RamachandranIt has an entry in Russia’s Arms 2004:
KAB-500S-E Controlled Air bomb.
Ensures engagement of targets, the coordinates of which are known in advance or can be assigned from the carrier aircraft during release preparation.
Specs: Size kg: 500
length: 3m
Body diameter 350-400mm
fin span 750mm
warhead weight at least 380kg
warhead HE concrete piercing
combat use conditions day and night in difficult weather conditions
fuze contact with three types of delay
guidance accuracy 5-10mdrop conditions are listed as 550km/h to 1,100km/h from heights of 500m to 10km.
Any chance India would be getting it soon.
Ramachandrani think its mostly due to money and timing.
Al-Q might be well funded, but they still cant afford to really splash out (9/11 cost them something like $100,000). also, in order to throw off money trackers, Al-Q splintered its financial assets into numourus small banking accounts or turned it into hard currency to be carried by agents. as such, it would be very difficult to get the amount of money needed to the right ppl in a short period of time (as almost all counter-terrorist agencies closely monitor suspicious currency movements), but the longer it takes to set up an opt, the greater the chance of it being detected and stopped.
the timing element is that the more complex an attack, the longer it will take to plan and propair, and chances are, the more ppl will need to be involved. hence the chances of detection rises in relation to the complexity of the planned attack.
there is also the training factor. moder soilders spend many years or their whole lives training to do their duties, Al-Q operatives might get a few months if they are lucky, and a few weeks if not. so u cant really expect them to be that able to carry out complex and well timed assaults.
well, it really depends on how much u want the victory i supose. the old saying, ‘victory goes to those who want it the most’ still ring true today.
Very much true. In banana republics motivation would be a problem especially given the political atmosphere.
RamachandranThe glide module of the Angara SLV
So…. the GLONASS ……. coming to FULL LIFE in near future means ……
Indian Su-30MKI, MiG-29’s M2K, Jags, MiG-27s, Tejas LCA etc etc wud be equipped with the GLONASS recievers.
Not to mention for the first time an Indian Global Nav system for civilian uses in India ……
And so will be the Ballistic missiles which earlier shied away from GPS wud be using the GLONASS for high precision conventional strike! ….. it cud not have come at a better time, though it was to Happen earlier, but for the obvious usual suspects.
Cool.
RamachandranVladimir Putin praises Russia-India Agreements on space
Source:From same link above.President Vladimir Putin praised the signing of a new framework inter-governmental agreement on cooperation in the field of outer space research and use for peaceful purposes.
Speaking at a press conference in New Delhi after the end of the negotiations, the Russian President said the following: “Actually, a real mechanism of effective interaction between our states in outer space has been created, including the implementation of large-scale programs and projects.”
In his opinion, this work progresses rhythmically and consistently from year to year.
Within the framework of the Russian President’s visit to India, the parties also signed an agreement in the field of joint development and operation of the GLONASS Russian global navigation satellite system.
As head of Russia’s Federal Space Agency Anatoly Perminov told RIA Novosti and some leading Indian mass media sources, “this is very important for us because the space sector of this navigation system is in its uncompleted form in Russia and is missing in India,” Mr. Perminov stressed.
“We agreed both to restore this system by joint efforts and organize its transition to new GLONASS-M and GLONASS-K space devices,” the head of Russia’s space agency specified.
As Anatoly Perminov told RIA Novosti, by 2007 Russia intended to increase, with the participation of India, the grouping of GLONASS global navigation system to 18 satellites. Today 11 GLONASS satellites are operational in orbits.
Both Russian and Indian boosters will deliver GLONASS global system navigation satellites into outer space. “We shall launch these space devices both from Russian space centers and from the Indian space center with the use of Indian boosters,” he said. For this purpose, we shall have to create jointly a ground component,” the head of Russia’s space agency added.
It would be fair to say that the 11 satellites already in orbit would be covering strategic points in the Russian sphere of interest for military purposes alone, and most probably the value for India in military terms would be quite negligible. The launch of the additional satellites would extend the coverage to the global realm and would be of great strategic importance to India, providing us with the ability to take out terrorist training camps with pinpoint accuracy, and in times of war could prove the decisive weapon.
