Indian Air Force News & Discussions

[Major Shaitan Singh]

Apache AH1 at RAF Benson with CRV7 rockets and 30mm ammunition - looking good

 

[Abingdonboy]

Apache AH1 at RAF Benson with CRV7 rockets and 30mm ammunition - looking good

Oooo, at RAF Beson very interesting- I used to go flying there (is very close to where I used to go to school).

Interesting as the Apaches are part of the Army's air corps and the only helos based at Benson are the Merlin and Puma (got to ride in both ).

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Defence
13-March, 2015 13:32 IST

Anti-Collision Technology in Aircraft

BBJ and Embraer aircraft of Indian Air Force are used for airlift of VVIPs. Both aircraft are fitted with TCAS-II anti-collision systems.

The aircraft are supplied with these systems installed as a standard fit. Hence, no separate funds are allocated towards fitment of anti-collision systems.

The anti-collision technology is fitted based upon the assessed requirement. All the modern transport aircraft of IAF viz C-17, C-130, BBJ, Embraer, IL-76, IL-78 and AWACS fleet have anti-collision system onboard.

This information was given by Defence Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar in a written reply to Dr. Ratna De (Nag) in Lok Sabha today.

 

[K M Cariappa]

Can anyone please explain what does licensed production entail...
I mean can India lets say after the conclusion of the Su-30mki order again order the same form the HAL without any contract with Russia.

 

[Water Car Engineer]

 

[IndoUS]

Can anyone please explain what does licensed production entail...
I mean can India lets say after the conclusion of the Su-30mki order again order the same form the HAL without any contract with Russia.

No, since the the contract of license production only states a certain numbers of aircraft, they would have to go back and pay Russia for more aircraft even if it is HAL making the aircraft.

 

[K M Cariappa]

No, since the the contract of license production only states a certain numbers of aircraft, they would have to go back and pay Russia for more aircraft even if it is HAL making the aircraft.

So how much is the windfall for the HAL i.e what amount goes into the pocket of HAL ....??

 

[sudhir007]

The Gnat assembly line in HAL

 

[IrbiS]

Sukhoi-30 MKI, Air Force's Most Modern Fighter Jet, Plagued by Engine Trouble
All India | Written by Sudhi Ranjan Sen | Updated: March 17, 2015 22:46 IST

A Sukhoi Su-30 fighter aircraft takes off during the 2nd day of the AERO India 2015 at Yelahanka Air base. (Photo: Press Trust of India)



NEW DELHI: Sukhoi-30 MKI, the most powerful and modern fighter jets in Indian Air Force's stable, has been hit by mid-air engine failures. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said in Parliament today that as many as 35 instances of engine failures were reported in 2013-14 - that's nearly three a month.

In all, there are 69 instances of engine failure in the last four years, the minister said. Inquiries by the Air Force have revealed that in as many as 33 instances, the engines failed because of impure fuel, in another 11 cases, the problem was caused by excessive vibration and in eight others, engine failures were reported because of low pressure in the lubricant tanks, the Defence Minister said. About five SU-30 MKI have crashed since 2009.

Like all twin-engine jets, the Russian made Su-30s are capable of landing on a single engine. But to reach its maximum potential of carrying a total eight tones of payload including bombs, missiles and spare fuel tanks, the jet needs both its AL-31FP engines to function.

Engine failures is fast becoming a major concern for Air Force and also puts a question mark on India's ability to defend its skies. Another problem area that senior Air Force officers point out is serviceability. "Serviceability of the aircraft is about 50 per cent only," an officer said. It means at any given time, roughly half out of a fleet of 200 jets are available for operational purposes. This becomes crucial in times of emergencies like war.

Mr Parrikar said that the engines were scheduled to be overhauled after every 1000 hours of flying, but the defects started showing-up after only 500 hours of flying. The minister said that Russia-based NPO Saturn, manufacturers of Su-30 Al-31FP engines, offered to make "nine technological improvements" during overhauls, and added that after the modifications the engines were flying for upto 900 hours.

To address the growing capability gap, especially that created by increasing obsolescence of MiG-21, India is talking to France to buy 126 medium multi-role Rafale fighter jets. But the negotiations have been dragging on for three years. Although the acquisition has got mired on per unit cost and number of man hours required to produce it in India, a resolution of these issue can be expected when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits France in April.
Story First Published: March 17, 2015 22:46 IST


Sukhoi-30 MKI, Air Force's Most Modern Fighter Jet, Plagued by Engine Trouble

 

[IrbiS]

( It's not full page just half discussing India. Address is given below )

Russia’s air corps is a powerful but fading force

Russia and India are co-developing a version for the Indian air force, so its generals have had an up-close look at the T-50. They don’t like what they see.

