Indian Air Force : News, Pics and Discussion thread

When is the LCA going to be inducted into the AF?

And about this talk of LCA being obsolete 80's tech is in my openion is a little pre-mature as some of the envisioned tech of MCA and existing tech of MKI would have found place in some form in the LCA.

and for the LCA being inferior to Gripen and the likes we have to wait till the full operational spec of LCA is known.

what's your take DD3?.

My take on what?

LCA capabilities?
Much has been said about that; its not a let down in terms of what it was designed for, definitely; timelines are something that have left many disappointed though.
I expect FOC by 2010 latest;with or without the Kaveri.

Wouldnt the LCA be dropped in favour of F18e of F16e.
i know they must of spent heaps of $$$$$$
usa throwing everything at them.

NO way..
Can't drop indigenous aircraft production..
That's like sitting on the wrong side of a tree branch and sawing it off!
The $$$ spent are a problem, but the solution isn't to close the program itself.
If India has to have a sustained fighter industry in the future, the LCA has to see FOC and production.
Its not a bad a/c; just a budgetary fiasco..
Its a decent a/c; believe me!

The ~126 F-16/F-18(or others) etc are coming irrespective of the LCA numbers.
I'd prefer a Rafale/MiG 35/Eurofighter to an F-16 blk 70 or a superhornet though

Originally posted by Daedalus3
NO way..
Can't drop indigenous aircraft production..
That's like sitting on the wrong side of a tree branch and sawing it off!
The $$$ spent are a problem, but the solution isn't to close the program itself.
If India has to have a sustained fighter industry in the future, the LCA has to see FOC and production.
Its not a bad a/c; just a budgetary fiasco..
Its a decent a/c; believe me!

The ~126 F-16/F-18(or others) etc are coming irrespective of the LCA numbers.
I'd prefer a Rafale/MiG 35/Eurofighter to an F-16 blk 70 or a superhornet though

screw the frogs down in price and get rafale's now that would look sweet
in Indian colours

Since the a/c forum has been host to many a heated discussions on the LCA program I thought this milestone was worth reporting:

LCA first Limited Series Production unit(LSP-1) makes successful maiden flight:

After all the hiccups and delays the LCA has entered series production. As of this flight the LCA has completed 658 test flights. I wonder how this number compares to other flight test regimes of a/c like the Grippen, Rafale,Typhoon,F-22, F-35, J-10 etc..

However there are still the variables of the Kaveri engine and the MM Radar which will not be finalised for a couple of years.

There are 8 LSP a/c on order:

Limited Series Production (LSP) aircraft:

Currently, 8 LSP series aircraft are on order.

* LSP-1 (KH2011) - 25 April 2007
* LSP-2 - Expected to fly in mid-2007.
* LSP-3 - Will be the first aircraft to have the MMR and will be close to IOC
* LSP-4 to LSP-8 - Planned to fly by late 2008.

Official Press Release

Light Combat Aircraft makes successful maiden flight

In other news reports, the INS Vikramadtiya, the new carrier for the IN, has been grossly delayed and run in overcosts..
Because of an underestimation of cable lengths!!


www.india-defence.com...

Still looking for more news reports(Russian even) to confirm this.

^^
Well I guess the above has been more or less confirmed.

In other developments, India deploys and entire sqn of Su-30s in the east to forward air force base.

in.reuters.com...

Originally posted by Daedalus3
In other news reports, the INS Vikramadtiya, the new carrier for the IN, has been grossly delayed and run in overcosts..
Because of an underestimation of cable lengths!!

www.india-defence.com...

Still looking for more news reports(Russian even) to confirm this.

Thats riduculas really.
delays cost money.

Interesting reads :

Messerschmitt's HA-300 and its Indian Connection


and for the more technically oriented :

DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF ANTENNA PLATFORM FOR LCA MULTI-MODE RADAR

Yeah.. I read that article before..
But guess what?!
Waynos had given us a heads up on it all much before..
We had this thread about Kurt Tank and the Argentinian jets in the 50s..

EDIT:

btw.. I read somewhere that Messe didn't help out with the HF-24 project so the IAF had to go find Kurt Tank

[edit on 14-8-2007 by Daedalus3]

The IAF to deploy a sqn of Su-30MKI a/c at an airbase just 100km(?) from the Chinese border.

