MiG 21s to be phased out from 2014

blueblood

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2011
Messages
1,872
Likes
1,496
18 fighters? Is that 4 squads of 4 fighters with 2 reserves?
Also, there was a discussion beore on this forum about havinv 49 operational tactical fighter squadrons by 2025 in IAF. Now I am hearing 64.
Each IAF squadron consists of 21 aircrafts which includes 18 fighters and 3 trainers.

As for the raising of additional squadrons, so far has turned out to be rumours. 64 squad air force was proposed 50 years back when cold war was at peak and both Pakistani and Chinese air forces had considerable edge over IAF.
 

KUSH JHA

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2011
Messages
14
Likes
3
although mig- 21 is old ,,, and should be replaced....but it served our country well from 1965 to 2014....
still capable dogfighter
 

agentperry

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 24, 2010
Messages
3,022
Likes
690
mig-21 should be phased out by 2014 and not from 2014. they are creating lots of problem and despite lots of upgrade there old airframe is now a cause of worry because enemy namely china and pakistan are now equipped with quality weapons to knock these old warriors down. anyway i think they might be having a good substitute for them.
 

noob101

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2011
Messages
394
Likes
104
mig-21 should be phased out by 2014 and not from 2014. they are creating lots of problem and despite lots of upgrade there old airframe is now a cause of worry because enemy namely china and pakistan are now equipped with quality weapons to knock these old warriors down. anyway i think they might be having a good substitute for them.
I have said for a long time that the Mig-21's are getting old and have to be replaced, but I don't know if by 2014 Tejas will be ready for full induction, even the Mk 1 has yet to get full operational clearance. Mk 2 only recently took to the sky.

people seem to discount the use of second line fighters, in reality mig 21s served and still serve many front line fighter functions for example during the kargil war they were used as radar pickets and 2 months after the war it was a simple mig 21 that shot down the PN maritime aircraft that strayed into Indian territory. In case of a full fledged war mig 21 are going to prove very useful.

My point is that yes the mig 21s are old and need urgent replacement but we should not have a gap of a few years before the Tejas comes in as its replacement , in case there are major hostilites in that time we could see the IAF caught with its pants down.... Again i might be wrong and this might be good news as it may mean that IAF will induct Tejas Mk 2 from 2014 onwards or has somehow found a way to replace the mig 21s with other front line aircraft....
 

Blackwater

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2012
Messages
21,156
Likes
12,211
Very sad news i really want them in iaf for another 50 yrs:frusty::frusty::frusty::taunt1::taunt1::scared2::scared2:
 

Kunal Biswas

Member of the Year 2011
Ambassador
Joined
May 26, 2010
Messages
31,122
Likes
41,041
MIG-21 is very old with lots of Problems coz of spare, This is not the same in other Air-forces only Indian Air-force MIG-21..

Though this Bird is armed with R-77BVR with a range of 90-100km..

Armed with Short range Missiles like R-73 with TVC and range of 20kms..



She is pretty deadly in Ariel combat, Given the specs of it, though it will be replaced by new fighters..
 

Kunal Biswas

Member of the Year 2011
Ambassador
Joined
May 26, 2010
Messages
31,122
Likes
41,041
I have said for a long time that the Mig-21's are getting old and have to be replaced, but I don't know if by 2014 Tejas will be ready for full induction, even the Mk 1 has yet to get full operational clearance. Mk 2 only recently took to the sky.
Only thing this people need to fit BVR and have successful test..

Need to speed up on Astra BVR...
 

bhramos

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2009
Messages
25,644
Likes
37,250
Country flag
MIG-21 is very old with lots of Problems coz of spare, This is not the same in other Air-forces only Indian Air-force MIG-21..

Though this Bird is armed with R-77BVR with a range of 90-100km..

Armed with Short range Missiles like R-73 with TVC and range of 20kms..



She is pretty deadly in Ariel combat, Given the specs of it, though it will be replaced by new fighters..
why only IAF MiG-21!!!!
last time when i heard, one of the problems of spares is Tyres, IAF is buying used tyres from other nations operating similar fighters...

the 2017 is only other MiG-21's FL, Type 77, 99 .... so on...
but recently upgraded MiG-21 Bison will stay ahead of 2020...... or until their replacements come completely......
 

