Indian Air Force News & Discussions

[jha]

I have a feeling that we will eventually order atleast 2 more phalcons in addition to these 5. Actually we need 7 Phalcons.

 

[Joe Shearer]

With a few exceptions you should be able to source these parts via Singapore or Israel or any allied F-16 operator. I have data on failure/replacement rates on various components typically Avionics especially AESA modules have a MTBF of 1500 hrs and outlast the airframe parts prone to wear and tear due to use or abuse is mainly engine components. My understanding is that India demands 100% local production via HAL or locally established entities the risk is then limited to machining tools and raw materials required for production. Consumables such as fuel additives or oil can be sourced locally. Again, I'm not making a case for the F-16 or F-18. I am fully aware that these aircrafts may or may not suit India's specific needs while the Rafale and Typhoon proposition looks good on paper it does comes with its own unique set of issues. The question for the IAF is does it want to hit the ground running with the new acquisition or is it willing to invest time and money to mature the Rafale or Typhoon.

I am not sure I got your drift there.

There are different kinds of deals. In some, there has been an agreement to manufacture in India under license. In others, there is no such agreement. In the first case, obviously HAL is the GoI wholly owned unit under the Ministry of Defence Production, a subordinate part of the Ministry of Defence, which gets to manufacture it. In the second case, we have the business of offsets.

Increasingly now GoI has been asking for a 33% offset of the cost of acquisition of the new equipment, whatever it is. This extends to engines, to MFDs, to missiles, to the whole aircraft itself if not procured with a provision to manufacture a certain number in country. This 33% has only recently become official policy, to my considerable surprise, since this was a stipulation even ten years earlier. Perhaps an unwritten practice has become formal and a mandatory stipulation.

This being the case, it is not necessary that aircraft be manufactured in HAL, unless the contract provides for it. All this remains to be seen and will figure in the tortuous arithmetic that gets slung around during these major deals.

Incidentally, offset is no longer restricted to HAL, to HAL parallel units 100% owned by MoDef.Prod. or even government units; it is flowing out to qualified and registered private sector units as well.

 

[SpArK]

AgustaWestland questions its elimination from Indian Army’s $600 million contract​

BY Defenseworld.net

AugustaWestand which has been shown the door in the Indian Army’s $600 million deal to purchase 197 light helicopters has questioned the reasons for its elimination. The company has not been invited for the Phase II final trials which are currently going on with two manufacturers, Eurocopter and Kamov from Russia.


The company together with its engine partner, Pratt & Whitney Canada has written to the Indian MOD that “the take off, maximum continuous, mechanical and thermal ratings, associated operating limits as well as the engine architecture and the mounting of the engine in the helicopter are the same in the AW119/RSH proposal, the trial helicopter and the final production standard helicopter”.

Earlier, elaborating the reasons for its elimination, AgustaWestand had received a communication from the Indian MoD in April this year to the effect that there was a variance in the equipment offered (engine) in the technical proposal to that fielded in the trails and to the equipment which would be in the final production standard, AgustaWestland sources told Defenseworld.net.

The sources said that the issue focused on the fact that the offered engine had not finished the certification process and not deemed current production standard.

However, all vendors, Eurocopter, Kamov and itself are in the same position – all engines in the competition are non current production standard engines yet to be certified by any authority, the sources claimed.

The sources further asserted that the AgustaWestland AW119SP helicopter offered in the Indian competition meets all the RFP technical and mission requirements.

For the demanding high altitude mission, AW submitted detailed mission profiles and graphs demonstrating the ability to meet the mission.

These graphs were validated by the Customer’s team during extensive high altitude flight testing in Phase 1 of the trials.

AgustaWestland could not participate in Phase 2 of the trials (as it was by the told of its elimination) where the exact requirement should have been demonstrated. However, AgustaWestland successfully performed considerable high altitude flying in Phase 1 and by simple extrapolation of the graphs, it is clear that the helicopter can meet the demanding mission; a key requirement for the customer, the sources claimed.

One of the key requirements of the RFP was the 2 stretcher configuration. AgustaWestland has successfully demonstrated the 2 stretcher requirement, and that the helicopter can also accommodate two stretchers and 2 medical attendants in the same cabin.

Installing the stretchers is a simple 5 minute process that does not require any structural changes or attachments. It claimed that one of the other two helicopters in the race does not meet the two stretcher requirement as only one stretcher can be accommodated, the sources claimed.

The 197 helicopter deal has seen Bell Helicopter pulling out from the race earlier and Eurocopter once disqualified after being named the final bidder. The current competition was re-floated two years ago.

