Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

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

Post by Rakesh »

https://twitter.com/IAF_MCC/status/1381 ... 55489?s=20 ---> The Seers, the Seekers and the Hunters.

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

Post by ritesh »

Can we trade in our m2000 in favour of rafales? At least we can get handsome rebate in return?
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Rakesh »

ritesh wrote:Can we trade in our m2000 in favour of rafales? At least we can get handsome rebate in return?
1. $43 million has been spent per bird to upgrade the 49 Mirage 2000s.

Indian Air Force Mirage 2000 Upgrade Progresses Despite Groundings
https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news ... groundings
Although a $2.2 billion upgrade of India’s Dassault Mirage 2000 fighters is progressing, around a quarter of the fleet of 49...
2. Exchanging Mirage 2000 for Rafale now (which Dassault will not do - will explain that in the points below - will result in a loss of that investment. That is not going to happen in the cash-strapped IAF.

3. There is around a decade and half of airframe life left. Very valuable for an air force that has an acute shortage of combat aircraft. The Mirage 2000s are due for retirement around the mid 2030s.

4. Dassault will not take in used IAF Mirage 2000s. What will they do with them? The upgraded version is India specific. All other Mirage 2000-5 users (France, Greece, UAE, Qatar) operate variants that are unique to their air forces. Which of these users will want to adopt IAF Mirage 2000s and then invest money to standardize the fleet? All these users are transitioning to the Rafale, with the exception of the UAE. The UAEF will eventually purchase the Rafale to replace their Mirage 2000s.

5. Therefore any issue of rebate will not materialize. And with the Tejas Mk1 exceeding the Mirage 2000H and the Tejas Mk1A exceeding the Mirage 2000I, a purchase of used Mirage 2000s makes little sense for the IAF. Remember the reverse is equally true - the IAF will have to invest its scarce CAPEX to standardize those Mirage 2000s to the "I" standard. I hoped that we could get the Mirage 2000s from Qatar (or elsewhere) to bolster the fleet, but now is pointless when you have a better (and local) bird.

6. Additional Rafales are welcome, but nothing more than two squadrons, to bolster the 36 joining the IAF now. All future CAPEX resources (for combat aircraft) should ideally be diverted to the Tejas program. Armed with Derby, Astra, R-73, (perhaps) ASRAAM and tied into an AESA...she will exceed what the Mirage 2000I can do. Looking at Tejas Mk1 as a MiG-21 Bison replacement is laughable. And the Mk1A will be a game changer for the IAF.

7. IIRC, the last time a trade was done was with the Su-30K. Eighteen of them were acquired by the IAF. All 18 were returned to Russia and exchanged with new build MKIs. 12 of those K variants were sold to Angola and the last I heard, Russia is looking to sell off the remaining six birds as well.

8. Just a dream of mine - but it would be nice to merge the three Mirage 2000 (No 1, 7 and 9) units into two --> No 7 and No 9. With attrition losses over the years, those squadrons will likely be understrength. No 9 has only ten birds on hand anyway. And transition No 1 Tigers to a Mk1A unit. No 1 Sqn is the oldest unit in the IAF. Pride and Prestige for the Tejas, always.
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by LakshmanPST »

Rakesh wrote: Just a dream of mine - but it would be nice to merge the three Mirage 2000 (No 1, 7 and 9) units into two --> No 7 and No 9. With attrition losses over the years, those squadrons will likely be understrength. No 9 has only ten birds on hand anyway. And transition No 1 Tigers to a Mk1A unit. No 1 Sqn is the oldest unit in the IAF. Pride and Prestige for the Tejas, always.
Sir, why did they buy only 10 jets back in early 2000s, enough for only half squadron...?
Did they initially buy them only as attrition spares but raised a separate squadrion only later...?
Otherwise, I fail to see any logic here... I feel they should have bought atleast 1 full squadron...
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Rakesh »

Why are you calling me Sir? :)

I am not sure why they only ordered 10. I am assuming attrition replacements when it was ordered in the early 2000s. Perhaps KaranM may know. But interesting question.
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Philip »

"Sir Rakesh", HM the Queen checking him out to be her new consort what? :rotfl:

Yes, after the untimely demise of RG, who during his time beefed up the armed forces,intervened in SL and the Maldives and got an IN warship on the front cover of Time mag, the immediate successors did bugger all to order more M2Ks and MIG-29s both meant to counter Paki F-16s. Had either one of the two types been built in India under licence,or more sqds. ordered, the IAF would've been in a far healthier situ.Imagine an M2K upgrade costing as much as a brand new MIG-29/35 or Tejas1A!
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by nachiket »

