Indian Airforce A-50 EI Spotted

[Energon]

IAF clears proposals to purchase three more AWACS​

New Delhi, April 13: As India prepares to receive the first of its Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AWACS) Phalcon, Indian Air Force has cleared proposals to acquire three more such platforms.

The proposals have been forwarded to the Defence Ministry to enable placing of follow-on order estimated to be worth USD 2 billion for Phalcon IL-76TD, a top IAF official said.

With this, IAF now proposes to field six such platforms with delivery expected to be completed between 2009-2012.

These AWACS will bolster India's air-surveillance capability multi-fold giving it an eye-in-the-air to detect enemy planes and missiles while in flight far away.

India will get the delivery of first of its three Phalcons AWACS in September this year and the follow-on platforms in April 2009 and August 2010.

The first of the Phalcon AWACS powered by 4PS-90A-76 engines is currently being fitted out with mission sensors and management suites and will be ready for roll out by end of next month for flight certification, a top Israeli Aircraft Industry (IAI) official said.

"Air platforms have already undergone maiden flight tests in November last year and again in January and February this year in Russia," he said.

India was to receive deliveries of the first of these aircrafts in December 2007, but the transfer was delayed due to time over-runs in customising the airframes by Uzbekistan’s Tashkent Aircraft Production Organisation (TAPO).

India had inked the USD 1.5 billion contract in November 2003 with Russia's Rosoboronexport Corporation and Israel's IAI for purchase of three AWACS.


Zee News - IAF purchase AWACS Phalcon

How many AWACS are the Indian armed forces trying to acquire altogether? Is there a stipulated number deemed optimal?

 

[EagleEyes]

^ Six of them all together. Such number will give them a great boost in their detection capability just like Pakistan.

 

[Neo]

How many AWACS are the Indian armed forces trying to acquire altogether? Is there a stipulated number deemed optimal?

Currently 6 but I'm sure India needs more to get 24/7 coverage due her size and weight, atleast 15-18 will be needed to achive that. This might be the reason that Indigenous AWACS is being revived.

 

[ejaz007]

India May Seek More Israeli AWACS Planes
By vivek raghuvanshi
Published: 14 Apr 12:08 EDT (08:08 GMT) Print | Email

NEW DELHI - The Indian Air Force wants to buy unspecified numbers of Phalcon Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft from Israel in addition to the three already contracted in 2004 for $370 million each.

The air force request is near finalization at the Indian Ministry of Defence, sources said, but the price of the additional AWACS planes is still to be negotiated.

The deal already in place with Israel includes Israeli Phalcon radar mounted on three Russian Il-76 aircraft to be used as an AWACS by the Indian Air Force.

The Phalcon phased-array radar picks up a variety of signals from enemy aircraft operating up to 400 kilometers away, allowing the operator's screen to be updated every two to 14 seconds.

The air force wants additional AWACS to become part of its Aerospace Command, under development by the Indian defense forces.

The first three Phalcon AWACS aircraft will be delivered to India in September. Once operational, the AWACS would be part of a larger strategic early-warning system, comprising ground-, sea-based and airborne radars and sensors - mounted on manned aircraft, balloons, unmanned aerial vehicles and possibly unmanned submarines - to track aircraft and missiles.

India May Seek More Israeli AWACS Planes - Defense News

 

[JEFF]

I highly inclining to think that this surplus Phalcons gona liceance produce by HAL itself.

 

[su-47]

we definitely need more than 6 AWACS, considering the size of our air force.

 

[Always Neutral]

IAF clears proposals to purchase three more AWACS
New Delhi, April 13: As India prepares to receive the first of its Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AWACS) Phalcon, Indian Air Force has cleared proposals to acquire three more such platforms.

The proposals have been forwarded to the Defence Ministry to enable placing of follow-on order estimated to be worth USD 2 billion for Phalcon IL-76TD, a top IAF official said.

With this, IAF now proposes to field six such platforms with delivery expected to be completed between 2009-2012.

These AWACS will bolster India's air-surveillance capability multi-fold giving it an eye-in-the-air to detect enemy planes and missiles while in flight far away.

India will get the delivery of first of its three Phalcons AWACS in September this year and the follow-on platforms in April 2009 and August 2010.

The first of the Phalcon AWACS powered by 4PS-90A-76 engines is currently being fitted out with mission sensors and management suites and will be ready for roll out by end of next month for flight certification, a top Israeli Aircraft Industry (IAI) official said.

"Air platforms have already undergone maiden flight tests in November last year and again in January and February this year in Russia," he said.

India was to receive deliveries of the first of these aircrafts in December 2007, but the transfer was delayed due to time over-runs in customising the airframes by Uzbekistan’s Tashkent Aircraft Production Organisation (TAPO).

