First flight of Tejas aircraft LSP-4 takes off

 Photo Courtesy - Shiv Aroor @ LiveFist

BANGALORE: The first flight of Tejas Aircraft LSP-4 (Limited Series Production aircraft) took to the skies on Wednesday, going supersonic touching a 1.1 Mach speed.

The aircraft took off at 1110 hrs from HAL's Bangalore airport and landed forty minutes later, a DRDO release said.

The flight marks for the first time a Tejas aircraft flying in the configuration that will be finally delivered to the Indian Air Force.

This milestone is another step in the direction of releasing the Tejas for IAF service, which is planned for December 2010, it said.

In the sortie, test pilot Gp Capt Suneet Krishna flew the aircraft to an altitude of 11 kms and went supersonic, touching 1.1 Mach speed with Test Director, Gp Capt D Chakravorty, guiding him from the telemetry facility of National Flight Test Centre.

For all first flights of prototype aeroplanes, it is a standard operating procedure to have another aircraft chase the aircraft under test. In this case, the chase aircraft was flown by the Chief Test Pilot of NFTC, Gp Capt RR Tyagi with Wg Cdr Prabhu as the Test Director.

The Indian Navy has a considerable stake in the programme, as they look to replace their Sea Harrier fleet, which is due to be phased out in due course.

Senior scientists from ADA, NAL and ADE were involved in the development and flight test planning of the newly integrated flight control software which was used by the test aircraft. Programme Director of Aeronautical Development Agency, P S Subramanyam said the Tejas team was now heading to central India to carry out hot weather trials.

He expressed confidence that the aircraft would soon be flown by operational pilots of the defense services. 

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/First-flight-of-Tejas-aircraft-LSP-4-takes-off/articleshow/6004370.cms

India says to have fifth-generation jets in 2018

NEW DELHI: India will introduce an advanced fighter jet it is building with Russia in 2018, a move that will bring sophistication to its air power but could also spark unease among neighbours China and Pakistan.

New Delhi has watched warily as China has made rapid strides in defence, worried that Beijing's long-term strategy for the region could involve encircling India. Indian military commanders have stressed greater firepower as a counter-measure, particularly for the air force.

The fifth generation fighter aircraft joint project with Russia is part of that strategy. "The fifth generation aircraft would possess technologies which would provide it (India) the edge over adversaries in future air warfare," PV Naik, the Chief of the Indian Air Force (IAF), said. "China is rapidly modernising its air force ... On our part, the IAF is reviewing its tactics regularly to increase its combat potential," Naik said.

India's plans to bolster its air force include upgrading more than 50 airbases along the Chinese and Pakistan border, he said. Traditionally, any move by India to acquire new weaponry has been met with similar moves by Pakistan, putting already fragile regional security under further strain.

The fifth-generation fighters, billed as a competitor to the US F-22 Raptor, can fool sophisticated radars and will be able to take off from short airstrips and remain in the air for longer than the current fighters, air force officials say.

India's air force says it has more than 800 active combat aircraft but is dwarfed by China's, which has more than 2,000 fighter aircraft. Arms procurement is a painfully slow process in India because of red tape and charges of corruption in winning tenders.

India plans to procure at least 200 of the fifth-generation fighters, each valued at $100 million, in a deal which analysts say is watched with unease by neighbours Pakistan and China. India is looking to spend more than $50 billion over the next five years to modernise its largely Soviet-era weapons systems.

The governments of Russia and India have already signed the deal for the advanced jet, although the two companies that will build them have not.

Officials say that is just a formality and will be completed this year. Production of the stealth jet fighter is a 50-50 joint venture between Russia and India's state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), which will build a mission computer, cockpit displays and other navigation systems. India is also buying 126 multi-role fighters and will pare down the number of bidders for the $11 billion deal by June or July, Naik said. That contract is one of the world's biggest arms deals.

Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/India-says-to-have-fifth-generation-jets-in-2018/articleshow/5849687.cms

Fighter spotting - IAF MiG-21 at Nicco Park, Kolkata!