LakshmanPST wrote:
Rakesh wrote: Just a dream of mine - but it would be nice to merge the three Mirage 2000 (No 1, 7 and 9) units into two --> No 7 and No 9. With attrition losses over the years, those squadrons will likely be understrength. No 9 has only ten birds on hand anyway. And transition No 1 Tigers to a Mk1A unit. No 1 Sqn is the oldest unit in the IAF. Pride and Prestige for the Tejas, always.
Sir, why did they buy only 10 jets back in early 2000s, enough for only half squadron...?
Did they initially buy them only as attrition spares but raised a separate squadrion only later...?
Otherwise, I fail to see any logic here... I feel they should have bought atleast 1 full squadron...
That procurement was probably seen as a stop-gap till the MRCA program bore fruit. Remember that the MRCA program itself began when the IAF approached the MoD with a proposal to acquire 126 more M2k's after the Kargil war. The hope was that the French M2k line could be moved to India since they were shutting it down to build Rafales. Of course, George Fernandes put the kibosh on that in the aftermath of the Tehelka scandal and insisted on a multi-vendor procurement. Knowing this would be a slower process the IAF must have asked for 10 more to fill the gap (any more would be too expensive and might result in more allegations of corruption) before the production line closed down. When the request was made the IAF might have still thought Dassault would stick with the M2k in their MRCA proposal and it would emerge the winner.

I wonder if only it hadn't been for the Tehelka expose whether the IAF would have got its wish and we would have had over 170 Mirage-2000-5's in the IAF right now, albeit no Rafales.
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Aditya_V »

Given Kargil, it was inventible we will modernize, Tehelka and the coffin scam delayed a lot of it keep us weak for longer.

PAF upgraded its F-16 fleet with generous US aid to engage AK-47 carrying Taliban with Amraam's while entire GOI apparatus did nothing for us to gain the Air supremacy, lessons which were learned in Feb-19, the most essential part of Paki Terror infrastructure is immunity from attack from the Air which the Jihadi PAF provides.

Keep the PAF vulnerable, PA artillery assets, equipment men vulnerable with GOI willing to use its power then Pakis are forced to behave.
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by LakshmanPST »

nachiket wrote:
I wonder if only it hadn't been for the Tehelka expose whether the IAF would have got its wish and we would have had over 170 Mirage-2000-5's in the IAF right now, albeit no Rafales.
Then there wouldn't have been any progress in the Tejas program... And without Tejas, no AMCA, no TEDBF, no Tejas Mk2, no Naval Tejas...
We would have been waiting for Dassault FCAS while funding Su57...
In a way, non-availability of a Single Engine Medium Weight fighter in the import market kinda forced us to develop Tejas...
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Rakesh »

nachiket wrote:That procurement was probably seen as a stop-gap till the MRCA program bore fruit.
That is the most reasonable explanation. Thanks.
nachiket wrote:I wonder if only it hadn't been for the Tehelka expose whether the IAF would have got its wish and we would have had over 170 Mirage-2000-5's in the IAF right now, albeit no Rafales.
I would take that gladly. Would have solved that squadron shortage issue.
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by RajD »

https://youtu.be/eUBWHxlT9qA

What is really going on guys?
Alfa defense channel is saying that IAF clandestinely operates F-16s along with a few other countries which are due for upgrades now. At first I thought it was black humour but the guy seems to be dead serious. Corroborates it with a statement from the US DOD.
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Rakesh »

I would pass on this. What purpose would clandestine serve?
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by RajD »

Absolutely true. I concur with you, sir. In fact I also didn't believe this even one bit.
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by nachiket »

He has literally mentioned this "Is India quietly operating F16 ? (Sarcastic)" in the title of the video itself.
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Rakesh »

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

Post by kit »

Rakesh wrote:I would pass on this. What purpose would clandestine serve?
TACDE runs the simulated "enemy F16"s
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Rakesh »

Did you read Nachiket's post above? :)

Plus with the Singapore Air Force visiting the IAF every year, a dedicated F-16 unit offers little value. Check this out. While this is just one aerial combat exercise, but valuable lessons for both sides. And the SAF visits every year with their F-16s, as per the agreement signed between the two nations. The F-16 Block 50/52 are the most modern combat aircraft that the PAF has.

