1. Why is it wrong? Isn't this actually expected behaviour?Guru_Tat wrote:Been hanging around BR for nearly 8+ yrs now (just read) but strange how *most* of the long time posters here always push their country loyalty (Russia, US, France) in all topics they post in. Very Strange.
Mods-Please feel free to delete my post if it is OT.
The Indian Air Force is looking forward to add to its fleet seven more C-17 heavylift aircraft which are capable of ferrying tanks and artillery guns close to the borders with China and Pakistan.
"As far as the transport fleet is concerned, we are looking at inducting six additional C-130J and seven C-17s in the near future," IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne said.
"Also in the pipeline is the procurement of 45 Medium Transport Aircraft, presently, under joint development between Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Russia," he said in an interview with Defence Ministry's Sainik Samachar magazine.
India already has placed an order for 10 C-17 aircraft from the US Air Force worth over Rs 20,000 crore and three have already been inducted at its Hindan air base near here.
A C-17 has the capability to land at short airfields such as the Daulat Beg Oldie advanced landing ground in Ladakh sector and carry 150 combat-ready troops to a distance of 4,200 km in one go.
Meanwhile, the IAF chief said the three services are working towards creating a separate command to tackle threats and issues in the Cyber arena which will soon be sent for approval of the Cabinet Committee on Security.
"The Services are working towards the formation of a Tri-Services Cyber Command and a comprehensive draft CCS note has been worked out along with the requirements of manpower and financial costs," he said.
"An interim structure for the cyber command would be formed after the approval of the Defence Ministry and the full fledged command structure would take shape only after the CCS approval," the IAF chief stated.
The IAF chief said the proposed Cyber Command would be fully integrated with the other existing national structures of cyber security.
Browne said with the induction of latest equipment and platform, the force has emerged as a strategic force from being a tactical one earlier. Similar proposals to have a Special Forces command are also pending for approval by the government.
Couple of Gelf countries use the Air Force C-17s as the transport for their Head of States... hence a non-military looking paint scheme...Austin wrote:Looks pretty , An odd colour scheme for the C-17 but an interesting one too.
The first part has come true, may the second part fructify too... these birds would help us conserve the air frame life of our Gajrajs. Maybe we should convert some of our IL76s into MIR Tankers.NRao wrote:Older article, but have not seen it on BR:
Sept, 2013 :: IAF looking to induct seven more C-17 aircraft: Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne
"As far as the transport fleet is concerned, we are looking at inducting six additional C-130J and seven C-17s in the near future," IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne said.
I was under the impression that the IAF IL-76s are EOL. No?Maybe we should convert some of our IL76s into MIR Tankers
I doubt it? if they were EOL, why would IAF be trying to work out maintenance agreements for these... also there has been a rumor about an upgrade for these birds with new engines, new avionics etc. some RussoPhiles have even talked about plans to back port enhancements from IL-476 onto our IL-76 birds.NRao wrote:I was under the impression that the IAF IL-76s are EOL. No?Maybe we should convert some of our IL76s into MIR Tankers
Need more info.Shrinivasan wrote: I doubt it? if they were EOL, why would IAF be trying to work out maintenance agreements for these...
Fair enough.also there has been a rumor about an upgrade for these birds with new engines, new avionics etc. some RussoPhiles have even talked about plans to back port enhancements from IL-476 onto our IL-76 birds.
And, the grand daddy of them all, which is what I was talking of in teh first item above:Notably, as the Phalcon radars are heavy, the IL 76 airlifters have been upgraded with more powerful PS-90 engines, the cost though for them is quite high and not considered appropriate for upgrading the IAF’s fleet of less than 20 old Soviet-vintage Il 76 aircraft.
http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease. ... lid=100682August 30, 2013,
Russian Aircraft MiG and Indian private company Basant Aerospace have signed two maintenance deals worth $55 million to support MiG-29s in India. This is the first time that a Russian defense company has selected a non-government-owned partner to support high-tech military hardware such as radar abroad.
The first deal is worth $43 million and creates a service center in the New Delhi region to repair and maintain the Phazotron-NIIR Zhuk-M series of airborne radars that equip the Indian air force MiG-29UPG and Indian navy MiG-29K/KUB fleet. The second deal is worth $12 million and will establish a service center for parts used on those aircraft.
