Design Qualification of an External Store for a Fighter Aircraft

Abstract

Defence Avionics Research Establishment (DARE) has designed and developed an external
store for fitment on a fighter aircraft. The external store has the poded structure and can be used
for installation of a variety of payloads up to 250 kg. The mechanical details of the electronics
to be fitted inside the pod can be worked out as per application. The pod has been designed
keeping this in mind and based on the functional, mechanical, structural, and aerodynamic
requirements. The designed and fabricated pod has undergone various qualification tests. The
paper brings out the details of the pod design, and the various structural and environmental
qualification tests carried out. The pod thus designed and qualified has been validated through
carriage trials by fitting the pod on the platform intended for it. The pod is likely to be inducted
into the Services shortly.