Indian Air Force: News & Discussions

Karthi

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Most of these items listed in today’s DAC approved list are on expected lines, they would have been done irrespective of China scenario.

And it would take another three quarters for these contracts to be signed.

These proposals are rested in the tables for some years, now they are doing it in a hurry or just doing it by knowing that they did sufficient delays .
 

porky_kicker

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Back in feb/march of 2019 i remember reading news about a possible exportation of the Ia.63 "Pampa" Trainer to india, you guys know anything about it ?
You from Argentina ?

Anyways it's kind of doubtful , media reports on india especially defence are not be trusted at all.

HJT36 has undergone some design changes to allow controlled spin tests. Tests have begun already.

Interestingly the modifications in the rear of hjt36 is kind of similar to pampa rear section

images.jpeg


images (1).jpeg


Currently government is emphasising on local products only where ever possible
 

ezsasa

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Couldn't find a appropriate thread, so that this info doesn't get lost.
========
usaf charts that illustrate what a mockery our PGM holdings and acquire/buy rate is - they buy 35000 jdam kits annually! what it permits is every pilot get highly proficient in live exercises with the live weapons at a rate none can match. pays off in war.

1594201166393.png


1594201177656.png


 

Tang

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Mig29 upg is very potent platform with ifr , more payload and range.
And it has robust dare D29 ew suit also with Astra integration and rvv SD they will outrange and supress paki f16 easily.

80 mig29upg are perfect counter for 76 paki f16 .
Yes
But Tejas(with astra) can easily take on Mig29UPG in one on one fight
 

Lancer

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I seriously think that as part of increasing aircraft numbers, and freeing up better assets for more important missions, India should really look into taking the BAE Hawk - giving it a good ground attack loadout + making it more survivable, and mainly using that for CAS, along with Jaguars, Attack Helos and any Tejas that the IAF can free up (in the future).
 

FOXBAT ALOK

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source : https://defenceview.in/why-india-buy-russian-mig-29/
Why India Buy Russian MiG-29



The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) on 2nd July approved the proposal for procurement of 21 MIG-29 along with upgradation of existing 59 Mig-29 aircraft from Russia. While the MIG 29 procurement and upgradation from Russia is estimated to cost Rs 7418 crore.

Lots of our followers from Facebook asked us why India Buying old 3rd gen fighter aircraft while we can simply go for more su-30mki , Rafale or any other modern 4th gen fighter aircraft like MiG-35 or SU-35 .

There are many possible reason for choosing mig-29 for IAF . Low flight cost per hour compare to Su-30mki , Rafale , low cost per aircraft compare to other jets of IAF ,new Overload Control System (The automated MiG control system developed by MiG Corporation for controlling the maximum overloads for the MiG-29 M / M2 fighters, and the latest MiG-35 fighter) . Also Russian promises they will deliver MiG-29 fighter jets to India in the shortest possible time frame.
Glass cockpit of mig-29m2

