Defence Aviation News

The explosion on board the INS Sindhurakshak has blown the lid off the Indian Navy’s claims of battle-preparedness. Most of India’s submarines have lived 75% of their operational life and many of them will be decommissioned in a phased manner in the coming years. Strategic experts claim that successive Indian governments have been obsessed about designing land-based plans to counter Pakistan and China and the navy always took a back seat. The Indian Navy is supposed to guard the 7,500 km-long coastline, 1,200 plus islands, and 2.2 million sq km of exclusive economic zone (EEZ). It is also meant to control the Indian Ocean region which contains one-third of the world's population and 40% of the world's oil and gas reserves. “Induction of submarines into our navy was done more or less in an episodic way. The last of the submarines of the Sindhughosh class was inducted in 1999, 2000. And since then, there has been no new induction, which shows huge lacuna on the part of the g...

MUMBAI: At least 18 Navy personnel are missing after a huge explosion followed by a fire rocked Indian Navy submarine INS Sindhurakshak docked at the high security naval dockyard early on Wednesday, according to Times Now. Among the missing are three officers, according to Navy sources. According to TV reports, the submarine has been damaged extensively in the fire and is submerged half under fire, which was brought under control with the help of 16 fire tenders at around 3am. The Navy has ordered a board of inquiry into the dockyard fire. Many sailors on board the submarine reportedly jumped off to safety. Earlier a defence ministry statement issued at 3.15am said, "There is likelihood of some personnel being trapped inside. The details are being ascertained." Some injured sailors were taken to naval hospital INHS Ashvini in Colaba. The cause of the explosion and blaze is still not known. At least 16 fire tenders of Mumbai Fire Brigade and Mumbai Port Trust were rushed t...

 India unveiled its first indigenously-built aircraft carrier on Monday, a landmark moment in the $5 billion project that seeks to project the country’s power and check the rising influence of China. When the  INS Vikrant  comes into full service in 2018, India will join an elite club of nations that have designed and built their own aircraft carriers including Britain, France, Russia and the US but not China. “It’s a remarkable milestone,” defence minister  A.K. Antony  said as he stood on a red carpet in the shadow of the giant ship which was launched from a dry-dock in the city of Kochi and later pulled out into the harbour by tug boats. “It marks just a first step in a long journey but at the same time an important one,” he added before his wife  Elizabeth  officially launched the 40,000-tonne vessel by placing a garland on its hull. INS Vikrant , which will be fitted with weaponry and machinery and then tested over the next four ye...

India’s latest maritime surveillance aircraft, P8I, has landed at the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, signalling the Navy’s plan to increasingly use the islands to keep an eye on the three crucial sea lanes used by China to ferry its cargo. The maiden landing of the first P8I at INS Utkorsh in Port Blair on Tuesday gave the aircraft’s pilots and crew an opportunity to familiarise themselves with the facilities at the island, which would come handy if the government wanted to operate a few of these surveillance aircraft from the island. The aircraft is equipped with sensors for maritime reconnaissance, anti-submarine operations and electronic intelligence missions. It carries state-of-the-art sensors and highly potent anti-surface and anti-submarine weapons. India purchased eight such aircraft from the US in a $2.1-billion deal. The first one had arrived in May, and the second P8I was expected to reach India by September. The US-origin aircraft, with a range of 8,600 km and an enduran...

With Ministry of Defence which now officially has put “ on hold ” country’s ambitions fifth generation stealth multirole fighter development AMCA project to fast track delays incurred by the ADA in development of LCA Tejas co mbat aircraft and to make sure no more delays are incurred in achieving IOC-2 and later FOC for the aircraft in time . Now details are emerging that IAF also wants ADA and HAL to concentrate more on development and testing of Tejas MK-2 before they can restart work on AMCA. If MOD and IAF are able to stall work on AMCA again, while raising concern on development of Tejas MK-2, AMCA project will be delayed beyond 2022 for even first flight to occur and production will only start in 2028-30. Sources in IAF, we (idrw.org) spoke to, are worried with delays Lca project is facing and have raised concerns that they might be further delays in development of Tejas MK-2 before it hits production. MK-2 needs to be revalidated on many test points before it is put to p...

