Indian Air Force News & Discussion - 15 Dec 2016

JTull · Post by **JTull** » 30 Jan 2020 16:30

In major restructuring, IAF boosts fighter squadron strength by 20 percent

In a major restructuring to boost its war-fighting units, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has enhanced the strength of its combat aircraft squadrons by 20 per cent to help them prepare better for operational
tasks.

"More than 2,000 air warriors and technicians have been provided to the fighter squadrons in the last few months. These personnel have been drawn from air headquarters and command headquarters where they were not performing technical duties," top IAF sources told ANI.

With more number of people available in the fighter squadrons, they would help in easing the workload on the existing personnel and also help in enhancing the safety in flying operations, they said.

The restructuring in the service is being monitored by the Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria. The number of people who have been taken out from headquarters and non-operational tasks is over 2,000. Bhadauria took over as the Chief of Air Staff on October 1, last year.

Apart from restructuring in the headquarters, the Air Force has also implemented strict rules in appointment of support staff for flag officers in service.

The Indian Air Force has been strengthening its fighting capabilities in the last one year post-Balakot operations as it had acquired weapons including air to air missiles and air to ground weapon systems such as the Spice 2000 bombs with greater destruction capabilities and Strum Ataka anti-tank guided missiles.

The Air Force was also the top spender among the three services in emergency powers given for the acquisition of weapons and spares in the aftermath of the Balakot aerial strikes.

The Air Force strength also received a major boost after the induction of its Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft squadron in southern India at Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu and is likely to get further strengthened with induction of another Tejas combat aircraft squadron in Sulur.

SidSoma · Post by **SidSoma** » 30 Jan 2020 17:52

JTull wrote:In major restructuring, IAF boosts fighter squadron strength by 20 percent

Does this mean that more ppl are moved from admin tasks to active squadron duty?.... The title is misleading as it suggests that the number of fighter squadrons has been increased from the current strength by 20% just be restructuring the squadrons. Gurus pls help....

Rakesh · Post by **Rakesh** » 30 Jan 2020 20:10

The title should be better worded, but yes.

Increase in intake of pilots in squadrons will result in greater number of sorties. This in turn will result in more aircraft up in the air. Very good move.

The next thing they should do is increase the serviceability of aircraft. Air Marshal Anil Chopra (Retd) has said that will also boost the strength.

fanne · Post by **fanne** » 30 Jan 2020 20:22

Also Our squadron is made of 20 planes (mostly, exception - Mirages, LCA and Rafale) in this order 16 planes, 2 attritional reserve and 2 trainers.
For 260 SU30MKI (272 total), we have 13 squadrons, 13*20=260 plane + some TACDE and some with HAL.
SU30MKI, all planes can act as trainers. If we remove 2 planes from each squadron that are being used as trainers, we can have 13*2 = 26 more planes, that will result in one more squadron + 8 extra plane.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 31 Jan 2020 04:11

Have been asking for this since 1999 to boost squadron manpower to increase combat effectiveness. Next is to improve aircraft availability.

Meanwhile airfield modernisation completed.

https://twitter.com/IndianDefence3/stat ... 22688?s=19

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 02 Feb 2020 00:08

JT, "another combat sq. at Sulur"? Any idea of how many are there in the first sqd. and why there should be two sqds. at sleepy Sulur, far from the frontline and too short-legged unlike the MKIs at Tanjore to be of any use in a crisis tasked with IOR roles The only reason I could think of is its proximity to B' lore for any post- induction support.

pushkar.bhat · Post by **pushkar.bhat** » 02 Feb 2020 00:16

Sulur is acting as a forming up base for Tejas, just as Pune was the form up base for all SU-30 units. Plus proximity to BLR also will allow quick turn around from HAL BLR if required.

