New pics of IAF SU30MKIs heading towards Red Flags 2008 Exercise

[jaison]

Exercise Red Flags: Indian Air Force Su 30 MKI Fighters Operated with Handicaps




Dated 24/8/2008
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India's elite fighter jocks are in Nevada to spar with the best American, South Korean and French pilots at the Red Flag exercise. But the Indian Air Force (IAF) is fighting with its hands tied.

Why? To protect the secrets of their top-of-the-line Russian-designed Su-30MKI fighters (pictured), according to Dave Fulghum over at Ares. "To observers' dismay, and no doubt to that of the U.S. intelligence community, the IAF flew with a number of handicaps."

The self-imposed radar restrictions prevented U.S. snoops from "mapping" the high-tech radar. But other restrictions were dictated by the Indians' U.S. hosts, Fulghum writes in his excellent piece. The Indians were barred from using data-links, chaff and flares. "When we were targeted by SAMs, we were shot down," Choudry said. "And there was no [data] picture in the cockpit to help our situational awareness so the work load on the [aircrews] was very high."

We noted a couple months back that the U.S. Air Force's F-22s strangely were sitting out this exercise, missing the chance to tangle with the best "enemy" fighter out there. But with the various restrictions, it probably wouldn't have been anything like a fair or realistic fight.

Regardless, Choudry insisted Red Flag was a good experience for his pilots. Indeed, the Indian Air Force was especially keen to observe U.S. "Net-Centric Warfare" (NCW) operations. "You cannot survive today for long against a good adversary without the NCW capability," IAF vice chief Air Marshal P.V. Naik told newspapers. He added that India would debut its own command-and-control networks in 2010.

Exercise Red Flags: Indian Air Force Su 30 MKI Fighters Operated with Handicaps | India Defence

 

[jaison]

Tuesday, August 26, 2008
IAF's Red Flag team to report airborne ELINT on Sukhois
The Indian Air Force's Red Flag 08-4 team will include, as part of its routine report to Air Force HQ, notings on two "extra-exercise incidents" by what were possibly US Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) aircraft -- one at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho, where the IAF warmed up, and the second over the Nevada range airspace off Nellis where the Red Flag exercise was held. An official with the contingent that attended the exercise at Nellis confirmed that team leader Group Captain D Chaudhary's official debrief to Vayu Bhawan would contain descriptions of two incidents that will be categorized formally as "suspicious" and "unscheduled".

According to this official's account, the first incident took place on July 21 at Mountain Home AFB in Idaho, during the training phase. The second took place on August 17 during Red Flag itself. The nature of both incidents is, so far, unknown. In separate incidents, one unconfirmed account suggests that IAF Sukhois were spooked by a USAF RC-135 rigged with an ELINT payload twice in July -- once when a fleet of Sukois were near flying near the Southern Coast of England (they were there for the Farnborough Air Show), and the second, in the same month when the Red Flag squad was flying into the United States.

As has been reported in the American press, the Sukhois flew during their exercise with their Tikhomirov Instrument Bureau (NIIP) radars "trimmed" to training mode, and with pre-set instructions not to use electronic or active countermeasures, because of which they were repeatedly slammed by ground-based enemy air defences.

I spoke to former AOC-in-C Western Air Command, Air Marshal AK Singh yesterday as part of the story I did on Headlines Today last evening. He was one of the pilots who ferried Jaguars to Ambala from the UK in 1981. He described repeated incidents where US intelligence aircraft based in Saudi Arabia would spook the Jaguars, and, on one memorable occasion, when one even formated with the Jaguars over the Arabian Sea.

The question of course is, how much does the US already know about the Su-30MKI. Does it know everything it already needs to? In which case, are any spooking attempts simply efforts to confirm already held information?

 

[nitesh]

may be trying to check about the EW capabilities

 

[nitesh]

nothing much to worry about, as these planes were programmed for restrictive operations (training mode)

 

[Sam Dhanraj]

Chief Master Seargent Gary Emery speaks with Ken Sekhon about a typical day in the life of the RedFlag Exercise. He speaks about the first time participation of the Indian AirForce

YouTube - RedFlag 2008

 

[nitesh]

This is interesting, so yanks like this also:

Rajma-chawal catches on in US Air Force www.idrw.org / Indian Defense Research Wing
BY : IANS

Besides getting intrigued by the skills and prowess of Indian Air Force’s (IAF’s) fighter jets, the US Air Force warriors got hooked on Indian rajma-chawal (kidney beans and rice) during the latest multinational war games held in the US.The US Air Force personnel got a taste of Indian cuisine during the multinational exercise the Red Flag-08 at US air force base Nellis, in which the IAF participated for the first time.

