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Indian Air Force Asked To Complete Probes Into Crashes

Defence Minister AK Antony has asked the top brass of Indian Air Force to complete all pending Court of Inquiry proceedings into air accidents as early as possible and take appropriate remedial measures so that the possibility of future accidents are minimized.

Addressing a meeting of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee attached to his Ministry here, Antony said: "Even one accident is a matter of serious concern."

He said a joint committee comprising representatives of the Defence Ministry, Indian Air Force, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Defence Research and Development Organisation and Aeronautical Quality Assurance Directorate General has been constituted to monitor the implementation of the recommendations of the Court of Inquiry specially for Category-I aircraft accidents.

Category-I accidents are those in which the aircraft is destroyed or damaged beyond economical repair, or is missing or the cost of repair, excluding damage to aero-engines exceeds 50 per cent of the total cost, an official said.

Antony said a one-time inspection of all helicopter detachments was carried out in view of the fact that an unusually high number of accidents and incidents on helicopters occur, when they are operating away from their parent base.

"These inspections resulted in highlighting several shortcomings. Action is being taken on these shortcomings on a priority basis," Antony said.

Another area of focus, he said, is the training standards of young fighter aircrew.

The deficiencies in training are rectified by a review of training patterns, enhancement of availability of training aircraft and strengthening of training procedures. The basic flying training task was shifted from HPT-32 to Kiran aircraft.

To make up for the deficiencies of training resources, the availability of Kiran aircraft is being enhanced to strengthen the foundation training of ab-initio pilots.

Maximum availability of simulators is ensured during training. Procurement of 75 Basic Trainer Aircraft has been fast-tracked and the first training course on the new Pilatus trainer aircraft will commence in July 2013.

Antony said plans to phase out equipment approaching redundancy are also in place and certain critical procurement have been fast-tracked. Non-upgraded MiG-27 and MiG-21 are being phased out progressively by March 2016 and March 2018 respectively, he added.

Cutting across party lines, the Members of Parliament complimented Indian Air Force for progressively bringing down Category-I accident rates over the past thirty years. However, they cautioned IAF not to sit on laurels and take further measures in air safety to match the global standards.

Responding to a query on the shortage of spare parts for the aging aircraft fleet of Indian Air Force, Antony said earlier the acquisition of aircraft and replenishment of spare parts used to be dealt with by separate contracts.

"In the new contracts, we are taking corrective measures and product support is built into the process of acquisition of new aircraft," he said.

The Members of Parliament also urged the government to accelerate the process of modernisation of airports and air fields in various parts of the country because such a measure will not only improve air safety but will also spur economic growth of the regions.

The Members of Parliament who attended the meeting included Naveen Jindal, Suresh Kalmadi, Harshvardhan, Kailkesh N. Singh Deo, Lalit Mohan Suklabaidya, Gopal Singh Shekhawat, Ram Chandra Khuntia, Veer Singh, HK Dua and Piyush Goyal.

The newly inducted Minister of State for Defence Jitendra Singh, Defence Secretary Shashikant Sharma, Secretary Defence Production RK Mathur, DRDO chief VK Saraswat, Secretary Ex-Servicemen Welfare Vijay Chibber, Vice Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal DC Kumria and other officials of the Ministry of Defence and Indian Air Force also attended the meeting.

Kumaria, who briefed the committee on the steps being taken to improve the safety record of the Indian Air Force, said 63 Category-I air crashes, in which planes were damaged beyond economic repair, had taken place in the last five years. Most of these crashes involved fighters.

Indian Air Force Asked To Complete Probes Into Crashes
 
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AN-32 courier service to Kargil to start from Nov 26:Minister for Transport


Indian Air Force will commence AN-32 courier service to Kargil from November 26 and it will remain operational during the winter season after closure of the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh National Highway.

“IAF will start operation of AN-32 courier service to Kargil from November 26 and remain operational during the winter season after closure of the surface link – Srinagar- Kargil-Leh National Highway,” the Minister for Transport, Qamar Ali Akhoon said while chairing a high level meeting of the officers today.

