order to reduce weight. This reduction of weight has the effect of increasing range.

The Garuda B features a greatly reinforced undercarriage to cope with the additional stresses of naval landings, an arrestor hook, and "jump strut" nosewheel, which only extends during short takeoffs, including catapult launches. It also features a built-in ladder, carrier-based microwave landing system, and the new fin-tip Telemir system for syncing the inertial navigation system to external equipment. The wings also include folding mechanisms to allow for easier storage aboard a carrier. Altogether, the naval modifications of the Garuda B increase its weight by 750 kilograms (1,653 lb) compared to other variants.

Radar Signature

Survivability is an important feature of the Garuda’s design. The Tennaiite Air Force and Navy took a "balanced approach" to survivability in its design. This means that it does not rely on very low-observable technology, i.e. stealth. Instead, its design incorporates a combination of signature reduction, advanced electronic-warfare capabilities, reduced ballistic vulnerability, use of standoff weapons, and innovative tactics that collectively enhance the safety of the fighter and crew in an affordable manner.

The Garuda's radar cross-section was reduced greatly from some aspects, mainly the front and rear. The design of the engine inlets reduces the aircraft's frontal radar cross-section. The alignment of the leading edges of the engine inlets is designed to scatter radiation to the sides. Fixed fan-like reflecting structures in the inlet tunnel divert radar energy away from the rotating fan blades.

The Garuda also makes considerable use of panel joint serration and edge alignment. Considerable attention has been paid to the removal or filling of unnecessary surface join gaps and resonant cavities. The Garuda uses perforated panels that appear opaque to radar waves at the frequencies used to cover various accessory exhaust and inlet ducts. Careful attention has been paid to the alignment of many panel boundaries and edges, to direct reflected waves away from the aircraft in uniformly narrow angles.

While the GF-19 is not a stealth fighter, it will have a frontal radar cross-section an order of magnitude smaller than prior generation fighters. Additional changes for reducing RCS can be installed on an as-needed basis.

Cockpit

The Garuda's glass cockpit was designed around the principle of data fusion—a central computer selects and prioritizes information to display to pilots for simpler command and control. The primary flight controls are arranged in a hands-on-throttle-and-stick (HOTAS)-compatible configuration, with a right-handed side-stick controller and a left-handed throttle. The WSO (Weapon systems officer) is also provided with flight cobtrols and can take over flying, though with reduced visibility. The seats are inclined rearwards at an angle of 29° to improve g-force tolerance during maneuvering and to provide a less restricted external pilot view. An intelligent flight suit worn by the pilot and WSO is automatically controlled by the aircraft to counteract in response to calculated g-forces.

Great emphasis has been placed on pilot and WSO workload minimisation across all operations. Among the features of the highly digitized cockpit is an integrated direct voice input (DVI) system, allowing a range of aircraft functions to be controlled by spoken voice commands, simplifying the pilot's and WSO’s access to many of the controls. The DVI is capable of managing radio communications and countermeasures systems, the selection of armament and radar modes, and controlling navigational functions. For safety reasons, DVI is deliberately not employed for safety-critical elements of the aircraft's operation, such as the final release of weapons.

For displaying information gathered from a range of sensors across the aircraft, the cockpit features a wide-angle holographic head-up display (HUD) system, two head-down flat-panel color multi-function displays (MFDs) as well as a central collimated display. These displays have been strategically placed to minimize pilot and WSO distraction from the external environment. Some displays feature a touch interface for ease of human–computer interaction (HCI). A head-mounted display (HMD) has been integrated to take full advantage of its AAMs missiles. The cockpit is fully compatible with night vision goggles (NVG).

In the area of life support, the Garuda is fitted with an ejection seat, capable of operation at zero speed and zero altitude. An on-board oxygen generating system, eliminates the need to carry bulky oxygen canisters. The Garuda's flight computer has been programmed to counteract pilot disorientation and to employ automatic recovery of the aircraft during negative flight conditions. The auto-pilot and autothrottle controls are also integrated, and are activated by switches located on the primary flight controls.

Avionics

The Garuda’s core avionics systems employ an integrated modular avionics (IMA). This architecture hosts all the main aircraft functions such as the flight management system, data fusion, fire control, and the man-machine interface. According to Cheppali, the IMA greatly assists combat operations via data fusion, the continuous integration and analysis of the various sensor systems throughout the aircraft, and has been designed for the incorporation of new systems and avionics throughout the Garuda's service life.

The Garuda features an integrated defensive-aids system, which protects the aircraft against airborne and ground threats. Various methods of detection, jamming, and decoying have been incorporated, and the system has been designed to be highly reprogrammable for addressing new threats and incorporating additional sub-systems in the future.

