Boeing confirms 1.78 billion deal, finalizing the sale of 10 C-17s to IAF

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/boeing-confirms-178-billion-contract-for-india-c-17s-367749/

the C-17s will replace the old Il-76s currently in use.

I hope our good man Swamiji spare the Rafale & stop connecting its win to the Italian madam and start concentrating on this >$450million/unit scam tagging our Prime Minister’s Boss from Italy! :diablo:

Do you think its painted in Russia still the old ILs? I am sure its Indian paint on it now. When the Yankee paint wears off we will put crappy Indian paint on the C-130 J too, making it black nosed. :p

There is no need for the black paint on the C-130J, if you understand the basic idea behind the scheme. As pointed out earlier by TR1, it is anti-glare paint to prevent the cockpit guys having to cope with the reflection from the nose.

In the case of C-130J, the nose is further down the cockpit (compare the pics above) and in no way the reflection is going to discomfort the crew….but We can paint it in different color if you want to highlight the C-130Js extra ball in the front. 😉

Well TwB,many PSus have not made any difference for decades now ..

anyway ,
Seems like ADA is having it from allsides..now from the current CNS! 😮
Navy chief says ADA let it down on LCA front

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2860886.ece

Actually, its their own fault. Too much over confidence!
If you remember during and after the first flight of Tejas….during AeroIndia 2001 there was a range of offering (some serious & some others just to get hold of the balls to squeeze) from Russia & America to jointly develop the Tejas. But we did not take the offer in the glory of the first flight and were confident of pulling it off on our own without outside partners. The result of rejecting that offer is now for everyone to see. If we had taken it and co-developed, Tejas would have been entering IAF service as we speak.

Well here is what happened :
After a recent joint acmi exercise between between the navy and the af which was watched by the respective chiefs:
CNS: The days of our Harriers vs your manouevrable Mig 29s is gone mate! Our Mig 29Ks kicked your guys’ butts! Ha!
After the rafale deal has been announced:
ACM ringing the CNS office : Now what would you say to another joint ex. mate :diablo:
CNS : Okay Okay ..stuff the LCA Navy now..(We want rafale M too!)
🙂

I’m not at all optimistic about Rafale with its low thrust 75kN engine to carry any meaningful load operating from the Indian Navy’s STOBAR carriers. I’m not even sure if Rafale will be able to fly-off from our carriers without a catapult. I can’t be 100% sure in either case and will need to wait for info from the French.
But what I’m clear is that, we need to have the 90+kN thrust variants for Rafale to safely operate it from our STOBAR carriers.

Btw, it would be good to see the Rafale & MiG-29K go against each other. Both good dog-fighters and that too with low-speed. I’d have liked to see some land variants in IAF cleared for 9G because MiG-29K is limited to 8G.

Jokes aside , will the LCA-N be ready before commissioning of the IAC?
I just pray that the ADA guys have the last laugh on all of this!:o

LAC-N to be ready by 2014?
If CSL also mess things up and delay the carrier, then they can compliment each other and enter service together. 😉
I seriously doubt N-LCA will be ready to be inducted by the time IAC enters service and probably the reason why IN chief came out with such a statement.

http://vz.ru/news/2012/1/28/557249.html

Testing of a new engine for the MiG-29K for the Russian Navy. I think this is what BoGo was looking for. 7% increased thrust.

Thanks buddy for the link. But small confusion in their report also…below the translated version

Engine testing began for the fifth-generation MiG-29 k
January 28, 2012, 16:53

On Saturday, the State Commission of Defense started bench testing a new engine of the fifth generation fighter aircraft MiG-29 k, General Director of the Petersburg Corporation Klimov Andrey Reus.

The engine is an upgraded version of the aggregation of RD-33, which had elaborated Klimov in 80-ies. Feature of the new engine increased to 7% thrust while maintaining the dimensions and masses. Bench testing is expected to conclude until the autumn, after which the engine will be transferred to JSC “Mig” to conduct flight tests, including an aircraft carrier. In 2013, it is planned to supply the MiG-29 k with a new engine for the RUSSIAN NAVY.

The new engine is planned for production at JSC “Moscow Engineering Enterprise name Chernysheva, passes Interfax.

Work on the engine began in 2004, as part of a contract to supply fighter jets to India. The first flight of fighter aircraft with a new engine was held in 2007, take off from aircraft carrier decks in 2009 year.

JDC-100% specialized subsidiary company OAO OPK “Oboronprom” on management of dvigatelestroitel′nymi assets.

Oboronprom created in 2002 year. The company combines helicopter and dvigatelestroitel′nye enterprises, production systems and complex radio-electronic complexes, as well as other engineering assets. Shareholders is Russia (owns 58.57% stake), Rosoboronexport (4.89%), Republic of Tatarstan (11.89%) and RAC «MiG» (12.57%), Russian (10.93%), rostvertol (0.98%).

If the said 7% increase of thrust is from the old RD-33, then they are talking about the “original” RD-33MK Sea Wasp.

i.e 7% increase in thrust from the older 83kN thrust engine would be 88.8kN.
If the engine for Russian Navy MiG-29K is with a 7% increase in thrust from the “baseline” RD-33MK Sea Wasp, then it is going to be an engine with 95kN thrust! 😎

I hope the news is solid and the next batch of 29 x MiG-29Ks meant for Indian Navy also comes with this new RD-33MK engine.