No. It is the last batch for 272 jets.
Indian Air Force: News & Discussions
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Bhurki
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No, This order is certainly for replacement units.
First 50 were built in russia. Another 222 have been completed by HAL in (140+40+42).
This article is from 2012-
India to buy 42 combat aircraft from Russia | Brahmand News
India is all set to procure 42 Su-30 MKI combat aircraft and 71 medium-lift helicopters from Russia.
"The 42 Su-30MKIs will add to the firepower of the Indian Air Force and after this, the number of these aircraft will be around 272, they said."
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F-solah taiyyara sounds so funny 
For the first 140 order, HAL categorically stated that it would be completed by 2015. Means the rest 82 were build post 2015. Now if you have so much belief in HAL that they have completed the delivery before schedule, I've nothing to say.No, This order is certainly for replacement units.
First 50 were built in russia. Another 222 have been completed by HAL in (140+40+42).
This article is from 2012-
India to buy 42 combat aircraft from Russia | Brahmand News
India is all set to procure 42 Su-30 MKI combat aircraft and 71 medium-lift helicopters from Russia.brahmand.com
"The 42 Su-30MKIs will add to the firepower of the Indian Air Force and after this, the number of these aircraft will be around 272, they said."
WolfPack86
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Ladakh face-off: India to order 2 more Israeli Phalcon ‘eyes in sky’ for $1 billion
India is now finally going to seal the long-pending around $1 billion deal to acquire two more “Phalcon” airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft from Israel, which has been derailed at least a couple of times in the past due to the high costs involved.
Sources on Wednesday said the acquisition of the two AWACS, with the Israeli Phalcon early-warning radar system mounted on Russian Ilyushin-76 heavy-lift aircraft, is all set to get the final nod from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) after extensive inter-ministerial consultations.
The two new Phalcon AWACS, which will add to the three such aircraft inducted by the IAF in 2009-2011 under a $1.1 billion contract, will be delivered in three to four years. “They will be more advanced than the first three Phalcon AWACS with the latest upgrades,” said a source.
The need for additional AWACS, which are powerful “eyes in the sky”, was acutely felt during the pre-dawn strikes at Balakot and the subsequent aerial skirmish with Pakistani fighters in February last year. The ongoing military confrontation with China in eastern Ladakh has further reinforced the operational requirement.
AWACS or AEW&C (airborne early-warning and control) aircraft are critical in modern warfare because they can detect and track incoming fighters, cruise missiles and drones much before ground-based radars, direct friendly fighters during air combat with enemy jets, and keep tabs on enemy troop build-ups and movement of warships.
But Pakistan is ahead of India in this crucial arena, which struck home much to IAF’s disquiet during the aerial skirmish last year. Pakistan has 8-10 Chinese Karakoram Eagle ZDK-03 AWACS and Swedish Saab-2000 AEW&C. China, in turn, has well over 30, including Kong Jing-2000 “Mainring”, KJ-200 “Moth” and KJ-500 aircraft.
India currently has just three Phalcon AWACS, with a 400-km range and 360-degree coverage,and two indigenous “Netra” AEW&C aircraft, with indigenous 240-degree coverage radars with a 250-km range fitted on smaller Brazilian Embraer-145 jets.
A much more ambitious indigenous AWACS-India project worth Rs 5,113 crore was approved by the defence ministry in March 2015 for 360-degree coverage with indigenous AESA (active electronically scanned array) radars to be mounted on two Airbus A-330 wide-body jets. But this project will only now head to the CCS for clearance.
The impending contract for the two new AWACS comes after the defence ministry decided earlier this month to also fast-track the Rs 3,500 crore “Project Cheetah” to upgrade its Israeli Heron drones with laser-guided bombs, air-to-ground anti-tank missiles and other precision-guided munitions as well as advanced reconnaissance capabilities, as was reported by TOI.
Israel is one of the top arms suppliers to the Indian armed forces. Indian acquisitions over the years range from Barak surface-to-air missile systems, Spyder quick-reaction anti-aircraft missiles and a wide array of drones and radars to Python and Derby air-to-air missiles, Crystal Maze and Spice-2000 precision-guided munitions.
India is now finally going to seal the long-pending around $1 billion deal to acquire two more “Phalcon” airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft from Israel, which has been derailed at least a couple of times in the past due to the high costs involved.
Sources on Wednesday said the acquisition of the two AWACS, with the Israeli Phalcon early-warning radar system mounted on Russian Ilyushin-76 heavy-lift aircraft, is all set to get the final nod from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) after extensive inter-ministerial consultations.
The two new Phalcon AWACS, which will add to the three such aircraft inducted by the IAF in 2009-2011 under a $1.1 billion contract, will be delivered in three to four years. “They will be more advanced than the first three Phalcon AWACS with the latest upgrades,” said a source.
The need for additional AWACS, which are powerful “eyes in the sky”, was acutely felt during the pre-dawn strikes at Balakot and the subsequent aerial skirmish with Pakistani fighters in February last year. The ongoing military confrontation with China in eastern Ladakh has further reinforced the operational requirement.
AWACS or AEW&C (airborne early-warning and control) aircraft are critical in modern warfare because they can detect and track incoming fighters, cruise missiles and drones much before ground-based radars, direct friendly fighters during air combat with enemy jets, and keep tabs on enemy troop build-ups and movement of warships.