According to Economics Times MiG corporations have developed an automated system for controlling the maximum overloads and, moreover, have obtained a patent for this system, they say that this pushes the boundaries of opportunities for our fighters.
Moreover, the authors note that the new development will increase flight safety, as well as allow pilots of the MiG-29M, MiG-29M2 and MiG-35 fighters to conduct high-intensity air battles and not be distracted by the aircraft dashboard. At the same time, noting that the new system will be integrated into the fighters listed above.
The authors also note that the new system is synchronized with the helmet-mounted target designation system, which, according to experts it will allow our pilots to concentrate on completing a combat mission and at the same time maintain high maneuverability of the aircraft without the need to double-check the flight mission and fears of entering beyond-the-limit flight modes. And at the same time, it is noted that in general, if necessary, pilots can independently increase the load by 1 – 2 G, or even completely turn off the system.
At the same time, it is emphasized that today almost all 4th and 5th generation fighters can maneuver and perform turns in the 9 g overload area, which is considered to be a critical load, and it is the latest Russian development that allows the pilot not to worry and not be distracted from the task on instruments, thereby increasing overall efficiency and at the same time reducing risks by increasing the safety of fighter piloting!
It should be noted that the new intelligent systems of control of maximum overloads will allow pilots to concentrate as much as possible on direct piloting of the fighter and will make it much easier for the pilot himself to monitor the flight status, as well as to perform maneuvers at maximum loads without distracting the dashboard.
Of course, many people now don’t fully understand what kind of “miracle” system they are talking about, and it would be a big “minus” for me not to talk about it shortly and in simple words, while avoiding complex scientific terms.
Three IAF MiG-29 Baaz Fighters Provide Escort To An A-50 EI AEW&C
So, all roughly represent the cockpit stuffed with various sensors. Which, in turn, inform the pilot about what is happening with the aircraft in real time, warning in advance that the aircraft enters or is experiencing critical loads through visual and audio signals. Which in turn forces the pilot to be distracted from performing the maneuver by removing the aircraft from under the load, or, due to circumstances, forces the pilot to continue the maneuver or other actions, but taking into account the mandatory attention to the sensors, thereby creating conditions under which the concentration of attention is lost, which, as we understand, is one of the most common reasons leading to errors in piloting. All these information will visible on the visor of the helmet-mounted guidance system.
Moreover, the system in automatic mode allows you to remove the aircraft from critical loads, or to control the course of the flight of the aircraft, while not distracting the pilot from performing a maneuver or conducting air combat.
Of course, now there are some who will say that our “partners” already have a similar system and there is no sense in renouncing it, but it is worth emphasizing that the same Americans have a similar system integrated into F / A -18 Super Hornet fighters, and same in F-35 fighters! In the latter incident, the system also displays information on the visor of the helmet F-35 Generation -3 (Gen -3) known as the “God’s eye”. But there is one important “BUT”! And this “BUT” is that the Americans only get information about the state of the aircraft from the Americans and he has to take into account all the changes that occur at the time of the flight, taking into account all the loads.
And this, as we understand, is a very important advantage, especially for a fighter, which was created for conducting high-intensity air combat and performing maneuvers, sometimes at transcendental regimes.
why did India suddenly pay attention to this system ?
Here, in my opinion, the answer is on the surface! In India, they perfectly understand the advantages of this system and what it will give to our pilots, while allowing significantly increase striking power and reducing the risks of making mistakes in fighter piloting.
MiG-35 with A2A , A2G missiles
So, the next question is after this will Our country also go for MiG-35 ? because MiG-35 have same overload control system with AESA radar and new voice assistant features . Also the unit cost of MiG-35 is 50m USD and flight cost of per hour is 15600 USD which is very less compare to other 4.5 gen aircraft .
 

Tang

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Overload Control System (The automated MiG control system developed by MiG Corporation for controlling the maximum overloads for the MiG-29 M / M2 fighters, and the latest MiG-35 fighter)
Its one of basic feature, nothing much,
Tejas has an Automatic recovery system.
 

WolfPack86

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Despite challenges, India’s sole aircraft manufacturer aims for the sky

