Decks cleared for 5k cr IAF deal for missiles, trainer jets

[Bl[i]tZ]

NEW DELHI: All decks have been cleared for two crucial defence deals, together worth over Rs 5,000 crore ($1 billion), to acquire 75 Swiss turbo-prop aircraft to train rookie pilots as well as around 450 advanced French missiles to arm upgraded Mirage-2000 multi-role fighters.

Defence ministry sources say the two deals have now been "sent" to the Cabinet Committee on Security for the "final nod" after "clarifying all objections" of finance ministry. "The contracts will be inked after the CCS clears within a week or so," said a source.

This comes at a time when MoD and IAF are busy calculating the "lowest bidder" between French Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon for the mega medium multi-role combat aircraft project to acquire 126 fighters at a cost likely to touch $20 billion. But while these fighter deliveries will begin from 2015 , IAF wants to induct trainers earlier to train new pilots. The hurry to acquire 75 Swiss Pilatus PC-7 basic trainers is critical since IAF's 114 piston-engined HPT-32 jets have been grounded since August 2009 due to repeated engine failures.

"We want to begin our first course on the Pilatus trainers from July 2013," said a senior officer. IAF, of course, is already inducting 123 British Hawk AJTs (advanced jet trainers), at a cost of around Rs 16,000 crore, but they are meant for "advanced'' combat training. The contract for the around 450 fire-and-forget, all-weather MICA (interception and aerial combat missiles) systems with French company MBDA, too, has been in the pipeline for quite some time.

It flows from the Rs 10,947 crore programme finalized in July for an upgrade of 51 Mirage-2000s with the help of French companies Dassault Aviation (aircraft manufacturer) and Thales (weapons systems integrator).

While the first two fighters are being sent to France next month for the upgrade, the remaining 49 will later be "souped up" with new avionics, radars, mission computers, glass cockpits, helmet-mounted displays, electronic warfare suites, weapon delivery and precision-targeting systems by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd in India. The overall upgrade project cost will go beyond Rs 15,000 crore ($3 billion) over the decade it will take to be completed. Down to just 33-34 fighter squadrons (each has 16 to 18 jets) from a 'sanctioned strength' of 39.5

The 63 MiG-29s are being upgraded under a $964 million deal inked with Russia in March 2008. Then, apart from the 126 MMRCA, IAF is also inducting 272 Sukhoi-30MKIs contracted from Russia for around $12 billion. Moreover, the first lot of the around 120 indigenous Tejas Light Combat Aircraft will join IAF from end-2013 onwards. On top of this all, India plans to induct 250-300 stealth fifth-generation fighter aircraft co-developed with Russia from 2020 onwards, in what will be its biggest-ever defence project at around $35 billion.

Decks cleared for 5000 crore IAF deal for missiles, trainer jets - The Times of India

 

[perplexed]

all these calculations look good on paper but somewhere i feel duplicate tenders being issued... maybe I dont follow news that closely but just have a feeling..

 

[Luftwaffe]

Pilatus PC-7 is inferior to Tucano, even Pilatus PC-9 is an improved version to PC-7.

Does hal hpt-32 has any plans to replace/use new engine due to the current engine failures. Would it not be more feasible and cost less.

 

[Roybot]

Pilatus PC-7 is inferior to Tucano, even Pilatus PC-9 is an improved version to PC-7.

Its the PC-7 MKII, Which is pretty much the PC-9 with a less powerful engine.

 

[Luftwaffe]

Its the PC-7 MKII, Which is pretty much the PC-9 with a less powerful engine.

For such a large defense spending, IAF could have gone for the best PC-9 how much expensive was it, infact PC-9 could have been also customized similar to Super Tucano, would have been an excellent choice for Ops against Nexalites.

 

[Roybot]

For such a large defense spending, IAF could have gone for the best PC-9 how much expensive was it, infact PC-9 could have been also customized similar to Super Tucano, would have been an excellent choice for Ops against Nexalites.

Don't think its about the price. Its about the requirements of the Air Force. Super Tucano was rejected after the trials. India will never use its air force anti-naxal operations.

India has selected the Swiss Pilatus PC-7 aircraft as its beginning trainer for Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots.

The Swiss aircraft, along with Grob’s G-120 TP, Embraer’s EMB-312 Super Tucano, Finmeccanica’s M-311, Hawker Beechcraft’s T-6C Texan-II and Korean Aerospace’s KT-1, participated in the flight trials last year.

“Of the three short-listed firms from the U.S., Korea and Switzerland, the bid made by Pilatus has emerged the lowest,” says India’s chief of air staff, Air Marshal P.V. Naik.

The total cost for the basic trainer is likely to be around $1 billion. The aircraft are expected to be delivered over the next two years.

