Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

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Rakesh
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Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Rakesh »

Last Page of Previous Thread ---> viewtopic.php?f=3&t=7294&start=5320

Know Your Air Force: IAF Fighter Jet Squadrons
https://alphadefense.in/know-your-air-f ... squadrons/
12 Dec 2020
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Rakesh »

https://twitter.com/PKRoyIAF/status/137 ... 07719?s=20 ---> IAF to post women fighter pilot to MiG-29 squadron for the first time. Women pilots already operating MiG-21/Su-30/Rafale. Inducting women as fighter pilot began five years ago. 10 women have been inducted as fighter pilots in IAF. 9,118 women currently serving in the armed forces.

A woman pilot to join MiG-29 squadron after Bison, Sukhoi, Rafale
https://www.defencenews.in/article/A-wo ... le-1034154
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Rakesh »

https://twitter.com/Aditya_G_Social/sta ... 79654?s=20 --->

A unique formation: IL-78MKI, Jaguar, Su-30MKI and Mirage-2000H

(Don't miss who is refueling the Mirage!)

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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Rakesh »

https://twitter.com/joe_sameer/status/1 ... 00162?s=20 ---> Deep inside Fightertown, Gwalior; is the nucleus of India's most battle hardened airborne operational response. Three squadrons of Mirage 2000 are worth their weight in gold & have spearheaded every single IAF offensive and defensive action since their induction.



I so clearly remember reading this news article 26 years ago when it came out in the Times of India in July 1995.

https://twitter.com/rajatpTOI/status/12 ... 34913?s=20 ---> My first-ever “defence” story in 1995 when Mirage-2000s completed 10 years in India. They continue to be IAF's preferred strike weapon, whether during the 1999 Kargil conflict or the 2019 Balakot airstrikes. Battleaxes, Tigers & Wolfpacks are the three squadrons.

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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Rakesh »

Indian Air Force Mirage 2000 Fighter Jets | Back to Back takeoff

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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Rakesh »

Mirage 2000 Indian Air Force 4K Cinematic | Get Inspired

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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Rakesh »

https://twitter.com/TheWolfpackIN/statu ... 59552?s=20 ---> Report: IAF planning to upgrade it's bases in NE India with more Hardened Air Shelters (HAS) and more Surface-to-Air missile cover.
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Rakesh »

The PAF solution to the issue below will be to acquire the Chinese xerox copy version....obviously with baksheesh money.

https://twitter.com/TheWolfpackIN/statu ... 68192?s=20 ---> Pakistani military attaché to a Western European nation admits during a host nation's staff college conference that that IAF's S-400 ADS regiments will be a 'big problem' for PAFs OCA, BARCAP & fighter-sweep packages. Doing BVR grinds close to border will be tougher too.
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by srai »

Rakesh wrote:https://twitter.com/TheWolfpackIN/statu ... 59552?s=20 ---> Report: IAF planning to upgrade it's bases in NE India with more Hardened Air Shelters (HAS) and more Surface-to-Air missile cover.
DRDO NGHAS.

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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Rakesh »

srai wrote:
Rakesh wrote:https://twitter.com/TheWolfpackIN/statu ... 59552?s=20 ---> Report: IAF planning to upgrade it's bases in NE India with more Hardened Air Shelters (HAS) and more Surface-to-Air missile cover.
DRDO NGHAS.
https://twitter.com/dfi_pk/status/13749 ... 28192?s=20 ---> IAF Hardened Aircraft Shelter (HAS) which can resist direct hit from 1,000 pound bombs.

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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Rakesh »

https://twitter.com/TheWolfpackIN/statu ... 37698?s=20 ---> Rafael Global-Link which has a BNET-AR SDR at it's core, is now IAF fighter fleet's standard communications suite plus tactical data-link. Many times faster than Link-16 used US F-16s & F-15s.

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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Rakesh »

https://twitter.com/TheWolfpackIN/statu ... 47459?s=20 ---> IAF has increased it's pilot strength by 31% since 2005 (3,834 pilots in 2021 vs 2,922 pilots in 2005).

https://twitter.com/TheWolfpackIN/statu ... 71533?s=20 ---> Report: IAF massive live-fire exercise 'Iron Fist' scheduled in 2021, postponed to 2022 due to Ladakh stand-off.
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Rakesh »

After Ladakh standoff, IAF defers mega drill to conserve flying hours
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-ne ... 78735.html
28 March 2021
IAF’s biggest exercise Iron Fist, held every three years to showcase India’s air power, was supposed to be held at Rajasthan’s Pokhran test facility this month but it has been removed from the air force’s training schedule for the current year.
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by ArjunPandit »

those famed unnamed sources
"The decision to put off the exercise to possibly next year was guided by the need “to conserve flying hours and equipment” considering the IAF’s continuous deployment in the Ladakh theatre after border tensions with China began last May, said a senior officer, asking not to be named."
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Aditya_V »

Rather it seems likely IAF is expecting PAF or PLAAF to try something and wants to keep itself ready.
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by ArjunPandit »