But Pakistan is ahead of India in this crucial arena, which struck home much to IAF’s disquiet during the aerial skirmish last year. Pakistan has 8-10 Chinese Karakoram Eagle ZDK-03 AWACS and Swedish Saab-2000 AEW&C. China, in turn, has well over 30, including Kong Jing-2000 “Mainring”, KJ-200 “Moth” and KJ-500 aircraft.
India currently has just three Phalcon AWACS, with a 400-km range and 360-degree coverage,and two indigenous “Netra” AEW&C aircraft, with indigenous 240-degree coverage radars with a 250-km range fitted on smaller Brazilian Embraer-145 jets.
A much more ambitious indigenous AWACS-India project worth Rs 5,113 crore was approved by the defence ministry in March 2015 for 360-degree coverage with indigenous AESA (active electronically scanned array) radars to be mounted on two Airbus A-330 wide-body jets. But this project will only now head to the CCS for clearance.
The impending contract for the two new AWACS comes after the defence ministry decided earlier this month to also fast-track the Rs 3,500 crore “Project Cheetah” to upgrade its Israeli Heron drones with laser-guided bombs, air-to-ground anti-tank missiles and other precision-guided munitions as well as advanced reconnaissance capabilities, as was reported by TOI.
Israel is one of the top arms suppliers to the Indian armed forces. Indian acquisitions over the years range from Barak surface-to-air missile systems, Spyder quick-reaction anti-aircraft missiles and a wide array of drones and radars to Python and Derby air-to-air missiles, Crystal Maze and Spice-2000 precision-guided munitions.
Ladakh face-off: India to order 2 more Israeli Phalcon ‘eyes in sky’ for $1 billion
India is now finally going to seal the long-pending around $1 billion deal to acquire two more “Phalcon” airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft from Israel, which has been derailed at least a couple of times in the past due to the high costs involved. Sources on Wednesday said the...
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sorcerer
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India likely to set up unified air defence command in October
NEW DELHI: India is moving towards setting up its new Air Defence Command (ADC), which will eventually be responsible for guarding the country’s airspace against hostile aircraft, missiles, helicopters and drones in an integrated manner, by October this year.
Sources say the headquarters of the ADC, which will bring together all the air defence (AD) weapon systems of the Army, Navy and IAF under its operational command, is likely to come alongside the Central Air Command at Allahabad (Prayagraj). It will be headed by a three-star general (Air Marshal) from the IAF.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
NEW DELHI: India is moving towards setting up its new Air Defence Command (ADC), which will eventually be responsible for guarding the country’s airspace against hostile aircraft, missiles, helicopters and drones in an integrated manner, by October this year.
Sources say the headquarters of the ADC, which will bring together all the air defence (AD) weapon systems of the Army, Navy and IAF under its operational command, is likely to come alongside the Central Air Command at Allahabad (Prayagraj). It will be headed by a three-star general (Air Marshal) from the IAF.
India likely to set up unified air defence command in October | India News - Times of India
India News: India is moving towards setting up its new Air Defence Command (ADC), which will eventually be responsible for guarding the country’s airspace against
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
$1 billion for 2 phalcons.....who says we aren’t rich...?Ladakh face-off: India to order 2 more Israeli Phalcon ‘eyes in sky’ for $1 billion
India is now finally going to seal the long-pending around $1 billion deal to acquire two more “Phalcon” airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft from Israel, which has been derailed at least a couple of times in the past due to the high costs involved.
Sources on Wednesday said the acquisition of the two AWACS, with the Israeli Phalcon early-warning radar system mounted on Russian Ilyushin-76 heavy-lift aircraft, is all set to get the final nod from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) after extensive inter-ministerial consultations.
The two new Phalcon AWACS, which will add to the three such aircraft inducted by the IAF in 2009-2011 under a $1.1 billion contract, will be delivered in three to four years. “They will be more advanced than the first three Phalcon AWACS with the latest upgrades,” said a source.
The need for additional AWACS, which are powerful “eyes in the sky”, was acutely felt during the pre-dawn strikes at Balakot and the subsequent aerial skirmish with Pakistani fighters in February last year. The ongoing military confrontation with China in eastern Ladakh has further reinforced the operational requirement.
AWACS or AEW&C (airborne early-warning and control) aircraft are critical in modern warfare because they can detect and track incoming fighters, cruise missiles and drones much before ground-based radars, direct friendly fighters during air combat with enemy jets, and keep tabs on enemy troop build-ups and movement of warships.
But Pakistan is ahead of India in this crucial arena, which struck home much to IAF’s disquiet during the aerial skirmish last year. Pakistan has 8-10 Chinese Karakoram Eagle ZDK-03 AWACS and Swedish Saab-2000 AEW&C. China, in turn, has well over 30, including Kong Jing-2000 “Mainring”, KJ-200 “Moth” and KJ-500 aircraft.
India currently has just three Phalcon AWACS, with a 400-km range and 360-degree coverage,and two indigenous “Netra” AEW&C aircraft, with indigenous 240-degree coverage radars with a 250-km range fitted on smaller Brazilian Embraer-145 jets.
A much more ambitious indigenous AWACS-India project worth Rs 5,113 crore was approved by the defence ministry in March 2015 for 360-degree coverage with indigenous AESA (active electronically scanned array) radars to be mounted on two Airbus A-330 wide-body jets. But this project will only now head to the CCS for clearance.
The impending contract for the two new AWACS comes after the defence ministry decided earlier this month to also fast-track the Rs 3,500 crore “Project Cheetah” to upgrade its Israeli Heron drones with laser-guided bombs, air-to-ground anti-tank missiles and other precision-guided munitions as well as advanced reconnaissance capabilities, as was reported by TOI.
