Indian Air Force: News & Discussions

[darshan978]

IAF is looking for 126 F-35
Lockheed Martin clears for that....
1) IAF must buy F-16
2) India must abondon FGFA program

if this aircraft bought it will be nightmare for iaf

 

[patriots]

I don't think f35 wil come . .
it will kill indo russian fgfa
it will worsen indo Russian relationship
it will kill amca
and no super sukhoi up gradation will happen

sabse badii bath paisa. kahase ayega
govt has only bought 36 Rafael s ..and struggling with sef procurement

 

[Galaxy 7]

Contrary to popular fanboys dream, money is the biggest issue. Truth is we cant afford rafales in large number. This is the reason rafales numbers r drastically reduced to just 36 from original 126(some fanboys was dreaming 300-400 rafales).Another is no one is ready for ToT. So we r left with su30s. In the last 30 years su30mki is the only new flatform inducted.

 

[Tanmay]

I guess with the usual indian procurement, after ordering a small quantity we sort of end up being the largest user of that equipment. Rafale is surely going to get follow on orders with assembly in India. At some point or later.
The problem is most home countries have accepted domestic incomplete/problematic hardware and worked on them. We keep dumping our products at slightest issues.

 

[Galaxy 7]

I guess with the usual indian procurement, after ordering a small quantity we sort of end up being the largest user of that equipment. Rafale is surely going to get follow on orders with assembly in India. At some point or later.
The problem is most home countries have accepted domestic incomplete/problematic hardware and worked on them. We keep dumping our products at slightest issues.

Rafale procurement is going mirage 2000 way. IAF wanted additional mirages. But russians bribed mulayam singh yadav and got su30s order. Additional mirages never came. As congress is politicizing rafale deal, this deal aso might face mirages fate

 

[patriots]

bad news.................................................

 

[Galaxy 7]

Why two wing commanders r using same microheli? Isnt there is rule to prevent high rank officials flying in same heli?

 

[bhramos]

Hi @NewsNationTV, that’s a Russian Su-57 PAK FA test plane you’ve got in that graphic on aircraft India is deploying near the China border.

 

[bhramos]

Hi @livemint, you’ve probably given people a real scare by using that picture of an LCA Tejas (flawless safety record), instead of the Virus SW80 microlight that tragically crashed.

 

[Vinod DX9]

Interesting news abput HAL ALH

 

[Vinod DX9]

In Bangladesh there are some Facebook pages, who exaggerate any negetive incident of Indian Armed Forces. Suppose , Indian Coast Guerd's patrol vessel rams into another boat....they will post pic of INS Vikramaditya!
Seems these pages are providing "adequate" training too

 

[Tanmay]

Why two wing commanders r using same microheli? Isnt there is rule to prevent high rank officials flying in same heli?

Probably for some sport or recreation?

 

[bhramos]

Hi @dna, the tragic crash was of a Virus SW80 microlight aircraft. That’s a picture of the IAF’s heaviest jet, the Su-30 MKI.

 

[darshan978]

In Bangladesh there are some Facebook pages, who exaggerate any negetive incident of Indian Armed Forces. Suppose , Indian Coast Guerd's patrol vessel rams into another boat....they will post pic of INS Vikramaditya!
Seems these pages are providing "adequate" training too

can you give names??..................................

 

[F-14B]

@bhramos the Indian Media is populated by baboons who don't know Jack shit about defense for them anything that flies is a fighter jet and anything that floats is an aircraft carrier bloody idiots all of them heck if you go ask the average Bimbo of a journo to name the CPF's of the Indian union they will blabber like a 3-month-old baby

 

[AMCA]

Hi @dna, the tragic crash was of a Virus SW80 microlight aircraft. That’s a picture of the IAF’s heaviest jet, the Su-30 MKI.