Aditya_V wrote:Rather it seems likely IAF is expecting PAF or PLAAF to try something and wants to keep itself ready.
it has been long "deployment"/heightened alert state since 2020 summer (april/may onwards)...i think forces could use some rest to keep soldiers fresh, fit and recharged..
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Aditya_V »

Possibly, the IAF has been in some sort of combat mode for vast periods in the last 2 years, the Pilots and Ground crews have had the training, they probably dont need the same peacetime exercises which were needed earlier where much procedures, training and equipment were not tested.
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by ArjunPandit »

yeah ..that too also aditya sir, i think lessons from deployments need to be assimilated. I dont remember we had such extensive deployments around Ladakh for fighter jets and hepters around Pangong tso..... Lessons need to consolidated and then passed on to TACDE or other training areas ..
IAF had practiced inter valley transfer in gagan shakti..this was validated during the deployment..i am sure the actual field work has lot more experiences...all need to be documented and transferred...
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Adrija »

Story behind wall... would anyone have full access?

Seems IAF is looking to lease trainer aircraft... RFP has been floated to firang manufacturers... why is HAL being treated as step-child hainjee :(( :((

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/ne ... 817959.cms
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Manish_P »

^ Here it is..
Faced with an acute shortage, the air force is seeking to lease at least 20 basic trainer aircraft for training pilots, with a request for information sent out to global vendors earlier this month. The plan to lease aircraft to meet immediate requirements come even as the current fleet of Pilatus PC 7 basic trainer aircraft are facing serviceability issues, given that the parent company has been banned from India on corruption allegations.

The leased aircraft – a first for the air force under a new policy – will fill the gap of three to four years when the indigenous HTT 40 basic trainer is expected to join service in significant numbers. Earlier, plans to order additional PC 7s had been cancelled after the company got embroiled in an official investigation.

The request for information to vendors specifies that preference will be given to Indian companies for the contract, though global entities have been invited to participate. It specifies that the air force needs a trainer that can undertake four to six sorties a day for intensive training of pilots. It also requires the leasing company to maintain the aircraft during the duration of service and provide a simulator for pilots as well.

“The BTA (Basic trainer aircraft) would be used for imparting ab-initio training to pilots in IAF. The aircraft will be operated for military training purpose from an IAF base,” it specifies, adding that the plan is for `training requirements for an initial period of three to four years extendable in batches of two years’.

The air force is facing a shortage of basic and intermediate trainers, though it has adequate number of advanced trainers in service. At present 260 trainer aircraft are in service for training of pilots, besides 14 helicopters and 26 Dorniers and 16 An 32 aircraft for transport pilots. The air force is also short of 405 pilots against the sanctioned strength of 4239 officers. Besides plans to induct additional trainers, the air force is also opening a new selection centre in Guwahati from next month that will increase the intake capacity.
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by kvraghav »

Clever Rajnath Singh. Ban imports, allow leasing. The level of shamelessness they live in.
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Adrija »

Clever Rajnath Singh. Ban imports, allow leasing. The level of shamelessness they live in.

KVRaghavji, it does say that this lease is only for the interim period till such time the HAL HTT trainer is inducted... so perhaps a genuine and time bound plug
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by kvraghav »

Adrija wrote:
Clever Rajnath Singh. Ban imports, allow leasing. The level of shamelessness they live in.

KVRaghavji, it does say that this lease is only for the interim period till such time the HAL HTT trainer is inducted... so perhaps a genuine and time bound plug
I think this might also be a way to work around Pilatus ban. A third party can buy Pilatus and lease to India. The lease is always from a lease firm. This will be similar to our govt land 99 years lease. It will practically be for 20 years.
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Rakesh »

An intro to S-400 in India

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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Rakesh »

https://twitter.com/DefenceDecode/statu ... 31749?s=20 ---> Indigenous airborne nose radome for Fire Control Radar (FCR) of Jaguar fighter aircraft fleet. The monolithic nose radome was fabricated using high-performance GFRP. It is a variable thickness, nose thick and base thin design radome.

https://twitter.com/DefenceDecode/statu ... 79950?s=20 ---> An in-house dvlpd closed mould resin injection tech has been used in the fabrication of the radome. The composite radome is protected with anti-static/anti-rain erosion paint subjected to qualification tests, viz., EM, lightning protection, static loading, vibration and rain erosion tests.

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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Rakesh »

https://twitter.com/Chopsyturvey/status ... 91459?s=20 ---> Wow! Tigers and the weapon platform of choice.

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1 April 1933: Original Indian Air Force Day and Raising Day of No 1 Sqn 'TIGERS'. This day was designated as Indian Air Force Day till 1976. In 1976, Air Force Day was changed to October 08th, to reflect the anniversary with the gazetted date. Been so, ever since.

