Bharat Rakshak

IAF Statement: An IAF contingent of 230 Air Warriors was flagged off from Air Force Station Bareilly by Air Marshal S Varthaman, Senior Air Staff Officer, Central Air Command at a formal ceremony today. The IAF contingent would be taking part in Exercise Garuda scheduled from 14 Jun to 25 Jun 2010, at Istres Air Base, France.

The IAF assets taking part in exercise include 06 Sukhoi - 30 MKIs Air Dominance fighter aircraft , 03 Ilushin - 78 Flight Refueller Aircraft & 01 Ilushin – 76 Heavy Lift Transport Aircraft. The SU-30 MKIs would be taking part in an exercise in France for the first time. Earlier SU-30 KAs had participated. Also a team of Garud Special Forces would be taking part in Exercise Garuda for the first time.

Addressing the contingent members at the flagging off ceremony Air Mshl Varthaman said "Indeed it is a proud & privileged honour for him to bid the team good flying & happy landings. We have prepared well for last 6 to 8 months and I am sure you will excel with your professionalism. So fly safe, fly well, make friends, win hearts & touch the sky with glory."

At the Exercise Garuda the French Air Force would be participating with their Mirage 2000s & Rafale Aircraft. It should also be noted that the Republic of Singapore Air Force would also be participating in Ex-Garuda with their F-16 Block 52 Aircraft. Gp Capt J Mishra is the Team Leader under whose supervision the IAF contingent would perform in France. Gp Capt NN Sinha of IAF would be the Exercise Director, who would be planning, coordinating & executing different aspects of the flying & ground maneuvers at Ex Garuda.

The Indo-French Air Exercise began today at Istres Air Base in Southern France. The fourth round of Air Exercise ‘GARUDA’ which began today would conclude on 25 of Jun 2010.
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During the exercise the IAF’s Special Forces ‘Garuds’ would also be proactively participating and shall be carrying out jumps along with the French Special Forces. The IL-76 aircraft which is an integral part of the exercise flying missions, would practise static line drops with the French Special Forces. It may be recalled that the IAF is participating with Six SU-30 MKIs, Three IL-78s and one IL-76 Aircraft.
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IAF Statement: The exercise Garuda 2010, presently underway at Istres Air Base in France, between the air forces of India France and Singapore has entered its final phase today. Over 60 missions have been successfully flown and the exercise would conclude on 25 Jun 2010.

During the exercise, the six IAF SU-30MKI along with the Mirage-2000-5 and Rafale and the F-16 were engaged in various air defence manoeuvres such as implementation of "no fly zones" and large force engagements during day and night. The SU-30 also took part in the high value air borne asset protection as well as their protection busting missions. The IL-78 refuellers of the IAF and the KC-135 refuellers of the French Air Force also participated in various missions carrying out cross refuelling (i,e, refuelling the fighters of the other air forces). Refuelling denials were practised making these missions more difficult.

A unique feature to which the SU-30 were subjected was the "swing roles". In this type of missions, the same aircraft is simultaneously put to offensive as well as defensive roles. The E-3 AWACS provided the radar coverage during the Ex. The IAF special forces team "Garud" have so far carried out two jumps each by day and night along with the French special forces. Our IL-76 is undertaking the task of these drops.

Air Mshl KK Nowhar of the IAF who visited the contingent involved in the Garuda-2010 said - " Our participation in the Ex has reinforced the manner in which we conduct our operations. It has also helped us refine our doctrine. In future, there is a slim chance that a country would operate in isolation especially in a co-operative defence scenario. Thus knowing each others best practices in terms of tactics, techniques and procedures is the main objective of this exercise, which is also a part of the on-going Indo-French Defence Cooperation".

According to Air Attaché, Embassy of India, France, Air Cmde SK Ghotia who is also the chief coordinator of the IAF-FAF Cooperation, Garuda-2010 is a milestone in the Indo-French defence cooperation. This has been the widest scope ever accomplished between three nations. The Ex brought together the best fighting machines of the world such as the Sukhois, F16s, Rafale and Mirage-2000-5. Our pilots flew in these cockpits and has gained tremendous learning experience. The engineers, technicians and all other members of the team have also benefitted substantially from the exercise.

The intensity of the Ex has been increased gradually to enhance the understanding of the contingent members beginning with basic One-Vs-One missions and limited BVR capabilities, and then progressing to multi-aircraft strikes and counter air missions with complete BVR capability, and concluding with Large Force Engagement sorties. The IAF contingent is expected to return back to India by July 03, 2010.

Photos Courtesy Indian Air Force / DPR Defence

Gaur wrote:Some excellent pics here:
http://pics-aeronef.discutfree.com/repo ... 01-110.htm

Gaur wrote:Some excellent pics here:
http://pics-aeronef.discutfree.com/repo ... 01-110.htm

naird wrote:
The Singapore F16 seems to be a two seat version ...i mean all of them...Did they bring the trainer version for these excercises ?

Singha wrote:f16 looks like a flabby guy with ipods, ipads, 10 laptops, 12 boxes of mars bars and a wheelbarrow of chips stuffed in all pockets. struggling to even get airborne!

