GEORG MADER JDW Correspondent

India’s pilots have demonstrated the power of their Sukhoi Su-30K aircraft in an exercise that saw ‘Flankers’ flying operationally on European soil, outside Russia, for the first time since the early 1990s.

The exercise provided fresh insight into the capability of the aircraft, its weapon load and the advanced abilities of Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots.

The positive experience follows on from the 2004 ‘Cope India’exercise with the US when the Su-30s competed successfully against F-15C aircraft.

Six Su-30K aircraft took part in ‘Garuda II’ from 15 June to 1 July alongside French Air Force Mirage 2000s, operating from the 125th Air Force Base at Istres and in skies
spanning Marseilles to Corsica.

French pilots involved in ‘Garuda II’ said the exercise demonstrates that India is one of the world’s leading air forces and that their pilots are “outstanding professionals with an amazing ability to adapt and [have] good knowledge of NATO procedures”.

It is the first time that the IAF has taken part in an exercise in Europe and, in exchange for a French deployment to India in 2003 for ‘Garuda I’, the first time it has
taken six Sukhoi Su-30K fighters out of India.

The Indian aircraft deployed to Istres from their home base near Delhi via Jamnagar in India’s west. Refuelling from two Ilyushin Il-78 tanker aircraft, the aircraft flew
to Egypt’s Jiyanklis air base near Alexandria and then on to Istres.

An IAF spokesperson said: “We could have gone straight with several refuellings, but we did not want to tax the pilots too hard.”

A French officer added: “The Indians have put themselves visibly into the ‘club’ of the
world-leading air arms with that remarkable deployment; the Chinese for example, still cannot do that.”

The Su-30Ks and various French Mirage-2000 aircraft performed mutual air defence missions from 17-28 June, that developed in complexity as the exercise progressed.

The fighters also refuelled from the opposite nation’s tankers. This demanded complex preparations because, despite both sides using the hose-and-drogue system, French and Russian jet engines do not use the same JP-fuel.

Initially the aircraft acted as ‘blue pairs’, doing crossrefuellings and mixed patrols with
Mirage 2000Cs equipped with RDI pulse Doppler radars. This was followed by one against two and two against two engagements within visual range, simulating the use of Magic-2 and R-73 (AA-11 ‘Archer’) air-to-air missiles (AAMs).

After 24 June, the arrival of Mirage 2000-5s allowed simulated beyond-visual-range (BVR) combat with the French using MICA AAMs and the Indians using R-77 (RVV-AE or AA-12) AAMs. It was previously believed that only the Su-30MKI fitted with an N011M (Bars) radar could operate the R-77.

Indian exercise leaders referred to the aircraft as Su-30Ks, not Su-30MKs, but several times used the term ‘A-12’ for what they described as “a fully active BVR weapon”.

Official results from the exercise are not yet available.

French pilots used the exercise to assess the ‘threat-benchmark’of the Su-30. One Mirage pilot said: “In close combat the Mirage [appears] more ‘nervous’ than the Sukhoi. A decision must be achieved in the first minute or the sheer power and the agility of the Su-30 will overwhelm you.”

The latest French frontline fighter, Rafale, was reportedly sought for ‘Garuda II’ but “it has not yet been operationalised in the French Air Force and was thus not available”, a source said.

‘Garuda II’ gave India another good chance of evaluating the Mirage 2000-5 and RDY radar combination, as the IAF will inherit 12 ex-Qatari Mirage 2000-5s and has an upcoming requirement for 126 fighters, which will include that type.

Demanding conditions during the exercise were reported by the Indian side because of “unfamiliar dense airspace with constant fresh restrictions – and the French language-melody on the radio”.

IAF gets edgy over fighter crunch (need procurement of 40 Sukhoi 30 Mki multi-role aircraft quick !)

OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
New Delhi, Sept. 30:

The Indian Air Force has told the government that it needs to buy combat aircraft urgently to maintain its edge over the Pakistan Air Force. So desperate is the IAF’s need that a letter written by its head, Air Chief Marshal S.P. Tyagi, to the defence minister, Pranab Mukherjee, has been leaked to the media.
In the letter written in July, Tyagi has detailed the squadron strength of the IAF and the Pakistan Air Force and said unless diplomatic pressures work to stop or retard the supply of American and Chinese fighter jets to Pakistan, the IAF will be hard put to retain its traditional edge.
The letter has been leaked — despite the high security that is supposed to guard correspondence between the air chief and the defence minister — less than a fortnight ahead of October 8, when the air force will flag off its Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Both, the contents of the letter and the fact that it was leaked, point to the desperation of air headquarters.
For Tyagi, who has often said he needs 126 multi-role combat aircraft “today”, writing a letter to the government and detailing his service’s needs is like a last resort. The Centre officially maintains that expenses for security purposes are never held back. The air chief has also said it was important to plan for the long-term to ensure a favourable balance of power with Pakistan.

In the letter, Tyagi has said:
The IAF is down to 34 fighter aircraft squadrons. This is at least six squadrons (120 aircraft) short of the level that is said to be necessary
With the phasing out of MiG 21s — the oldest fighter aircraft — the IAF will be down to about 31 squadrons in six years
IAF fighter squadron strength could go down to about 26 squadrons — the same as Pakistan’s — by 2018
But unlike India, where the government has done nothing to buy the 126 planes that the air force has urgently requested, Tyagi says Pakistan’s air force is getting plenty of new hi-tech aircraft.
The air chief marshal has warned that Pakistan is set to strengthen its air force by acquiring two squadrons of F-16s from the US and also Chinese J-10 fighter aircraft and by co-developing the J-17 Thunder with the Chinese.
Accounting for all the acquisitions by Pakistan, the IAF will take about a decade at the very least to stumble back to its desired number of squadrons. In the interim, Tyagi has suggested, the government should take a serious look at a fast-track procurement of 40 Sukhoi 30 Mki multi-role aircraft.He has also said the global tender for the 126 multi-role combat aircraft that has been put on hold should be immediately issued. Though this is never admitted publicly, the IAF is worried that the government is yet to decide on the global tender for these aircraft even though responses to Requests for Information were received more than 10 months back.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1061001/asp/...ory_6815712.asp

Hi Callsign,

but the quality of the Pakistani AF's planes aren't really that good as compared to the IAF right? I mean the IAF operates Mirage 2000s, Specats, MIG 29s, SU30s and even their MIG21s which are fully and heavily modified were supposedly so fantastic that it outflew the USAF F15s.....why then the fear? Or could it be that by highlighting the supposed weakness they can obtain the funds which wold otherwise be used by the Navy or Army. Both of which are actually expanding too, in their own rights.... big naval buildup - subs, warships, missiles, helos etc, while the land forces - tanks, missiles, arty pieces, radars etc. All these means the limited funds allocated have to be "fought" over... oops excuse me for using adults words with adult meanings...limited funds allocated have to be contested over :P

(Hahahahaha)

Anyway, back to SG context, our neighbours are buying this aircraft....what do we have (in terms of systems and hardware installed on our current fighters) to counter them?

New Delhi: A crisis has been brewing in the Indian Air Force and it's about to blow up in the face of the government. The Indian Air Force (IAF) top brass has informed the Union Government that if corrective measures are not taken immediately, India will lose its air superiority over Pakistan.

"Unless immediate steps are taken to arrest the reduction in Indian Air Force's force levels, the nation will for the first time in its history, lose the conventional military edge over Pakistan."

This is a what the three-page letter of warning, written by Air Chief Marshall Tyagi to Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, says.

A copy of the letter, which has raised serious concerns over the declining combat force level of the IAF, is available with CNN-IBN.

