Foundational Mistake-1: By the
mid-1980s it was evident that the days of L-MRCAs were fast drawing to a close
and the future MRCA fleets of the world’s major air forces would comprise only
two types of combat aircraft: M-MRCA and H-MRCA. Yet, for reasons that remain
unexplained till this day, the Indian Air Force (IAF) decided to cling to the
formula of procuring fourth-generation L-MRCAs, M-MRCAs and H-MRCAs. This could
have been avoided even in the early 1990s when the IAF in 1993 evinced keen interest
in the Su-30 family of H-MRCAs. The LCA could then well have morphed into the
MWF/M-MRCA.
Foundational Mistake-2: The
DRDO’s Aeronautical Development Agency, instead of using the LCA’s Technology
Demonstrators (TD) only for developing mission-critical avionics and
sub-systems, decided to convert the TDs into prototype aircraft without any
significant aerodynamic enhancements and re-engineering. On the other hand, in terms of
competitive benchmarking, what did the world’s major OEMs do?
British Aerospace (now BAE
Systems) had unveilled a full-scale mock-up of its conceptual Agile Combat
Aircraft (ACA) mock-up in June 1982,
which was followed up by the rollout of its only TD, as part of the Experimental Aircraft Programme (EAP),
being rolled-out in April 1986 and making its maiden flight on August 8, 1986.
This TD was used only for: testing and validating the digital fly-by-wire concept
for an aerodynamically unstable aircraft with a canard/delta configuration; testing
and validating Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) avionics; and
testing and validating a glass cockpit avionics architecture. The final end-product, the Eurofighter EF-2000, does not bear even a close resemblance to the EAP-TD.
On the other hand, US-based
Rockwell and Germany’s Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB)
co-developed the X-31 TD
as part of a joint US-German Enhanced Fighter Manoeuvrability programme,
which first flew on October 11, 1990. This path-breaking aircraft was built
using already-developed sub-systems and components, like those of the F/A-18 (forebody,
including cockpit, ejection seat, and canopy; electrical generators), F-16 (landing
gear, fuel pump, rudder pedals, nose-wheel tyres, and emergency power unit),
F-16XL (leading-edge flap drives), V-22 Osprey V-22 (control surface actuators), Citation business jet (main
landing gear's wheels and brakes), F-20 (hydrazine emergency air-start
system) and the B-1B (spindles
from its control vanes used for the canards).
Foundational
Mistake-3: By 1987 itself, GE Aero Engines, whose F404F2J3 turbofan had been
selected for powering the LCA’s TDs, had recommended a souped-up LCA airframe
featuring rectangular air-intakes and a double cranked delta-wing design with
greater wing area. However, this well-intentioned advice was chucked into the
dustbin in the early 1990s by an ADA which had by then assumed that it was
blessed with all-knowing wisdom!
The rest, as they say, was history, i.e. errors being compounded in a classic case of bounded irrationality!
Tejas Mk.1 LCA
Tejas Mk.1A LCA
LCA-AF Mk.2
LCA Navy Mk.2
MWF-AF Mk.2
110 comments:
Tejas Mk.1A's first prototype is due for rollout in 2023, with series-production deliveries commencing at best by 2026. The MWF-AF Mk.2's first prototype is planned for rollout by 2025, with series-production deliveries commencing at best by 2030.
Excellent 👌 Sir & Thanks for the ready reckoner. Can the production hiatus between the Mk1 & Mk1A and even more so between the Mk1A & projected MWF be utilised for building LIFT Trainers or SPORT LCA versions, maybe with the Kaveri, as of course we have nor ordered any engines either. Why should production lines & supply logistics idle for such long periods leading to loss of skills as well as idle manufacturing capacity of suppliers such as L&T. Of course, they could slow down production 😉, upgrade MK1s to Mk1A standards besides maintenance overhauls.
The state of affairs in HAL.
https://m.tribuneindia.com/article/the-march-31-syndrome/751319/amp
Is privatisation of HAL the only solution?
and the never-ending drama continues !! if this saga continues FC-1 would be inducted as the indigenous fighter.
Hoping to see the lessons learned thread from you of 27th mess soon.
Hi Prasun,
Conflicting reports coming out about the ASAT test:
Here it says the test was a failure:
http://idrw.org/india-conducted-a-failed-anti-satellite-test-in-february-2019/
And here it says the test created 400 debris:
http://idrw.org/asat-test-created-400-pieces-of-debris-terrible-terrible-thing-nasa/
So, was it a success or not?
Best Regards
Raj
Sir,
Questions:
1.What about naval lca, is it cancelled?
2.Would you rather rate the programme as waste of money or necessary learning curve?
3.will the naval mrca be mig29k as well? As you mentioned hangers of vikrant probably are modelled after it, as in vikramaditya?
4.streamlining of iaf fighter jet types, is there any visible attempt?
Opinions
* Super sukhois will eventually transform to importing of su50 with similar avionics/ tactical roles.
*India should operate each jets of russian(as mentioned above) french(preferable 114 rafale fighters) and usa (not great political climate for f16, but tata-lockheed makes industrial sense, the question of super hornet depends on your answer to #3)
*Israel and uk lobbying also inescapable,somewhat necessary
Regards,
Vimal
Sirji pardon me, in reality Tejas mk. 1a first prototype rollout in 2027, series-productions or serious-production drliveries in 2036. The MWF-AF MK2 first prototype rollout in 2030 and serirs-production or serious-production in 2040 i hope i am wrong but our past experience we lost hope IN DRDO, ARDE, HAL without private industry they are all only in wasting money, after all BABUBS ARE BABUS and thier mentally sab chalta hai
hi prasun
take a look at this article:
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/decoding-the-anti-satellite-weapon-test/751313.html
an interesting article which collaborates your view about development of ASAT only after MCTR. But how accurate is the authors assumptions about indian development of IIR sensors. do you believe that it is worthwhile to invest in this technology or is it cheaper to just buy it from foreign venders in the long run and focus on other critical areas.
I suggest in table 1 you add mirage 2000 & gripped E/F too. This will allow us compare Tejas Mk2 with them.
Mirage 2000 has an engine less powerful than GE414, flew first in 1978. It remains a benchmark for all other fighters in our neighbourhood. No wonder IAF loves it.
The ADA/HAL Tejas mk2 to fly first time in 2023 needs to conclusively beat this 40 year jet, forget RFQ/AQSR etc.
Venky
Dear Prasun,
One day I asked you about MiG 29 vs F16. Your answer was so convincing that afterwards I never ever asked the same. Once I too asked you how Tejas MK1 is going to perform against others in dissimilar air duel. You told that it can easily take away J10 and JF-17.
1. Now I am getting confused how JF17 has an upper hand over Tejas MK1!!! Is this bcoz of its superior EW suit and belly mounted gun.
2. As per your suggestion will Tejas Mk1 get single barrel belly mounted gun?
3. Can Tejas MK1A mitigate few problems if not all for the IAF? I know mk1A won't feature IRST, MAWS etc.
4. In scale of 10 how much will you give to Tejas MK1, Tejas MK1A, and JF-17?
Please enlighten us.
Prasun da
1. from your thread i think when i said this 'if really makes LCA Navy mk2 a viable option to fly from carriers your views, especially replacing levcons with vortex flaps' with GE414 EPE it is a distinct possibility for LCA Tejas mk2/MWF (carrier launched)
http://idrw.org/major-tweaks-to-lca-navy-mk2-now-makes-it-a-clean-slate-program-over-af-mwf-and-tejas-mk1a/#more-196241
2. You missed out of lca mk1 Tejas SPORT the LIFT version
3. looks like in all probability LCA Tejas mk1A wont see the light as IIAF is keen move to MWF Mk2
4. i also feel if IN goes for LCA Tejas mk2/MWF (carrier launched) ever it will definitely go for 27k ton LPDs that will allow the jets to do STOL ops when needed
5. bit off topic, NASA is furious with India as the ASAT space debris are threatening ISS, this what i call kicking your ownass
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/nasa-says-destructed-asat-satellite-led-to-400-debris-pieces-endangering-iss-2016273?pfrom=home-topstories
thanks
Joydeep Ghosh
Hi Prasunda
On Tejas MK1A, can LDP pylon be used to host SPJ in interceptor / air superiority role.
Regards
Nikhil
Prasunji, By this rate both aircrafts will be entering the service when world has moved on to a different generation fighter (especially MWF). Add to it the delays, It might be more prudent to concentrate efforts on AMCA. Your opinion. VMT
Hi Prasun,
I have read your blogs off and on for few years but this is my first comment. Would you also have a list of current armaments that are and will be supported on these platforms? I have never been able to find a unified place where this information is centrally located and most of the information is conflicting and contradicting.
Also, Airforce says that in order to grant FOC they provided Tejas with 10 concessions but never found a list of those concessions - Would you have that list?
Thank you so much for what you do for the community of "Curious" about defense.
https://theprint.in/opinion/an-adversary-india-has-paid-little-attention-to-pakistan-armys-public-relations-wing/215740/
1.How can Indian intelligence unit over look this ?
https://theprint.in/defence/7-pakistan-posts-across-loc-destroyed-after-indian-army-retaliates-to-ceasefire-violations/215724/
2.How long this rat and mouse play go on without any long term objective.?
https://theprint.in/opinion/modi-monitor/why-modi-doesnt-mention-the-dalai-lama-anymore-while-he-rages-against-enemy-pakistan/215845/
3. Where we are heading without any clear aim in mind...Has Modi succumbed to China and chose pak to make big noise
https://theprint.in/politics/congress-promises-to-turn-sc-into-constitutional-court-set-up-court-of-appeals/215962/
Looks like everything every problem congress is going to solve after coming to power and but does Indian voter will take them seriously since their past is not true to promise.
