Cross posting from the Desi aviation thread...
MRCA Deal Winner to be chosen by July 2011 says Air Force Chief
MRCA Discussion - October 2, 2010
Re: MRCA Discussion - October 2, 2010
I am sick of this, plz Sir not againShankar wrote: back to square one -today Mig 35 is the cheapest AESA equipped bidder with no sanction history and do hope it wind the bid so that we can buy the 200 plus good robust functional aircraft to fill the void to be created by mIG 21 retirement - with fastest induction time and also available engine manufacturing facility and pilot familiarity
Re: MRCA Discussion - October 2, 2010
If you want sanction free then do it your self. Every import will carry the risk of one or the other kind of sanctions.
Re: MRCA Discussion - October 2, 2010
we all are actually of this MRCA discussion round and round back to same starting point - hopefully july 11 will put an end to it - lets see how it goes for real
Re: MRCA Discussion - October 2, 2010
Russian items are nto sanction-proof. They just impose it until you double the price.
Re: MRCA Discussion - October 2, 2010
Would request you to enlighten the cases where the above was done - Except for Gorky and MI 17 and what percentage does such contracts are out of total no of contracts we have entered with Russia/USSR?JTull wrote:Russian items are nto sanction-proof. They just impose it until you double the price.
And what risk did we faced with USSR/Russian equipment atleast during contingencies? Remember they supplied us Ammo from their war stock during Kargil.... and we are talking of Import sanctions dealing with them... HahaPratyush wrote:If you want sanction free then do it your self. Every import will carry the risk of one or the other kind of sanctions.
Care to eloborate Under lined and highlighted portion,Sirarya wrote:I am sick of this, plz Sir not againShankar wrote: back to square one -today Mig 35 is the cheapest AESA equipped bidder with no sanction history and do hope it wind the bid so that we can buy the 200 plus good robust functional aircraft to fill the void to be created by mIG 21 retirement - with fastest induction time and also available engine manufacturing facility and pilot familiarity
Reminds me of GAJANI - Short/Medium term memory loss
Re: MRCA Discussion - October 2, 2010
SriSri wrote:Cross posting from the Desi aviation thread...
MRCA Deal Winner to be chosen by July 2011 says Air Force Chief
He wishes!!!! and so do we all
Re: MRCA Discussion - October 2, 2010
Well would it be a "Born on the 4th of July" 
Good lord gives more options to judge the outcome of MMRCA
Good lord gives more options to judge the outcome of MMRCA
Re: MRCA Discussion - October 2, 2010
^^Perfect gift to Americans on their independence day.
Re: MRCA Discussion - October 2, 2010
Only for co production of nuts and boltsdarshhan wrote:^^Perfect gift to Americans on their independence day.
Re: MRCA Discussion - October 2, 2010
Huh... co producing such high tech items... there is a paradigm shift in Indo-American relations and now they are moving from buyer-seller relations to co developing.... Leaving Russians far behind... Anyways, What does russia have to offer?? All third gen junk........Acharya wrote:Only for co production of nuts and boltsdarshhan wrote:^^Perfect gift to Americans on their independence day.
Re: MRCA Discussion - October 2, 2010
Acharya ji , That is why I said "perfect gift for the Americans" and a $10 billion burden for india.Ofcourse the 2nd part applies irrespective of the supplier.Acharya wrote:Only for co production of nuts and boltsdarshhan wrote:^^Perfect gift to Americans on their independence day.
By the way USA gives perfect gifts to only one nation in our region.No points for guessing.
Re: MRCA Discussion - October 2, 2010
article link
The IAF will definitely be interested in a BVR weapon like the Meteor with un-matched (so advertised) long range no-escape zones due to ramjet propulsion instead of impulse motors. Will allow the MRCAs to fire from outside the range of the AMRAAM and SD-10..here the swashplate AESA ES-05A Raven will allow the Gripen NG to actually start turning away from the bogey while still guiding the Meteor till it's onboard seeker goes active. Will keep the NG safe from return BVR shots, while the bogey will be forced to go defensive. Or a nose-cold (non-radiating and possibly un-detected) Gripen NG firing a Meteor from closer and from a totally different sector, while another Gripen NG farther away provides target info passed over the datalink.
IMO, in DACTs held 5 years from now, this capability (simulated of course) will be a massive advantage and will let even Gripen C/Ds get a big advantage over other Euro-canards (till they can simulate Meteors themselves), not to mention the MLU'ed Euro-F-16s.
The fact that the Gripen C/D will be integrated with this weapon before the others is something to be taken note of. Rafale and Typhoon are meant to be eventually integrated with it as well, but looking at the timelines mentioned here (4 years), it might be something that their own services will not receive till 2016-2018 or so and may require to be added at a later stage to the IAF fleet, if they win.
But then again, Gripen C/D's radar, avionics, data-link, displays are all supposed to be re-worked and improved on the Gripen Demo and NG, so at least a part of the integration process may need to be re-done for the Gripen NG. Nevertheless, a serious capability addition for the Gripen C/D and later on, Gripen NG.
Not sure if the weapons package offered with the Gripen NG for the MRCA contest included the Meteor or not (it might have if MBDA tied up with Saab for the MRCA as it most certainly did for the Rafale and Typhoon), but this is supposed to be a game-changing BVR weapon. With the PAF receiving 500 AMRAAM C-5s from the US for use with the F-16 fleet, and the future purchase of SD-10s from China for use on the JF-17 (and later on J-10s), the threat of BVR equipped fighters is looming very large.HELSINKI - Sweden's strategy to add export value to the JAS 39 Gripen-NG continues, following the signing of a production contract with Britain's Ministry of Defense covering the integration of the active radar-guided Beyond Visual Range Meteor missile into the Swedish combat aircraft.
The integration process, which will run over four years, carries an estimated cost of $43 million. The Swedish Air Force's fleet of Gripen C/D fighters will be equipped with a two-way data link, allowing communication between the aircraft and the missile once it has been fired.
Additionally, the Meteor will be tested with the Gripen's radar, avionics systems and displays. The order includes test flights and test firing, as well as the integration of Meteor with support and maintenance systems, including simulators and planning computers.
This latest investment in Gripen will improve its ability to operate against air targets at long range.
Britain has used the Gripen as a test aircraft for the development of the Meteor since 2006, with multiple missiles having been fired from the Swedish aircraft.
Britain is the lead nation in the European Meteor missile development system project, which started in 2002. Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Sweden are the other major partners. Britain and Spain have already signed production orders on Meteor.
FMV, Sweden's defense materials procurement agency, signed a contract with Saab Aerosystems in September covering integration of the Meteor missile on the JAS 39 Gripen C/D version 20. The Meteor missile system is expected to be operational within the Swedish Air Force in 2015.
The IAF will definitely be interested in a BVR weapon like the Meteor with un-matched (so advertised) long range no-escape zones due to ramjet propulsion instead of impulse motors. Will allow the MRCAs to fire from outside the range of the AMRAAM and SD-10..here the swashplate AESA ES-05A Raven will allow the Gripen NG to actually start turning away from the bogey while still guiding the Meteor till it's onboard seeker goes active. Will keep the NG safe from return BVR shots, while the bogey will be forced to go defensive. Or a nose-cold (non-radiating and possibly un-detected) Gripen NG firing a Meteor from closer and from a totally different sector, while another Gripen NG farther away provides target info passed over the datalink.
IMO, in DACTs held 5 years from now, this capability (simulated of course) will be a massive advantage and will let even Gripen C/Ds get a big advantage over other Euro-canards (till they can simulate Meteors themselves), not to mention the MLU'ed Euro-F-16s.
The fact that the Gripen C/D will be integrated with this weapon before the others is something to be taken note of. Rafale and Typhoon are meant to be eventually integrated with it as well, but looking at the timelines mentioned here (4 years), it might be something that their own services will not receive till 2016-2018 or so and may require to be added at a later stage to the IAF fleet, if they win.
But then again, Gripen C/D's radar, avionics, data-link, displays are all supposed to be re-worked and improved on the Gripen Demo and NG, so at least a part of the integration process may need to be re-done for the Gripen NG. Nevertheless, a serious capability addition for the Gripen C/D and later on, Gripen NG.
