Indian Air Force: News & Discussions

[indiandefencefan]

Indian Air Force likely to start trials of Astra missile from today
By Hemant Kumar Rout | Express News Service | Published: 31st August 2017 01:24 AM |

Last Updated: 31st August 2017 11:54 AM

BUBHANESWAR: A series of user associate trials of beyond visual range air-to-air missile Astra has been planned by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in the next few days. The sleek missile would be inducted in the armed forces by end of this year.

Defence sources said the missile developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) would be fired from Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft targeting an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). The test is aimed at revalidating the seeker of the missile and its killing efficiency.

“A newly developed indigenous seeker has been fitted with the weapon system. It is being put under trial for the second time. The seeker provides the missile required guidance besides an update mid-course internal guidance which help locate and track targets,” said a defence official.

Though the IAF had planned to start the trials from Wednesday, the mission could not take place reportedly due to inclement weather conditions. While the missile will be fired from the aircraft, another jet will track it all along the flight path.

“At least eight trials have been planned in this series and if weather permits, the tests would start from Thursday,” the official informed and added that the missile would be fired in a war-like situation.

Last year, the IAF had cleared limited series production of the missile and decided to obtain at least 50 missiles to gauge its performance before giving bulk order for its all fighter aircraft.

The missile tested during last December had successfully demonstrated its aerodynamic characteristics, repeatability, robustness and endurance capability. The IAF and the DRDO are also working on integrating the missile on light combat aircraft Tejas.

Astra possesses high single shot kill probability making it highly reliable and it is the first homegrown missile which has been integrated with Sukhoi-30 MKI. It is an all-weather missile with excellent electronic counter-countermeasure (ECCM) features.

The single stage and solid fuelled Astra is more advanced in its category than the contemporary beyond visual range missiles. Travelling at a speed of Mach 1.2 to 1.4, it is capable of engaging and destroying highly maneuverable aerial targets.

The missile has an operational range of 80 km in head-to-head mode and 20 km range in tail-chase mode. The 3.8 metre long missile, which has a diameter of 178 mm, can carry about 15 kg of high-explosive warhead, activated by a proximity fuse. It can duck radar eyes and is the smallest of the missiles developed by the DRDO.

http://www.newindianexpress.com/nat...ials-of-astra-missile-from-today-1650442.html

 

[airtel]

This is just an Mou with a private company ...... Don't worry neither F16 nor gripen will be choosen.

We don't have money for so many jets.

They will spend money on rafale, sukhoi 57, tejas and Amca.

 

[TPFscopes]

Mahindra is a very conservative group, they don't take risks.

Adani on the other hand are huge risk takers.

I have seen both from the inside.

ADANI can take risk but IAF approach style is way different for taking risks. They already taken a risk by selecting semi ready Mk1 (which will be upgraded to MK1A)
Where as Mahindra is my personal suggestion as they are already engaged in NAL's light aircraft and had two sites at India & Australia with enough experience.

 

[captscooby81]

Good to see that we are finally have Type D simulators for medium to heavy transport aircrafts ..Sim training is very must before you put someone to fly those big metal birds , Also there can be plenty of simulator options like wet landing and flying in bad weather conditions can be trained before asking the pilots to do it in practical situation ..

A Commemoration Ceremony was held at Air Force Station Hindan to mark the successful operationalisation of the C-130 J full motion level D Weapons System Trainer (Simulator). The simulator was rededicated to the nation and the Indian Air Force by Air Marshal C Hari Kumar AVSM VM VSM ADC, the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Western Air Command. The event coincided with the completion of yet another aircrew training programme wherein eight pilots graduated towards the next phase of operational deployment. Expressing his satisfaction over the progress of trainees, the Air Marshal said “….. training is the bedrock of achieving operational excellence. Successful completion of the training here lays foundation for the new platforms that IAF is inducting, including C-17 Globemaster, Apache and Chinook.”

The C-130 J simulator is the first full motion simulator for the IAF, operationalised, managed and maintained by Mahindra Defence Systems Ltd in association with Lockheed Martin Corporation, USA. The technology and configuration and configuration of the simulator enable trainee aircrew to perform precision low-level flying, airdrops, disaster relief, HADR Operations and landing in blackout conditions status with zero Flight Time.

Complementing Mahindra Defence Systems, the Air Marshal, added that the IAF has tremendously benefitted from this industry led training model and he hoped that this association would bring rich dividends to the Air Force.

 

[sorcerer]

This is The Indian Air Force by Captain Raghu Raman

 

[square]

what are the chances that both got selected .......?

 

[square]

India will get capability to make next-generation fighter jets with Saab’s Gripen: Adani’s Ashish Rajvanshi.

 

[square]

Saab said it is also looking at supplying the Indian Navy a version of Gripen with advanced features to take off from aircraft carriers.

https://www.google.co.in/amp/www.fi...gripen-fighter-jets-in-india-3999639.html/amp

 

[Vinod DX9]

Can anyone explain,why Tejas Mk1A will cost 92+million US $ when F-35 is expected to be cost as low as 84,soon

 

[HarshBardhan]

Can anyone explain,why Tejas Mk1A will cost 92+million US $ when F-35 is expected to be cost as low as 84,soon

Going by Wiki figures , isn't it ? I don't think that Tejas Mk.1A in any dream will cost that much though. Anyone better versed than me in this subject can explain more on this

 

[airtel]

Going by Wiki figures , isn't it ? I don't think that Tejas Mk.1A in any dream will cost that much though. Anyone better versed than me in this subject can explain more on this

source is budget released by Indian government .

