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IAF's new VIP aircraft will be like US Air Force One
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
For the first time, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is acquiring three new Boeing 737 jets configured to the same security specifications for the Indian prime minister as those of the Boeing 747s for the US president.
IAF and Indian security officials have already taken charge of the first jet, a modern Boeing 737-700, and it is now being fitted with sophisticated electronic countermeasures, a protection suite and chaff dispensers to ward off missile threats, a secure satellite and VHF communication suite, and other security gadgets, according to a report in the latest issue of the India Strategic defence magazine.
Exact specifications have not been disclosed but sources say the parameters by and large are the same as those of the US Air Force One, which is believed to have five exact Boeing 747s for presidential use.
Any one of them that the president actually boards is given the call sign of Air Force One.
The long range Boeing 737s, fitted with newer CFM 56 engines made jointly by the US GE and French Snecma, are designed to function as command posts, should there be an emergency. The new jets are quieter, more fuel-efficient and have a long range of up to 6,000 nautical miles (11,100 km).
Boeing delivered the first of the three jets recently in what is called 'green condition', that is without any internal fittings and paint, to IAF and Indian security officials. Work is now progressing at PATS Aircraft in Delaware, US, which handles special aircraft modification jobs for heads of states and governments.
The aircraft's interiors are being fitted to carry a total of 48 people, including the president or prime minister in a special cabin.
The three new aircraft are the latest Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) versions. They will replace the three existing Boeing 737s acquired more than 20 years ago.
IAF's New Delhi-based Communication Squadron operates the Boeing 737s and other aircraft for VVIP use.
According to a Boeing statement, the BBJ is a high-performance derivative of the commercially popular Next-Generation 737-700, providing unsurpassed levels of space, comfort and utility. Its cabin offers 807 sq ft of space, nearly three times the interior space of competing models with similar range capability
http://www.indiaenews.com/india/20070131/37595.htm
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
For the first time, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is acquiring three new Boeing 737 jets configured to the same security specifications for the Indian prime minister as those of the Boeing 747s for the US president.
IAF and Indian security officials have already taken charge of the first jet, a modern Boeing 737-700, and it is now being fitted with sophisticated electronic countermeasures, a protection suite and chaff dispensers to ward off missile threats, a secure satellite and VHF communication suite, and other security gadgets, according to a report in the latest issue of the India Strategic defence magazine.
Exact specifications have not been disclosed but sources say the parameters by and large are the same as those of the US Air Force One, which is believed to have five exact Boeing 747s for presidential use.
Any one of them that the president actually boards is given the call sign of Air Force One.
The long range Boeing 737s, fitted with newer CFM 56 engines made jointly by the US GE and French Snecma, are designed to function as command posts, should there be an emergency. The new jets are quieter, more fuel-efficient and have a long range of up to 6,000 nautical miles (11,100 km).
Boeing delivered the first of the three jets recently in what is called 'green condition', that is without any internal fittings and paint, to IAF and Indian security officials. Work is now progressing at PATS Aircraft in Delaware, US, which handles special aircraft modification jobs for heads of states and governments.
The aircraft's interiors are being fitted to carry a total of 48 people, including the president or prime minister in a special cabin.
The three new aircraft are the latest Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) versions. They will replace the three existing Boeing 737s acquired more than 20 years ago.
IAF's New Delhi-based Communication Squadron operates the Boeing 737s and other aircraft for VVIP use.
According to a Boeing statement, the BBJ is a high-performance derivative of the commercially popular Next-Generation 737-700, providing unsurpassed levels of space, comfort and utility. Its cabin offers 807 sq ft of space, nearly three times the interior space of competing models with similar range capability
http://www.indiaenews.com/india/20070131/37595.htm