Re: MRCA Discussion - October 2, 2010
IMO, if European bird is desired for geopolitical reasons, then it makes sense to go with the Eurofighter as it is a true multi-national effort with partner work shares using major EU companies (EADS, Alenia, BAE, MTU, Avio, ITP, Rolls-Royce, etc). Apart from UK, Germany, Spain and Italy, buying the Eurofighter would also mean a lot of business for France through EADS and MBDA (weapons). This would mean that all the EU powerhouses will be included in this deal. Plus, on the industrial scale, Indian companies will be working in partnership with these EU companies as part of the work share. So this is a major integration with Europe both at the Public and Private sectors.
On the other hand, selection of Rafale, since it is mostly French, would mean the favor goes mostly to France. Also, France has not publicly stated India will be partner in their program. This means continuing on a more of the current seller (France) - buyer (India) relationship. With Gripen, you get a cocktail (Swedish, American and EU) with questions as to who exactly controls technology export licenses and restrictions.
On the other hand, selection of Rafale, since it is mostly French, would mean the favor goes mostly to France. Also, France has not publicly stated India will be partner in their program. This means continuing on a more of the current seller (France) - buyer (India) relationship. With Gripen, you get a cocktail (Swedish, American and EU) with questions as to who exactly controls technology export licenses and restrictions.
Re: MRCA Discussion - October 2, 2010
When I had stated the Russian def-env was not in a too good of a shape (about a year or so ago), I, understandably, was taken to task (NP).
Now comes this data point:
India jets order boosts ailing Russian defense industry
Another data point:
Now comes this data point:
India jets order boosts ailing Russian defense industry
I am fairly confident that, outside of a few pockets, it is in a rather bad shape. And, even perhaps, not in too good a shape to recover for India to depend upon it.Last year's record arms sales helped mask systemic troubles in Russia's defence industry that have pushed even the Russian military to seek hardware abroad in its drive to overhaul outdated weaponry.
Another data point:
Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov stressed Russia would not hesitate to spend the allotted 19 trillion rubles (USD 613 billion) on imported arms where Russian makes "did not meet the required standards."
"Our producers want to issue outdated models, but we don't want to buy them," Serdyukov told the weekly Russian Newsweek.
Re: MRCA Discussion - October 2, 2010
You are so right the about Russians; the link in NRao'S post proves your point. Straight from the horses mouth Russian Defense Minister.nrshah wrote: Anyways, What does russia have to offer?? All third gen junk........
Re: MRCA Discussion - October 2, 2010
Russia does have to offer something. It does have tons of researched material. It also has tons of brain power.
What it does not have is a product list that is based on sequenced research - the gap in research that the Yeltzin (sp?) era governed over. That gap is telling today.
However, given the funds, Russia does have the ability to provide (India?) sufficient amount of technologies to push (India?) clients over the hump.
What the Russians will avoid, perhaps even not give, is the research they have done (that is OK), BUT, which is what India wants/needs.
I am hoping that the $100Mil per FGFA will allow for some major researched data to reach India. I am not interested in some 5th gen engine. I am interested in some, if not all, of the data that went into the design of that 5th gen engine.
Also, while on this topic, there was mention of India advising Russia not to enter the MRCA competition. I did not follow that discussion - IF there was one. However, I am inclined to believe that, perhaps not to the extent as written in livefist. But, I am of the thinking that the IAF and "Russia" - read Sukhoi - went through a LOT to make the MKI happen. That pup was (and is) no joke. That effort alone IMHO was greater than this MRCA effort. What the MKI effort did produce was beyond a plane (itself). I am inclined to believe that "India" got to KNOW the Russians very well - they had to, WHICH led to the request to keep out of the MRCA effort. This should not be taken as a knock on the Russians - it is just a statement of fact. Things - IMHO - will change, but they will not and cannot be the same old relationship. And, $300 billion+ will be telling. It has to. The old ways are gone. And, that is good for everyone involved. It is a positive for everyone involved.
The flip side of this coin is the relationship with other nations, specifically the fear of being sanctioned. $300 Billion will also speak there too. Up to others. But, I do not see why India/ns need to even think of such things.
On to the thread .................................
What it does not have is a product list that is based on sequenced research - the gap in research that the Yeltzin (sp?) era governed over. That gap is telling today.
However, given the funds, Russia does have the ability to provide (India?) sufficient amount of technologies to push (India?) clients over the hump.
What the Russians will avoid, perhaps even not give, is the research they have done (that is OK), BUT, which is what India wants/needs.
I am hoping that the $100Mil per FGFA will allow for some major researched data to reach India. I am not interested in some 5th gen engine. I am interested in some, if not all, of the data that went into the design of that 5th gen engine.
Also, while on this topic, there was mention of India advising Russia not to enter the MRCA competition. I did not follow that discussion - IF there was one. However, I am inclined to believe that, perhaps not to the extent as written in livefist. But, I am of the thinking that the IAF and "Russia" - read Sukhoi - went through a LOT to make the MKI happen. That pup was (and is) no joke. That effort alone IMHO was greater than this MRCA effort. What the MKI effort did produce was beyond a plane (itself). I am inclined to believe that "India" got to KNOW the Russians very well - they had to, WHICH led to the request to keep out of the MRCA effort. This should not be taken as a knock on the Russians - it is just a statement of fact. Things - IMHO - will change, but they will not and cannot be the same old relationship. And, $300 billion+ will be telling. It has to. The old ways are gone. And, that is good for everyone involved. It is a positive for everyone involved.
The flip side of this coin is the relationship with other nations, specifically the fear of being sanctioned. $300 Billion will also speak there too. Up to others. But, I do not see why India/ns need to even think of such things.
On to the thread .................................
Re: MRCA Discussion - October 2, 2010
TOI reports..
It's Sukhoi vs Eurofighter as IAF 'takes on' RAF
It's Sukhoi vs Eurofighter as IAF 'takes on' RAF
Wonder if the exercise would have any impact on the selection?Top-notch fighters and other aircraft from India and UK will match their combat skills in the `Indra-Dhanush' joint exercise at Kalaikunda airbase in West Bengal later this month. While the British Royal Air Force will deploy their spanking new Eurofighter jets for the exercise slated to begin from October 20, the IAF fleet will be led by the `air dominance' Sukhoi-30MKI fighters.
"The exercise will be held in an AWACS (airborne warning and control systems) environment, with air defence being a major thrust area. We will be fielding different types of our fighters," said a senior official. Both the Indian and British forces are also expected to use their mid-air refuelling aircraft, like the IL-78 and VC-10 tankers, during the combat manoeuvres.
"The aim of the joint exercise is to learn from each other and enhance mutual operational understanding. With every exercise, IAF has gained valuable experience and gained respect as a highly-professional and motivated force," the official added. The exercise comes at a time when the $10.4 billion project to acquire 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) for IAF is in the final stages of selection process.
Re: MRCA Discussion - October 2, 2010
Absolutely! The IAF will be most eager to see how the Typhoons and Flankers operate together on the same side.This exercise will give it ample opportunity to see how the two can act as force multipliers, with the capabilities of the best of the west (Europe) and the east exploited to the max.If these exercises prove a success,then the Typhoon will clearly be the frontrunner in the MMRCA stakes and Europe/EADS will (having lost the LCA engine order) be most eager to clinch this lucrative deal at any cost.THus we might get a very attractive offer of TOT along with the Typhoon.
Re: MRCA Discussion - October 2, 2010
typhoon if they better sukhois -then they may be ultimate winner
Re: MRCA Discussion - October 2, 2010
$300 Bn???????????????NRao wrote:Russia does have to offer something. It does have tons of researched material. It also has tons of brain power.
What it does not have is a product list that is based on sequenced research - the gap in research that the Yeltzin (sp?) era governed over. That gap is telling today.
However, given the funds, Russia does have the ability to provide (India?) sufficient amount of technologies to push (India?) clients over the hump.
What the Russians will avoid, perhaps even not give, is the research they have done (that is OK), BUT, which is what India wants/needs.