Speaking to journalists during the MAKS 2013 Moscow Air Show this week, RAC MiG general director Sergei Korotkov said the purpose of the deals is to ensure a high readiness level and safe operations for the Indian MiG-29UPG/K/KUB fleet by means of rendering high-quality and timely repair of their onboard equipment. Another aim is to offer a consultancy service to the maintenance organizations within India’s armed forces that support the MiG-29.
Korotkov noted that RAC MiG has been working with Basant for two years. The service center will be equipped in the second half of this year, he added. Potentially, the turnover through this partnership can reach $600 million, Korotkov said. In particular, the OEM is looking to establish warehouses in India to shorten repair times.
Basant Aerospace employs a half-dozen experienced engineers and about 24 skilled technicians, but the number can be increased to 40 provided the workload is sufficient, said company executive Air Vice Marshal Arvind Agrawal (retired).
First Ever Joint India-Russia Air Force Exercise to be held in 2014
India and Russia Decide to give New Thrust to Strategic Cooperation
Meeting just two days after the successful commissioning of the much-awaited aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya into the Indian Navy, India and Russia today agreed to expand the range of their strategic partnership in a significant manner at the 13th Meeting of the India – Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-MTC) which was co- chaired by the Defence Minister Shri AK Antony with his Russian counterpart Mr Sergey Shoigu in Moscow.
The meeting held in an atmosphere of cordiality and warmth, decided that the two countries will hold joint Air Force level exercise for the first time besides a joint Navy Exercise in the Peter the Great Bay in the Sea of Japan, both in 2014. It may be recalled that the Armies of the two countries had recently held Exercise Indra in Rajasthan recently and the focus was on anti-terrorism. The two Ministers agreed that there is a need for further cooperation at all levels, especially in view of the regional and global challenges and to fight the menace of terrorism jointly. Both sides reviewed the situation in West Asia, especially in Syria and the evolving paradigm in Afghanistan.
In order to give a new impetus to the relationship which has gathered momentum over the years, the two sides agreed that the time has come to expand the cooperation not only in product design and development, which has made significant progress over the years but also to involve various echelons of the Defence establishments in strategising policies and cooperation in the fast changing global security scenario.
Referring to Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft(FGFA) and Multi-role Transport Aircraft (MTA), Shri Antony said, the two projects are significant because they symbolise going-past the relationship of buyer- seller. He said both sides must give their best at all phases of the execution of these two projects- design, development and production.
Mr Shoigu assured that the Naval Aviation specialists will train Indian pilots fully for take- offs and landing on INS Vikramaditya and in all probability it will be held in Goa.
The Meeting also reviewed issues relating to T-90 tanks and SU-30 projects.
On the issue of after sales support, both sides felt that they should sign long-term maintenance support agreement.
Is it 17 or 20?“Six C-130J Hercules transport aircraft, designed to carry out special operations during combat, have already been inducted, and a contract for six more will be inked soon. Also, ten C-17 aircraft from the U.S. are expected to arrive in India and will become part of the IAF in June 2013. Such strategic airlift capabilities will be multiplied manifold. Ten more C-17 aircraft will join the IAF as part of phase II,” the Air Chief Marshal said.
The IAF was also looking at replacing IL-76 in the next 10 or 15 years with upgraded versions of AN-32s and C-17s.
Thanks Philip. Appreciate that.Philip wrote:The last I heard read was the official statements after the last mtg. in Moscow between AKA and his counterpart about long-term support for Russian products,setting up main. establishments in India for the same .Something similar has already been done for the IN/IAF.Basant Aerospace signed on to support the MIG-29 .
