MMRCA: a do or die contract for Dassault's military business

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 of aircraft to be built i.e. 225 gives a per aircraft cost of €196.4 million or approx. Rs. 1,390 crore at today's exchange rate.

A cut to Rafale numbers for France poses a challenge to Dassault's military business which is mainly dependent on Rafale sales.

Given the situation, bagging MMRCA, which envisages purchase of 126 aircraft with an option for buying 63 more, is critical for Dassault. However, contrary to initial expectations of a quick contract signature, Dassault-MoD negotiations have dragged on for over a year.

As reported by FE earlier, cost has been an issue since the start besides the company's reluctance to transfer sophisticated technology to India and meet offsets requirements. In the last few months, questions have been raised by Dassault regarding the role of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in the MMRCA. Moreover, the French company is unwilling to be held liable for the quality, timely and on-cost delivery of the 108 aircraft to be license produced at HAL. This is in breach of tender conditions and has emerged as a major threat to speedy contract conclusion.

Sources FE spoke to said: "Given the slow pace of negotiations it looks increasingly likely that MMRCA will spill over to the next government." But, Dassault CEO Eric Trappier is optimistic. Reportedly, Trappier said: "I hope 2013 should be the year."

As things stand, for Trappier's wish to come true, either Dassault will have to give in to India's demands which it has resisted until now or the Indian side will have to relax its tender criteria. Currently, both look unlikely. Given Dassault's financial situation the company cannot afford any business risk. Whereas, enhanced scrutiny of defence deals in a season ridden with corruption scandals precludes Indian negotiators from extending any concessions.

In this case, the French company will have to do something special. Eyes are on the Paris Air Show which opens 17th of June at Le Bourget in France. Dassault is expected to lay out a red carpet for the Indian delegation. However, in what could come as a dampener to the French company, rumours in the defence ministry corridors suggest that given the sensitive phase of negotiations, the ministry is expected to tone down this year's participation at the show.

SOURCE : The Indian Express

MiG-21 :The Legend or The Flying Coffin?

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 Warthat 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-21 and the F-104, he writes.

But that’s not where the story ends. Tom Cooper writes in Arab MiG-19 and MiG-21 Units in Combat: “Because of the formidable performance of the MiG-21s several nations, including Iraq, approached India for MiG-21 pilot training. By the early 1970s, more than 120 Iraqi pilots were being trained by the Indian Air Force.”

50 years of Combat

The MiG-21 has the distinction of holding a number of aviation records, including the most produced jet aircraft in aviation history, the most produced combat aircraft since WWII, and the longest production run of a combat aircraft. Over 11,000 MiG-21 aircraft, derivatives and copies have been built since 1959 and have served with 50 air forces. Because of its low cost and ease of maintenance, even by poor countries, it came to be known as the “people’s fighter”.

Today, in the age of stealth aircraft, over 20 countries continue to operate this plucky Russian fighter. Namibia became the most recent country to induct the interceptor in its air force when it acquired two MiG-21s in March 2005, proving that age is no handicap for a good plane.

No fighter can survive this long and in so many air forces if it is not combat worthy. For comparison look at the MiG-21’s Cold War rivals – the F-104, the French Mirage III and British Lightning are now seen only in museums or airplane boneyards.

Crash rate: MiG-21 vs Rivals

Of the 793 MiG-21s inducted into IAF since 1963, well over 350 have been lost in accidents, killing 170 pilots. However, labelling it a “flying coffin” is plain wrong. This is being done by misinformed (or incompetent) and under-pressure journalists. In fact, during my days at India Today magazine we stopped using such expressions when confronted with facts. The then IAF chief called us and said our cavalier use of the term “flying coffin” was causing trauma to the families of pilots flying the aircraft. He supplied us data to show the MiG-21 wasn’t a dangerous aircraft at all.

Former Air Chief Marshal A.Y. Tipnis has said the higher number of crashes (not to be confused with the crash rate) is because the “MiG-21s are most in numbers and in use operationally”.

Now let’s take a look at the MiG-21’s chief rivals. Between 1960 and 1987, the German air force flew nearly a thousand F-104s and lost 292. In a similar time frame, the Canadian air force lost over 100 of their 200 Starfighters. The highly experienced pilots of the British air force didn’t fare any better, crashing over a hundred of their 300 Lightnings over a period of 25 years.

