Bharat Rakshak

If it comes to converting civilian planes to tankers then we have a boatload of planes we can get from Kingfisher airlines

Planes belong to the creditors and not to the people of India. KFA has tax liabilities to Indian govt, but on top of that it has $1.3 billion of debt. Moreover it has massive future payments towards new aircrafts.

Anyone wanting to get hold of those aircraft will have to pay off the govt, the creditors, the fuel companies, the aircraft manufacturers and then have to pay large sums to convert the aircraft to a cargo configuration. Awful waste of capital!

Rohit. Betting one bottle of Hundred Pipers the next time we meet. Chorgupta is wrong and gassing as usual. No proof. No "inside info" Just a hunch.

33 % composite by weight is quite good even by todays modern standards , 500 Kg weight savings will compensate weight issue that it has faced in its early development.

They should work in parallel with the low cost carrier and begin pitching Saras as means for short distance regional transport which needs minimum airport infrastructure to operate .....commercial sale would add value to the aircraft and boost confidence of HAL and End Customer.

Yes, it is a lot of weight for a plane the size of the Saras. the 500 kg weight savings and the increased power of the engines from 800 shp to 1200 shp will make a big difference to the performance of the Saras.

Contracts have been signed with M/s Thales, France and M/s Dassault Aviation, France, along with M/s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for upgrade of the Mirage 2000 aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF). A contract has also been signed with M/s MBDA, France, for procurement of air to air missiles for the Mirage 2000 aircraft.

The cost of the contract for upgrade of the Mirage 2000 with M/s Thales and M/s Dassault Aviation is Euro 1470 Million, while the cost of the contract with M/s HAL is Rs.2020 crore. The cost of the contract for procurement of the missiles from M/s MBDA, France, is Euro 958,980,822.44.

The entire upgradation of the Mirage aircraft is scheduled to be completed by 2021. Delivery of MICA missiles is scheduled between 2015 and 2019.

Even though i fully agree that we should buy desi, however in its entire life span of at least two decade HPT 32 produced by HAL could not be sorted out for its engine cuts.
Come on lets be realistic, wishing to do something and delivering a reliable product are miles apart.

So the source of smoke is just like good old smoke --> incomplete combustion? If I am not wrong incomplete combustion means reduced thrust from engine in those altitude regimes where engines get smoky?

Indian Air Force To Take Delivery Of All 10 Boeing C-17 By Aug 2014 : Boeing

Americans sure do deliver on time

Are the Americans delivering Boeing 787 on time to Air India? I hope the P-8I's which look on schedule get delivered on time.

Equipment with GSQR's which are futuristic or cutting edge will always have delays, I don't think the IAF's C-130J or C-17's special -ops and transport planes had any technology hurdles and have been used by American forces for a long time.

Its like saying in the past Soviets delivered Mig 23, Mig 21, T-72's on time. These items were sold to us well after they were inducted in Soviet forces.

The Lockheed Martin Paveway II Dual Mode Laser Guided Bomb (DMLGB) is the next generation laser guided bomb kit that uses the existing Paveway II Laser Guided Bomb infrastructure and upgrades the existing Computer Control Group (CCG) system with an Inertial Navigation System/Global Positioning System (INS/GPS), an all-weather guidance system that provide dual-mode guidance capability. With the combination of the upgraded INS/GPS system, existing SAL (semi-active laser) seeker and anti-jam technology, the DMLGB minimizes collateral damage and improves mission effectiveness by providing precision strike capabilities in all weather at extended standoff ranges. The DMLGB is effective against fixed, relocatable and moving targets.

The Paveway II GBU-16 kits are used on 1,000-lb bombs, while GBU-10 and GBU-12 kits are used on 2,000-lb and 500-lb bombs, respectively. Lockheed Martin kits are capable of employment by F/A-18, F-16, F-15, F-117 and other aircraft currently configured to carry and release Laser Guided Bombs. The SAL seeker technology and upgraded INS/GPS guidance system are mature, affordable and proven in combat.

But why these dual mode guidance kits from Unkil, unless we get milspec GPS signal from Unkil as well ? Are we getting that along with the package ?

TOI is reporting a HAL helicopter has landed on top on apartment complex in Bengaluru.