Kunal Biswas

Member of the Year 2011
Ambassador
Joined
May 26, 2010
Messages
31,122
Likes
41,041
why only IAF MiG-21!!!!
last time when i heard, one of the problems of spares is Tyres, IAF is buying used tyres from other nations operating similar fighters...

the 2017 is only other MiG-21's FL, Type 77, 99 .... so on...
but recently upgraded MiG-21 Bison will stay ahead of 2020...... or until their replacements come completely......
Check out the type of MIG-21 operate in IAF and types of engine used on different MIG-21s..

The Engine used by Bison is not produced in India but imported so does the spares from east block countries..
 

bhramos

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2009
Messages
25,644
Likes
37,250
Country flag
Check out the type of MIG-21 operate in IAF and types of engine used on different MIG-21s..

The Engine used by Bison is not produced in India but imported so does the spares from east block countries..
so do you mean even MiG-21Bison will be phased out before 2020???
so why did we upgrade them recently!!!

from BR
Neeraj, these newspapers probably confused (or more likely sensationally replaced) type 77 (MiG-21FL) with type 75 (bis, the last production model), of which 300 were manufactured until 80s, and 125 were upgraded into Bison standard.

Now, since a squadron flies by type, and different types are not allocated to the same squadron for obvious reasons - a squadron has a dedicated role and needs same aircraft type to fulfill that role, training, maintenance purposes.

Now, of the last three squadrons flying Type 77, two were 30 and 8 - that have converted to Su-30. The third (51 or 52) became Suryakirans. So I ask the newspapers to report which squadron flies the Type 77

Also, an aircraft's life is typically 30 years, extendable to 40 via mid life upgrades. So, a MiG 21 built in 1980, upgraded to Bison will be airworthy until 2020, by which it will definitely be replaced.

Also, when spares supply stopped due to dissolution of the Soviet Union, the fleet did suffer. But so did Daewoo Ceilo and Matiz car owners or Peugeot 309. Remember the Cielo & Matiz - there used to be quite a few of them on Indian roads until the company tanked? The owners lost their investments.

Unfortunately fighter planes are a higher investment and one cant dump planes at instant notice
 

Kunal Biswas

Member of the Year 2011
Ambassador
Joined
May 26, 2010
Messages
31,122
Likes
41,041
so do you mean even MiG-21Bison will be phased out before 2020???
so why did we upgrade them recently!!!

from BR
The Mig-21bison will remain till 2020 with foreign Engine spare, Other Mig-21 will be phasing out start from 2014..
 

p2prada

Senior Member
Joined
May 25, 2009
Messages
10,234
Likes
4,017
Mig-21 Bison is gone by 2017. I think only 1 squadron will be operational after 2016. The older Mig-21s will be gone this year. IAF has already started phasing out Mig-21s. Only Bisons are operational and they will be phased out from 2014.
 

fulcrum

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 3, 2009
Messages
191
Likes
89
Country flag
That BR article is crap. Saying a fighter's life is 30 or 40 years is very wrong. Different fighters have different Airframe hours. For example the Airframe life of an F-16 is 4500 hours while the MiG-21's service life is 2400. Each aircrafts life term is different. Ofcourse these hours are under 1 - 2Gs only. Greater Gs you pull, lesser the aircrafts life gets. Some F-16s which were with the DACT team, lasted for only 3-5 years because they were under constant more Gs under close combat training.

