quadbikeOver 300 join IAF
Following 33 weeks of training at the Mechanical and Workshop Training Institutes at the Indian Air Force Station in Tambaram, 371 young men joined IAF as Airmen after a passing-out parade on Saturday morning.
Air Commodore Sanjay Sharma, Air Officer Commanding, Tambaram, reviewed the parade and handed over trophies to the Airmen who had excelled in academics, sports and other activities. B. Venkateswarlu received the trophy for being the best all-rounder from Mechanical Tranining Institute, while Sachin Kumar received the trophy for being the best all-rounder from Workshop Training Institute.
Demonstrations of rifle fighting during combat, Air Warrior Rifle drill, yoga and aero-modelling were made after the parade. Four men from Myanmar and two from Uganda also completed their training and received certificates from Air Commodore Sanjay Sharma.
quadbikeF-16, Rafale and F 22
quadbikeActually thats the bottom line isn’t it. May India and Pak never fight a war again, while they build up their conventional Arsenals with really capable fighters. They would be a joy to watch :).
Can you Imagine in future in some African conflict of some sort, Indian made LCA going against Pakistani/Chinese JF 17 ? Just like in cold war days when countries fight each other with Russian and American fighters :D, while Americans and Russians never fight.
I can dream….
quadbikeIndo-Singapore Bilateral Naval Exercise–Simbex 2010
The 2010 edition of the ‘SIMBEX’ series of annual bilateral exercises between the Indian Navy and the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), is scheduled to take place in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal between 03 and 16 Apr 2010.
SIMBEX is an acronym for ‘Singapore Indian Maritime Bilateral Exercise’. The bilateral naval cooperation was formalized a decade and a half ago, when RSN ships began training in Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) with the Indian Navy, in 1994. Over the years the exercises have reflected a growth in strength, capability and mutual confidence of the two navies. As such, the exercises have graduated from purely training oriented ASW exercises to complex exercises, involving multiple facets of operations at sea. Successive editions of SIMBEX have progressively incorporated a wider range of sea going serials, ranging from platform specific exercises in Damage control and Fire fighting, through ‘Visit, Board, Search and Seizure’ procedures, all the way to complex three dimensional threat scenarios involving air surface and sub-surface threats. The operational relationship between the two navies has matured to a point where Standard Operating Procedures are well in place on both the sides.
This year’s exercise will be the 17th in the SIMBEX series. The exercise will be undertaken in two separate theatres. Initially in the Andaman Sea and then in the Bay of Bengal. The units participating from the Indian Navy include INS Batti Malv (Fast Attack Craft) and INS Mahish (Landing Ship Tank) from the Andaman & Nicobar Command, IN Ships Ranvir (Destroyer), Jyoti (Tanker) and a submarine from the Eastern Fleet. This will be in addition to fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft. The Republic of Singapore Navy is participating with RSS Intrepid (Formidable Class frigate) and RSS Victory (Victory class missile corvette). The RSN ships would also be making port calls at Port Blair and Visakhapatnam during the exercise.
RSN and IN share a long standing relationship with regular professional interactions, which include exchange programmes, staff talks and cross attendance at courses. SIMBEX is an important out flow of this comprehensive process of bilateral engagement within the maritime domain. It is through these connectivities that the two navies continue to reinforce, the strong maritime bridges of friendship and connect our respective nations.
quadbikequadbikeBharat Heavy Electricals Ltd seeks high-end naval gun ally
New Delhi: State-run Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (Bhel) is expanding its portfolio in the defence sector. Bhel aims to supply higher version of super rapid gun mount (SRGM) naval guns to the ministry of defence.
Total revenue from this order could be in the range of Rs 4,000 crore to Rs 5,000 crore. The company is looking for a technology partner and expects to finalise one in the next 9-12 months.
“The defence ministry has given us the mandate to develop a higher version of SRGM guns. We need the technology for which we will tie up with some foreign player. A lot of players have approached us and we are doing the due diligence,” said B Prasada Rao, chairman and managing director, Bhel.
A senior executive of the company said technology available with European companies looks better than elsewhere in the world.
Therefore, Bhel may strike a deal with a European company, he said.Bhel is currently using the technology of Oto Melara, an Italian company, to manufacture 76mm SRGM naval guns for the Indian Navy.
Currently, over 75% of the company’s revenue come from the power sector. However, gradually, the company is looking to expand its portfolio into other sectors as well.
Meantime, Bhel has reported a street-beating 37% rise in provisional net profit for the year ended March 31, 2010, at Rs 4,287 crore compared with Rs 3,138 crore for the corresponding period last year.