Israel is one of the top arms suppliers to the Indian armed forces. Indian acquisitions over the years range from Barak surface-to-air missile systems, Spyder quick-reaction anti-aircraft missiles and a wide array of drones and radars to Python and Derby air-to-air missiles, Crystal Maze and Spice-2000 precision-guided munitions.
Ladakh face-off: India to order 2 more Israeli Phalcon ‘eyes in sky’ for $1 billion
India is now finally going to seal the long-pending around $1 billion deal to acquire two more “Phalcon” airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft from Israel, which has been derailed at least a couple of times in the past due to the high costs involved. Sources on Wednesday said the...www.defencenews.in
Bhurki
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Capital outlay for IAF? ($5.6B for 2020)
Prior commitments to Rafale, S400 etc will take away the bulk of any outlay but my point was on the sense of the purchase at half a billion each.
Bhurki
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Yeah, and my point was sarcasm which obviously lost its way.
Flying Dagger
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Negotiation went on for a decade what sense you are talking abt ?
AEW&C/AWACS are expensive any which way you look at them, but $500 MM per plane is a little over the top e.g. the Royal Airforce placed an order for 5 Boeing E-7 Wedgetail AEW&C for $2 billion, so about $400 MM per plane. The Edgetail has similar if not superior performance to the Phalcon and a much less maintenance intensive airframe and engines. It is based on the Boeing 737 and would have brought common maintenance logistics support with the IN P-8s. The IL-76 on which the Phalcon is mounted is a fuel and maintenance hog, one of the primary reasons the IAF went in for the C-17 and also why the IAF is not keen on buying more IL-78 tankers.
The prop mounted AEW&C are cheaper alternatives but they cannot operate at altitudes of more than 25,000 feet which is essential to peer over the Himalayan mountains and monitor PLAAF movements in Tibet. So the DRDO proposal to mount it's Netra AEW&C on a EADS C-295 will be cost effective, probably $80 MM per aircraft but operationally it will be limited to the Pakistan border in Punjab and south.
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More imports ! Why didn't IAF order more than 3 Netra awacs straight up ? It took balakot for them to realise they need more awacs ? Esp since even common people like us know that porkistan has more awacs. Its criminal , this attitude of plugging holes after the flood water has enteredLadakh face-off: India to order 2 more Israeli Phalcon ‘eyes in sky’ for $1 billion
India is now finally going to seal the long-pending around $1 billion deal to acquire two more “Phalcon” airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft from Israel, which has been derailed at least a couple of times in the past due to the high costs involved.
Sources on Wednesday said the acquisition of the two AWACS, with the Israeli Phalcon early-warning radar system mounted on Russian Ilyushin-76 heavy-lift aircraft, is all set to get the final nod from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) after extensive inter-ministerial consultations.
The two new Phalcon AWACS, which will add to the three such aircraft inducted by the IAF in 2009-2011 under a $1.1 billion contract, will be delivered in three to four years. “They will be more advanced than the first three Phalcon AWACS with the latest upgrades,” said a source.
The need for additional AWACS, which are powerful “eyes in the sky”, was acutely felt during the pre-dawn strikes at Balakot and the subsequent aerial skirmish with Pakistani fighters in February last year. The ongoing military confrontation with China in eastern Ladakh has further reinforced the operational requirement.
AWACS or AEW&C (airborne early-warning and control) aircraft are critical in modern warfare because they can detect and track incoming fighters, cruise missiles and drones much before ground-based radars, direct friendly fighters during air combat with enemy jets, and keep tabs on enemy troop build-ups and movement of warships.
But Pakistan is ahead of India in this crucial arena, which struck home much to IAF’s disquiet during the aerial skirmish last year. Pakistan has 8-10 Chinese Karakoram Eagle ZDK-03 AWACS and Swedish Saab-2000 AEW&C. China, in turn, has well over 30, including Kong Jing-2000 “Mainring”, KJ-200 “Moth” and KJ-500 aircraft.
India currently has just three Phalcon AWACS, with a 400-km range and 360-degree coverage,and two indigenous “Netra” AEW&C aircraft, with indigenous 240-degree coverage radars with a 250-km range fitted on smaller Brazilian Embraer-145 jets.
A much more ambitious indigenous AWACS-India project worth Rs 5,113 crore was approved by the defence ministry in March 2015 for 360-degree coverage with indigenous AESA (active electronically scanned array) radars to be mounted on two Airbus A-330 wide-body jets. But this project will only now head to the CCS for clearance.
The impending contract for the two new AWACS comes after the defence ministry decided earlier this month to also fast-track the Rs 3,500 crore “Project Cheetah” to upgrade its Israeli Heron drones with laser-guided bombs, air-to-ground anti-tank missiles and other precision-guided munitions as well as advanced reconnaissance capabilities, as was reported by TOI.
Israel is one of the top arms suppliers to the Indian armed forces. Indian acquisitions over the years range from Barak surface-to-air missile systems, Spyder quick-reaction anti-aircraft missiles and a wide array of drones and radars to Python and Derby air-to-air missiles, Crystal Maze and Spice-2000 precision-guided munitions.