Compared to this, India’s MiG-21 has a much better record.

Causes of crashes

As we have seen, 20 air forces around the world continue to stick with the MiG-21. MiGs are not tumbling out of the air in Ukraine, Czech Republic, Algeria, Finland or Bulgaria. China has cloned and flies over 700 of these fighters and has supplied 150 to Pakistan. Among these countries, India alone trains its pilots to Western standards. This involves intense peacetime training, which means potentially more accidents. A former air force chief has gone on record that he would rather lose pilots during training than during war.

But several other factors are involved in accidents. Let’s see which ones are directly responsible and which have only a minimal role.

India: A harsh environment

Tropical and crowded, India is an unforgiving environment for any aircraft. The hot air means aircraft engines produce less thrust and the wing produce less lift compared to similar aircraft flying in European skies. Sun baked runways are also known to impact landing safety. These are factors IAF pilots have to live with.

Bird hits are another huge factor in aircraft accidents over India. Most IAF bases are located near populated areas, where birds are a constant menace. It’s going to get worse before it gets better.

Economic collapse and spare shortages

It is true the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the chaos that followed played havoc with Russia’s command economy. The closure of Russia’s armaments factories stopped the free flow of spares from the country. Desperate to keep its main interceptor force flying, the IAF managed to get spares from East European countries, which were cannibalising their MiG-21s for cash.

Russian defence experts, including MiG officials, have blamed these grey market purchases for the IAF’s crashes. However, the argument has no legs because firstly, the IAF is one of the world’s most professional fighting forces; it will not put its pilots’ life at risk by such reckless purchases. Two, it was buying genuine spares from the standardised air forces of the former Warsaw Pact. The Russians backtracked when confronted with IAF data. However, it remains true that spare parts made by HAL are not as good as Russian ones.

Arrival of modern aircraft in the IAF

The MiG-21s formed the backbone of the IAF in the 1960s and ’70s. But the situation changed with the arrival of newer aircraft, which drew the most experienced pilots from the MiG-21 squadrons. There was nothing wrong with it because that’s how the system is supposed to work. But the MiG-21 now became the jet that rookie pilots graduated to. In tandem with another factor, it spelled trouble for the IAF.

Training – out of kilter

Despite acquiring its first supersonic jet in 1963, the IAF did not get a jet trainer until 2004 because it took decades for the proposal to make its way through the defence procurement bureaucracy.

For close to 40 years rookie pilots went straight from propeller driven and subsonic trainers to the supersonic MiG-21. At a MAKS air show in Moscow, Russian test-pilot Andrey Shishov described how it felt flying a supersonic jet at 30,000 ft: “At a height of several thousand kilometres, a nine-unit strong G-force means you feel like you weigh nine times more than you really do, so not 75 kilos for example but 600-700 kg.”

In an article in Indian Aviation magazine, IAF Wing Commander K.S. Suresh says in air combat manoeuvres, inexperienced pilots flying the MiG-21 have got into trouble without realising it. When the aircraft develops a high rate of descent, it cannot be arrested with the power available. Worse, “there is no protest from the aircraft like severe shudder, wing rocking etc prevalent in other types of aircraft. This gives a feeling of well-being and a number of pilots did not recognise the danger in time to take recovery action or eject”.

Essentially, young pilots were pitchforked into an aerial meat grinder, resulting in a high loss rate from peacetime accidents.

Caught in the MiG’s crosshairs

More than half a century after its first flight, the MiG-21 packs a lethal punch. At the Cope India exercise held in 2004 at Gwalior, Indian pilots flying MiG-21 Bisons (upgraded with Russian Phazatron radar, Vympel R-73 missiles and the beyond visual range Vympel R-77 air-to-air missiles) blew away the F-15 and the F-16 fighters of the USAF on one-on-one as well as in mixed exercises. The USAF acknowledged the MiG-21 Bisons and Su-30MKIs were tough opponents.

In the next Cope India exercise in 2005 at Kalaikundi, Indian pilots operating the MiG-21s and Sukhois emerged victorious most of the time.

Kargil was another theatre where the MiG-21 showed it was still a threat. The Pakistan Air Force’s director of operations during the war acknowledged afterward that the GPS-assisted high-altitude bombing by the MiG-21, MiG-23BN and MiG-27 was a game changer. This is corroborated by aviation historian and author Pushpindar Singh in Himalayan Eagles: “…targeting pod imagery observed by IAF pilots in real time showed enemy troops abandoning their positions at the very sound of approaching fighters.”