NEWS FLASH - Short service commission officers to fly IAF fighters

Indian Air Force Su30MKI fighter pilot

Indradhanush 2007 Air Exercise, Waddington, UK

Source: www.skycontrol.net

New Delhi: Battling a shortage of 1,343 officers, the Indian Air Force has started allowing short service commission officers fly fighter aircraft.

Officers who join the service for 14 years now get to fly fighter aircraft. Until now, only permanent commission officers were allowed to train for fighter operations.

It takes almost four years and over Rs 4 crore to train a fighter pilot — short service officers will be able to do active fighter duty for a maximum of ten years. In the past, these officers had joined the helicopter and transport streams.

The acute shortage of officers in the flying branch — the IAF is over 300 pilots short against the sanctioned strength of 3,278, most in the fighter stream — seems to have necessitated the decision.

“To overcome the shortage of pilots, we have very recently started short service commission for fighter pilots also. Initially it was only for lady officers, now it has been started for fighter pilots. After 14 years, they will also be given an opportunity to leave,” a top IAF officer told a parliamentary panel after being questioned on the shortage of pilots.

The decision is also in line with the policy of creating more posts of short service officers in the armed forces and having a leaner cadre of permanent commission officers. There is also an urgent need for fighter pilots. Over the next decade, the IAF is expected to get close to 400 new fighter jets.

The first batch of short service commission fighter pilots will pass out at the end of this year.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/short-service-commission-officers-to-fly-iaf-fighters/607633/

Tejas LCA project to cost more than Rs 13,000 crore over 35 years

NEW DELHI: The overall developmental cost of Tejas Light Combat Aircraft has quietly zoomed past the Rs 13,000-crore mark, with the government sanctioning the extension of the fighter's "full-scale engineering development'' (FSED) till December 31, 2018.

This, in effect, means the Tejas developmental saga will now stretch across 35 years, sanctioned as the project was way back in 1983 at a cost of Rs 560 crore to replace the ageing MiG-21s.

Tejas, in fact, can now give the Arjun main-battle tank a run for its money in terms of years taken for full development. The tank project, after all, was first approved 36 years ago.

It is, of course, critical for India to boost indigenous defence production, importing as it still does 70% of its military hardware and software, but this probably is not the way.

"This is a very sorry state of affairs. Even after 27 years since LCA was sanctioned, it is yet to see light of the day,'' says the latest report of the parliamentary standing committee on defence, tabled in Parliament on Thursday.

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, Aeronautical Development Agency and DRDO argue developing a supersonic fly-by-wire fourth-generation fighter from scratch, with international sanctions in place for several years, is an incredibly complex and tough task.

The project, after all, includes single-seater IAF, twin-seater trainer and naval LCA variants. With Tejas prototypes clocking 1,350 flights till now, the "final operational clearance'' for the IAF variant is now slated for December 2012.

"So, IAF should have its first Tejas squadron of 20 fighters by 2014-15. Even Swedish Gripen fighter's developmental cost was around Rs 12,640 crore,'' said an official.

India, however, is now going in for foreign engines to power even the Tejas Mark-II version after the indigenous Kaveri engine failed to pass muster after 20 years of development at a cost of Rs 2,839 crore.

Consequently, while the first 20 Tejas will be powered by the American GE-404 engines, the hunt is on for new more powerful engines for the next six Tejas Mark-II squadrons (16-18 jets in each).

The Rs 13,000-crore mark for the LCA project is breached even if the Kaveri fiasco is kept aside. For one, the FSED Phase-I, which finished in March 2004, cost Rs 2,188 crore.

The Phase-II, which was to be completed by December 2008 at a cost of Rs 3,301 crore, will now get over in December 2012, with additional funds
of Rs 2,475 crore.

Moreover, in November last year, the government "accorded'' sanction for "continuing FSED of LCA till December 2018, with an estimated additional cost of Rs 5,302 crore''.

Amid all this, IAF is keeping its fingers crossed, grappling as it is with a free-fall in the number of its fighter squadrons, down to just 32 from a sanctioned strength of 39.5.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Tejas-LCA-project-to-cost-more-than-Rs-13000-crore-over-35-years/articleshow/5813290.cms

MMRCA Contender - Anatomy of the F/A-18 (Military Channel)

IAF vice-chief prefers reverse engg to build defence systems

IAF Vice-Chief Air Marshal Pranab Kumar Barbora today suggested India should go the Chinese way by gathering technical data to produce defence equipment through reverse engineering.