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has often been in the news for the wrong reasons, be it the long project delays, quality issues or labour problems. But the aircraft-maker—India’s only one—is trying to shed that image. With an order book of Rs50,500 crore and a number of big projects in hand, HAL is all set to take on the multinational giants that have been looking for a piece of the Indian aerospace and defence pie. “Our current production projects include Su-30 MKI aircraft, Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, Dornier Do-228, Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv, Chetak helicopter, and engines and aerospace structures to fulfil the requirement of our customers, mainly from the defence services,” said R. Madhavan, chairman and managing director of HAL. “HAL is also undertaking upgrade programmes of Mirage 2000 and Jaguar DARIN-III.” HAL recorded a turnover of Rs21,100 crore for the financial year ended in March, which was 7 per cent more than the previous year. Then the Covid-19 pandemic played spoilsport, and the company is trying to overcome the stress on production by working with private suppliers. “HAL has roped in many private organisations to provide components,” said Air Marshal B.K. Pandey, former head of the Headquarters Training Command of the Air Force. “However, the main assembly of the aircraft and the helicopters rests with HAL.” HAL has faced many challenges from time to time. Delayed schedules, difficulty in procurement of spares, and human resource problems have been regular. It took around three decades for the company to develop the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas. Pandey, however, said these problems were similar to those of aerospace and defence companies around the world, and HAL was not entirely responsible for the delay. “Partly, the Indian Air Force has to be blamed for delayed deliveries by HAL,” he said. “The Air Force keeps changing its requirements. It should be part of the process of developing an aircraft rather than a bystander. On the other hand, the Navy is somewhat fully involved in the process of an aircraft’s development.” In its initial years, said Pandey, HAL did far better. “It started developing the first fighter, HF-24, in 1956, and delivered it in 11 years,” he said. It is exactly that kind of efficiency that HAL needs at the moment, as private players have started challenging its dominance in the domestic market. The company has been struggling to sell its products even to the Air Force. In fact, HAL seems to have woken up to the challenge. “The second batch of the Hawk aircraft orders were produced ahead of target,” said S. Mallikarjuna Swamy, former executive director of HAL. “The company has also taken steps in advance on orders of trainer aircraft, combat helicopters and the development of engines.” Experts suggest that the government should let the company explore the civilian market for helicopters and small planes. About half of HAL’s revenues come from international deals to manufacture aircraft engines, spare parts, and other materials, which include the fighter jet programme with the Sukhoi Corporation of Russia, the contract to manufacture aircraft parts for Boeing and the multi-role transport aircraft project with Ilyushin of Russia. HAL is planning to set up logistics bases in Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam, which would help it sell its products and act as service centres. HAL has a longstanding relationship with the Indian Space Research Organisation. “All launch vehicles of ISRO have parts manufactured by HAL,” said Madhavan. “We have a dedicated aerospace division to support ISRO’s requirements. We are focusing on more technology-intensive requirements and have set up a new facility for manufacturing cryogenic engines to support ISRO’s programmes.”
 

Tanmay

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I was reading this account of how IAF plane carrying PM Morarji Desai crashed at Jorhat in 1977.


Jorhat at that time did not have an electrical flare path for night operations. If night operations became necessary then gooseneck flares had to be laid. For the uninitiated I need to explain what a gooseneck flare is. It is a large metal kettle with a long spout. The kettle is filled with kerosene. A thick wick is inserted through the long spout. These kettles are then laid along the edge of a runway at regular intervals in pairs, one flare on each side. A pilot has to align his aircraft with the runway with the help of this flare-path, come over the thresh hold, judge the height of the aircraft by looking at these flares and land. It is not an easy task. The standard operating procedure therefore advised planned landings in the valley to be completed befor 1600 hours ( 4.00 PM.). The prime minister was of course a busy man. He could take off only by 5 PM from Palam. By the time he arrived over Jorhat it was past seven in the evening. The night at Jorhat was already three hours old by then. A night landing on a gooseneck flare lit runway at Jorhat was inevitable. It was not a happy situation
It looks like this (Google search)


I thought the story ended there, Its more than 40 years and our technology would have been updated.

Then media started showing our latest gizmos of Apaches and Chinooks at forward airbases post Galwan incident, probably Leh.


Watch at 4:11 timestamp,, We still seem to be using those Gooseneck flares!!! After 40 damn years!! Poor base infra it seems.
01.PNG
 

WolfPack86

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IAF gets night-flying capability at Leh for MiG-29s, force sees it as a ‘game-changer’

The Indian Air Force has acquired the capability to fly its MiG-29 fighters at night from its Leh base in the future, at a time when India and China are taking steps towards disengagement at the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh.

Sources in the IAF said the process of night-flying, which has already begun, would be a “game-changer” because training by night will strengthen its capability to conduct full-spectrum operations at the Line of Actual Control on short notice, given Leh’s proximity to the LAC.

The new capability is fuelled by upgrades to the MiG-29, including advanced avionics, and faster and more extensive training of IAF pilots among other factors.


Leh is not a permanent fighter base, but detachments of aircraft are sent there on a regular basis.

An IAF officer said the MiG-29s are carrying out extensive, round-the-clock flying from Leh, which will also help the force validate geospatial data to enhance its capabilities in night operations.

Fighters such as the Sukhoi Su-30s conduct night operations in the Leh and Ladakh regions, but they come from other bases that have night capabilities. Apache and Chinook helicopters also carry out night-time operations.


Significance of the new capability

Senior IAF officers explained that in modern warfare, most operations are carried out at night, for two reasons.

“The first reason is that there are chances of the enemy being comparatively less alert during the night. Secondly, there is less chance of visual detection of the aircraft, which helps in surprising the enemy,” an IAF officer said.