Flying into the sunset?

Bowing to pressure from Parliament after the trial by media, the IAF has announced it will be retiring its entire MiG-21 fleet by 2017, by which time the Indian-built Tejas light combat aircraft would hopefully be ready for combat. But with the Tejas not exactly experiencing beginner’s luck, the smart money is on the MiGs flying well into the next decade.

IAF MiG-21 crashes in Rajasthan, pilot killed

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 Aircraft.

The IAF had inducted over 900 MiG-21s in its fleet over a period of 40 years, half of which were lost in different crashes.

This year, this is the sixth crash involving an IAF aircraft and fifth of a fighter plane.

The aircraft which have crashed this year include one each of MiG-29, MiG-27, Su-30MKI and Mi-17V5 medium-lift helicopter. Two MiG-21s have crashed this year.

Russian air force to get over 100 new warplanes

 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 "MAPO-MIG"
.
The single seat version is designated MiG-35 and the two-seat version is MiG-35D. The fighter has vastly improved avionics and weapon systems, notably the new AESA radar and the uniquely designed Optical Locator System (OLS), relieves the aircraft from relying on Ground Controlled Interceptions (GCI) systems and enables it to conduct independent multi-role missions.

In 2003, Sukhoi embarked on a second modernization of the Su-27 to produce what the company calls a 4++ generation fighter that would serve as an interim fighter prior to the arrival of the Sukhoi PAK FA. This derivative incorporates a reinforced airframe, improved avionics and radar, thrust-vectoring engines, and a reduced radar signature from the front, while omitting the canards and air brake.

In 2008 the revamped variant, erroneously dubbed the Su-35BM by the media, started its flight test programme that involved four prototypes, one of which was lost in 2009.

The Russian Air Force has ordered 48 production units, designated Su-35S, of the newly-revamped Su-35. Both Su-35 models have been offered to many countries, including Brazil, China, India and South Korea, but so far have not attracted any export orders. Sukhoi originally projected that it would export more than 160 units of the second modernized Su-35 worldwide.

Comparing Chengdu J-20 with F-22, F-35 and Su-PAK FA or T-50

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 F-35 have both diamond-wing-conventional layout. The frontal aspect of the J-20 looks exactly like that of JSP with twin DSI intake and V-shaped tail. The J-20 has a canard-delta twin-engine configuration, diverted-less supersonic intakes, and a shaped nose consistent with the use of an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. To maintain stealth, the F-22 carries its weapons in internal bays.

The JSP seems to be fitted with ws-10 engines rather than WS-15 but this cannot be confirmed. The thrust generated by  J-20 is 180 kN which leads to better engine performance.

The F-22 Raptor has dual afterburning Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 turbofans incorporate pitch axis thrust vectoring, with a range of ±20 degrees.  The maximum thrust is classified, though most sources place it at about 156 kN.

The F-35′s main engine is the Pratt & Whitney F135. The General Electric/Rolls-Royce F136 is being developed as an alternative engine. The PAK FA was expected to use a pair of Saturn 117S engines on its first flights producing 142 kN thrust in the afterburner. The PAK FA would be the first fifth generation fighter with full 3-D thrust vectoring along all three aircraft axes: pitch, yaw and roll.

The J-20 design is similar to the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and the Sukhoi T-50 fighters. Sources indicate the twin-engine J-20 prototype could be using the Russian-built Saturn 117S (AL-41F1A) engine, the same being used in the T-50 and Su-35 prototypes.  China has expressed interest in procuring large quantities of the Saturn 117S from Russia and rumors at the recent Zhuhai Airshow in China indicate a J-20 prototype had been outfitted with the 117S.

The F-22 Raptor uses AN/APG-77 AESA radar, designed for air superiority and strike operations, features a low-observable, active-aperture, electronically-scanned array that can track multiple targets in any weather.

The main sensor on board of the F-35 is its AN/APG-81 AESA-radar, designed by Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems and is augmented by the Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS) mounted under the nose of the aircraft, designed by Lockheed Martin.

