Indian Air Force News & Discussions

[SpArK]

Beechcraft T-6 Military Trainer for Indian Air Force field evaluation trials​

Hawker Beechcraft Corporation’s (HBC) T-6 military trainer will come to India later this month to take part in field evaluation trials with the Indian Air Force officials as part of its competition for a new basic trainer, a HBC release said.


The Beechcraft T-6 offers military organizations worldwide the most proven and most cost-effective training system available today. The T-6 is a primary trainer aircraft that accommodates instruction in instrument flight procedures and basic aerial maneuvers. The aircraft delivers an outstanding training capability that is appropriate for the most basic introductory flight training through more challenging and complex advanced training missions. To date, it has been used to train pilots in approximately 20 different countries.

Deliveries of the T-6 began in 2000 after the aircraft was initially selected to fill the Joint Primary Aircraft Training System role for the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy. Since then, additional military programs worldwide, including NATO Flying Training in Canada, the Hellenic Air Force of Greece, the Israeli Air Force, the Iraqi Air Force and the Royal Moroccan Air Force, have chosen the T-6 and its derivatives as their primary trainers.


Beechcraft T-6 Military Trainer for Indian Air Force field evaluation trials : Defense news

 

[SpArK]

^^^^^^^^

 

[SpArK]

70 paragliders to test skills in Himachal skies​

Seventy pilots, including 10 foreigners, will exhibit their skills in the four-day paragliding championship that begins Thursday in Himachal Pradesh's Kangra district. All preparations have been completed for the Himalayan Open Paragliding Championship that would have 10 foreign participants and 30 from the Indian Air Force and the Indian Army, youth services and sports department joint director Suman Rawat told IANS.


Sheltered by mountains and surrounded by rolling tea gardens, the championship site Bir-Billing is considered to be one of the finest aero-sports sites in the world.

The height of Billing take-off site is about 2,600 metres above sea level, while the landing site at Bir is 2,080 metres above sea level.

Rawat said the sky is crystal clear and thermals are quite steady for the pilots to compete for the championship.

It has been divided into three categories - open category (30-35 km), women category (30 km) and novice category (10-15 km). It is for the first time that novice category has been introduced in the championship, the official said.

The government has already refurbished the paragliding site according to international specifications.

The Aero Club of India is providing technical support to the event.


70 paragliders to test skills in Himachal skies - Hindustan Times

 

[MAFIAN GOD]

BEECHCRAFT PLANES REMINDS ME THE ERA OF WW-II.
THESE PLANES LOOK SIMILAR.

 

[RPK]

Top Air Force Commanders review 'Aerospace Security'

As the mission of Flight Safety of Indian Air Force is to ensure operational capability by conserving human and material resources through prevention of aircraft accidents, the Air Force Station here on Thursday witnessed a day-long Aerospace Safety Council Meet being held under the aegis of the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Air Command.

An annual feature, the Aerospace Safety Council Meet witnessed the participation of commanders of all bases under Western Air Command (WAC) as well as Aerospace Safety and Inspection Officers of all commands of Indian Air Force and the members from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Addressing the commanders at the meet, which had the underlying theme- 'Enhancing Flight Safety through professional leadership', Air Marshal NAK Browne, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Air Command said: "People are at the core of our Aviation Safety Programme and they must receive our highest attention."

"The Western Air Command (WAC) contributes to approximately 35 percent of total flying efforts of Indian Air Force, which also includes the round the year air maintenance operations carried out by WAC in the Northern Region of the country," he added.

The commanders' carried out an annual review of flight safety records for flight safety or aerospace safety, which is ongoing concern for military aviation as it involves operating at the limits of human body, machine and environment.

With the aviation environment being extremely dynamic and the IAF operating a wide variety of aircraft of varied technological vintage, the meet provided a valuable platform for presenting and discussing various flight safety issues and sharing effective and innovative measures adopted at the bases towards enhancing flight safety and reducing the rate of accidents and incidents related to flying.

 

[ganimi kawa]

'Contract For Six More C-130Js Definite'

An Indian government contract for six more American-built C-130J-30 Super Hercules tactical transport airplanes is "definite" according to an Indian Air Force official on the secretariat of the Air Marshal who oversees procurement. Lockheed-Martin began the effort to get India to exercise options on the original March 2008 contract shortly after it was signed, though the IAF had identified a need for at least 18 such airplanes.

The officer, who asked not to be named, told me, "The view is you cannot achieve very much with six aircraft. There has to be a minimum number for effective squadron service. This has been agreed upon between us and the Government. It is only a question of when they choose to exercise the option. It is an FMS deal, so there will obviously be some diplomatic leverage. As far as we are concerned, we know we are getting the additional airplanes."

 

[marcos98]

IAF to recreate Longewala battle scene​

BY :TNN
The Indian Air Force will celebrate its victory in the battle of Longewala in 1971 — where its fighter jets destroyed a large number of intruding Pakistani Patton tanks by organising a ceremony on December 5 in which a host of heroes of the war will be felicitated.