The Garuda has a quadruplex digital fly-by-wire system, as well as a digital flight-control system that detects and corrects for battle damage. Initial production models used the ML/M-2032 radar, later replaced by the ML/M-2052 active electronically scanned array (AESA). The ATFLIR (Advanced Targeting Forward Looking InfraRed), is the main electro-optical sensor and laser designator pod for the Garuda. The communications equipment consist of an AN/ARC-210 VHF/UHF radio and a MIDS-JTRS low volume terminal for HAVE QUICK, SINCGARS and Link 16 connectivity.

Radar and Sensors

The GF-19 is currently fitted with the ML/M-2052 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. It replaces the ML/M-2032 pulse doppler radar first used on the GF-20 Berunda, The ML/M-2052 is an advanced Airborne Fire Control Radar (FCR) designed for air superiority and advanced strike missions.

The FCR is based on fully solid-state active phased array technology. This new technology enables the radar to achieve a longer detection range, high mission reliability and a multi-target tracking capability of up to 64 targets. The ML/M-2052 radar incorporates operational feedback from Royal Tennaiite Air Force an Navy combat pilots.

The radar introduces improvements to the air-to-air, air-to-ground and air-to-sea operation modes of the aircraft. In the air-to-air mode, the radar enables a very long-range multi-target detection and enables several simultaneous weapon deliveries in combat engagements.

In air-to-ground missions, the radar provides very high resolution mapping (SAR), surface moving target detection and tracking over RBM, DBS and 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 (RS, ISAR).

To enable the Garuda to perform in the air supremacy role, it includes several passive sensor systems. The front-sector electro-optical/IRST system is completely integrated within the aircraft and can operate both in the visible and infrared wavelengths. The system enables the deployment of infrared missiles at beyond visual range distances; it can also be used for detecting and identifying airborne targets, as well as those on the ground and at sea. Cheppali describes the system as being immune to jamming and capable of providing covert long-range surveillance.

Armament and Standards

Garuda’s are capable of undertaking many different mission roles with a range of equipment, namely air defence/superiority missions with air-to-air missiles, and precision ground attacks typically using cruise missiles and air-to-surface missiles. In addition, anti-shipping missions could be carried out using the sea skimming missiles, while reconnaissance flights would use a combination of onboard and external pod-based sensor equipment. Furthermore, the aircraft could conduct nuclear strikes.

For compatibility with armaments of varying types and origins, the Garuda's onboard store management system is compliant with MIL-STD-1760, an electrical interface between an aircraft and its carriage stores, thereby simplifying the incorporation of many of their existing weapons and equipment. The Garuda is typically outfitted with 12 hardpoints, and has a maximum external load capacity of nine tons. In addition to the above equipment, the Garuda carries the 30mm Kala cannon and can be outfitted with a range of laser-guided bombs and ground-attack munitions. According to Cheppali the Garuda's onboard mission systems enable ground attack and air-to-air combat operations to be carried out within a single sortie, with many functions capable of simultaneous execution in conjunction with another, increasing survivability and versatility.

Engines

The Garuda is fitted with two Gikrabanda G1120-229 engines, each providing up to 79 kN (17,800 lbf) of dry thrust and 130 kN (29,160 lbf) with afterburner. The G1120-229 enables the Garuda to supercruise. A thrust vectoring variant if the G1120-229 is being considered as a replacement to the standard G1120-229.

Operational History

Variants

Garuda A
Land-based variant for the Royal Tennaiite Airforce
Garuda B
Carrier based variant for the Royal Tennaiite navy

Operators

Specifications (Garuda A)

General characteristics

  • Crew: 2
  • Length: 18.7 m (61 ft 4 in)
  • Wingspan: 12 m (39 ft 4 in)
  • Height: 5.8 m (19 ft 0 in)
  • Wing area: 73 m2 (790 sq ft)
  • Empty weight: 13,000 kg (28,660 lb)
  • Gross weight: 16,100 kg (35,494 lb)
  • Fuel capacity: 11,000 l (2,900 US gal; 2,400 imp gal) internal fuel
  • Powerplant: 2 × Gikrabanda G1120-229 afterburning turbofan, 130 kN (29,000 lbf) with afterburner

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 2,901.78 km/h (1,803 mph; 1,567 kn)
  • Maximum speed: Mach 2.35
  • Range: 4,000 km (2,485 mi; 2,160 nmi)
  • Combat range: 2,000 km (1,243 mi; 1,080 nmi)
  • Ferry range: 10,000 km (6,214 mi; 5,400 nmi)
  • Service ceiling: 20,000 m (66,000 ft)
  • Rate of climb: 350 m/s (69,000 ft/min)
  • Wing loading: 220 kg/m2 (45 lb/sq ft)

Armament

Avionics

  • ML/M-2052 AESA radar
  • KES-181C Modular Combat System
  • Razor 112 Helmet-mounted display system
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