Ladakh face-off: India to order 2 more Israeli Phalcon ‘eyes in sky’ for $1 billion
India is now finally going to seal the long-pending around $1 billion deal to acquire two more “Phalcon” airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft from Israel, which has been derailed at least a couple of times in the past due to the high costs involved. Sources on Wednesday said the...www.defencenews.in
Bhurki
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Netra is based on Emb 145, hence has limited endurance ( fuel load less than 5 tons), not to forget the 240° coverageMore imports ! Why didn't IAF order more than 3 Netra awacs straight up ? It took balakot for them to realise they need more awacs ? Esp since even common people like us know that porkistan has more awacs. Its criminal , this attitude of plugging holes after the flood water has entered
shuvo@y2k10
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There was a report after Balakot strike that IAF was extremely impressed by the performance of Netra, which had an extended range and was going to order more(based on C-295 platform). What happened to that?
BangaliBabu
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they were only impressed. Now depressed. Will be again impressed when put to use along the LAC. Then will be depressed again.
Bhurki
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Afaik, the C295 deal for some 60 aircraft itself is stuck.
So premising an awac on an aircraft that hasn't yet been signed isn't exactly pragmatic.
The aircrafts itself after ordering will take some 2-3 years to be acquired and another 3-4 years to be converted into awacs.
That is not a favourable timeline.
WolfPack86
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India Buying MiG-29 From Russia – Part 1
MiG-29 test pilot, Anatoly Kvochur, was awarded ‘Hero of Russia,’ the highest honorary title of the Russian Federation, and The Order ‘For Merit to the Fatherland,’ at that time the highest Order of the Russian Federation
India is buying twenty-one new MiG-29UPG (Baaz) multirole fighters from Russia. Eyebrows are raised. Why buy an ageing fighter? A fighter that will have design-age of eighty years when it retires in 2050!
Because a MiG-29UPG costs less. Three-four MiG-29UPG for the price of one Rafael. And yet, MiG-29UPG packs a punch. It outfights most nimble of modern-day fighters in close combat. And is a challenge to them in a Beyond Visual Range (BVR) encounter.
Its main shortfalls are in weapon load, electronic counter measure (ECM), range, avionics, and maintenance.
Ageing Warrior
MiG-29 is an ageing warrior, almost half a century old. Its design is 1970s technology. Its first flight was on 06 October 1977. But MiG-29UPG is almost a new fighter compared to the MiG-29 A that Luftwaffe and the US flew and evaluated in 1990-2000.
MiG-29 Versus Other Top Fighters
What we know about MiG-29 versus today’s top fighters – F 16, F/A 18, and F 15 – comes from the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) and from United States Air Force (USAF). After the German reunification in October 1990, twenty-four MiG-29 A of the East German Airforce were integrated into Luftwaffe. These were extensively flown by Luftwaffe pilots with wide experience in West’s advanced fighters like Phantom and Tornado. The US acquired twenty-one MiG-29 A from Moldova in November 1997. These were exhaustively evaluated in the US.
Later, MiG-29 flown by Luftwaffe pilots were pitched against F 16, F/A 18, and F 15 in exercise Red Flag. It is a two-week advanced aerial combat training exercise held several times a year by the USAF. The exercise simulates a realistic air-battle environment. The aim is to train military pilots and to evaluate combat aircraft and battle tactics.
MiG-29 In Close Combat
Oberstleutnant Johann Köck of Luftwaffe who flew the MiG-29 said, “Inside ten nautical miles I’m hard to defeat, and with the IRST [Infra-Red Search and Track], helmet sight and ‘Archer’ I can’t be beaten. Period.”
In the Red Flag exercise, a Luftwaffe pilot flying a MiG-29, shot down three F/A 18 in less than one minute.
In close combat, the fighter with better thrust to weight (T/W) ratio, turn-rate, and manoeuvrability has the edge. MiG-29 excels in all three criteria.
Thrust to Weight (T/W) Ratio
MiG-29’s T/W ratio is better than other fighters.
T/W RATIO
FIGHTER MiG-29 M F 15 C F 22 A Rafale C F/A 18 E F 16 E F 14 B/D
T/W 1.19/1.39 1.19 1.18 1.16 1.11 1.09 1.08
Turn Rate
Western pilots who flew MiG-29 described its turn performance as “awesome,” “incredible,” accelerating from 800 to 850 kmph in a sustained level 9 g turn, 360 deg, below 5,000 feet. No Western fighter matches that performance.
MiG-29’smaximum turn-rate of 28 degrees per second is better than that of the nimblest of West’s fighters: F 16’s 26 degrees per second. And its sustained turn rate 23 degrees per second is better than West’s most advanced air defence fighter F 15’s sustained turn rate of 16 degrees per second.
Manoeuvrability
MiG-29 is supermanoeuvrable, that is, it can do manoeuvres that are impossible in other aircraft. It showcased its supermanoeuvrability at Farnborough air show
in 1988 and Paris air show in 1989: performed tail slide and Hammerhead Turn (Stall Turn).
In tail slide, the fighter pulls up to vertical position, the speed drops, fighter stands still, motionless, for about fifteen seconds, then begins to slide down towards its tail, then the nose falls forward and fighter regains control.
In stall turn, right or left rudder is applied when the fighter is pointing vertically up and is at very low speed, it cartwheels left or right through 180 degrees at speed near zero, nose dropping from vertically up to vertically down, and pulls out of the dive.
These are not combat manoeuvres. But these demonstrate MiG-29’s ability to maneuverer at exceptionally low speeds without loss of control. During close combat, which is at low speeds, MiG-29 pilot can focus on the adversary without fear of losing control of his fighter. British Aerospace test pilot John Farley best summed up MiG-29’s handling qualities, “No skill is required to fly this aircraft at its aerodynamic limits.”