Very commendable and true strategic partnership. The defence improves, the offence is more offensive :D, and the common man gains too through civilian applications.
RamachandranIt all comes down to delivering an explosion on the ground. If you have no money to buy PGMs, you try to use a guy strapped with explosives to get to the target. For a military with money, it’s hard to come up with a scenario in which a kamikaze does that better than a guided bomb or missile.
Exactly, its economics that plays the major role determining the use of Kamikaze. A “poor” fighter’s last resort.
The Japanese had the code of bushido, honor above death, that made them so willing to sacrifice their lives for a higher cause, and the same thing in a perverse form runs through the minds of the modern day terrorists. But it is extremely unlikely that any armed force of any nation would officially acknowledge the use of kamikaze as a military tactic.
The falkland war, as rightly said, could have been won through kamikaze, but sacrificing one’s life for a small island with no other major gain seems unlikely motivation for a kamikaze attack. Even if endorsed by the govt, i doubt interest on any individual’s part.
Regards.
RamachandranThe Japanese Kamikaze attack was effectively a method to place a large amount of high explosive onto a ship target with maximum efficiency.
Today guided missiles replicate that function. Seeker technology replaces the man at the stick. Modern warships are well equipped to deal with antiship missile attack and an antiship missile is a much harder target to engage than an aircraft. Airborne suicide attacks against warships therefore offers little prospect of success.
The USS Cole was hit, in many respects, by a kamikaze attack performed by hostiles in a light boat. That was a one shot deal though and force protection is now a primary consideration for warships transitting choke point areas. As an antiship tactic Kamikaze, therefore, offers little potential for success.
Ironically Kamikaze tactics have been proven viable, today, in asymmetric warfare against undefended targets. Think World Trade Centre for any verification on that one. There will always be more vulnerable, non-combattant, targets than defensive sysytems to protect them so, on face value, the Kamikaze technique would appear to a long way from irrelevent in todays world.
Very much true, with the advent of precision guided weapons, kamikaze tactics against ships or major defence installations become redundant in most situations. And as you rightly said it is the noncombatants that are vulnerable to such tactics.
Quite true, a long way from relevant in a scenario involving an advanced country with the right technology, but in a desperate situation involving a less advanced nation, in a surprise attack a fighter going at Mach 2.5 slamming at a high value military target could make quite a difference “if it is not shot down before it reaches its target.”
A lot of if’s and but’s get here. Final conclusion = nonviable option.
Regards
RamachandranThe next great leap in air defense technology is going to involve space-based detection systems.
and these space-based systems would also be coordinating hypersonic UAVs with massive firepower and directing them to the target. These space based systems most probably would be equipped with laser targeting beams that would neutralize any threat arising from the ground or air approaching these UAVs. Intelligent systems with decision making capability that would be acting independent of human control most probably.
Does anybody think otherwise, waiting with open ears…. 😉
RamachandranThink about it. An advanced space-based detection system, probably some sort of super-modified imaging satellite, would be 1)virtually immune to typical ECM, and 2)extremely difficult to avoid, unless you can field enough ASATs to degrade their network. Unless someone develops a workable chameleon field, stealth aircraft will be easily detected. Combine this with a method of deciphering height and a geolocation system, and it can even transmit SAM guidance signals to ground-based weapons.
Don’t worry though, we can all still hang out here. We’ll just have to relocate to the Historic Aviation forum 😀
I would disagree with you on that last statement. If such technology becomes operational, which it eventually will, and is in the hands of multiple nations, then war would become history. Total destruction is the best guarantee for peace. 😉
Ramachandran😉 too much technology can have a rebound effect, pilots become more dependent on their machines than on their own skills. I agree with you rock, there is nothing infallible. The tiny David did bring down Goliath.
Jesting apart, I have deep respect for the F-22 and the cutting edge technology that makes it stand in a class of its own.
