Indian Air Force: News and Discussions - III

[SATISH]

Nitesh will they fly combat mission is the question. I dont see that happening before 2030.

 

[nitesh]

Nitesh will they fly combat mission is the question. I dont see that happening before 2030.

Any reasoning? What they will do by flying jets then?

 

[SATISH]

Nitesh this is just a hogwash for the local public. very few women will pass the reflex tests and then combat training. The evolution has screwed up their whole system. The top medical brass knows this those who clear also will not be risked to fall behind enemy lines. They will be just postergirls. I have seen this in RuAF personally.

 

[nitesh]

Nitesh this is just a hogwash for the local public. very few women will pass the reflex tests and then combat training. The evolution has screwed up their whole system. The top medical brass knows this those who clear also will not be risked to fall behind enemy lines. They will be just postergirls. I have seen this in RuAF personally.

This is not a reason that you reached to a figure of 2030. If IAF decides to have the women pilots on fighter jets heck they will be trained to fight. Not for time pass.

 

[chandrahass]

India floats tender for combat, heavy lift helicopters

27 May 2009, 1100 hrs IST, IANS

NEW DELHI: To replace its ageing helicopter fleet, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has released the much-awaited tenders for 22 combat and 15 heavy
lift choppers to US, European and Russian manufacturers.

The tenders, or Request for Proposals (RfPs), had been pending for some time and needed clearance from the Ministry of Defence (MoD), which actually acquires any weapon and systems on behalf of the services. But due to the elections, political clearance was on hold till now.

One of the first things which defence minister A K Antony did after taking over the office Monday was to clear some of the already pending files on his table and release the RfPs to manufacturers of combat helicopters. On Tuesday, the RfP for the heavy lift helicopters was released.

The three services have been pressing the government for several years to speed up the process to replace and augment their mostly Soviet-vintage inventory. Times have changed since these systems were acquired and some of the essential items on board any aircraft or ship today, or even for an army tank and artillery gun, are sophisticated electronic surveillance and engagement systems towards real time neutralisation of any threat.

Precision and real time engagement is the key demand, and requirement, for the three services now.
IAF Chief of Staff Air Chief Marshal F.H. Major told IANS that the services expected the government to clear many files which had been pending for long.

Antony has expressed that he shares the concern of the armed forces for lack of modern equipment and initiated action on day one of his second innings in the ministry.

After the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had said that the Indian forces must have the capability to monitor the borders and coastline, as also to check any intrusion or aggression. The proposal to acquire Boeing P8-I long-endurance Maritime Multi Mission Aircraft (MMA) was cleared immediately.

The RfP for the 22 combat helicopters had actually been released just before the Berlin Air Show in May 2008 to six contenders, Sikorsky for Black Hawk, Boeing for Apache AH 64D, Bell for Super Cobra (all three from US), Eurocopter for Tiger, Russian Mil for Mi 35, and Augusta Westland for Mangusta.

The US companies could not compete due to what they said were time constraints and procedural bottlenecks within their country. IAF felt that some of the best technologies in combat machines were not on the platter, and accordingly a re-tender was requested.

IAF and army helicopters are often called during natural disasters, but most of their helicopters are old, and not capable of the demanding tasks. A heavy lift helicopter like the Chinook for instance, which is used in the rough terrains of Afghanistan, can carry under-slung trucks and artillery guns as well as jeeps within its cargo bay.

The IAF had acquired a few Mi 26 in the mid-1980s. They are old, short of spares, and need replacement.
Both the IAF and the Indian Army want heavy lift capability.

Viuvek Lall, Boeing's Integrated Defence Systems (IDS) country head for India, said: "Boeing has received the RfPs for the attack and heavy lift helicopters and will review the requirements. Boeing's Apache and Chinook can provide the Indian Air Force with the most capable, proven and versatile platforms in their respective class."

Air Vice Marshal (retired) A.J.S. Walia, Sikorsky's India vice president, said his company will pit "the world famous Black Hawk" in the competition

India floats tender for combat, heavy lift helicopters - India - The Times of India

 

[nitesh]

Tezpur base soon to get Sukhois - Guwahati - Cities - The Times of India

GUWAHATI: IAF's Tezpur base will soon get Sukhoi fighter planes as part of its upgradation plans to meet challenges from China.