10-yr breather: MiG-21 can fly 1,000 hrs extra

BANGALORE: IAF can heave a sigh of relief - the life of the MiG-21 Bis has been enhanced. The entire fleet of the MiG-21 Bis, tests by National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) have revealed, can now fly an additional 1,000 hours or effectively for another 10 years. The results come after NAL's successful completion of full-scale fatigue testing (FSFT) on the MiG-21 Bis airframe C-2090. With this a major IAF project on the total technical life enhancement (TTLE) of the MiG-21 Bis fleet has come to an end. With the entire MiG-21 Bis fleet of 150 aircraft approaching its maximum life-span of 2,400 hours as per original certification by Russia, IAF went for the life-enhancement test at NAL. It flew in a MiG-21 that had completed 2,400 hours and had no fatigue cracks. The question before IAF was - how much longer could the aircraft fly? IAF requisitioned NAL to extend MiG-21 Bis life from 2,400 hours to 4,000 hours - an additional 1,600 hours. The aircraft, however, experienced cracks and break-up after around 1,000 hours of flying. "There was no question of further testing as the aircraft had reached its limits. But it became evident that its life could be enhanced by 1,000 flying hours," said NAL official P K Dash. Dash further said: "What loads the aircraft experiences in flight in a whole year, we simulate on the ground in one day, checking for fatigue. When fatigue shows up, you know that is the point up to which the aircraft can fly."The key issue in preserving structural integrity against fatigue failure, Dash said, was to get precise answers to where and when fatigue cracks would appeared in the airframe, which, if undetected in time could lead to catastrophic structural failure.

10-yr breather: MiG-21 can fly 1,000 hrs extra - Times Of India

Before you start saying MiG-21 should have been scrapped in 2007 and the 10 year life extension to 2017 was not necessary, carrying out structural upgrades isn't extraordinary. The U.S airforce have also upgraded all their F-16 from their original 4500 hours to 8000 hours because of F-35 delays, under the condition that speed and G's pulled should be restrained by the pilots.
 
Last edited:

ace009

Freakin' Fighter fan
Senior Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2010
Messages
1,662
Likes
526
That BR article is crap. Saying a fighter's life is 30 or 40 years is very wrong. Different fighters have different Airframe hours. For example the Airframe life of an F-16 is 4500 hours while the MiG-21's service life is 2400. Each aircrafts life term is different. Ofcourse these hours are under 1 - 2Gs only. Greater Gs you pull, lesser the aircrafts life gets. Some F-16s which were with the DACT team, lasted for only 3-5 years because they were under constant more Gs under close combat training.

10-yr breather: MiG-21 can fly 1,000 hrs extra

BANGALORE: IAF can heave a sigh of relief - the life of the MiG-21 Bis has been enhanced. The entire fleet of the MiG-21 Bis, tests by National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) have revealed, can now fly an additional 1,000 hours or effectively for another 10 years. The results come after NAL's successful completion of full-scale fatigue testing (FSFT) on the MiG-21 Bis airframe C-2090. With this a major IAF project on the total technical life enhancement (TTLE) of the MiG-21 Bis fleet has come to an end. With the entire MiG-21 Bis fleet of 150 aircraft approaching its maximum life-span of 2,400 hours as per original certification by Russia, IAF went for the life-enhancement test at NAL. It flew in a MiG-21 that had completed 2,400 hours and had no fatigue cracks. The question before IAF was - how much longer could the aircraft fly? IAF requisitioned NAL to extend MiG-21 Bis life from 2,400 hours to 4,000 hours - an additional 1,600 hours. The aircraft, however, experienced cracks and break-up after around 1,000 hours of flying. "There was no question of further testing as the aircraft had reached its limits. But it became evident that its life could be enhanced by 1,000 flying hours," said NAL official P K Dash. Dash further said: "What loads the aircraft experiences in flight in a whole year, we simulate on the ground in one day, checking for fatigue. When fatigue shows up, you know that is the point up to which the aircraft can fly."The key issue in preserving structural integrity against fatigue failure, Dash said, was to get precise answers to where and when fatigue cracks would appeared in the airframe, which, if undetected in time could lead to catastrophic structural failure.