Can anyone explain,why Tejas Mk1A will cost 92+million US $ when F-35 is expected to be cost as low as 84,soon

92 Billion$ with all the weapons , services & spare Parts ..................cost of rafale is about 220 million $ including all the items .
and for F-35 , 84 million$ is the cost of air-frame ( without Engines , weapons & spare parts ) .

even the cost of cheaper & inferior F-16 was 165 million$ for Iraq in 2011 (with all the Items ) today it will be around 200 Million $ for F-16 .

http://nation.time.com/2011/09/28/sticker-shock-iraqi-f-16s-165-million-each/

 

[F-14B]

Saab said it is also looking at supplying the Indian Navy a version of Gripen with advanced features to take off from aircraft carriers.

https://www.google.co.in/amp/www.fi...gripen-fighter-jets-in-india-3999639.html/amp

I am very skeptical of the Sea Grippen to be honest

 

[Vinod DX9]

Thanks, I too thought same. But needed confirmation.

 

[TPFscopes]

Thanks, I too thought same. But needed confirmation.

Unit cost
₹160 crore (US$25 million) for Mark I
₹242.5 crore (US$38 million) for Mark IA

rest is paid for support package...

 

[smestarz]

No takers for Sea gripen. Let Gripen first take a grip on its sales

I am very skeptical of the Sea Grippen to be honest

 

[Kchontha]

How much will the f16 and gripen cost when make in India? Which version of gripen will be made in India? Is the iaf buying both the two single engine combat jets? What happens to indegenous single engine effort called as AF tejas mk2? Please illuminate.

 

[rohit b3]

How much will the f16 and gripen cost when make in India? Which version of gripen will be made in India? Is the iaf buying both the two single engine combat jets? What happens to indegenous single engine effort called as AF tejas mk2? Please illuminate.

From the past we do get an idea of how long it takes from a tender being opened to the contract being signed and deliveries to start.
The MMRCA competition(Rafale deal) was started back around 2007 for 126 jets. The contract was finally signed in 2016 for 36 jets and deliveries are expected to begin from 2019 - 12 years

The Attack helicopter tender (Apache deal) for 22 Attack choppers was started in 2008 with the first delivery expected to start in 2019 - 11 years.

Now this so called "Single engined fighter" deal with worth over 20 BILLION$. Several times more than the previous deals. And no official tender has been opened yet.
So from the opening of the tender, to the IAF selecting an aircraft, following years of negotiations, signing the contract and final deliveries , it is sure to take atleast the same time like the previous contracts i.e over 10 years.
So any such aircraft's first delivery wont begin before 2027-2028 and deliveries ending past 2040(when these aircrafts are already starting to enter obsolence)

So logically, i dont expect any such deals at all. If the govt. was serious, atleast a tender would have been opened by now.
All i see is comments by "people who wish not to be named" inside the IAF and MoD and rest are the work of the paid media.

Now however we heard that recently Adani tied up with Saab. And we all known Adani pulls the strings on Modi, so that worries me.
If this deal gets signed, The Tejas mk2 project is as good as dead, AMCA is indefinitely delayed and the IAF/aerospace industry goes back to the 1980s, when we used to assemble Mig21s and Jaguars through HAL with no R&D.

 

[Kchontha]

Now however we heard that recently Adani tied up with Saab. And we all known Adani pulls the strings on Modi, so that worries me.
If this deal gets signed, The Tejas mk2 project is as good as dead, AMCA is indefinitely delayed and the IAF/aerospace industry goes back to the 1980s, when we used to assemble Mig21s and Jaguars through HAL with no R&D

That means if the gripen deal is struck it will recreate history just like what the other did to marut. If your worries are right then it gonna be darkest and most insulting period of indigenous combat aviation r&d effort.

 

[Armand2REP]

Trump won't clear critical F-16 technologies, Saab uses many American components in its critical technologies which also won't be cleared. This tender with a Make in India initiative is a waste of time because nothing will be cleared under Trump.

 

[Scarface]

From the past we do get an idea of how long it takes from a tender being opened to the contract being signed and deliveries to start.
The MMRCA competition(Rafale deal) was started back around 2007 for 126 jets. The contract was finally signed in 2016 for 36 jets and deliveries are expected to begin from 2019 - 12 years

The Attack helicopter tender (Apache deal) for 22 Attack choppers was started in 2008 with the first delivery expected to start in 2019 - 11 years.

Now this so called "Single engined fighter" deal with worth over 20 BILLION$. Several times more than the previous deals. And no official tender has been opened yet.
So from the opening of the tender, to the IAF selecting an aircraft, following years of negotiations, signing the contract and final deliveries , it is sure to take atleast the same time like the previous contracts i.e over 10 years.
So any such aircraft's first delivery wont begin before 2027-2028 and deliveries ending past 2040(when these aircrafts are already starting to enter obsolence)

So logically, i dont expect any such deals at all. If the govt. was serious, atleast a tender would have been opened by now.
All i see is comments by "people who wish not to be named" inside the IAF and MoD and rest are the work of the paid media.

Now however we heard that recently Adani tied up with Saab. And we all known Adani pulls the strings on Modi, so that worries me.
If this deal gets signed, The Tejas mk2 project is as good as dead, AMCA is indefinitely delayed and the IAF/aerospace industry goes back to the 1980s, when we used to assemble Mig21s and Jaguars through HAL with no R&D.

I'll place my money on Carnegie Endowment think-tank who's been lobbying Modi on US imports and lobbying in US to import to India.It is said that they had a key role to play in the Sea Guardian deal.

Adani has nothing on these guys,F-16 will be picked if anything actually does get picked