Like these..
https://theprint.in/politics/will-make-national-security-adviser-accountable-to-parliament-congress-says-in-manifesto/215927/
https://theprint.in/politics/gst-2-0-more-jobs-make-for-the-world-policy-congress-manifesto-focusses-on-key-areas/215902/
As usual the nice growth of Tejas but can this be materialised in well time frame into realistic product.
In this month Force issue regular writers pointing out vain muscle flexing of Modi govt without any substiantial aim at strengthening in reality.
How you see this sir.
Prasun sir
Will there be aeroindia19 part 2 thread ?
I was hoping you would follow up the part 1 with the part 2.
Thanks
Manoj
I think they should now abandon the Tejas-Mk1 and move up directly to Mk-2.
Do you think that the maximum speed of 1.6 Mach is sufficient for such fighters. Kindly reply.
Sir, few days back 10-12 PA soldiers were killed, today there are reports that IA destroyed 7 PA posts in which 10-15 PA soldiers were killed. As per reports IA today targeted and destroyed terrorist launch pads and PA's administrative headquarters in POK inflicting heavy casualties. Social media is abuzz with something called Operation Cold Wave. What is really happening? Is IA preparing for a limited war in May-June period?
Hi Prasun,
After reading this only have few very wise words "WHAT THE F***ING MESS"
By thd time this aircraft will be out the world would have moved to 6th gen fighters. Thats it enough said just stop this project as failed or partial success and keep R&D running for making sub equipments to be used on other fighters convert all LCAs to LIFT.
Hi Prasun - is Mk2 going to have GEF414EPE? GEs own site doesn’t seem to mention that.
https://www.geaviation.com/sites/default/files/datasheet-F414-Enhanced.pdf
To RAJ: The ASAT test was a success & the SWIR pixel detector for the FPA was supplied by Israel’s SCD Semiconductor Devices.
To VIMAL: 1) Naval LCA isn’t cancelled, but it is not moving ahead either, since the IN remains more interested in procuring proven M-MRCAs like MiG-29K & Rafale-M. 2) It isn’t a waste of money, but a sheer waste of time due to the foundational mistakes I’ve highlighted above, for which accountability needs to be fixed within both IAF HQ & the DRDO. 3) As of now, no definitive design of the LCA Navy Mk.2 has emerged. Posters of it shown at Aero India 2019 were of 2017 vintage. 4) Not at the moment.
To HOODS007: That article explains everything beautifully in layman’s terms what had been known since 2016 & these points were all explained in a few select seminars by the likes of Dr V K Saraswat & Dr Avinash Chander. The SWIR pixel detector for the FPAs used by the ASAT interceptor & by the AADs fired so far were all supplied by Israel’s SCD Semiconductor Devices. SOFRADIR on the other hand is supplying similar hardware for both the Nag & HELINA. Though SOFRADIR started exhibiting in India from Aero India 2015 onwards, SCD Semiconductor Devices exhibited for the first time in India at DEFEXPO-2018.
To VENKY: And I in turn humbly implore that you go through these as well:
http://forceindia.net/cover-story/pride-of-place/
http://forceindia.net/cover-story/its-shopping-time/
To ASD: 1) That was BEFORE the 10 concessions made by the IAF for the 20 FOC-series Tejas Mk.1s. As of now, both the IOC-/FOC-standard Tejas Mk.1s are defenceless. 2) Remains to be seen. 3) Also remains to be seen, 4) 4 & 5.
To JOYDEEP GHOSH: 1 & 4) since the IN remains more interested in procuring proven M-MRCAs like MiG-29K & Rafale-M. As of now, no definitive design of the LCA Navy Mk.2 has emerged. Posters of it shown at Aero India 2019 were of 2017 vintage. 2) It doesn’t exist. All that was shown last February at AI-2019 expo was a cockpit mock-up. 3) Developing MWF is a far greater challenge than developing the Tejas Mk.1A. 5) Not furious at all, it is instead just stating the facts.
To NIKHIL-M: 1) There’s a very good reason why EW jammers on both Su-27/Su-30 families & EF-2000 are on the wingtips: to avoid EMI. That’s also the reason why the EL/L-8222 ASPJ pod is to be mounted on the outer underwing station of Tejas Mk.1A. No missile disintegrates. But they do fragment upon impact. The AMRAAM slammed into Mamankote Mallas village, Reasi, and caused an explosion that spread splinters and missile parts within a radius of 100 metres. It also injured or killed a local villager. Such facts can be suppressed within a national security state like Pakistan, but not within a welfare state like India.
To SS: For as long as DPSUs like HAL are entrusted with the responsibility of becoming prime industrial contractor, there will be several delays. Only solution therefore is to make HAL a public-listed company with fully autonomous Board of Directors & company management.
To BRAHMASTRA: 1) No digital RWR 2) No self-protection jammer 3) No MAWS 4) No aerial-refuelling 5) No hot-refuelling on the ground 6) No internal 23mm cannon 7) Airframe service-life limited to only 1,000 flight-hours instead of the specified 4,000 hours, resulting in reduced time-between-overhauls. 8) Usage of six avionics ground-testers instead of the specified two, resulting in higher maintenance man-hours per flight-hour 9) No on-board tactical data-link. 10) No on-board OBOGS.
To BUDDHA: 1) LoLz! This is what happens when the Govt of the day indulges in information warfare only for domestic political purposes & not for national security. Entrusting such work to the Union MEA has always been a no-brainer ever since mid-1999. 2) This will go on for as long as the Govt of the day does not understand the meaning of the word DETERRENCE. That’s why former CAS of IAF, ACM stated 3 days ago on CNN-News-18 that he would have advised the Govt to strike at not 1 but 5 terrorist targets in one go, & that’s also why ACM B S Dhanoa had stated on February 25 that had the IAF had Rafales in-service, the PAF would not even have dared to stage retaliatory air-raids against India. Ever since mid-1999, Govts of the day have therefore resorted to only perception management of various crises just for hoodwinking the public & trying to create favourable domestic opinions. 3) They are all muddling their way through since they never study or pay attention to the foundational aspects of statecraft. Exactly how many members of the Union Cabinet do you reckon have fully read Kautilya’s Arthashastra?
To ANUP: HAL will; not follow my advice or instructions because I’m neither HAL’s paymaster nor am I HAL’s Chairman/Managing Director. As for pre-electoral promises, the parties should be asked to reveal their methodologies for implementing their promises. If they can’t share such data, then one can rest assured that all such promises are just ‘Hawaii Batein’.
To MANOJ: Yes, there will be, rest assured.
To RAJESH MISHRA: Mach 1.6 is good for future air warfare scenarios, since new-generation PGMs & AAMs can do the reqd needful.
Hi Prasun,
What is your opinion about ongoing attempt of politicizing the Indian Armed Forces. Can this be waived off as another "Chunawi Jumla" or something more serious is afoot? This should be concerning the nation as a whole. While the armed take orders from the Government of India, they only serve the people of India. Also Indian Government should not be confused with a political party that forms Government due to majority in parliament for a short period and is up for election after a short period. The lack of rebuttal from three arms is deafening. In a recent event in Australia, the three service chiefs removed themselves from podium when questions became political in nature.
Regards,
Pulkit
Prasunda,
1) Is the ASAT interceptor used in the successful March 27 test derived from the K-4 slbm ? At least its first stage appears to have a diameter of 1.4-1.5 m, and no Agni series missile appears to have that diameter.
2) If there was a failed flight of the same interceptor on Feb 12, does this have any implications on the reliability of the K-4 ?
Satyaki
To PRATAP: And as per the ISPR, in retaliatory firing, 10 IA soldiers were killed. These are all tit-for-tat fire-assaults in areas that favour the party holding the dominating position there. So if the PA sits on dominating heights in the Poonch sector & can fire at IA positions at lower altitudes, then the IA located on dominating heights in Rajouri sector retaliates in kind. As per the SOP retaliatory fire can be initiated anywhere within a frontage of 200km, meaning firing & counter-firing takes place within a distance of 200km within one another. The PA prefers to concentrate its fire-assaults in the Poonch area & within Jammu in general since it has been of the view since mid-2015 that its policy of polarisation between non-Muslims & Muslims works best in this manner, as this will make the residents of Jammu extremely angry & they in turnj would like to vent their anger against the residents of the Valley, thereby giving rise to communal strife, all of which helps Pakistan reinforce its foundational/ideological two-nation theory. And how can GE make any announcement when ADA itself has not yet selected the F414EPE? What I have stated above is that while 98kN-thrust is adequate for any L-MRCA, for a M-MRCA/MWF a higher thrust-rated turbofan in the 110kN-thrust category will be reqd. Even for the twin-engined AMCA, two 110kN-thrust turbofans will be reqd.
To THE RAT: How can existing Tejas Mk.1s all be converted into LIFT when the vast majority of them are single-seaters?
