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Indian Airforce A-50 EI Spotted

First Phalcon radar system to arrive in May


BANGALORE: The first of the three Israeli-manufactured Phalcon Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) radar systems that have been ordered by the Indian Air Force (IAF) will arrive in India only in May, 18 months behind schedule.

The IAF will shortly depute an ‘Acceptance Team’ that will go to Israel to receive the first Phalcon Airborne Early Warning (AEW) suite that has been mounted on a radome above the fuselage of a Russian-built Il-76 heavy lift transport aircraft.
Tactical surveillance

Ordered in March 2004 at a cost of $1.1billion, the three ‘eye in the sky’ airborne radar systems will provide the IAF with intelligence inputs, helping it to maintain air superiority, improve strike capabilities and conduct tactical surveillance over a radius of 400 km.

Confirming the impending arrival, officials from the Israeli Aircraft Industries (IAI) and Elta Systems — the two Israeli firms that have collaborated in the manufacture of the Phalcon radar system and its mating on the Il-76 — told The Hindu during the recent Aero India 2009 air show that the second Phalcon would arrive in late 2009 while the third would arrive by mid 2010.

Sources, however, said the project, which saw collaborative efforts from a range of nations and companies, ran into trouble during the integration of the plethora of European and Israeli origin systems, most notably the long-range, high-powered transmit/receive (T/R) modules, on the Russian platform.

One of the world’s most advanced airborne surveillance systems, the Phalcon’s Active Electronically Scanned Array Radar, permits 360 degree coverage, “tracking high manoeuvring targets and low-flying objects hundreds of kilometres away, under all weather conditions, in both day and night.”

The IAF, which is looking to order three more Phalcons, is planning to network them with other air and ground assets through data link and eventually the planned dedicated Air Force satellite that is to be launched by mid-2010. The Phalcons will be based at Air Force Station Agra.

Presently, the only platforms offering such capabilities in India in a limited way are the spy planes of the Research and Analysis Wing’s Aviation Research Centre and the IAF’s limited fleet of Israeli-built Heron and Searcher-II drones.

:: Bharat-Rakshak.com - Indian Military News Headlines ::
 
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LiveFist: Saras crashes, three dead
Friday, March 06, 2009
Saras crashes, three dead

Word just in that a Saras prototype aircraft has crashed near
Bangalore. The three-member crew on board is reported to have been
killed in the crash. No more information so far. Heartfelt condolences
to the families of those who've lost their lives. More information on
this tragic accident soon.
 
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Indigenous LCA engine ready for maiden trial

DH News Service, New Delhi:



After two decades of copious criticism from every quarter, the indigenous Kaveri engine is ready for its maiden flight trial in 2010.



“We have completed all ground testing for the full engine and individual components. The first flight (in a light combat aircraft) is expected in early 2010,” T Mohana Rao, director of the Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), Bangalore, which is developing the engine, told Deccan Herald.

Way back in 1986, the Defence Ministry wanted to develop an indigenous gas turbine engine for the indigenous fighter, Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), which just got off from the drawing board.

The decision led to the Kaveri programme, which was sanctioned in 1989 with an initial funding support of Rs 382.81 crore.


Clueless scientists

But over the years, Kaveri exemplified everything that is wrong with Indian defence research.

There was serious time and cost overrun and the programme was unable to meet many of its stated objectives. Many government and Parliamentary committees blamed the GTRE and the DRDO for India’s failure to have an indigenous engine for the fighter planes in time despite promises.

On the eve of the flight trial, Rao said when they were assigned the critical task they had no clue about the difficulties and were literally groping in the dark.

“We were thoroughly mistaken about the time. No one guided us. We were in dark along with our countrymen,” the GTRE chief admitted.

Rao confessed that there were flaws in the planning process when the project was conceived.

“We were over-optimistic that in six to eight years time, we will be able to make a gas turbine engine from scratch. But it was a myth,” he said.

Almost for the first seventeen years, GTRE scientists had to work in isolation as there was hardly any outside consultation with other engine manufacturers. “We just had some hunch. Consultation started since the last three years,” he said.

There was no test facility in India because of which the engine had to be sent abroad every time for test, further increasing the development time. The centre has so far sanctioned Rs 2080 crore for Kaveri. This, according to Rao, is one-fifth of what other nations have spent on developing similar gas turbine engines.

