Indian Air Force: News & Discussions

[Corvus Splendens]

Defence minister Rajnath Singh, who inaugurated a raft of infrastructure projects near the China border on Tuesday, said the airfield coming up at Nyoma in eastern Ladakh, the world’s highest, will be a “game-changer” for the armed forces while stressing that timely execution of projects in far-flung areas has become “the new normal of New India.” Singh dedicated to the country 90 projects, executed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) at a cost of ₹2,941 crore, with the new roads, bridges, tunnels, airfields and helipads set to boost military mobility, logistics support for deployed forces, and movement of civilians in border areas stretching from Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim to Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.

Singh remotely inaugurated 63 bridges, 22 roads, one tunnel, two airfields and two helipads from Jammu where he opened the BRO’s 422-metre Devak bridge on Bishnah-Kaulpur-Phulpur road. He also virtually laid the foundation stone of the Nyoma airfield, located at a height of 13,300 feet and 23km from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) along which India and China have been locked in a military standoff for more than three years.

Besides the Nyoma Airfield, the defence minister hoped the BRO would soon set in motion the construction of Shinkun La Tunnel, the world's highest tunnel at an altitude of 15,855 feet. The tunnel will connect Lahaul-Spiti in Himachal to the Zaskar Valley in Ladakh and provide all-weather connectivity, he said.

All About India's Highest Fighter Airfield In Ladakh's Nyoma

The Nyoma village is located close to the south Bank of Pangong Tso at an altitude of about 13,700 feet.

www.ndtv.com

‘Nyoma airfield game-changer’: Rajnath opens new border infra

The upgradation of Nyoma airstrip to a full-fledged base for fighter operations will be spearheaded by women officers. It is likely to be completed by Sept 2025

www.hindustantimes.com

 

[Fatalis]

 

[Fatalis]

India scouts for 12 new VVIP Helicopters with modern safety features

India is in search of new helicopters with modern safety features, including defense against missiles, to transport the country's top leadership. The country is looking for 12 helicopters to be used by the President, Vice President, and Prime Minister. Currently, the top leadership utilizes...

m.economictimes.com

 

[johnj]

India scouts for 12 new VVIP Helicopters with modern safety features

India is in search of new helicopters with modern safety features, including defense against missiles, to transport the country's top leadership. The country is looking for 12 helicopters to be used by the President, Vice President, and Prime Minister. Currently, the top leadership utilizes...

m.economictimes.com

Plz post the full article

 

[Aditya Ballal]

India scouts for 12 new VVIP Helicopters with modern safety features

India is in search of new helicopters with modern safety features, including defense against missiles, to transport the country's top leadership. The country is looking for 12 helicopters to be used by the President, Vice President, and Prime Minister. Currently, the top leadership utilizes...

m.economictimes.com

Plz post the full article

India is scouting for new helicoptersequipped with modern safety features, including defence against incoming missiles, to transport the top leadership. Indian missions abroad have swung into action and are identifying potential helicopters that can suit domestic needs, given the variety of domestic flying conditions and geography.

It is learnt that India is looking for 12 new helicopters that will be used to transport the President, Vice President and the Prime Minister. At present, the top leadership uses Russian origin Mi 17V5 helicopters that have been retrofitted with some safety features but are not on a par with aircraft used to transport leaders of major nations.


Sources in the diplomatic community said that Indian defence attaches in several countries, including France, US, Russia and Italy, have been tasked to identify vendors specialising in such helicopters and collect technical details to narrow down on a potential choice.
While the top leadership has options when it comes to fixed wing planes -- from Embraer 145 jets to Boeing Business Jets and Boeing 777 300-ER aircraft -- a critical gap remains when it comes to short-haul flights that require helicopters. The Mi 17V5 helicopters currently in use are primarily meant for military use and have been retrofitted for transport missions involving the top leadership as a temporary solution.

A Mi 17V5 transporting Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat crashed in December 2021 near Connor, killing everyone on board. The crash into a tea estate occurred during low visibility conditions and the helicopter was not equipped with advanced avionics that could have given an early warning to the pilots. The crash brought into focus the need for safer helicopters for such missions.


