Indian Air Force News thread.
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walter said:
US government probably will approve. With the Saudis now turning to European military products, the US is definetely looking for other customers.
ArjunMk1 said:
not true. India would not be getting used US planes, so no 'space' would be made for 5th gen US aircraft. Pakistan is another story. I think the US has to reward Pakistan for being compliant in 'the war on terrorism' as it is called, but the US doesn't wish to sell top line tech out of fear it will get into the hands of the Chinese...so Pakistan is offered used F-16s to compliment the ones they already have. Other nations that have recently purchased F-16s have all gotten new-builds, in many cases with superior avioncs suites than what USAF currently has (UAE F-16 blocks 60s, for example).
Indianfighter
Junior Member
India to buy more fighter jets for forces
By Rahul Bedi, New Delhi: India is likely to expand a proposal to buy multi-role combat aircraft from 126 jets at present to 180-190, with the additional aircraft going to the navy.
The jets that are in the race for the deal include France's Rafale, the F-16 and F-18 of the US, Russia's MiG-35, Sweden's JAS-39 Gripen and the Eurofighter Typhoon, senior officials confirmed.
The increase in the number of jets to be bought would significantly boost the cost of the deal to around $10 billion or even more, defence ministry officials told IANS.
The officials indicated that the Indian navy's plans to augment its strike capability and range to deal with "out of area contingencies" had delayed the defence ministry's request for proposals for the jets, over a year after the Indian Air Force (IAF) first publicly declared its intent to import 126 fighters.
The Rafale and Typhoon were not initially under consideration but had recently entered the race.
Till recently, France's Mirage 2000-5 was also in the running but its manufacturer, Dassault Aviation, has informed the Indian government of its decision to stop making the jet.
"We are on the verge of closing the Mirage fighter assembly line and want to offer India a quantum jump in technology in the shape of the upgraded multi-mission Rafale," Dassault head Chacks Edelstenne told Minister of State for Defence Rao Inderjit Singh during President Jacques Chirac's visit to India Feb 19.
Dassault is believed to have informed the IAF - which operates around 50 Mirage 2000s - that the extensive Mirage repair and servicing facilities created at great expense by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd at Bangalore would need "limited modification" to accommodate the Rafale jet because this fighter has much in the common with the Mirage series.
In the late 1990s Dassault had pulled its Alphajet trainer out of the race for an IAF contract for 66 trainer jets after it stopped producing the aircraft while waiting for India to decide.
The British Hawk was eventually awarded the $1.7 billion deal in September 2003 after nearly two decades of negotiation.
The IAF chief, Air Chief Marshal S.P. Tyagi had declared in November that the request for the 126 jets would be issued "within a month".
But officials said this was in the process of being "reworked" collectively in light of the Indian Navy's requirement and in all likelihood it would be issued "soon".
The navy is poised for large-scale hardware acquisitions that include maritime reconnaissance aircraft, helicopters, submarines, frigates and two aircraft carriers by 2012 for an extended operational role in the Indian Ocean region.
IAF officials feel that in the light of declining fighter force levels - expected to fall to around 29 combat squadrons by 2010 - the acquisition of the new jets has already been delayed by several years.
Defence ministry officials said the delay in dispatching the request for the new jets was also due to lack of clarity in the government's revised defence procurement procedures that mandate a 30 percent offset in all arms contracts worth over Rs.3 billion.
"Elucidation on offsets has acquired immediacy as India is poised for a massive weapons buying spree that includes the new jets," a senior official said.
Source:
By Rahul Bedi, New Delhi: India is likely to expand a proposal to buy multi-role combat aircraft from 126 jets at present to 180-190, with the additional aircraft going to the navy.
The jets that are in the race for the deal include France's Rafale, the F-16 and F-18 of the US, Russia's MiG-35, Sweden's JAS-39 Gripen and the Eurofighter Typhoon, senior officials confirmed.
The increase in the number of jets to be bought would significantly boost the cost of the deal to around $10 billion or even more, defence ministry officials told IANS.
The officials indicated that the Indian navy's plans to augment its strike capability and range to deal with "out of area contingencies" had delayed the defence ministry's request for proposals for the jets, over a year after the Indian Air Force (IAF) first publicly declared its intent to import 126 fighters.
The Rafale and Typhoon were not initially under consideration but had recently entered the race.