For the T-50 PAK FA, radar with APAA is provided by NIIP. The J-20 is stated to use an advanced radar however the make of it is still not known. Although J-20 appears to be a better stealth fighter than rest, the Chinese pilots are not as experienced than the US pilots. The US has pilots that have been in combat situations for years. Moreover the AWACs, missile technology, radar tech, etc are all championed by the US and Russia. Its time to wait and watch how the J-20 performs in future as compared to the rest.

It is interesting to note that on our previous article Chengdu J-20,China's first stealth fighter takes the skies, we got lot of traffic from US, Canada, UK, Australia, South Korea and Japan. We wonder if this news came as a shock to these countries. Also we got lot of response from China too, considering the tight lipped Chinese government this news must have been a pleasant surprise for the Chinese people. What do you think about the comparison of these fighters against J-20? Although it is too soon to tell, let us know what you think.

Japan to Fly its Own Stealth Fighter Prototype By 2014

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 immediately start producing stealth aircraft. The prototype is designed to test advanced technologies, and if it is successful the government will decide in 2016 how to proceed.

Japan is feeling the pressure of a regional dogfight over fighter superiority.

"If the countries surrounding Japan have stealth capabilities, Japan will need to develop those capabilities itself to ensure our own defense," said Col. Yoshikazu Takizawa of the Defense Ministry's Technical Research and Development Institute.

Japan relies to a large degree for its defense on its alliance with the United States, which has a significant number of fighters and other aircraft, along with some 50,000 troops, stationed around the Japanese archipelago.

But that alliance, and Japan's relatively deep pockets, did not prove convincing enough for Tokyo to get the coveted F-22. Congress repeatedly squashed the idea due to fears that the F-22 contained too much secret technology to share with even Washington's closest friends.

"Japan wanted the F-22, but Congress didn't agree to that," Yoshioka said. "We realized that it was important for us to develop our domestic capabilities."

China and Russia, meanwhile, have made great strides toward perfecting advanced stealth fighters that could rival the F-22, out-fly Japan's aircraft and - coupled with other rapid advances now under way, particularly by China's navy - tip the regional balance of power.

China surprised experts when it sent a stealth fighter, the Chengdu J-20, up for a test flight in January during a high-profile visit to Beijing by U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

The J-20 resembles the F-22 in many respects and has caused a great deal of consternation among U.S. and Japanese military planners because its development appears to be going faster than forecast. Its first flight came amid rising nervousness over Beijing's heavy defense spending, overall military modernization and increasingly assertive stance on territorial issues.

Though the J-20 is still years away from combat readiness, it could complicate efforts to control potential conflicts over Taiwan or North Korea and dramatically improve China's air defenses.

Russia's new fighter, the Sukhoi T-50, took to the air last year. It is being jointly developed with India's air force. The T-50 is seen not only as a boost to Russian air power - which is of concern to Japan because of a lingering dispute over islands both claim in the north Pacific - but also as a strong indication that it wants to sell more top-of-the-line fighters abroad.

Japan's own air force is rapidly aging.

Tokyo wants to replace its old F-4EJ and F-15 fighters with more current aircraft, most likely the U.S.-built F-35 Joint Strike Aircraft or F/A-18, or the Eurofighter "Typhoon." A much-delayed decision worth billions of dollars on which plane it will select is expected soon.

Japan's ATD-X program - the acronym stands for advanced technologies demonstrator - is not aimed at supplanting those acquisition plans. Instead, a domestically made stealth fighter would provide an alternative for a third fighter Japan uses - the domestically produced F-2.

Officials stress that it also is crucial for Japan to hone the ability of its engineers to build a state-of-the-art fighter if foreign sources refuse to sell - like Washington did with the F-22.

"It is extremely important to maintain and improve domestic fighter production and technology bases," the Defense Ministry said in an outline of the ATD-X program released in late 2009, when development began in earnest.

Asiana Airlines San Francisco air crash

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 have touched down tail-first and short of the runway. A sheered off tail section rested several hundred feet from the main body of the aircraft, and debris from the plane littered the runway. Passenger Janghyung Lee told USA TODAY that the aircraft rattled wildly before landing.

The two people who died in the crash were found outside the heavily damaged jetliner. Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White said late Saturday that she did not know the ages or genders of the victims.

Uttarakhand floods: On rescue mission, IAF's Mi-17 helicopter crashes, 20 dead

In a tragic accident that underlines the risks pilots are taking to evacuate those stranded after the Uttarakhand flash floods, a Mi 17 V5 helicopter ferrying rescue personnel from the temple town of Kedarnath to a base camp crashed on Tuesday afternoon. All 20 people who were reportedly on board are feared dead.