JTull · Post by **JTull** » 02 Feb 2020 04:03

Philip wrote:JT, "another combat sq. at Sulur"? Any idea of how many are there in the first sqd. and why there should be two sqds. at sleepy Sulur, far from the frontline and too short-legged unlike the MKIs at Tanjore to be of any use in a crisis tasked with IOR roles The only reason I could think of is its proximity to B' lore for any post- induction support.

I think there's talk of first sqn moving to a base in Rajasthan next year.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 02 Feb 2020 04:33

OK. Probably get the sqd. put through its paces at Sulur where the first has gone through the mill and then fly out to do the biz. Jodhpur has lost its MIG-27s,could possibly be a home for Tejas.

Kakkaji · Post by **Kakkaji** » 02 Feb 2020 06:29

Any progress on adding missile jammer pods on the Mk1 (IOC and FOC)? IMHO they should not be sent into combat without them?

Kartik · Post by **Kartik** » 02 Feb 2020 08:19

JTull wrote:
Philip wrote:JT, "another combat sq. at Sulur"? Any idea of how many are there in the first sqd. and why there should be two sqds. at sleepy Sulur, far from the frontline and too short-legged unlike the MKIs at Tanjore to be of any use in a crisis tasked with IOR roles The only reason I could think of is its proximity to B' lore for any post- induction support.
I think there's talk of first sqn moving to a base in Rajasthan next year.

I’ve read somewhere that No.45 ‘Flying Daggers’ will be moved to Srinagar AFS sometime this year. But not confirmed by any authoritative source.

RKumar · Post by **RKumar** » 02 Feb 2020 17:00

Kartik wrote:
JTull wrote:
I think there's talk of first sqn moving to a base in Rajasthan next year.
I’ve read somewhere that No.45 ‘Flying Daggers’ will be moved to Srinagar AFS sometime this year. But not confirmed by any authoritative source.

There was some news of moving to north but where exactly was not mentioned. It was supposed to be end of 2019. May be things are delayed a bit. But I hope they move it to J&K, to face F-16 and bandars.

Thanks Dileep for the information. For 2000 hrs ~ <2500 flights seems quite good with different configurations.

Rakesh · Post by **Rakesh** » 04 Feb 2020 01:17

https://twitter.com/ReviewVayu/status/1 ... 69504?s=20 ---> JUST IN! HAL signs contract with IAI ELTA for AESA Radar: The Avionics Division, Hyderabad has entered into a contract with IAI ELTA, Israel for manufacture/supply of AESA Radar (total of 54) for Jaguar DARIN III upgrade aircraft under the Transfer of Technology. (poor quality pix)

https://twitter.com/ReviewVayu/status/1 ... 30337?s=20 ----> As part of TOT, HAL will manufacture Gallium Arsenide-based Trans Receiver (T/R) Elements of Radar Antenna. Also, Transfer of Design Tech like antenna with different configurations, development of Radar Processor application software/Low Voltage Current Source are also ensured.

fanne · Post by **fanne** » 04 Feb 2020 01:52

can anyone more knowledgeable help, what is the tot here?

chola · Post by **chola** » 04 Feb 2020 02:04

fanne wrote:can anyone more knowledgeable help, what is the tot here?

Manufacture of GaN-based (gallium) chips for AESA.

nachiket · Post by **nachiket** » 04 Feb 2020 02:06

Kartik wrote: I’ve read somewhere that No.45 ‘Flying Daggers’ will be moved to Srinagar AFS sometime this year. But not confirmed by any authoritative source.

I'd much rather they do it after integrating the Astra with the Mk.1. After the Feb 27 incident there was lots of bad press about the Su-30's and the range disadvantage of the R-77 etc. much of it undeserved but you know how the media works. The Derby is even shorter ranged than the R-77. Don't need to fall into the same trap twice.

Manish_Sharma · Post by **Manish_Sharma** » 04 Feb 2020 02:46

nachiket wrote:
Kartik wrote: I’ve read somewhere that No.45 ‘Flying Daggers’ will be moved to Srinagar AFS sometime this year. But not confirmed by any authoritative source.
I'd much rather they do it after integrating the Astra with the Mk.1.