The state-run joint stock holding Artem (Kyiv) has sent the first batch of R-27 medium-range air-to-air missiles produced for the Indian Air Force to the customer, the Ukroboronprom  concern has reported, with reference to its director general, Serhiy Hromov. “The first batch of missiles has been shipped to the customer, and the next batch is being prepared for delivery,” Hromov said, noting that the execution of the Indian contract will allow the full utilization of the enterprise’s capacity until the end of 2013. He expressed the confidence that the Ukrainian-produced high-precision aircraft weapons will continue to be in demand in the regional markets for conventional weapons.“We’re not limiting ourselves to the Indian contract. Our representatives are actively working with traditional customers from Southeast Asia, North Africa and other regions,” the state enterprise director said. Hromov also said that the state should grant the Artem holding tax benefits provided by ...

The Russian Air Force will take delivery of its first fifth-generation T-50 fighter jet “in the third quarter of this year” for final state test flights starting in  the fourth quarter, the service’s commander Lt. Gen. Viktor Bondarev said Tuesday. President Vladimir Putin had informed lately that T-50 would enter service with the country’s air force in 2016 , while Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) with stealth features based on the T-50 is slated to be inducted in the Indian Air Force by 2022. IAF will get first prototype of the FGFA which is scheduled to arrive in India by 2014 after which it will undergo extensive trials at the Ojhar air base in Maharashtra. T-50, which will make up the core of Russia’s future fighter fleet, is a multirole warplane featuring “stealth” technology,” super-maneuverability, supercruise capability, and advanced avionics including an active electronically-scanned array radar, according to its designer Sukhoi. India plans to acquire 214 of t...

The final phase of tests on the INS Vikramaditya commenced on Monday, August 5, with a joint practice mission involving naval aircraft from Russia’s Northern Fleet. The mission, in which MiG-29s performed several approaches at different altitudes and a touchdown on the aircraft carrier’s deck, was led by RSK MiG chief pilot Mikhail Belyayev. Around this  time a year ago, Belyayev flew over the Vikramaditya’s deck together with test pilot Nikolai Diorditsa, who has been accorded the Hero of the Russian Federation title. The test pilots flew 517 sorties – including 41 landings and 41 take-offs from the aircraft carrier’s deck – in July and August 2012, testing the aircraft, the fuelling and flight support equipment, the aircraft lifts, its launch assist systems and arresting gear. Overall, the commissioning team had no complaints about the work of the aircraft wing or the operation of the ship’s support systems. Representatives of the Indian Navy were also satisfied. But the test...

The difference between the Block2A and the older ones is the fact that it incorporates the Block 2A avionics software and will start flying in a few weeks. The new software introduces interesting capabilities. First of all, it allows the pilot to use all six thermal imaging cameras of the EO- DAS AN/AAQ-37 optical set. The purpose of the device is to detect and track the enemy aircraft and provide early warning messages about the launched missiles. Nevertheless it is not integrated with the HMDS yet even if it allows displaying weather info. In spite of the latest upgrade, the F-35A is still restricted. It can’t conduct IMC flights, night flights, aerobatics (have you ever seen JSF on an Air Show?!) and formation take-offs and landings. However, the Block 2A software extends the F-35′s capabilities, because it lets the pilot simulate the launch of AIM-120 missiles. Still, the g-limit for the airframe is 5,5 G that is quite ridiculous, taking into account the objectives the JSF is de...

Dassault Aviation, the French maker of Rafale fighter jet which is in exclusive negotiations with the Indian ministry of defence for the $12 billion Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) tender is facing rough weather at home. In the latest strategic defence review carried out under the insistence of the French government, last month, France has capped the purchase of Rafale fighter jets to 225. Originally, the Rafale programme envisaged production of 320 aircraft for the French government but this was cut to 286 later and now to 225. Till date, only 180 of them have been ordered; all of them by France. The company is yet to find an export customer for its front-line fighter jet. As a result, the cost of Rafale to France has climbed steadily. The French Senate assessment of the 2013 national defence budget pegs the total cost of the Rafale programme, including development expenses, to the French exchequer at €44.2 billion. Dividing the total programme cost with number o...

On December 12, 1971, at the height of the India-Pakistan war, one of the most awaited events in aviation history took place. Two MiG-21 fighters of the Indian Air Force’s No.47 squadron, providing air patrol to sensitive installations in western India, intercepted a couple of Pakistan Air Force F-104 Starfighters approaching the city of Jamnagar. The MiGs drew first blood – while one Starfighter managed to flee in the direction of Pakistan, the other one was shot down over the Gulf of Kutch. During the war the MiG-21s played a crucial role in giving the IAF air superiority that played a huge part in India’s victory. Military analyst Edward Coggins writes in  Wings That Stay On: The Role of Fighter Aircraft in War that by the time the hostilities came to an end, the IAF MiG-21s had claimed four PAF F-104s, two PAF F6, one PAF North American F-86 Sabre and one PAF Lockheed C-130 Hercules. The Russian fighter had clearly won the much anticipated air combat between the MiG-2...

