Indigenous data recorders for Indian Air Force attack helicopters

[Hindustani78]

http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/na...ders-for-iaf-s-attack-helicopters/598322.html

Posted at: Jun 1, 2018, 2:33 AM; last updated: Jun 1, 2018, 11:10 AM (IST)
Indigenous data recorders for Indian Air Force attack helicopters

Chandigarh, May 31

The Indian Air Force fleet of Hind-25/35 attack helicopters is to be upgraded with indigenously developed digital flight data recorders and video recorders that would replace the earlier analogue systems to provide better reliability, accuracy and ease of retrieving data.

The project implies that the Hind-35s are expected to carry on for at least another 15 years, sources said. About a decade ago, these machines had been upgraded with advanced avionics and weapons suite to enhance combat potential.

The move to upgrade the Hind-35s comes in the wake of new attack helicopters being procured, which include the locally produced Rudra, the armed variant of the Dhruv advanced light helicopter and the light combat helicopter. In addition, utility helicopters like the Hind-17, Chetak and Lancer are also capable of being retrofitted with rockets and missiles.

Last year, the Indian Air Force launched a similar project for indigenous flight data recorders for the Hind-17 transport helicopters. The Indian Air Force employed two squadrons of the heavily armed Hind-25/35 gunships, the No 104 and No 125 Helicopter Units, to provide close air support to Army formations. Over the years, the number of this fleet has dwindled. Four such machines were gifted to Afghanistan recently.

Sources said the Indian Air Force had projected a requirement of 25 sets of solid state flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder that would also have integrated underwater locator beacons. These would replace the present systems where data is recorded on a photographic film. The present analog video recorders, part of the Hind-35’s electro-optical night package system to display mission data in real time in the cockpit as well as records the data, will also be replaced with indigenous solid state digital systems.

Hind-35s to get new lease of life

• Project to be taken up by No 3 Base Repair Depot, Chandigarh
• At first, analog systems will be replaced by indigenous digital flight data and video recorders for better data retrieval
• Aim is to upgrade Hind-35s — inducted in Indian Air Force in mid-eighties

 

[Hindustani78]

Tribune News Service


Shimla, May 31

With there being no signs of rain, the state has requisitioned three IAF choppers to douse the raging forest fires in the worst-affected districts of Chamba, Kangra, Hamirpur and Mandi.

Forest Minister Govind Thakur on Thursday said the Indian Air Force had kept three of its choppers on stand-by and the exercise would be undertaken Friday onwards.

“We will press Indian Air Force choppers into service which can spray 3,500 litre of water in one sortie at places where it is tough for fire tenders to reach in the absence of roads,” he said.

Water to douse the fires will be brought from Pong Dam in Kangra, Govindsagar Dam, Chamera in Chamba and Kol Dam in Bilapur and Pandoh in Mandi. So far a total of 1,544 forest fires have been reported this summer, resulting in a loss of Rs 1.68 crore to forest wealth.

The Forest Minister said a total of major 56 forest fires had been reported out of which 12-day-old fire in the Baddi area of Solan and the week-old fire in the Bhattiyat area of Chamba was the most worrisome as these could not be controlled.

He said 95 per cent forest fires were caused by human callousness. He added that drone cameras would be used to find out the cause.

He said patrolling would be intensified and police assistance would be sought to keep a check on anti-social elements, who were behind these fires.

He said there was no dearth of funds for combating forest fires and the department would adopt the latest technology to prevent huge loss resulting from these forest fires, every summer.

So far four persons, Deputy Ranger Ashok Kumar in Chamba and three persons, Manju Devi (Sunni), Satwinder (Jaswan) and Chambel Singh (Sarahan), have lost their lives in the forest fires.

Six other persons have been injured while trying to control forest fires.

CM mourns Dy Ranger’s death

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur mourned the death of Deputy Ranger Ashok Kumar, who lost his life during a fire-fighting operation in Chamba district. The Chamba Deputy Commissioner provided Rs 25,000 as immediate relief to the family of the deceased. Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Dr GS Goraya said the Deputy Ranger died as he fell into a gorge during the fire-fighting operation. He was not charred to death as reported in a section of the media, he added.