Addressing a gathering at a convention of The Frontiers of Aeronautical Technologies and 61st AGM in Bangalore, Air Marshal Babora said, “Do reverse engineering. Don't be scared. Our neighbours are already doing it. If someone does not give you, and you want it, do reverse engineering.” His comments, however, might not go down well with Americans and Europeans, who are finding it hard to protect their intellectual property rights.

Reverse engineering is a process of analysing a technology to ascertain how it was designed. The knowledge is then used to build the equipment or system or make improvements to it without using any physical part of the original. Critical of the defence industry’s inability to be self-reliant in producing indegenous systems for defence and aerospace requirements, Air Marshal Barbora said, “We have got the best brains, but it has to be focussed to get the product.”

Prodding the defence establishment and manufacturers to go for joint ventures and get the technological knowhow of systems, Barbora said: “No country has produced fighter aircraft on its own. It has been a joint effort of like-minded countries.” Barbora said India was technologically less literate than Russia and China because it had no access to middle-level technologies following World War-II. “Now, a lot of private players have emerged in India, but they are playing rough because of rules and regulations.”

He also asked the private sector to focus on core competence instead of trying to manufacture the entire aircraft from scratch. “We must not dilute our core competency,” he said. Citing China’s efforts, the Air Marshal said while the country was already producing entire airbuses, Indian companies were proud and satisfied to produce a few small parts like doors and undercarriages.

“When China can manufacture an Airbus, why not India? Though we are a major economic power to reckon with in South Asia, we have not leveraged it to bargain for greater access to aerospace technologies or attracting overseas investment through joint ventures to develop our state-run or private industry,” he rued. The Indian Air Force is buying equipment worth billions of dollars every year. However, the benefits of these are not reaching the private sector in the absence of a “national policy framework or national technology plan”.

“A sound national policy will enable stakeholders to work within a timeframe and deliver the equipment required for the armed forces, especially the IAF,” Barbora said.

Source: http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/iaf-vice-chief-prefers-reverse-engg-to-build-defence-systems/391506/

Wings of Sweden (Discovery Channel)

While going through some interesting aviation videos on Youtube, I found a Discovery channel episode discussing the growth of Sweden's aviation industry. With the SAAB Gripen as one of the contenders of MMRCA fighter a/c acquisition for IAF, it is good to know that we are not dealing with novices, but a very experienced fighter a/c manufacturer.

An important point made in the documentary is that SAAB a/c have traditionally been cheap to maintain and easy to fly. Also, with Sweden's extreme weather conditions and limited space, all a/c are designed to withstand harsh weather conditions. This could help the Gripen score over competition, especially after it was reported that Leh's extreme temperatures were a tough nut to crack for 4 MMRCA contenders!

To learn more about Sweden's a/c industry, see the following videos.

NOTE: Videos 4 (latter half) and 5 discuss the JAS Gripen fighter a/c.

Image of the week - Cheetah helicopter of Indian Air Froce

Image Courtesy : National Geographic

IAF An-32 carrying the bodies of slain CRPF personnel (HT)

Image Source: Hindustan Times

1966 IAF 'bombing' of Aizwal, Mizoram - Memories of inferno still remain fresh

Image Source: The Hindu

After the barbaric murder of 76 CRPF soldiers, the IAF Chief, Air Chief Marshal P.V. Naik, has said that he is not in favour of the use of air power in anti-Maoist operations. He has said that use of military power was to inflict maximum damage, and without a 100% guarantee that the targeted area or person is an enemy of the country, using lethal military force against Indian citizens isn't warranted.

You may read more about it here.

Now, let us go back to 1966 to an incident that shook the foundation of Indian democracy to the core. Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India, ordered Hunter and Toofani fighters of the IAF to destroy 'targets' the Mizo city of Aizwal (an incident which was later denied by the PMO). Various houses were destroyed, innocent civilians killed or injured and scores left homeless and seeking answers for the barbaric act. It was an ominous beginning to Mrs. Gandhi's tenure as India's first lady Prime Minister, and an approach to dealing with extremism that would eventually lead to her assassination in 1984.