A MiG-21 Bison fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force crashed on Monday while landing at Uttarlai airbase in Rajasthan's Barmer district, killing the pilot. "One MiG–21 Bison crashed at the Uttarlai airbase at about 0930 hours. The pilot sustained fatal injuries," the IAF said in a statement. The aircraft had taken off with its flight lieutenant-rank pilot from the airbase for a routine training sortie and crashed while landing at the runway, officials said. Defence ministry spokesperson in Jodhpur Colonel S D Goswami said a Court of Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the reason behind the crash. There was no reported loss to civilian life or property, he said. In June, a MiG-21 plane from the same airbase had crashed, but the pilots had managed to eject safely. The vintage MiG-21s have been in service for over 40 years now and they are expected to continue flying till 2018-19 in view of the delays in the induction of the indigenous Light Combat Ai...

 The Russian Air Force is all set to receive over 100 new warplanes and helicopters this year. "Purchasing of over 100 planes and helicopters is envisaged by state defence order for this year," reported Xinhua citing deputy defence minister Yuri Borisov. Borisov noted that the warplane designers sometimes do not take into account the opinion of the pilots about the aircraft's technical characteristics. "The industry must know how (the pilots) perceive that production. The designers must take into account the pilots' proposals." The officer said the newest four-double-plus-generation MIG-35 fighters and newly-revamped SU-35 multipurpose fighters would be delivered in three years after tests are completed. MiG Corporation first officially presented the MiG-35 internationally during the Aero India  2007 air show. The MiG-35 was officially unveiled when the Russian Minister of Defence , Sergey Ivanov, visited Lukhovitsky Machine Building Plant "MA...

We have witnessed a lot about the Chinese Stealth fighter J-20, being developed by the Chinese Aircraft manufacturer Chengdu. The J-20 is a Fifth generation with stealth capabilities. Only time will tell if the J-20 will match the current stealth aircrafts or will be superior than them. The F-22 Raptor has proven technology and hence it has been speculated that most of the 5th generation aircrafts today are similar to the Raptor. It is also speculated that this proven design of the F-22 has either been taken by spying,purchasing and then reverse engineered to create a new prototype by rival nations. That is the main reason why US is not exporting the F-22 because they fear that nations like china and Russia would use their designs especially after 1.7 terabytes of top secret information was stolen from them. If we compare the look and design of J-20 you will find that it has a delta-wing-canard layout whereas the F-22 and...

Japan is looking to join the United States, China and Russia with a stealth fighter that senior Japanese air force officials say can be ready for a prototype test flight in just three years, significantly upping the ante in the intensifying battle for air superiority in the Pacific. The prototype will likely be able to fly in 2014, Lt. Gen. Hideyuki Yoshioka, director of air systems development at Japan's Ministry of Defense, said in an interview with The Associated Press. He said Japan has put 39 billion yen ($473 million) into the project since 2009, after it became clear the United States was not likely to sell it the F-22 "Raptor" - America's most advanced fighter jet - because of a congressional export ban. "We are two years into the project, and we are on schedule," Yoshioka said Monday. Yoshioka stressed that a successful test flight of the prototype, dubbed "Shinshin," or "Spirit," does not mean Japan will immediat...

An Asiana Airlines flight from Seoul crashed on landing at San Francisco's airport Saturday, killing two passengers, injuring more than 160 and and forcing dozens of frightened passengers and crew to scamper from the heavily damaged aircraft before it was engulfed in smoke and flames. There were 307 on board, including 16 crew. Officials said 123 escaped without injury and 181 were hospitalized or treated for injuries. Among the injured, 49 are in serious condition and five at San Francisco General Hospital, including a child, remain in critical condition. Among the 47 others at San Francisco General, several were treated for minor injuries, including fractures and abrasions, and were released Saturday night. "It was all over in 10 seconds," says Vedpa Singh, who suffered a fractured collarbone. "We heard a big bang, and it was over." The cause of the crash has not been determined, but the FBI has has ruled out terrorism. The Boeing 777 appeared to...