I am hoping that the $100Mil per FGFA will allow for some major researched data to reach India. I am not interested in some 5th gen engine. I am interested in some, if not all, of the data that went into the design of that 5th gen engine.
Also, while on this topic, there was mention of India advising Russia not to enter the MRCA competition. I did not follow that discussion - IF there was one. However, I am inclined to believe that, perhaps not to the extent as written in livefist. But, I am of the thinking that the IAF and "Russia" - read Sukhoi - went through a LOT to make the MKI happen. That pup was (and is) no joke. That effort alone IMHO was greater than this MRCA effort. What the MKI effort did produce was beyond a plane (itself). I am inclined to believe that "India" got to KNOW the Russians very well - they had to, WHICH led to the request to keep out of the MRCA effort. This should not be taken as a knock on the Russians - it is just a statement of fact. Things - IMHO - will change, but they will not and cannot be the same old relationship. And, $300 billion+ will be telling. It has to. The old ways are gone. And, that is good for everyone involved. It is a positive for everyone involved.
The flip side of this coin is the relationship with other nations, specifically the fear of being sanctioned. $300 Billion will also speak there too. Up to others. But, I do not see why India/ns need to even think of such things.
On to the thread .................................
You ment $30Bn I think.Re: MRCA Discussion - October 2, 2010
India jets order boosts ailing Russian defense industry
From the URL...
From the URL...
When we say, Russian is partnering India for Pakfa/FGFA just for fundsDefence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov stressed Russia would not hesitate to spend the allotted 19 trillion rubles (USD 613 billion) on imported arms where Russian makes "did not meet the required standards."
Re: MRCA Discussion - October 2, 2010
If we're involved in the project,we will have the right to see where those funds meant for development are headed and I don't think that the Russians will build 300 5th-gen fighters for no cost at all! The profits that might accrue will definitely be plowed back into modernising Russia's traditional arms industry.But it is a huge investment and will definitely aid Russia's aerospace industry in the long term,giving it the vital "Vitamin M" (money),to regain its momentum to be at the cutting edge of def. tech.
Re: MRCA Discussion - October 2, 2010
Fine.. we 'll pay for the Russian industry revival. It is all our taxes any ways driven by baboo power with least people's choice.
Re: MRCA Discussion - October 2, 2010
The IAF will no doubt be interested in testing the MKIs against the Typhoon during this Indradhanush exercise but it is too late for any impact on the MRCA competition. How can there be any influence now ? the technical and flight evaluations are over. The IAF has tested out the Typhoon (with the Captor-M) and so at least theoretically (if the evaluation reports have been circulated within squadrons, which might not have happened due to secrecy requirements for such a lucrative deal), the IAF will be well versed with what the aircraft's radar, avionics and flight performance are like. Knowing how the MKI performs in and out will mean that they know the strengths of the respective platforms and can adopt tactics to maximise the advantages of the MKI and minimise the disadvantages.Philip wrote:Absolutely! The IAF will be most eager to see how the Typhoons and Flankers operate together on the same side.This exercise will give it ample opportunity to see how the two can act as force multipliers, with the capabilities of the best of the west (Europe) and the east exploited to the max.If these exercises prove a success,then the Typhoon will clearly be the frontrunner in the MMRCA stakes and Europe/EADS will (having lost the LCA engine order) be most eager to clinch this lucrative deal at any cost.THus we might get a very attractive offer of TOT along with the Typhoon.
The evaluation reports have been submitted to the MoD so as far as the IAF is concerned, the ball is in the MoD's court now and from what we can glean from reports, offset bids are being scrutinised and after that, a possible trim in the numbers of candidates will occur. Unless the Typhoon has some whiz-bang capability that the IAF mandated and no other candidate had (which it doesn't avionics wise but may possess via its excellent flying qualities), or unless EADS is offering the best offset and ToT package, there is no way that the Typhoon will be L1.
Re: MRCA Discussion - October 2, 2010
last exercise with Frenchmen...they never did field Rafale, but if RAF wants to bring it up...kudos, something should be sorted out...
minimum of it, nice fighter, but we are already sold out to uncle...
minimum of it, nice fighter, but we are already sold out to uncle...
Re: MRCA Discussion - October 2, 2010
yea i heard of it too that they will land in India while on the way...but were Rafale part of exercise when we were officially conducting the exercise...i mean except some non serious nosing around stuff...or else they didnt need to promise to field rafale in India, if they did it in France itself...
anyways...RAF seems to be more confident about what it has as per current date...this is all i meant...because we have had an exercise along side Typhoon already...and every time they are fielding the latest they have...
but till i am following, some mystery is floating around, these grown men in their offices are hell bent on denying any Ecstasy of our theories becoming reality...
anyways...RAF seems to be more confident about what it has as per current date...this is all i meant...because we have had an exercise along side Typhoon already...and every time they are fielding the latest they have...
but till i am following, some mystery is floating around, these grown men in their offices are hell bent on denying any Ecstasy of our theories becoming reality...
Some French Rafales (both from the Marine and Armee de l’Air) also took part in the exercise at some point, but not presented themselves during the media day. It seems the Rafale participation was limited and only “promotional” as Dassault is a contender in the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft competition of the Indian Air Force for 126 fighters to replace the ageing MiG-21 fleet. Another contender is Lockheed Martin with the F-16IN proposal, an advanced F-16 variant similar to the participating RSAF Block 52+ fighters.
Re: MRCA Discussion - October 2, 2010
Hi folks .. this appeared in the latest Vayu Magazine ... livefist has some nice, new Gripen NG images as well shot by Jamie Hunter of my NG sortie recently ... Anyway, enjoy ...
Almost a Fighter Pilot
Vishnu Som, Associate Editor and Senior Anchor, New Delhi Television (NDTV).
All of us have dreams which remain unfulfilled. Thats just the way it is. Many of us have imagined ourselves as cricket stars only to find ourselves working a desk job, others may have wanted to become filmstars but ended up doing something utterly unglamorous. I must confess, I have been lucky. I have always, always, dreamt of being a fighter pilot and though I never had the skills (awful in Mathematics !) to join either the Air Force or the Naval Air Arm, I have somehow managed to fly more than a dozen sorties in some of the greatest fighter jets ever built. My friends say I have subverted journalism to live out a dream. Others say I have managed to produce to pretty interesting television documentaries. I think the truth lies somewhere in between.
The first time, I was invited to fly on fighter jets was during the Kargil war. Mirage 2000s no less. The Army, it seems, had been stealing the thunder as far as press coverage was concerned, and the Air Force, quite rightly, felt that it was time to explain the role played by their aircraft in India winning the war. But, like so many things, the Air Force proposal had to do the rounds of the Defence Ministry. Finally, the late Pramod Mahajan, then the Information and Broadcasting Minister, pushed through the file after convincing Defence Minister George Fernandes that this should be considered a priority as well. Pramod insisted a Doordarshan crew must also be accomodated on sorties and, sure enough, a DD cameraman flew to Adampur with us where the Mirages had been forward deployed. Clueless about the size of fighter cockpits, he landed up with a gigantic video camera more appropriate for the cargo hold of an Il-76 ! And so, that was that. We ended up getting what was a world class exclusive - three sorties on Mirage 2000s, the first of which was on July 31, 1999, a few days after the war officially ended, but bang on my birthday. Talk about a birthday gift.
And as it turned out, this wouldn't be the last time I got a ride on a fighter. In fact, in the last 11 years since my Mirage flights, I have flown multiple sorties, often on different variants of the the F/A-18 Hornet, the F-16 Falcon, the JAS-39 Gripen, MiG-35, Mig-29, the Indian Navy Sea Harrier and Sukhoi's prototype of the Su-30 MKI. Many of these sorties featured on my documentary series, the Jet Set which aired a few years ago and other news reports on NDTV 24x7.
Different people have reacted differently to my accounts of these flights. Some Air Force professionals view these as the joyrides of someone who is patently not a pilot and ask `What does he really know ?' Others, though, are curious to learn of my experiences, often about my interactions with the executives and test pilots of some of the world's leading fighter aircraft manufacturers. While I am not a pilot, aviation is a serious interest and so, these experiences are a little bit more than the stories of someone in the backseat of an 80 million dollar roller coster though, admittedly, far less profound than what a fighter pilot would have had to offer.
