Are the MiG-27s flying currently?Singha wrote:sooner we get rid of the 21s and Mig27s the better, if necessary by ramping up Tejas and MRCA production rates.
there is not much point flogging them beyond what was initially planned during upgrades, their combat utility in a real surge situation is likely to take a real nosedive under burst mode use.
New Delhi: Defence Minister A K Antony today informed Parliament that the proposal for upgrade of the Mirage 2000 aircraft fleet of the Indian Air Force, signed here last week, envisages upgrade of the first two aircraft in France by Thales and Dassault Aviation, France and subsequent upgrade of the balance aircraft in India by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Bangalore.
The estimated expenditure of the upgrade programme is Rs.10,947 Crore including both the French and the HAL portions. The upgrade is expected to be completed within a period of ten years from the date of signing of the contract.
The upgrade will enhance the avionics as well as the weapons delivery capability of the aircraft. Based on the integration of latest generation equipment and systems, the upgrade will further enhance the technical-operational capabilities of the Indian Air Force’s Mirage 2000. The aircraft represents a long tradition of cooperation with French military aviation, initiated 50 years ago.
The extensive involvement of Indian industry within the programme will consolidate existing ties with the French aerospace industry and will reinforce long-term cooperation based on cutting edge technologies and the sharing of technical know-how and expertise.
Dassault Aviation and Thales are highly appreciative of the Indian government's continuing trust in them and are delighted with this contract that further consolidates the long-term strategic partnership between India and France. They reiterate their commitment to meet the operational requirements of the Indian Air Force and underline their pride in contributing to India’s defence for over half a century.
Neela, this is the DRDO News Letter, Tech focus is different publication which is not due until August 2011.Neela wrote:DRDO Tech Focus July http://drdo.gov.in/drdo/pub/nl/2011/nl_july.pdf
Nothing compensates for the loss of dear ones and loss to the nation , but an amount of 11 plus 53 Lac i.e 64 L plus some pension is not a peanut amount. Its a good amount that can be invested in his family future when he is no more.VinodTK wrote:Peanuts for kin of IAF pilots killed in crashes
Only thing I can recommend is that the GOI exchequer adjust the insurance and the initial lump sum payout as inflation increases. Maybe, provide the children of the deceased with a chance to attend a good school and higher education. Even a tragic loss then can have a silver lining for society.Austin wrote:Nothing compensates for the loss of dear ones and loss to the nation , but an amount of 11 plus 53 Lac i.e 64 L plus some pension is not a peanut amount. Its a good amount that can be invested in his family future when he is no more.VinodTK wrote:Peanuts for kin of IAF pilots killed in crashes
Not too soon. What with the recent crashes.IAF to have 42 combat aircraft squadrons
New Delhi, Aug 4 (PTI)
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is mulling over increasing its sanctioned strength of combat aircraft from 39.5 squadrons to 42 squadrons, a Parliamentary panel report has said.
"The IAF Vice Chief has informed that target has been fixed to reach a level of 42 squadrons," the report of the Standing Committee on Defence, said.
The Committee had laid its report in the Parliament yesterday. The current squadron strength of the force is 33. A squadron comprises around 18 to 20 aircraft. In view of increasing Chinese military deployment along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the IAF has been strengthening its presence in the northeastern sector and has plans of deploying four squadrons of the air superiority Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft there by 2015.
Under its modernisation plans, air bases on the western front are also being equipped with modern airfield infrastructure and new fighter planes. The IAF has plans of inducting more than 350 fighter jet aircraft by the end of this decade which includes the 126 multi-role combat planes (M-MRCA), over 160 new Su-30 MKIs and over 140 indigenously-built Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) and the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA).
Over 140 new Su-30s will be inducted along with 126 M-MRCAs, the deal for which is expected to be finalised by the end of September. The IAF is also phasing out its old Russian-origin fleet of MiG aircraft -- the 21, 23 and 27 series. The oldest MiG-21 Type-77 is likely to be decommissioned by the end of next year.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) registered a substantial increase in the delivery of aircraft in the year 2010-2011, when the delivery numbers were 63% higher than the previous year. This was a result of improved manufacturing procedures, outsourcing and optimal deployment of human resources.