10-yr breather: MiG-21 can fly 1,000 hrs extra - Times Of India

Before you start saying MiG-21 should have been scrapped in 2007 and the 10 year life extension to 2017 was not necessary, carrying out structural upgrades isn't extraordinary. The U.S airforce have also upgraded all their F-16 from their original 4500 hours to 8000 hours because of F-35 delays, under the condition that speed and G's pulled should be restrained by the pilots.
I agree with you that extending the life of the MiG-21s were a good diea at that time, especially since DRDO/ HAL screwed up with the replacement LCA delivery.
However, as a nation we have to look into what is more precious - technology or human life. In the west, were technology is comparatively cheaper (or easier to get), human life is valued more than a fighter. Hence a fighter is taken out of service or a whole fleet is grounded/ replaced when concerns over pilot life loss is prominent. Churchill's famous quote of [ ...takes 6 months to make a plane, but 20 years to raise a pilot and 2 years to train him] comes to mind.
In India, technology is perceived to be more expensive and not so easy to get (due to our history, lack of tech development etc) and human life is considered cheaper (large population, cultural baggage etc). Which is why IAF still allows the suspect fighters to fly and MiG-21 crashes are legendary.
But now that more options are open to India and HOPEFULLY our people at ADA/ HAL can deliver the goods, trained pilots in particular and human life in general should be considered more important than a piece of engineering, no matter how expensive it is.
 

Ganesh2691

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 4, 2012
Messages
216
Likes
297
MiG-21s served us well, will be phased out by 2014, Air Chief tells NDTV

New Delhi: In an exclusive interview to NDTV, Air Chief Marshall, N.A.K Browne, talks about his plans for the Indian Air Force and his experience serving as the Air Chief Marshall for the past one year.

NDTV: How has the year been like? You have been at the helm of the Air Force for more than a year now.

Air Chief Marshall Browne: Well, it has been a very exciting year, a challenging year. It has not been easy, let me assure you that. Lot of hard work has gone into building up of the Air Force and we have been very satisfied with the results we have achieved so far. And this not the only year we're looking at, we are looking at many years ahead.

NDTV: That's right. What are the highlights of this say past one year, what have you achieved?

Air Chief Marshall Browne: Well actually, you know the number of challenges we came up with. First of course were the training issues. As you are aware, basic trainer was grounded for at least 2 and half years and we were in the process of acquiring a new trainer, the Pilatus PC-7. I am happy to tell that the trainer, the contract was signed in May this year. And we are starting deliveries from February next year itself. So this was the major, should I say, breakthrough because we wanted our pilots to fly the best trainers in the world. And this is a top of the line basic trainer to give confidence to the young boys and girls who are joining the Air Force. Because this will stay with us for the next 30 to 40 years. And it has to be. We had to get it right. So that was the major change. And the other part was of course, we fined tuned our entire training program. As a matter of fact, in the last one year, a lot of my time has gone into fine tuning our training programmes, our technical training programmes and of course our flying training programmes as I just mentioned.

NDTV: The technology is growing and growing so fast across the world and especially in the air forces, how are you training your pilots and other air warriors to keep up with the speed with which technology is changing?

Air Chief Marshall Browne: Oh! We have. We have top of the line simulators now, as a matter of fact all the inductions that we are doing in the Air Force whether it's helicopters, tankers or whether it's fighter aircrafts, we all have state-of-the-art simulators which are going to be joining the fleet. We already have a few and for all the new programs we have full simulation facilities available. And apart from that of course the desktop simulators and the full motion simulators, so in the simulation side a lot of attention is being given to that aspect of training. And of course the other part is you. You fly and exercise with some the best air forces in the world. So that gives you a fair amount of operational confidence as to what you are doing is at par if not better than many of the leading air forces.

NDTV: Okay. But you are also upgrading your Jaguars and your Mirage 2000s, which are also a part of your inventory. How is that program going?

Air Chief Marshall Browne: See, the Jaguars have been through a series of upgrades, we had the Darrien -1, the Darrien -2 , these are all the program we had on the Jaguar, improving the NAV-attack essentially on the NAV-attack systems and now we are moving into the Darrien -3 which...that program is going on now and of course that will involve the fitment of a full-fledged air-borne radar and a full NAV-attack suite, totally new. So that's a major change along with EW Suite that will take place on the aircraft.

NDTV: Okay. What about the Mirage?