 

[Luftwaffe]

Don't think its about the price. Its about the requirements of the Air Force. Super Tucano was rejected after the trials. India will never use its air force anti-naxal operations.

Oh Plz Super Tucano is the Standard!, look who is using them France, UK, Brazil, Argentina, Egypt and a few more, most likely kick-backs are involved.

 

[indianspetsnaz]

@LuftWaffe

PC-7 Mk II is a development of the PC-9's airframe and avionics, retaining the PC-7's wing to mount external stores. Powered by PT6A-25C of 522 kW (700 shp) rather than more powerful PT6A-62 of PC-9.[8] In many ways this aircraft is a hybrid PC-7 and PC-9, either a PC-7 'Heavy' or a PC-9 'Lite' depending on point of view. Developed for the SAAF, and known as the 'Astra'.[9]

also the super tucano was not selected into the final 3 the T-6 Texan, KT-1, and PC-7MK2 out of the 3 the PC-7MK2 emerged as the lowest bidder why pay more for something that meets your expectations? the PC-7MK2 will serve as a cheap and capable basic stage 1 trainer the air force needs badly which is the whole point of procuring a basic trainer anyway. basically we got what we wanted in terms of requirements from the selected 3 and the Swiss trainer emerged the lowest bidder its basic logic.

 

[Capt.Popeye]

Oh Plz Super Tucano is the Standard!, look who is using them France, UK, Brazil, Argentina, Egypt and a few more, most likely kick-backs are involved.

Imaginative thinking indeed! Mr.10% is not involved.
The IAF has no desire to get sucked into the anti-insurgency ops with fixed wing elements if at all it is prevailed upon to get involved. Those kind of ops will need rotary wing elements and UAVs. Both will be provided by the BSF. Anti-Maoist ops come under the purview of MHA not MoD.

 

[Roybot]

Oh Plz Super Tucano is the Standard!, look who is using them France, UK, Brazil, Argentina, Egypt and a few more, most likely kick-backs are involved.

UK doesn't use Super Tucano, France got rid of its Tucanos in 2009.

 

[joekrish]

Something the IAF ended a long time back, happy they at least found it fit now.

 

[angeldemon_007]

For such a large defense spending, IAF could have gone for the best PC-9 how much expensive was it, infact PC-9 could have been also customized similar to Super Tucano, would have been an excellent choice for Ops against Nexalites.

Thats the thing Super Tucano is meant for light attack for low conflict zones but we all are talking about a basic trainer and not light attack turboprop. Also i think Tucano lost in the trials and so your claim that tucano is better is just a fantasy. But i think we should go for such aircrafts also for low conflict zones as it can provide us both surveillance and air support in naxalite and AT ops in NE & JnK areas.

Does hal hpt-32 has any plans to replace/use new engine due to the current engine failures. Would it not be more feasible and cost less.

A whole new project is planned but the first flight will be by 2014 and trainer will be ready by 2015-2016 meanwhile the whole basic trainer fleet is grounded and this iaf can't afford. Its just bad timing or else we would have gone for indegenous.

all these calculations look good on paper but somewhere i feel duplicate tenders being issued... maybe I dont follow news that closely but just have a feeling..

Everything is correct exxcept the number of FGFA which has been reduced but don't worry the number will eventually reach 300.

 

[Abingdonboy]

Wow, IAF has SO much going on at the moment. They are completely reinventing themselves. Whilst it is taking time, once complete it will be the most deadly AF in the region, no doubt:

FGFA/PAK-FA
SUPER-30MKI
MIRAGE 2000-9UPG
MIG-29UPG
MMRCA
LCA
JAGUAR UPG
C-130-30J
C-17
PHALCON
DRDO AWACS
APACHE
LCH

ETC,ETC





BTW any idea when first IAF MIRAGE will be upgraded?

 

[angeldemon_007]

^^^
You forgetting....
The whole RADAR network is been expanded and upgraded.
Air defence Systems overhaul and new system like Barak NG, Maetri, Skyranger etc.
Air field is also been upgraded.
MRTA
IMRH
Mi17V5
LUH
Heavy Lift Helicopter
AW101

etc. etc.

 

[Bl[i]tZ]

Wow, IAF has SO much going on at the moment. They are completely reinventing themselves. Whilst it is taking time, once complete it will be the most deadly AF in the region, no doubt:

FGFA/PAK-FA
SUPER-30MKI
MIRAGE 2000-9UPG
MIG-29UPG
MMRCA
LCA
JAGUAR UPG
C-130-30J
C-17
PHALCON
DRDO AWACS
APACHE
LCH

ETC,ETC





BTW any idea when first IAF MIRAGE will be upgraded?

The above article says - two fighters are being sent to France next month for the upgrade. The upgrade will stretch throughout this decade.