Here is an article from NEWSLINK, published on March 5th, 2007, highlighting one of the versions of the story.

Memories of inferno still remain fresh

NEWSLINK Monday, March 05, 2007 

Bureau report

Aizawl, March 5th, 1966: Today marks the 41st anniversary of the historic Aizawl bombardment, which had turned the once-beautiful hill town Aizawl into ashes, a few days after the declaration of the "Mizoram independence" by the Laldenga-led Mizo National Front.

While Mizoram now has emerged as one of the most peaceful states and marching ahead as one of the most developing states of India, memories of the inferno still remain with those who survived the trial by fire.

"In the afternoon of March 4 1966, a flock of jet fighters hovered over Aizawl and dropped bombs leaving a number of houses in flames. The next day, a more excessive bombing took place for several hours which left most houses in Dawrpui and Chhingaveng area in ashes," recollected 62-year-old Rothangpuia in Aizawl.

According to some records, Hunter and Toofani fighters were deployed for the Aizawl bombardment, which became the first and only aerial attack India has carried out against its own people. The fighters came from Tezpur, an IAF air base in Assam. Apart from Aizawl, Tualbung and Hnahlan villages in northeast Mizoram were bombarded. Surprisingly, there were no human casualties officially reported in any of the air raids.

"In the first wave of attack the planes used machine guns and later on used bombs. The attack came in three waves, on the second day the attack lasted for about five hours," MLA Andrew Lalherliana recounted.

According to Joe Lalhmingliana, a retired wing commander of Indian Air Force, Tezpur Air Force base - which presently hangars MIG 21 Operational Flying Training Unit (MOFTU) - was the base for the Mizoram aerial attack of March 1966.

"The Indian Air Force deployed Hunter and Toofani jet fighters to carry out the mission; it was the first time India used its air force to quell a movement of any kind among its citizens. Goa was a different story, it was a move to drive away the Portuguese," the former airman said.

Till today there has been no satisfactory answer as to why India used such excessive air force against its own citizens in order to suppress an insurgency. Surprisingly, the Mizo National Front was outlawed only later in 1968.

In the aftermath of the Aizawl air raids, two MLAs of Assam, Stanley DD Nichols Roy and Hoover H Hynniewta, came to Mizoram (then Mizo district under Assam) to see with their own eyes what happened to the people of the Mizo District and were totally shocked by what they saw. Later in April, Nichols Roy moved a motion in the Assam House on the Aizawl air attack.

"The use of excessive air force for taking Aijal (the former name of Aizawl) was excessive because you can not pinpoint from the air who is loyal and who is not loyal, who is an MNF and who is somebody pledging allegiance to the Mizo Union, the ruling party in the Mizo district," Roy was quoted as speaking to the Assam chief minister by Mizo historian JV Hluna in his book 'Debates on Mizo Problems on Insurgencies, with special reference to the contributions of Stanley DD Nichols Roy, MLA and Hoover H Hynniewta, MLA.'

JV Hluna noted that a hot debate over the Mizo issue continued in the House. Nichol Roy even referred to a statement made by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi published in the Hindusthan Standard on March 9, 1966 where the PM, answering a foreign correspondent, insisted that the air force was "deployed to drop men and supplies."

"Nichols Roy stated that whether the shells of bombs, which had been dropped in Aijal, be sent to Delhi to ask the Prime Minister, 'How do you cook this ration? If these are supplies, please tell us how you cook these things'?", JV Hluna said in his book.

Strongly condemning the use of air force, the other MLA Hynniewta produced photographs of one unexploded bomb and some fragments of exploded bombs as proof of the Aizawl air attack, which was strongly denied by the Government of India.

"We touched it, we measured it and we took photograph of it. We have fragments of the bombs. We have the testimony of hundreds of people who have heard the explosions the moment the planes flew over in Mizo Hills," Hynniewta addressed the chief minister. "If you want to suppress the MNF rebellion, ordinary bullets are sufficient. From any point of view, military, physical or economic, these weapons should never have been used," the MLA told the House.

"Given that the only sources of information regarding the insurgency in Mizoram for the outside world were the words of the Assam chief minister, the Assam chief secretary and the Prime Minister (who on the other hand denied the air attack), the contributions of the two MLAs were very notable," JV Hluna said.

