Last Indian Navy Tu-142ME Overhaul Completed

Galaxy · Dec 6, 2011

Last Indian Navy Tu-142ME Overhaul Completed

Beriev announced on December 5 that it has delivered back to the Indian Navy the last of its eight Tu-142MEs to be overhauled.

Newly overhauled and upgraded Indian Navy Tuploev Tu-142ME Bear-F IN312 prepares to depart from Beriev's facility at Taganrog on delivery back to India on December 5. Beriev

Beriev Aircraft announced on December 5 that it has completed a major overhaul of the last of the Indian Air Force's eight Tu-142ME Bear-F long-range anti-submarine warfare aircraft. In additional to maintenance work, the aircraft have undergone a service life extension programme, including some equipment upgrading, which should see them remain in service until 2020.

The final aircraft, IN312, has now completed all necessary flight-testing after completion of the work and was formally delivered back to the Indian Navy at Beriev's facility in Taganrog. It was then flown back to India to rejoin Indian Naval Air Squadron 312 'Albatross' at Indian Naval Station Rajali, Arrakonam, which opereates all of the Indian Navy's Tu-142ME fleet.

Last Indian Navy Tu-142ME Overhaul Completed: key.Aero, Military Aviation

Galaxy · Dec 6, 2011

It was then flown back to India to rejoin Indian Naval Air Squadron 312 'Albatross' at Indian Naval Station Rajali, Arrakonam, which opereates all of the Indian Navy's Tu-142ME fleet.

One Mistake: All Tu-142 are not stationed at INS Rajali, Chennai. Few are stationed at INS Hansa (Dabolim, Goa) also for west region."‹

pmaitra · Dec 6, 2011

Great news. Nice planes these!

binayak95 · Dec 6, 2011

Its good to know that the Tu 142 will remain in service for a long period. That means these planes will operate alongside the P8I poseidon

sesha_maruthi27 · Dec 6, 2011

Hey Guys is this the world's largest turbo prop engine plane? If it is so then I saw this at Visakhapatnam on the Navy Day, just a day before yesterday.

sesha_maruthi27 · Dec 6, 2011

Guys yeah this is the plane I saw. It was specially brought from Arrakonam to Visakhapatnam for the Navy Day. I will post a long shot photo of the Plane which i took from my mobile.

Koovie · Dec 6, 2011

man that plane has a special look, not ugly but..... odd

hitesh · Dec 6, 2011

Tojo said:
man that plane has a special look, not ugly but..... odd

Cos its worlds fastest propeller driven plane

indian_sukhoi · Dec 6, 2011

IN always wanted a Long range maritime aircrafts. Tu-142s Loiter time can last twelve hours and travel near to Australian coastline. Even the Austrlian govt showed concerned about it.

Thats the best part having four rotary blade engines. It can even switch off two engines to increase its loiter time. Dunno about the Tu-142s, but P-3 Orion can.

Galaxy said:
One Mistake: All Tu-142 are not stationed at INS Rajali, Chennai. Few are stationed at INS Hansa (Dabolim, Goa) also for west region."‹

Thought INS rajali is only Naval Aviation base capable to handle Tu-142s.

The biggest setback of Tu142s is its huge and needs lengthy runways.
When russians offered Tu-142s in late 80s, we actually rejected the offer. Because IN Aviation wing would need to upgrade their runways more bigger and new infrastructure needed to maintain.

binayak95 said:
Its good to know that the Tu 142 will remain in service for a long period. That means these planes will operate alongside the P8I poseidon

sesha_maruthi27 said:
Guys yeah this is the plane I saw. It was specially brought from Arrakonam to Visakhapatnam for the Navy Day. I will post a long shot photo of the Plane which i took from my mobile.

Yes, Tu142 are the largest and fastest turboprop aircraft in service. There are actually a maritime version of Tu-95s of russian backbone bomber fleet.

On the next Navy Day, Lets hope to see Tu-142, P-8 and IL-38s flying side by side. The IN P-8I is presently going on trials back in US this year.

Hoping to watch Navy Day next year in vizag or mumbai. Looking forward to click some pictures of Ruskie and amercian aircrafts flying side by side.

indian_sukhoi · Dec 6, 2011

Here is a complete detail about the Tu-142 upgrade program saga. I hope we didnt pay extra money, the Russians demanded.

According to the deal signed in 2004, Taganrog Aviation Company refits one Tu-142s annually.