Also Special Protection Jammer.

nam · Post by **nam** » 04 Feb 2020 03:02

chola wrote:
fanne wrote:can anyone more knowledgeable help, what is the tot here?
Manufacture of GaN-based (gallium) chips for AESA.

2052 is GaAs based TRM.

We don't GaN from Israel, as we already have them.

There is a nice little TRM from BEL, with GaN transmitter & GaAs receiver. a way to reduce cost.

Regarding the ToT, i really don't know what HAL is "producing" in 2052, that too only 50 odd kit.

fanne · Post by **fanne** » 04 Feb 2020 04:58

nam wrote:
chola wrote:
Manufacture of GaN-based (gallium) chips for AESA.
2052 is GaAs based TRM.

We don't GaN from Israel, as we already have them.

There is a nice little TRM from BEL, with GaN transmitter & GaAs receiver. a way to reduce cost.

Regarding the ToT, i really don't know what HAL is "producing" in 2052, that too only 50 odd kit.

We are setting up a foundry? or we are assembling the chips from Israel? What is it? What specifically tot is tehre

fanne · Post by **fanne** » 04 Feb 2020 05:00

the understanding as that we will order 50 -2052 for jags and at least 83 for LCA. So the total number is at least 133 (I would say, something like 150, all said and done). What Tot can be given for this kind of order?

nam · Post by **nam** » 05 Feb 2020 15:31

fanne wrote:
nam wrote:
2052 is GaAs based TRM.

We don't GaN from Israel, as we already have them.

There is a nice little TRM from BEL, with GaN transmitter & GaAs receiver. a way to reduce cost.

Regarding the ToT, i really don't know what HAL is "producing" in 2052, that too only 50 odd kit.
We are setting up a foundry? or we are assembling the chips from Israel? What is it? What specifically tot is tehre

We already have a foundry(set up in 95!), where we make GaAs & GaN. I don't know what HAL is going to make.

fanne · Post by **fanne** » 05 Feb 2020 17:49

Then why is sjha saying that we need to set up a foundry asap. Is he saying that because the tech is old (1995 vs more current as of now?)

mody · Post by **mody** » 06 Feb 2020 14:39

We already make the GAA TR modules for Uttam. Its the backend software that we are still working on. ToT for the 2052 contract will just give us Israeli tech for the GAA TR modules. We can compare with our design and refine.

nam · Post by **nam** » 07 Feb 2020 14:04

https://www.indiatoday.in/india-today-i ... 2020-02-07

As i said, MMRCA 2.0 is kayali pulav..

maitya · Post by **maitya** » 07 Feb 2020 14:36

nam wrote:
chola wrote:
Manufacture of GaN-based (gallium) chips for AESA.
2052 is GaAs based TRM.

We don't GaN from Israel, as we already have them.

There is a nice little TRM from BEL, with GaN transmitter & GaAs receiver. a way to reduce cost.

Regarding the ToT, i really don't know what HAL is "producing" in 2052, that too only 50 odd kit.

We have X-Band GaN TRMs is it ... news to me!!
We have S-Band GaN TRMs at a lab level ... not yet productionised maybe, but we will reach there - but X-Band GaN TRMs??

Prasad · Post by **Prasad** » 07 Feb 2020 14:42

We have GaN xband trmms. That's confirmed.

maitya · Post by **maitya** » 07 Feb 2020 14:56

Prasad wrote:We have GaN xband trmms. That's confirmed.

Oh, at what Gain, max O/P Power and PAe figures?
Being GaN Power density would be very good anyway, so not asking.

nam · Post by **nam** » 07 Feb 2020 16:38

The last I remember is we have 10W X band GaN from DRDO. There were also displays by BEL & I think Astra, which were more than 10W(or 20W).