Since the MNF rebels had already taken Army installations in Champhai, Lunglei and Saitual in the initial stage of the rebellion and Aizawl in danger of being overpowered, the Indian Government might have been too nervous to have second thoughts about an aerial attack on its own territory.

Toofani Fighter A/C of Sqn 29, Tezpur AFS

Image Source: Bharat Rakshak

Hunter Fighter A/C of Sqn 27, IAF

Image Source: Bharat Rakshak

Air Force gives Gripen fighter a second chance

 Image Courtesy: http://www.canit.se

By Col Ajai Shukla: Sweden’s futuristic medium fighter, the Gripen NG, has been given a second chance in the $11 billion contest to select a Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) for the Indian Air Force (IAF). The Ministry of Defence (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 March 9, 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 learnt that Gripen International will make the Gripen NG demonstrator available to IAF pilots, if 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 a 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.

Source: http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/air-force-gives-gripen-fightersecond-chance/390634/

Brahmos cleared for Air Force

 Image Source: samapan.wordpress.com

New Delhi: Aiming to provide the country’s defence with an extra edge, the government last week inked a Rs 11,600-crore agreement that will pave the way for formal induction of the Brahmos missile into the Indian Air Force (IAF), besides giving two more regiments of the supersonic land attack system to the Army. 

While the missile is already in service with the Navy and Army, this is the first time that a surface-to-surface version of the missile will be inducted into the IAF. This will give the IAF a cutting edge over adversaries in the region and will arm it with the capability of taking out enemy radars and other air defence installations without even sending fighters across the border.

Top sources said the multi-crore agreement with Brahmos Aerospace, a joint venture between the DRDO and Russian company, would enable factory production of advanced versions of the cruise missile that can be launched from aircraft, submarines, ships and land. Capable of attaining speeds between 2.5 and 2.8 mach, Brahmos missiles have a range of about 290 kilometres. “In the next couple of years, we will have different versions of the Brahmos in all the three services,” sources said. 

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Brahmos-cleared-for-Air-Force/597443

IAF on look out for amphibious aircraft

 Image Source: www.VectorSite.net

NEW DELHI: To keep an eye on uninhabited islands and carrying out search and rescue missions over the country's maritime zone, the Indian Air Force is planning to induct amphibious aircraft in its fleet.

"We are planning to procure six amphibious aircraft for reconnaissance of islands and search and rescue missions," IAF officials said here.

The process to procure the amphibious aircraft, which can take-off from and land on water, has already been initiated with the issuing of a a global Request for Information (RFI) by the Defence Ministry, they added.

"We also plan to use the aircraft for inter-island communication and rapid response duties during emergencies such as a tsunami or reaching out to people stranded on islands or ships in the sea," officials said.

The IAF wants an aircraft which should have a short take-off capability with a range of at least 800 nautical miles so that they can cover a long range, they added.

Canadian Bombardier and Russian Beriev are expected to receive the Request for Proposal (RFP), which is expected to be issued by the IAF soon.

In the recent past, India has enhanced its focus on increasing aerial vigilance over its over huge maritime zone and islands situated there.

In 2009, India signed a deal worth USD 2.1 billion for procuring eight P-8I long range maritime surveillance aircraft and is also planning to procure new medium range aircraft for the Coast Guard for reconnaissance and surveillance.

In addition to this, the Government has also sanctioned more Doriner aircraft and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for sea-guarding agencies.

Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/5738071.cms

India receives second AWACS aircraft

MUMBAI, March 26 (Xinhua) -- The second Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft acquired from Israel by the Indian Air Force (IAF) have landed, India's media reported on Friday.

The Second AWACS arrived at Jamnagar air base in the western Indian state of Gujarat Thursday evening, and will be deployed at Agra air base in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, the news agency Press Trust of India quoted an IAF official as saying.

With the arrival of second AWACS, the IAF could boost the aerial patrol capability by covering the eastern and western part of India at the same time, said the official.

Like the first AWACS, the second one could detect and track dozens of flying objects from more than 300 kilometers away, including hostile fighters, bombers and cruising missiles, and direct its anti-aircraft units to intercept the incoming flying targets.