The company is aiming aturnover of $10 billion to $11 billion by 2011-12. Bhel will raise its manufacturing capacity to 20,000 mw by March 2012 from the existing capacity of 15,000 mw.
During 2009-10, the company secured orders worth Rs 59,031 crore. Total orders in hand for execution in 2010-11 and beyond stand at about Rs 43,800 crore currently.On the nuclear plant manufacturing front, the company said it is close to finalising its foreign technology partner. Bhel has signed a pact with Nuclear Power Corporation for making turbo generators required for high capacity nuclear power plants.
quadbikeCoast Guard to procure 40 ships for Indian maritime zone
New Delhi: Strengthening its presence and fleet in the Indian maritime zone to tackle terrorist activities in the post 26/11 scenario, the Indian Coast Guard is planning to procure 40 ships of different types for its fleet.
“We will soon issue global tenders for procuring six Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs), 14 Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs) and 20 interceptor boats for increasing our strength in the maritime boundary along both the eastern and western sea-board,” Coast Guard officials told agency here.
The sea-guarding agency has already initiated the procurement process by issuing a global Request for Information to both Indian and global ship manufacturers.
The vessels, officials said, would be used to protect India’s offshore assets such as oil rigs and fishing trawlers along with launching operations against narcotics smugglers and search and rescue missions.
Of the three different types of ships to be procured, the OPVs would be largest.
The Coast Guard wants OPVs to be around 100 meters long and not weighing more than 2,000 tonnes in displacement and would be operated by a crew of over 100 personnel including officers.
Post 26/11, the Government had approved a massive expansion plan for the Coast Guard.
The country’s 7,500 km long coastline touches nine states and four Union territories and is dotted with 12 major and 180 minor ports.
Coast Guard Chief Vice Admiral Anil Chopra had said the force levels and the manpower in the force will increase by double in “next few years” and triple in the next decade.
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) had sanctioned the 40 ships, 20 boats and 42 aircraft in February last year and later accepted the need for another seven Offshore Patrol vessels, 20 Fast patrol vessels and 12 Dornier aircraft.
Terrorists had used the sea route to enter Mumbai on November 26, 2008 for carrying out attacks on multiple targets in which over 160 people were killed.
Setting up of 227 Coastal Police Stations is also being planned in two phases.
The Coast Guard today commissioned an in-shore patrol vessel at Kakinada port near here.
Commander (EIG) M A Talha, who commissioned the vessel, Gangadevi, said it would protect coastal areas besides providing protection to properties of various oils companies in the Krishna-Godavari Basin.
The vessel would also respond to exigencies of fishermen, he said.
It will also patrol the coastal areas in coordination with Customs and Marine Police, he said.
quadbikeAir Force gives Gripen fighter a second chance
Sweden’s futuristic medium fighter, the Gripen NG, has been given a second chance in the US $11 billion contest to select a Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) for the Indian Air Force. The MoD has asked Gripen International, which last month failed to send the Gripen NG fighter for trials in India on the dates allotted by the IAF, to send the fighter for trials in the middle of May.
Business Standard had reported, on 9th March, that Gripen International had sent older Gripen-D fighters for trials because the Gripen NG was held back in Sweden for improvements for the Swedish Air Force. Technically, that was a violation of the terms of the competition.
But senior IAF officers have told Business Standard that they would not allow a legalistic interpretation of rules to narrow their options. Explains a senior air marshal who is involved in the decision-making, “We have a time window until the middle of this year, during which each of the six fighters in the tender are undergoing three stages of trials and inspections. As long as the Gripen NG is ready for trials within that period, we will evaluate the aircraft. All six vendors will have a level-playing field.”
Besides the Gripen NG, the other fighters being evaluated by the IAF are: the F/A-18 Super Hornet; the F-16IN Super Viper; the Dassault Rafale; the Eurofighter Typhoon; and the MiG-35. While all but the MiG-35 are already in service, the Gripen NG is still under development. Just a single “demonstrator” aircraft has been built to prove its capabilities. Next year, Gripen will build the first Gripen NG prototype.
Gripen International has welcomed the MoD’s decision. Gripen’s India campaign head, Eddy de la Motte, told Business Standard, “Our plan was always to bring the (Gripen NG) demonstrator to India. The Swedish government’s sudden tasking is being completed right now. We will soon be ready to go to India and we will provide the IAF with maximum opportunity to evaluate the fighter.”
The first of these opportunities will come next week, when an IAF team travels to Sweden to evaluate the Gripen’s firing of a “Beyond Visual Range” air-to-air missile. It is learned that Gripen International will make the Gripen NG demonstrator available to IAF pilots, should they wish to fly it in Sweden next week. If the IAF accepts the offer, it will be the first time an Indian pilot flies the Gripen NG, albeit with a Swedish “safety pilot” in the rear cockpit.