Tu-142s Upgrade Program

In the same March 2004 report, Defense News reported that the Indian Navy had approached Rosoboronexport in November 2003 to upgrade their fleet of Tu-142s for a cost no more than USD $555.5 million. However the proposal put forward by Rosoboronexport to upgrade these aircraft with the Morskoy Zmei (Sea Dragon) multi-mission avionics and electronic warfare suite was rejected. The primary reasons were reportedly system performance issues and an exorbitant price tag, listed at USD $888.9 million by Rosoboronexport. In January 2004, a team of Indian Naval Aviation pilots visited Russia to evaluate a Sea Dragon-equipped Tu-142 aircraft. However the Sea Dragon suite failed to meet essential parameters and its detection capabilities were found inadequate. In February 2004, the Indian Navy approached Rosoboronexport again to have Israeli firms collaborate with Russian firms to customise a MMA and EW suite. However that proposal was rejected by Rosoboronexport, on the basis that the upgrade would have to be wholly Russian and must include the Sea Dragon suite.

Again from the same March 2004 report, Defense News reported that the Indian Navy then turned directly towards Israeli firms for the upgrade and that the Ministry of Defence would issue two individual RFPs (Requests For Proposals) to Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) and Elbit Systems to tailor a MMA and EW suite for the Tu-142 fleet. The RFPs are expected to be issued by the MoD in April 2004 and proposals are expected to be due within three months. This upgrade is expected to wholly revamp the Tu-142 into a modern maritime recon and electronic warfare aircraft. It is assumed that this has already taken place. By early 2004, the IN had reportedly completed with the refit of a Tu-142M (IN 315) with the Elta EL/M-2022A (V3) radar. The radar replaced the Leninets Korschun system and a comprehensive ELINT and COMINT package, with nose and fuselage mounted V/UHF antennae and an underfuselage P-band antenna farm, was also incorporated. This upgrade is similar to the upgrade package of the IN's Do-228s and features additional SATCOM, ELINT and EW equipment. It would be interesting to compare the capabilities of the Russian warfare suite with its Israeli counterpart, as the IL-38s are to be upgraded with the Sea Dragon suite.

Interfax-AVN reported in September 2004, that the Taganrog Aviation Company (Tavia) was implementing a contract for the repair of a Tu-142ME aircraft of the Indian Navy. Tavia's Director General, Nikolai Savitskikh, stated, "Another Indian plane of this type is currently under repairs at the aircraft plant. According to the schedule, the enterprise must annually repair one Indian Tu-142ME." He also stated that the enterprise was only repairing the Indian aircraft, not upgrading them. "Eight Tu-142MEs were supplied to India in 1987-1988. They are repaired in turns, all of them have been repaired once and are now up for the second repairs," the Director General said. He also added that repairs of both Russian and Indian Tu-142 planes provide for most of the company's workload.

Soviets used Tu-142s especially to maintain communication with its Nuclear Submarines.

Tu-142 communications duties between India's nuclear command center and its future nuclear submarine

Defense News reported in March 2004 that the Indian Navy had requested new avionics and electronic warfare suites for the Tu-142, for the detection and interception of surface vessels and submarines within a range of 150 kilometres, as well as the capability to detect mines and carry out long-range and long-endurance surveillance. The upgrade is also expected to enable the aircraft to be linked to the Indian satellite navigation system and be fitted with an observation system that will work in night and day. The primary ambition of the upgrade is to conduct maritime patrol missions and forge a linkage between India's nuclear command center and its futuristic nuclear submarine. The upgrade will further enable the aircraft to carry air-launched versions of the Klub and BrahMos ASCMs.

http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/NAVY/Aviation/Aircraft/119-Tupolev-Tu142m.html

Galaxy · Dec 6, 2011

Good thing is that our Maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare aircraft fleet is operating without any hassle and delay.

As per report by 2020, All 8 Tu-142 will be decommissioned but by that time, Most likely we will be operating 24 P8I too. so, we will always have no. and quality to maintain more teeth to IN.

W.G.Ewald · Dec 6, 2011

The primary ambition of the upgrade is to conduct maritime patrol missions and forge a linkage between India's nuclear command center and its futuristic nuclear submarine.

That seems an interesting technical problem. If not classified, does anyone here know how it is accomplished? I am thinking of some kind of sonobuoy.

I guess it isn't a secret that the USN uses, or did use, ELF for this purpose.

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Last Indian Navy Tu-142ME Overhaul Completed

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