When executives at SAAB-Gripen phoned me recently, I thought they would be inviting me to a press conference linked to the Indian Air Force's gigantic 12 billion dollar MMRCA tender. All the leading contenders brief the press regularly on developments on the platforms which they have pitched to the IAF. Instead, I was asked, "Vishnu, we were wondering if you would be interested in flying a sortie on the Gripen NG prototype." Straight to the point. Typically Swedish. No unnecessary talk about the Delhi weather. It took a moment for this to sink in. Quite clearly, this would be quite special, different in a sense from what I had done in the past. I was being offered a sortie on the only flying prototype of a state-of -the-art next generation fighter, a valuable asset not just for SAAB-Gripen but a national asset for Sweden. In a few weeks I would be the first and, thus far, the only civilian, to have flown on the jet.
In fact, by the time the visit to Linkoping in Sweden ended, I had been allowed to land the jet twice from the rear cockpit in addition to flying the prototype through a series of high g maneuvers at a safe altitude. I can hear the skeptics saying "Oh, be serious." Its true, I assure you ! Whats more, I was a witness to supercruise, the ability of this fighter to fly beyond the speed of sound without the use of the afterburner.
The pilot in command of my flight, Fredrik Munchler is Gripen's demonstration pilot, someone who clearly loves his job. At the apex of a loop after a 5 g vertical pull-up, Fredrik, in that typical matter-of-fact Swede way of talking tells me, "It is true. They pay me to do this." What I wouldn't do to trade jobs !
Anyway, this wasn't the first time that I had flown on the Gripen. A few years ago, I had flown out of Linkoping, the Gripen development facilitity, in the JAS-39 D but the difference in the two jets was obvious to even me, a novice. With its new GE414G engine, the Gripen strains at the leashes on the runway, edging forward despite the brakes and blasts off more than takes off once the brakes are released. In handling too, the jet is care-free pushing the 9 g threshold quite easily. Fredrik tells me the Gripen NG can easily be touted a 10g fighter, since it can pull those loads without any real difficulty.
Supercruise on this flight took place at about 23,000 feet. Our jet, carrying 2 IRIS-T wingtip mounted air to air missiles accelerated through the sonic barrier. Fredrik quickly came off the heater and air speed stabilised well above Mach 1. Fredrik tells me he can sustain this till fuel runs out at this altitude and can travel faster without burner if we are at a higher altitude. Denying that super-cruise can't be achieved with a warload, Fredrik says they do it all the time with 4 air to air missiles, a pretty standard fit for air superiority operations. He also points out the NG prototype is overweight, and once it loses a few hundred kilos, the supercruise performance of the fighter will appreciably improve.
After a sortie lasting about 45 minutes, in which we also flew in formation with a JAS-39 D which was filmed by camera people on an SK-60 trainer , Fredrik and I turned away for some low altitude runs after which he handed me controls. Throttle and stick response on this fighter is instantaneous and the set-up of the man-machine interface in the cockpit is truly impressive. Though the Raven AESA radar which forms the heart of the NG's weapon system had been removed ahead of this sortie since the NG goes into an extended modification period, I was able to appreciate and understand the symbology on the multi-function displays.
The Left hand MFD had been configured to provide a repeat of the pilot's head up display symbology over a wide-angle video underlay of the skies and terrain around us. SAAB's artificial horizon symbology is quite distinctive and extremely intuitive. The plane you are flying is figuratively placed at the centre of a hemisphere along a dotted line if you are in straight and level flight. Once you pull up, the symbology changes and the dotted line forms a reverse `U' as you progressively climb. On top of the `hemisphere' a large `X' appears atop the pole and if you fly down, the dotted lines form a `U' till you pass the straight dotted line which you allign yourself to if you want to regain level flight. Its tough to explain in words but very easy to understand when you see it.
Soon enough, it was time to land and Fredrik asked me if I was confident enough to land the jet. He had stick and throttle priority up front so there was no real danger. Engaging ILS, we flew towards Linkoping in pretty marginal weather. With no HUD at eye level, I kept my focus squarely on the left hand MFD where a targeting cue linked to the ILS appeared. With gentle inputs on the sensitive control stick, I had to place the velocity vector (essentially the plane) directly over the targeting cue and keep it there. As we lost altitude progressively, and turned into finals, Fredrik engaged autothrottle and, in a little while, lowered the undercarriage prompting a change in the HUD symbology. The targeting cue became a tiny dot now and the runway appeared in the distance, the threshold marked by a small U. Steering inputs needed now were more pronounced to keep the cue at the centre of the velocity vector. With a few hundred feet to go, the cue disappeared and Fredrik told me to place the velocity vector on the spot I wanted to touch down. He also, repeatedly told me to keep looking down at the MFD, not get distracted by the terrain coming up on all sides ! Now gliding over the runway, I attempted to flare to which Fredrik said `don't flare, just touch down" which I did. Touchdown was at about 140 knots. Fredrik said "mine" and manually engaged brakes, the Gripen coming to a halt in a few hundred metres.
It was as simple as that, an incredible feeling to do the real thing, for someone who spends hours landing jets on Microsoft Flight Simulator X on my home pc. But the Gripen sortie was not over yet. We refuelled in a few minutes without switching off the engine, returned to the runway and blasted off again for another sortie, quite similar to the first one.
There are lot of interesting features of the Gripen NG. For me, the lasting impression after this flight was the simplicity of its operations. For an untrained pilot to be able to land a fighter with such ease clearly indicates just how easy it is to fly the jet, a factor that the Gripen team says could really help out young, inexperienced pilots.
This wasn't the first time that I had seen the evolution of a fighter jet from an earlier variant. I have flown three sorties on different variants of the F-16, a Block 30, Block 50 + and Block 60 AESA equipped bird.
My flight on an F-16 Block 30 was, in a sense, a sign of the changing strategic relationship between india and the United States. I was invited to fly with the US Air Force's Black Widows squadron at the Hill Air Force Base near Salt Lake City in the state of Utah. Way back in 1982-1983, members of the Black Widows squadron had trained pilots of the Pakistan Air Force to operate the jet. Now, after all these years, an Indian journalist was invited to fly the same jet at the same base at a time when the US is pitching a variant of the same fighter to India. How times have changed.
My pilot for the sortie Colby Edwards, call sign Thor, asked me what I wanted to see. Aware of the stunning performance characteristics of early generation F-16s, I told him I would like to turn and burn. We took off at about 240 kilometres per hour, immediately climbing into a Vertical Charlie pushing 7 g, a truly exhilarating ride. In moments, we were above a test range, one of the largest in the United States.
The cockpit of the Block 30 is very basic, mono-chromatic displayes in MFD which are small in comparison to the large, increasingly touch-screen MFDs that one comes across in contemporary fighters. Rear seat controls had been disabled though, so I did none of the flying.
It was time to return home soon enough though - we had clearly been burning a lot of gas with all these tight maneuvers and bursts of acceleration. As we headed back, we flew through some stuning valleys with some outstanding ski slopes.
A few years later, I would have an opportunity to fly on a UAE F-16 Block 60 at the Bangalore air show and if I was asked to describe it in two words, it would have to be "video game." The difference between this jet and the Block 30 fighter I had flown earlier could not have been more stark. This was, essentially, a brand-new jet. Equipped with the APG 80 AESA radar, the Block 60 features sensational sensor fusion something showcased to me on the sortie. There are a lot of things that the Americans have going for them in the MMRCA race and the fact that they have fully operational, integrated AESA radars is one of them.
On this sortie, my pilot set up the right MFD to display a comprehensive tactical picture by interweaving the air to air and air to ground picture, essentially tracking targets both in the air and on the land. The left MFD was slaved to the FLIR system. During the flight, we picked up an F-18 on radar heading towards us on a reciprocal heading. In moments, we were able to track the jet on the FLIR well before it was within visual range. Absolutely incredible and all, fully developed technologies in service with an Air Force.
