Images of the week - INS Vikramaditya

A bow view of the Soviet aircraft carrier BAKU (CVHG-103) underway off the coast of southern Italy. Exact Date Shot Unknown. Text/Image: Wikipedia

The conversion plans for the aircraft carrier involve stripping all the armament, including the P-500 Bazalt cruise missile launchers and the four Antey Kinzhal surface-to-air missile launchers fitted on the front of the carrier,to make way for a 14.3 degree bow ski-jump. Text/Image: Wikipedia

A view of the superstructure and radar equipment aboard the Soviet Kiev class aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov. The Kiev class carriers (also known as Project 1143 or as the Krechyet (Gyrfalcon) class) were the first class of fixed-wing aircraft carriers built in the Soviet Union. Text/Image: Wikipedia


Google Maps screenshot of INS Vikramaditya undergoing reconfiguration at a shipyard in Severodvinsk, Russia

Images from the shipyard in Russia

A possible deck layout configuration

Images Courtesy: www.Navy.com.br

MiG-29K : Carrier-based multipurpose fighter a/c

Source: http://en.rian.ru/infographics/20100217/157912300.html

Image of the week - MiG-29K simulator cockpit view!

Vayu Shakti 2010 Press Release - Ministry of Defence

 Image Copyright - Kedar Karmarkar

In a first ever display of its precision strike capability by night, a mammoth fire power demonstration (FPD), codenamed ‘Vayu Shakti-2010’, showcasing the operational capabilities of IAF by day, dusk and night will be held at the sprawling Chandan Air-to-Ground Range, Pokharan on February 28.

The FPD will demonstrate the day and night employability of air power by frontline fighter aircraft of the IAF including Su-30 MKI, Mirage-2000, Jaguar, Mig-21 and Mig-29. The transport aircraft include AN-32, Embraer and IL-76, while Mi-17 1V and Mi-35 attack helicopters will constitute the rotary wing ingredients.

For the first time AWACS will be used to monitor the mammoth exercise while an unmanned aerial vehicle will stream live video images of the target destruction. In addition to the 65 aircraft participating from all IAF Commands, 30 standby aircraft in air and an equal number on ground will make it one of the biggest participation by IAF aircraft in any such FPD ever.

Mock radar sites, tanks, marshalling yards, terrorist camps, runway, BMP (infantry fighting vehicles), blast pens and convoys are among few of the targets that pilots will seek to destroy. Para-drop and troop insertion of Garud - IAF’s Special Forces to neutralize a terrorist camp will also be on display.

The other attractions will include aerobatics display by Surya Kirans and Sarang, display by IAF sky diving team - Akash Ganga and renditions by IAF Symphonic Orchestra.

The FPD is a collective display of skills and accuracy in weapon delivery by pilots at the end of their training year. The exercise also aids commanders and planners to gain better insight into the potential and deployment capabilities of aerial weapons.

Source: http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=58050&kwd=

MiG-29K Technical Training Simulator (MAKS 2009)

MiG-29K is in serial production for Indian Navy. These aircrafts will be on board Vikramaditya carrier. The trainer was displayed on MAKS-2009 Air Show.

"Black Panthers" at INS Hansa (Feb 19th, 2010)

 

Defence Minister A.K. Antony in the cockpit of a MiG-29K aircraft of the Indian Navy. MiG-29Ks were inducted into the Indian Navy as part of the "Black Panthers" Squadron on Feb 19th, 2010

 Source: Press Information Bureau, Govt of India

 

 

 Two MiG-29Ks flying in formation with a Sea Harrier of the Indian Navy.

Source: Press Information Bureau, Govt of India

Capt Ahuja, the first Indian Naval Aviator to get carrier qualification at US Naval Air Station, Kingsville, Texas. He successfully landed on board USS Enterprise in 2007 to get his US Naval Aviator wings.

Source: LiveFist blog by Shiv Aroor

 

 

From the archives - Capt Ahuja with a T-45C "Goshawk" trainer a/c of Training-Wing 2 at US NAS Kingsville, Texas.

Source: MilitaryPhotos.net

The "Black Panthers" with their bird!

Source: LiveFist blog by Shiv Aroor

Tail hook of the MiG-29K

Source: LiveFist blog by Shiv Aroor

 

MiG-29K at INS Hansa with it's wings folded

Source: LiveFist blog by Shiv Aroor

 

Memento presented to the Defence Minister by the Chief of Naval Staff.

Source: LiveFist blog by Shiv Aroor

 

The "Black Panthers" !!!

Source: LiveFist blog by Shiv Aroor

Air-to-air refuelling probe is visible here on the MiG-29K's fuselage

Source: LiveFist blog by Shiv Aroor

Coming soon...

Coming up - Pictures from INS Hansa, the home base of "Black Panthers" MiG-29K Sqn of Indian Navy

Naval PAK-FA ?

A computer model image of a Naval variant of the PAK-FA Su50 fighter a/c has appeared online. Claims that the Russian navy has asked for a 5th Generation fighter aircraft to be operated from their future aircraft carriers have surfaced.

IDRW.org reports - "Russia is in process of designing and building new Generation of Aircraft carrier for its navy, Plans are to build 3 to 4 new Generation aircraft carrier by 2040-50 which will have a displacement of up to 60,000 metric tons, equipped with a fifth generation aircraft which might be a Naval Pak-Fa".

IDRW.org further reports that the Russian Defence ministry has not confirmed or denied the truth about any request which was put by it navy for Naval PAK-FA. However, Russian Defence sources have confirmed that Russian navy has ordered  Naval Mig-29K to replace its ageing fleet of Sukhoi Su-33 operated from its lone aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, and development of new generation of Nuclear powered aircraft carrier has begun .