Source

The formation of new MKI sqns within the IAF was inevitable as it is perceived that post 2015, there will 11 sqns of MKIs, with 20-25 a/c per sqn that will add up to a total of ~240 aircraft (200 initial order + 40 ordered on fast-track).

However the extremely forward deployment of such a frontline Air-Sup fighter(just the 4th sqn being formed if I am not mistaken) comes as somewhat of a surprise..

More on IAF Su-30 MKI deployments close to the chinese border:

As part of the counter-measures against the Chinese build-up of military infrastructure in the Tibet Autonomous Region and south China, India will progressively base squadrons of its most potent fighter Sukhoi-30MKIs in the eastern sector from 2008-2009 onwards.

"The first two squadrons, with 36 fighters, will be based at Tezpur airbase. The MiG-21s at Tezpur were phased out earlier this month. Now, the runway at the airbase will undergo a renovation, coupled with an infrastructure upgrade to house the Sukhois," said an IAF officer. The move is significant since the multi-role Sukhoi 'air dominance' fighters, which have a cruising speed of 3,200 km, can strike targets deep inside China after taking off from Tezpur.........

........Incidentally, the People's Liberation Army (Air Force) has established at least four airbases in Tibet and three in south China to mount operations against India. But since these bases are located at an average height of 10,000 feet, the weapon-carrying load of Chinese fighters is somewhat restricted.

India, on its part, has so far based its Sukhois only at Pune and Bareilly, though they have operated from as diverse places as the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Halwara......

Source

So India actively responding to a percieved Chinese military buildup in Tibet.
And as the bold text in the excerpt states, it is only the first two sqns.


[edit on 28-9-2007 by Daedalus3]

Adding to that DD3, IAF has unveild SU 30MKI Phase-3.

in.news.yahoo.com...

www.ibnlive.com...

I'd like to know the significance of this!.

In parenthesis is the radar

Su-30MKI Phase-I (N011M Mk.1)
Only Air-to-Air modes

Su-30MKI Phase-II (N011M Mk.2)
Ability to engage targets with four R-77
Ground mapping
Ground/Sea target search and lock
Integrated with Kh-31A and Kh-59ME

Su-30MKI Phase-III (N011M Mk.3)
Russian C101 radar computer replaced by Indian processor.
Ground attack mode with simultaneus air target search
Integration with Rafael Litening pod

The further models of MKI expected are:

Su-30MKI (N011M)
2007 debut
New gimbals for the moving antenna: +/-100 degrees azimuth & elevation
New computer: 180 km tracking range

Su-30MKI (Irbis)
2010 debut

Link : vayu-sena.tripod.com...

Will post more in case I find some more

[edit on 1-10-2007 by vedas]

Found a audit report of MoD on Su-30 MKI

Have a look

cag.nic.in...

another good read.........

www.idsa.in...

DRDO DELIVERS ENVIRONMENTAL SURVEY VEHICLE (ESV) TO INDIAN NAVY
An Environmental Survey Vehicle (ESV), developed by the DRDO, was formally handed over to the Indian Navy here today. Scientific Advisor to Defence Minister and DRDO Chief Shri M. Natarajan handed over the ESV to Vice Admiral Nirmal Verma, Vice Chief of Naval Staff, at a function held at DRDO Bhawan.

Defence Laboratory, Jodhpur has designed and developed this ESV for Indian Navy. ESV is a radiological laboratory on wheels and is equipped with the state-of-art instruments. It is capable of estimating radioactivity in field conditions in solid, liquids and air. The qualitative and quantitative assay will be helpful to certify the suitability of eatables, drinkables and inhaleables in the field conditions from radiation safety angle for coastal areas. It is capable to measure alpha, beta and gamma radiation quantitatively and qualitatively to even very low level of radioactivity thereby facilitating early detection of any unusual increase in radioactivity in the area. The ESV is also capable to detect any intentional or unintentional release of radioactivity in a marine environment. Needless to say, the capabilities of this vehicle will find increased utility in the changing security environment.

Accepting the ESV on behalf of Indian Navy, Vice Admiral Nirmal Verma commended the DRDO for its efforts in completing the project in the stipulated time.

From press release section of mod.nic.in...