We should supplement this by inducting a fleet of large airships which during peacetime will be able to transport gigantic loads over long distance to remote bases etcsrai wrote:As far as the transport fleet is concerned, the IAF is building capacity on these 4 categories:
- 50-80 x Light (<3t payload) -> Do 228, Saras (in future)
- 50-150 x Medium-Light (<10t payload) -> New planned (replacing ~50 x HS 748, ~100 x An-32 (potentially/partially replaced by MTA))
- 60-100 x Medium (<20t payload) -> C-130J (primarily special ops), MTA (future)
- 16-20 x Heavy (>20t payload) -> C-17A (IL-76 retiring by 2025)
I really can't tell if you're being facetious. I suggest you take a picture of any airship and compare the cabin size with the size of inflated chamber. Forget carrying 'gigantic loads', their payload in reality is downright puny.Shrinivasan wrote:We should supplement this by inducting a fleet of large airships which during peacetime will be able to transport gigantic loads over long distance to remote bases etc
Sorry I was definitely not facetious, Airships can carry very large loads as under-slung cargo..Viv S wrote:I really can't tell if you're being facetious. I suggest you take a picture of any airship and compare the cabin size with the size of inflated chamber. Forget carrying 'gigantic loads', their payload in reality is downright puny.Shrinivasan wrote:We should supplement this by inducting a fleet of large airships which during peacetime will be able to transport gigantic loads over long distance to remote bases etc
The largest airship that is currently flying today is the Zeppelin NT. What Aeros is proposing is a ship about 10 times larger. Payload 50 tons at a cost of about $40 million. That's approximately equal to five Super Stallion trucks that you can get for a hundredth of that cost. It'll be cheaper than transporting it on a C-17/Il-76, but unlike the latter it has almost no utility in wartime.Shrinivasan wrote:Sorry I was definitely not facetious, Airships can carry very large loads as under-slung cargo..
see this link below http://www.heavyliftspecialist.com/tag/ ... rt-by-air/ or this
http://www.heavyliftspecialist.com/tag/ ... rt-by-air/
This is going to fast become the vogue, particularly to far flung corners. The Russians in particular are planning huge airships to transport stuff back and forth to their mines in the remote Siberian region.
After India scrapped a contract for procuring VVIP choppers from AgustaWestland, American firm Textron today said it is ready to offer its unique V-22 Osprey helicopter to India for ferrying its dignitaries.
"We are ready to offer to India the V-22 Osprey in the VIP configuration through the Foreign Military Sales route. It is a unique and competitive product," Textron India President and Managing Director Inderjit Sial told PTI.
He was asked about the possibility of offering any chopper of Bell Helicopters, an arm of Textron, for meeting the VVIP chopper requirements of the IAF.
On March 29, 2014 the representatives of Ukroboronprom, PLANT 410 CA and Spectechnoexport have supplied to the Air Forces of India the seventh batch of An-32 transportation Aircraft, which were upgraded in Kyiv in the framework of the contract concluded in 2009.
That very day the vehicles were departed from Kyiv to Kanpur (India). Taking into consideration the events in Crimea, the European partners, as an exceptional case, have opened the sky for the military transportation aircrafts, so that the vehicles will be able to arrive at destination place in time.
As Yuriy Tereshenko, Temporary Director General of Ukroboronprom, reported, Ukrainian and Indian parties are satisfied with the progress of contract implementation and count on development of cooperation within the Program.
“We are sure that our Indian partners are satisfied with a high quality of our works, conducted by Ukrainian enterprises. India was and remains to be a strategic Ukrainian partner in the area of military technical cooperation. We admit a mutual interest in further development of aviation program. We expect in the nearest future the bilateral cooperation will be continued by new contracts,” Yuriy Tereshenko stressed on.
The contract, worth some USD 400 million, for the repair and upgrading of 105 units of An-32 vehicles of the Air Forces of India was signed in July 2009 between Air Forces of Ministry of Defense of India and subsidiary company of Ukrspecexport State Company – Spectechnoexport.
In accordance with the contract, that have become the largest in the history of Ukrainian Indian bilateral military technical cooperation, 40 aircrafts are to be modernized in Ukraine and the rest of the aircraft at the BRD-1 aviation plant of the Indian Air Force in Kanpur (North India). Ukraine’s Antonov Plant and Civil Aviation Plant 410 are executing the contract.
As part of the deep upgrade, the Indian aircraft is to be fitted with modern equipment made in Ukraine and other countries. In particular, these are aircraft collision warning equipment, collision with ground early warning equipment, satellite navigation system, aircraft rangefinders, modernized height finders, new radar set with two multifunctional indicators, new oxygen equipment, and modernized crew seats.
The upgraded An-32 will be able to land on an ICAO category II approach. Whereas, fuel consumption and the mass of the empty upgraded aircraft will be lower than for the basic model.
In addition, in line with a three-year contract worth $110 million signed in December 2009 by Motor Sich OJSC (Zaporizhia) and the Indian Air Force, the AI-20 engines of the Indian An-32s are being upgraded.