An aircraft can be detected visually and by radars. Flying at night cuts down the visual spectrum of detection.

A second officer explained that Chinese airfields in the LAC region near Ladakh are at a higher altitude than Leh, and thus, their load carrying capacity is lower, while fighters operating from Leh airbase can have a higher load-carrying capacity.

“This gives India a strategic advantage too, both in day and night flying,” the second officer said.

A 2013 policy brief written by Air Marshal V.K. Bhatia on ‘Air Power Across the Himalayas: A Military Appreciation of Indian and Chinese Air Forces’ noted that if the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) was to operate from its well-established bases at Khotan, Kashgar, Golmud etc., it would have to operate from much greater distances to reach the IAF airfields, resulting in reduced payloads and possible requirement of in-flight refuelling etc.

Bhatia’s brief stated that the IAF could easily reach its airfield targets in Tibet from its main bases strung around the entire Indo-Tibetan boundary without any payload or other penalties.

However, an NDTV report said China had initiated massive construction activity at the high altitude Ngari Gunsa air base — a dual-use airport located at 14,022 feet altitude and serving the town of Shiquanhe, about 200 km from the Pangong lake.


Night flying in the mountains

IAF officers also explained why night flying is difficult in the mountains, as high altitude and rarefied air limit manoeuvrability and capability of an aircraft.

“The undulating and hazardous terrain and rapidly-changing weather conditions at such high altitude are fraught with risks,” an officer explained, adding that the “depth perception” is not there while flying at night. “Also, there is a delayed engine response at high altitudes.”

The officer added: “Take-off, landing and flying in the hills at night would require a combination of both visual flight rules and instrument flight rules, which is a skill set acquired by pilots with extensive training. This has been happening since the IAF has been preparing for a contingency.”


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Tanmay

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I was reading this account of how IAF plane carrying PM Morarji Desai crashed at Jorhat in 1977.




It looks like this (Google search)


I thought the story ended there, Its more than 40 years and our technology would have been updated.

Then media started showing our latest gizmos of Apaches and Chinooks at forward airbases post Galwan incident, probably Leh.


Watch at 4:11 timestamp,, We still seem to be using those Gooseneck flares!!! After 40 damn years!! Poor base infra it seems.
View attachment 52552
2014 report. This stuff was pointed by CAG way back in 2014. 6 year more - situation unchanged.

https://economictimes.indiatimes.co...m-at-leh-airbase-cag/articleshow/38629052.cms

Indian Air Force using World War-II era lighting system at Leh airbase: CAG


NEW DELHI: Indian Air Force uses a orld ar-II era lighting system for the landing of ghter and transport aircraft at the Leh airbase at night due to lack of any facility for advanced aireld lighting, CAG pointed out today. The government auditor has found that IAF was using solar gooseneck ares for running ight operations at night at Leh airbase.
"Despite a lapse of 13 years since initiation of the requirement for the work, Air Force Station, Leh, is yet to be equipped with a proper lighting system," the CAG report said, adding that it had "imposed limitations on night ying, thereby impacting operational preparedness of the base".

"Illuminating the runway with solar gooseneck ares, which were used in the World War II era, was "time consuming and involved great eort", the CAG
 

WolfPack86

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A contract for 500 Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW) guided bombs Soon

Indigenously designed and developed guided bomb Smart Anti Airfield Weapon (SAAW) capable of engaging ground targets with high precision out to a range of 100 km is heading towards production after DRDO concluded three back to back trials with different release conditions during 16 to 18 August 2018 and all the mission objectives have been achieved. The 120-kg class smart weapon is intended against runways, bunkers, aircraft hangers, and other reinforced structures. the lightweight high-precision guided bomb is one of the world-class weapons systems designed and developed in the country. SAAW has been tested from Jaguar and Su-30MKI and will be adapted for all fighter jets in the IAF fleet has it has shown higher precision than missiles. Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Navy had put up the combined requirement for 500 Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW) long-range precision-guided anti-airfield weapon and presently negotiation is underway between all concerned parties to start the production of the weapon system in batches. idrw.org has been informed that weapon has undergone eight developmental trials till date and performance of the system for different ranges under multiple launch conditions has been demonstrated to IAF.
 

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