Kartik wrote:I've never seen those twin warts on the side of the F-16 Block 52s like those on the RSAF F-16s..does anyone have any idea what EW internal pod that fairing holds?

V_Raman wrote:

Kartik wrote:I've never seen those twin warts on the side of the F-16 Block 52s like those on the RSAF F-16s..does anyone have any idea what EW internal pod that fairing holds?

top ugliest looking in-use fighter aircraft

1. f-16 with all the attachments
2. Euro-fighter

V_Raman wrote:

Kartik wrote:I've never seen those twin warts on the side of the F-16 Block 52s like those on the RSAF F-16s..does anyone have any idea what EW internal pod that fairing holds?

top ugliest looking in-use fighter aircraft

1. f-16 with all the attachments
2. Euro-fighter

Kartik wrote: I've never seen those twin warts on the side of the F-16 Block 52s like those on the RSAF F-16s..does anyone have any idea what EW internal pod that fairing holds?

The 10 F-16D Block 52 aircraft ordered in 1994 have the same dorsal fairing as the Israeli IF-16D and the sole VISTA aircraft. It is rumored to house the SPS-3000 EW suite. The dorsal spine were installed during regular routine assembly while these aircraft were on the production line in Fort Worth.

Misraji wrote: Is this what you are looking:

The 10 F-16D Block 52 aircraft ordered in 1994 have the same dorsal fairing as the Israeli IF-16D and the sole VISTA aircraft. It is rumored to house the SPS-3000 EW suite. The dorsal spine were installed during regular routine assembly while these aircraft were on the production line in Fort Worth.

Link

There doesn't seem to be too much info on SPS-3000.

~Ashish

Satellite communication - The F-16I features two new communication devices manufactured by Elta and Rafael, including a UHF radio with new encoding methods and long distance relay capabilities.

Issue 9 of Jane's Defence Weekly states that the extra antenna housings on either side of the nose and chin-intake are related to Israeli-sourced electronic warfare and and self-defence systems. While not confirmed, Jane's believes that the system installed is a variant of the Elisra Airborne Self-Protection Suite (ASPS) that is installed on Israeli F-16I Soufa.

Elisra describes the ASPS as being a "state of the art" system that incorporates active (self-protection jamming - SPJ) and passive (warning) subsystems and makes use of a range of "proven and new" technologies. Here, the range includes monolithic microwave integrated circuitry, application specific integrated circuitry and multi-miniature travelling wave tubes.

Elisra also notes that the warning subsystem provides wide- and narrow-band reception, a "full" signal parameter measurement capability and a selectable operating bandwidth to enhance sensitivity and signal separation. Data processing and analysis is performed using multiple processors and "special" gate array modules.

Elisra describes the system's SPJ component as offering highly effective radiated power, wideband transmission and reception coverage; wide angular coverage; the ability to cope with a multi-threat emitter environment; and "synergetic coupling" with the warning subsystem.

Indian fighter jet SU-30MKIs have excelled in high value air borne asset protection and busting missions in the Exercise Garuda 2010 being held at the Istres Air Base in Marseille, France.

A unique feature to which the SU-30s were subjected was the "swing roles", where the same aircraft is simultaneously put to offensive as well as defensive roles.{hope we do not get tagged as swingers}

Misraji wrote:^^^

Oh, sorry. I wanted to stress on the dorsal fairing part in the quote.

There is some discussion on this in another forum too. Here is what one of the posters said

Issue 9 of Jane's Defence Weekly states that the extra antenna housings on either side of the nose and chin-intake are related to Israeli-sourced electronic warfare and and self-defence systems. While not confirmed, Jane's believes that the system installed is a variant of the Elisra Airborne Self-Protection Suite (ASPS) that is installed on Israeli F-16I Soufa.

Elisra describes the ASPS as being a "state of the art" system that incorporates active (self-protection jamming - SPJ) and passive (warning) subsystems and makes use of a range of "proven and new" technologies. Here, the range includes monolithic microwave integrated circuitry, application specific integrated circuitry and multi-miniature travelling wave tubes.

Elisra also notes that the warning subsystem provides wide- and narrow-band reception, a "full" signal parameter measurement capability and a selectable operating bandwidth to enhance sensitivity and signal separation. Data processing and analysis is performed using multiple processors and "special" gate array modules.

Elisra describes the system's SPJ component as offering highly effective radiated power, wideband transmission and reception coverage; wide angular coverage; the ability to cope with a multi-threat emitter environment; and "synergetic coupling" with the warning subsystem.

~Ashish

shiv wrote:Vishal Jobatra - good work.

shiv wrote:But I have been planespotting for too many years (48 years in 2010) to believe that my comments are out of place.

Vishal Jolapara wrote:

shiv wrote:Vishal Jobatra - good work.

Thank You, Its Vishal JOLAPARA btw !
Few get my last name right

shiv wrote:whoops! Sorry.

Singha wrote:there was even one guy who went into some bushes at palam and photographed the ARC/VVIP tarmac area in delhi