Sources said the newly-raised squadron of Su-30 MKI will arrive at the renovated base after June 15 when the renovated runway becomes operational.

This will be the first batch of Su-30MKI fighters to be deployed near the disputed Sino-Indian border in the north-eastern sector of the Eastern Air Command. Earlier, the Tezpur base housed a squadron of MIG 21 which was shifted to Chabua in 2007.

A source said the Su-30MKI is likely to be fitted with air-to-ground Brahmos missile with more than 900 combat radius enabling it to strike all major cities in southwest China.

Defence sources said the induction of Su-30MKI would greatly tilt the balance in favour of India in view of China's superior ground troops in the sector.

Spread over 21 acre, the Tezpur airbase was put under repair after the MiG-21s were shifted to Chabua. The infrastructure has also been upgraded. "The renovated runway is likely to be inaugurated by mid-June for inducting the Su-30MKI squadron," said Tezpur-based defence spokesman Col R Kalia.

Located less than 350 km from the McMohan Line that divides India and China, the air base was made a MiG-operational flying unit for training young officers before they were commissioned as full-fledged pilots as tension between India and China eased after 1970.

Sources said India has strategic air bases at Baghdogra, Hashimara and Cooch Behar to counter China. Other important bases in this sector are located in Chabua, Guwahati, Jorhat, Kalaikunda and Agartala.

 

[Indianator]

hi...this may seem like a stupid question but i am a newbie so please excuse me....
whenever a new squadrons are raised does it means new aircrafts are added ?...so if new sujkhoi squadrons are raised near guhwati does it mean iaf is getting additional sukhois by june. if i am not mistaken a new sukhoi squadron was recent raised in pune in march.....and also how many sukhoi does the iaf have in total ???

 

[nitesh]

'IAF had option of deep strike inside Pak soon after 26/11'

There were certain options, which were certainly discussed. Depending on the objective and the task given, IAF had enough intelligence to do what it wanted to do then," Major told reporters here during a joint press conference with his successor and chief-designate Air Marshal P V Naik

"The threat word was removed from IAF dictionary many years ago. We do not want to be threat-centric, but want to be capability-based. Threat and Intent are two different things. We have certain capability to deal with conflict situation in its entire spectrum," he said.

Asked how IAF was placed vis-a-vis China in terms of its fleet and equipment, Major said: "We are placed very well. We are taking more measures to further improve our combat efficiency and proficiency."

 

[nitesh]

Fed up of delays, India shops for non-Russian platforms

 

[pppppppp]

I doubt what impact these decisions would have on the PAKFA. Care needs to be taken, so that they reject TOT for PAKFA.

 

[nitesh]

HAL new letter

Lucknow: ASERDC, Lucknow recently notched up two more achievements, demonstrating that where there is a will, a race against time can be won without compromising on quality.

LCH fuel probes in 5 months: In the first project, the Division developed and delivered five types of fuel probes for the LCH within a short period of five
months. The project was undertaken at the end of June 2008. The safety-of-flight (SOF) tests were completed in December 2008, and another set duly
cleared by RCMA (Lucknow) and DGAQA was supplied for flight trials. Since time was short, resources from other projects were diverted to this project to enable successful completion.

 

[nitesh]

Pakistan to get Awacs by October: Air chief

In reply to a question he said India had already possessed 3,500 Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missiles while Pakistan is in the process of acquiring 500 such missiles to maintain the required level of deterrence.

How we can come to know this number?

 

[Daredevil]

Pakistan to get Awacs by October: Air chief
How we can come to know this number?

Try SIPRI database. They record all the arms trade happening between countries.

Importer/Exporter TIV Tables

 

[nitesh]

Pak deployed 75 of air force along Indian border post 26/11

Pakistan had deployed 75 per cent of its air force on its borders along with India after 26/11 Mumbai terror strikes, a top Indian Air Force official said today.

Replying to a query about India's capabilities in terms of infrastructure vis-a-vis China in the northern sector, he said, "We have gone up in showing our capability in Ladakh area with the activation of Daulat Beg Oldie airfield, Fuk Che ALGs (Advanced Landing Grounds) etc. We are constructing another runway there. We also have the Sukhoi's operating from Leh... And I am sure that the friends across the border must have seen our capability."

Earlier in the day, after handing over the charge of WAC, he said, "We have started operating our fighter and transport aircraft in the night from Udhampur and increased our night operations... Because of this potential of ours, our 'friends' are quite worried."