How supermanoeuvrability may help in close combat is explained by Sergey Bogdan, Sukhoi chief test pilot, “The classical air combat starts at high speed, but [ends up] at a lower speed, [where] both aircraft may be in a position where they cannot shoot. But supermanoeuvrability allows an aircraft to turn within three seconds and take another shot.”
Thrust Vector Control On MiG-29
An all-aspect thrust-vector control (TVC) has been offered to India. Klimov nozzle can be fitted to any MiG-29 (RD-33 series) engine. The nozzle can deflect the engine’s full thrust by up to 18 degrees in any direction. With these nozzles, MiG-29 can do double back-flips and controlled flat spins. These display the control power provided by the TVC. That control power would enhance nose-pointing ability. That gives a further edge to MiG-29 with a TVC in close combat.
Of the West’s fighters, only F 22 Raptor with vectored thrust is supermanoeuvrable.
Manoeuvrability Value in Future Close Combat
MiG-29 and its Western counterparts have Helmet Mounted Sights and missiles that can be fired 30-45 degrees “off-boresight,” that is without pointing the fighter towards the target. These missiles have kill-probabilities of seventy to eighty percent. So, the advantage of superior manoeuvrability in future close combats will reduce.
Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Battle
Present day Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missiles can be fired at targets over 100 km away. Super long range BVR have a speed of 5-6 Mach and range of
300-400 km, a distance it can cover in 45-60 seconds. It has a good probability of hitting the lumbering tankers and AWACS.
USAF believes that BVR combat will dominate future air battles. The Russians believe that electronic counter measures and evasive manoeuvres will lower the hit probability against manoeuvrable fighters much below the projected fifty to seventy percent hit rate. Russian fighters are therefore designed for BVR battle, but with equal focus on close combat.
www.indiandefensenews.in
MiG-29 test pilot, Anatoly Kvochur, was awarded ‘Hero of Russia,’ the highest honorary title of the Russian Federation, and The Order ‘For Merit to the Fatherland,’ at that time the highest Order of the Russian Federation
India is buying twenty-one new MiG-29UPG (Baaz) multirole fighters from Russia. Eyebrows are raised. Why buy an ageing fighter? A fighter that will have design-age of eighty years when it retires in 2050!
Because a MiG-29UPG costs less. Three-four MiG-29UPG for the price of one Rafael. And yet, MiG-29UPG packs a punch. It outfights most nimble of modern-day fighters in close combat. And is a challenge to them in a Beyond Visual Range (BVR) encounter.
Its main shortfalls are in weapon load, electronic counter measure (ECM), range, avionics, and maintenance.
Ageing Warrior
MiG-29 is an ageing warrior, almost half a century old. Its design is 1970s technology. Its first flight was on 06 October 1977. But MiG-29UPG is almost a new fighter compared to the MiG-29 A that Luftwaffe and the US flew and evaluated in 1990-2000.
MiG-29 Versus Other Top Fighters
What we know about MiG-29 versus today’s top fighters – F 16, F/A 18, and F 15 – comes from the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) and from United States Air Force (USAF). After the German reunification in October 1990, twenty-four MiG-29 A of the East German Airforce were integrated into Luftwaffe. These were extensively flown by Luftwaffe pilots with wide experience in West’s advanced fighters like Phantom and Tornado. The US acquired twenty-one MiG-29 A from Moldova in November 1997. These were exhaustively evaluated in the US.
Later, MiG-29 flown by Luftwaffe pilots were pitched against F 16, F/A 18, and F 15 in exercise Red Flag. It is a two-week advanced aerial combat training exercise held several times a year by the USAF. The exercise simulates a realistic air-battle environment. The aim is to train military pilots and to evaluate combat aircraft and battle tactics.
MiG-29 In Close Combat
Oberstleutnant Johann Köck of Luftwaffe who flew the MiG-29 said, “Inside ten nautical miles I’m hard to defeat, and with the IRST [Infra-Red Search and Track], helmet sight and ‘Archer’ I can’t be beaten. Period.”
In the Red Flag exercise, a Luftwaffe pilot flying a MiG-29, shot down three F/A 18 in less than one minute.
In close combat, the fighter with better thrust to weight (T/W) ratio, turn-rate, and manoeuvrability has the edge. MiG-29 excels in all three criteria.
Thrust to Weight (T/W) Ratio
MiG-29’s T/W ratio is better than other fighters.
T/W RATIO
FIGHTER MiG-29 M F 15 C F 22 A Rafale C F/A 18 E F 16 E F 14 B/D
T/W 1.19/1.39 1.19 1.18 1.16 1.11 1.09 1.08
Turn Rate
Western pilots who flew MiG-29 described its turn performance as “awesome,” “incredible,” accelerating from 800 to 850 kmph in a sustained level 9 g turn, 360 deg, below 5,000 feet. No Western fighter matches that performance.
MiG-29’smaximum turn-rate of 28 degrees per second is better than that of the nimblest of West’s fighters: F 16’s 26 degrees per second. And its sustained turn rate 23 degrees per second is better than West’s most advanced air defence fighter F 15’s sustained turn rate of 16 degrees per second.
Manoeuvrability
MiG-29 is supermanoeuvrable, that is, it can do manoeuvres that are impossible in other aircraft. It showcased its supermanoeuvrability at Farnborough air show
in 1988 and Paris air show in 1989: performed tail slide and Hammerhead Turn (Stall Turn).
