quadbikeHAL actually wanted a lot more per fighter. But agreed to the deal under a bit of arm-twisting by the government and lack of other work/major contracts.
quadbikeThe same reason they did it to Turkey, Saudi Arabia & Qatar. Turkey is due to receive its S-400’s in July and now the US is cancelling Turkey’s participation in the F-35 and imposing CAATSA sanctions on its so-called NATO ally. What is ironic is that NASA can still trade with Russia. LOL
The US does not want to loose its arms markets and hence will not shy away from threatening nations with sanctions etc in order to get its way.
It will be U,S’ loss really not India’s. The only worry for India is the Tejas’ programme which is dependent on U.S engines.
quadbike‘Visual. And Locked’: Abhinandan’s Last Radio Call Before He Fired F-16 ‘Kill Shot’
Visual. And locked. That was the final radio call from IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman’s MiG-21 Bison before he pushed a button on his stick, letting loose the only weapon fired by the eight Indian jets in the air at the time. The weapon he fired, a Vympel R-73, was seen hitting the jet he was pursuing across the Line of Control. His own radar warning receiver was blaring by this time, and while he said to have attempted countermeasures to ‘go cold’, his aircraft was struck by what is believed to be an AIM-20 AMRAAM missile, bringing him and his jet down across the Line of Control in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
The word ‘visual’ is, interestingly, US Air Force pilot-speak for ‘friendly aircraft in sight’, as opposed to ‘tally’, which denotes an enemy aircraft in visual range.
I have a couple of questions after reading these
On the morning of February 27 — a day after Indian air strikes in Balakot, Pakistan — the Indian Air Force had two standing combat air patrols in the Jammu & Kashmir area — a pair of upgraded Mirage 2000s and two Su-30 MKIs, along with a Netra airborne early warning and control jet and a Phalcon AWACS keeping watch. The initial ‘pick-up’ of the approaching Pakistan Air Force fighter package was by ground radars. The inbound force was a large one, comprising at least 24 PAF jets in separate loose formations. Among the jets were at least three Dassault Mirage III aircraft armed with strike weapons. When the formation crossed from Pakistan in airspace over PoK, the Indian Air Force scrambled six MiG-21 Bison interceptors — three from Srinagar and three from Avantipora.
The R-73 fired by Wing Commander Abhinandan was the only Indian weapon launched during the aerial engagement, leading the Indian Air Force to officially attribute the F-16 kill to him. None of the other jets launched weapons — IAF sources suggest this was owing to a lack of target solutions at beyond visual range, though this will be the subject of investigation. It is also likely that rules of engagement had been modified, though the IAF has refused to confirm or deny. Several such questions remain unanswered at this time, including just why even a large package of fighters were able to test the ‘air superiority’ capabilities of the Su-30 MKI, the flagship of the Indian Air Force.
1. The Mirage 2000 Upgrades have access to Mica EM and the Su 30s and the Bisons can use R 77 / R27 BVR missiles. Why were they not used ? Especially when PAF fighters have had them locked.
2. What was the point of a RoE that does not let you fire back/lock back. Were all Indian assets flying with just guns and WVR missiles ?
quadbikeBoom or Bust: What Science Tells Us About What Went Down in Balakot
The challenge is to correlate the limited damage visible in satellite imagery with the effects of different kinds of explosives on a structure like the madrasa building.
quadbikeElectronic evidence? Did they hire some of MH17’s russian experts ?
:rolleyes: It’s still disputed as far as I am concerned. I do not believe in the narrative that western experts are neutral and Russian ones are partial.
Russia has always stood by our side and have not been seasonal allies like U.S or U.K. The three nations India can always count on are Russia, Israel and to a lesser degree France.
Russians are leasing us a second Nuclear sub for example.
quadbikeIt has been more than a week, where is Abhinandan? I’m sure his debriefing could not have taken this much time. Has he re-joined active service? We are seeing his pics being used by BJP election candidates. Does Indian election commission even allow the use of active armed forces personnel pics for election campaign?
Election is not yet declared yet. The code of conduct comes into force once election is declared. And it’s usually adhered to.
As for Abhinandan he is undergoing health checkups and will fly once deemed fit. He may or may not address the media, that depends on the AF/GoI.
quadbikeNEW DELHI: An Indian Air Force MiG-21 Bison, piloted by Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, shot down a Pakistan Air Force F-16 fighter aircraft and there are eyewitness accounts as well as electronic evidence for it, the Ministry of External Affairs said Saturday. It also said evidence on the use of F-16 fighter jets by Pakistan is there in the form of parts of AMRAAM missile recovered from the site, which is carried only by F-16 aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force.
Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar, at a media briefing, said an Indian Air Force MiG-21 Bison, piloted by Wing Commander Varthaman, shot down a Pakistan Air Force F-16 fighter aircraft and there are eyewitness accounts and electronic evidence for it.