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[Adioz]

I have tried to make a forecast about IAF fighter fleet strength upto 2035. Here:-

Assumptions:-

• Assumption that Tejas Mk 2 is ready for production by 2025. This is reasonable considering that Dr. Shubhash Bhamre stated recently that Tejas Mk-2 will achieve FOC by 2025.
• By the time Tejas Mk 2 becomes ready for production, line 1 and 2 have been expanded for 8 aircraft per annum each. Total production rate rises to 24 per annum.
• MiG-21 Bison will be retired one squadron each year starting next year. Although, as pointed out by @Rahul Singh , IAF might keep the fighters beyond their due date and retire them all at once (in 2023) if replacements are not forthcoming.
• IAF will not order anymore Su-30 MKI, which they most likely will not.
• Rafale follow-on order (of 36 more Rafales) will be placed after Saffran is able to help GTRE in making Kaveri fly Tejas by 2021-22.
• Su-57 MKI deal is signed or Su-30 MKI route is taken and the production starts by 2025-26.
• Looking at Su-30 MKI production rate, the likely production rate for Su-57 MKI is also 12 fighters per annum. This is because even though our capability for manufacturing aerostructures will grow significantly, the production of Su-57 MKI is also likely to be significantly more complex than Su-30 MKI
• AMCA would enter production by 2028-29. Rate of production is assumed as 18 per annum since AMCA is a much smaller platform than Su-57 MKI.

The above plan is difficult, but not impossible. And if we stick to it, it would mean that the downward trend in squadron shortfall has already been arrested and squadron numbers will rise in earnest after 2025.
Members please weigh in you opinions on what other possibilities exist. I'll modify my table accordingly.

 

[binayak95]

I have tried to make a forecast about IAF fighter fleet strength upto 2035. Here:-
View attachment 23271

Assumptions:-

• Assumption that Tejas Mk 2 is ready for production by 2025. This is reasonable considering that Dr. Shubhash Bhamre stated recently that Tejas Mk-2 will achieve FOC by 2025.
• By the time Tejas Mk 2 becomes ready for production, line 1 and 2 have been expanded for 8 aircraft per annum each. Total production rate rises to 24 per annum.
• MiG-21 Bison will be retired one squadron each year starting next year. Although, as pointed out by @Rahul Singh , IAF might keep the fighters beyond their due date and retire them all at once (in 2023) if replacements are not forthcoming.
• IAF will not order anymore Su-30 MKI, which they most likely will not.
• Rafale follow-on order (of 36 more Rafales) will be placed after Saffran is able to help GTRE in making Kaveri fly Tejas by 2021-22.
• Su-57 MKI deal is signed or Su-30 MKI route is taken and the production starts by 2025-26.
• Looking at Su-30 MKI production rate, the likely production rate for Su-57 MKI is also 12 fighters per annum. This is because even though our capability for manufacturing aerostructures will grow significantly, the production of Su-57 MKI is also likely to be significantly more complex than Su-30 MKI
• AMCA would enter production by 2028-29. Rate of production is assumed as 18 per annum since AMCA is a much smaller platform than Su-57 MKI.

The above plan is difficult, but not impossible. And if we stick to it, it would mean that the downward trend in squadron shortfall has already been arrested and squadron numbers will rise in earnest after 2025.
Members please weigh in you opinions on what other possibilities exist. I'll modify my table accordingly.

Too many things are in flux. Tejas Mk2 timeline seems way too optimistic, in my opinion as does the Su-57 shenanigan. The only thing we can bank on with certainty is more Rafales and a 123 Tejas Mk1As. AMCA is a sure shot as long as NDA is in power. If not, Gods save us.

 

[Adioz]

Too many things are in flux. Tejas Mk2 timeline seems way too optimistic, in my opinion as does the Su-57 shenanigan. The only thing we can bank on with certainty is more Rafales and a 123 Tejas Mk1As. AMCA is a sure shot as long as NDA is in power. If not, Gods save us.

Bhamre says FOC by 2025. ACM Dhanoa says induction by 2027. I think the real timeline is somewhere between the two i.e. IOC by 2025. What is the worst case scenario timeline for Tejas Mk 2 in your opinion?

About the Su-57 MKI, I agree. We need to bite the bullet on it now. Any more delays in decision will hurt us. If we decide not to buy Su-57 MKI now, then we need to plan for contingencies. Right now we have the time to plan for contingencies, but the longer GoI delays on the decision, the more difficult it gets.

If we do decide to take up the Su-57 MKI now, then production can begin by 2025.

 

[Rahul Singh]

Assumption that Tejas Mk 2 is ready for production by 2025. This is reasonable considering that Dr. Shubhash Bhamre stated recently that Tejas Mk-2 will achieve FOC by 2025.

I believe Tejas MK-2 will achieve only IOC by 2025 considering it starts flying before the end of 2020 which is a very optimistic timeline.

By my estimates, MK-2 will fly anytime around 2021-22 and achieve IOC by 2027(this is when induction will begin) and FOC by 2029.