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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Rakesh »

https://twitter.com/TheWolfpackIN/statu ... 98096?s=20 ---> TACDE's (HOEC) Helicopter Combat Leader course will make IAF's new AH-64E attack helicopters' tactics even deadlier.

https://twitter.com/PKRoyIAF/status/137 ... 19140?s=20 ---> 1984-85, nine of us - Mi-25 pilots - went to TACDE for the first 'Attack Helicopter Course', as it was called then. Instructors were fighter pilots from TACDE, they had never flown helicopters. Learnt from each other's experiences and developed SOPs. It's come a long way now.
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Rakesh »

IAF shares MiG-29 upgrade pictures from deployment in Ladakh; watch them soar
https://www.republicworld.com/india-new ... -soar.html
08 April 2021
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Philip »

Leasing for BTs and tankers,media reports:
When we have major budget constraints, CV pandemic in its second wave with dire effects on the economy,buying v.expensive A-330 tankers touted at one time,3/4 times more expensive than new IL78Ts was a straight red card. Leasing a few new IL-78Ts ( existing ones also available,will be cheaper) is the best option instead of an alien tanker type which will make it difficult to operate the fleet of IL-78s for the rookies.These can be used for ops with older tankers for trg. purposes.

As for the BT lease,either PC-7s on a G-2-G lease from the Swiss,or-since the type is v.widely used from a friendly nation's air force. Alternatively,a BT which comes closest to the HTT-40's characteristics, but if there are several types available,yet another long-drawn out evaluation process and the introduction of a 3rd. BT type. Leasing PC-7s the best option.
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Vips »

Comparing IL-78 to A-330 :rotfl: .

IL 78 are Hangar Queens. Cheaper upfront costs but much much more expensive over the life of the airframe. IAF cant wait to junk the remaining out of the service. It has even backed out from an earlier program to modernize these.(Applying lipstick on a pig)
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Rakesh »

https://twitter.com/TheWolfpackIN/statu ... 80288?s=20 ---> Leasing season in Indian military:

- IAF planning to lease aerial refuellers & basic trainer aircrafts.

- Indian Navy wants to lease minesweepers, tanker ships & utility helicopters.

- Indian Army to lease advanced MALE UAVs.
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Rakesh »

https://twitter.com/TheWolfpackIN/statu ... 47587?s=20 ---> IAF chief confirms that IAF is presently working on the 'use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for predictive threat scenarios'.
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Vivek K »

It would be moronic and anti-Indian to lease basic trainers when HTT-40 is available.
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by YashG »

Rakesh wrote:IAF shares MiG-29 upgrade pictures from deployment in Ladakh; watch them soar
https://www.republicworld.com/india-new ... -soar.html
08 April 2021
from this page - "The enhancements in the Upgraded MiG 29 Zhuk-ME AESA radar for muti-role capability"

Is this true? I thought Zhuk ME was not AESA.
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by srai »

^^^
Nope. Easy enough to cross-check online references. When sources are unreliable then best to ignore.
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Cain Marko »

YashG wrote:
Rakesh wrote:IAF shares MiG-29 upgrade pictures from deployment in Ladakh; watch them soar
https://www.republicworld.com/india-new ... -soar.html
08 April 2021
from this page - "The enhancements in the Upgraded MiG 29 Zhuk-ME AESA radar for muti-role capability"

Is this true? I thought Zhuk ME was not AESA.
Its not an AESA. HOwever, word is that the new batch of 21 birds might get a Zhuk - AE type (aesa).
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Philip »

Vips,then why is the IAF wanting the legacy IL-78s to continue performing the tanker role with leased tankers for trg. purposes as reported? The new IL-78 fully Ru built tankers are hugely upgraded unlike the legacy ones.They cost a fraction of the A-330s found far too expensive to buy and operate why the lease option is being considered. Knowing that on price the IL-78s were unbeatable, the IAF even tried to say that only twin-engined tankers were acceptable to rule out new IL-78s! That too failed.

Leaving the origin of the existing tankers aside,why the IAF appears hell-bent on acquiring multiple types of platforms increasing service and operational difficulties beats me.If new IL-76s are kosher for the 2 extra Phalcons with Israeli AEW systems, why the same platform in tanker version can't be acquired? It would make operating the fleet of AWACS,tankers and transports much easier with commonality of spares,etc.
Same argument for wanting extra P-8I for the IN. The same should be done to augment IAF fighter numbers,acquiring more of types in service,cheaper to acquire and operate since the infra,training,spares,tech.support,etc. are already available.
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Prasad »

Lmao. We did a tender thrice but govt said no money for buying 6 A330 MRTTs while everyone around us has taken deliveries of that platform.
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by srai »

Maybe the next cost saving way would be to convert ex-Air India Airbus/Boeing platforms :mrgreen:
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by ramana »

Looks like IAF wants to refurbish the IL-76 fleet with new engines and modern avionics to get 15 more years of service life. Older proposal not acted on. And unlikely to get more C-17s as the line has stopped two years ago. Also, the Biden administration won't release any aircraft.

http://idrw.org/iaf-to-deliberate-il-76 ... ore-252387

How many IL-76 are there?
It will be critical to have heavy lift to support LAC operations.
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