India sunk more than $5 billion into the initial design, which is to be compatible with Indian-made missiles and navigation systems. New Delhi wants to eventually buy 200 of the fighters, and has few other options. In the T-50′s class, the only competitors on the international market are the Chinese J-20 and the U.S. F-35.

But India wants stealth fighters to counter the Chinese jets, and an equivalent number of F-35s would be far too expensive. The Indian air force also has a great deal of experience flying Russian-made planes. If New Delhi wants to compete with China, this means it can either buy huge numbers of less-advanced fighters or stick with the T-50.

Two F-22s during flight testing, the upper one being the first EMD F-22, Raptor 4001, October 14, 2003. Courtesy of U.S. Air Force

Even India’s generals think the T-50 is still too expensive and has too many shoddy parts. The plane’s “engine was unreliable, its radar inadequate, its stealth features badly engineered,” according to India’sBusiness Standard, which acquired notes from a 2013 meeting of Indian air force officers.

The newspaper didn’t elaborate, but the reference to stealth features could mean poorly constructed sections of the airframe. Russia has produced five T-50 prototypes, and slight differences in construction, such as mismatched angles on the fuselage, can expose its features to radar. The planes also have big, round engines, a no-no when it comes to staying stealthy.

But the T-50 is still a powerful, fast and long-range fighter, and the Kremlin wants to arm it with its modern, long-range Kh-58UShE radar-homing missiles. The U.S. F-22 and F-35 stealth fighters, and their missiles, are comparatively slower, and the missiles have shorter ranges.

Air Power Australia, an aviation think tank, described the T-50 as being able to potentially win a dogfight against America’s latest-generation fighters, such as the troubled F-35.

But even if this is true, Russia will only be able to build the T-50s in small numbers. Moscow wants 60 operational T-50s by 2020, which is optimistic. The first operational fighter was supposed to enter service last year. It didn’t happen. Now the date is 2016, at the earliest.

Sixty deadly stealth fighters might sound like a lot. But the U.S. plans to build 2,400 F-35s during the next two decades, and has already started delivering them. That’s on top of the U.S. Air Force’s 187 operational F-22s already in service.

Which means Russia’s most advanced planes will be heavily outnumbered.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Kremlin’s fleet will just keep getting older.


blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2015/03/17/russias-air-corps-is-a-powerful-but-fading-force/

 

[Agent_47]

Must watch fellas

( It's not full page just half discussing India. Address is given below )

Russia’s air corps is a powerful but fading force

Russia and India are co-developing a version for the Indian air force, so its generals have had an up-close look at the T-50. They don’t like what they see.

India sunk more than $5 billion into the initial design, which is to be compatible with Indian-made missiles and navigation systems. New Delhi wants to eventually buy 200 of the fighters, and has few other options. In the T-50′s class, the only competitors on the international market are the Chinese J-20 and the U.S. F-35.

India just spend $295 million for initial design, IAF intent to buy almost 140 FGFAs.

Even India’s generals think the T-50 is still too expensive and has too many shoddy parts. The plane’s “engine was unreliable, its radar inadequate, its stealth features badly engineered,” according to India’sBusiness Standard, which acquired notes from a 2013 meeting of Indian air force officers.

Indian version of PAKFA will have more powerful Izdeliye 30 engine.That story was made up by some shabby journalists not generals.

 

[migflug]

The Indian Air Force plans to start mounting BrahMos cruise missiles on its aircraft in 2016, BrahMos Aerospace CEO Sudhir Mishra told RIA Novosti Wednesday.

The short-range supersonic missile was jointly developed by Russia and India and has been in use by the Indian Navy since 2005.

“The missile is scheduled to be adopted in 2016, ten more tests will be carried out by the end of the year,” Mishra said.

He added that the next test flight is due in May with the aircraft carrying the missile launcher. This will be followed by flights with the equipped missiles and, eventually, test firing them.

India is Russia’s biggest arms trade partner, with more than 70 percent of India’s military equipment coming from Russia or the former Soviet Union, according to Russia’s state arms exporter.

The two countries are taking part in the major Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA’15), currently underway in Malaysia.

 

[PARIKRAMA]

 

[PARIKRAMA]

 

[PARIKRAMA]