For all the differences which have traditionally existed between Western and Russian aircraft, there are areas of great commonality. Unlike in the past, where crew comfort and cockpit ergonomics were not really a priority, the new generation MiG-35 offers an extremely modern, fully hands on throttle and stick (HOTAS) cockpit with MFDs of the same quality as the best of the Western fighters.
My MiG 35 sortie at the Bangalore Air show came a week after I had flown a sortie on the MiG-29UB trainer at the Gromov Flight Centre at Zhukovski near Moscow.
About a day or two prior to the show beginning, MiG got in touch with me confirming the possibility of a sortie. I didn't want to look a gift-horse in the mouth particularly since Ratan Tata's upcoming sortie in an F-16 at the Bangalore Air Show had generated enough attention in the media.
At the onset, let me just say that while the MiG 35 sortie was a high, having the opportunity to sit down, eat lunch and have a couple of drinks with the great test pilot Pavel Vlasov (a Hero of the Russian Federation) and Mr. Byntin, the Chief Designer of the MiG-35 was wonderful. In fact, I had had the opportunity to meet Pavel in Moscow as well, also at a lunch shortly after he flew the MiG-29KUB at its media debut. Iincidentally, the actual first flight of the KUB of which I have footage took place two days prior to the media debut so the Russians, no fools, knew the thing flew before they brought in the international media !
Anyway at Yelahanka, my pilot would be Mikhail Belyaev who spoke reasonable English though with a heavy accent. We both realised the importance of keeping our conversation to a minimum ahead and during the flight so that we could get the pre-flight basics right. Later on, I would discover that Belyaev was an absolute delight, supremely confident as a pilot with a sense of humour to match.
Before the flight though, there was the small matter of the flight overalls. I am 6'2 and the Russian flight overalls didnt quite fit so we went to plan b and I pulled out my own overalls which Boeing had given me after an F-18 sortie. As we approached the Fulcrum, a senior Communications person at Boeing (who I have worked with extensively in the past) came up to me a touch irritated. "Vishnu, you'll fly just about anything won't you?" she asked. She had obviously noticed my Boeing flight overalls (which didn't of course say `Boeing' anywhere). I let go a sheepish grin. She already knew the answer.
We were now next to the Fulcrum and I was given my bone dome and a cloth head cover (typically Russian) just before I got into the jet.
The Russian pilots helmet is the real deal ! This one was compatible with the IRST system. It was considerably more heavy than the American/French/British helmets I have worn in the past. It was also, much more comfortable. In some of the American helmets, the sun visor was attached to the outside portion of the helmet. On the Russian ones, it is located inside ... and you need to push a release on either side of your eyes with both your hands to bring it down. It fits perfectly with the oxygen mask and the clarity is perfect. Belyaev later told me, "We take our helmet to American and tell them `this is helmet for fighter plane. Your helmet meant only for small scooter." I must also confess, the Russian flight gloves (black leather) are trendier than the heat resistant and loosely fitting American or European flight gloves I have worn elsewhere !
The MiG 35 cockpit is considerably larger than the F-16 cockpit. The first thing I noticed on being strapped in was the quality of the cockpit. This cockpit was far removed from what one had seen in Russian fighters in the past. There was no clutter in the cockpit and the new, broader canopy on the MiG 35 gives you a roomier feel as compared to the MiG 29 UB I had flown on earlier. There are 3 huge MFDs in front of the pilot and a small one that serves as the HUD repeater. Forward vision on the HUD repeater, clarity and depth perception was outstanding. I feel the unit was far better than similar systems on some of the other fighters.
Prior to the flight, Mikhael asked me what I wanted to do. I was consistent with what I had told the other pilots - `Mikhael, the F-16 pilot took me to 8 g. Can we do the same?' Prompt came the reply - `No problem, we do 8g, Cobra and tail slide. OK?' I could only mumble a muted `da' in reply.
Anyhow, engine startup was like the other jets. I had been briefed on the emergency O2 system and the position of the intercom switch. As we rolled down the taxiway, my focus was on the MFDs in front of me - the INS display on the extreme right, engine parameters in the centre and the artificial horizon, AOA, airspeed indicator and the g meter on the extreme Left. I wanted to us the metric system for my airspeed and altitude and this had been set for me with a button push prior to the flight.
The take off run on the MiG 35 feels like a 747 compared to the F-16. It feels slower, much more refined and the difference between a single engine and two engines is perceptible. Mikhael veered left at low altitude on take off and then went vertical, did a half loop and rolled out into the direction of our heading. We had done about 4.5 g but I felt almost nothing. The oxygen flow in the MiG 35 was outstanding, very easy to inhale, no real pressure on the lungs.
Mikhael then went into a lengthy explanation of the INS system pointing out our heading and some of the symbology on the unit ... He then said `You pilot, Vishnu' and I took control, did a sharp bank to the right which he corrected by telling me to to head in the direction of the indicator on the INS display. A short while and a few loops later, Michael asked if I was interested in seeing a Cobra maneuver. No guesses on what my answer was. There is a button on the Master Caution panel on the front right on the pilot which says "Cobra." That button has to be pushed before the maneuver can be done since the angle of attack limiter has to be overridden. What made the Cobra maneuver all the more enjoyable was the knowledge that this was a non TVC aircraft. Mikhael said `Cobra now' and yanked hard on the stick. The nose pitched right back and then he pushed the nose hard forward as we briefly entered a negative g scenario. Like in the case of the tail slide, the ground rushes at you awfully quick but there is immense power in this jet and we soon level out. At this stage Mikhael demonstrated the stability of the jet by violently moving the stick around its axis with absolutely no impact on the forward motion of the jet.
Over the next several minutes, we pushed some serious g going right up to 8.2 g for which the Russians later gave me a certificate. With fuel running low, we decided to do a touch and go and land immediately afterwards. As we lifted off after touching down, Mikhael decided to show off - plain and simple. He said `Ok Vishnu, now we do military style landing’ so he yanked hard and left, gaining altitude as we flew parallel to the runway in the opposite direction. We pulled into a violent 6 g left bank, lowering undercarriage and levelling out pretty much on top of the runway before making a perfect touchdown albeit at considerable speed ! It was brilliant, the most incredible landing I have experienced, the end to a fantastic ride on the Russian top gun.
My first experience with the F/A-18 was when I personally witnessed, over a period of a week, the end result of Hornet bombing runs on the outskirts of Kabul in 2001. We were camping in a bombed-out cement factory on the outskirts of the Afghan capital in a place called Charikhar. Kabul was still under the control of the Taliban and air attacks targeting the Bagram Airbase had just about begun. The base was a few kilometres away from where we were staying and every evening at about 5 pm, Hornets operating off the deck of the US carriers would come in for high altitude laser guided bomb drops and so every evening, almost on the dot, we would see the outline of F-18s flying very high, tossing bombs, a dust cloud on impact, followed by the sound of the impact.
One of the pilots involved in those early operations was Steve Walborn, callsign `Wimbo,' whom I had the pleasure of flying with on a Hornet quite a few years later. This was from the US Naval Air Station in Lemoore in California, one of the biggest facilities of the US Navy. This base supports hundreds of strike aircraft of the US Navy deployed on aircraft carriers in the Pacific ocean. At any one stage there are more than 100 fighters at this base, many of them F-18 Super Hornets.
My sortie with Wimbo in the Super Hornet was across a test range over the Sierra Nevada mountains in California. Coincidentally, the Hornet I flew was the very same Hornet I had flown on at the Farnborough air show a year earlier. There would be two other Hornets which would formate with us, one of which would refuel us mid-air. But before refuelling, Wimbo showed me a few things which aviation freaks like me dream about - two jets going head to head at a closure rate of a thousand knots before turning hard to engage each other in mock air combat.
Buddy-refuelling the big jet was really interesting. Inching up to the refuelling drogue released off the centre line tank of the refueller Hornet and then engaging the drogue even in a gentle turn was spectacular to watch from the rear seat..