Air Chief Marshall Browne: The Mirage upgrade of course you know we have already signed the contract and in May this year I was in France, I visited the facility, they are doing the upgrade there itself. And it's absolutely on track. And Dassault is doing a good job on the upgrade, our team is there and though of course the upgrade will take a fair amount of time but when it comes back it will be a different Mirage I can assure you that.

NDTV: Dassault is also the L1 in the MMRCA contract. Let us move from upgradations or modernisations to acquisitions you have in the pipeline, several of them. You have done fair amount and the biggest one still remains to be clinched. Where is that now? The MMRCA Contract?

Air Chief Marshall Browne: Well, negotiations are on with the French with HAL also involved because of the transfer of technology issues, the offset issues, it is a very comprehensive CNC, we call it CNC - Commerical Negotitaions, you know. So that is going on at this point of time. And I hope we will be able to wrap it up by at least this financial year.

NDTV: That's true. But just to assure our countrymen, that you know they constantly keep hearing maybe in the media so much and also from commentators, that Indian combat jets numbers have dwindled and as long as these 126 combatants don't come they are in vulnerable position. How would you explain that? How would you reassure them?

Air Chief Marshall Browne: See, right now we have 34 combat squadrons and in spite of these drawdowns that I just mentioned to you of the MIG-21s, we are supplementing them with the Su-30 squadrons. So you can see it is not just the numbers it is also the capability. And what's gonna happen is that at least in the 12th plan which finishes in 2017 we will continue to maintain 34 squadrons. We will not allow the force levels to drop. They go up a little bit, up and down but they will remain at 34 squadrons but with far greater capability than even what we have today.

NDTV: And what about in the transport department, you have got new acquisitions lined up or already done? How is the acquisition of C-130J given you the edge?

Air Chief Marshall Browne: It has been a tremendous, should I say, change the C 130J coming into the Air Force. And not only is it a special ops aircraft which has a very fine sensor suites and capability. It also has a great amount of flexibility in how we operate it in short strips, day and night, all weather capability. So C 130 has really made a big difference. And right now we have a case, a FMS case which we are progressing for 6 additional aircraft and these would be based at Panagarh in the East.

NDTV: Oh I see. Okay. What about the C17s, they are also in the pipeline?

Air Chief Marshall Browne: The C17s infact, strategic airlift, I mean, that will be the first aircraft we will have which will truly give us real strategic airlift; that component which was lacking so far. Of course we had the IL-76s but you know the payload is much less so almost half that of the C17s. And the C17 has the capability of going around the globe. Long ranges, air to air refuelling, everything else is possible so that will give us the flexibility for inter- theatre deployment of forces and operating also from short strips. And some of the areas, should I say, in the mountainous regions, so it will give us all those options.

NDTV: So when is it likely to join the Air Force?

Air Chief Marshall Browne: Actually, the first aircraft will be with us in June next year.

NDTV: As early as that?

Air Chief Marshall Browne: As early as that, yeah, and over the next 12 months we will have 10 aircraft.

NDTV: But is the ground infrastructure keeping pace with the speed of acquisition because your MAFI programs or Modernisation of Air Force fields or airstrips, is that keeping pace? What about the ALGs in the East and the North?

Air Chief Marshall Browne: See as far as the MAFI is concerned, MAFI actually stands for Modernisation of Air Field Infrastructure, so that's the short form for that. The first airfield we have already done, Bhatinda is already done fully. The next stage is five more is already going to happen in parallel. The East infrastructure is where we have some concerns because that is what is taking a little more time. You know also because of the mountain region and the hilly region. The work cycle is just about 7-8 months in a year. (Maybe less in fact) Yeah, so it rains, monsoons, people, labour to reach there and work in those areas. We have made some progress but it is not. I am not very happy with that progress, we need to do much much more.

NDTV: You are actually talking of the ALGs here (hmm) and that is Arunachal Pradesh?

Air Chief Marshall Browne: That's correct. So we need to step up the gas on that.

NDTV: What about Ladakh? Are there any concerns there about modernisation of infrastructure?