As of today, 35 aircrafts, out of those that are to be upgraded in Kyiv, have been already upgraded and transferred to the Costumer.
The first 10 modernized aircrafts have been already transferred to the Costumer in 2011, and each year other 10 vehicles in 2012 and 2013 accordingly. The next 5 transportations were sent to India in August of the last year. The supply of the final batch of aircrafts, the modernization of which is carried out in Kyiv, is planned for the summer.
Unless (god forbid) India buys the balance 50 aircraft, they're not going to reach anywhere near that figure. With the Saudis looking to buy away part of the remaining stock, Boeing has the Middle Eastern market stitched off. The South Americans are invested in the KC-390. The Chinese have the Y-20 and most of the rest need only medium lift aircraft (dominated by the C-130). The IL-476 will have to wrestle the Y-20 for the barely handful of orders remaining from Iran, Vietnam and Syria.Philip wrote:Even if the IAF order small batches of IL-476s,the aircraft is in series production for Russi-both civil and mil. needs,and at least 100 will be built.
ACM PV Naik is on record saying that IAF studied all options (including an advanced variant of the IL-76) before requesting the C-17. To add to which the IAF solidly opposed the IL-78 for the MRTT tender, preferring to reissue it rather than accept UAC's lower bid, despite the prospective commonality with its existing fleet. There is lot of bungling that the MoD is responsible for, but for better or worse, the C-17 decision isn't one that can be laid at its door.The first order of 40+ is for the military. Extra C-17s were planned to "stroke" Boeing before its C-17 production closed for good.MMS coming good on his promises made as a quid-pro-quo for the N-deal,to buy loads of US milware,to his favourite Uncl.e..Sam!
I think I am inclined to think likewise.The IL-476 will have to wrestle
Read a title like that and one is impressed........................... until the small print is read ..................... "no contract"...............and then it is over 6-7 years.The order backlog of Ilyushin Aviation Complex stands at 515 billion rubles, CEO of the enterprise, Viktor Livanov, told vice prime minister, Dmitry Rogozin, ITAR-TASS reports.
"If we count all the orders including the serial deliveries for the period until 2020, the backlog will stand at 515 billion rubles. It is a “potential” backlog of Ilyushin Aviation Complex", - the CEO said.
In the network of serial production the enterprise must manufacture 12 Il-112Vs, 39 Il-76MD-90A aircraft, three Il-78M tankers and 16 MTA aircraft developed by Russia in cooperation with India.
"The contract for delivery of Il-112V aircraft has not been signed yet, but we have contract for delivery of 39 Il-76 jets. As for Il-78, the research and development work is in progress; the contract has not been signed yet. We also don’t have any contracts for delivery of MTA aircraft", - Livanov said.
In addition, the enterprise must upgrade four Il-96 jets in 2014 (aerial command post and integrated communication center versions). 882,91 million rubles will be allocated for the project.
"It is no secret that the leaders of our country keep on using Il-96 aircraft and Administrative Department of the President of Russia keeps on purchasing and upgrading these jets", - CEO of the enterprise added.
Old report/2013IL-76MD-90A is developed to transport a range of military equipment
Ilyushin IL-76MD-90A is a new military transport aircraft (code name: IL-476) developed by Ilyushin Aviation Complex, a subsidiary of United Aircraft Corporation (UAC). It is a modernised version of the IL-76MD which itself is based on the IL-76 cargo aircraft platform.
The IL-76MD-90A cargo aircraft is manufactured at the Aviastar-SP production facility in Ulyanovsk. The factory test flight of the first IL-76MD-90A was concluded in January 2013.
The aircraft successfully completed its maiden flight test in March 2013, near Moscow. It flew at altitudes of 2,000m to 10,000m for a period of one hour and 55 minutes during the test flight.
The flight test programme of IL-76MD-90A is expected to conclude by the third quarter of 2014.
IL-76MD-90A is developed to transport a range of military equipment, armed personnel, heavy and long size vehicles and cargoes. It will also be used in parachuting cargo / troops and other air borne cargo missions.
Orders and deliveries of the Russian military transport aircraft
The Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a $4bn contract with UAC for the delivery of 39 IL-76MD-90A aircraft, in October 2012. The deliveries are scheduled to commence in 2014.