Of all the fighters of this generation I have flown on (Generation 4 plus), the F/18 Hornet is the most battle-tested platform. APG-79 AESA equipped versions of the Super Hornet have been doing duty off American carriers for a few years now often as force multipliers for non-AESA equipped birds. This is a tough as nails, fully evolved jet which sets new US Navy benchmarks for reliability and ease of maintenance.
For me though, the highlight of the sortie turned out to be something utterly unexpected. As our formation headed back towards Lemoore, one of the pilots called out "Raptor, Raptor." I asked Wimbo what "Raptor" meant. He laughed and replied "You heard it right Vish. It means F-22." And then, to my left at about 11 O'Clock, I saw the sinister shape of an F-22 stealth fighter as it did a gentle victory roll and went on its way. Thats right, I got intercepted by a stealth fighter, possibly another first for an Indian civilian wannabe pilot! Nobody in the formation seemed to know what was lurking, certainly not my AESA equipped bird - we had the radar on alright ! Lets hope the Sukhoi T-50 FGFA works out OK for the Indian Air Force ! And if it does, then rest assured, I will be waiting for that phone call from the boffins at Sukhoi if not the Indian Air Force. Lets see if I can continue to ride my luck !
(Vishnu Som has flown with Air Forces around the world, the UN in Congo, the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan and Chief test pilots of several fighter manufacturers. He has catapulted off US Navy carriers and has experienced arrested landings as well. He has survived a missile attack when the IAF Mi-8 he was travelling in North Gujarat was targeted by Pakistani SAMs shortly after the Atlantique episode in 1999 and been winched off the deck of an Indian Navy submarine. He has also flown extensively in the Siachen area onboard Indian Navy Cheetah helicopters.)
Almost a Fighter Pilot
Vishnu Som, Associate Editor and Senior Anchor, New Delhi Television (NDTV).
All of us have dreams which remain unfulfilled. Thats just the way it is. Many of us have imagined ourselves as cricket stars only to find ourselves working a desk job, others may have wanted to become filmstars but ended up doing something utterly unglamorous. I must confess, I have been lucky. I have always, always, dreamt of being a fighter pilot and though I never had the skills (awful in Mathematics !) to join either the Air Force or the Naval Air Arm, I have somehow managed to fly more than a dozen sorties in some of the greatest fighter jets ever built. My friends say I have subverted journalism to live out a dream. Others say I have managed to produce to pretty interesting television documentaries. I think the truth lies somewhere in between.
The first time, I was invited to fly on fighter jets was during the Kargil war. Mirage 2000s no less. The Army, it seems, had been stealing the thunder as far as press coverage was concerned, and the Air Force, quite rightly, felt that it was time to explain the role played by their aircraft in India winning the war. But, like so many things, the Air Force proposal had to do the rounds of the Defence Ministry. Finally, the late Pramod Mahajan, then the Information and Broadcasting Minister, pushed through the file after convincing Defence Minister George Fernandes that this should be considered a priority as well. Pramod insisted a Doordarshan crew must also be accomodated on sorties and, sure enough, a DD cameraman flew to Adampur with us where the Mirages had been forward deployed. Clueless about the size of fighter cockpits, he landed up with a gigantic video camera more appropriate for the cargo hold of an Il-76 ! And so, that was that. We ended up getting what was a world class exclusive - three sorties on Mirage 2000s, the first of which was on July 31, 1999, a few days after the war officially ended, but bang on my birthday. Talk about a birthday gift.
And as it turned out, this wouldn't be the last time I got a ride on a fighter. In fact, in the last 11 years since my Mirage flights, I have flown multiple sorties, often on different variants of the the F/A-18 Hornet, the F-16 Falcon, the JAS-39 Gripen, MiG-35, Mig-29, the Indian Navy Sea Harrier and Sukhoi's prototype of the Su-30 MKI. Many of these sorties featured on my documentary series, the Jet Set which aired a few years ago and other news reports on NDTV 24x7.
Different people have reacted differently to my accounts of these flights. Some Air Force professionals view these as the joyrides of someone who is patently not a pilot and ask `What does he really know ?' Others, though, are curious to learn of my experiences, often about my interactions with the executives and test pilots of some of the world's leading fighter aircraft manufacturers. While I am not a pilot, aviation is a serious interest and so, these experiences are a little bit more than the stories of someone in the backseat of an 80 million dollar roller coster though, admittedly, far less profound than what a fighter pilot would have had to offer.
When executives at SAAB-Gripen phoned me recently, I thought they would be inviting me to a press conference linked to the Indian Air Force's gigantic 12 billion dollar MMRCA tender. All the leading contenders brief the press regularly on developments on the platforms which they have pitched to the IAF. Instead, I was asked, "Vishnu, we were wondering if you would be interested in flying a sortie on the Gripen NG prototype." Straight to the point. Typically Swedish. No unnecessary talk about the Delhi weather. It took a moment for this to sink in. Quite clearly, this would be quite special, different in a sense from what I had done in the past. I was being offered a sortie on the only flying prototype of a state-of -the-art next generation fighter, a valuable asset not just for SAAB-Gripen but a national asset for Sweden. In a few weeks I would be the first and, thus far, the only civilian, to have flown on the jet.
In fact, by the time the visit to Linkoping in Sweden ended, I had been allowed to land the jet twice from the rear cockpit in addition to flying the prototype through a series of high g maneuvers at a safe altitude. I can hear the skeptics saying "Oh, be serious." Its true, I assure you ! Whats more, I was a witness to supercruise, the ability of this fighter to fly beyond the speed of sound without the use of the afterburner.
The pilot in command of my flight, Fredrik Munchler is Gripen's demonstration pilot, someone who clearly loves his job. At the apex of a loop after a 5 g vertical pull-up, Fredrik, in that typical matter-of-fact Swede way of talking tells me, "It is true. They pay me to do this." What I wouldn't do to trade jobs !
Anyway, this wasn't the first time that I had flown on the Gripen. A few years ago, I had flown out of Linkoping, the Gripen development facilitity, in the JAS-39 D but the difference in the two jets was obvious to even me, a novice. With its new GE414G engine, the Gripen strains at the leashes on the runway, edging forward despite the brakes and blasts off more than takes off once the brakes are released. In handling too, the jet is care-free pushing the 9 g threshold quite easily. Fredrik tells me the Gripen NG can easily be touted a 10g fighter, since it can pull those loads without any real difficulty.
Supercruise on this flight took place at about 23,000 feet. Our jet, carrying 2 IRIS-T wingtip mounted air to air missiles accelerated through the sonic barrier. Fredrik quickly came off the heater and air speed stabilised well above Mach 1. Fredrik tells me he can sustain this till fuel runs out at this altitude and can travel faster without burner if we are at a higher altitude. Denying that super-cruise can't be achieved with a warload, Fredrik says they do it all the time with 4 air to air missiles, a pretty standard fit for air superiority operations. He also points out the NG prototype is overweight, and once it loses a few hundred kilos, the supercruise performance of the fighter will appreciably improve.
After a sortie lasting about 45 minutes, in which we also flew in formation with a JAS-39 D which was filmed by camera people on an SK-60 trainer , Fredrik and I turned away for some low altitude runs after which he handed me controls. Throttle and stick response on this fighter is instantaneous and the set-up of the man-machine interface in the cockpit is truly impressive. Though the Raven AESA radar which forms the heart of the NG's weapon system had been removed ahead of this sortie since the NG goes into an extended modification period, I was able to appreciate and understand the symbology on the multi-function displays.
The Left hand MFD had been configured to provide a repeat of the pilot's head up display symbology over a wide-angle video underlay of the skies and terrain around us. SAAB's artificial horizon symbology is quite distinctive and extremely intuitive. The plane you are flying is figuratively placed at the centre of a hemisphere along a dotted line if you are in straight and level flight. Once you pull up, the symbology changes and the dotted line forms a reverse `U' as you progressively climb. On top of the `hemisphere' a large `X' appears atop the pole and if you fly down, the dotted lines form a `U' till you pass the straight dotted line which you allign yourself to if you want to regain level flight. Its tough to explain in words but very easy to understand when you see it.