At this moment, it would be quite useful in the ECM domain to have 20W GaN, rather than a radar.

brar_w · Post by **brar_w** » 07 Feb 2020 17:58

X-band GaN based radars on fighter sized radars offer marginal improvement in performance and not the doubling or tripling of performance they offer in some other applications. The reason for this is that even the current generation GaA based AESA radars are thermally limited in many applications that push the boundaries of SwAP. Not until efforts like DARPA's ICE-COOL materialize into mature systems would you begin to see GaN come in for those applications. Once they do, you'll see a wholesale shift to those for these applications. That is probably 5 or so years away. Until then you'll only see smaller (for this application) shifts from GaAs to GaN for non performance based reasons such as a vendor just changing completely and no longer working with GaA's and trying to align with other systems for commonality sake.

Saying X Watt chip is available in some lab or Y Watt chip in another is meaningless (to the person trying to design a sensor against a specific performance requirement specified by the end-user). Even universities around the world can claim to offer such solutions though they won't go anywhere. When you engineer a system you do so within a certain SWaP consideration and against a performance requirement. If your performance requirements drastically change you may end up in a situation where the technology you desire does not permit you to get to those levels without a fundamental change in the way you design your systems. For thermally challenged applications (AESA's beyond a certain size on fighters are getting there) this means new and novel ways to remove the heat. IF you can't remove the additional heat you take away one of the biggest advantages of switching from GaAs to GaN i.e. you get limited utility from the switch but you pay the full cost in that you may get some basic incremental performance boost but nothing close to what the *new* requirements are likely to be. So it is best to stop thinking about which PA is available in some lab somewhere and think of where the requirements are likely to head.

Does a particular end user want more reliability?..a cheaper sensor so he can buy lot more in bulk?, wants a multi-functional array? (EW/EA features require higher access to power and thermals), or wants a significant increase in sensor performance for traditional roles?. The way the problem/requirements are framed determines the path you choose and what solution is ultimately put together...and not necc. what may be available in a lab or in the S&T community. Answer to some of these questions may indeed lead one to design simpler GaA's based sensors and lower cost via mass production..yet for some of them switching to GaN won't cut it and it requires a fundamental design shift in how airborne radars are designed in order to extract that level of performance. So for those extreme requirements..you aren't limited by the availability (or lack of) of GaN PA's at scale. You are basically limited by the time and effort it is going to take to completely change the way your sensor is designed, built, and integrated into an aircraft. Only then will you get the 50-100% increase in performance that could be possibly via this new technology as is being demonstrated on Ground and naval sensors which don't suffer from this problem to the same extent.

Vidur · Post by **Vidur** » 08 Feb 2020 20:39

The best article written on the CDS. Accurate and authentic. Concluding Part of 2 Part series. This series covers all problems with defence, evolution of CDS, problems with CDS and recommended solutions. Short, accurate and topical.

https://www.yuddhaneeti.com/post/cds-a- ... ual-part-2

Rakesh · Post by **Rakesh** » 10 Feb 2020 01:18

IAF Has to Reorient, Retrain Itself to Changed Paradigm of War, Former Chief BS Dhanoa
https://www.news18.com/news/india/iaf-h ... 93669.html
09 Feb 2020

wig · Post by **wig** » 17 Feb 2020 12:14

HAL to provide IAF with 83 Tejas fighters in Rs 39k cr deal

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/ind ... 166367.cms
exctracts

The 83 Tejas Mark-1A fighters are slated to have 43 “improvements” over the Mark-1 jets to improve maintainability, AESA (active electronically scanned array) radar to replace existing mechanically-steered radar, air-to-air refuelling, long-range BVR (beyond visual range) missiles and advanced electronic warfare to jam enemy radars and missiles.
“The flight testing for Tejas Mark-1A will hopefully be completed by 2022. After these 123 fighters, the IAF is also looking to induct 170 Tejas Mark-2 or the MWF (medium weight fighter) jets with more powerful engines and advanced avionics,” another source said.