 

[Tejas-MkII]

IAF planning to induct 10 Airborne Warning and Control Systems - The Times of India

IAF planning to induct 10 Airborne Warning and Control Systems

NEW DELHI: Having already procured three Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS), the Indian Air Force is planning to induct ten such eyes for boosting the country's air defence.

In the near future, the IAF will place fresh orders for two more PHALCON AWACS in addition to the three procured earlier.

But in the long run, it has plans of inducting a total of ten such aircraft in its fleet, Defence Ministry officials told PTI here.

With ten aircraft, the IAF hopes to provide round the clock vigil across all the frontiers, the sources said.

India inducted its first AWACS system in Delhi this year and the second was inducted into the fleet in June.

Officials said the third aircraft is expected to join the fleet by the end of this year in December. The AWACS deal was initiated in 2004 between India, Israel and Russia.

The project involved the Israeli Phalcon early-warning radar and communication suites which had to be mounted on the Russian IL-76 heavy-lift military aircraft. The deal was to the tune of USD 1.1 billion.

AWACS has complimented the IAFs capability in terms of detection and the tracking of troop build-ups or aircraft movements in border areas and enemy territories.

Besides detection of incoming cruise missiles and aircraft in a 400 kilometre range in all-weather conditions, AWACS is useful to direct air defence fighters during combat operations against enemy planes.

It will provide a much enhanced situational awareness and the capability to truly project aerospace power.

India is also working on a Rs 1,800 programme to develop its indigenous Airborne Early Warning and Control system, which will be put on the three Embraer-145 jets being acquired for $210 million from Brazil.

 

[kingdurgaking]

IAF planning to induct 10 Airborne Warning and Control Systems - The Times of India

IAF planning to induct 10 Airborne Warning and Control Systems

NEW DELHI: Having already procured three Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS), the Indian Air Force is planning to induct ten such eyes for boosting the country's air defence.

In the near future, the IAF will place fresh orders for two more PHALCON AWACS in addition to the three procured earlier.

But in the long run, it has plans of inducting a total of ten such aircraft in its fleet, Defence Ministry officials told PTI here.

With ten aircraft, the IAF hopes to provide round the clock vigil across all the frontiers, the sources said.

India inducted its first AWACS system in Delhi this year and the second was inducted into the fleet in June.

Officials said the third aircraft is expected to join the fleet by the end of this year in December. The AWACS deal was initiated in 2004 between India, Israel and Russia.

The project involved the Israeli Phalcon early-warning radar and communication suites which had to be mounted on the Russian IL-76 heavy-lift military aircraft. The deal was to the tune of USD 1.1 billion.

AWACS has complimented the IAFs capability in terms of detection and the tracking of troop build-ups or aircraft movements in border areas and enemy territories.

Besides detection of incoming cruise missiles and aircraft in a 400 kilometre range in all-weather conditions, AWACS is useful to direct air defence fighters during combat operations against enemy planes.

It will provide a much enhanced situational awareness and the capability to truly project aerospace power.

India is also working on a Rs 1,800 programme to develop its indigenous Airborne Early Warning and Control system, which will be put on the three Embraer-145 jets being acquired for $210 million from Brazil.

Since it is AWACS i know it is not DRDO's but i hope they induct DRDO's too

 

[Tejas-MkII]

Rest of them may CAEW with EL/M-2085(newer version) on top of G550 gulf stream..... it might be more cost effective than IL-76..

 

[marcos98]

Hunt begins for refuelling aircraft​

BY: INDIAN EXPRESS

Almost nine months after cancelling a contract to buy a new fleet of mid-air refueling aircraft, the Defence Ministry has started a new hunt, with tenders for a fresh procurement being sent to global aviation companies.

Fresh requests for proposals (RFP) have been issued to aviation firms in the US, Europe and Russia for six tankers that are expected to cost around $2 billion.

The fresh requests come after the earlier purchase bid hit a nasty roadblock last year. The Finance Ministry had objected to the high cost and lack of commercial competitiveness in the contract that led to the selection of the European Airbus 330 MRTT aircraft.

While the requirements have not been changed in the new tender, life cycle costs have been added to the RFP, sources said.

In the last selection round, only two companies — European Airbus (EADS) and Russian Rosoboronexport — made it to the trials. This time, more are expected to take part. “We have received the RFP and are conducting a detailed evaluation of the request and will make a decision based on that information,” Vivek Lall, vice-president, Boeing Defense, Space and Security, India said.

It will take at least two years for the Defence Ministry to select an aircraft as per the procurement policy.