“The IAF hosted a small lunch for the US Air Force and South Korean Air Force personnel on Aug 15 with Indian food, like Hyderabadi biryani, rajma chawal and shahi paneer on the menu,” a senior IAF official in the contingent participating in the exercise told IANS.

“Finding a taste for the Indian delicacy, the air warriors also tried to emulate the Indian way of eating rajma chawal, that is by hand. In fact they were licking their fingers at the end of the lunch,” the official added.

The commander of the Pacific Command Lt. Gen. Lyod Utterback also attended the party and savoured the Indian food.

“The IAF contingent which has gone to the US for participating in the month long military exercises has taken along with it packed food to avoid eating junk food there,” the official added.

In fact, the IAF carried 2.5 tonnes of packed food packets of rajma chawal, Hyderabadi biryani, shahi paneer, palak paneer and other Indian dishes with them.

“Nearly one quarter of the IL-76 of transport aircraft was stored with the packed Indian food. On Independence Day we just thought of throwing a party,” the official added.

After relishing the food the US Air Force and South Korean troops only said one thing -”Indian food is good, but red hot!”

The Red Flag-08, considered one of the toughest military exercises, was held at the Air Force base Nellis in Nevada, US.

Though India has participated in many US-led war games, this is the first time it is taking part in the Red Flag. India has spent around Rs.1 billion ($25 million) for the exercise. IAF participation in the exercise began Aug 10 till Aug 24.

This year the Red Flag features air force contingents from France, South Korea, India and the US.

 

[Munir]

How would the pilots behave if they just had hot Indian lunch and then painful sortie?

 

[HAIDER]

Well its been long time US wants India to be part of joint exercise, reason is US involvement is increasing in central and eastern Europe day by day. US need to know Russia weapons and how far they need to meet their technology by creating real wartime scenario in exercise, and India is biggest source after russia about russian weapon information. But for sure participation of russian weapon in this exercise is against the will of russia.
No country in world,other then India,who has complete mechanism of russian weapon and technology.

 

[nitesh]

but Indian weapon systems comes with lot of customization also which are significantly different then operated by Ru forces. So not much of info. And regarding russians being un happy won't they will get more info about USA weapons vice versa?

 

[flowli]

不错的飞机，不知道和J－11相比如何？

 

[Zaheerkhan]

I am really proud of the Indian Air Force, I have had the pleasure of watching the su-30MKI in live action, and believe me, that was the greatest show of my life......I still cannot forget the vertical drop move, where it literally stops mid-air and changes direction and the cobra move was a killer.....I have heard ppl here say hat for such a big bird, it would be difficult for it in a bird fight, I would say the fun would really begin at the close dog fight, cause the su-30's moves are as-if they are defying the laws of physics, I would say...Dog-fights are the real fun with these beauties...that is if you manage to get that close to this thing....

 

[nitesh]

so guys IAF is changing colors:

Blue to green, IAF changes colours- Hindustan Times

he Indian Air Force (IAF) has taken a leaf out of the United States Air Force’s book and ‘changed colours’.

Some four years after the army aped the US and allowed its generals to wear stars on their collar tabs, it is now the turn of the IAF’s combat pilots to don the same flight overalls as their American counterparts.

The 75-year-old IAF has switched over from its traditional blue flying outfits to green suits for pilots and support crews. “It really does mark a departure in the sense that one tradition has evolved into another. Blue has been associated with the IAF since the 1960s (before that the flight overalls were light grey),” said a former air marshal.

The IAF, however, doesn’t mind shedding its time-honoured identity in favour of blending in with international trends. A senior air force officer said, “Green is typically used for field uniforms by many militaries. Fighter pilots and ground crew world over wear green overalls. We are keeping up with the trend.”

Incidentally, the IAF made its debut at the Red Flag exercises in the US this August when its top guns strapped in Su-30 MKI cockpits tested their warfighting skills against combat seasoned American, French and South Korean pilots — all of whom were sporting greens.

The transition to greens has already begun at some IAF squadrons and gradually all of them will switch over to the new dress code, the officer said.

The greens are not the only factor unifying the Indian and US air forces. The IAF had released a book titled “Into the Blue Yonder” last year to mark its platinum jubilee. Incidentally, the USAF official song is often informally referred to as “Into the Wild Blue Yonder”.

 

[Munir]

Do we start marketing IAF on this forum

The whole world wears green and finanlly after Red flag they start thinking. Great move.

 

[su-47]

Do we start marketing IAF on this forum

The whole world wears green and finanlly after Red flag they start thinking. Great move.

better late than never.

 

[Munir]

Should we waste bandwith just to tell that IAF is moving 40 years later to the standard colour?