To BROWN DESI/PULKIT: I am absolutely against any remarks that were/are being/will be made by any politician who claims to be the one to use have used kinetic force against any adversary, while previous govts haven’t. This type of chest-thumping that’s been going on since June 2015 is counter-productive, is highly deceptive & is self-wounding. Such chest-thumping is only reflective of the extremely low sense of self-esteem of those politicians who are emitting soundbytes about ‘surgical strikes’, as if such cross-IB/cross-LoC raids commenced only in mid-2015. Such soundbytes in the end not result in any form of electoral gains, since at the end of the day, it is all about ‘Roti, Kapada aur Makaan’. Foreign policy issues can be crucial only in the case of industrialized/developed countries, but not for countries where large-scale poverty still prevail. But here is an interesting development in Israel, where some former senior military officials have formed a political party:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dnZNnVEvX8
And here are some more interesting videoclips:
Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain at IISS, UK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07MaB0wUB9w
India’s 1st ASAT Test on 12-2-2019: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gkTziRlB0Y
Latest from Xinjiang: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sUEek-u14w
IDF-Navy Shayetet-7 (submariners): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuDe1e4xFss
Malaysia Becoming Iranian Hotspot for Training Proxies:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-43Dp_711qY
India-Pakistan Facebook Wars:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T7s4kW-rb4
To RAD: IAF-PAF Air Battle Explained:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUEX-Uu_KJc
To BROWN DESI: Here are 2 prime examples of obfuscation & muddling through:
INC's Manifesto on J & K:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D3IceS0XQAA8Amd.jpg (not a word about developmental aspirations for Jammu or Ladakh).
INC's Manifesto on Foreign Policy:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D3Id0huXcAAGDjV.jpg (not a word about how to go about acquiring the tools reqd for eliminating terrorism).
This is what I mjean when I demand to see the methodology to be adopted for achieving all the lofty goals that such manifestos propound.
Once again most interesting.
I have read your two force articles and ask the following for clarity:
IAF:
8 Akash 1 SAM sqn operational
Contracts for 6 more Akash sqn have been signed and these use the Akash 1S SAM and are being delivered
MRSAM - contract for an initial 9 sqn signed and first sqn operational this year?
Is this correct for the IAF SAM sqns? 14 Akash (contracted/delivered) sqn and 9 MRSAM sqn?
Aircraft:
IAF intends to procure 18 more Su-30MKI and 50 MiG-29SMT/UPG?
Does this include the last batch of 40 ordered or are those still not finalized?
Final question - were IAF fighters with R-77s and Micas outranged by AMRAAMs or was this really a factor of screwed ROE which allowed AMRAAM launch and then egress by F-16s before R-77s could lock on?
Any clarity would be most appreciated - thanks in advance.
1) Sir IAF only interested in 18 more Sukhois and no more attrition replacements or additional strength buildup to say 300+?
2) What is the reason behind JF17 skipping airshows where Tejas shows up?
3) Why is there an insistence on over costly procurements like FMBT (as Gen Rawat said in july 2018), 114 mmrca and P75I (over more Scorpenes) and other short term quick fixes which might save money and time?
Prasun
Can you shed some light on the MANIK turbofan engine which was recently in news. Is it for cruise missiles or UAVs
Sir, ISPR is claiming that they have killed 7 IA soldiers and injured 17. Had this been true IA would have definately acknowledged the loss of its troops. They can fool their people but what about the PA troops who are getting hammered by IA?
Remove their engines and avionics use them as spareparts stop making new single seat variants just kill it just freaking kill it canablise every thing that could be.
Prasunda,
how big a deal is it for IN; this sale of 24 multi-role MH-60R Seahawks to India. Does it enhance its capability hugely or is it also a stop-gap arrangement in IN's anti-submarine operations?
Why is this 24 Seahawks costing above $ 2 billion? What does it comprise that makes this platform such high priced?
Kane
https://twitter.com/subnut/status/1113461269028323328?s=19
This is in reply to my tweet sir.
Nice one sir, better they collaborate with Pvt companies for better outputs on LCA n AMCA.
Prasun Da,
As far as A-SAT tests are concerned, why hasn't any nation (US,Russia, China and now India) ever released a video showing the actual interception in space?
If videos from Moon, Mars can be relayed back to Earth then certainly A-SAT test videos can be relayed back to Earth as well, isn't it? There are hundreds of satellites in space & clearly a number of them must have recorded the event. What am I missing here.
Thanks,
Sujoy
Indian armed forces preparing for another Balakot? Which city would we strike next? https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india-india-pakistan-airstrike-surgical-strike-war-512129
To VSJ: 1) Do read this: http://forceindia.net/russia-bullish-india/ 2) Who knows? Maybe an inferiority complex on the part of the OEM? 3) Because such hardware is reqd as well.
To HOODS007: It is for UAVs, not for cruise missiles, since it is meant to be a re-usable turbofan.
To KANE: Why? Because a shipborne ASW helicopter considerably increases the volume of space in the high seas that can be sanitised as far as ASW & anti-ship warfare goes. The cost is high because a host of related training hardware will have to be procured for training the flight & mission-crews, plus the cost of creating shore-based product-support infrastructure like MRO workshops.
To ASHISH GAUTAM: It is not the NSM, but HSM anti-shup cruise missile from Norway’s Kongsberg.
To SBM: Yes. All data on SAMs is correct & do not require any further elaboration. On aircraft, do read this: http://forceindia.net/russia-bullish-india/
On BVR combat, the issue is not about BVRAAMs being out-ranged at all. Such excuses are raised only by those who are fascinated by XBox/Playstation games. Instead, it all about according perpetual respect/recognition to the absolute laws of thje physical sciences, especially the laws of physics & mathematics. Most folks don’t go into such finer details & hence they get ambushed by the lurking devil & the entire debate gets distorted, as is the case with AMRAAM versus R-77. The laws of physics dictate that a directly inbound target will offer a higher RCS & therefore will be detectable at a distance of 130km by the NO-11M ‘Bars’ PESA-MMR. But if the target is receding or flying away, then its RCS will get reduced & hence the same NO-11M radar will have a max detection range of only 90km. This is the phenomenon that totally dictates BVRAAM employment, & not the max range envelope of any BVRAAM. And that’s why BVRAAMs are best employed only when the target is inbound right ahead when the distance between the target & the BVRAAM-launching aircraft reduces steadily. Only then can can the BVRAAM be fired with the highest probability of a hit at a distance of 50km at best. This is known as ‘going hot’. But when the target is flying away, then the BVRAAM’s best chance of scoring a hit is at a distance of no more than 20km. This is known as ‘going cold’. The figures are available in posters uploaded by me here:
http://trishulgroup.blogspot.com/2008/10/phazotron-jscs-airborne-radars.html
Western radar brochures don’t highlight such vital performance parameters, but Russian posters do as they are a more honest effort in marketing.
So, on February 27 morning, whenever the PAF F-16s starting closing the distance gap with the Su-30MKIs, the latter started receding & flying away from the orbiting F-16s, thereby preventing the APG-68 MMRs from achieving continuous target illumination lock-ons. Consequently, in desperation, the PAF resorted to firing some AMRAAMs when the APG-68 MMRs had achieved only target-tracking lock-ons for a brief moment, hoping that this will be good enough. But what this proved is only the inferior training standards of the PAF WRT BVR combat & lack of aircrew proficiency. If the IAF had deployed Akash-1s or Barak-8 MR-SAMs along the Pir Panjal range along a north-south axis, the PAF’s F-16s would not even have dared to mount loitering flight-paths or CAPs anywhere over PoK since such SAM networks serve as anti-access/area-denial weapons, while freeing the IAF’s MRCAs to fly CAPs further within the hinterland where their usage of BVRAAMs will not be restricted by any ROE.
Cont'd below...
But those are not the real questions that ought to be asked. Instead, what should be asked are these:
1) Did the IAF seek permission for concurrently striking no more than 5 targets & no less than 3 in different geographical locations, but was instead authorised to strike at targets in only 1 geographical location?
2) Why did the Govt of India restrict the strike to only 1 geographical location & on whose advice?
3) Was this all finalised between February 16 & February 23?
4) How did a MiG-21 Bison lead flight without EL/L-8222 ASPJ pod get separated from the wingman carrying the EL/L-8222 ASPJ pod?
5) What caused radio signals saturation (not Pak jamming as is being peddled around) that led the MiG-21 Bison to not be able to receive the audio warning to ‘turn cold’?
6) Why was the aerial engagement being controlled by a GCI station located in northern Punjab & not by a J & K-based land-mobile ground exploitation centre capable of receiving the air situation picture from the IACCCS node located in Punjab & from AEW & CS platforms, & controlling the tactical air battle in the skies above Rajouri & Nowshera?
7) Would the ground-to-air comms traffic have been seamless & devoid of saturation had software-defined radios & tactical data-links been used by both the GCI & airborne IAF combat aircraft on that day?
8) Why did the IAF not go on the offensive & take down the PAF’s MRCAs loitering over PoK if indeed both the GoI & the IAF considered the PAF air-strike as an act of war since they had targetted Indian military installations?
9) Did such a display of reticent posture blunt the IAF’s conventional airpower deterrence policy on that day & did it accord more-than-necessary credibility to the PAF’s conventional deterrence capabilities & capacities?
10) Was this operational deficiency in the IAF’s warfighting capabilities/capacities responsible for ACM B S Dhanoa stating later that if the IAF had Rafales in-service, then the PAF would not have dared violate Indian airspace?
11) Does this therefore mean that there are serious shortcomings in the IAF’s deep-strike.offensive power projection capabilities/capacities that seriously diminish the IAF’s conventional deterrent value?
12) And if this is the case, what happens if between now & May 2019 there was to be a high-profile suicide terror-attack against a major military garrison/cantonment inside J & K?
Each of those questions is very thought provoking. I have to say I did not know the contract for 6 Akash 1
S SQN for the IAF had been signed. Thanks also for the BVR explanation.
Sir Please answer your question 'number 2' (I guess you already answered before)
Answer to questions from 7-12 is evidently due to IAF's (and real culprit GoI's)lack of capabilities & capacities.
