DON'T HAVE ENOUGH JETS TO FIGHT 2 FRONT WAR INVOLVING CHINA AND PAKISTAN : IAF

[INDIAPOSITIVE]

In a candid admission, the IAF on Thursday said that given its depleting strength, it does not have the adequate numbers to "fully execute" an air campaign in case of a two-front war involving Pakistan and China simultaneously.

It also sought more 5th generation fighter aircraft over and above the 36 Rafales since it was a requirement.

The revelation by the IAF comes at a time when the squadron strength of the force has come down to 33 in comparison to the sanctioned strength of 42.

Of the 33, a very large chunk is made up of Russian origin Su-30 jets, the front line fighter aircraft of the country.

However, the serviceability ratio of the aircraft is very poor with the figure hovering around 55 per cent. This means that out of 100 aircraft, only around 55 are available at a point of time with the rest being bogged down in service.

"Our numbers are not adequate to fully execute an air campaign in a two front scenario. Probability of a two front scenario is an appreciation which you need to do. But, are the numbers adequate? No. The squadrons are winding down," Air Marshal B S Dhanoa, Vice-Chief of the IAF said addressing a press conference here.

He was asked if the IAF has the capability to fight a two-front war if it breaks out tomorrow.

IAF sources said that a two-front war is not a likely possibility for the next few years and in the meantime, the force hopes to come up with the required capability.

"We have conveyed our concerns to the government. Government is seized of this problem and the reason why the government signed the 36 aircraft (Rafale) on G2G basis is because of urgency that they felt because of the depletion in squadron numbers," Dhanoa, a Kargil war veteran said.

Asked if there is a requirement for more Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) type aircraft besides the 36 Rafales, he said yes.


"There are various avenues that are being explored. There is a requirement for us to buy a MMRCA class aircraft more than the 36 numbers that we have signed. Which platform may come in, that is something between us and the government. We (both) will have to take a call," he said.

Deputy Chief of the IAF Air Marshal R K S Bhadauria said that a decision on more aircraft will be take only after the conclusion of the contract for 36 Rafale fighter jets.

Don't have the numbers to fully fight two-front war: IAF - Times of India

 

[Dash]

He was asked if the IAF has the capability to fight a two-front war if it breaks out tomorrow.

IAF sources said that a two-front war is not a likely possibility for the next few years and in the meantime, the force hopes to come up with the required capability.

How many times they will ask the same question and how many times the IAF chief has to answer. It only happens in India

 

[rashid.sarwar]

The IAF should have gone for Mig 35 or saab gripen, there would be 100s of planes flying around, at the same time the Tijas would mature.

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

It's only the Indian armed forces who talk about a two-front war.

They just want more funding.

To be fair, the Nehru dynasty left their defense infrastructure in such a poor condition that it is understandable that they are pushing for more funding now, under a more nationalistic adminstration.

 

[Stephen Cohen]

IAF is getting Impatient about RAFALE

There will be more such news in the coming days
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@PARIKRAMA Sir Any good news on Rafale

 

[Irfan Baloch]

How many times they will ask the same question and how many times the IAF chief has to answer. It only happens in India

what is the possibility of having to face BD air force as well? just in case the regime in BD is not as favourable as the current one? in such unlikely scenario .does IAF worry about deploying few air assets? I am not aware if India even has an airforce base on the eastern side?
would Indian aircraft carrier alone be enough for taking out the BD airforce?

 

[Dash]

what is the possibility of having to face BD air force as well? just in case the regime in BD is not as favourable as the current one? in such unlikely scenario .does IAF worry about deploying few air assets? I am not aware if India even has an airforce base on the eastern side?
would Indian aircraft carrier alone be enough for taking out the BD airforce?

I was about to answer your questions Sir ! but the last line made me take my steps back I saw what you did

 

[Stephen Cohen]

what is the possibility of having to face BD air force as well? just in case the regime in BD is not as favourable as the current one? in such unlikely scenario .does IAF worry about deploying few air assets? I am not aware if India even has an airforce base on the eastern side?
would Indian aircraft carrier alone be enough for taking out the BD airforce?

IAF has bases in East India

Eastern Air Command (India) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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@Irfan Baloch

Su 30 MKI is already deployed at Two bases in Eastern India

Sukhois land in Imphal, IAF intensifies sorties along Myanmar border

Tezpur, Chabua to house two Sukhoi squadrons each

 

[punit]

what is the possibility of having to face BD air force as well? just in case the regime in BD is not as favourable as the current one? in such unlikely scenario .does IAF worry about deploying few air assets? I am not aware if India even has an airforce base on the eastern side?
would Indian aircraft carrier alone be enough for taking out the BD airforce?

for BD we have something special ... !
Farakka Barrage - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[asad71]

Somebody is desperate to get a refill into his Swiss account. None of the neighbors of India want to wage war on her.