HAL has taken up indigenous production of SU-30 MKI, Hawk, ALH, DO-228, LCA & IJT. The initial stages of the projects were delayed due to additional re-work on jigs in respect of Hawk, late receipt of drawings from Russia for SU-30 MKI, integration issues of IADS with Shakti engine and other new items in respect of ALH and Design & Development issues relating to IJT and LCA.
Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) for Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Tejas has been completed in December 2010. So far, 1,659 flight tests have been completed.
LCA, Tejas Phase-ll Programme (Air Force version) was sanctioned in November 2001 at a cost of Rs.3301.78 Cr. with Probable Date of Completion (PDC) of December 2008. The project is likely to be completed by December 2012 with an additional cost of Rs.2475.78 Cr. The additional cost is to meet the expanded scope of the programme, increased cost of materials, manpower, maintenance of facilities, etc.
Phased development approach has been changed to concurrent development approach. Annual Review by Raksha Mantri, Review by Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Quarterly Review by Deputy Chief of Air Staff are being regularly carried out to check the delay in completion of project.
Indian Air Force has ordered 40 Tejas Mk-I aircraft (20 aircraft in IOC and 20 aircraft in FOC standard). Two aircraft will be ready by March 2012 for induction.
A Preliminary Design (PD) contract has been signed between HAL and Rosoboronexport, Russia on 21st December, 2010 for implementation of design & development of Prospective Multi-role Fighter (PMF) Aircraft programme by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) jointly with Sukhoi Design Bureau (SDB) of Russia at a cost of 295 million USD. The duration of the PD Phase is 18 months. Full scale Design & Development work will be taken up under a separate contract, which will be negotiated and signed towards the end of the PD Phase.
Presently, a requirement of around 250 Fighter Jets with induction in Indian Air Force from 2018 onwards is envisaged.
Su-30 CKD kits from 40 ordered from Russia in 2006-7 and Hawk CKD kits from 42 ordered are being delivered and assembled now.devesh wrote:Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) registered a substantial increase in the delivery of aircraft in the year 2010-2011, when the delivery numbers were 63% higher than the previous year. This was a result of improved manufacturing procedures, outsourcing and optimal deployment of human resources.
What is this "Prospective Multi-role Fighter (PMF) Aircraft programme"? Never heard of it before, is it something other than FGFA?devesh wrote:http://machinist.in/index.php?option=co ... 6&Itemid=1
Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd aircraft delivery numbers up 63% in 2010-2011
A Preliminary Design (PD) contract has been signed between HAL and Rosoboronexport, Russia on 21st December, 2010 for implementation of design & development of Prospective Multi-role Fighter (PMF) Aircraft programme by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) jointly with Sukhoi Design Bureau (SDB) of Russia at a cost of 295 million USD. The duration of the PD Phase is 18 months. Full scale Design & Development work will be taken up under a separate contract, which will be negotiated and signed towards the end of the PD Phase.
Presently, a requirement of around 250 Fighter Jets with induction in Indian Air Force from 2018 onwards is envisaged.
Expressing concern over countries selling aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF) not divulging vital information on accidents, the Parliamentary panel on defence strongly recommended that all future contracts incorporate clause for mandatory sharing of data.
The committee recommendation came after an IAF representative told the panel in regard to questions on MiG crashes that Russians were “extremely reluctant” to share certain information…and “they are very secretive about what goes wrong with the machine.”
“The committee strongly recommended that in all future purchases, the condition to mandatorily share the information with regard to the accidents and helping in case of technical defect should be inbuilt in the agreement itself,” the latest report evaluating Demands for Grants said.
With the government expected to finalise the Rs. 45,000-crore 126 Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft deal besides Basic Trainer this financial year, it remains to be seen whether the mandatory clause recommendation finds place during negotiations.
Comparative study
In order to overcome the problem of rate of accidents not being shared by other countries, the committee also said the Defence Ministry and the IAF should try to gather information about accidents of various types of aircraft through their own intelligence mechanism.
This will enable a comparative study to be taken up that would help the country take corrective steps. Incidentally, around the time the report was presented to Parliament, the IAF reported that a MiG-21 on routine training mission crashed in the precincts of Nal airbase in Rajasthan killing the pilot.