In tail slide, the fighter pulls up to vertical position, the speed drops, fighter stands still, motionless, for about fifteen seconds, then begins to slide down towards its tail, then the nose falls forward and fighter regains control.
In stall turn, right or left rudder is applied when the fighter is pointing vertically up and is at very low speed, it cartwheels left or right through 180 degrees at speed near zero, nose dropping from vertically up to vertically down, and pulls out of the dive.
These are not combat manoeuvres. But these demonstrate MiG-29’s ability to maneuverer at exceptionally low speeds without loss of control. During close combat, which is at low speeds, MiG-29 pilot can focus on the adversary without fear of losing control of his fighter. British Aerospace test pilot John Farley best summed up MiG-29’s handling qualities, “No skill is required to fly this aircraft at its aerodynamic limits.”
How supermanoeuvrability may help in close combat is explained by Sergey Bogdan, Sukhoi chief test pilot, “The classical air combat starts at high speed, but [ends up] at a lower speed, [where] both aircraft may be in a position where they cannot shoot. But supermanoeuvrability allows an aircraft to turn within three seconds and take another shot.”
Thrust Vector Control On MiG-29
An all-aspect thrust-vector control (TVC) has been offered to India. Klimov nozzle can be fitted to any MiG-29 (RD-33 series) engine. The nozzle can deflect the engine’s full thrust by up to 18 degrees in any direction. With these nozzles, MiG-29 can do double back-flips and controlled flat spins. These display the control power provided by the TVC. That control power would enhance nose-pointing ability. That gives a further edge to MiG-29 with a TVC in close combat.
Of the West’s fighters, only F 22 Raptor with vectored thrust is supermanoeuvrable.
Manoeuvrability Value in Future Close Combat
MiG-29 and its Western counterparts have Helmet Mounted Sights and missiles that can be fired 30-45 degrees “off-boresight,” that is without pointing the fighter towards the target. These missiles have kill-probabilities of seventy to eighty percent. So, the advantage of superior manoeuvrability in future close combats will reduce.
Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Battle
Present day Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missiles can be fired at targets over 100 km away. Super long range BVR have a speed of 5-6 Mach and range of
300-400 km, a distance it can cover in 45-60 seconds. It has a good probability of hitting the lumbering tankers and AWACS.
USAF believes that BVR combat will dominate future air battles. The Russians believe that electronic counter measures and evasive manoeuvres will lower the hit probability against manoeuvrable fighters much below the projected fifty to seventy percent hit rate. Russian fighters are therefore designed for BVR battle, but with equal focus on close combat.
India Buying MiG-29 From Russia – Part 1
‘Strength lies not in defence but in attack’ – Marquis de Acerba by Sadhana Kala & Air Vice Marshal V P Kala MiG-29 test pilot...
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India Buying MiG-29 From Russia – Part 2
Continued From Part I
‘Its’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.’ -Mark Twain
MiG-29 In Actual Air Battles
For a fighter so loved by pilots, and with such formidable close combat capability, MiG-29 has done poorly in actual air battles.
Two Syrian MiG-29 were shot down by Israeli F-15s in air combat in 1989; and two more were reportedly shot down in 2001.
During the Gulf War (1990-91), five Iraqi MiG-29s were shot down by American F-15s.
During the bombing campaign over Kosov in 1999, sixteen MiG-29s of Serbian Air Force engaged in air battle with F-15s and F-16s. Five MiG-29 were shot down without causing any loss to the adversary.
The MiG-29 losses were not because the fighter was inferior, but because the men manning the machines, the MiG-29 pilots, were inferior, were poorly trained, had low skill.
India’s Upgraded MiG-29UPG
Realizing that future air battles will be tilted towards BVR battles where MiG-29 is weak, India decided to upgrade its MiG-29 fleet to UPG fit, to give it better BVR capability and to convert it from an air superiority fighter to a multi role fighter.
Upgraded MiG-29 UBG In BVR And Close Combat
In BVR battle, MiG-29 was outclassed by western fighters. But MiG-29UPG will have radar, IRTS, and BVR and close combat missiles that match the adversary’s:
Phazotron Zhuk-M all-weather multimode airborne radar. In air to air mode, it can detect targets at 120 km, track up to 10 targets and attack four targets simultaneously. In air-to-surface mode it can detect a tank 25 km, a bridge 120 km, and a naval destroyer 300 km away. Two surface targets can be tracked simultaneously.
OLS-UEM IRST sensor with laser, thermal-imaging, and television capabilities. Detects airborne targets at 15 to 55 km at +/- 90-degree in azimuth and +60-degree to -15-degree in elevation. It allows ‘silent’ search for and attack on targets, that is, without the target knowing that it is being tracked.
Astra all weather BVR air-to-air missile, speed 4.5 Mach, ceiling 20 km. It can engage targets at distance of 10 km to 110 km and can be launched in autonomous or buddy mode, with Lock-On-Before Launch (LOBL) or Lock-On After Launch (LOAL). It has good Electronic Counter-Countermeasure (ECCM) that enable it to function in Electronic Countermeasure (ECM) environment.
R-77 RVV-AE (AA-12 ‘Adder’) medium range, active radar homing, air-to-air missile. Operating altitude 5m to 25 km, speed 4.5 Mach, maximum turn rate of up to 150° per second, maximum range 80 km, guidance inertial with mid-course update, and within 20 km of its target switch to active radar homing.