Some news on MRCA 126 deal

Foreign Bidders Seek Deadline Extension for India’s MMRCA
The deadline for submitting bids for India’s $10 billion Medium Multi-Range Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) is likely to be extended by another six months.
Foreign vendors have made repeated requests for the Ministry of Defence to extend the acceptance of bids beyond the current March 8, 2008, deadline, ministry sources said.
The foreign vendors say they need extra time to submit their technical bids, especially in view of the conditions India has attached to the contract, including requirements for 50 percent in offsets and the transfer of several critical technologies.
A senior executive for one foreign vendor invited to bid on the program said privately that his company is finding the Indian request for proposals (RfP) vague and unclear on several points, so compiling the technical bids could require extra time.
The RfPs were sent out 18 months after the request for information was floated in December 2005. An extension of the bid deadline would further delay the procurement. Moreover, the tenure of the United Progressive Alliance government, which ends in mid-2009, is likely to be another drag on the process.
It is estimated that the first MMRCA will not be inducted until after 2017, adding to the pressure on the Indian air force’s depleting fleet strength, a senior air force official said.

Link


2017????????

Until then I think even the 5th generation fighters will be obsolete.

This is bad

[edit on 1-10-2007 by vedas]

Some more stuff on MRCA

India Aircraft Tech Proposal May Be Hard To Enforce, Ministry Says
NEW DELHI — India wants technology transfer from whomever it picks to supply its 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA), but Defence Ministry sources say it will be tough to enforce that provision, especially if a U.S. aircraft is picked.
In its request for proposals in the estimated $10 billion program, ministry officials required that all but 18 of the aircraft be at least partially manufactured in India, with licensed production of the engines, avionics, radar, equipment, tooling, and various systems and accessories. The foreign plane maker will be required to assist Indian firms so that manufacturing can begin within 48 months of signing a contract.
It also requires that Indian partners handle depot-level maintenance and support for the aircraft and associated equipment.
Some say negotiating such a large amount of technology transfer could delay the program up to four years.
Ministry sources said transferring technology will be easier for Russian and European firms, which are more familiar with Indian procurement procedures, than for American companies, which will find it difficult to negotiate without involving the U.S. government.
“India’s considered political stand on some geopolitical issues as Iran is likely to create some challenges, so it may entail a delay,” said defense analyst Rahul Bhonsle, a retired Indian Army brigadier.
Several foreign vendors said they had begun looking for Indian firms to work with on bids for the contract.
“Boeing really doesn’t look at [offsets] as obligations, but as long-term opportunities to bring win-win business and industrial benefits to India and to Boeing,” said Vivek Lall, who runs Integrated Defense Systems-Boeing India, voicing the same kind of sentiment publicly expressed by EADS and Lockheed Martin, as well.
But privately, several said they doubted the firms were ready for the kind of multibillion-dollar, high-tech infusion the government is seeking. Hindustan Aeronautics has been designated the lead production agency for the airframe, engine and assembly, with production of other systems to be given to private or state-owned firms.
They also voiced displeasure with the recent increase in offset requirement from 30 percent to 50 percent. Defence Ministry sources also said the cumbersome offset laws would delay progress by more than 20 months.
All told, it could take 10 years to settle the procurement details in this contract, India’s biggest since independence, and another four or five to begin production.
“The obstacles, especially the political obstacles, will vary widely depending on who lands the deal,” said Dhruva Jaishankar, South Asia analyst at the Brookings Institution in Washington.
“The Russians are the status quo military supplier to India, so a decision to buy MiGs will produce no backlash from the political establishment. After the purchase of Mirages and Scorpene subs by India, the French have also proved politically uncontroversial, and the expectation is that other European manufacturers in competition — the Eurofighter consortium and Saab — will prove generally agreeable.
A political backlash may follow a decision to buy American — either the Super Hornet or the F-16, especially if the decision comes soon upon the heels of the Indo-U.S. nuclear agreement.”
Deba Mohanty, defense analyst with the New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation, said strategic considerations likely would dictate the decision.
“It does not seem to me that the government will find difficulties in selection on technological grounds, as all of the systems in question meet almost all operational requirements,” Mohanty said. “The technical and commercial evaluation may not necessarily be a hindrance, although the former could cause some anxiety on a variety of grounds.”

Link