Soon enough, it was time to land and Fredrik asked me if I was confident enough to land the jet. He had stick and throttle priority up front so there was no real danger. Engaging ILS, we flew towards Linkoping in pretty marginal weather. With no HUD at eye level, I kept my focus squarely on the left hand MFD where a targeting cue linked to the ILS appeared. With gentle inputs on the sensitive control stick, I had to place the velocity vector (essentially the plane) directly over the targeting cue and keep it there. As we lost altitude progressively, and turned into finals, Fredrik engaged autothrottle and, in a little while, lowered the undercarriage prompting a change in the HUD symbology. The targeting cue became a tiny dot now and the runway appeared in the distance, the threshold marked by a small U. Steering inputs needed now were more pronounced to keep the cue at the centre of the velocity vector. With a few hundred feet to go, the cue disappeared and Fredrik told me to place the velocity vector on the spot I wanted to touch down. He also, repeatedly told me to keep looking down at the MFD, not get distracted by the terrain coming up on all sides ! Now gliding over the runway, I attempted to flare to which Fredrik said `don't flare, just touch down" which I did. Touchdown was at about 140 knots. Fredrik said "mine" and manually engaged brakes, the Gripen coming to a halt in a few hundred metres.
It was as simple as that, an incredible feeling to do the real thing, for someone who spends hours landing jets on Microsoft Flight Simulator X on my home pc. But the Gripen sortie was not over yet. We refuelled in a few minutes without switching off the engine, returned to the runway and blasted off again for another sortie, quite similar to the first one.
There are lot of interesting features of the Gripen NG. For me, the lasting impression after this flight was the simplicity of its operations. For an untrained pilot to be able to land a fighter with such ease clearly indicates just how easy it is to fly the jet, a factor that the Gripen team says could really help out young, inexperienced pilots.
This wasn't the first time that I had seen the evolution of a fighter jet from an earlier variant. I have flown three sorties on different variants of the F-16, a Block 30, Block 50 + and Block 60 AESA equipped bird.
My flight on an F-16 Block 30 was, in a sense, a sign of the changing strategic relationship between india and the United States. I was invited to fly with the US Air Force's Black Widows squadron at the Hill Air Force Base near Salt Lake City in the state of Utah. Way back in 1982-1983, members of the Black Widows squadron had trained pilots of the Pakistan Air Force to operate the jet. Now, after all these years, an Indian journalist was invited to fly the same jet at the same base at a time when the US is pitching a variant of the same fighter to India. How times have changed.
My pilot for the sortie Colby Edwards, call sign Thor, asked me what I wanted to see. Aware of the stunning performance characteristics of early generation F-16s, I told him I would like to turn and burn. We took off at about 240 kilometres per hour, immediately climbing into a Vertical Charlie pushing 7 g, a truly exhilarating ride. In moments, we were above a test range, one of the largest in the United States.
The cockpit of the Block 30 is very basic, mono-chromatic displayes in MFD which are small in comparison to the large, increasingly touch-screen MFDs that one comes across in contemporary fighters. Rear seat controls had been disabled though, so I did none of the flying.
It was time to return home soon enough though - we had clearly been burning a lot of gas with all these tight maneuvers and bursts of acceleration. As we headed back, we flew through some stuning valleys with some outstanding ski slopes.
A few years later, I would have an opportunity to fly on a UAE F-16 Block 60 at the Bangalore air show and if I was asked to describe it in two words, it would have to be "video game." The difference between this jet and the Block 30 fighter I had flown earlier could not have been more stark. This was, essentially, a brand-new jet. Equipped with the APG 80 AESA radar, the Block 60 features sensational sensor fusion something showcased to me on the sortie. There are a lot of things that the Americans have going for them in the MMRCA race and the fact that they have fully operational, integrated AESA radars is one of them.
On this sortie, my pilot set up the right MFD to display a comprehensive tactical picture by interweaving the air to air and air to ground picture, essentially tracking targets both in the air and on the land. The left MFD was slaved to the FLIR system. During the flight, we picked up an F-18 on radar heading towards us on a reciprocal heading. In moments, we were able to track the jet on the FLIR well before it was within visual range. Absolutely incredible and all, fully developed technologies in service with an Air Force.
For all the differences which have traditionally existed between Western and Russian aircraft, there are areas of great commonality. Unlike in the past, where crew comfort and cockpit ergonomics were not really a priority, the new generation MiG-35 offers an extremely modern, fully hands on throttle and stick (HOTAS) cockpit with MFDs of the same quality as the best of the Western fighters.
My MiG 35 sortie at the Bangalore Air show came a week after I had flown a sortie on the MiG-29UB trainer at the Gromov Flight Centre at Zhukovski near Moscow.
About a day or two prior to the show beginning, MiG got in touch with me confirming the possibility of a sortie. I didn't want to look a gift-horse in the mouth particularly since Ratan Tata's upcoming sortie in an F-16 at the Bangalore Air Show had generated enough attention in the media.
At the onset, let me just say that while the MiG 35 sortie was a high, having the opportunity to sit down, eat lunch and have a couple of drinks with the great test pilot Pavel Vlasov (a Hero of the Russian Federation) and Mr. Byntin, the Chief Designer of the MiG-35 was wonderful. In fact, I had had the opportunity to meet Pavel in Moscow as well, also at a lunch shortly after he flew the MiG-29KUB at its media debut. Iincidentally, the actual first flight of the KUB of which I have footage took place two days prior to the media debut so the Russians, no fools, knew the thing flew before they brought in the international media !
Anyway at Yelahanka, my pilot would be Mikhail Belyaev who spoke reasonable English though with a heavy accent. We both realised the importance of keeping our conversation to a minimum ahead and during the flight so that we could get the pre-flight basics right. Later on, I would discover that Belyaev was an absolute delight, supremely confident as a pilot with a sense of humour to match.
Before the flight though, there was the small matter of the flight overalls. I am 6'2 and the Russian flight overalls didnt quite fit so we went to plan b and I pulled out my own overalls which Boeing had given me after an F-18 sortie. As we approached the Fulcrum, a senior Communications person at Boeing (who I have worked with extensively in the past) came up to me a touch irritated. "Vishnu, you'll fly just about anything won't you?" she asked. She had obviously noticed my Boeing flight overalls (which didn't of course say `Boeing' anywhere). I let go a sheepish grin. She already knew the answer.
We were now next to the Fulcrum and I was given my bone dome and a cloth head cover (typically Russian) just before I got into the jet.
The Russian pilots helmet is the real deal ! This one was compatible with the IRST system. It was considerably more heavy than the American/French/British helmets I have worn in the past. It was also, much more comfortable. In some of the American helmets, the sun visor was attached to the outside portion of the helmet. On the Russian ones, it is located inside ... and you need to push a release on either side of your eyes with both your hands to bring it down. It fits perfectly with the oxygen mask and the clarity is perfect. Belyaev later told me, "We take our helmet to American and tell them `this is helmet for fighter plane. Your helmet meant only for small scooter." I must also confess, the Russian flight gloves (black leather) are trendier than the heat resistant and loosely fitting American or European flight gloves I have worn elsewhere !
The MiG 35 cockpit is considerably larger than the F-16 cockpit. The first thing I noticed on being strapped in was the quality of the cockpit. This cockpit was far removed from what one had seen in Russian fighters in the past. There was no clutter in the cockpit and the new, broader canopy on the MiG 35 gives you a roomier feel as compared to the MiG 29 UB I had flown on earlier. There are 3 huge MFDs in front of the pilot and a small one that serves as the HUD repeater. Forward vision on the HUD repeater, clarity and depth perception was outstanding. I feel the unit was far better than similar systems on some of the other fighters.
Prior to the flight, Mikhael asked me what I wanted to do. I was consistent with what I had told the other pilots - `Mikhael, the F-16 pilot took me to 8 g. Can we do the same?' Prompt came the reply - `No problem, we do 8g, Cobra and tail slide. OK?' I could only mumble a muted `da' in reply.
Anyhow, engine startup was like the other jets. I had been briefed on the emergency O2 system and the position of the intercom switch. As we rolled down the taxiway, my focus was on the MFDs in front of me - the INS display on the extreme right, engine parameters in the centre and the artificial horizon, AOA, airspeed indicator and the g meter on the extreme Left. I wanted to us the metric system for my airspeed and altitude and this had been set for me with a button push prior to the flight.