R-74 Close combat IR missile with ±60° off-boresight and improved IRCCM (Infrared Counter-Countermeasures). It will be replaced by the next generation ASRAAM (Advanced Short-Range Air-to-Air Missile) which can be launched in LOBL or LOAL modes. Speed over Mach 3, range 50 km, 50g manoeuvrability. ASRAAM outperforms all existing short-range close-combat missiles.
Kh-35, all-weather, subsonic, anti-ship missile. Range 130 km, speed 0.8 Mach, guidance inertial and from 20 km from target inertial and active radar. Low signature, approach target at extremely low altitude from 20 km.
Other Major Improvements In MiG-29UPG Are:
Weapons load increased to 4,500 kg on six underwing and one ventral hard points like the MiG-35
Secure datalink system to enable guidance from AWACS and ground radar.
New IFF
New RWR which can identify the type of enemy radar and cue the AESA jammers with high ERP (Emitted Radiated Power) for effective electronic countermeasures (ECM).
Enhanced HOTAS (hands on throttle and stick) design.
Glass cockpit with new Head Up Display (HUD).
Two wide-screen multifunction colour displays (MFD). MFD is a small-screen LCD surrounded by multiple buttons that are used to display the desired information to the pilot.
Increase of 40% in range to 2,100 km on internal fuel
inflight refuelling by retractable probe
maintenance cost reduced by about 40%.
Life increased to another 15 years of use
Why Not More MiG-29UPG
If MiG-29UPG is such a great fighter, why not more of them rather than the costlier Western fighters like the Rafale? Because MiG-29UPG still does not match up with modern jet fighters in BVR air-battle and in attack on surface
targets. Its shortfalls in BVR air-battle role have already been pointed out. In attack role, its weapons load, 4,500 kg, is about half that of Rafale – 9,000 kg, F/A 18 – 8050 kg F 15 E – 10,500 Kg. And its range/radius-of-action is less than that of the western multi role fighters.
If MiG-29 is upgraded to match present day Western fighters like Rafale, it will cost nearly as much as Rafale. Moreover the fifth generation fighters like America’s F 22 and F 35, China’s J 20, Russia’s Su 57 have stealth, advanced avionics, and integrated computer systems that can network with other systems in the battlespace for situation awareness.
Also, MiG-29UPG’s airframe life and engine life, about 4,000 hours, is less than Western fighters about 6,000 hours. Its airframes deteriorate rapidly later in life and requires extensive and expensive maintenance to keep it flying. And its serviceability and therefore availability is less than that of the Western fighters.
Conclusion
From 1990s-to early 21st century, MiG-29 was among the most potent air superiority fighters, and better than any fighter in close combat. But its Beyond Visual Range (BVR) battle abilities were much less than the Western fighters. The future air battles are tilted towards BVR battles. Therefore, India has decided to upgrade its MiG-29 fleet to MiG-29 UBG multirole fighter from air superiority fighter. MiG-29UPG will be a potent attack aircraft while still retaining good capability as air defence fighter, so it can be used for point defence. The main attraction of MiG-29 UBG is its lower cost: about one third the cost of Western fighters like Rafale. Its main shortcomings are in radar, avionics, secure data links, and computer systems integrated with other elements in the battle airspace, like AWACS and ground radars. And in lower airframe and engine life and lower reliability and serviceability/availability.
New MiG-29 airframes are lying unused in Russia. Therefore, MiG-29UPG will be available in shorter time frame and at lower cost and will help to ameliorate the declining fighter strength of the Indian Air Force (IAF). That will give breathing time to the government and the IAF to select fourth generation fighters to meet its present needs. And to study where and when fifth generation fighters fit in with its future needs.
Our discussion here is bookish. Indian Air Force (IAF) was the first international customer of MiG-29. It has operated these fighters for over thirty years. IAF has twice participated in exercise Red Flag in the US with its Su 30 Mk 1 and Jaguar fighters. We should leave it to the professionals of the IAF to decide, based on the organisation’s wide experience, where MiG-29 UBG fits in vis-à-vis the more expensive Western fighters.
www.indiandefensenews.in
Continued From Part I
‘Its’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.’ -Mark Twain
MiG-29 In Actual Air Battles
For a fighter so loved by pilots, and with such formidable close combat capability, MiG-29 has done poorly in actual air battles.
Two Syrian MiG-29 were shot down by Israeli F-15s in air combat in 1989; and two more were reportedly shot down in 2001.
During the Gulf War (1990-91), five Iraqi MiG-29s were shot down by American F-15s.
During the bombing campaign over Kosov in 1999, sixteen MiG-29s of Serbian Air Force engaged in air battle with F-15s and F-16s. Five MiG-29 were shot down without causing any loss to the adversary.
The MiG-29 losses were not because the fighter was inferior, but because the men manning the machines, the MiG-29 pilots, were inferior, were poorly trained, had low skill.
India’s Upgraded MiG-29UPG
Realizing that future air battles will be tilted towards BVR battles where MiG-29 is weak, India decided to upgrade its MiG-29 fleet to UPG fit, to give it better BVR capability and to convert it from an air superiority fighter to a multi role fighter.