The answer to Q 9 is a LOUD YES, terribly diminished India's conventional deterrence capabilities & capacities.
Am getting my lessons learned notes bits by bits but surely it's coming to fore.
One little bit of clarity sought:
IAF MMRCA purchases - 18 Su-30MKI or is it 40 (from last order) plus 18? And is it 50 MiG-29 or 21 as the press reports?
Thanks
To SUJOY MAJUMDAR: Because they don’t want to be attacked for spreading debris in space at a time when discussions are now underway on adopting a code of conduct that regulates the creation & clearing of space debris.
To SBM: It is 40 + 18. For MiG-29UPG, the budget availability is to be increased for catering to 50 aircraft. The estimated figure of of 21 was based on money available for FY 2018.
To DASHU: The answer was subtly given by former CAS of IAF, ACM S Krishnaswamy here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQr3-iIUY1Y
This too is interesting:
https://medium.com/dfrlab/pakistan-armys-covert-social-network-23ce90feb0d0
Update on Pakistan's offshore hydrocarbons exploration activity:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1kB3x5v8aM&t=48s
Turns out that one of the alleged hitmen who tried to kill Mufti Taqi Usmani in Karachi was a translator for Iran's Consulate in Karachi:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDkYkHiyqp8
Sir, Please confirm again. you mean to say we are going to order 40+18=58 new Su-30KKI (outside of the already contracted 272) & 50 new mig-29SMT. In total 108 new aircraft.
I asked again bcoz its hard to believe IAF really going for more SU-30's after facing so much trouble.
How are Mig-29UPGs at $40 million USD a bargain price? That too, deliveries will be staggered based on HAL's lackadaisical upgrade pace. Everyone should know by now that most of modern fighters' costs are in the avionics and R&D, not the airframe itself. If the Russians were offering the upgraded airframes for $10-15 milliomn a piece, it would actually be a lucrative offer (most likely, if India doesn't buy them, the Russians will probably sell them to African nations for $15 million).
Isn't re-engining Jaguars a far more economical and force-multiplying priority? Instead of needlessly glorifying the Russians, why is there no one with enough balls in the MoD to ask the Russians to refund the $395 million from the FGFA scam? Are Indians only good for being sycophants and ass-lickers?
The Russians made sure the French paid them back in full after they weren't going to receive the Mistrals.
Is this third-world country really full of idiotic bureaucrats that think the Russians need Indian alms??
If this is the kind of mindset of Sharma ji and co in the IAS/MoD, then it won't be long before people in the South Indian states demand better accountability for their tax dollars, even if that means secession from the failed BIMARU states.
Sir is it possible to develop a upgrade version of mig21 with irst maws and composite airframe because mig21 is still much better than LCA why we are wasting money on LCA and in 2025 LCA mk2 will be outdated
Hi Prasunji
How would you rate Astra Missile compared to AIM-120C, Derby or MICA missile.
When would it be integrated to LCA.
Thanks & Regards
Hardik Thanki
Dear Prasunda,
Another aspect of post Balakot strike events is "information war", which is being waged by ISPR & its cronies in international media as well as social media. They were able to create doubts in the minds of some guillble Indians. Fortunate few like us can visit your blog & get sorted out.
Do you think Indian Establishmentis lacking anywhere in "information war"? At least during Kargil engagement we were par excellence in this category. I remember having seen regular brefiing on television in those days. We also arranged international media visits in the battle zone. May be because of this, international media & community stood firmly behind us & Pakistan got delcared as aggressor. (although I am aware, in case of Balakot & aftermath, most action has happended on Pakistani side of LOC & they have natural advantage over us)
Where do we think we are now in this age of "information war"?
Regards
Nikhil
To VERTICALCHARLIE: Enough additional Su-30MKIs will be ordered to take the total number of orders placed to 350. The IAF’s Su-30MKIs have never faced any performance-related deficiencies. Whatever problems that were encountered were on the issue of product-support & that too because the IAF HQ could not place the reqd quantum of orders on time. Now that HAL & the Russian OEMs have been contracted to provide provide-support similar to the agreement between the IAF & DGA for the Rafales, the serviceability & availability of Su-30MKIs remains more than 75%. The same is also the case with the MiG-29UPGs.
To GOPU: As I had explained earlier, the Russian offer of accelerated MiG-29 deliveries is possible in a cost-effective manner because the aircraft on offer are of the ‘SMT’ variant that were originally built for Algeria in the previous decade, but were never delivered. And the ‘SMT’ & ‘UPG’ variants are 95% similar, they both have ther latest RD-33MK turbofans & FBW flight-controls & the same IRST & MMR sensors. All that is now reqd is the installation of some IAF-specific avionics (like RWRs, internal jammer suite, IFF transponder & VHF/UHF radios. Here’s some more info:
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/short-of-fighter-planes-iaf-eyes-21-mig-29-jets-and-air-defence-aircraft/story-9rM38oMjGrOIbDN12WYaQO.html
If 50 of these MiG-29UPGs are procured to supplement the 3 existing MiG-29UPG sqns, it will result in the IAF operating 6 MiG-29UPG sqns, which will be an extremely good way of filling the void made by the decommissioning of MiG-23MFs & MiG-23BNs in the previous decade. Re-engining of Jaguar IS fleet will also be taken up later this year since such aircraft have replaced the MiG-27Ms in the tactical interdiction role.
To DUSHYANT HARDAHA: No, it is impossible because the MiG-21 production lines worldwide were closed 2 decades ago.
To HARDIK THANKI: The Astra-1 compares well with the Vympel R-77 & as with its existing Western counterparts.
To NIKHIL M: What is being referred to as ‘information war’ is actually a misnomer. The DG-ISPR’s efforts have been targetted mostly at the Pakistani domestic audience due to the ever-growing ethnic & socio-economic disenchantment inside Pakistan. Hence, no one in the rest of the world buy’s Pakistan’s narratives on various issues anymore. In India’s case, the domestic disenchantment has to do with INFORMATION DESSIMINATION, meaning the Indian side has not been forthcoming with accurate news-inputs when they are reqd the most. In mid-1999 it was the same, when both the MoD & MEA were at a loss to explain the finer details. For instance, all that the likes of Barkha Dutt had to do was cry ‘the IAF Declares War Against Pakistan’ & the entire MoD & MEA went into panic-mode, instead of immediately clarifying that OP Vijay/OP Safed Sagar/OP Trishul were all in the ‘limited war’ domain & therefore there was no reason for any panic. Unfortunately, some senior military officers had to be made the fall-guys at that time, because no civilian decision-maker at that time knew the difference between limited war & all-out war. In fact, even Gen V P Malik explained what limited war was all about only in late 1999. So, India now faces intellectual deficiencies in 2 domains: information dessimination, and information war under which the Indian narrative is not being circulated simply because no Indian civilian decision-maker has to date been able to articulate what exactly the Indian narrative is. So all in all, severe intellectual deficiencies prevail within India’s civilian ‘netas’ across the political spectrum.
This is turning out to be hugely embarrassing,unless IAF can come out with some proof. Do you think IAF and Govt are bluffing on thr F-16 being shot down?
https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/04/04/did-india-shoot-down-a-pakistani-jet-u-s-count-says
hi prasun
ordering more su-30 is fine but then that come with a lcauna of it not being a strike ac Ie unless its carrying stand off ammo. Its a big ac and a sitting duck for low level AD given its huge size and RCS.??
India seems to have the majority of its ac in a air superiority bracket and none for strike
how are the su-30 going to employed in a strike role ??
how did we integrate the r-73 on lca given the Targos HMS.?
Is the python 5 out of the race for the LCA ? or still trying to integrate it?.
does ISrael posses a good IRST like the su-30 . IE or integration with the el 2052 radar?
will it be able to do so if asked to?
So many confusions coming in within few hours:
1.Manu Pubby,S.Gupta and one more are named to be receiving bribes for media management.What now?Would they lend up in jail?
2.US says all F-16 are present with PAF.What does that imply?Is US trying to save face or is there any elemwnt of truth?
3.In any of the above case,don't you think it is a massive blow to the IAF's reputation and it has severely damaged India's image?Also,helped immensely to Pakistan for it's propoganda.
Thanks sirji...
Dear Prasun,
What's your say about the news that F 16s are intact with PAF? Who is lying?
Thanks Prasunda for comprehensive reply.
Regards
Nikhil
To MR: Embarrassing for whom? A publication that ‘claims’ to have obtained information from sources who remain unknown/anonymous? And mysteriously, not a word in that article about what exactly India had asked the US to investigate, i.e. usage of AMRAAMs & F-16s by the PAF on the morning of February 27, 2019. Why is there no news or leaks about this? So, until such publications produce any material evidence to back their claims, they will always remain highly questionable.
To PRAJJWAL DALAL: 1) The ‘desi’ journalists made the mistake of only highlighting the charges that were first brought up in the Italian courts & they totally failed to report on how exactly the charges were disproven & what evidence was presented in the Italian courts to conclusively prove that no Indian officials were paid any bribes. This is where the ‘desi’ patrakaars went wrong, i.e. they just highlighted the allegations & tried to come up with all kinds of circumstantial evidence, thereby falling into a trap from which they have not yet been able to extricate themselves. For example, all the so-called notes with various initials have since been proven to be documents recovered from Haschke. Nor is there any undeniable evidence to prove that Christian Michel dictated the contents of those notes to Haschke. Despite this, if the ED just translates them from Italian into English & presents them as evidence, then kindly rest assured that this case will fall apart very quickly & will instead become a prime example of what is known as TRAVESTY of JUSTICE. Here's the video which mentions this note, but not a word about the veracity or authentication of the note & it also fails to mention that when Haschke was asked what the initials AP stood for, Haschke stated that AP stands for an Italian regional political party, & not Ahmed Patel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRzzkbdOY4w
Such 'selective' reporting by the 'desi' patrakaars is legendary & has always been employed for tailoring popular perceptions. This most certainly isn't investigative journalism by any yardstick & is instead classic yellow journalism.
