Indian Air Force: News & Discussions

WolfPack86

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IAF MI-35 ATTACK HELICOPTERS UNDERGOING OVERHAUL, TO ADD SIX YEARS LIFE
The single squadron of Mi-35 attack helicopters in the Indian Air Force (IAF) are undergoing a complete overhaul in Russia which will extend these helicopter lifespan by six years keeping them in service beyond this decade, according to defence sources.

“The overhaul is being done in two batches. The first batch is currently in Russia and once they are done, the second batch would be sent. The entire overhaul should be completed by mid-2023,” a defence source said. The overhaul of each batch takes around six to eight months, the source stated.

The IAF earlier operated two squadrons of the older Russian Mi-25/35 attack helicopters, of which one squadron has been phased out following the induction of 22 Boeing AH-64E Apache attack helicopters in 2019-20. The 125 Helicopter Unit operating Apaches is based at Pathankot.

The overhaul will add another six years of life to the Mi-35s keeping them in service beyond this decade, sources said.

In 2015-16, India had handed over four Mi-25/35 attack helicopters to Afghanistan National Army taken from the IAF’s inventory.

Expanding its fleet of attack helicopters, IAF had inducted the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCH) Prachand in October with the first squadron, 143 Helicopter Unit ‘Dhanush’, based at Jodhpur. Eventually, the Army is looking for another 95 LCH and the IAF another 65 of them and the induction is likely spread over the next 10-15 years.

India has contracted six additional Apache attack helicopters in an estimated $800 million deal signed in February 2020, but they will be operated by the Army Aviation. Deliveries are expected by early 2024.

In all, the IAF operates a wide mix of around 500 rotary platforms which includes around 90 Mi-17s, over 130 Mi-17V5s, over 70 indigenous Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) including the weaponised Rudra variant, 22 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, one squadron of Mi-35 attack helicopters and 15 CH-47F Chinook heavy lift helicopters. The IAF is in talks with Boeing to procure 11 additional Chinooks.
 

Johny_Baba

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unpopular opinion but we lost a chance to turn our Tu-142M naval reconnaissance and ASW planes into Tu-95M like strategic bombes

like we had 8 of them and even if you discount two that we turned into museums we could easily have turned at least 5 of them into dedicated, high lifter bombers, with modern things on it like Brahmos, Nirbhay etc it could've become our own J-6 like bomber plane.
 

SKC

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unpopular opinion but we lost a chance to turn our Tu-142M naval reconnaissance and ASW planes into Tu-95M like strategic bombes

like we had 8 of them and even if you discount two that we turned into museums we could easily have turned at least 5 of them into dedicated, high lifter bombers, with modern things on it like Brahmos, Nirbhay etc it could've become our own J-6 like bomber plane.
We can make a strategic reserve where we can put some part of the retired planes and other military equipment which can be revived in case of any emergency or special need.

This is what US and Russia do. Russia revived lot of older tanks for use in Ukraine conflict.
 

johnj

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unpopular opinion but we lost a chance to turn our Tu-142M naval reconnaissance and ASW planes into Tu-95M like strategic bombes

like we had 8 of them and even if you discount two that we turned into museums we could easily have turned at least 5 of them into dedicated, high lifter bombers, with modern things on it like Brahmos, Nirbhay etc it could've become our own J-6 like bomber plane.
Too expensive and hard to maintain.
We can make a strategic reserve where we can put some part of the retired planes and other military equipment which can be revived in case of any emergency or special need.

This is what US and Russia do. Russia revived lot of older tanks for use in Ukraine conflict.
Good idea, if you[we] own 100% tech, including know why
 

Johny_Baba

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Too expensive and hard to maintain.
compared to other planes in our inventory, they are far more rugged and use turboprop engines which are still in production (further enhanced version which are somewhat more powerful in output, new contra-rotating propeller set etc) in russia as they maintain a big fleet of Tu-95 bombers which is parallel thing to this;
and compared to buying new bombers this conversion thing and maintaining them is far more cheaper as we already have trained crews on them including for maintenance, then swapping internal maritime systems with bombing things can be done easily and so

russia themselves maintain a massive ~50 some Tu-95 fleet despite being lesser economy than ours and even using them successfully in recent SMO in Ukraine.

