Indian Air Force -- News Folder -- October 2003

member_201 · Post by **member_201** » 30 Sep 2003 23:44

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member_201 · Post by **member_201** » 01 Oct 2003 18:21

IAF organises concert to mark 100 years of aviation

IAF still working on the technicalities of Phalcon deal

Denis · Post by **Denis** » 01 Oct 2003 18:32

IAF working on compatibility of Phalcon

Jagan · Post by **Jagan** » 02 Oct 2003 14:03

IAF insists on MiG-23 safety record
[The Hindu, 02 October 2003]

Halwara: The Indian Air Force today asserted that despite public fears, the MiG-23 has a very good safety record. "The safety record of the MiG-23 is near impeccable," said Air Commodore S K Jayaswal, the Air Officer Commanding of Halwara air base, which is the parent base of MiG-23 squadrons. Allaying fears of poor safety, he sais, "The aircraft has a very good safety record." The MiG-23 acquired by the IAF from Russia in the early 1980s comprises two operational squadrons with each squadron having about 15 planes. The aircraft of a third squadron were being shared by the other two squadrons.

Air Commodore Jayaswal, however, denied that combat capability of the squadrons had been reduced. "Though we may be operating with less aircraft, our capabilities have not been degraded", he asserted. The MiG-23, a ground attack aircraft, has undergone periodic uprgradations. The aircraft now boasts of a mixture of Israeli and western avionics. The bombs are mainly of Russian origin and few modified British ones, IAF officers said. After the Kargil War, the protection measures of the aircrafts were uprgraded. They now have a better communication system, and have been modified to drop flares and chaffs to divert incoming anti-aircraft missiles, the officers said.