IL-76MD-90A design, based on the IL-76
"The IL-76MD-90A cargo aircraft is manufactured at the Aviastar-SP production facility in Ulyanovsk."
The IL-76MD-90A is based on the same airframe and fuselage of IL-76 aircraft. The cargo aircraft integrates advanced features such as redesigned wing section, new cockpit with modern avionics and powerful engines.
The aircraft has a length of 46.6m, height of 14.76m, wing span of 50.50m and a wing area (trapezoidal) of 300m². The landing gear track (outer wheels) and fuselage mid-section diameter of the aircraft are 8.16m and 4.8m respectively.
The IL-76MD-90A has a maximum take-off weight of 210t and can carry a maximum payload of 52t. It can accommodate up to five crew members.
Cockpit and avionics of the Ilyushin aircraft
The advanced glass cockpit of the IL-76MD-90A is installed with three intelligent control panels and a KSEIS-KN-76 aircraft status master monitor display system with eight multifunctional liquid crystal displays. The glass cabin provides better view to the cabin crew.
The IL-76MD-90A also integrates a digital ACS-76 auto flight control system and a new Kupol-III-76M flight sight navigation system with a display indication.
IL-76MD-90A cargo handling capabilities
The cargo cabin of the aircraft is designed with a length of 24.5m (with ramp), width of 3.45m, and height of 3.4m. The cargo cabin offers an interior volume of 321m³.
"The IL-76MD-90A is based on the same airframe and fuselage of IL-76 aircraft."
Il-76MD-90A is capable of carrying 126 parachutists or 145 troops in single deck arrangement and 225 troops in double-deck arrangement. It can also be installed with special equipment to carry 114 injured persons.
The aircraft is installed with an Aerial-Delivery System (ADS) for dropping of cargoes, transportation of armed forces cargo containers and pallets, and troop parachutes.
The ADS installed onboard the IL-76MD-90A facilitates dropping of parachutists from an altitude of 8,000m at 220km/h to 400km/h speeds. It also enables equipment dropping with the help of parachutes from altitudes of 300m to 4,000m at 260km/h to 400km/h speeds.
The cargo dropping system aboard the aircraft ensures the dropping of platforms laden with shipments and equipment. The under-ladder devices, roller ways and winches in the cabin allow the loading of cargoes and equipment into the aircraft.
Engine of Russia's Ilyushin military cargo aircraft
IL-76MD-90A is installed with four fourth generation PS-90A-76 turbofan bypass engines with 4:4 bypass ratios. Each engine develops a maximum continuous thrust of 14,500kgf. It consumes 12% lesser fuel and offers an increased flight range of 18%.
The PS-90A-76 engine on board the IL-76MD-90A aircraft is compliant with latest ICAO requirements for noise and emission levels. An Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) TA-12A is installed onboard the aircraft.
Performance of the IL-76MD-90A
The aircraft can cruise at a speed of 820-850km/h. It can fly at a maximum altitude of 12,000m. The maximum range of the aircraft is 8,500km. The aircraft requires 1,700m take-off distance on concrete runway.
The life expectancy of the IL-76MD-90A military transport aircraft is 30 years. The aircraft can accumulate a maximum of 30,000 flying hours throughout its service life.
Defence Technology
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IL-78 Midas Air-to-Air Refuelling / Transport Aircraft, Russian Federation
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The tanker decision stands on its own merit.Scamthony has clouded the waters deliberately "red flagging" the decision to purchase the Airbus version apparently for his own selfish interests.22:31 19/03/2013
Related News
Russian Air Force to Get 48 Il-476 Transports
IL-476 Airlifter Makes First Long Test Flight
Aviastar to Build 'Dozens' of Il-476 Transports by 2020
MOSCOW, March 19 (RIA Novosti) - The first three modernized Ilyushin heavy-lift transport planes will be delivered to the Russian Defense Ministry in 2014, the aircraft’s designer said on Tuesday.
Ilyushin Aviation Complex said the prototype Il-476, also known as Ilyushin Il-76MD-90A, made the first in a series of trial flights on Monday at a testing center near Moscow.
“The flight lasted one hour and 55 minutes at altitudes between 2,000 and 10,000 meters,” the company’s press service said.
The promise that three planes could be delivered by next year marks a more ambitious target than that set by Ilyushin general director Viktor Livanov, who told Ekho Moskvy radio station earlier this month that the goal was for two aircraft.