Technical defect
The report noted that the accident rate of MiG aircraft was high with 476 MiG aircraft, which is over 50 per cent of this type of aircraft, having met with accidents. The Ministry acknowledged that a majority of technical defect accidents pertained to old technology with aero engine malfunction of MiG-21 and MiG-27 being more pronounced.
The Centre said the IAF was the only service in the world that was flying the MiG aircraft with even Russia having phased out MiG-27.
To be phased out
The Ministry also informed that there was a programme to phase out the existing 470 armed MiG aircraft and induct new aircraft.
While elaborating on accidents, the Ministry said analysis of data of 999 aircraft crashes since 1970 — barring 12 where probe is progressing — revealed that nearly 40 per cent was due to technical defect while slightly over 40 per cent was due to human error — 39 per cent due to air crew and 1.6 per cent due to servicing.
From the euphoria of high office to a jarring reality check, Air Chief Marshal Norman Anil Kumar Browne traversed many emotions within a week of taking over as the chief of the Indian Air Force. Barely had he settled into his office on August 2 came news of the aging MiG-21s claiming another pilot’s life. Two days later, another pilot died in a Jaguar crash.
Browne is no stranger to crashes. He’s been in the inherently-dangerous business of military aviation for 39 years and has notched up over 3,100 hours of flying. But when Browne was tearing into the skies in a MiG-21 in his youth, he could hardly have imagined that even by the time he became the IAF chief, India’s first-ever supersonic fighters would still be around. The IAF may be the world’s fourth largest air force, after the US, Russia and China, but virtually half its combat fleet is made up of obsolete fighters like MiG-21s and MiG-27s. Plus, it’s dogged by huge operational and maintenance problems. Its helicopter fleets, air defence systems and radars are no better.
Successive governments have failed to build India’s military capabilities in tune with its expanding geopolitical objectives. Little has also been done to create a strong domestic defence-industrial base, forcing India to become one of the world’s largest arms importers. After the 1999 Kargil conflict and Operation Parakram of 2002 exposed gaps in operational capabilities, India inked a flurry of arms deals worth over $50bn over the last decade, most with gleeful foreign armament majors. More than double that amount will be spent this decade.
IAF is now keeping its fingers crossed on its various modernization plans coming good. Browne has played a key role in steering them – like the $10.4bnMMRCA project – during his stint as the IAF deputy chief. Now he feels confident enough to proclaim that the “IAF is well poised on the path of transforming itself into a potent strategic force”.
Transform, IAF will have to. With older MiG variants being progressively phased out and new inductions coming in fits and starts, it has been in a freefall for a long time as far as the strength of its fighter squadrons (each with 14-18 jets) is concerned. The number of squadrons dipped to just 28 (sanctioned strength is 39.5) in the recent past.
Senior officers say it’ll not be before 2020 that the IAF manages to reach this “sanctioned strength” of 39.5 fighter squadrons. “This, when for long we have held that a minimum of 45 fighter squadrons are required to meet the twin-threat from Pakistan and China,’’ says an officer.
The air combat ratio with Pakistan, in fact, has declined to such an extent that a previous IAF chief, Air Chief Marshal S P Tyagi, was forced to warn the UPA government that “unless immediate steps are taken to arrest the reduction in IAF’s force levels, the nation will for the first time in its history lose the conventional military edge over Pakistan’’. To add to the woes, apart from swanky new advanced F-16s from the US, Pakistan is also on course to get as many as 250 JF-17 ‘Thunder’ fighters plus a squadron or two of J-10B jets from China.
China, meanwhile now has five fully-operational airbases in Tibet, with more coming up. With the Chinese Sukhoi-27UBK and Sukhoi-30MKK fighters having practiced operations from there in recent times, India remains the target. The IAF has begun to base its Sukhoi-30MKIs in the north-east, with Chabua following Tezpur, apart from upgrading airstrips and helipads along the LoC in a bid to counter China.
But the progress is slow. Browne will have to ensure that modernization plans remain on track and that operational capability is enhanced. “Operating across a broad spectrum of equipment vintage would test our capabilities,’’ he admits.