Air Chief Marshall Browne: Well we have plans to upgrade the Kargil airfield. So that at least some these modern aircrafts that we will be getting have better infrastructure there. So that process is on and also the development of the new airfield at Numa which is South-East Ladakh region .That would bring a quantum change of forces in that sector. So that's also in the pipeline.

NDTV: Also helicopter fleets, I think you are enhancing the numbers. How are they doing?

Air Chief Marshall Browne: In fact, the maximum induction is taking place in the induction fleet. Both in terms of the medium lift as also few attack helicopters. As you know the attack helicopters, 22 of them we will be getting from the US. And 80 helicopters, medium lift will be from the Russian side, the MI -17 V5. And in a very short we have already operationalized four of these units- Two in East and two in the West. And by December this year or by just about early next year we will have all these units operationalised it full day and night, fully capable. And we are also in the pipeline for 59 more of these Helicopters

NDTV: That brings me to the Naxals operations... I think there are these concerns and there are always these discussions about the employment of Air Force in the anti-naxal operations in the heart of India. Where are we, as far as the Air Force is concerned, where are we on that issue?

Air Chief Marshall Browne: See we have got something like six helicopters, MI-17 IV, the medium lift, which are operating full time in Chhattisgarh, that area, Jagdalpur, Raipur. You know the Ranchi area. And they have been there since 2009 December. So, this year in fact we will complete almost 3 years of these operations.

NDTV: But are there demands to increase their numbers there?

Air Chief Marshall Browne: Everybody wants more and more but no we can't afford to have anything more happening there. But these are adequate I can assure you. They are almost flying 120 hours a month just for this kind of operation. Because we also have to now start moving by road. That's important, I mean to have the confidence to clear areas and move by road rather than to move everything by air. So I think the requirements will always be there but we are meeting the requirement.

NDTV: Going forward as you look at the Air Force's shape and size in the next 10 years or so, you are also looking at acquiring the 5th generation fighters in collaboration with the Russians. Where does that program stand as of now?

Air Chief Marshall Browne: You see we have a joint program with the Russians on the FGFA program. Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft and right now their aircraft is undergoing testing. They have about three prototypes. The fourth one is undergoing testing now and what will happen with our program is that there are basically two phases, the D&D phase, the design and development phase and the second phase is the R&D phase. So the Design & Development phase as far as our involvement is concerned is practically over and now we are moving into the R&D phase which actually is the Mother of all phases. So we are starting the contract negotiations and that will involve extensive amount of discussions, technical side, propriety issues, IPR issues and heaps of technical details like data sharing this that .Performance, QRs, everything else. That process in on now. And we hope that we will be able to finalise that contract by this year itself. Now as a part of the R&D phase, once the contract is signed, we are supposed to sign three prototypes, prototypes meant for India. So the first prototype will actually join us in 2014, the second around 2016-17 and the third prototype in 2019. So our boys will be testing that in Ozar and these are all development testing that will go on. So the final version which I am talking about is in 2019, that standard of preparation will be the one that we will be ordering to the HALs and the Russian of course to produce that variant. And that will happen around 20-22 or so. So we are expecting the first squadron around 20-22, which also coincides with the completion of the 13th defence plan.

NDTV: You know in all this the critical perhaps factor is the HAL. The support and the technical support as well as the capacity to absorb so many you know transfer of technologies that are going to come from various (unclear). How are you looking at HAL and are you happy with the performance? Because LCA is still at a stage where we haven't been able to decide whether you should go for LCA one more squad. Well I don't know whether that is the correct.

Air Chief Marshall Browne: Well coming to HAL first, let me put it this way. They have their hands full they have some very big programs you know on the table and whether it's to do with helicopter, FGF phase programs as you mentioned, the mirage overall and so many issues. So we are dependent a lot on HAL. In fact that is the only aviation industry we have today in the country supporting the IAF. And as time goes by you can see them getting more and more involved. But then of course what we are looking at also is the need for greater response to deliveries, you know in terms of time much better quality in terms of the product itself and HAL has to just get on with it because we cannot afford to have these delays taking place, slip ups happening. It affects our training schedule, it affects our induction schedules. So like I said they have a lot of food on the table, they need to sort that out and get on with each one.

