HAL flies Hawk with indigenous avionics system

Bengaluru, Feb 7 : State-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) on Wednesday flew advanced jet trainer (AJT) Hawk-i here for the first time with an avionics system it developed, said the defence behemoth.

"The AJT, being built by HAL under licence from British BAE Systems, was flown for the first time with home-grown avionics software, including real-time operating system," a company official told IANS.

The avionics software provides a standard run-time environment for real-time applications.

"The real-time operating system is a key technology for executing multiple applications and optimal use of hardware in modern avionics software," said HAL Chairman T. Suvarna Raju in a statement on the occasion.

Military aviation regulator Cemilac certified the system for using in the Indian version of the Hawks, flown by the Indian Air Force pilots trained to fly fighter jets in its combat fleet. 

The avionics network stack and file system were co-developed with the Indian Institute of Technology-Kharagpur in West Bengal. 

"Avionics systems are developed using imported real-time operating systems used in civilian aircraft. They are costly and have limited flexibility to add new features or use them on new hardware platforms," said the statement.

As the imported software is prone to cyberattacks, which compromise the safety and security of the avionics system, HAL designed and developed the operating system for safety- and mission-critical applications.

"The system's performance has been validated on the mission computer of the indigenous Hawk. The flight programme, which includes real-time sensor data processing, navigation algorithm computations, controls and display management was able to meet its design requirements during the flight," added the statement.

The tandem-seat aircraft is used for ground attack, flying and weapons training at supersonic speed. Powered by Adour Mk 871 turbofan engine, it is also used for aerobatic manoeuvres.