Fighter jets like Mirage 2000, MiGs and attack helicopters like M-17 and an acrobatics team from the Akash Ganga are expected to participate in an air show organised as part of the ceremony. IAF sources said that the celebrations would begin from December 4 but the Longewala celebration will be organised at Air Force Station at Jaislamer near the Longewala battleground. Retired officers like Air Marshal M S Baba and others will share the memories of the war at the event.

Fighters and helicopter gunships will display their fire-power with the fighters destroying dummy targets showcasing its capability of all round defence. As part of the celebrations, the entire war would be recreated as the Pakistani forces intruded into the Indian territory with Patton tanks and how the IAF destroyed all their armoury before vanquishing the enemy.

The IAF has enlisted 21 officers and soldiers till date who will be felicitated during the occasion while the Army is also trying to locate the ex-warriors who were the part of the victorious army. Among senior officers, IAF south western AOC-in-C Air Marshal P S Bhangu and Army’s southern command GOC-in-C, Lt Gen Khanna have confirmed their participation. The Pakistani army intruded into the Indian side on December 4 before the full-fledged war started and since then December 16 is commemorated as victory day by the defence ministry.

 

[kursed]

Embraer is aiming to have the first flight of an ERJ-145 that it is modifying for an indigenous Indian airborne early warning and control system payload in the first half of 2011, and plans to deliver it by the end of the year.

The Brazilian airframer is fitting the Defence Research & Development Organisation's (DRDO) array antenna unit onto the aircraft, say Embraer officials. New Delhi ordered three ERJ-145s in 2008, with the overall programme to cost around 18 billion rupees ($406 million).

India's aircraft will be adapted for inflight refuelling, and also have better electrical generation and cooling systems than similar ERJ-145-based AEW&C platforms, the company officials say. Other examples include five for Brazil, four for Greece and one for Mexico.

India's defence ministry has said that its ERJ-145 AEW&C system will include indigenously designed radar and communication links. The system is expected to start flight tests with the Indian air force in 2012.

The modified regional airliner will have a service ceiling of 35,000ft (10,700m), a radar operational altitude of 25,000ft and extra internal fuel tanks to support in-flight refuelling. Its primary sensor will be an active electronically scanned array radar with two planar arrays mounted on top of the fuselage in a dorsal unit, with the design to be capable of performing air and sea surveillance.

The secondary radar will have an identification friend or foe function, while communication and electronic support measures will also enable the aircraft to detect and identify hostile emitters. A self-protection suite will consist of missile approach and radar warning receivers, plus countermeasures dispensers.

Interoperability with other AEW&C aircraft and fighters will be provided using datalinks and a mission communications system providing UHF voice and data channels, says the DRDO. The new type will complement the Indian air force's three Ilyushin Il-76s, which feature Elta Systems' Phalcon radar, and the Indian navy's Kamov Ka-31 radar picket helicopters.
The development comes 11 years after India's original indigenous AEW&C programme came to a standstill after a Hawker Siddeley HS748 testbed with a prototype radar crashed. Several scientists who were integral to the programme were killed in the accident.

Source: Flight Global

 

[SpArK]

Dhruv and para-jumpers

 

[unicorn]

Sita Moves Forward On Air India IT Migration
By Neelam Mathews

Information technology specialist Sita says the challenging $190 million, 10-year contract from Air India for its hosted Horizon Passenger Services System (PSS), which stipulates setting up a single airline code for Indian Airlines and Air India, should take off by summer of 2011.

The contract requires Sita to complete the integration of the two carriers' systems in 300 days to help Air India enter the Star Alliance as a full-time member,

“Any PSS change for an airline is big. It’s a fundamental heart surgery. The project is complex, as it’s a three-step migration. By Jan. 31, 2011, the two carriers will have a single code.

“The other objective is to integrate with 27 Star Alliance carriers. The various stages will depend on the cooperation we get from the Star carriers (to set aside their time to share their data),” says Maneesh Jaikrishna, Sita director-South Asia and India.

As budgets slowly move upward from recession-hit 2009, Sita says business is looking up. It recently signed its Common User Terminal Equipment (CUTE) system for Nandi Airport in Fiji and Kathmandu in Nepal. It has also been awarded a passenger tracking and counting contract for a major Australian airport. Three airports in Bangladesh, including Dacca, have also signed up for CUTE.

Sita also won a five-year contract to supply common use self-service kiosks and more than 80 airport workstations for check-in, boarding, load control and baggage areas for Cochin International Airport. It has introduced a baggage reconciliation system in Bengaluru and the country’s first modern airport management system at Mumbai.

With a focus on the major markets of China, India and Indonesia—each requiring a customized solution—Indian airports that are being upgraded and many new greenfield airports coming up promise good business opportunities. Sita will complete technology enhancements for 13 non-metro Indian airports and integrate two airline systems by the first quarter of 2011.