The meeting was informed that AN-32 courier service would operate from Srinagar to Kargil and back thrice in a week on every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, whereas it will be operated from Jammu to Kargil and back on every Tuesday.

The meeting appreciated the commendable job of the IAF for providing air link service to the far-flung areas of the state from the capital cities during the winter season.

“The IAF is not only doing a yeoman’s job in providing air services to the people, but it also provides every assistance along with Army and other security forces at the time of any eventuality in the snow-bound border areas of the state,” the meeting observed.

It was decided in the meeting that in case of cancellation of any sortie due to bad weather, it will be operated on next day and if the sorties are cancelled for a long time, backlog passengers would be airlifted to Leh where from they will travel to their respective destinations.

The Deputy Commissioners were asked to nominate Liason Officers at Jammu, Srinagar and Kargil, who could be contacted for booking of tickets and other related matters.

The meeting was informed that facilities during stay in Srinagar and Jammu, including additional security personnel and transportation to airport, would be provided by the local administration.

The minister asked the concerned departments to maintain close coordination for smooth operation of the much needed service to the border district during the harsh winter season.

AN-32 courier service to Kargil to start from Nov 26:Minister for Transport | idrw.org
 
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Rafale Deal In 3-4 Months, Says Indian Envoy In Paris


A deal with Dassault Aviation for 126 Rafale fighters is on course, with India's Ambassador to France telling journalists he expects to see the deal concluded in three-four months -- pretty much in line with what the Indian Air Force projects. Wire agency reports quote Ambassador Rakesh Sood as saying that negotiations between Dassault and the Indian MoD's contract negotiation committee (CNC) had moved "slower than expected", but that he was looking at a three-four month timeframe for the deal to be concluded.

Livefist: Rafale Deal In 3-4 Months, Says Indian Envoy In Paris
 
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10% share in HAL to be divested (to raise at least Rs 2,500 crore).

Just heard on news
 
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Indian Air Force looking to upgrade Sukhoi combat jet fleets

Talks are under with Russia for the upgrading of Su-30s, which would begin as early as 2015.

India is in talks with Russia to upgrade its fleet of Sukhoi Su-30s with a new radar and avionics to make the fighters more lethal than what they already are, IANS said, citing an unnamed official in the Indian Air Force (IAF). The upgrades are likely to begin in 2015.

The point of contention between the negotiators is the issue of India getting full access to all software and equipment design of the new systems that will be integrated on the upgraded planes, the agency cited a senior IAF officer as saying.

The Su-30s are among the most advanced fighter aircraft that the IAF has and is the frontline plane for all forms of airborne warfare, IANS said. “The modified Sukhoi will be an entirely new plane in terms of radar and avionics,” the agency quoted the officer as saying. “We are currently holding a dialogue with Russia for full access to software and design of equipment to be integrated to the aircraft.”

India plans to raise its eighth squadron of the Su-30 MKI planes in December this year. The squadron will be based in Sirsa in the state of Haryana, close to the Pakistan border. This will be the third Su-30 squadron of the IAF to be deployed close to the Pakistan border in 14 months, after Jodhpur in Rajasthan in October 2011 and Halwara in Punjab.

The Su-30 Family

The Su-30 is an entire family of aircraft and the most famous Russian-made (not to be confused with Soviet-made) fighter plane outside of Russia. It was developed in the Soviet Union on the basis of the Su-27UB combat trainer aircraft as a command plane for Air Defence air regiments flying ordinary Su-27 interceptor aircraft.

In 1993, its export version, the Su-30K, was developed, sparking record demand and the sale of several hundred planes.

The family is further subdivided into two parts: the “Chinese” Su-30MKK/MK2, which were produced in Komsomolsk-on-Amur and exported to Venezuela, Indonesia, Uganda, Vietnam, and of course China; and the “Indian” Su-30MKI, manufactured in Irkutsk and purchased by India, Algeria and Malaysia.

As a basic platform for the multirole heavy fighter aircraft, the Su-30MKI is remarkable primarily for its universality. It boasts a so-called “open architecture”, making it relatively easy to add new systems in the basic electronic equipment and to use advanced guided weapons (supplied by different manufacturers).