RamachandranIt would be foolish to even consider the IAF Jaguar Gr-1 with the PAF mirages. There is a generational gap in terms of the avionics, armaments, and EW. At the recently concluded exercises in Alaska, the IAF Jaguars were assigned the team leader role because of their excellent performance that too against the incomparable US air defence. The Mirages are obsolete aircraft and can you specify what are the upgrades involved.
Not much point in comparing the two aircrafts. If PAF considers the Mirages in the same role of the Jaguars, ie. ground attack, then it is extremely doubtful whether these aircraft could even be able to enter (for example) Indian air space. They would be shot down long before that. And if they are to be used for air defence, it is as good as guaranteeing the pilots death. The Su-30MKI, M2Ks, MIG-29s will make mincemeat of them.
During the Falkland war, the Sea Harriers were shooting these Mirages like sitting ducks, and that was when they were still operational.
What was that about Swedish government approval. That is all balls. The clear fact remains the PAF cannot afford the hard cash. It is dependent on US military aid for its long term survival. Otherwise it has to manage with obsolete stuff like the Mirage IIIs, or wait for china to gift them some aircrafts.
RamachandranCool and very interesting info and pics.
I doubt if any current fighter can get behind an F-22.
How would you guys rate the SU-30MKI and its ability to evade an AAM (the Python 5 or similar) say detected at a range of 5 km, would TVC play a role here.
If an F-15 or F-16 is targeted (by a Python 5 or simlar) at a similar range, would you say there is any chance of survivability considering the uniqueness of the missile.
I wonder what the future holds, UAVs taking over from manned fighters is a certainty. Entirely new concepts of air defence would be in order??
RamachandranVery simple, economics is the key here. PAF does not have the hard cash to go in for the Grippen. This fact can be gauged from the fact that PAF is buying phased out and grounded Mirage IIIs to cannibalize and keep its current fleet of obsolete aircraft airworthy, as even the spares are not in production anymore. No country with hard cash sufficient to buy an aircraft as expensive as the Grippen would be indulging in such measures as the PAF is doing. In fact the Grippen makers offered PAF the grippen and said 40 of these can do the job of the 195 or so Mirage IIIs in service with the PAF, but economics dictate US military aid in the form of F-16s if they ever come by, and no Grippen.
Google for the info on the 40 grippens, you will get it.
RamachandranThe MIG-29 is basically an air superiority fighter, and it is one of the best in that category, but the mirage can be used for air superiority, ground attack, EW. Its EW and ground attack capabilities were put to test in Kargil at very high altitudes and it came out with flying colors. Mirage it is by my estimate, and I hope it is too. Also they were repeatedly shooting down the F-15s at COPE india and the current fighters in the IAF have been integrated with the Python and Derby missiles with DASH helmets, and such integration is very difficult with the MIG-29 platform.
RamachandranI would disagree with you there. Sweden would sell the aircraft to India if India was interested, but i doubt if India is interested in it. Mirage is a combat proven aircraft with the IAF and the IAF has considerable expertise flying the aircraft, but again the IAF would be looking forward to an entirely new generation of aircraft when one thinks about it, as the Mirage is an 80s platform, but as a stop gap until the fifth generation fighter fructifies, the Mirage would be the best platform. As far as economics, i think India is in a position economically to go ahead and buy the aircraft, but i doubt if the Pakistani economy can afford the hard cash to buy the Grippen or the Mirage. It is wholly dependent on US military aid to get its advanced fighters. One day they will be friends, another day when Osama gets captured, you guys will be again the outcasts. Hard luck.
It would be Mirages in my opinion that would be in the lead as far as the IAF is concerned.
RamachandranThanx guys pretty useful info. Which BVR would you rate as the best in service today as of now. Would any missile be effective against an aircraft like the F-22. What could be the likely weak points of an aircraft like the F-22. I read an article about how a single one easily took on and beat up to 8 F-15E fighters in an exercise. What could be the vulnerabilities of such aircraft and what could be the oppositions tactics to counter such a superior aircraft. Is it possible to make BVRs targeting such a low radar signature aircraft.
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