The take off run on the MiG 35 feels like a 747 compared to the F-16. It feels slower, much more refined and the difference between a single engine and two engines is perceptible. Mikhael veered left at low altitude on take off and then went vertical, did a half loop and rolled out into the direction of our heading. We had done about 4.5 g but I felt almost nothing. The oxygen flow in the MiG 35 was outstanding, very easy to inhale, no real pressure on the lungs.
Mikhael then went into a lengthy explanation of the INS system pointing out our heading and some of the symbology on the unit ... He then said `You pilot, Vishnu' and I took control, did a sharp bank to the right which he corrected by telling me to to head in the direction of the indicator on the INS display. A short while and a few loops later, Michael asked if I was interested in seeing a Cobra maneuver. No guesses on what my answer was. There is a button on the Master Caution panel on the front right on the pilot which says "Cobra." That button has to be pushed before the maneuver can be done since the angle of attack limiter has to be overridden. What made the Cobra maneuver all the more enjoyable was the knowledge that this was a non TVC aircraft. Mikhael said `Cobra now' and yanked hard on the stick. The nose pitched right back and then he pushed the nose hard forward as we briefly entered a negative g scenario. Like in the case of the tail slide, the ground rushes at you awfully quick but there is immense power in this jet and we soon level out. At this stage Mikhael demonstrated the stability of the jet by violently moving the stick around its axis with absolutely no impact on the forward motion of the jet.
Over the next several minutes, we pushed some serious g going right up to 8.2 g for which the Russians later gave me a certificate. With fuel running low, we decided to do a touch and go and land immediately afterwards. As we lifted off after touching down, Mikhael decided to show off - plain and simple. He said `Ok Vishnu, now we do military style landing’ so he yanked hard and left, gaining altitude as we flew parallel to the runway in the opposite direction. We pulled into a violent 6 g left bank, lowering undercarriage and levelling out pretty much on top of the runway before making a perfect touchdown albeit at considerable speed ! It was brilliant, the most incredible landing I have experienced, the end to a fantastic ride on the Russian top gun.
My first experience with the F/A-18 was when I personally witnessed, over a period of a week, the end result of Hornet bombing runs on the outskirts of Kabul in 2001. We were camping in a bombed-out cement factory on the outskirts of the Afghan capital in a place called Charikhar. Kabul was still under the control of the Taliban and air attacks targeting the Bagram Airbase had just about begun. The base was a few kilometres away from where we were staying and every evening at about 5 pm, Hornets operating off the deck of the US carriers would come in for high altitude laser guided bomb drops and so every evening, almost on the dot, we would see the outline of F-18s flying very high, tossing bombs, a dust cloud on impact, followed by the sound of the impact.
One of the pilots involved in those early operations was Steve Walborn, callsign `Wimbo,' whom I had the pleasure of flying with on a Hornet quite a few years later. This was from the US Naval Air Station in Lemoore in California, one of the biggest facilities of the US Navy. This base supports hundreds of strike aircraft of the US Navy deployed on aircraft carriers in the Pacific ocean. At any one stage there are more than 100 fighters at this base, many of them F-18 Super Hornets.
My sortie with Wimbo in the Super Hornet was across a test range over the Sierra Nevada mountains in California. Coincidentally, the Hornet I flew was the very same Hornet I had flown on at the Farnborough air show a year earlier. There would be two other Hornets which would formate with us, one of which would refuel us mid-air. But before refuelling, Wimbo showed me a few things which aviation freaks like me dream about - two jets going head to head at a closure rate of a thousand knots before turning hard to engage each other in mock air combat.
Buddy-refuelling the big jet was really interesting. Inching up to the refuelling drogue released off the centre line tank of the refueller Hornet and then engaging the drogue even in a gentle turn was spectacular to watch from the rear seat..
Of all the fighters of this generation I have flown on (Generation 4 plus), the F/18 Hornet is the most battle-tested platform. APG-79 AESA equipped versions of the Super Hornet have been doing duty off American carriers for a few years now often as force multipliers for non-AESA equipped birds. This is a tough as nails, fully evolved jet which sets new US Navy benchmarks for reliability and ease of maintenance.
For me though, the highlight of the sortie turned out to be something utterly unexpected. As our formation headed back towards Lemoore, one of the pilots called out "Raptor, Raptor." I asked Wimbo what "Raptor" meant. He laughed and replied "You heard it right Vish. It means F-22." And then, to my left at about 11 O'Clock, I saw the sinister shape of an F-22 stealth fighter as it did a gentle victory roll and went on its way. Thats right, I got intercepted by a stealth fighter, possibly another first for an Indian civilian wannabe pilot! Nobody in the formation seemed to know what was lurking, certainly not my AESA equipped bird - we had the radar on alright ! Lets hope the Sukhoi T-50 FGFA works out OK for the Indian Air Force ! And if it does, then rest assured, I will be waiting for that phone call from the boffins at Sukhoi if not the Indian Air Force. Lets see if I can continue to ride my luck !
(Vishnu Som has flown with Air Forces around the world, the UN in Congo, the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan and Chief test pilots of several fighter manufacturers. He has catapulted off US Navy carriers and has experienced arrested landings as well. He has survived a missile attack when the IAF Mi-8 he was travelling in North Gujarat was targeted by Pakistani SAMs shortly after the Atlantique episode in 1999 and been winched off the deck of an Indian Navy submarine. He has also flown extensively in the Siachen area onboard Indian Navy Cheetah helicopters.)
Last edited by Vishnu on 12 Oct 2010 13:05, edited 1 time in total.
Re: MRCA Discussion - October 2, 2010
Vishnu,
Nice writeup, but with a touch of DDM
Nice writeup, but with a touch of DDM
He has also flown extensively in the Siachen area onboard Indian Navy Cheetah helicopters.
Re: MRCA Discussion - October 2, 2010
Pratyush ... DDMs base their writings on common sense ... Hence, since the Siachen glacier is essentially a water body ... the hepters I flew on must have been Indian Navy !!
Re: MRCA Discussion - October 2, 2010
wow great writeup Vishnu. Thanks
Re: MRCA Discussion - October 2, 2010
That was a very special piece Vishnu,I haven't read anything like it in any aviation mag ever! You have given a layman a great picture of flying these different aircraft and their chief charateristics.
Re: MRCA Discussion - October 2, 2010
vishnu... any chance that the raptor intercept was 'staged'
just to let you know that unkil has the upper hand?
just to let you know that unkil has the upper hand?
Re: MRCA Discussion - October 2, 2010
Vishnu, awesome writeup! I must say, you are one lucky guy. Most fighter pilots must not have flown in so many different fighter jets. 
Re: MRCA Discussion - October 2, 2010
Vishnu talking about trading jobs... yours doesn't sound too bad at all Your article made a good read.. Thanks for the post!
Your article made a good read.. Thanks for the post!Re: MRCA Discussion - October 2, 2010
Maybe because its fresh in my mind ... but I have to say ... I am really impressed with the Gripen NG. I am in no position to say what the best plane is ... thats for the IAF to decide (I hope), and irrespective of who finally wins, I am in deep admiration of the folks at Gripen for creating a mighty fine fighter jet. I have always wondered why so many felt the Gripen was the dark horse in this competition ... While each company has compelling arguments on why their platform is the best, the Gripen NG is, in no way, an inferior platform. And while it is clearly cheaper than the likes of the Rafale and the Eurofighter, it is by no means a cheap and happy plane. Its packed with state of the art technology and has potential to grow ... While there may be risks in purchasing a jet which is still in prototype form, I do believe being actively involved in the evolution of a product is key ... This, more than anything else, is what the Gripen NG gives the IAF ... a highly evolved platform which can be modified in the future through active technology sharing ... I am also someone who believes that we are far too involved with the Americans for them to deny us access to components to engines etc in the future.
Re: MRCA Discussion - October 2, 2010
unfrigginbelievable write up. Thanks. I don't yet have that "Vayu" in my hands..