Vayu Shakti 2010 pics-2

Vayushakti-2010 pics

Indian air Force Show Fire Power At Pokhran

In a breathtaking display of rapid air power dominance in a representative battlefield area, Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft blasted away targets by day, dusk and night in a fire power demonstration exercise, Vayu Shakti-2010, at Pokharan, today. The dusk and night phase display is the first ever by the IAF.107 aircraft including frontline fighters – Mig-21 Bison, Mig-27, Mig-29, Mirage-2000, Su-30 MKI, Jaguars; transport aircraft - AN-32, IL-76, Embraer and helicopters – Mi-17 1V, Mi-35 gunships participated in the exercise. Other unseen force multipliers included IL-78 MKI mid-air refuellers, AWACS and UAV.
The day phase displayed the strike capability of ground attack fighter aircraft. The dusk phase displayed the war-waging capabilities of helicopters. The final phase by night showcased two major aspects of air power – counter air operations and counter surface force operations.

President and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, Smt Pratibha Devisingh Patil was the chief guest at the display. Others who witnessed the exercise included Rajasthan Governor, Smt. Prabha Rau, Defence Minister, AK Antony, Rajasthan Chief Minister, Shri Ashok Gehlot, Minister of State for Defence, Dr MM Pallam Raju, Marshal of the IAF Arjan Singh, three Service Chiefs, senior MOD officials, Military Attachés of various countries and other senior members of the Government of India and the armed forces.
A Mig-29 flying low and supersonic at 1250 Kmph leaving in its wake, a deafening sonic boom signalled an explosive start to the proceedings. This was followed by a photo-reconnaissance run by a formation of three Sukhoi-30 MKI aircraft. Three waves of fighter fly-past by a combination of Jaguar, Mig-21 Bison, Mig-27, Mig-29 and Mirage-2000 fighters followed before the armament delivery phase.

An array of targets including mock radar sites, tanks, marshalling yards, terrorist camps, runway, BMP (infantry fighting vehicles), blast pens and convoys were selectively destroyed in the precision attacks by IAF pilots using bombs, rockets and missiles. Both, PGMs (precision guided ammunitions) and conventional armament were used in the display.

Besides witnessing obliteration of ground-based targets, CAP (combat air patrol) versus Strike (intruding enemy force) was among the most stimulating sights on display. An adrenaline-pumping aerial combat scenario of 2vs2 (Su-30 MKIs hunting in pair against an intruding pair of Mirage-2000) was demonstrated. Firing of R-73 infrared (heat seeking) air-to-air missiles by Su-30 MKIs on an aerial flare at the end of their simulated encounter was a rare sight to witness.

As daylight transcended into the realm of twilight zone and darkness in the desert expanse, more devastating effect followed with relentless pounding of rockets, bombs and guns blazing from the turrets of fighters and helicopters even as the night sky glowed intermittently with IR flares dispensed by the attacking aircraft.

The other highlights that enthralled onlookers against the desert landscape at dusk included displays by aerobatics team of Surya Kirans and Sarang, skydiving display by Akash Ganga and compositions by IAF’s Symphonic Orchestra.


source:PIB

Govt approves induction of 30,000 more personnel for BSF

In its efforts to augment the strength of the Border Security Force (BSF), the Centre has approved raising of 29 battalions, comprising around 30,000 personnel, for the country's frontier guarding force.

Of the 29 battalions, 16 would be deployed in riverine areas along Indo-Bangladesh border while 13 would serve as additional reserve battalions to be deployed on a rotational basis to ensure sufficient training, rest and recuperation for the personnel.

Minister of state for home Ajay Maken said the new battalions would go a long way in increasing the efficiency and service conditions of BSF personnel.

Attending the Passing-Out-Parade of a fresh batch of 129 BSF officers at Takenpur in Madhya Pradesh on Saturay, Maken said the exercise had began late last year. Two battalions have already been raised and seven are to be raised during 2010-2011.

With a view to enhance infrastructure to support the additional battalions, three frontier head quarters and seven sector head quarters will be created for control and command purposes, he said.