2) Correction: it is not that US that has made any such claim, but instead a US-based magazine has made the claims based on uncorroborated statements coming from unidentified US sources. In other words, this is nothing else but obfuscation & disinformation at this stage. 3) Not at all. Because the US-origin story is all based on heresay & no undeniable & on-the-record proof has been presented by anyone in the US to substantiate such claims by the US-based publication.
To ASD: Correction: it is not that US that has made any such claim, but instead a US-based magazine has made the claims based on uncorroborated statements coming from unidentified US sources. In other words, this is nothing else but obfuscation & disinformation at this stage. 3) Not at all. Because the US-origin story is all based on heresay & no undeniable & on-the-record proof has been presented by anyone in the US to substantiate such claims by the US-based publication.
Hi Prasunji,
When do you think US government or Pentagon is most likely to say anything about the F16 issue.
Thanks & Regards
Hardik Thanki
Thanks Prasunji for the clarification.
But the damage done is on massive scale.Many goras as well as Budhijivis like Ashok Swain got a chance to mock IAF as well as govt.One can only hope that US State department or Pentagon will release clarification.
2.By the way,don't you think India should join Tempest program?
3.I think we are far more weaker in confronting disinformation campaign.Perhaps no one in India is taking it serious.
To PRAJJWAL DALAL: You mean this clown from JNU: https://katalog.uu.se/profile/?id=AA64
He is nowadays the poster-boy for most Pakistani TV channels.
2) What for? Isn’t India already part of the Su-57 FGFA project? 3) The only ones taking it seriously are those who are spreading it, like this clown (watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCSsYdaW-1E) who is not even a domain-expert & yet makes the ridiculous claiom of the Vympel R-77 BVRAAM being inferior to the MICA, when the reality is exactly the opposite, as explained here:
http://trishulgroup.blogspot.com/2008/10/r-77-is-superior-to-mica-em.html
Such clowns therefore specialize only in creating more clutter thanks to their sheer ignorance on such technological matters.
To HARDIK THANKI: Not immediately. Only at the end of this fiscal year will the data show up in the annual Congressional records.
To RAD: The Su-30MKIs are H-MRCAs & therefore can undertake deep-strike sorties, but not by adopting terrain-hugging flight profiles. That will become possible only after the AESA=MMRs are installed. In the meantime, they will be used for achieving air superiority. R-73E was integrated with Targo HMDS back in the previous decade when there were no West-imposed sanctions against Russia. Yes, Python-5 is out & ASRAAM is in, as evidenced by the ASRAAM being shown mounted even on the MWF-AF Mk.2 scale-model. No OEM in Israel has to date developed IRST sensors. But the Litening-2 LDP’s optronic sensors can act as IR scanners & the IR imagery of the skies ahead can be projected into the HUD, if reqd.
To DASHU: ORF seminar on strategic & operational lessons from Balakot:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72ECnq1Oex8
It appears that none of the invitees had any serious questions to ask. In fact, the questions were quite stupid, especially those emanating from the ‘desi patrakaars’. The existence of Balakot as a terrorist training base run by the JeM was known from May 2004 onwards, thanks to openly-available US documentation. And yet the ‘desi patrakaars’ remain clueless about it till this day. And despite the DG of ISPR clearly spelling out in his Feb 27 briefing what were the 4 targets allocated to the PAF for air-strike (and which I had identified in a previous thread), still stupid questions were being asked like, was Adampur air base of the IAF one of the targets?
That all shows how intellectually rotten most of the Delhi-based folks are!
This was the series of fallacious news-reports of Indian origin on the Italian court proceedings that caused the IAF's AWE-101 procurement process to be sabotaged, derailed & ultimately terminated:
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/series-of-investigative-reports-in-indian-express-investigating-agusta-deal-tracking-michel-trail-5661405/
India's 'desi patrakaars' have a lot to answer for due to the totally uncalled-for national hysteria being caused by recourse to classic yellow journalism. And now these very 'desi patrakaars' that were waging a discredited crusade against the IAF are now at the receiving end of the ED:
https://theprint.in/india/ed-files-supplementary-chargesheet-against-agustawestland-accused-christian-michel/217134/
This can only be explained as constituting the Almighty's way of dispensing justice! And let us all from now on sit by & watch this anti-climax unfold!!!
prasun
1.can you please give your input into the recently announced 50000 Cr 75I submarine procurement contract. you have mentioned earlier that 6 more scorpene subs will be procured with equipped with DRDO developed AIP.
2. in 2016 there were reports that IAF wanted to procure 12 high power radars(HPR) to replace 12 vintage soviet era radar.what happened to that procurement i could not find any follow report about it.
Buyan M Corvette - multipurpose ship. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIGMad1XDRI
That good to know.
1.Do you you think that rather than developing new designed RTA,India should rather join An-70 project for modernized variant?
2.What are the chances of F/A-18 ASL being selected for upcoming MMRCA?Wouldn't it make easier for IAF to have them considering that it does have same engine as MWF or even AMCA(if sees light)?
Hello Prasun,
If you say that R-77 is better that MICA , why is it that not on R-77 was fired?I suppose this raises a big question mark on MKIs potential as an air dominence platform.No kill,one aircraft lost , information suppressed due to public backlash.
Why are MIG 29s being brought? These I suppose are flying turkeys presented to PAF for practice.A better option could have been to get second hand Mirage 2000
Prasun da,
1>is india working on air launched ballistic missiles??
2> is india developing only direct hit ASAT or also co-orbital ASAT?
Prasun,
1 any significant difference between a square shaped air intake vs the y one .. why is it that ada is sticking to it while every other designer has opted for a rectangular one.Also why no dsi design approach
2 how does Ada plan to solve the service life issue of just 1000 hrs .. the US makes are extending it upto 12000 hrs for F 18
3 what about the GE EPE offer is that the most realistic choice?
4 Will the AF actually order 83 mk1A? & will it be possible to upgrade it by lengthening it so that it carries more fuel & weapons load along with the engine upgraded to GE 4141 thus standardizing on it.. something similar to what you had mentioned in one of your prev article abt mk 2 on f 16 being upgradable to F-16U Falcon-21 configuration.
6 The recent aero 2019 had the new mk2 naval design showcased (although only as a design) can it become a reality & can it be used as a std for tejas mk1a future upgrade (minus the naval specific modifications)
5 you mentioned about jag re engine will AF take up the jaf MAX bait
6 should IAF ignore rafale in the mmrca tender and order more later(to have a total of @90) that way rafale controversy dies down and also AF can opt for the F4 std
7 what do you make of the new IN P 75I ask for 12 cruise misiles + 18 odd torpedos/mines & why the sudden change in dimensions .. what happens to the current manufacturing line of scorpenes post the 6 subs.. wud the shortfin barracuda qualify & wud the existing infra used for it? or is it defined in a way to help the russians as their Amur 1650 is the only one I read about having vls included in its design
3.By the way,looking at the video presented by DRDO where the warhead section was having maneuverability, and later DRDO's chief's statemebt that it could hit multiple satellites,it seems that we are closer to testing MIRV equipped ICBM.Is it true?If that's so,then when do you think the first such test should be.
5.By the way,what is the status of AD-1,long time no hearing.I read you old blog post that it would achieve much higher speed than current AAD.I guess that could prove to be a game changer.
Dada will you still put F16 as a frontrunner in the 110 fighter jet tender after what happened. If not which jet is the frontrunner now?
To CAPRICORN: 1) No. 2) Direct ascent/direct-hit ASAT missile & BMD interceptor missilesz are one & the same. The true & credible ASAT weapon is the orbital ASAT that can harmlessly grab a satellite & drag it down till it starts burning.
To JUST_CURIOUS: 1) Laws of physics dictate that a square/tectangular air-intake configuration allows for a greater volume of air to be sucked in with lesser energy being spent by the turbofan. 2) Only by subjecting the airframe to 4,000 hours of flight. 3) That is the F414EPE which I had stated above. Reqmt for MWF-AF Mk.2 is now in the 110kN thrust with afterburning. 4) Remains to be seen. What is crystal-clear is that 83 Tejas Mk.1As + 114 imported MWFs + MWF-AF Mk.2s cannot all be ordered. Out of the 3, at least 2 of the options will have to be sacrificed. the IAF has so far contracted for only 40 Tejas Mk.1s, of which 20 are in IOC-standard & the other 20 in FOC-standard. RFP for procuring 83 Tejas Mk.1As has been issued. Maiden flight of 1st Tejas Mk.1A is expected in 2023. Total no of Tejas Mk.1/Mk/1A//MWF-AF Mk.2 sqns to be procured is 12, comprising of 1 sqn with Tejas Mk.1 IOC-standard, 1 sqn of Tejas Mk.1 with FOC-standard, 4 sqns of Tejas Mk.1A & 6 sqns of MWF-AF Mk.2 comprising108 aircraft, with the grand total being 231 ‘desi’ MRCAs in 3 configurations. 6) Tejas Mk.1A airframe cannot morphe into MWF-AF Mk.2, rest assured as the latter is a wholly new design. 7) The enlarged version of Scorpene SSK already exists & it is the one built by Navantia for the Spanish Navy. This same design can easily be built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilding & Engineering. Trying to licence-build an all-new submarine design will be financially suicidal & will also reduce the IN to the world’s laughing stock. Maybe someday horrifying details will emerge into the public domain about the horrendous amount of money now being spent on maintaining 3 different types of SSKs in service, i.e. Scorpene, Type 877EKM/Kilo & class 209/Type 1500. No self-respecting navy will ever operate such a diverse fleet of SSKs.