According to the contract signed with Israel in 2004, the IAF will get three Phalcon AWACSs, of which the first was delivered in May last year.
The IAF could provide air patrol by covering the whole nation as the third AWACS arrives later this year, the official added.

However, the speed of AWACS is quite slow, and need the protection of fighters and anti-aircraft missiles from the ground.

As the third AWACS reaches, India will become one of the few countries which have three advanced AWACSs. Such countries include the United States, Russia, China, Britain and Japan. 

Source: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/sci/2010-03/26/c_13225604.htm

Common sense prevails ... the IAF is finally doing something about the HPT-32 crisis!!

 Image Source: NASA.gov

In an attempt to revive the grounded fleet of Indian Air Force's HPT-32 trainer aircraft, the Indian aerospace engineers have come out with a unique but dangerous idea. They have decided to fit the aircraft with a huge heavy-duty parachute to prevent its free fall in case an accident occurs.

The parachute will supposedly slow the aircraft down and lower it to the ground safely. As a result, the crew will survive, and the aircraft will escape with minor damage. But the experts feel the idea is bizarre and is unlikely to save the pilot's life in case of emergency.

Headlines Today broke the news in August 2009 how the IAF had grounded its entire fleet of the basic trainer aircraft following a spate of fatal crashes. However, instead of dealing with the problem at hand and making a safer airplane, the government is now examining a desperately radical stop-gap measure that cannot guarantee the safety of pilots and still cost the government billions of rupees.

In technical terms, it is called a ballistic recovery system. But veteran pilots believe it is a terrible idea. Air Marshal A.K. Singh, the chairman of Military Advisory Council, said it showed how the authorities are completely out of ideas and paying the price for criminal negligence of flight training infrastructure.

Source: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/90076/India/Parachute+to+hold+IAF%E2%80%99s+trainer+plane+if+it+falls!.html

Comments: After the loss of many lives, common sense has finally prevailed and the grave matter of flight safety being openly neglected is being addressed. Even though the pilots lost in HPT-32 accidents will not return, this step will surely go a long way in ensuring the safety of the future pilots of IAF. I sincerely hope the IAF doesn't rest after attaching the safety chute ... the real problem with the HPT-32 should still be identified, and rectified.

Image of the week - Flight group of IAF Su-30K fighter a/c in formation

Image Courtesy: Alex Arkhipau / FineArtAmerica.com

You can buy the full size version of the image here

IAF to carry out air-to-air exercises with France, UK

Image Courtesy: Indian Air Force (Indradhanush Exercise 2007)

NEW DELHI: Expanding its ties with global air powers, the Indian Air Force will carry out air-to-air exercises with France and United Kingdom this year.

"Firstly, the 'Garud' series exercise with the French would be held in France in June and the 'Indradhanush' series with the British Royal Air Force would be held at the Kalaikunda air base in West Bengal in October," Defence Ministry sources said here.

At the fourth edition of the 'Garud', IAF will be represented by its air superiority Sukhoi-30 fighter jets and the Il-76 heavy-lift transport aircraft in the aerial wargames with France.

"The Il-78 mid-air refuelling aircraft, which have helped in expanding the strategic reach of the IAF, are also likely to join the Indian contingent there," they added.

The French side is expected to field its latest Rafale fighters and various versions of the Mirage-2000 fighters, sources said.

The Rafale is being offered by the French to the IAF for its requirements for the USD 11 billion contract for 126 multi-role combat aircraft.

The first Indo-French exercise was held in 2003 at the Gwalior air base and the second one was organised in France in 2005. The third was held at Kalaikunda air base in 2007.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/IAF-to-carry-out-air-to-air-exercises-with-France-UK-/articleshow/5712840.cms

The 20 pilots who participated in Indradhanush 2007 at Waddington, UK

Image Courtesy: Kapil Chandani @ Bharat Rakshak

Update: Top military brass against permanent commission to women officers

NEW DELHI: Women may have had a long history in military, right from the days of Joan of Arc or even Jhansi ki Rani, but the Indian military brass remains dead against granting permanent commission (PC) to women officers across the board due to what they call `operational, practical and cultural problems'.