Rakesh · Post by **Rakesh** » 20 Feb 2020 02:09

IAF To Provide Security Cover To Air Force One
https://ommcomnews.com/india-news/iaf-t ... -force-one
19 Feb 2020

Gandhinagar: Air Force One, the official aircraft of the US President, will be provided security cover by the Indian Air Force as soon as it enters the Indian airspace. The AIF has been on the alert regarding the arrival of US President Donald Trump and the first lady Melania Trump on February 24. Sukhoi and Mirage 2000 could be part of the IAF security fleet. According to the Gujarat government's official brief, almost every security aspect of the Trump visit has been looked into and an impenetrable cover has been prepared. A special plane carrying snipers, fire safety systems, spy cameras, security equipment of US Marine Commandos and the convoy vehicles has landed.

ArjunPandit · Post by **ArjunPandit** » 20 Feb 2020 15:16

^^just curious if it is a protocol thing or is it the trust? otherwise why would a nation that can bring their airforce in any part of the world expose their planes to soviet planes (Ok..we may bring mirages..)

ArjunPandit · Post by **ArjunPandit** » 20 Feb 2020 18:41

Was going through the active strength of different forces.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Armed_Forces
One thing caught my eye. IAF, as per wiki, has 139K active personnel, and 140K in reserves. This is highest in % terms among all the three forces. Wondering why IAF would have such high % of reserves

kit · Post by **kit** » 20 Feb 2020 22:49

ArjunPandit wrote:^^just curious if it is a protocol thing or is it the trust? otherwise why would a nation that can bring their airforce in any part of the world expose their planes to soviet planes (Ok..we may bring mirages..)

am thinking the other way around., the airforce one carries enough electronic surveillance gear to sniff out all sort of communcations and electronics in a wide radius ! (including jammers of all sorts) , actually a mini "AW" of AWACS , so its the sukhois in danger of losing their "virginity"

SidSoma · Post by **SidSoma** » 20 Feb 2020 23:08

kit wrote: am thinking the other way around., the airforce one carries enough electronic surveillance gear to sniff out all sort of communcations and electronics in a wide radius ! (including jammers of all sorts) , actually a mini "AW" of AWACS , so its the sukhois in danger of losing their "virginity"

Something that the Khans would not have spied upon in Redflag..

ArjunPandit · Post by **ArjunPandit** » 20 Feb 2020 23:32

^^
1. My question was more towards why USAF didnt bring its planes..USAF/USN planes are not very far off from any place in this world...so thats why the protocol things...
2. i dont think the bars would be turned on for airforce one. In all the exercises BARS has not been used..Neither would IAF would be that stupid to turn on BARS on a plane that anyways work a lot on primitive circuitry i guess quite a lot of component is ancient to avoid nuke/EMP frying

Anyways Indian airspace is not where it needs any protection..most likely an optics show..or at best a protocol thing...
i briefly tried looking if AF1 ever came in close contact with any russian origin or non US plane. didnt find anything.

Vips · Post by **Vips** » 21 Feb 2020 01:40

kit · Post by **kit** » 21 Feb 2020 15:24

ArjunPandit wrote:^^
1. My question was more towards why USAF didnt bring its planes..USAF/USN planes are not very far off from any place in this world...so thats why the protocol things...
2. i dont think the bars would be turned on for airforce one. In all the exercises BARS has not been used..Neither would IAF would be that stupid to turn on BARS on a plane that anyways work a lot on primitive circuitry i guess quite a lot of component is ancient to avoid nuke/EMP frying

Anyways Indian airspace is not where it needs any protection..most likely an optics show..or at best a protocol thing...
i briefly tried looking if AF1 ever came in close contact with any russian origin or non US plane. didnt find anything.

probably the first time in the world an airforce one was escorted by a Russian plane !! , those pictures would be one of a kind !