Flying & fighting in the Sukhoi Su-30 ‘Flanker’: A pilot interview
https://hushkit.net/2019/07/20/flying-f ... interview/
20 July 2019
Q. What was your most memorable mission?

A. “Well there have been many over the years but a few that stand out are as follows: –

(a) DACT with F-16 Block 60* of Republic of Singapore Air Force.

(*Ed: think these are actually Block 52)

The strongest adversary that we could possibly face in our life as a fighter pilot was the F-16 of PAF (for obvious reasons). So the excitement of facing an F-16, even in a mock combat was unbelievable. The weight of the mission was overbearing! Perhaps that’s what makes it special. As the combat commenced, we manoeuvred for our lives and in very little time the situation was in our favour! The desperate calls from the F-16, “Flare, Flare, Flare!” are very distinctly audible in my ears even today! From that day, the anxiety that prevailed over facing an F-16 in combat was gone forever…. Vanished! It was clear what the outcome would be!
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Roop »

RajD wrote: What is really going on guys?
Alfa defense channel is saying that IAF clandestinely operates F-16s along with a few other countries which are due for upgrades now. At first I thought it was black humour but the guy seems to be dead serious. Corroborates it with a statement from the US DOD.
It is sensationalist, speculative bullsh*t. Unfortunately, that channel regularly does that.
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by LakshmanPST »

Any news about the 56 C295 deal...?
Wasn't it supposed to be signed by end of March 2021...?
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by ritesh »

Thank you for your elaborate explaination in simple to understand language!!
Rakesh wrote:
ritesh wrote:Can we trade in our m2000 in favour of rafales? At least we can get handsome rebate in return?
1. $43 million has been spent per bird to upgrade the 49 Mirage 2000s.

Indian Air Force Mirage 2000 Upgrade Progresses Despite Groundings
https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news ... groundings
Although a $2.2 billion upgrade of India’s Dassault Mirage 2000 fighters is progressing, around a quarter of the fleet of 49...
2. Exchanging Mirage 2000 for Rafale now (which Dassault will not do - will explain that in the points below - will result in a loss of that investment. That is not going to happen in the cash-strapped IAF.

3. There is around a decade and half of airframe life left. Very valuable for an air force that has an acute shortage of combat aircraft. The Mirage 2000s are due for retirement around the mid 2030s.

4. Dassault will not take in used IAF Mirage 2000s. What will they do with them? The upgraded version is India specific. All other Mirage 2000-5 users (France, Greece, UAE, Qatar) operate variants that are unique to their air forces. Which of these users will want to adopt IAF Mirage 2000s and then invest money to standardize the fleet? All these users are transitioning to the Rafale, with the exception of the UAE. The UAEF will eventually purchase the Rafale to replace their Mirage 2000s.

5. Therefore any issue of rebate will not materialize. And with the Tejas Mk1 exceeding the Mirage 2000H and the Tejas Mk1A exceeding the Mirage 2000I, a purchase of used Mirage 2000s makes little sense for the IAF. Remember the reverse is equally true - the IAF will have to invest its scarce CAPEX to standardize those Mirage 2000s to the "I" standard. I hoped that we could get the Mirage 2000s from Qatar (or elsewhere) to bolster the fleet, but now is pointless when you have a better (and local) bird.

6. Additional Rafales are welcome, but nothing more than two squadrons, to bolster the 36 joining the IAF now. All future CAPEX resources (for combat aircraft) should ideally be diverted to the Tejas program. Armed with Derby, Astra, R-73, (perhaps) ASRAAM and tied into an AESA...she will exceed what the Mirage 2000I can do. Looking at Tejas Mk1 as a MiG-21 Bison replacement is laughable. And the Mk1A will be a game changer for the IAF.

7. IIRC, the last time a trade was done was with the Su-30K. Eighteen of them were acquired by the IAF. All 18 were returned to Russia and exchanged with new build MKIs. 12 of those K variants were sold to Angola and the last I heard, Russia is looking to sell off the remaining six birds as well.