Till recently, France's Mirage 2000-5 was also in the running but its manufacturer, Dassault Aviation, has informed the Indian government of its decision to stop making the jet.
"We are on the verge of closing the Mirage fighter assembly line and want to offer India a quantum jump in technology in the shape of the upgraded multi-mission Rafale," Dassault head Chacks Edelstenne told Minister of State for Defence Rao Inderjit Singh during President Jacques Chirac's visit to India Feb 19.
Dassault is believed to have informed the IAF - which operates around 50 Mirage 2000s - that the extensive Mirage repair and servicing facilities created at great expense by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd at Bangalore would need "limited modification" to accommodate the Rafale jet because this fighter has much in the common with the Mirage series.
In the late 1990s Dassault had pulled its Alphajet trainer out of the race for an IAF contract for 66 trainer jets after it stopped producing the aircraft while waiting for India to decide.
The British Hawk was eventually awarded the $1.7 billion deal in September 2003 after nearly two decades of negotiation.
The IAF chief, Air Chief Marshal S.P. Tyagi had declared in November that the request for the 126 jets would be issued "within a month".
But officials said this was in the process of being "reworked" collectively in light of the Indian Navy's requirement and in all likelihood it would be issued "soon".
The navy is poised for large-scale hardware acquisitions that include maritime reconnaissance aircraft, helicopters, submarines, frigates and two aircraft carriers by 2012 for an extended operational role in the Indian Ocean region.
IAF officials feel that in the light of declining fighter force levels - expected to fall to around 29 combat squadrons by 2010 - the acquisition of the new jets has already been delayed by several years.
Defence ministry officials said the delay in dispatching the request for the new jets was also due to lack of clarity in the government's revised defence procurement procedures that mandate a 30 percent offset in all arms contracts worth over Rs.3 billion.
"Elucidation on offsets has acquired immediacy as India is poised for a massive weapons buying spree that includes the new jets," a senior official said.
Source:
Indianfighter
Junior Member
Tejas light combat aircraft completes 500th flight test
BANGALORE, MAR 9 (PTI)
'Tejas', the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft, completed its 500th flight test here today.
The aircraft was successfuly test flown by Gp. Capt. N Harish, the Aeronautical Development Agency said in a statement.
The aircraft flew at 1.4 mach, 12 km altitude and the flight duration was 27 minutes.
"This flight was part of the ongoing flight test programme towards operational clearance of Tejas aircraft," the statement said.
The 500th flight of Tejas Prototype Vehicle, in IAF colours, was witnessed by Air Marshal A K Nagalia, Deputy Chief of Air Staff, IAF.
Fullscale engineering development activity involving integration of sensors and weapons as well as concurrent limited series production of Tejas aircraft is progressing satisfactorily, according to ADA.
IAF has cleared induction of the first Tejas squadron into operational service. Formal Government approval for Tejas production programme is awaited, it added.
Source:
BANGALORE, MAR 9 (PTI)
'Tejas', the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft, completed its 500th flight test here today.
The aircraft was successfuly test flown by Gp. Capt. N Harish, the Aeronautical Development Agency said in a statement.
The aircraft flew at 1.4 mach, 12 km altitude and the flight duration was 27 minutes.
"This flight was part of the ongoing flight test programme towards operational clearance of Tejas aircraft," the statement said.
The 500th flight of Tejas Prototype Vehicle, in IAF colours, was witnessed by Air Marshal A K Nagalia, Deputy Chief of Air Staff, IAF.
Fullscale engineering development activity involving integration of sensors and weapons as well as concurrent limited series production of Tejas aircraft is progressing satisfactorily, according to ADA.
IAF has cleared induction of the first Tejas squadron into operational service. Formal Government approval for Tejas production programme is awaited, it added.
Source:
Indianfighter
Junior Member
LCA-Tejas has completed 503 Test Flights successfully. (17-Mar-06).
LCA has completed 503 Test Flights successfully (TD1-172, TD2-211, PV1-117,PV2-3).
117th flight of Tejas PV1 occurred on 16th Mar 06.
Cdr Maoulankar, Navy Pilot flew LCA-Tejas PV1 on 16-Mar-06.
Source:
LCA has completed 503 Test Flights successfully (TD1-172, TD2-211, PV1-117,PV2-3).
117th flight of Tejas PV1 occurred on 16th Mar 06.
Cdr Maoulankar, Navy Pilot flew LCA-Tejas PV1 on 16-Mar-06.
Source:
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