If we could kept those Canberra flying for this long period of 50 years since its induction these Tupolevs are far fresher than that, and also far more capable.
 

johnj

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We can make a strategic reserve where we can put some part of the retired planes and other military equipment which can be revived in case of any emergency or special need.

This is what US and Russia do. Russia revived lot of older tanks for use in Ukraine conflict.
Boeing P-8I takes off from Arakkonam, with a Tu-142 in the backdrop

“The Tu-142 has lived its total technical life and it is no longer economically viable to keep it in service. Russia continues to operate its Tu-142 fleet, but the cold conditions they function in are much easier on the aircraft”, says the Flag Officer Naval Aviation, Rear Admiral Puneet Bahl.
Russian AF is in a bad condition till a decade ago, they even struggled to maintain tu22m
 

vishnugupt

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It took Balakot humiliation to great UN Generals to import and Install SDR in aircraft which are going to retire in next 2 year.

DRDO made SDR was biting dust in lab since 2012 but as always UN Generals prefer to learn by hard ways.

Great vision, great commitment, Muh toh Jawab. Jai Hind.

 

vishnugupt

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IAF bought uncertified engines at inflated prices in 2010: CAG https://www.thehindu.com/news/natio...es-at-inflated-prices-cag/article61702733.ece

UN Generals brought uncertified engine from Israel on 3× price which caused UAV loss.

Here UN Generals keep taking endless trials of Indigenous products.

This is the reason UN Generals are quick to buy even 5 Apache because it will give kick back money for generations.

Only visionary UN Generals alone can believe that India is going to win 2 front war with 5 Apache helicopter, 200 NLOS, 200 scalp missile, 500 spice bombs, 100 track artillary, 144 M777, imported American 7.68×51 ammunition, zero UAV, Zero Electronic warfare, Zero Cruise missile and barely a million artillary shells.
 

johnj

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IAF bought uncertified engines at inflated prices in 2010: CAG https://www.thehindu.com/news/natio...es-at-inflated-prices-cag/article61702733.ece

UN Generals brought uncertified engine from Israel on 3× price which caused UAV loss.

Here UN Generals keep taking endless trials of Indigenous products.

This is the reason UN Generals are quick to buy even 5 Apache because it will give kick back money for generations.

Only visionary UN Generals alone can believe that India is going to win 2 front war with 5 Apache helicopter, 200 NLOS, 200 scalp missile, 500 spice bombs, 100 track artillary, 144 M777, imported American 7.68×51 ammunition, zero UAV, Zero Electronic warfare, Zero Cruise missile and barely a million artillary shells.
When IAF took the charge of Civil servants ?? or may be they control IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS etc use marvel tech or magic. Since there doing all the works, its the time to raise their salary 1000000x times
Its the CCS buys them which comes under MOD which is fully controlled by Civil servants especially IAS officers
All those things comes under MoD except 200 NLOS & 100 track artillary rest of them brought by MoD to keep IAF silent
 

vishnugupt

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When IAF took the charge of Civil servants ?? or may be they control IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS etc use marvel tech or magic. Since there doing all the works, its the time to raise their salary 1000000x times
Its the CCS buys them which comes under MOD which is fully controlled by Civil servants especially IAS officers
All those things comes under MoD except 200 NLOS & 100 track artillary rest of them brought by MoD to keep IAF silent
This is biggest lie that IAS or Babu has anything to do in Defence. Everything is military driven.
 

johnj

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This is biggest lie that IAS or Babu has anything to do in Defence. Everything is military driven.
Nope, In the case of weapon purchase, IFS and MoF having total dominance, even MoD having little power and Armed Forces having zero dominance/power except emergency purchase, only PMO can make a small change
But;
Corruption in armed forces happen in RFP stage, ie initial stages of the process. Negotiations and deal is concluded by IAS or similar babus {non STEM", and they are very bad with math, end up paying huge extra money.
Anyways you can see a lot of unrealistic RFI and RFP made wrt a particular item, and asking drdo to develop aliean tech
India Armed Forced cant start a war or deploy troops out side their area, and use nuke with out approval from babu/IAS, In simple IAS/babus total control Indian armed forces that why India is a democratic country ruled by democratize GoI, unlike Pakistan, which is ruled by Army, Simple look at the UN armed forces of Pak with their small budget. What ever you saying is true if India is a military state like pak, but its not the case
Plez don't narrate India like NK or Pak where military needs dominates
 

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