IAF wants to transform into a fully-networked aerospace power, with a clear footprint from the Persian Gulf to Malacca Strait. Much like the central protagonist in the famous ‘Peanuts’ comic strip, “Charlie Browne’’ (the IAF chief’s nickname) will have to press on, regardless of the odds.
If you discount what has been said about khakis and the yellow's, The article is something that we already discuss about.Yogi_G wrote:The above article from TOI is classic Dhoti shiver.
Chacko ji, you will note that I have mentioned that numbers are necessary against an equally if not better matched opponent, by that I meant the Chinese threat which is real and not a phantom one like the Paki AF numbers induction. This article hypes up Pakistani threat with a 250 number bundar which in my opinion is perceived as not economically possible for Pakis. A 250 aircraft induction of any aircraft in Paki AF is very unlikely given their financial situation. Everybody agrees we need to speed up induction, but we dont need a bogey of some super-duper Paki capabilities for an excuse. The Chinese have been providing that for many years now.chackojoseph wrote:If you discount what has been said about khakis and the yellow's, The article is something that we already discuss about.Yogi_G wrote:The above article from TOI is classic Dhoti shiver.
On Pakis, they, "as mentioned in the article" are on schedule. The article is not about Paki finances. If bandars are not coming, the enemy aircraft F-16's are coming. You never know if US might sell them under the economic pressures , soft loaned by a ME country (Pakis might just pawn another base to them.) If Pakis cannot finance, it dosen't mean that we shouldn't be preparing the 30 odd squardrons we require.
The Chinese having bases and the practices is also a fact.
IMO, every article is not dhoti shivir. This article does give us the urgency to pust ourselves.
On a side note: The new realities might just what we need to squeez the europeans more.
Sirji,Yogi_G wrote:Chacko ji, you will note that I have mentioned that numbers are necessary against an equally if not better matched opponent, by that I meant the Chinese threat which is real and not a phantom one like the Paki AF numbers induction. This article hypes up Pakistani threat with a 250 number bundar which in my opinion is perceived as not economically possible for Pakis. A 250 aircraft induction of any aircraft in Paki AF is very unlikely given their financial situation. Everybody agrees we need to speed up induction, but we dont need a bogey of some super-duper Paki capabilities for an excuse. The Chinese have been providing that for many years now.
Wah Chackochetta, Wah..chackojoseph wrote: Normally, showing some c grade Chinese sub and inflating it to nu clear submarine status is dhoti shattering.
New Delhi: India is getting ready to add another fighter aircraft to its fleet with the DRDO working on an Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft.
In a little over a decade from now the Indian Air Force will be needing replacements for its MiG-29, Mirage and Jaguar fighters. The DRDO through its Bangalore based Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) will unveil the design for that replacement to the air force brass next year, an indigenous design for a stealth aircraft
Director General VK Saraswat DRDO said, "Our requirement is to look for a fighter aircraft which will be required after 2025 and that aircraft should have all capabilities in terms of agility, maneuverability, load carrying capacity, low radar cross-section, super cruise."
The Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft could be in the 20 tonne range and composite materials will comprise much of its structure. Weapons will be carried in internal concealed bays and It will be powered by two Kaveri engines.
It will be powered by our modified Kaveri engine. It will have additional features in terms of better fuel consumption, thrust vectoring, serpentine intakes and also some of the technologies critical for high fuel efficient and high turbine temperatures, said Saraswat.
Originally the Kaveri was to power the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas but is yet to develop the required thrust forcing the authorities to opt for the GE414 engine. Given that experience, the DRDO through the ADA plans to collaborate with a foreign engine manufacturer to speed up the development and testing work.
Balaji, Okies!Bala Vignesh wrote:Chackochetta,
sirnu vilikenda..
Haven't earned that yet.
Thanks to LCA, our airframe designing capabilities have changed. Look at Kaveri reporting. Looking positive.shukla wrote:X-post
India to build its own stealth fighter jet
IBNLive
New Delhi: India is getting ready to add another fighter aircraft to its fleet with the DRDO working on an Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft.
The DRDO through its Bangalore based Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) will unveil the design for that replacement to the air force brass next year, an indigenous design for a stealth aircraft
----Given that experience, the DRDO through the ADA plans to collaborate with a foreign engine manufacturer to speed up the development and testing work.