To SUMIT SEN: What is crystal-clear is that 83 Tejas Mk.1As + 114 imported MWFs + MWF-AF Mk.2s cannot all be ordered. Out of the 3, at least 2 of the options will have to be sacrificed. the IAF has so far contracted for only 40 Tejas Mk.1s, of which 20 are in IOC-standard & the other 20 in FOC-standard. RFP for procuring 83 Tejas Mk.1As has been issued. Maiden flight of 1st Tejas Mk.1A is expected in 2023. Total no of Tejas Mk.1/Mk/1A//MWF-AF Mk.2 sqns to be procured is 12, comprising of 1 sqn with Tejas Mk.1 IOC-standard, 1 sqn of Tejas Mk.1 with FOC-standard, 4 sqns of Tejas Mk.1A & 6 sqns of MWF-AF Mk.2 comprising108 aircraft, with the grand total being 231 ‘desi’ MRCAs in 3 configurations. As for frontrunners, the F-21 is still the best bet from both financial & performance terms.
To HOODS007: 1) No contracts have been placed for Project 75I. Only expressions of interest will be issued in future to the three local shipbuilders, i.e. Reliance/Pipavav, Mazagon Dock Shipbuilding & Engineering & Larsen & Toubro. 2) Those 12 HPRs are to be co-produced by BEL & INDRA, just like the L-band long-range radars for the Project 15B DDGs & the three Project 15 DDGs during their mid-life refits.
To PRAJJWAL DALAL: 1) RTA is a regional commuter transport aircraft that can easily be co-developed by HAL, Reliance & dassault Aviation. In fact, this will be the best industrial offsets contribution for the Rafale procurement. 2) I don’t see any money being made available for 114 new-build MMRCAs. Only option therefore is to order more Rafales. Unlike MIRVs carried by ICBMs, the ASAT warhead does not have to re-enter the atmosphere & therefore MIRVs are far far more advanced & difficult to develop. But the ASAT interceptor vehicle can easily morphe into the AD-1 vehicle if higher energetic propellants are used for far greater acceleration speeds. Here are some ASAT video-clips:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APQD6APFcz4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRs79t6z7fc&feature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vG-VgEZzFoE
To KAUSTAV: Actually, everyone can see the PAF F-16D hurtling down in an uncontrolled spin if one sees this videoclip in slow-motion:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mJH2mhLnCw&t=22s
Secondly, just because FOREIGN POLICY is a prestigious publication on foreign relations matters, this does not translate into it being equally good in matters of military technology or military procurements. And that’s why its assertion about the PAF’s F-16 fleet was 100% FAKE NEWS. How come? The answers are in the article itself, which states that a US delegation conducted the inspections at the PAF’s invitation. In reality, the procedure for undertaking intrusive inspections is totally different, i.e. a team hailing from the USAF’s F-16 Systems Program Office located at Hill AFB in Utah is tasked with such surprise inspections on very short notice (and not by invitation by the hardware operator/owner by any stretch of imagination) & according to the US Defense Dept/Pentagon, no such inspections have been carried out in the recent past, as reported here:
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/not-aware-pentagon-on-pak-f-16-count-after-feb-aerial-dogfight-with-iaf/story-Rw4gSknuuSBnMc2EyYe62H.html
So, these 2 pieces of undeniable evidence (which India’s ‘desi patrakaars’ are yet to unearth) stated above conclusively prove that the article published by FOREIGN POLICY magazine constitutes FAKE NEWS & all other ‘Chelaas’ who worship this publication—like Ankit Panda & Dr Vipin Narang—are also the debunkers who have since been successfully debunked by Your’s Truly (i.e. Chowkidaaron ka Chowkidaar, or the one who entrusted with the task of guarding the guardians). So, it's high time all the self-styled/self-confessed 'desi' chowkidaars shut up for good!!!
Hi Prasun,
Is this news true ?
https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/todays-paper/tp-others/tp-states/advanced-guided-missile-destroyers-delayed-by-3-years/article10003703.ece
Sirji why not su 30 mki fired singal r77 why su 30 mki failed in bvr
THIS is what India should be building and using - the perfect anti satellite weapon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ftN0zqHtn0
What amazes me too is how many Indians don't follow the advice from Betsy's wedding movie: "don't think with your dick; don't screw with your brain". Crude but full of wisdom. How many Indians patrakars or paathaks alike are blaming the F-16. How could any one blame a plane when a lot depends on the operator and pilot. I bet if India had the F-16 and PAF attacked with the MiGs none of the Migs would have gone home. Egypt always had advanced Soviet MiGs, Iraq had Migs and yet none of them could hit an Israeli plane or coalition F-16. Why even the advanced US origin fighters could not win over Indian Gnats and Hawker Hunters in Indo-Pak wars. So clearly a plane is just a tool and lot depends on the piloting skills.
I believe IAF is laggard in battling perception war of this kind where it should be playing with front foot in order to keep PAF getting any space to say that all F 16 are intact....
@ Prasoon
https://www.theweek.in/news/india/2019/04/05/india-ready-for-another-strike-against-pakistan-report.html
guess we have interesting times ahead. may be multiple targets will get hit. the offensive strategy against pak appears is gradually being fine tuned. whats your call on the offensive options practially possible against military targets of pakistan
regards
kunal
Prasunda,
Thanks for your Light of truth & I guess the longer this feters, the better for India.
The dumbass PAF just had to get a F-16B/D shot down which is the only way 2 pilots can be accounted for in addition to Wg.Cdr.Abhinandan Varthaman in his Mig-21 as well as the videos of 2 to 3 parachutes seen & recoded in the skies over PoK. To add insult to injury, the DGISPR as well as the Pak PM IAK Niazi had to announce over electronic & print media that they had captured 3 Indian pilots initially.
http://www.radio.gov.pk/27-02-2019/paf-shot-down-two-indian-aircrafts-inside-pakistani-airspace-dg-ispr
They, subsequently brought it down to 2 & finally after realizing that the other 2 besides Wg. Cdr.Abhi were their own PAF, they had to admit to just 1 & hand him back within 48 hours with egg all over their face.
The opacity of the famed Indian bureaucracy has helped the ISPR discredit itself & at the same time trapping TIME & FP rag into reporting 100% FAKE NEWS. The technical data of radio intercepts, electronic signals & radar images from the IAF AWACS should be released only after the PAF & their biased western media lackeys expose themselves. Hard evidence can wait. Heh heh.
The situation more sticky for the idiots of ISPR & PAF as they now have to account from among the lesser very limited number of F16B/D twin seaters including transfer from Jordan RJAF.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon has already announced they security assistance for the Pak F-16s is suspended after January 2018.
https://www.dnaindia.com/india/photo-gallery-pentagon-shoots-down-media-report-on-f-16-says-us-has-suspended-security-assistance-to-pak-from-jan-2018-2736966
Sorry I posted incomplete comment above. Prasunji, can you please describe the air arm of India's nuclear arsenal? Which aircraft actually carry nuclear weapons and of what kind? Simple gravity bombs? Glide bombs or cruise missiles? I have heard a lot about India's ground and sea based nuclear arsenal but not much about the air arm.
prasun
you had written in 2011 in this blog that LCH for Army might be a suboptimal attack helicopter because it lacks a MMW fire control radar.has the situation changed since then , and with talks now of AAC getting its own AH-64D,some of them with the longbow radar how will the combat posture of AAC change. will AH-64D be able to network with LCH or as you said they will just have to be part of IBG and not undertake hunter killer roles on their own.
thanks
Prasun Da how viable is Tejas Mk1a as a fighter aircraft or should this order be converted into LIFT aircraft (like LCA sport) & the fighter squadrons be replenished with FC-21 between 2022-2030 & Tejas MWF AF-2 from 2030 onwards
Prasunda
And here's one of your 5th columnists (a combination of Socialist/Communist ex-bureaucrat who jumped the gun on the F-16 & IAK Niazi matter
1.Looks like we are getting glimpse of Pakistan's future:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-47838080
2.The thing is sir,I don't know why,but people in India think that if it is said by a gora,then it must be 100% true.I don't know when would we get rid of such inferiority complex.
3.Now that Charsi Khan has tweeted about it.I think by judging the press conference of Shah Mehmood Qureshi,it seems Pakistan is trying to create another Pulwama type situation and is trying to project that as false flag in advance.What do you think?
Hi Prasun,
1) Would the IOC Tejas es be upgraded to FOC standard?
2) Coming back to the final narrative of the strike on Balakot, since your section hasn't been updated: Are you still sure it was a 3+3 strike first with Spice and then unguided HSLDs ?
3) Would you have a link/old article to the DRDO kill vehicle and how it compares with the Arrow-3 OR the THAAD/SM-3 KV. I was a little surprised that the DRDO Asat is a whopping 19 tonne, thats heavier than Agni-2. The Arrow is less than 2 tonnes right? How much of this is due to a heavier KV and how much lower energy propellants?
4) BTW your link on F-16 seems to have been taken down. Does that Ghafoor guy follow as well :)
Best regards,
Rajdeep
By the way sirji,great analysis and revelation. Just a suggestion if you don't mind,why don't you join any social media platform?It can be even less open platform like telegram.