After fatal crash, IAF grounds 100 MiG-27s

After a fatal crash near Siliguri last week, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has grounded its fleet of nearly 100 Russian-origin MiG- 27 fighters on suspicions of a major engine snag. All five squadrons of the ground attack fighter, deployed primarily in the western and eastern sectors, have been confined to the ground since the February 16 crash in which a Squadron Leader was killed.
Engine trouble is a known problem in the MiG-27 fleet with crashes in the past being attributed to defects in the R 29 engines of the aircraft. More worryingly, the initial probe has pointed to a major flaw in the engine that seems to have occurred during the overhauling of the aircraft by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The entire fleet had also completed an indigenous upgrade programme last year that was executed by HAL.

Raising a red flag on the serviceability of the fleet, Air Chief Marshal PV Naik said the initial probe hinted at a problem during the overhaul stage that went beyond the realm of day-to-day servicing.

No rethink on Arjun tank said DRDO chief

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) dispelled apprehensions that there was a question mark over the capability of the indigenously manufactured Arjun tank.

Speaking at a press conference here on Saturday, DRDO chief V.K. Saraswat dismissed reports that the tank was undergoing yet another series of revaluations vis-À-vis the Russian T-90 main battle tanks.

Dr. Saraswat said that half of the 124 tanks ordered by the Army had already rolled out, and there was no rethink about their induction. The comparative evaluation referred to in media reports was nothing but a trial of the tank’s role in the overall arsenal of the Army. “It is a normal process of identifying the role the tank will play in the plans,” he said.

“Let me make it clear, that these are not evaluation trials of the Arjun tank, as those trials, including in summer and winter months, are over and more than 50 per cent of the tanks have now rolled out of the factory for induction.”

Dr. Saraswat also refuted criticism about the performance of made-in-India INSAS (Indian Small Arms System) rifles. He said there were no niggles in the INSAS rifle, a standard issue to the infantry and the paramilitary forces, and felt the complaints, if any, must be local in nature. The feedback from the Army indicated that the troops were satisfied with the rifle.

He said the integration of avionics and sensors on a Brazilian plane to produce an indigenous “eye-in-the-sky” was proceeding apace. The modifications of the Embraer aircraft to fit the surveillance systems were “in fairly good shape” and the AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) could be ready for tests in two years, he said.

MiG-21 plane crashes again; pilot ejects to safety

A MiG-21 fighter jet of the Indian Air Force on Friday crashed near Bagdogra in West Bengal [ Images ] minutes after take-off but the pilot ejected to safety. The pilot, Squadron Leader Rahul Tiwari, had taken off from Bagdogra airbase on the Russian-origin fighter jet. Within minutes, he reported trouble in the aircraft.

The mishap took place at approximately 3.50 pm, seven km away from Bagdogra airfield, Indian Air Force officials said. Soon after the crash, an IAF rescue team on a Chetak helicopter flew to the accident site and rushed the pilot to a nearby military hospital, the officials said. A court of inquiry has been ordered into the incident, they added.

The sources said prime facie, it appears that the jet developed a technical problem soon after take-off. This is the second mishap involving an IAF plane this year.

On Tuesday, a MIG-27 fighter jet had crashed near Hashimara airbase, just a few kilometres away from Bagdogra. However in that incident, the pilot Wing Commander Oswald was killed.

Last year, the Indian Air Force had recorded 11 air mishaps, of which five involved MIG-21 aircraft. The MiG aircraft had earned the sobriquet of a 'flying coffin' in the late 1990s following a series of crashes. However, to prove its worth, the then defence minister George Fernandes had flown in the aircraft in 2003.

Indian Navy to induct 4 'lethal' MiG-29K into its fleet

The Indian Navy is all set to receive a shot in the arm with the induction of four MiG-29 K combat aircraft into its fleet here on Friday.

The formal ceremony to induct the MiG-29K ' Air Dominance Fighter' aircraft would take place at INS Hansa, the Indian Navy's premier naval station. With the induction of the advanced aircraft, the Indian Navy would join an elite club of navies across the world who have the MiG-29K aircraft in operation.

Talking to mediapersons on the eve of the induction ceremony, Commander Theo Phillis, the commanding officer (CO) of the newly formed squadron 303, which is also known as the 'Black Panthers', described it as a proud moment for the Indian Navy.

When asked about the difference between the Sea Harrier, which are currently in operation in the Navy, Phillis said the MiG-29K would offer a whole lot of other advantages to the navy.