Upgraded MiG-29 UBG In BVR And Close Combat
In BVR battle, MiG-29 was outclassed by western fighters. But MiG-29UPG will have radar, IRTS, and BVR and close combat missiles that match the adversary’s:
Phazotron Zhuk-M all-weather multimode airborne radar. In air to air mode, it can detect targets at 120 km, track up to 10 targets and attack four targets simultaneously. In air-to-surface mode it can detect a tank 25 km, a bridge 120 km, and a naval destroyer 300 km away. Two surface targets can be tracked simultaneously.
OLS-UEM IRST sensor with laser, thermal-imaging, and television capabilities. Detects airborne targets at 15 to 55 km at +/- 90-degree in azimuth and +60-degree to -15-degree in elevation. It allows ‘silent’ search for and attack on targets, that is, without the target knowing that it is being tracked.
Astra all weather BVR air-to-air missile, speed 4.5 Mach, ceiling 20 km. It can engage targets at distance of 10 km to 110 km and can be launched in autonomous or buddy mode, with Lock-On-Before Launch (LOBL) or Lock-On After Launch (LOAL). It has good Electronic Counter-Countermeasure (ECCM) that enable it to function in Electronic Countermeasure (ECM) environment.
R-77 RVV-AE (AA-12 ‘Adder’) medium range, active radar homing, air-to-air missile. Operating altitude 5m to 25 km, speed 4.5 Mach, maximum turn rate of up to 150° per second, maximum range 80 km, guidance inertial with mid-course update, and within 20 km of its target switch to active radar homing.
R-74 Close combat IR missile with ±60° off-boresight and improved IRCCM (Infrared Counter-Countermeasures). It will be replaced by the next generation ASRAAM (Advanced Short-Range Air-to-Air Missile) which can be launched in LOBL or LOAL modes. Speed over Mach 3, range 50 km, 50g manoeuvrability. ASRAAM outperforms all existing short-range close-combat missiles.
Kh-35, all-weather, subsonic, anti-ship missile. Range 130 km, speed 0.8 Mach, guidance inertial and from 20 km from target inertial and active radar. Low signature, approach target at extremely low altitude from 20 km.
Other Major Improvements In MiG-29UPG Are:
Weapons load increased to 4,500 kg on six underwing and one ventral hard points like the MiG-35
Secure datalink system to enable guidance from AWACS and ground radar.
New IFF
New RWR which can identify the type of enemy radar and cue the AESA jammers with high ERP (Emitted Radiated Power) for effective electronic countermeasures (ECM).
Enhanced HOTAS (hands on throttle and stick) design.
Glass cockpit with new Head Up Display (HUD).
Two wide-screen multifunction colour displays (MFD). MFD is a small-screen LCD surrounded by multiple buttons that are used to display the desired information to the pilot.
Increase of 40% in range to 2,100 km on internal fuel
inflight refuelling by retractable probe
maintenance cost reduced by about 40%.
Life increased to another 15 years of use
Why Not More MiG-29UPG
If MiG-29UPG is such a great fighter, why not more of them rather than the costlier Western fighters like the Rafale? Because MiG-29UPG still does not match up with modern jet fighters in BVR air-battle and in attack on surface
targets. Its shortfalls in BVR air-battle role have already been pointed out. In attack role, its weapons load, 4,500 kg, is about half that of Rafale – 9,000 kg, F/A 18 – 8050 kg F 15 E – 10,500 Kg. And its range/radius-of-action is less than that of the western multi role fighters.
If MiG-29 is upgraded to match present day Western fighters like Rafale, it will cost nearly as much as Rafale. Moreover the fifth generation fighters like America’s F 22 and F 35, China’s J 20, Russia’s Su 57 have stealth, advanced avionics, and integrated computer systems that can network with other systems in the battlespace for situation awareness.
Also, MiG-29UPG’s airframe life and engine life, about 4,000 hours, is less than Western fighters about 6,000 hours. Its airframes deteriorate rapidly later in life and requires extensive and expensive maintenance to keep it flying. And its serviceability and therefore availability is less than that of the Western fighters.
Conclusion
From 1990s-to early 21st century, MiG-29 was among the most potent air superiority fighters, and better than any fighter in close combat. But its Beyond Visual Range (BVR) battle abilities were much less than the Western fighters. The future air battles are tilted towards BVR battles. Therefore, India has decided to upgrade its MiG-29 fleet to MiG-29 UBG multirole fighter from air superiority fighter. MiG-29UPG will be a potent attack aircraft while still retaining good capability as air defence fighter, so it can be used for point defence. The main attraction of MiG-29 UBG is its lower cost: about one third the cost of Western fighters like Rafale. Its main shortcomings are in radar, avionics, secure data links, and computer systems integrated with other elements in the battle airspace, like AWACS and ground radars. And in lower airframe and engine life and lower reliability and serviceability/availability.
New MiG-29 airframes are lying unused in Russia. Therefore, MiG-29UPG will be available in shorter time frame and at lower cost and will help to ameliorate the declining fighter strength of the Indian Air Force (IAF). That will give breathing time to the government and the IAF to select fourth generation fighters to meet its present needs. And to study where and when fifth generation fighters fit in with its future needs.
Our discussion here is bookish. Indian Air Force (IAF) was the first international customer of MiG-29. It has operated these fighters for over thirty years. IAF has twice participated in exercise Red Flag in the US with its Su 30 Mk 1 and Jaguar fighters. We should leave it to the professionals of the IAF to decide, based on the organisation’s wide experience, where MiG-29 UBG fits in vis-à-vis the more expensive Western fighters.
India Buying MiG-29 From Russia – Part 2
Continued From Part I ‘Its’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.’ -Mark Twain MiG-29 ...