India had inked the USD 1.5 billion contract in November 2003 with Russia's Rosoboronexport Corporation and Israel's IAI for purchase of three AWACS.


Zee News - IAF purchase AWACS Phalcon

These will be for the Chinese border probably. However given the areas of threat ie

1. Pakistan (Both the Indian Navy and Airforce will have to perform that role)
2. China (Only Indian Airforce)
3. Srilanka and Andaman and Nicobar Islands (only Indian navy)

India will require atleast 12 AWACS.

Don't forget that India is getting 8 of the latest from the USA for its Navy too and has also an indegenous AWAC program.

Regards

 

[JEFF]

These will be for the Chinese border probably. However given the areas of threat ie

1. Pakistan (Both the Indian Navy and Airforce will have to perform that role)
2. China (Only Indian Airforce)
3. Srilanka and Andaman and Nicobar Islands (only Indian navy)

India will require atleast 12 AWACS.

Don't forget that India is getting 8 of the latest from the USA for its Navy too and has also an indegenous AWAC program.

Regards

I don't think for Pakistan, IN need any awacs since they already going to acquire P-8.

Regarding Sri-lanka, I don't think so.

 

[Always Neutral]

I don't think for Pakistan, IN need any awacs since they already going to acquire P-8.

Thats exactly what I said in my post.

Regarding Sri-lanka, I don't think so.

I never said that they were for Srilanka but for the areas between Srilanka and Andaman Nicobar.

Regards

 

[JEFF]

I never said that they were for Srilanka but for the areas between Srilanka and Andaman Nicobar.

Regards

Still I don't think so, especially when no aircraft can intrude the airspace between Srilanka and A & Nicobar unless it is F/A-18EF of USN carrier groups.

 

[Energon]

I don't think for Pakistan, IN need any awacs since they already going to acquire P-8.

Regarding Sri-lanka, I don't think so.

The P8I is not an AWAC. The primary function of the Poseidon is maritime surveillance, ASW operations and battle management operations. It's radars aren't nearly as capable of air space surveillance as that of an AWAC aircraft. Now if the IN were to go ahead and acquire the E3 Sentry, it would be a different story.

In any operations involving the IAF a dedicated AWAC platform will be required.

 

[Keysersoze]

I highly inclining to think that this surplus Phalcons gona liceance produce by HAL itself.

I doubt it...... three aircraft is not enough to set up a production line. Besides it would require TOT which is not included in this deal.

 

[blain2]

The P8I is not an AWAC. The primary function of the Poseidon is maritime surveillance, ASW operations and battle management operations. It's radars aren't nearly as capable of air space surveillance as that of an AWAC aircraft. Now if the IN were to go ahead and acquire the E3 Sentry, it would be a different story.

In any operations involving the IAF a dedicated AWAC platform will be required.

E3 Sentry for a Naval air arm is an overkill. Its more expensive than the Phalcon and also there are no examples available to be purchased. Hawkeye 2000 is probably the best AEW solution for a Naval Air Arm currently. It is small, flexible and has considerable detection and tracking range.

 

[Keysersoze]

I don't think for Pakistan, IN need any awacs since they already going to acquire P-8.

Regarding Sri-lanka, I don't think so.

So far you have THREE awacs on order. They have a endurance of approximately 7 hours.........Do the math. How much of India will they cover?

As has been stated the P-8 is a Multimission Maritime Aircraft. NOT awacs and frankly I haven't seen a order for India materialise yet so you haven't even got those.

 

[Contrarian]

Currently 6 but I'm sure India needs more to get 24/7 coverage due her size and weight, atleast 15-18 will be needed to achive that. This might be the reason that Indigenous AWACS is being revived.

There is some confusion here...

The Phalcon AWACS will the hub in a hub n spoke kind of system. Currently, it is anticipated that the Phalcons will be strategic AWACS for important theatres, whereas the DRDO developed AWACS will be the smaller node in the theatre.

6 is insuffiecient, IMO India requires 12 Phalcon sized AWACS and around 6 of the DRDO developed ones. Phalcon is a huge AWACS in terms of range and the payload it can carry, the DRDO developed AWACS would be smaller, in the Erieye range of things.

And secondly, India is NOT getting any AWACS from the US, there are plans from the US side, and they have offered E2D Hawkeye, however India is not keen on them, as our carrier cannot accomodate it. Having them shore based is useless, as we can have Phalcons or DRDO AWACS then.

What India most likely will get is the P-8 from the US, which is NOT an AWACS. It is an MMA and cannot perform the duties of AWACS, dont confuse b/w them.