"In MiG-29K, the range of target detention is more. Though the Sea Harrier is still a capable aircraft, the MiG-29K is newer and better," he said. "The MiG-29K is more easier and pleasant aircraft to fly," added Captain Surendra Ahuja, commanding officer of INS Hansa.

Captain Ahuja also explained that there are lot of differences between the MiG-29 B (Bravo) that the India Air Force (IAF) has been using and the MiG-29K , which is to be inducted into the Indian Navy.

The MiG 29K is among the latest and most potent fighters designed by the Mikoyan Gurevich bureau. The MiG-29K is equipped with the air-to-air refueling facility, while this is absent in the MiG-29B, Captain Ahuja said.

The IAF's old MiG-29 fighter, which was inducted in the mid eighties, is a third generation pure Air Defence figher, whereas the MiG-29K belongs to the fourth generation, and is capable of fulfilling multiple roles.

The new combat aircraft is more than 30 percent heavier than the old MiG-29.The MiG-29 is equipped with anti-aircraft 'Beyond Visaul Range Missiles, guided Anti-Ship Missiles, 'smart' guided-bombs and rockets that are more lethal and better than the old MiG-29 K's armaments.

It has a folding wing for close parking and reducing ground space, which is an important feature considering the fact that it would deployed on the air craft carrier INS Vikramaditya (formerly Admiral Gorshkov) once it arrives in the later half of 2012.

The aircraft also boasts of state-of-the-art sensor suite that includes a very responsive and capable radar. The pilot's helmet is equipped with the 'Topsight-E' Helmet-mounted Display and Sight. This unique feature would enable the pilot to shoot a target, without turning the whole aircraft, by merely looking at it.

The India Navy is planning to induct a total of 45 MiG-29K's into its fleet, out of which four (16 of those bought from Russia) were delivered at the INS Hansa in December last year.

By May,Akula nuclear submarine to be delivered to India

Indian Navy will regain its underwater warfare nuclear capability in the next 60-days with the Russians assuring that the Akula-II class attack submarine the Nerpa would be delivered by mid-May.

The assurance that the nuclear submarine would be delivered "strictly on schedule" was given by top Russian shipbuilding officials to the Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who is to visit New Delhi on a state visit next month.

Nerpa has been handed over to the Russian Navy for its sea trials.

"The 518th project, the Nerpa submarine is currently completing trials in the Pacific basin. We believe that we will be able to deliver it on time, according to agreed schedule," Chief of the United Shipbuilding Corporation Roman Trotsenko told Putin at today's meeting.

Shaurya surfaces as India’s underwater nuclear missile: New “hybrid” technology more advanced than China’s or Pakistan’s

The country’s top defence scientist has, for the first time, revealed that India’s new Shaurya missile, which can carry a one-ton nuclear warhead over a distance of 750 kilometers, is specially designed to be fired from Indian submarines, and could form the crucial third leg of India’s nuclear deterrent.

If launched from a submarine off the China coast, it is capable of reaching many of China’s major cities, including Beijing, Nanjing and Shanghai.

Air and land-based nuclear weapons are delivered to their targets by fighter aircraft and ballistic missiles respectively. Since these can be knocked out by an enemy first strike, the most reliable nuclear deterrent has traditionally been underwater, missiles hidden in a submarine.

Dr VK Saraswat, the DRDO chief and Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister, revealed to Business Standard at the ongoing Defexpo 2010, “We have designed the Shaurya so that it can be launched from under water as easily as from land. The gas-filled canister that houses the missile fits easily into a submarine. The underwater leg of the nuclear triad needs to be totally reliable and needs a state-of-the-art missile.”

India’s undersea deterrent has so far revolved around the K-15 ballistic missile, built with significant help from Russia. The K-15 was to equip the INS Arihant, India’s lone nuclear-powered submarine, which is being constructed in Visakhapatnam. But now, after rigorous underwater testing, the Shaurya could be the mainstay of Arihant’s arsenal.

“The Shaurya was developed from ground up as a submarine-capable missile”, confirms Dr Prahlada, the top DRDO scientist responsible for liaising with the military. “Every piece of technology for fitting it in a submarine is already in place.”

Shortly before the Defexpo 2010, Dr Saraswat had publicly stated that India’s missile technology was ahead of China’s and Pakistan’s.