8. Just a dream of mine - but it would be nice to merge the three Mirage 2000 (No 1, 7 and 9) units into two --> No 7 and No 9. With attrition losses over the years, those squadrons will likely be understrength. No 9 has only ten birds on hand anyway. And transition No 1 Tigers to a Mk1A unit. No 1 Sqn is the oldest unit in the IAF. Pride and Prestige for the Tejas, always.
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by rajkumar »

I'm listening to The Blue Skies Podcast on @Castbox_fm. Check it out! #podcasts #audiobooks https://castbox.fm/va/3857467

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

Post by ArjunPandit »

rakesh ji didnt one of the eastern bases host saf on a near permanent basis
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Thakur_B »

^^ Kalaikunda AFS.
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by MeshaVishwas »

Thanks to the superb article by AVM Subramaniam on the exploits of 44 Sqn under AVM Vashisht in the Bangladesh Liberation war, I remembered some lovely exerpts from this article(Some snip snip as the customary self flagellation welcomes you to the article). The images are great too, sadly no A2A shots.

Women Voices in Military Aviation
https://vayuacademy.com/blog/women-voic ... -aviation/
In this article, we will meet the first women IAF pilot to fly the mighty ‘Gujraj’ 'Gajraj' Il-76 aircraft: Squadron Leader Veena Saharan (Retd).

Read on to get inspired by the military women pilot who is fondly remembered as ‘mahout’ .

What motivated you to join Indian Air Force (IAF)?

My maternal grandfather served in the Indian Army and fought in 1962, 1965, and 1971 wars. The attraction for the forces, perhaps, was ‘inherited’ as my father and uncles too served in the Indian Army. After 12th standard, I enrolled for BSc Physics Hons at a college in Delhi and joined the NCC (Army Wing). Apart from the regular camps, that form the routine for training, I had an opportunity to undergo a Basic mountaineering course sponsored by NCC. The desire to join the forces was being reinforced and becoming a PILOT, became my choice. The option narrowed down to Indian Air Force as, at the time, only they offered the opportunities for women to become a military pilot. I joined the Indian Air force in 2001, immediately after graduation.

Tell our readers something about the training that you had to undergo as a pilot?

Until 2001 the training for women pilots was 6 months less, as a result, career progression, role qualification etc were delayed and lagged behind the peers. Ours was the first women pilot batch to have the same curriculum as the direct entry men. My training started with Pre Flight Training Course- 6 months at Begumpet, Basic Flying Training- 6 months on HPT 32 at Dundigal, Advance Flying training – 1 yr DO228 (now reduced to 6 months) at Yelahanka, Transport training 6 months on An-32 at Yelehanka and then finally – a posting with an operational flying unit.

The time spent at Air Force Academy taught me the meaning of camaraderie. We had endless strengthening sessions with men and women coursemates, long cross country runs, endurance marches, training camps – the list goes on. One gets the true sense of equality when all endure the punishment together no matter who makes the mistake. I picked up so many games which I never had an opportunity to play before and secured the place among the preferred ones to win the matches for our Squadron. Swimming is a mandatory test to pass. I still remember the heartbeat skip during that 7m jump into the pool. The flying training in the military is time-bound – a lot of emphasis is given on preparation on the ground. Emergency situations and even checks and procedures are practiced so much so that we could utter it verbatim even if woken up from deep sleep. The training went on fairly well and I went on to win the coveted Fg Offr Harita Deol trophy for coming 1st in flying in women batch.

Next was another 1.5 years of training to become a transport pilot. It was a pleasant change, larger aircraft, increased range, advanced and more avionics on board. We were trained in low-level navigation, night flying, and basic transport flying. Under the able guidance of an excellent set of instructors, I earned best in flying (men and women) and best overall trophies. But I always missed those aerobatics and feeling of flying like a free bird – that could truly be realized by flying a fighter. I’m glad that the option of fighters is now open for women pilots.

You were the first woman pilot to be inducted in the IL-76 aircraft fleet. Tell us about your journey and what was your initial reaction?