India has tried to buy similar helicopters in the past as well, with the AgustaWestland AW 101 selected for the task in the UPA regime. However, the ₹3,565-crore contract signed in 2010 ran into controversy after allegations of bribery involving arms dealers and Indian officials.

 

[iNorthernerOn9]

 

[Aniruddha Mulay]

 

[iNorthernerOn9]

Ye to sach mein official ho gaya bhai

 

[nongaddarliberal]

The F 35 platform is where the Americans are putting the best of their efforts in electronics and sensors, on a mediocre airframe. It's going to be a deadly plane in air to air against anything non American out there, unless it finds itself in a dogfight. Even there, the Americans are working on new WVR range missiles which have 360 coverage combined with the numerous sensors in the aircraft.

 

[DumbPilot]

The F 35 platform is where the Americans are putting the best of their efforts in electronics and sensors, on a mediocre airframe. It's going to be a deadly plane in air to air against anything non American out there, unless it finds itself in a dogfight. Even there, the Americans are working on new WVR range missiles which have 360 coverage combined with the numerous sensors in the aircraft.

Mediocre airframe? How do you know so? We don't have any EM diagrams, but I am pretty sure that sustained turn rate is not less than a F-16 for example.. the new engine will also ensure a far greater TWR.

 

[nongaddarliberal]

Mediocre airframe? How do you know so? We don't have any EM diagrams, but I am pretty sure that sustained turn rate is not less than a F-16 for example.. the new engine will also ensure a far greater TWR.

Because the F35 base design had to accomodate the F35B. The 4th gen jets were designed from the get go to be as manueverable as possible, and so was the F22. It wasn't as high a priority for the F 35 design, and the need to have a STOVL jet as part of the series constrained them in aerodynamics. But the new FBW software combined with its instability is said to give it good maneuverability. Anyway, it doesn't matter as much when considering its sensor fusion and network centric approach.

The future is large number of stealth platforms with excellent sensors, all relaying live data to each other. Combined with EW.

 

[binayak95]

Mediocre airframe? How do you know so? We don't have any EM diagrams, but I am pretty sure that sustained turn rate is not less than a F-16 for example.. the new engine will also ensure a far greater TWR.

The USMC insistence on VTOL fucked its aerodynamics.
It should have been a simplified F22.

 

[Fatalis]

 

[rvats]

C-295 - Enhancing the IAF's Airlift Capability

- Here's an analysis on the induction of C-295 into the IAF.
- While the use case for C-295 is that it is a replacement for HS-748 Avro, in reality, looking at its specifications and capabilities, it actually adds to IAF's light transport and airlift capabilities.
- It is in the same league as the venerable An-32 but a more modern and capable aircraft.
- When the full induction happens, we'd have increased our light transport capabilities by 50% in terms of a/c.
- If you compute on the basis of payload capacity (C-295>An-32) or troop and paratroopers carrying potential (again, C-295>An-32), the increment is much more.
---
Plus, not to forget that C-295 can form the common platform across the three Services for various requirements starting with Maritime Patrol Aircraft for IN and the ICG.
----
Please share your thoughts, comments and feedback.

Video Link:

 

[Fatalis]

 

[Aditya Ballal]

https://x.com/alpha_defense/status/1704486604373623068?s=61&t=yuvGwS0cN0KJv4VlBwTZFg

2 Su-30MKI escort the first Airbus C295 of IAF.

 

[tomthounaojam]

wow! nearly 110$ million per aircraft, which is very expensive.

 

[Javelin_Sam]

wow! nearly 110$ million per aircraft, which is very expensive.

My genius divided 11,000 crore by 12

 

[binayak95]

wow! nearly 110$ million per aircraft, which is very expensive.

expect substantial portion of the budget to be in the form of groundwork for upgrading the MKIs. as in all the other birds in the fleet.

 

[Chinmoy]

expect substantial portion of the budget to be in the form of groundwork for upgrading the MKIs. as in all the other birds in the fleet.

+ spare and royalty.