Now top DRDO scientists have revealed that the Shaurya is not a ballistic missile, as it has been thought to be; it is actually a hypersonic cruise missile, which never leaves the atmosphere. A ballistic missile is like a stone being lobbed towards a target. Rockets toss it upwards and towards the target; after the rocket burns out, gravity pulls the missile warhead down towards the target. Buffeted by wind and re-entry forces, accuracy is a problem; and, since the ballistic missile’s path is predictable, shooting it down is relatively easy.

The Shaurya has none of these issues. Its solid-fuel, two-stage rocket accelerates the missile to six times the speed of sound before it reaches an altitude of 40 kilometers (125,000 feet), after which it levels out and cruises towards the target, powered by its onboard fuel. While ballistic missiles cannot correct their course midway, the Shaurya is an intelligent missile. Onboard navigation computers kick in near the target, guiding the missile to the target and eliminating errors that inevitably creep in during its turbulent journey.

The Shaurya, say DRDO sources, will strike within 20-30 metres of its target after travelling 750 kilometres.

Conventional cruise missiles, like the American Tomahawk and the Indo-Russian Brahmos, offer similar accuracy. But their air-breathing engines carry them along slowly, rendering them vulnerable to enemy aircraft and missiles. The Shaurya’s solid-fuel, air-independent engine propels it along at hypersonic speeds, leaving enemy fighters and missiles far behind.

“I would say the Shaurya a hybrid propulsion missile”, says Dr Saraswat. “Like a ballistic missile, it is powered by solid fuel. And, like a cruise missile, it can guide itself right up to the target.”

Making the Shaurya even more capable is its ability to manoeuvre, following a twisting path to the target that makes it very difficult to shoot it down. In contrast, a ballistic missile is predictable; its trajectory gives away its target and its path to it.

China boosts Militry exanditure this year:Report

China says it is increasing defense spending, this year, to raise the salaries of the world's largest standing army. The announcement Wednesday, came at a news conference to preview the annual legislative session, which begins Thursday.

Li Zhaoxing is the spokesman for China's parliament, the National People's Congress, not the spokesman for the Ministry of Defense.

But, in what has become a tradition in recent years, the NPC spokesman announced China's proposed military budget.

Li says the defense budget is included in the draft national budget that is submitted to the legislature for examination and approval.

Li says China's military spending in 2009 will increase nearly 15 percent, to $70 billion.

The spokesman describes the increase as "modest" and said the double-digit growth will not pose a threat to any other country. He says much of the extra money will go to salaries for China's more than two-million troops and be spent on raising capabilities in what he described as "non-warfare military operations."

Li also said the additional spending is needed to maintain China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

China has maintained its threat to use military force against Taiwan, if Taipei declares formal independence. Beijing considers the separately-governed island a renegade province.

The spokesman says China's military expenditures are no secret. He says, since 2007, China has submitted annual military expense reports to the United Nations.

Li says there is no such thing as "hidden military expenditure" in China.

The United States, Japan and other countries have long expressed concern about China's military build-up.

In just concluded Sino-American military talks last week, U.S. Defense Department official David Sedney told reporters Washington sees nothing wrong with China modernizing its military. At the same time, he said the U.S. government just wants more clarity about the Chinese government's intentions.

New sub-machinegun can pierce bullet-proof jackets: DRDO

India’s Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) says it has developed a modern sub-machinegun (SMG) that will be extremely useful in anti-terror operations as its ammunition is capable of piercing bullet-proof jackets.

“The SMG is 100 percent indigenous and specially designed to fight against militants in close combat. Its ammunition can pierce through bullet-proof jackets,” a DRDO official told IANS at the DefExpo 2010 land and naval systems exhibition here.

“The weapon incorporates a laser sight and has an effective range of 200 metres,” the official added.

“It is very light in weight and can be used as a single and multiple shot weapon,” the official said, adding that in rapid mode, it can fire 700 rounds per minute.

The SMG, which is currently undergoing field trials that are expected to be completed between April and June, is the third element of the 5.56 mm INSAS (Indian Small Arms System) family that DRDO has developed. The other two are an assault rifle and a carbine variant.

The DRDO SMG’s closest competitor is the Israeli Tavour assault rifle that is already in use with the Indian Army’s Special Forces.