On completion of basic training, I was posted as an An-32 aircraft trained pilot to one of the elite Transport Squadron based in Chandigarh. In an operational unit, the flying task is given by the respective command HQ. We had regular air maintenance flights to the Northern sector (Leh, Thoise, and Siachen Glacier) where mountain heights range from 18000 to 26000 feet above mean sea level. The workhorse of IAF, the An-32 aircraft, frequently flew in this terrain. The weather in mountains is unforgiving; western disturbance, Clear Air Turbulence, low clouding, snow, rain, etc combination of these in close proximity of LAC (Line of Actual Control) can make it worse without warning. Pilots and Navigators have to prepare maps of the route, memorize SOPs, emergency actions, fly familiarisation flights, and then only occupy the seat of captain, co-pilot, or navigator in an aircraft. Our routine task in these valleys was time critical as we were operating at the limits of the aircraft performance. The day used to start well before the first light; we would conduct a comprehensive briefing including one practiced emergency, make small talk over a cup of tea and butter jam bread (early morning staple diet) with fellow officers and soldiers checking on each other’s well being. We used to get airborne before sunrise and fly 2-3 waves (flights) to the forward areas. Exhausted at the end of it, we would take an afternoon break and come back in the evening for organized games, perform secondary allotted duties or organize evening parties (an important aspect of the forces that fosters cohesiveness and bonding in a social setting). I’m glad I was groomed by one of the most professional organizations and got to work with the best of the bests. During my 3 years with the unit, I qualified to fly as a captain for all operational drop zones and airfields of the Northern Sector.

My second tenure was in the Eastern sector, with another prestigious Squadron. I got the opportunity to fly to remote areas of North East India. The An-32, along with helicopters, was a lifeline here. Unlike the Northern sector, the hills here were not very high but the valleys were narrow and weather unpredictable. The drop zones here have very less manoeuvring space. The airfields were very narrow, short and unprepared with part PSP (perforated steel plates) sheets part bitumen leaving no margin for error. Flying here required good handling skills. I was one of the frequently airborne pilots and flew to almost all the bases across India from here. Within a year I got cleared as captain to all the operational DZs (Drop Zones) and ALGs (Advanced Landing Grounds) of the sector. Military transport planes carry logistics supplies, troops, ammunition, armoured vehicles and tank (in the larger ones..!). Air exercises at different scales are conducted regularly to practise and improve airdrops at the time of any conflict. This demands all designated aircraft to fly in formation at low level to avoid detection by enemy radar. Qualified pilots are trained and cleared for these roles. I’m glad I could contribute to my unit’s operational readiness by clearing for all roles and attained supervisory category (BG).

It was a Friday night and a Squadron party was going on when a fellow officer came and congratulated me. I was confused and asked, ‘why’? It was then that I was told about my transfer to an IL-76 unit. At first, I thought it to be a prank because firstly, women pilots were not given conversion on more than one type of aircraft and secondly, I had spent only a year in the squadron and postings generally did not come before 2-3 years. Finally, it became clear that I had been chosen to convert onto IL76 aircraft as the first woman pilot of IAF. IL-76 is a 4 four-engined strategic heavy-lift aircraft known as the Gajraj in India. It was unheard of Officers with such short service (men and women) as mine to be posted to this unit. It was a welcome change, I was excited, anxious, nervous…all at once.

Moving from turboprop An-32 to turbofan Il-76 was a big jump in the performance of aircraft and technology as well. As a first woman pilot on IL-76, did you feel any additional pressure or stress to perform? Tell us about your experience and training.

I was posted to a prestigious Squadron having a glorious history of having fielded the An-12s and IL-76 aircraft. It is the only transport unit to be conferred the Battle Honours. I was welcomed to the unit just like any other officer. The first advice I got was “to fly this aircraft in this Squadron you have to be mentally and physically strong”. In Armed Forces every unit has its ethos and culture and all personnel abide by it. Now it was ‘desh ki, unit ki, aur apni izzat ka sawal‘. There was no turning back, I had to do it and do it well..! This unit had the best of the officers and soldiers on its strength and I tried to imbibe as much as I could from their vast experience on IL-76 and their exposure in international exercises, relief operations, etc.

Loads of manuals were to be read before I could even touch the aircraft. I don’t remember a time when I was without a book or notes, trying to make good of every possible minute..! There were few other very senior and experienced pilots converting onto ILs along with me. I could not afford to lag behind and hence put in all possible effort and tape upon knowledge. In IL-76 the throttles, engines, slats, flaps, and spoilers are handled by an engineer on the captain’s command from Takeoff till landing. Flying it is a classic example of CRM among flying and nonflying crew members. Just like any other heavy category aircraft, its inertia demands a rock steady alignment laterally and vertically on the approach. Our instructors would thoroughly brief us and gave pointers to improve upon and just said ‘giving up is not an option’. With so much to learn and execute, being the only woman pilot in the unit never bothered me. What more one could ask for…!

