India developed light combat aircraft (LCA) is among the best in its class, providing flight stability even under extreme conditions, S Christopher, Chairman, Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), has said.

This has been achieved with indigenous technology. In addition, Tejas has rules-based Artificial Intelligence incorporated into its flight control systems (FCS), Christopher said at the 3rd International Federation of Automatic Control (IFAC), International Conference on Advances in Control & Optimisation of Dynamical Systems (ACODS 2018) here.

The FCS provides the pilot ‘carefree handling’. However, flight limits cannot be exceeded, which at lower speeds on aircraft like the MiG-23/27 or Jaguar, result in the loss of the aircraft. The Aeronautical Development Establishment, Bengaluru, and HAL have been involved in the development of Tejas.

Challenges

However, it had posed challenges for pilots in controlling, with its longitudinally unstable airframe, which escalated rapidly disturbances of even small magnitude. It was a major challenge that resulted in delays and long gestation for the Tejas development programme.

Christopher, who is also Secretary, Department of Defence R&D, said that to add more features and capabilities, research is on in the AI area. Control systems have wide application, from aircraft, submarines to missiles. To meet the growing requirements of aerospace and defence projects, there is a need to develop innovative guidance schemes and control algorithms, he said.

Futuristic weapon systems will be smart, intelligent, complex and technologically advanced, he added.

More than 500 scientists, academics, industry partners and students are taking part in the conference being organised by DRDO.

Smart sensors

In his address, G Satheesh Reddy, Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister and DG (Missiles & Strategic Systems), said miniaturised avionics and smart sensors will be the backbone of futuristic aerospace and defence systems. Hence, there is an urgent need to create infrastructure, train resource pool to develop algorithms for control and guidance to take aerospace vehicles such as fighter aircraft, missiles and launch vehicles into the next generation.

NV Kadam and SK Ray, former senior scientists of the APJ Kalam Missile Complex, were felicitated for their lifetime contributions to the field of control and guidance. Frank Allgower, President, IFAC Austria (Stuttgart University, Germany), addressed the inaugural function.

Many globally renowned control and guidance experts, including PK Menon, Chairman & CEO, Optimal Synthesis Inc; Reza Moheimani, University of Texas; Sarah Spurgeon, University College of London, and Min-Jea Tahk, Korea Advanced Institute of S&T will delivertalks during the international conference.

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