When the Kaveri programme was sanctioned in 1989, technical specifications were drawn out on the basis of a theoretical concept of the LCA. With the evolution of the LCA design, changes in the engine specifications were necessitated. Till date, GTRE made eight full engines and four core engines which do not have the low-pressure components and some other machinery.

Three cores and one full engine underwent testing in simulated conditions. In the next couple of months, full altitude testing in simulated conditions would be carried out to ensure that the engine can fire between 0-8 km altitudes.

This will be followed by the flight trial in another few months.



Deccan Herald - Indigenous LCA engine ready for maiden trial
 
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IAF likely to get first Phalcon radar in May

JERUSALEM: In a big boost to India's surveillance capability, the Indian Air Force is likely to receive the first of the three Israeli Phalcon
Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS) in the second half of May this year, almost a year and a half behind schedule.

"Indian Air Force officials have been regularly checking the system and final details are being worked out which will enable the delivery of the system by second half of May", defence sources here said.

"The remaining two deliveries are likely to come through by middle of next year or by the third quarter of 2010 if everything works out on schedule", they said.

The Phalcons will be mounted on Russia delivered Ilyushin-76 aircraft. The technical difficulties involved in integrating the whole system is said to have contributed the delay in its delivery.

As per the deal inked in March 2004 at a whopping cost of $1.1 billion, all the three 'eye in the sky' airborne radar systems should have delivered by the end of this month.

The system will provide the IAF with intelligence inputs, helping it to maintain air superiority, improve strike capabilities and conduct tactical surveillance deep into neighbouring countries without violating their airspace.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...in_May/articleshow/4284916.cms?TOI_latestnews
 
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IAF likely to get first Phalcon radar in May

JERUSALEM: In a big boost to India's surveillance capability, the Indian Air Force is likely to receive the first of the three Israeli Phalcon
Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS) in the second half of May this year, almost a year and a half behind schedule.

"Indian Air Force officials have been regularly checking the system and final details are being worked out which will enable the delivery of the system by second half of May", defence sources here said.

"The remaining two deliveries are likely to come through by middle of next year or by the third quarter of 2010 if everything works out on schedule", they said.

The Phalcons will be mounted on Russia delivered Ilyushin-76 aircraft. The technical difficulties involved in integrating the whole system is said to have contributed the delay in its delivery.

As per the deal inked in March 2004 at a whopping cost of $1.1 billion, all the three 'eye in the sky' airborne radar systems should have delivered by the end of this month.

The system will provide the IAF with intelligence inputs, helping it to maintain air superiority, improve strike capabilities and conduct tactical surveillance deep into neighbouring countries without violating their airspace.

IAF likely to get first Phalcon radar in May - India - The Times of India


delay again
 
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Can u tell me when India sign the deal of A-50 give me the link. It is IL-76 i agree that both A-50 and Israel Phalcon(Indian conf.) base on that same aircraft but I don’t think India got A-50

I think you have this pic in mind don't you?

File Phalcon.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


But as you can see India ordered three A50 as the base for the Phalcon radar.
Sale to India

In March 2004, Israel and India signed a US$1.1 billion deal according to which IAI would deliver the Indian Air Force three Phalcon AEW&C radar systems.[4] India signed a separate deal with the Ilyushin Corporation of Russia for the of supply three Il-76 A-50 heavy air-lifters, which were to be used as platforms for these radar systems, for an additional US $500 million.

In November 2007, Indian defense officials said that there were significant delays in the supply of the Russian Il-76 platform and the induction of the radar was now postponed to 2009-10.[5] In June 2008, media reports suggested that India and Israel were about to sign a deal for three additional Phalcon radars.

On 12 January 2009, the Indian Air Force received its first aircraft, which was flown to the IAF Agra base where it will be stationed. [6]

EL/M-2075 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
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THANK FOR THAT sancho
i have one more confu. can make me clear is it phalcon & A-50 to sapreate deal and it mean india have total 3(Phalcon)+3(A-50)by the end of 2010

Actually no

India had taken 4+2 A-50 AWACS for training and other related purposes and "returned" all but a couple (2 + 1 ?) which are being operated and have been the reason for "IAF Phalcon spotted"etc type of incidents over past couple of years in India and this forum too.

The Phalcons are a better RADAR system and as such the systems will augment the pre-existing A-50 systems. IMO A-50 (2 +1?) and 6 Phalcons to be operational by 2015.
 
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We have heard rumours that is was already delivered but according to AFM the delivery was may 18th, rest will be late 2010.
 
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