IL-76 is a strategic heavy airlift aircraft. How much time does it take for a pilot to fully convert and become operational as a captain? What roles/missions were you qualified to operate?

In IAF, Aircrew Examination Board (AEB) visits all operational bases and conducts tests (written and flying) every year for individual pilots. Categories are awarded to pilots and other flying crew members as per their experience and performance. Post completion of approximately 500 hrs on type I upgraded to become an independent captain (BG) on IL-76. IL-76 is utilized for para-drop, heavy drop, aid to civil authorities, international air exercises. I was cleared for the para drop, low-level navigation, and high altitude (>10000 feet) Leh landings. I was given the name of ‘the woman mahout’ of GAJRAJ (Elephant) and after so much of hard work, it did feel nice. I regularly undertook forward area, passenger (IL courier), and other routine flights. I frequently interacted with the base commanders during these operations seeing a young woman IL-76 captain took a few by surprise but after the interaction, I could sense it was a pleasant one.

Tell my readers about your most memorable moment while undertaking military flights or mission.

As a military aviator, we are trained to fly an aircraft under the worst possible conditions. This kind of training keeps the confidence and morale high. As I look back there are numerous memorable occasions. In 2005 due to heavy snowfall, Banihal pass was closed and road movements had come to a standstill we flew nonstop from 6 am till midnight under marginal weather conditions and no radar coverage to get the troops across between Srinagar and Jammu. Flights to-from Leh and Thoise were all special ones and very close to my heart we were the lifeline of Indian Army troops posted there.
You are presently working in a commercial airline as a pilot. Military and commercial operations are very different, the job is different and the environment is different. What do you miss today from your days in the blue uniform?

After serving IAF for 10 years I joined commercial aviation. It was a pleasant experience to interact and fly with pilots of diverse backgrounds. In civil aviation the aircraft are more advanced, rules and regulations are different hence a technological gap exists. In service, I majorly flew non-ICAO registered Russian planes however with the induction of new aircraft in all three forces like C-17, C-130, B-777, Embraer, BBJ, P8I, Chinook, Apache, and Rafale etc this gap has sharply reduced. Now pilots and other crew members are getting frequent international exposure very early in service while ferrying, training, or participating in Air exercises. I cherish all my years spent in IAF I feel privileged having served in this elite organization.

Indian Armed Forces have come a long way since it first inducted women officers in 1992. Today, all wings of the military allow women in some form of combat roles. IAF has had 13.09%. Indian Navy 6% and Indian Army 3.80% of officers by the end of 2018. Do you think these numbers could have been higher?

I believe that numbers can and should be higher. However, to realize that objective, society as a whole has to undergo a fundamental change in its outlook and accept the fact that the role of a woman in our society is not merely limited to the domain of domestic chores and responsibilities. India has had a history that highlights that women have never shied away from stepping up whenever the nation demanded it. From Razia Sultan to Rani Laxmibai to the soldiers of Rani of Jhansi Regiment of the INA led by Capt Laxmi Swaminathan, our history is replete with example of women warriors stepping up when needed. This glorious tradition needs to be encouraged. With the society backing the initiatives of the Government and the Armed Forces, I am sure these numbers can dramatically improve.

What in your opinion can be done to increase the number of women officers in armed forces?

Like I mentioned earlier, there needs to be a concentrated effort by society, government, and the Armed forces to increase the numbers. Better public awareness campaigns, social media, mainstream media, etc can be utilized to motivate young minds. A ‘know your forces’ drive can and should be encouraged wherein women warriors can hold interactive sessions at various educational centers.

Any message you would like to give to all the girls aspiring to join armed forces.

There are three woman officers from Armed Forces Medical Services who have earned a three-star General rank. I keenly look forward to seeing more women achieve the same and higher in other Arms. Just take the first step and give your best, for even the sky is not the limit anymore…!
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Rakesh »

https://twitter.com/_devildog_mm_/statu ... 38760?s=20 ---> Nice shot of an Indian Air Force MiG-29UPG "Baaz" armed with R-27R Semi Active Radar Homing (SARH) medium range air-to-air missile and R-73E Infra-Red (IR) short range air-to-air missile, on approach for mid-air refueling. The pilot is equipped with standard Zsh-07 helmet.