Women are being inducted into armed forces as officers since the early-1990s, and many of them have served with distinction, but they can only don their uniforms for a maximum of 14 years even now as short-service commission (SSC) officers. At the most, they can become Lt-Colonels and their equivalents in IAF and Navy in these 14 years.

Many women officers, serving and retired, do not agree with the `double standards' practised in armed forces. "On one hand, the forces keep cribbing about the shortage of officers. On the other, they are perfectly willing to let go of this (women) well-trained and available human resource,'' said a Major.

The government in 2008 did issue orders for PC for women officers but, in what many saw as mere lip-service to gender equality, it was restricted to just the legal and education wings of the three Services, as also IAF's accounts branch and Navy's `naval constructor' department.

The reason was plain and simple. These wings do not involve command of men or battalions. "Women officers have neither been trained for command nor given the responsibility so far,'' a senior officer told TOI on Friday.

"We are going in for having a large SSC base and a lean PC cadre. Granting PC to existing women SSC officers will hit the entire restructuring process. Grant of PC to women must be based on military needs and organisational requirements, not social considerations or pressure exerted by some groups. It has to be a gradual process,'' he added.

But how gradual will the process be? The 2009 batch of SSC women cadets currently undergoing training in the Officers' Training Academy at Chennai or IAF Academy at Dundigal, for instance, will be given the option to choose PC in the legal or education branches just a year or two before they complete 10 years in service. As per existing policy, no serving women officer can get PC.

Some women officers contend they often face a condescending attitude from their colleagues and seniors in the predominantly-male environment of the 13-lakh strong armed forces, where they constitute barely 2.5% to 6% of the officer cadre. Women, of course, are not inducted as PBORs (personnel below officer rank).

"In many fields, like engineering, signals or even flying, women have done better than their male counterparts. So, what is the problem if they are given PC? It's tough to get a second career at 35-40,'' says a woman officer.

Yes, there are operational problems, with the overwhelming chunk of the Army deployed along the borders or in counter-insurgency operations, but women officers can certainly be considered for PC in wings like engineering, ordnance, intelligence, signals, logistics, air traffic control and the like, which will not take them directly to the battlefront.

The military brass, however, holds it's essential to obtain feedback on the performance of women based on the now revised pre-commission training (from the earlier 24 weeks to the present 49 weeks), detailment on courses such as junior command course and assess their performance as sub-unit commanders especially in field areas for holding higher ranks and grant of PC.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Top-military-brass-against-permanent-commission-to-women-officers/articleshow/5677653.cms

Remembering a friend - Flt Cdt Sparsh Rana (1983 - 2005)

(Year - 1994) It was a plesant morning, the breeze cool enough to make me feel better. After the heat of Chandigarh, Dagshai was a pleasant change. However, this feeling was not going to last very long as I was joining my first hostel - Army Public School,Dagshai. Like every other boarding school, the seniors were waiting for their new 'bakras'! So after my dad left, we were a part of the jungle!

I was assigned to Tagore House. The first few days went off peacefully as they were our honeymoon days. When the 'orientation' started, life was never to be the same again. It was during this time that I met Sparsh Rana, a batchmate and hostelmate and we became good friends. Sparsh was good at horse riding and he would take me to the practice arena behind the Acad block and I used to enjoy seeing him go about his riding classes. Whenever I had cricket matches, he would come over to see my matches.

The sports field of APS Dagshai has the unique distinction of having a helipad in the centre. It was not unusual for IAF and Indian Army Helicopters to land there. We all used to be very fascinated seeing the choppers fly past almost on a daily basis. The thought of flying these machines was scary and exhilirating at the same time! For many of us, it was to remain a dream. However, Sparsh did what it took to realize his dream of flying ... 7 years later, he joined the National Defence Academy, Khadkwasla in Pune.

Circumstances made me leave Dagshai after spending only one year there. I left the school in tears, bidding farewell to all my friends, hoping that we would meet again sometime. In 1997, my father (who is in the Army) got posted to Delhi. The obvious choice of school for me was APS,Dhaula Kuan. I had no idea what was in store for me there.