 

[nitesh]

Welcome new chief:

P.V. Naik takes over as IAF chief

With this change of guard, the command of IAF is back in the hands of a fighter pilot after 26 months. Air Chief Marshal Major, who retired on Sunday, was a helicopter pilot.

 

[Sridhar]

First batch of pilots trained on Hawks to pass out on June 19

M.B. Girish

Bidar: “The training on Hawk advanced jet trainer (AJT) aircraft has made pilots confident. With higher level of knowledge and skill, they will perform well while handling frontline fighter squadron,” outgoing Air Officer Commanding of Air Force Station, Bidar Ramesh Rai, has said.

Air Officer Commanding Rai has been promoted as Air Vice Marshal and posted to the Maintenance Command as Senior Air and Administrative Staff Officer at Nagpur. He will hand over the command at a ceremony at AFS, Bidar on Monday. Rai, Air Officer Commanding of Air Force Station in Bidar, had taken charge on May 1, 2007.

In an interview to The Hindu here on Saturday, Air Officer Commanding Ramesh Rai said, “The first batch of pilots trained on Hawk advanced jet trainer (AJT) aircraft will pass out on June 19 at the Air Force Station in Bidar.” Advanced Jet Trainer Hawk was formally inducted into the Indian Air Force at a function in Bidar, Karnataka, February 23, 2008.

“It was long-standing requirement of the Indian Air Force to induct Hawks and the Bidar Air Force Station was chosen for training pilots on the advanced jet trainers,” he said.

Air Officer Commanding Ramesh Rai said during his tenure at the Air Force Station in Bidar the most significant event was the induction of the Hawks into the IAF. “Since Bidar was the only air base which imparted training on Hawks for pilots in the country, Bidar will be the finest air base in the country in future,” he said.

On the career in the IAF, Air Officer Commanding Rai said, “As modernisation of the Indian Air Force is happening at a faster rate those joining the IAF have a promising career.

The Hindu : National : First batch of pilots trained on Hawks to pass out on June 19

 

[Sridhar]

Renovated, Tezpur IAF base ready to take Sukhois

The Indian Air Force base at Tezpur in northern Assam, which also has the headquarters of the Army’s Four Corps responsible for protecting India’s border with China in Arunachal Pradesh, is becoming a major hub for Sukhoi fighter planes.

Renovation of the Tezpur IAF base has been already completed, and the first batch of Sukhoi fighters will arrive on June 15, when the Air Force formally declares the base reopened. This incidentally will be the first squadron of Su-30MKI fighters to move so close to the Chinese border, which is hardly about 150 kms from Tezpur.

Tezpur, which was till 2007 the most important training base for young officers of MiG21 aircraft of the Indian Air Force, had assumed prominence during the Chinese aggression of 1962, when the Chinese had advanced towards the town after taking control of Tawang and Bomdila in Arunachal Pradesh.

Renovated, Tezpur IAF base ready to take Sukhois

 

[Sridhar]

Sunday, May 31, 2009
Photos: IAF choppers finish-up relief ops in West Bengal

LiveFist: Photos: IAF choppers finish-up relief ops in West Bengal



Photos: India gets its 19th Chief of Air Staff

LiveFist: Photos: India gets its 19th Chief of Air Staff

 

[nitesh]

Indian Air Force's Dakshin Prahar begins

 

[nitesh]

Quite interesting:

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? IAF orders DNA tests

For example, recently, an IAF transport aircraft had a narrow shave when it was hit by a bird at an unprecedented height. The IL 76 was flying between Leh and Chandigarh when it was hit by a bird at over 22,000 feet, said IAF�s Director General of Inspection and Safety Air Marshal TS Randhawa. The IL 76 landed safely but raised questions for the IAF which did not expect such an accident at such an altitude.

The highest danger is to single-engine fighters like the MiG 21, MiG 27 and Mirage 2000 that can suffer a flameout if a bird gets sucked into the engine.

So the IAF is now tying up with a genetics lab to test DNA samples from the remains to profile bird species. The IAF is already using a set of different techniques to minimize bird hits. Besides using guns with blank shots to scare the birds, IAF employs its fleet of Streak Shadow micro light aircraft to shoo the birds away. It has also recently acquired specialized radars to track bird movements near airfields.