The Mi 17 V5 chopper, the very latest in the inventory of the Indian Air Force, went down while it was heading towards the temporary air base at Gaucher, and crashed in difficult terrain north of Gaurikund, the base camp for the 14 km trek up to Kedarnath. However, the IAF continued flying operations in the region after the chopper was first reported missing just after midday.

While there are conflicting reports of casualties, sources said the toll could be as high as 20, as the helicopter was transporting back a delegation of ITBP and NDRF personnel who had been camping in Kedarnath, coordinating rescue operations for the past week. All five crew members on board the chopper, which belonged to the Barrackpore-based 157 Helicopter Unit, are believed to have died.

The IAF has stated that the confirmed casualties are at least eight, but sources coordinating the rescue operations on the ground have put the number at 20. This includes nine ITBP, six NDRF personnel and the five crew members. An elite "Garud" special force unit of the IAF has reached the crash spot to assess the damage.

It is still not clear what caused the crash but sources said there was no distress call from the chopper before it went down, diminishing the possibility of mechanical failure. The chopper is believed to have crashed into a mountainside in the narrow Kedar valley after encountering bad weather and low visibility.

The difficulty in putting a number to those on board the chopper is due to the frantic pace with which the IAF has been carrying out sorties, with little or no time to note down the number or names of personnel being ferried.

ORIGIONAL POST : http://www.indianexpress.com/news/uttarakhand-floods-mi17-v5-helicopter-on-rescue-operation-crashes-8-dead/1133647/

India's first homegrown aircraft carrier

 India's firstIAC, being built at the Cochin Shipyard, will finally "be launched into water" next month. But don't be in a hurry to pop the bubbly. The already long-delayed 40,000-tonne warship will not become operational anytime before 2018.

The IAC — to be christened INS Vikrant after the country's first carrier acquired from the UK in 1961 and later retired in 1997 — will be "launched with a weight of 20,000-tonne" at a ceremony to be chaired by defence minister A K Antony in Kochi on August 12.

"The launch signifies the underwater work and fitting of machinery in the warship is over. Now, the superstructure, the upper decks and the out-fittings will be done,'' said an official.

"We hope the IAC will be ready for trials from 2016 onwards. The trials will take well over one year since this is the first time the country is building an aircraft carrier,'' he added.

The 260-metre-long IAC, with a crew of 160 officers and 1,400 sailors, is supposed to carry 12 MiG-29Ks, eight Tejas Light Combat Aircraft and 10 anti-submarine and reconnaissance helicopters on its 2.5-acre flight deck and hangars. Powered by four American LM2500 gas turbines, the IAC will have an endurance of around 7,500 nautical miles at a speed of 18 knots.



But the huge delays in both the IAC project as well as the 44,570-tonne INS Vikramaditya — or the Admiral Gorshkov carrier that just began its sea trials after a $2.33 billion refit in Russia — has derailed the Navy's long-standing aim to operate two full-fledged carrier battle groups (CBGs).

INS Vikramaditya will now be ready only by end-2013 instead of the original induction schedule of August, 2008. The IAC, in turn, was first sanctioned in 2003. But its keel was laid only in February 2009, with the ``launch'' date then being fixed for October, 2010. The huge time and cost overruns in the IAC project has also meant that the plan for a 65,000-tonne IAC-II remains merely on the drawing board at present.

Consequently, the Navy will be forced to operate its solitary and ageing carrier, the 28,000-tonne INS Viraat, till at least 2016. Currently undergoing yet another life-extension refit, the 54-year-old INS Viraat is left with just 11 Sea Harrier jump-jets to operate from its deck. The 45 MiG-29K naval fighters, being procured from Russia for over $2 billion, can operate only from Vikramaditya and IAC.

This when CBGs, capable of travelling 600 nautical miles a day with accompanying destroyers, frigates, submarines, tankers, fighters and other aircraft, are considered very effective at projecting offensive power as well as taking the battle to the enemy.

The US, incidentally, has as many as 11 CBGs - with each carrier being over 94,000-tonne and capable of carrying 80-90 fighters - prowling the high seas around the globe. China, too, is pursuing an active carrier building programme after inducting its first carrier, the 65,000-tonne Liaoning, last September.

SOURCE:TOI