Cost-conscious budget carriers, which comprise about 70% of Indian aviation, also may change the way IT is viewed. “Till recently, budget carriers have viewed CUTE as a cost factor only. However, in the West, they are over that thinking and now realize efficiencies are brought in. This will become clear when we announce an air-to-ground major deal with an Indian budget carrier in a few months,” says Ilya Gutlin, VP-airport solutions.

 

[Mirza Jatt]

self delete

 

[RPK]

SRS for Post-Crash Recovery

PIB Press Release


A Request For Information (RFI) was issued in September 2010 for Combat Search & Rescue Systems (SRS). The Indian Air Force (IAF) plans to procure personal Rescue Beacons for its Fighter, Transport and Helicopter fleet and Emergency Location Transmitters (ELT) as well as Air borne Locator Interrogators for its Transport and Helicopters fleet. The estimated cost is Rs.120 crores.

During the past one year, there have been two fatal accidents and the bodies of three pilots who lost their lives in these accidents were recovered. Since these accidents took place near IAF airfields under positive control of Air Traffic Control (ATC), the present SRS was not required to be used to recover the bodies/debris.

This information was given by Defence Minister Shri AK Antony in a written reply to Shri Milind Deora in Lok Sabha today.

 

[Mirza Jatt]

DNA barcoding of birds to curb air mishaps


PUNE: To reduce bird hits, scientists at the National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS), Pune, with the Indian Air Force are conducting DNA barcoding of birds. They will also identify species which are most susceptible to hitting planes.

The IAF is preparing the database of some of the known birds that are involved in accidents. "Once the entire DNA barcoding of the bird species is done, it will be easier to gauge their flying patterns and accordingly take precautionary measures. The sky belongs to them and we are encroaching on their area. Hence, we must time our exercises and avoid areas where they usually fly, find out their routine and fly the aircrafts accordingly," said Yogesh Shouche, principal investigator of NCCS.

The NCCS, presently, has finished barcoding of about 150 bird species and more will be done in the days to come. "If a particular bird species is found to be more susceptible (to hit the plane), a detailed assessment and analysis on their pattern of flying, height at which they fly can be noted down for mitigation and management," said Shouche.

A piece of the bird wing, a body part or even a bunch of feathers found stuck into the seams of an aircraft or blood stains are enough to do the DNA barcoding.

The Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) is an online workbench that aids collection, management, analysis, and use of DNA sequences or barcodes, a major project that aims to barcode all living organisms universally. The DNA sequences of the specimens of birds are deposited in BOLD database for identification.


Read more: DNA barcoding of birds to curb air mishaps - The Times of India DNA barcoding of birds to curb air mishaps - The Times of India

 

[jha]

Another Shiv Aroor fuss

EXCLUSIVE: Official Wishlist of Evolutionary Technologies for India's 5thGen AMCA

If the specialised team led by Indian aerospace scientist Dr AK Ghosh achieves what it has set out to (a huge IF, with all due respect), then one of the most dramatic aspects of India's concept fifth generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) will be its cockpit and man-machine interface. For starters, unlike the cluttered, resoundingly less-than-fourth-generation cockpit of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA Tejas), the AMCA cockpit could have a panoramic active-matrix display. Next, switches, bezels and keypads could be replaced with touch screen interfaces and voice commands. Finally, what the team wants is for the AMCA pilot to have a helmet-mounted display system that allows the jettisoning of a HUD from the AMCA cockpit altogether. Some pretty hardcore stuff. But the idea is this -- if India is building its own fifth generation fighter aircraft (not to be confused with the Indo-Russian FGFA/PAK-FA), and believes it can deliver, then aim for the damn stars. I've got my hands on AMCA documents that provide the first detailed view of just how ambitious the programme actually is. Let me run you through some of them.

The AMCA team has already asked private industry in the country to explore the feasibility of creating primary panoramic displays and other avionics displays that would befit a fifth generation cockpit environment. But the cockpit is just one of an ambitious official technology wishlist for the AMCA.

 

[jha]

Article continued...
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The envisaged changes begin at the very basic -- system architecture -- and look towards a triplex fly-by-light electro-optic architecture with fiber optic links for signal and data communications, unlike the electric links on the Tejas platform. And unlike centralized architecture on the Tejas, the AMCA proposes to sport a distributed architecture with smart sub-systems. Similarly, unlike the LCA's centralised digital flight control computer (DFCC), the AMCA could have a distributed system with smart remote units for data communication with sensors and actuators, a system that will necessitate much faster on-board processors.

Next come sensors. The mechanical gyros and accelerometers on the Tejas will need to evolve on the AMCA into fiber optic gyros, ring laser gyros and MEMS gyros. The pressure probes and vanes that make up the air-data sensors will evolve into an optical and flush air data system, and position sensors will be linear/rotary optical encoders. Significantly, actuators -- currently electro-hydraulic/direct drive -- could be electro-hydrostatic to accrue substantive weight savings on the AMCA. Sensor fusion for an overarching situation picture goes without saying.

The AMCA could feature highly evolved integrated control laws for flight, propulsion, braking, nose wheel steer and fuel management and adaptive neural networks for fault detection, identification and control law reconfiguration.