The Su-30MKI sports a Russian radar and optic locator, French navigation and heads-up display systems, Israeli EW and weapon-guidance systems, and Indian computers.

Indian Air Force looking to upgrade Sukhoi combat jet fleets | Russia & India Report


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Ex-IAF chief Tipnis blames Nehru for 1962 defeat - Indian Express


A former IAF chief, Air Chief Marshal (retd) A Y Tipnis, blamed former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru for India’s defeat in the 1962 war with China, amid a continuing debate on why air power was not used during the conflict.

Speaking at a seminar ‘India and China: After five decades of 1962 war’ here, Tipnis also alleged that Nehru had made national security interests secondary to his “ambition” to become a world leader. “It was more or less universally accepted, perhaps grudgingly and not openly in some Indian quarters, that to serve the dubious purpose of political survival that Pandit Nehru had — with his grandiose vision of a conflict free non-alligned world — he surrendered vital national security interests to the ambition of being a world leader.”

The remarks on Monday came against the backdrop of recent comments by the current Indian Air Force chief, Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne, that the outcome of the 1962 war would have been different had the IAF been used in an offensive role.

Asked about his remarks, Tipnis on Tuesday said Nehru was the “major contributor” to India’s debacle. Tipnis, 72, who had a three-year tenure as IAF chief from December 31, 1998, was commissioned as a fighter pilot in 1960, two years before the hostilities broke out between India and China.

Tipnis said he had also seen an Army chief in those days being “ticked-off” like a school-boy by Prime Minister Nehru for his alleged petulance. The issue of IAF not being used in the 1962 hostilities is still debated by military historians and experts and there is no clarity as to why the Air Force was not used. Browne had said the IAF was not allowed to be on an offensive and was confined only to provide support to the Army. “These are open and glaring lessons we should have imbibed,” he added.

For the first time in last 50 years, India celebrated the anniversary of the 1962 war with China on October 20. Defence Minister A K Antony, along with the three Services’ Chiefs, laid wreaths at the Amar Jawan Jyoti to pay tribute to the martyrs of the war.

http://www.business-standard.com/generalnews/news/iaf-to-celebrate-80th-anniversaryair-shownovember-25/81545/


As part of commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Indian Air Force (IAF), its Headquarters Maintenance Command (HQMC) located at Nagpur has planned an aerial and static display, at Air Force Station Sonegaon on November 25, a release from IAF's public relations officer said here today.

The aim of the display is to enhance public awareness of the potential and lethal capability of the IAF and instill a feeling of "pride and security" in the hearts and minds of the viewers, the release said.

The event would showcase the Air Warriors Drill Team, the Akash Ganga paratroopers and a performance by the Air Force Band, the release said.


The display will last for one and a half hours, from 8.30 am to 10 am and will encompass a static display of transport aircraft and helicopters such as AN 32, Avro, Advance Light Helicopter and Mi-17, the release said.
The flying display would include a fly past by Avro aircraft, remote-controlled aerobatics by aeromodels flown by local aviation enthusiasts and a grand finale by IAF's state-of-the-art Russian origin SU-30 MKI air dominance fighter aircraft.

The display will be attended by school children, invited guests, media, NCC cadets, IAF personnel and their families.
 
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IAF’s MIG-21 Bison crashes in Gujarat; no casualties














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India Gujarat
transport accident air and space accident



A MiG-21 Bison aircraft of the IAF crashed during a routine sortie near the Naliya Airbase in Kutch on Saturday, with the pilot ejecting safely.

The fighter plane crash-landed 30 kilometres from the air base in a open forest area, IAF officials said.

However, there were no casualties in the mishap

Though the pilot received minor injuries, he ejected safely and was admitted to the Bhuj Military Hospital, they said.

The IAF has ordered an inquiry into the crash, officials said.

According to eye witness and range forest officer Atul Dave, there was no fire in the plane when the Bison came down.

On August 30, nine Air Force personnel, including five officers, on board two MI-17 helicopters were killed when the choppers collided mid-air shortly after take off from an air base near Jamnagar city of the district.


http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...s-in-gujarat-no-casualties/article4130100.ece
 
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