Su-30 MKI

[1.44]

Sukhoi squadron in northeast formally inducted

Four frontline combat aircraft Sukhoi-30MKI were formally inducted in India's sensitive northeastern region on Monday, a strategic decision to move advanced assets close to the Chinese border, defence officials said.
A defence spokesperson said four multi-role strike fighter jets at the Indian Air Force (IAF) base in Tezpur, about 185 km north of Assam's main city of Guwahati, would soon be part of a Sukhoi-30MKI squadron comprising of 18 aircrafts.

"Due to bad weather there was no fly past of the Sukhois although there was a small symbolic ceremony to welcome the fighter jets and officials to the Tezpur base," an IAF official said.

Air Marshal SK Bhan, air officer commanding-in-chief of the Eastern Air Command, graced the function at the IAF base, although the media was kept out of bounds.

Capable of carrying nuclear weapons and tailor-made for Indian specifications, the Su-30 MKI is a variant of the Sukhoi Su-30 and is jointly-developed by Russia's Sukhoi Corporation and India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the IAF.

Tezpur has become the third dedicated Sukhoi-30MKI airbase in the country after Pune and Bareilly.

Currently, India operates five squadrons of this Russian-built fighter aircraft with three squadrons stationed at Lohegaon in Pune and two in Bareilly. Each squadron operates 18-20 aircraft.

The IAF plans to increase the strength of its Sukhoi fleet to nearly 200 over the next five years.

As of now five bases in the eastern and northeastern parts of the country, including Tezpur, Chabua, Jorhat (Assam), Panagarh (West Bengal) and Purnea (Bihar), are due for upgrades.
The decision to set up a squadron of the most potent fighter jet in service with the IAF follows repeated allegations of Chinese incursions in the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh in the last few years.
The IAF base at Tezpur is within striking distance from the Chinese border along Arunachal Pradesh.
According to union home ministry reports, there were about 270 'violations' by China on India's western, middle and eastern sectors in 2008, while there were 60 such incidents reported so far this year.
Beijing had in 2003 given up its territorial claim over the Indian state of Sikkim but was still holding on to its age old stand that a vast stretch of Arunachal Pradesh belongs to them.
The mountainous state of Arunachal Pradesh shares a 1,030 km (650 mile) unfenced border with China.
The India-China border along Arunachal Pradesh is separated by the McMahon Line, an imaginary border that is now known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
India and China fought a bitter border war in 1962, with Chinese troops advancing deep into Arunachal Pradesh and inflicting heavy casualties on federal troops.

The border dispute with China was inherited by India from British colonial rulers, who hosted a 1914 conference with the Tibetan and Chinese governments that set the border in what is now Arunachal Pradesh.

China has never recognised the 1914 boundary, the McMahon Line, and claims 90,000 sq km (34,750 square miles) - nearly all - of Arunachal Pradesh. India also accuses China of occupying 8,000 sq km (14,670 square miles) in Kashmir.

Sukhoi squadron in northeast formally inducted- Hindustan Times

 

[NikSha]

It's about damn time.


But, is it REALLY necessary giving numbers to the media like this? I recommend we just say, "We have 500 nukes at NE base, come get some.".

 

[Arjak]

great move by goi..after increment of troops in ap,this wd really cause some resistence to chinese incursions

 

[1.44]

We're gonna need more than 200,if the Chinese come calling although 500 nukes doesn't seem like a bad idea:2guns:Lol

 

[A.V.]

the sqdrm inducted on the tezpur base will become operational not before sep 09 so need to go slow placing frontline jets is a tactical move nothing more do not expect that the mki will work to stop chinese incursions the chinese will continue their routine work this development is due to the chinese upgrading its facilities and bases on its side of the border its just a reply to the chinese counter move.

 

[Pintu]

Sukhois to fly from Tezpur air base - Guwahati - Cities - The Times of India

Sukhois to fly from Tezpur air base

16 Jun 2009, 0702 hrs IST, TNN

GUWAHATI: The Su-30 (Sukhoi) aircraft
was formally inducted at the Tezpur Air Force Station in Sonitpur district on Monday. Sources said five SU-30 MKI aircrafts landed at Tezpur base in the day.

The function was presided over by Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Air Command Air Marshal S K Bhan. Air Commodore T K Nair, Air Officer Commanding, Air Force Station Tezpur and other senior IAF officers and army officers
were also present.

In September, 2007, fighter operations were discontinued at the Tezpur base so that the runway could be repaired and upgraded for formal induction of SU-30 MKI aircraft. The civil air operations that were discontinued in Tezpur will also resume soon.

The SU-30 MKI aircraft is a twin cockpit multi-role all-weather with an air-to-air refuelling capability. The aircraft being manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (Nasik), was originally designed and developed in Russia. The Sukhoi-30 MKI aircraft was inducted into the IAF in 1997 and since then the aircraft has been upgraded to suit the requirements of the force.

Tezpur airfield was constructed by the British Royal Indian Air Force during Second World War in 1942.
It subsequently developed into a full fledged Air Force base in 1959.

 

[SATISH]

Well I think the Indian terrain is more friendly in holding airbases in the forward region than the Chinese terrain. Well I had a close look at the google earth we have a more accessible terrain in the NE region. And we also have more bases to confront Chinese than they have. That is why they have moved their IRBMs to that region.