The first few days were tough for me. It had been difficult to adjust to the new surroundings and the sheer size of the Academic block had left me bewildered! I was returning from the Physics lab when I bumped into somebody. The experiment had not been that good and I was in no mood for a conversation. But when the other guy caught hold of me, I turned around in anger, only to see a face I could not beleive was in front of me - It was Sparsh. We hugged like two brothers meeting after a lifetime. This reunion was very special and we shared some good times at APS before graduating in 2001.

He joined NDA as an IAF Cadet, while I joined Army Institute of Technology, Pune for my Engineering studies. Years flew past us and we both got busy with our acads/training. I somehow lost contact with Sparsh and we never spoke to each other until the day before his Ceremonial Passing Out Parade at NDA. He was super-excited to hear from me. He invited me over for the parade, and I was desperate to go but I had to change my plans at the last moment because of my University Exams. I apologized to him and said that if I ever got a chance, I will definitely come over to see him at an IAF base. My last words to him were,"Yaar, u have to fly Sukhois...do it for me coz my eyesight won't allow me to join IAF, so u do it for me....i want to fulfill my dream through you."

I still remember what he said to me the last time we spoke, "I have lots of dreams to fulfill yaar! I will go very high in life". He went very high indeed...

I was busy with my last semester of Engineering. 2nd March 2005 had been a very tiring day. I slept early that day. I don't know for how long I slept, but I had a very bad dream. I saw Sparsh sitting in the cockpit of some plane and it was out of control. The plane hit the ground and I heard his last shout, and the next moment, I was up on my bed....I was about 4:30 AM on 3rd March. I dismissed it as rubbish and went off to sleep. I even joked about it in college. My friends were pulling my leg by saying, "Please don't have such dreams for me yaar!". We all chuckled, and carried on with our work.

On the morning of 5th March 2005, I had just walked out of the bathroom when my mom came to me and asked me for the name of my friend from NDA. I asked, "What happened ma?". She said, "Just tell beta", her voice shaky. "Sparsh Rana mom", I said. She silently came to me and hugged me, and said in my ear, "Beta, he died in a crash yesterday. It was just his second solo sortie".

I did not know what had hit me, but I went blank for a moment. I was left speechless, coz u don't always foresee your friend's death. I left for college early. By the time I reached Vishrantwadi (a village close to my college), I was unable to drive because of tears in my eyes...and I took the detour for Air Force Station, Lohegaon in Pune. I parked my bike next to the runway and kept staring at the parked aircraft, the base, the men working there, with my mind not in a position to comprehend anything. In a way, I just sat there motionless for I don't know how long. Suddenly, it was as if something inside me made me get onto my bike and start riding to college ... Along the way, I stopped next to an IAF advertisment billboard that said - "BE AN AIR WARRIOR".....and saluted it in Sparsh's memory.

Adios my dear friend, I will miss you.


Flt Cdt Sparsh Rana died in an HPT-32 crash on March 4th, 2005 during his 2nd solo sortie. A news report about the incident can be found here. This memoir was written in 2005.

Images

The District Collector of Medak Mr. A. K. Singhal looks at the rubble of the crashed HPT 32 Deepak at Mamidigutta near Pambanda village in Shivampet mandal of Medak district in Andhra Pradesh on March 04, 2005. The single pilot training aircraft of Indian Airforce Academy crashed around 11.30 am killing the trainee pilot Sparsh Rana on the spot. Photo: A. Roy Chowdhury

Police and Indian Air Force officer keeping vigil at the crash site of HPT 32 Deepak trainer aircraft at Mamidigutta near Pambanda village in Shivampet mandal of Medak district in Andhra Pradesh on March, 04, 2005. The single pilot trainer aircraft of Indian Air Force Academy crashed around 11.30 am killing the trainee pilot Sparsh Rana. Photo: A. Roy Chowdhury

Flight Crew Memorial, AFA

Source: http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Galleries/Memorials/Dundigal

Overall view of the memorial column. The forward facing panel at the base carries the inscription as given in the main text. The rest of the panels bears the names of the flight crew.

The south side panel, to the rear of the memorial, carries five names. The last name added is of Flt Cdt Sparsh Rana, who was lost in a HPT-32 accident in March 2005.

Sparsh and I in APS Dhaula Kuan (2001 Teacher's Day)