To KAUSTAV: https://medium.com/@sameerjoshi73/the-slip-between-the-cup-and-the-lip-9052f1bd7171
https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/the-great-wall-of-japan-before-indian-engineers/article26756908.ece?homepage=true
https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/city-police-arrange-an-air-ticket-for-stranded-sudanese-youth/article26758974.ece
Both the Sudanese & Somalians have had extensive civilisational contacts with India & continue to do so. But lack of imagination/creativity on the Indian MEA's part continues to hamper the growth of strategic ties with these 2 vital North African countries. Earlier this decade, India had a splendid chance to help Somalia create its own coast guard service, but such an opportunity was frittered away by the UPA-2 govt, with devastating strategic consequences.
Prasunda VMT, of course, the author has taken all the facts of the dogfight together. BTW, the 5th columnist I meant was MK Bhadrakumar current socialist ex bureaucrat https://indianpunchline.com/bjp-sidesteps-imran-khan-on-balakot/
The more ISI resort to using its recruits in the international media outlets for disinformation..the more it destroys their credibility. From the Reuters to the Australian bunch and now to the FP "journo"Lara Seligman...its high time these people realize that serving pakistan is destroying their credibility (lolz). They should sell out to other better security agencies around the globe.
Anyways this woman's lies are busted. I hope she is not being trolled for the piece of crap she wrote to help the pakistan'z "army" (which does more of a battle on media than on the real battle ground).
Prasun da
How many Spyder SR IAF opreates.Original order was 18 System.Any follow on order for more system has been singed.
Did Indian Army operate any Spyder SR.How many ordered.
Very nice article by Sameer Joshi. Thanks for the link sir.
Pakistan seems to divert their internal financial turmoil on war hysteria by blaming India for Impending attack.
What's going on In Libya
A civil war is looming there.
Sir Indian Navy and Coast guard should be given more importance to increase Indian footprint in the african and continent.
Sir if possible plz give us an article on Indian air force road map of near future of how with limited budget Indian air force can get best possible air assets.
What u foresee where is India's disel electric submairne accusition is heading on again suicidal logistic nightmare or some logical nationality will prevail.
To KAUSTAV: Yes, the likes of M K Bhadrakumar nowadays revel in jumping to premature conclusions & therefore the likes of him will also totally IAKN’s claim that he knows next to nothing about what’s going on inside Xinjiang!
To RAJDEEP: 1) What’s the use, when the FOC-standard Tejas Mk.1 itself does not comply with 10 of the IAF’s ASQRs? 2) Yes, if one goes by the local eye-witness accounts. 3) The ASAT interceptor can strike at satellites at more than 1,000km orbits & that’s what accounts for its overall weight. 4) Yes, the ISPR keeps track of such matters. But it’s too late now, since they have already been downloaded for posterity.
To AVIJIT: Only national security states like Pakistan get rattled & resort to such measures. But they always backfire, like the Pak FM’s speech in Multan yesterday about impending military actions between April 16 & 20, which will only result in causing firther damage to the Karachi Stock Exchange, as revealed here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_TSa8B34vU
& then we have some silly Indians who derive great pleasure in becoming the ISPR’s poster-boys:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZhvn551q98
To PRAJJWAL DALAL: This is where Pakistan is headed for:
No money coming from UAE:
Islamic Presidenvy Reqd: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYz3kj6lstI
No Money from UAE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVEtk7V_Rds
Anti-Aircraft Rounds Found near Pak PM’s House:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtMOQlSiCg4
To UNKNOWN: For replacing its OSA-AK SHORADS, the IAF had ordered four squadrons of the RAFAEL-built SpyDer system back in 2013, but an amended contract had to be inked on August 3, 2015 following which deliveries commenced in February 2017 and were completed by August 2018. The IA operates a similar no of SpyDer-SRs.
To BUDDHA: This year will be a bad one for the IN, since deliveries of the 4 Project 15B DDGs has gotten delayed due to the IN Naval Design Bureau’s inability to finalise the destroyer’s design on time. Even the 127mm naval guns from BAE Systems hasn’t been contracted for as yet. So this year, only 1 Project 28 ASW corvette & perhaps 2 Scorpene SSKs will be commissioned. The desired reqmt is for around four principal surface combatamts to be commissioned every year.
Dear Prasun,
I wonder what would be the mindset of PAF F16 squadron pilots when their own Govt. disowns it's own fallen pilot.
Think some of them would be planning to resign from service.
Excellent analysis by Sameer Joshi.Thankyou for sharing.
It seems from the engagement that atleast in IAF PAF confrontation WVR combat can not be overlooked no matter what BVR you carry.
It's a more compelling case for speedy induction of more AWACS in IAF along with more Rafales.
Request you to share some more info. on K4 and K5 SLBMs and their timelines.
Prasun,
- Any status on manik engine progress, will Nirbhay be tested this year
- Should India invite Boeing/Saab to join AMCA to make it realistically feasible project
- You probably highlighted S80 in your reply to my Q on P75I. Had read that only 4 cos have responded -France, Russia, Germany & Sweden . No Spain (S80) any new updates
- Why has the MoD tied itself in knots on tejas mk1A/ Mk2 and mmrca 2.0 when it has a limited budget only for 1 & how to untangle it
Sir,
What is your opinion on this
https://twitter.com/ShivAroor/status/1115234287622733824
I think this is enough counter proof for unnamed source.
And also you might be able to explain from which radar this image is taken, Netra or ground radars?
1.Sir,ever since last week,I have lost all the faith in so-called US-dosti.It's been a alot of time since that FP article but not even a single press release was officially released by pentagon.Even folks like Christine Fair is now propogating the pakistani line.What I do think is that US is playing a game in all this.I know that the folks who are posting such opinions are not domain experts,but still it's damaging IAF's credibility at a massive level.Even recent press conference,IMHO,was not enough.I guess either pentagon should release an official statement or IAF should do something.We are losing this information warfare.
2.Do you think BJP is right when it comes to scrapping article 35 and 370
Sorry that unknown was me,
I dont know why Google showing my name as Unknown
BTW, here are the videos where Vice AM explaining air situation and engagement that took place
https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1115235084938903556
https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1115238836894928896
Hi Prasun,
In all the nitty gritty one must not forget the loss of F16 was not just as a fighter but far more as it was a tandem seat aircraft wich has muliple purose fighter trainer and surveillance hence bringing down thia type of fighter has hit the porki very hard as they lost training options as JF17 don't have operational tandem options yet as you had mentioned hence its far more bigger victory then it seems. Simply put it this way one less platform to train puts load on others that means more usage which leads to higher maintenance and not to mention use of consumables by the machine. Slow poision works fine.
PrasunDa,
1 Greece, a country that just came out of bankruptcy, is considering a proposal to purchase F-35 because they belive it gives a bang for the buck. They evaluated F-35s being operated by other European countries. Since the FGFA with Russia is unlikely to take off, does it make sense for India to purchase the F-35 instead of the FGFA and more Rafales ?
http://www.ekathimerini.com/239274/article/ekathimerini/news/greece-to-examine-f-35-acquisition-says-defense-minister
2 The IAF had claimed that a Pakistani F-16 was shot down on 27th Feb. Why are no satellite pictures available to show the weckage of the F-16 that fell inside PoK ?
https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1115235084938903556
Thank You
VIKRAM
To VED: The mindset has been conditioned since 1947, i.e. its is all being done for the ‘glory of Islam’, i.e. the very same sentence that Emperor Akbar gave to motivate his Muslim commanders & troops during the Battle of Haldi Ghjati, for instance, which in turn makes me wonder what the Rajput Chieftains fighting in support of Akbar at that time might have flet! In terms of aerial warfare, we are once again going adrift with matters like national euphoria, which in tyrn makes one consistently unable to learn from past mistakes. For instance, why was Wg Cdr Abhinandan allowed to chase the PAF F-16s without his wingman? Where was the wingman, especially if his MiG-21 Bison was the one carrying the EL/L-8222 ASPJ pod for protecting both aircraft? Surely when the AMRAAM had locked-on to the MiG-21Bison the RWR should have automatically issued an audio warning about immediate danger & the chaff countermeasures dispensing system should have been activated. Did this happen? If not, then why? Was it a grave mistake in the late 1990s not to opt for a cost-effective EW jammer (available from Scandinavia) for each & every MiG-21 Bison? Did the IAF then make a terrible mistake by not opting for such externally-mounted jammers? And what is more compelling now is for opting for standoff COMINT/jamming aircraft like the ones being procured by Australia & the UAE, which can be used against hostile AEW & CS platforms.
To JUST-CURIOUS: 1) Turbofans reqd for cruise missiles are meant for use only once. The Manik on the other hand is a reusable turbofan meant for use by scale-models of the Ghatak stealthy UAV. Nirbhay’s test-flights will take place later this year. 2) France’s Naval Systems is the original designer of the S-80 while Navantia is only the fabricator of the SSK & hence stretched versions of the Scorpene will be made available to India by Naval Systems. The only way to untangle it is for the MoD to disinvest from HAL & turn it into a public-listed & public-owned company, & order additional Su-30MKIs & MiG-29UPGs & Rafales. Then, neither the Tejas Mk.1A nor the 114 foreign-origin MRCAs will be reqd & there will be enough time to develop the MWF-AF Mk.2 at an accelerated rate.