NDTV: What about, I mean are you looking at it or do you think Indian private planes should also be coming in a big way?

Air Chief Marshall Browne: No, no I am a big advocate for the private defense industries, companies joining the defense arena and I think IAF was the first service after taking over last year in a CIA conference I myself had announced, that for the 56 Savor replacement we had made a proposal to the government that we need to invite the private players in this area along with an OAM from outside to start with at least. And I am happy to tell you that proposal had been accepted by the government leaving the PSU's out of it because they had too much, like I said that they had too much on the table and we could not afford those kinds of slippage of timeline so on and so forth. So the 56 Savor replacements has been cleared by the government. And we will have OEM from abroad who will tie up with, you know consortium they will tie up with the local industries and they will produce the aircraft here. 16 fly away from outside and 40 will be produced here.

NDTV: That is excellent news because that is something way forward i think...

Air Chief Marshall Browne: Because that is the way that will form, should I say the basis of what and where we go ahead in next few years? And right now we are talking about aero aircraft why not the fighter aircraft in future. You know absolutely.

NDTV: Let me move away from accusation modernisation all that to what is I have been hearing military leaders like you speaking about acquiring capabilities which is not adversary specific. But the fact is we have two adversaries Pakistan and China, among the two the Chinese seem to be a bigger threat to a lame person like us. How is the Air Force preparing for any possible challenge you know or competition from China in the coming years?

Air Chief Marshall Browne: I will take you back to the same point. You know it's when you develop a certain capability you are not just looking at the adversary specific specially in terms of Air Forces because air power gives you that kind of flexibility to shift from left to right, up or down. It gives you the amount of, you know, the freedom to operate. What actually should happen is it's just not moving force left or right or here or there, but also to be able to have the infrastructure on the ground. So if tomorrow if I have to move forces from Chabua in the east, he can tank up refuel over central India perhaps land in Trivandrum to look after something happening in the Indian Ocean in the southern side, you know same thing can happen from the west to the east. So it's not Pakistan or China that we are looking at or getting worried about. That's not the issue. What we are looking at is to build up that capability to be at No 1. Number two is when you operate you got to have the infrastructure support on the ground. It's pointless landing up in Trivandrum when you don't have fuel there, you don't have the support infrastructure, you don't have the weapon storage and so on so forth. So the operational infrastructure has to go side by side along with capability development and when you have that across the board then whoever it may be you can take it on at any point of time.

NDTV: But looking at the Chinese especially in Tibet, there is lots of exercises that they have been doing in Tibet. How are you viewing those excises?

Air Chief Marshall Browne: Well this year they have little more than the normal, I am just going by the experience of past few years. Eh! But that's Tibet for them, they have basis there operating there. And we look at that as we look everywhere else.

NDTV: It's not matter of concern?

Air Chief Marshall Browne: Nothing concerns us but we look at everything. Ok. Whether we have concerns whether we have serious concerns that are a separate issue but we look at everything. So this is very much in our domain to you know monitor what's happening not only in Tibet but also in the north in the west everywhere else.

NDTV: On that count you are also doing a lot of work in the Andaman's now. The Air Force has just started a base I mean you are sort of wide the base. How are you looking at that part of the country or at least that part of the region?

Air Chief Marshall Browne: No the Andaman and Nicobar islands command is a very important tri service command for us and we are building up Air defence capabilities there more putting up sensors on the ground because you need to know who is coming and going in that entire region.

NDTV: Talking about Andaman Nicobar command now your Chairman Chief's of Staff and we had just operational committee report which we got glimpses of, we don't have the access to the full report. But there is that suggestion that there should be a permanent Chiefs of Staffs, who's going to look after the tri services command especially special operations command. What are your views on that particular proposal?