 

[Immortan.Joe]

would Indian aircraft carrier alone be enough for taking out the BD airforce?

Seriously, Even Indian Carrier Air wing is an overkill for Bangladeshi Airforce.

IN carrier wing outnumber Bangladesh Air force 5:1 in Mig 29s, and is equal if F-7 of BAF are added to tally; off-course IN Carrier wing ,whollely mad eof Mig-29Ks, has technological superiority over BAF whose Mig-29s (S and UB) are also antique.

 

[Stephen Cohen]

None of the neighbors of India want to wage war on her.

It is NOT a question of Intentions
it is A question of Capability

Intentions can change Overnight
By the way our PM Man mohan Singh had said once that 25 percent Bangladeshis
are Anti India and have a Love for ISI of Pakistan

 

[asad71]

This is a recent report on the state of the officer corps of IAF:



IAF pilots pop pills to get fighting edge

Rajat Pandit | TNN | Feb 8, 2016, 02.40 AM IST



NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force has some new weapons in its armoury. No, they are not hypersonic cruise missiles, nor bunker-bursting 'smart' bombs. Instead, they are innocuous looking tablets called 'Go/No-Go' pills. And they are said to pack quite a punch.



IAF fighter pilots are now increasingly using these "authorised" pills to boost alertness levels and cognitive powers as well as fight fatigue and sleep deprivation during round-the-clock combat exercises as well as long-range sorties designed to hone war-fighting skills.



The 'Go' pill is Modafinil, which has gained currency in military aviation circles around the world for its alertness-enhancing and fatigue-managing properties. The 'No-Go' pill is Zolpidem, a sedative used to treat insomnia.



In the works for the last three to four years, these pills were used extensively in the highvoltage 'Livewire' exercise conducted by IAF from October 31 to November 8, which saw the "activation" of all its 54 airbases across the country.



From fighter and helicopter pilots to air traffic controllers and even the top brass, the Go/No-Go pills were used to "good effect" during Livewire, which was designed to test both offensive and defensive capabilities for a two-front war contingency with "swing forces" being rapidly moved from the western theatre to the eastern one, and vice-versa. "It was a 24x7 exercise to stimulate a war, which requires high adrenaline levels and the ability to push the envelope.



The Go/No-Go pills are being used to optimise performance only after extensive clinical trials, both in simula tors and actual flying, with all necessary safeguards," said a senior IAF officer. "The field trials and studies were conducted by our doctors to validate pharmacological strategies for sleep and alertness management for aircrews in extended operations.



It was established both Modafinil and Zolpidem would help to optimise our personnel's performance in a sustained operational scenario," he said.



After the adrenaline rush of a combat sortie with the Go pill, a fighter pilot needs to sleep well to ensure he remains sharp for the next mission.



"This is where the No-Go pill comes into play. It relaxes you, does not let your mind wander or worry," said a Sukhoi pilot.



Incidentally, a Sukhoi-30MKI has a cruising range of 3,200km, which can be doubled with mid-air refuelling.



This leads to an extended sortie. A sleep-deprived pilot will suffer from lower performance levels, poor judgment and reaction time, which becomes all the more deadly if he is flying a supersonic fighter undertaking inherently risky combat manoeuvres.



But can the use of Go/NoGo pills lead to addiction or adversely impact health? For one, the pills are not meant for everyday use, and are allowed only for specific missions under strict supervision. "For another, side-effects of both the pills during trials were negligible and did not appear to be a cause for concern," said the senior officer.





http://timesofindia....ow/50894363.cms

 

[asad71]

It is NOT a question of Intentions
it is A question of Capability

Intentions can change Overnight
By the way our PM Man mohan Singh had said once that 25 percent Bangladeshis
have a Love for ISI of Pakistan

Either he was wrong or he was misquoted. Should have been 95% - which is the Muslim population of BD.

 

[Stephen Cohen]

Underlining that bilateral relations with Dhaka were good, Manmohan Singh, however, warned against the designs of rightwing groups like Jamiat-ul-Islami and stressed that it was in the clutches of Pakistan's spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence.

'But we must reckon that at least 25 percent of the population of Bangladesh swear by the Jamiat-ul-Islami and they are very anti-Indian, and they are in the clutches, many times, of the ISI,' he said.

'So, a political landscape in Bangladesh can change at any time. We do not know what these terrorist elements, who have a hold on the Jamiat-e-Islami elements in Bangladesh, can be up to,' he added.

Read more at: Krishna to go to Dhaka, PM warns against Jamiat-ISI links