While Gripen International expresses confidence in their fighter, it now faces trials in conditions hotter (and, therefore, more unfavourable) than all the other contenders. IAF sources reveal that the Gripen-D performed well in last month’s trials; despite that, the Gripen NG will be put through the full battery of tests, including high altitude testing in Ladakh.
The Gripen NG is significantly more capable than the Gripen D. It has a more powerful GE-414 engine; it carries more fuel and, therefore, has greater range; and, with 10 hard points for weaponry, the Gripen NG has extra teeth. It will also come with a new AESA radar, electronic warfare equipment, and upgraded avionics.
Senior IAF officers, while happy with these features, also highlight the Gripen NG’s downside: a high level of US electronics, weaponry, and the GE-414 engine. And the F-16IN and the Gripen NG are the only two single-engine aircraft in the contest, which places them at a disadvantage in terms of
reliability.
quadbikeRegarding the french, well just wait & see. Remember how many times we heard such stories about RD-93 & so on? Even if true, i think it might have more to do with MMRCA than anything else. & if Rafale is kicked out in first stage, we’ll likely hear something different. As for the 6 bil figure that might be to do with the optional extras, i.e. The whole lot over the years.
Vikas,
The MRCA deal may be worth up to 10-15 billion but thats nothing compared the Nuclear deal France is getting. With the NSG waiver we have Russians, French, British and Americans trying to get more reactor sites. Actually the French lobbying in that was exactly the opposite of what they are doing for the MRCA, they were quick out of the blocks and while the Americans were busy passing their bills, they signed up first for Nuclear commerce and agreed to more concessions.
Now if this continues and France has all this added revenue coming from India, then India will have some sort of leverage on France even when it comes to arms sales to Pakistan.
Unlike you I honestly do not think the French ever thought they had a chance in the MRCA, their PR team is really quiet while they are lobbying hard in Brazil, Kuwait, UAE etc.
quadbikeThe Zhuk-ME is not a bad radar with nearly 120KM range for a fighter sized target. Since the MIG 35 uses the same engines and some K/KUBs serving as Mig 35 test-beds I cannot see why they can’t be upgraded with the Zhuk AE in the future.
India may well get it with the follow on Mig 29K orders. But the reality is IN is not going up against USN or the French Navy, and the 29 Ks can match the Block 52 F 16s of PAF and almost everyhting in the Chinese Arsenal.
quadbikeThis is gonna make some guys happy. The Indian lobby is strong, pity Obama is ignoring them.:rolleyes:
I am sure Pakistan had less money during the 1990s but France did not care.
France has a lot of business to do with India. Forget the arms deals, nuclear commerce is where the money is at (French Companies getting rewarded with reactors), unless Pakistan gets an NSG waiver I do not see much changing.
And it would be nice to keep IAF discussion in IAF threads, but Pakistani members must do the same.
Landing on highways is a very desirable capability which is often overlooked. Sweden made their fighters that way because they were sure their airfields would be overwhelmed by Russians in a possible war. In Pakistan’s case it makes a lot of sense to do the same.
quadbikePHOTO: Indo-Singapore Bilateral Naval Exercise SIMBEX 2010
The exercise will be undertaken in two separate theatres. Initially in the Andaman Sea and then in the Bay of Bengal. The units participating from the Indian Navy include INS Batti Malv (Fast Attack Craft) and INS Mahish (Landing Ship Tank) from the Andaman & Nicobar Command, INS Ranvir (Destroyer), Jyoti (Tanker) and a submarine from the Eastern Fleet. This will be in addition to fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft. The Republic of Singapore Navy is participating with RSS Intrepid (Formidable-class frigate) and RSS Victory (Victory-class missile corvette).
quadbikeBoeing Won’t Bid For Indian Tanker Until KC-X Headache Ends
What’s six tankers, when you’ve got a deal for 179 tankers weighing on your head? Boeing has officially said that it won’t even consider participating in India’s soon to be re-tendered mid-air refuelling tanker competition (six aircraft) with its 767-based tanker until it has finished roadrolling its way to victory in the similarly dubious US Air Force contract for 179 refuellers. Boeing responded to a query I sent in with this: “Only upon the outcome of the KC-X competition for replacement U.S. Air Force aerial refueling tankers will we be able to fully determine our ability to participate in future international competitions. Boeing is committed to helping our international customers meet their military requirements, but we are not in a position now to discuss in any detail interest expressed by specific customers. Generally, however, when our international customers issue a request for information or interest we conduct a detailed evaluation or the request, study our inventory of potential offerings and make a decision based on that information.”
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