Air Chief Marshall Browne: See we have concurred with the proposal. Ah! By and large like... Though it's not in the public domain. There recommendations in respect of this issue that you are mentioning, the Air Force has concurred with the proposal because we require, we require somebody to spend some time and to carry programs through and of course they have proposed that he will also be looking after the tri services command. Right now we have two, we don't know in future we have five or six or so. But when you look at the challenges that are facing the country today ah! The area that we need to focus on is cyber, it's extremely really important. We need to look at aerospace domain as well; right and we need to look at special operations like just mentioned. And I think it's time now that we really take a hard look at creating focused energies in these three areas because these are the challenges that the India is facing and is going to face next couple of years and the services themselves have a fair amount of capability and competence you know. Now instead of staying in a defused standalone modes we need to combine all our energies together and including some of the civil agencies. So everyone gets plugged into this and we have a very unified approach to these issues.

NDTV: That means there is a big paradigm shift in the Air Force's thinking as far as, because Air Force has always had reservations about CDS five star one pointer military advisor, but in terms of chairman permanent chairman staffs for two years you don't have any issues with that?

Air Chief Marshall Browne: No it's not that the Air Force didn't have reservations on CDS. What we always said was that yes you must have whether you call it CDS or Chairman's Chief's of Staff. What is more important all alongside this process is the need to integrate services people in the Ministry of Defence. So these miscommunications and the other things and the time factor that we take to respond to the issues and the cases going back and forth, that actually will stop or there will be greater understanding let me put it in this way between the Ministry of Defence and the services. So I am a strong advocate of having integration of service officers in Ministry and vice- versa you know. So when you have that process happening you'll actually strengthen the hands of either the chairman which they have proposed now or for that matter even at later stage even the CDS. And I am of the view that the services service Chiefs should continue, must continue to retain the operational role of the services that they had and they can continue to give advice to the government as the head of the their organization. Whereas the CDS or Chairman's staff should advice the government on joint issues which affect all the three services together. So there is no such thing as single point of contact, we don't want just one God father sitting there and giving just one view to the government. He will give one view and there is also a view from the chiefs and all this needs to be put together and I am quite sure at highest level the need to look at more and more options and this is the one. This is the process that will give these options.

NDTV: So are you going to push for it as chairman Chief's of Staff for this kind of integration and this type jointness that you are looking at within the three services in coming months?

Air Chief Marshall Browne: Absolutely.

NDTV: Finally in the 8oth year of the Air Force future looks good to you?

Air Chief Marshall Browne: Absolutely. It looks good now.

NDTV: And ten years down the line how do you see the Indian Air Force? I know it is one of the best in the country, in the world but going forward do you think it is going to be a force which is not only just, you know guarding India's territorial boundaries would also be looking at other stuff?

Air Chief Marshall Browne: See as I have said this earlier also in some other interview that it will take us the modernisation process for the IAF, the full process will take us at least 8 to 10 years more. Right we started it 5-6 years ago and I think in 15 years' time if you can modernise and turn Air Force around nobody has attempted this in any part of the world, at such a large scale ours is a big Air Force you know. But it is not just not machines and machines and equipment's that we are talking about we are talking about people's focus is right now is on people as well. Because there are the guys who are going to maintain them, service them, look after them you can afford to leave them behind. So long with this Air Force future is starting now itself. we are also giving a lot attention on our people, so I keep telling my guys look it stop running after the equipment start running after the people, they are the ones who going to deliver the goods. And I can assure you that the Air Force is in good shape the are doing well and next few years, I keep telling the youngsters they are so fortunate have joined the services today because they have so much to look forward to whether its transports, helicopters or aircrafts or the missile system. There is tremendous amount of room for growth and development itself. So it's a great future.

MiG-21s served us well, will be phased out by 2014, Air Chief tells NDTV: Full transcript | NDTV.com
 
Last edited:

p2prada

Senior Member
Joined
May 25, 2009
Messages
10,234
Likes
4,017
Re: MiG-21s served us well, will be phased out by 2014, Air Chief tells NDTV

Hmm, the only thing about the Mig-21 is that they are being replaced by MKIs. No dates. So what's up with the strange thread title?
 

Latest Replies

Global Defence

New threads

Articles

Top