 

[Sridhar]

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o_no4M2xEPY/SjarsPUhn7I/AAAAAAAAG-o/gFKDsXv84Eg/s1600/VKSL8245-780215.JPG

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_o_no4M2xEPY/SjarsW-idsI/AAAAAAAAG-w/ZeYW3er-3QQ/s1600/VKSL8377-781588.JPG

 

[Sridhar]

IAF Statement: The Su-30 aircraft was formally inducted at Air Force Station Tezpur today in a symbolic ceremony presided over by the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Air Command, Air Marshal SK Bhan PVSM AVSM VM. Air Commodore TK Nair, Air Officer Commanding, Air Force Station Tezpur and other senior Air Force officers, Army officers and civil dignitaries were also present on the rain soaked Tezpur airfield on the occasion.

Tezpur airfield was constructed by the British Royal Indian Air Force in 1942, during Second World War. It subsequently developed into a full fledged Air Force base in the year 1959. It lies between Bhutan, Tibet, China, Myanmar and Bangladesh. Ever since its inception, it has been one of the most active bases in North-East from where a variety of fixed and rotary wing aircraft have been operating.

The first aircraft that flew from this base were Vampires and Toofanis. 101 Reconnaissance Squadron with Vampire aircraft and 4 Squadron with Toofanis were the first Squadrons to be located at this base. Subsequently came 29 Sqn (Toofani), 37 Sqn (Hunter), 4 Sqn (MiG-21), 8 Sqn (MiG-21) 28 Sqn (MiG-21), 24 Sqn (Gnats), 110 HU (Mi-4 helicopters), 30 Sqn (MiG-21), MOFTU (MiG Operational Flying Training Unit) with MiG-21s and 115 HU (Cheetah / Chetak helicopters). For the last 25 years this base had been home to the MiG-21 fleet which was used extensively to train rookie pilots for the Indian Air Force, most of whom fondly remember their days spent in Tezpur. In Sep 2007, fighter operations were discontinued at the base to facilitate extensive runway repairs and extension. The work having been completed, the station has formally inducted its first SU-30 MKI aircraft.

The SU-30 MKI aircraft is a twin cockpit multi- role all-weather, air superiority fighter with air – to – air refueling capability. The aircraft, now being manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (Nasik), was originally designed and developed in Russia. The Sukhoi-30 MKI aircraft was inducted into the Indian Air Force in 1997 and since then, the aircraft has been upgraded to suit IAF requirements.

The civil air operations that were discontinued in 2007, will resume soon enabling the civil population of this region to travel to other regions of the country by air.

LiveFist: Flankers at Tezpur!

 

[luckyy]

just 4 su-30mki are posted ....

 

[pppppppp]

I hope china does'nt take it as an escalation at its borders, especially after a official statement that china is a bigger threat than pakistan.

 

[youngindian]

very good decision by govt of india and we need to put our coming mr sam to boarder nearing china

 

[nitesh]

Sukhois are safe, insists Defence Ministry

A joint probe by India and Russia into the crash of IAF's Sukhoi aircraft over Jaisalmer in April has given a clearance to the quality of the fighter plane, indicating that the mishap took place due to human error.

"The pilot of the aircraft is said to have inadvertently switched off the flight controls in the cockpit that apparently caused the crash," officials said.

 

[Singh]

Sukhois are safe, insists Defence Ministry

A joint probe by India and Russia into the crash of IAF's Sukhoi aircraft over Jaisalmer in April has given a clearance to the quality of the fighter plane, indicating that the mishap took place due to human error.

"The joint probe by IAF and Russian experts into the Su-30MKI crash has found that there is no problem with the aircraft," informed top Defence Ministry officials in New Delhi on Tuesday.

"The pilot of the aircraft is said to have inadvertently switched off the flight controls in the cockpit that apparently caused the crash," officials said.

The Su-30MKI, the frontline combat aircraft of the IAF, had crash while flying in a formation over Jaisalmer on April 30, in which both the pilot and co-pilot had ejected out.

While the pilot, Wing Commander S V Munje, bailed out safely, the co-pilot Wing Commander P S Nara died after ejecting out of the cockpit.

Sukhois are safe, insists Defence Ministry

 

[geoatpenn]

its a bit strange to believe that a sophisticated fighter jet can be just switched off like that in the middle of a flight.. isnt the onboard computer smart enough to prevent such errors? what could be the purpose of having such a switch in the first place?

 

[NikSha]

what could be the purpose of having such a switch in the first place?

.. to switch it OFF?

MOD Edit:- Its not good that you talk of a combat fighter pilot like that. This is the initial report.

 

[hit&run]

:coffee_spray::s:s:s:s:s:s(

 

[p2prada]

its a bit strange to believe that a sophisticated fighter jet can be just switched off like that in the middle of a flight.. isnt the onboard computer smart enough to prevent such errors? what could be the purpose of having such a switch in the first place?

When the FCS is switched off, the fighter comes under complete control of the pilot. This means he can maneuver the fighter to its utmost G-limits. Only the most experienced pilots can handle this.

The Mirage-2000 pulls 9G when the FCS is activated, but can pull upto 11G with the FCS switched off by rolling beyond 270deg/second. Something that the MKI does with TVC. Only senior pilots can handle such high Gs, some can handle upto 13Gs.

The manual override is used to get an advantage in dog fights or if something goes wrong with the FCS.

 

[pppppppp]

I am wondering, why is there a manual switch for these type of things. It should be controlled by an intelligent software. This raises doubts about how modern is the MKI? Perhaps it needs a re-look and re-design it to the next generation standards. Whatever the statement says, it does not even look current generation. I am getting serious doubts on the capabilities of MKI now!!!

 

[John]

well if the MKI can crash and it isn't even as physically demanding as the others like EF and Rafale , for sure without proper training well loose one every month. i m pretty sure the FCS got switched off while one of those neck cracking high G- turns, loss of orientation is a major problem, we lost a lot of pilots in the mig-21 to that very same problem. need a good fighter than is not so physically demanding, the SH.