As first reported by the Indian Express, the previous contract was put on hold in September last year after the Finance Ministry questioned the need to purchase a new fleet of tankers other than the IL 78s already in service and objected the high price of the European aircraft.

The contract was finally cancelled in January, coming as a major blow to European consortium EADS which was very close to bagging the estimated $2 billion deal to supply six refueling aircraft for the Indian Air Force.

In February, Defence Minister AK Antony revealed that despite repeated requests by the Air Force, the Finance Ministry scuttled a mega tender but cleared another contract to procure VVIP choppers because of ‘changed security scenario’.

Antony said the controversial cancelling of the tanker contract, in which European aircraft Airbus 330 MRTT had been chosen, took place after the Finance Ministry categorically refused to support the deal in a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).

Antony said the Defence Ministry sent the tanker contract for clearance thrice to the Finance Ministry but was forced to withdraw it due to the Finance Ministry’s disapproval. “We had sent it to the Finance Ministry three times. Unless Finance Ministry agrees to take it up with CCS, we cannot go ahead. Finance ministry told us categorically they will not support it (in the CCS),” Antony had said.

The Finance Ministry had pointed out that the IAF already operated a fleet of the IL 78 refueling aircraft, the last of which was inducted in late 2004, making it easier to induct a larger number of the aircraft.

The IAF, however, made it clear that it was not in the favour of continuing the Russian origin IL 78 aircraft as its mid-air tanker of the future. The Russian aircraft was the only other contender in the ongoing contract but was rejected by the IAF, which found the Airbus a superior tanker.

 

[redpearl75]

:: Bharat-Rakshak.com - Indian Military News Headlines ::

IAF to get more flying machines


Indian Air Force (IAF) will procure an array of fighter aircraft and equipment with new technologies to mark its presence in every inch of the Indian skies.

This was announced by Air Marshal PV Athawale, air officer commanding -in-chief, maintenance command at the Air Force Association- Tamil Nadu branch's 30th anniversary held at Tambaram on Saturday.

"Trials of Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) are on. We will also be purchasing heavy-lift transport aircraft, attack and medium-lift helicopters and refuelling aircraft. The replacement of radars and missiles is also in the pipeline," he said.

Athawale said the gigabyte digital information grid of IAF, Air Force Network (AFNET) was launched on September 14. "Work on the Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) is also on. Through this IAF will connect all of its space, air and ground assets quickly, for total awareness of a region. This will offer connectivity for all the ground platforms and airborne platforms, as a part of the network centricity of IAF," he said.

The IACCS also facilitates real-time transport of images, data and voice, amongst satellites, aircraft and ground stations, said Athawale. Speaking about man power, he said efforts were being made to train future air warriors using the most modern technology.

 

[redpearl75]

HAL Releases Details on MTA Joint Venture with United Aircraft Corporation, Rosoboronexport


2010-09-27 A Joint Venture is being formed between Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and the Russian Partners namely United Aircraft Corporation & Rosoboronexport to Co-develop and Co-produce Multirole Transport Aircraft (MTA). MTA is a 15-20 tonnes payload capacity Aircraft which would meet the requirement of the Indian Air Force and the Russian Air Force. The project has been approved by both the Government of India and the Government of Russian Federation.

The Aircraft will have two engines, state of the art features such as fly-by-wire, full authority digital engine control, modern avionics and glass cockpit. Total development cost is around USD 600.70 million (approx Rs. 2900 crores) to be equally shared by both the sides. It is planned to manufacture 205 aircraft with 50:50 work share between HAL and the Russian partners.

A Joint Venture Company (JVC) is being established with its headquarters at Bangalore, India for executing the MTA project in which HAL and Russian Participants will have equal shareholding.

Specifications
Payload capacity 15-20 tonnes
Maximum takeoff weight 65 tonnes
Cruise speed 800 kilometers per hour
Range 2500-2700 kilometers
Service ceiling 12 kilometers

 

[redpearl75]

Fort Delhi, complete with missiles and Sukhois



With just four days to go for the Games, the Indian Air Force has put in place a tight security cover against aerial threats. The Army, for its part, has deployed specialised teams to conduct night surveillance of all the venues, besides activating its anti-nuclear, chemical and biological contamination units.



On Monday, the Air Force activated a comprehensive air defence network over the city, covering a 60-km radius from India Gate, involving the deployment of mobile surface-to-air missile units, radars, anti-aircraft guns as well as armed choppers to take on aerial threats. Fighter aircraft, including SU 30 MKIs and MiG 21 Bisons, have also been kept ready at nearby air bases.