Hopefully electronic evidence will be released soon.
quadbikePrecisely.
It does help if one applies such analytical skills to every situation though.
One of the perils of modern historical writing is its staunch reliance on objective evidence, even in cases where it is not applicable. For example material evidence and written evidence cover only a tiny bit of what actually went on in the past. So you are left comparing accounts and relying on what is consistent as a more plausible explanation.
We have accounts from both sides that more than one jet went down. And there is no material evidence apart from the wreckage of the MiG. Now either India or Pakistan is lying about a jet and its pilots. If you want objective analysis then you need to do two things.
1. Treat the strikes on 26th and the engagement on 27th as related yet different events. Now IAF narrative about strikes flies in the face of material evidence gathered so far. So in objective analysis you needn’t believe their accounts and I doubt neutrals will unless IAF releases more footage/images.
2. But on the evens about 27th Indian version of events is more plausible, chiefly because of the following reasons.
a. Indian narrative had been consistent throughout. It said it lost a plane and a pilot (who was captured) and it shot down an F-16. You do not see a change in that narrative to date.
b. Now Pakistan claimed that * It has shot down to Indian jets. * It had two Indian Pilots * F 16 was not used. All three of which were proven to be false.
c. So far India gave the only material evidence it had the AMRAAM C-5 wreckage.
quadbikeCountry needs Rafale jets to defend itself from F-16s, Centre tells SC:
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/…w/68290631.cmsSome good PR for Lockheed Martin. I hope the attorney general isnt accused of being bribed. :angel:
That is just politics. The government is in trouble at the SC with accusations of bribes in the Rafale deal. The government is trying hard to stop the court from ordering a probe, the remark by attorney general is intended for just that.
quadbikeIndian Air Force airlifts 514 stranded passengers in J&K
As many as 105 passengers were airlifted in two sorties from Srinagar to Kargil, 41 passengers from Kargil to Srinagar, 62 passengers from Jammu to Kargil and eight from Kargil to Jammu, said State Coordinator, Kargil Courier Service, Aamir Ali.
quadbike3rd time in 9 days: Pakistan stops media from visiting madrassa bombed by IAF
Pakistani security officials on Thursday prevented a Reuters team from climbing a hill in northeastern Pakistan to the site of a madrassa and a group of surrounding buildings that was targeted by Indian warplanes last week.
It is the third time in the past nine days that Reuters reporters have visited the area – and each time the path up to what villagers say was a religious school run at one time by terrorist group Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) and what the Indian government says was a “terrorist” training camp – was blocked.
They need more preparation time perhaps.
quadbikeIndian Air Force MiG-21 fighter jet crashes in Rajasthan’s Bikaner, pilot ejects Bikaner is right near the border with Pakistan , around 70km as the crow flies.
Yes please attribute all MiG 21 crashes to PAF shoot downs.
quadbike
India is on course to lease out a second Akula-II nuclear-powered attack submarine from Russia with the two countries hammering out a deal worth almost $3 billion on Thursday, two officials said on the condition of anonymity.
The Indian Navy currently operates one Akula-II attack submarine, called Chakra II, leased from Russia in 2012 for 10 years. The second Akula-II being leased is likely to join the Navy in five to six years and will be called Chakra-III, the officials said. It will be the third Russian submarine to be leased to the Indian Navy.
quadbikeDuring the Balakot air strikes, the Indian Air Force (IAF) went in for “clinical precision” and hit the intended targets, a senior defence official said on Thursday.
“The IAF didn’t go in for propaganda bombing. The objective was to hit the targets but avoid collateral damage to possible non-militant staff in adjacent buildings. The munitions were chosen accordingly,” the official said.
quadbikeAs for the future, being a weaker conventional power, Pakistan will never let India have the benefit of engage in a conventional conflict only. What this incident has proven is that Pakistan is fully committed to brining Nuclear weapons into the fight as soon as possible. The swift retaliation by PAF attacking near military targets was to force India to respond in kind so the escalation ladder is quickly climbed to a point where exchange of nuclear weapons would be imminent. And that is the only thing holding India back.
India is the world’s seventh largest country by land area and the second most populous. We also have islands where Pakistani missiles or Nukes cannot reach (thanks to Brits) and (albeit limited) sea based deterrence. So Trust me Pakistani Nukes will not hold India back beyond a point if Pakistani backed terror outfits continue their attacks.
In a nuclear war, India my lose half her population and all her major cities. But Pakistan will be wiped of the map and occupied and reunited with India (its not just the Chinese who have ambitions to go back to their ancient borders my friend). In the short term it may look like stupidity. But if you think like historians do, in a couple of hundred years it will be worth it.
But the fact is that it does not have to be that way. India accepts Pakistan as it is and is more or less happy with the status quo, if Pakistan wishes to change it, an increasingly assertive India (that you will see in the coming decades) will make sure its changed in a way that is favourable to us.
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