To PRAJJWAL DALAL: 1) There’s no need for such angst, since such news-reports are always to be taken with a fistful of salt, especially when vital technical factopids are missing from such articles & when wrong data is given, i.e. the US responding to a Pakistani invitation to count the no of F-16s still available. 2) They should have been scrapped in the 1970s itself. Because these articles were meant to assuage the ‘junooni’ (emotional) insecurities of a Muslim-majority state being part of a non-Muslim majority country like India & so they were incorporated into India’s Constitution in the early 1950s. But as time went by, J & K’s local inhabitants got the same freedoms & legal protections as the rest of all Indian citizens & they did not face any discrimination. Contrast this with those who are residents of PoK & who are still stateless & are devoid of any constitutionally binding legal coverage/protection. So between the two, those within J & K are better off in unimaginable ways today & don’t require Article 370 or Article 35A for protection of any kind. Furthermore, as the Holy Prophet Mohammed had once said, a changing world requires changing rules, while in an unchanging world, the same old rules prevail. So, all those who are now whining/crying/threatening about the eventual doing away with such Articles are either brain-dead, or they are Munafik/Shaitaans (evil devils) since they are directly contradicting the edicts of the Holy Prophet by refusing to scrap such unwanted & discredited Articles in this day & age. This is what needs to be explained & propagated in a calm manner with a cool head, instead of making emotionally-charged & religiosity-inspired remarks/statements by today’s ‘netas’ of all hues on both sides of the divide.
To ARPIT KANODIA/UNKNOWN: Here is the official briefing by the IAF yesterday:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fB8s_8qdfoM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvVVeg-k9Qk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODrg_Az5BT4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsHKn7oaWIo
The imagery comes from the IACCCS node in Barnala & it is synthetic blending of all air situation pictures obtained from both ground-based radars & AEW & CS platforms. The actual AML:CD screen of the AEW & CS platform does not show such sanitized imagery, but is instead filled with IFF codes & primary radar returns.
To VIKRAM GUHA: 1) The F-35 works best with a bost of other airborne platform & such capabilities are made available to only those countries that are either part of NATO or are alliance partners of the US. Since India falls into neither category, the F-35s made available to India will be sub-optimum versions. Better therefore to go for more Rafales & try to team up with the likes of Japan to co-develop the AMCA. 2) Because by the time the satellites are redirected to cover the reqd spot, the wreckage would have been cleared from the crash-site.
To BUDDHA: Yesterday’s service-induction of the Dhanush-45:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXxgUEVv6u0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOvfIpmTDnA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOvfIpmTDnA
To follow are the following:
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lfOklB2SyiQ/WtJ841NvLgI/AAAAAAAAOQc/YCTEat0ddmEHaxPqgoxFRWezLyHG_qyQQCLcBGAs/s1600/Kalyani%2BGroup%2527s%2BULH-1.jpg
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zzwml-mJt8Q/WtJ9ZyT5rHI/AAAAAAAAOQ8/EbL_HtyJ7e07uzTjdvX8gHWVJwkRRGNlgCLcBGAs/s1600/OFB-developed%2B155mm%2B52-cal%2BMGS-1.jpg
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cwKzXn-ERiY/WtJ9t7akBvI/AAAAAAAAORQ/2FaafUVrxWcpTDNC4NrA5KD72XXD3B2igCEwYBhgL/s1600/OFB-developed%2B155mm%2B52-cal%2BMGS-6.jpg
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WPFjGjbTCpI/WtUEls5AmPI/AAAAAAAAOa8/cNBvyi7wlE8XynnpZE2JatTClqfs9AUfwCLcBGAs/s1600/ATAGS%2BPoster.jpg
The 155mm/52-cal MGS co-developed by OFB & BEML is presently undergoing user-trials, which will get over by the year’s end. 814 of them are reqd. Also, Kalyani Group’s 155mm/39-cal UFH is also being trialled & up to 250 of them will be ordered to serve along with the 145 M-777 UFHs.
Inside Project 971 SSGNs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7L8pKSfJc88
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dtq7cTBzsqk
While ther Project 971 SSGNs (like INS Chakra) have 533mm HWT tubes, the upgraded Project 971A SSGNs also have 650mm HWT tubes.
The US will not sell the F-35 to India. As we have purchased S-400 from the Russians. The US has suspended delivery of F-35 to Turkey on the same ground. So India's best bet would be to go in for the SU-57 or become a part of the tempest program.
Your response to VED is bang on hit to weak point of IAF which nobody wants to highlight....I think not even air force is interested to cash on into such rare opportunity available to it to pursue more no of standoff jammer and AWACS aircraft .....
by the way will abhinandan's WINGMAN get any rebuke from air force for failing to act when required
Apart from elta made ASPJ which model of jammer was available for MiG 21??
Your suggestion to opt for more MIG 29 UPG and rafale is sound but don't you believe more sukhois will be sheer waste of money when it's combat performance has been inferior in the backdrop of 27th Feb aerial engagements with PAF
Dear Prasun,
Is it posdible that Wing Cmdr. Abhinandan got carried away by emotions and ignored all warnings. Or may be he was briefed to engage the intruders if within 10-15 km either side of LOC. Of course these details are classified.
He is also a qualified su30 pilot which leads me to believe that every pilot in IAF flies other similar role aircrafts in inventory.
He must be honoured with MVC.
Who was his wingman?
Thanks PrasunDa.
A couple of questions that are related to the answers that you provided to a fellow poster.
1. There are some analysts who are suggesting that Wg Cdr Abhinandan was unable to tun back because his radio was jammed. Is that true ?
2. In your opinion which standoff COMINT/jamming aircraft should the IAF purchase, that can be used against hostile AEW & CS platforms ?
Thanks again
VIKRAM
hi prasun
could you be more in elaborate on the commint ac that Australia and uae are getting??
i have not seen 1 pic of a bison carrying a 8222 jammer , can u give us one . I do feel they flew without jammers.?
The other oft asked question is why he dint fire a r-77? possibility of alq-131 jamming?
Is there a RWR on bison at ;least that cud have warned him of amraam lock on??
abinandan seems to have been carried away and chased the f-16 in spite of call to returns by the air controller if reports are true.
To RAD: You're asking the same question twice. I had already answered it on March 29, 2019 at 5:56 AM WRT this:
https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2019-03-19/australia-orders-sigint-gulfstreams
https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2019-03-16/turkey-receives-global-6000s-jammer-conversion
Also, there are SEVERAL photos showing the MiG-21 Bison with EL/L-8222 ASPJ pod. Here's one of them:
https://imagesvc.timeincapp.com/v3/foundry/image/?q=60&url=https%3A%2F%2Fs3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2Fthe-drive-cms-content-staging%2Fmessage-editor%252F1552339309135-26166482_831795270327343_7356280224995942741_n.jpg
And lastly, within contested airspaces where several airborne platforms are flying, it is always best to fire IIR-guided SRAAMs for avoiding blue-on-blue engagements.
To VIKRAM GUHA: 1) Not true. 2) Here are 2 options:
https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2019-03-19/australia-orders-sigint-gulfstreams
https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2019-03-16/turkey-receives-global-6000s-jammer-conversion
There are also such platforms available from Israel's IAI.
To VED: If I were to be in the IAF CAS' shoes, then I would consider the following as given: 1) Given Pakistan's traditional obsession with J & K, the PAF's retaliatory attacks would difinitely come against targets within J & K. 2) Since Pakistan is eager to buttress its 2-nation theory by any/all means, it would ensure that the PAF did not attack any territory within the Kashmir Valley, but instead targetted military installations within Jammu so as not to cause casualties amongst Pakistan's 'Muslim brethren' living in the Valley. 3) Consequently, the only air corridors available to the PAF for attacking Jammu were to be from southern PoK & over the Chicken's Neck area. 4) Hence, the first liner of defence ought to have been MR-SAMs, followed by SHORADS & only then IAF combat aircraft. 5) And due to all this, clear-cut instructions ought to have been issued to engage the PAF even if its aircraft were flying over PoK airspace about 20nm away from the LoC and the Working Boundary. But, it seems those responsible for drafting the rules of engagement did not quite succeed in reading or mapping Pakistan's psyche & psychology.
Hi Prasunji,
What happened to the IAF plans to purchase Raytheon Sentinel aircarft.
Thanks & Regards
Hardik Thanki
Sir they were busy giving farewell to outgoing AOC in C and welcoming AOC in C....PAF just caught them Napping
Hi Prasun,
Thank you for responding to my comment earlier. What are the India specific enhancements on Rafale?
Many Thanks
To BRAMHASTRA: They were all detailed here:
http://trishul-trident.blogspot.com/2018/07/iaf-rafale-m-mmrca-costings.html
To AMIT BISWAS: No, it is far more dangerous than that, which is the country's national security decision-makers TOTALLY FAILED to understand & appreciate the adversary's mindset, despite the adversary initiating wars in 1947, 1965, 1971 & 1999 in J & K. Howe many more wars are reqd to drive home the fact that Pakistan will always initiate conflict from J & K???
To HARDIK THANKI: Not Sentinal, but something like it but on a bigger airframe from either Bombardier Aerospace or Gulfstream.
Prasun Da,
Is it true that while people from political parties, bureaucracy,military blame US, Russia, China for several untoward events that unfold in India they never blame the UK for any such event because even today the UK maintains a tremendous hold on Indian politics, judiciary, bureaucracy and the military ?
So they simply can't go against the UK because they fear them
Thank You
Thank you Prasun
I have read at some place that ALARM missile have been retired by RAF. Are we asking MBDA for the same or its some new version of it?
Regards,
Bramhastra
Ego of scientists in designing and manufacturing causes never ending delay. Wont take advises even if that is wrong
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