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

Post by Rakesh »

IAF to adopt new process to lease refueling aircraft
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/ ... 292349.ece
11 April 2021

The Indian Air Force (IAF), which is looking to lease mid-air refueling aircraft, will adopt a new methodology for the process based on the number of hours of availability per year as criteria, a senior defence official said. “The leasing will be based on hours of availability per year indicating the minimum and maximum hours required,” the official said. “We will use the leased tankers for training purposes and keep the existing IL-78s in service for operational purposes,” the official stated. On the number of refuelers that would be leased, the official said it would be decided based on the responses the IAF receives.
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Rakesh »

https://twitter.com/TheWolfpackIN/statu ... 07520?s=20 ---> IAF plans to activate the 1st S-400 ADS regiment by April 2022. It is likely to be deployed in Northern India.
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Kartik »

Never before seen - Jaguar DARIN II carrying SAAW PGMs on centerline station..can carry a whole lot more on it's inner and outer wing pylons.

Image

Pic credit - Gaur.Aviation
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by LakshmanPST »

Kartik wrote:Never before seen - Jaguar DARIN II carrying SAAW PGMs on centerline station..can carry a whole lot more on it's inner and outer wing pylons.

Pic credit - Gaur.Aviation
How to visually differentiate between DARIN II and DARIN III Jaguars...?
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by sankum »

Radar nose cone in Darin 3.
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Rakesh »

LakshmanPST wrote:How to visually differentiate between DARIN II and DARIN III Jaguars...?
As sankum-ji said in his post above, it is all in the nose :)

Click on the link below....

https://www.instagram.com/p/COE54OmF4aj/
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by shyamd »

Get ready for another scandal related to M2K upgrades. Some agents didn't get paid, some got paid and wanted their annual increase. HAL asked IAF to cover the increase ....
Last edited by shyamd on 27 Apr 2021 23:06, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Rakesh »

M2K upgrade was signed during the UPA regime. Congress will think twice before leveling such a charge.

The devil does not cast out the devil.

To date, all you hear is crickets, when the UPA is asked the following --> "If the Rafale deal was 95% complete, then why did Saint Anthony state that there is no money this financial year (2014) to purchase the Rafale?"
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by shyamd »

What I'm told is agents close to both parties were paid (because one side threatened the other side). It won't be the opposition that will make the charge but the agent(s) who will file legal complaint in France when the time is right when PM ever visits France. Let's see.
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Rakesh »

That is a double whammy for the Congress. Their onus lies on them to ensure that the deal was clean and free from middlemen, regardless of political affiliation. Anyway, unless there is a news link or some confirmed reporting, let us not derail the thread with any more speculation. Last on this.
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by ashthor »

The Indian Air Force (IAF) will soon get one Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft, which can be used for refuelling fighter jets mid-air, from France for training, a report in the Hindustan Times says.

According to the report, this will be a precursor to a government-to-government deal under which the IAF will lease five more MMRT aircraft from France.

https://swarajyamag.com/news-brief/iaf- ... ghter-jets
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Rakesh »

After two aborted attempts to acquire the A330 MRTT, finally the IAF gets their hands on them!
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Rakesh »

https://twitter.com/TheWolfpackIN/statu ... 80738?s=20 ---> Russian media: India one of the main prospective future buyers of the new IL-76MD-90A heavy transport aircraft which can carry up to 60 tonnes of payload.
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by sankum »

https://mobile.twitter.com/hvtiaf/statu ... 90/photo/1

Jaguar trainers upgraded to Darin 3 but no radar?
20 plus trainers estimate added to 56 nos single seater Darin 3 with elta 2052 aesa radar.
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Re: Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 23 March 2021

Post by Aditya_V »

sankum wrote:https://mobile.twitter.com/hvtiaf/statu ... 90/photo/1

Jaguar trainers upgraded to Darin 3 but no radar?
20 plus trainers estimate added to 56 nos single seater Darin 3 with elta 2052 aesa radar.
In A2A the Jaguar airframe has huge limitations and can't really be doing dogfighting, if there is a good data link, these can work with other Darin III aircraft and launch A2G ordinance based on target info from AESA equipped Darin III or use other means like GPS or laser range finding equipment with IR sensors.

All Jaguar A2A weapons are for emergency self defense when fighter cover is not available, it can never be a true Swing role fighter.

So compared to other fighter types it is not a huge limitation for the Jaguar. In fact originally only the Jaguar IM maritime strike carried a radar, the British radar has been replaced by El 2032 for these half a squadron of aircraft while rest of single seat aircraft get EL 2052 radars which will mainly be used in A2G role.
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