The Army has deployed specialised teams to deal with chemical, nuclear and biological threats and put a long-distance night surveillance network in place at all venues. An extensive network of L70 air defence guns that can be used to neutralise low flying targets has also been installed. In addition to this, bomb disposal teams and sniffer dogs have been kept ready.

“We have taken all contingencies into consideration, including aircraft hijacking, low-speed aerial threats, balloons and microlights,” an official said.



Sources said armed choppers, including Mi 35 attack helicopters, will be airborne during the opening and closing ceremonies of the Games. Two searcher Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) will also be put into action during both the ceremonies.



Specially-trained sniper units of the Delhi Police will be deployed at mobile observation posts to deal with sub-conventional threats such as aero-models and balloons. A network of Pechora, OSA AK and Igla surface-to-air missiles will be put in place by the Air Force while L70 anti-aircraft guns will be kept ready for use by the Army. Mi 17 and Mi 35 armed helicopters will patrol the skies, and smaller Cheetah/Chetak choppers will be deployed for emergency transport and casualty evacuation contingencies.

 

[Dash]

In the near future, the IAF will place fresh orders for two more PHALCON AWACS in addition to the three procured earlier.

But in the long run, it has plans of inducting a total of ten such aircraft in its fleet, Defence Ministry officials told PTI here.

So totally its 5 as of now. and if they want 10 then I think rest all is CABS AWACS. I dont think they will go for 10 phalcon awacs.

 

[papuyadav]

stepwise guide for cracking the competetive exam of indian armed forces at
explainoexpo.com

 

[CONNAN]

 

[SpArK]

IAF helicopters to return from UN mission by month end

The IAF helicopters currently serving in UN missions in Congo and Sudan will return to India beginning this month-end, primarily to augment the transport fleet and in support of the Army in desert terrains along the borders with Pakistan. "The IAF helicopters in United Nations mission will be


coming back by end of October," Western Air Command Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Air Marshal N A K Browne told a press conference.

On an IAF proposal citing its helicopter fleet being stretched to its limits, the Defence Ministry wrote to the External Affairs Ministry in June this year that the 17 Mi-17 medium lift helicopter, eight Mi-35 and Mi-25 attack in the UN missions in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Sudan should be de-inducted and brought back for internal security duties.

While the Mi-17s are likely to augment the transport fleet of the IAF in view of four such helicopters busy serving in logistics role in the country's anti-Naxal operations in central India, the attack helicopters would be used to provide support roles to the Army troops deployed in the deserts of Rajasthan along the Indo-Pak borders.

"The Mi-35s will get back to Suratgarh, its home base. These will be refurbished and re-painted (in IAF colours). Gradually there will be a build of the fleet in the Suratgarh unit," Browne said.

Suratgarh will also become home for a Mi-17IV unit in May-June next year, as part of the IAF's plans to strengthen the transport helicopter fleet in the deserts, he added.

Mi-17IVs will also be based in Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir following the Suratgarh deployment.


"Our resources have been stretched to the limit, particularly the helicopter fleet. For six to seven years, they have been deployed in the UN peace-keeping missions. They have taken a huge amount of workload over the years. So the Air Maintenance headquarters felt we should get these back in time and use them within India itself," Browne said on the justification for recalling the helicopters from Congo and Sudan.

He clarified that the attack helicopters, got back from UN, would not be used in the anti-Naxal operations. "These attack helicopters are not for use in the anti-Naxal operations. No," he replied to a query in this regard, pointing out that these helicopters would be used only for supporting the troops in deserts.

Browne said the attack helicopter's task had increased within India and there was "tremendous amount" of need to get more more helicopters for use by the IAF internally.

He said the 80 Mi-17 helicopters being bought from Russia was for supplementing the air force's transport tasks and in aid of civilian authorities for flood relief and casualty evacuation.


IAF helicopters to return from UN mission by month end - Hindustan Times

 

[Archie]

Since it is AWACS i know it is not DRDO's but i hope they induct DRDO's too

Well apart from 5 Falcons Awac ,i dont see any other platform being inducted
Though navy will go for 3 Hawkeye 2D for its aircraft carriers in future

DRDO is working on AEWC system using the Embrare Platform
with 3 Aircraft being purchased of 200 Million and AEWC project for equiping these aircraft to cost a further 400 Million USD
Integration of First aircraft is expected to be complete by 2011 with rest to follow by 2015
These AEWC will be similar to one being used by Brazilian Airforce
My guess is the figure of 10 being quoted will include 5 Falcon AWACs and 5 DRDO AEWC
with IAF acquiring 2 more AEWC after the initial 3