A planned test flight last week was postponed due to bad weather.
Ilyushin says the test program will consist of a series of 22 flights. Technicians will collect and process data after every flight to make any required improvements.
The Il-476 is a modernized version of the Il-76 Candid transport plane and features a new wing, a fully digital flight control system, a new cockpit with advanced digital displays and PS-90A-76 turbofans with improved fuel efficiency, according to state-run aerospace holding United Aircraft Corporation.
Russia's Defense Ministry signed a contract last October for the delivery of 39 Il-476s, to be built before 2018.
UAC said on Tuesday it was in talks with the Defense Ministry over a contract for an unspecified number of Il-78 tanker aircraft, which are modeled on the Il-76MD-90A.
Aviastar, which manufactures the Ilyushin, says it hopes to build up to 100 Il-76MD-90As by 2020 for Russian state customers.
followed by:The first three modernized Ilyushin heavy-lift transport planes will be delivered to the Russian Defense Ministry in 2014, the aircraft’s designer said on Tuesday.
This has been the story of this plane: Marketing talk, followed by a reality check. So far.The promise that three planes could be delivered by next year marks a more ambitious target than that set by Ilyushin general director Viktor Livanov, who told Ekho Moskvy radio station earlier this month that the goal was for two aircraft.
“As far as the transport fleet is concerned,we are looking at inducting six additional C-130J and seven C-17s in the near future,” IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne said.
“Also in the pipeline is the procurement of 45 Medium Transport Aircraft,presently,under joint development between Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Russia,” he said in an interview with Defence Ministry’s Sainik Samachar magazine.
Boeing says it plans to end production of its C-17 cargo jets in mid-2015, some three months earlier than its initial estimate for late 2015, and shutter its 1.1M sq. ft. Long Beach, Calif., facility due to "current market trends and the timing of expected orders.”BA expects to post Q1 charges of $50M related to the move.
But the market is already gone. Three major arms markets exist - Europe, Middle East, South-SE-East Asia. The first doesn't buy Russian. The second has already invested in the C-17. The third has either invested in the C-17 in India's case, or is a captive US market (Japan, SK, Singapore). Who's left needing a heavy lift aircraft? The Russians are about five years late to the party.Philip wrote:Il-476s are in production,C-17s are not.Stark facts.
Flyaway cost cannot be compared to total acquisition cost.You can buy 3-4 IL-476s for the price of just one C-17,
Russian requirements are enough for about 50 aircraft. And that's only assuming that their economy keeps pace - growth crashed from around 10% in 2008 to -10% the next year, and is flagging around 1% right now. As a result defence spending now accounts for over 20% of the Russian federal budget, up from about 12% a few years ago.also facts,posted much earlier.Russian transport requirements alone are enough for the production of at least 100,
So the Russians will retaliate against Ukraine by stonewalling critical support to the IAF. Food for thought.The upgrading of the remaining AN-32s and future support is going to be a problem if the Ukraine doesn't mend fences with Russia.
So, I highly doubt that the ILs are coming ................................... any time....................................... soon.India has publically declined a Russian offer to equip its new aircraft carrier with the Kashtan close-in weapon system, preferring systems from either Israel or France, the Strategy Page website reports.
The aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya, was refurbished by Russia from an old Russian carrier, while the Kashtan system, which has been in service since 1989, uses two six-barrel 30mm auto cannon to destroy nearby anti-ship missiles.
But India has made no secret of its dissatisfaction with the delays and cost overruns associated with the carrier, as well as Russia’s support of the many Russian weapons systems already purchased.
India already uses Israel’s Barak 1 missile system for anti-ship missile defense and is considering the much more capable Barak 8. Indian sources say that the Israeli systems are more expensive than their Russian counterparts but have proven more effective and reliable. Israeli tech support is also far superior to what the Russians offer.
Source : Haaretz
"Investigations as part of the Court of Inquiry are currently underway, and we have nothing further to add at the moment," the air force says.
The aircraft's flight data recorder, which sustained damage in the crash on 28 March, has been recovered from the accident site. “To avoid any loss of data while trying to decode the equipment, we have decided to send the black box to the US,” the Press Trust of India quoted an air force spokesperson as saying.
"At the request of the Indian air force, Lockheed Martin is assisting with its investigation," the company says.