In his letter, the Air Chief Marshall writes, "Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is being beefed up with 44 F16s from America. They have a clearly defined goal of attaining parity with the IAF. With China supplying J 10 and JF 17 aircraft (fitted with Russian engines), PAF force levels of combat squadron will increase."

"Unless steps are taken to move ahead with procurement, the IAF's combat strength will deplete to a level, which would entirely neutralise the conventional superiority held by IAF since our Independence. PAF will have 19 to 26 squadrons by 2011-12, while the IAF could reduce to 26.5 by 2015."

Many say the situation is very serious and demands immediate attention.

Says Additional Director, Air Power Studies, Kapil Kak, "This aircraft induction will take at least 10 years from today and in those 10 years, the MiG 21's will progress if they get wound down. Their total technical life and design life will end and we will have the Air Force combat force strength winding down, worringly fast."

The Indian Air Force has always enjoyed an edge in numbers over its adversary - the Pakistan Air Force - and thus the downward spiral has been a cause for concern for sometime.

The Standing Committee on Defence raised the same objections, but this time the concern comes from the Air Chief - whether it's the much hyped Light Combat Aircraft, or the Request for Proposals for 126 Multi Role Medium Range Combat Aircraft, several of these inductions are very delayed.

It's these very concerns that the Air Chief wants the Defence Minister to address.

In his letter, the Air Chief Marshall has also requested the RM to spearhead the following:

* Direct acquisition of 40 additional Su-30 MKIs from Russia on fast track.

* Request for Proposal for 126 Multi Role Medium Range Combat Aircraft be issued at the earliest.

* And last urge the Russian govt maintain their commitment of not permitting China to sell aircraft with Russian engines to Pakistan.


As the Air Force gets ready to celebrate its 74th anniversary, its dominace of the Subcontinent's airspace and the crucial roles its played in every Indo-Pak conflict is under threat.

It is for the Government now to make sure that IAF remains the superior air power it has always been.


http://www.network54.com/Forum/242808/thre...lose+out+to+Pak

Whilst IAF is beefing up its strength wif SU-30s, more toppings in the pipeline...Mirage 2000-5s (French made)....

IAF really a potent force now !


October 6 2006 at 10:40 AM
Air Chief Marshal S. P. Tyagi said Thursday night that the purchase of French-made Mirage 2000-5 planes would be a stopgap measure until the air force goes ahead with plans to buy 126 new jet fighters.

Tyagi said India wanted to buy about 40 of the jets, including about a dozen from Qatar and the rest from France, and that New Delhi already was negotiations with French officials.

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle...on=subcontinent


These planes will be second hand but will go to Dassault for upgrade/Overhaul before the AF takes Delievery. Upgrades most likely will be to bring it up to MkII Standard (RDY2)

U.S. Spying on Its Pals?
August 28, 2007

The U.S. and India have become pretty close friends in recent years. But what's a little spying between best buds? Especially when there's an opportunity to figure out the secrets of the newest Russian-made fighter, the Su-30MKI? As usual, the excellent Air Forces Monthly mag has the scoop:

AFM says that a U.S. RC-135U electronic spy plane just happened to be en route to the U.K from the Middle East at the same time that the Indian aircraft were arriving, giving the U.S. jet a chance to use its radar-frequency measuring equipment to probe the Indians. Why does this matter? Because the Flanker's N-011 radar will also be used by Chinese and Venezuelan jets -- and if you know its frequency, you can jam. it.

The Americans weren't the only potential spies in the area. The Brits also happened to have a BAC-111 test plane, reportedly sporting frequency-detecting gear, in the area as the Indians flew mock dogfights with British Tornado fighters.

http://blog.wired.com/photos/uncategorized...su30mkix002.jpg

The Indians have a reputation for paranoia (in this case justified), so the Su-30s weren't allowed to use their radars during the mock battles, instead flying only close-range, visual dogfights. But radars in standby mode still radiate, so unless the radars were completely switched off at all times before, during and after the exercise, it's likely that the U.S. and Great Britain scored some seriously valuable intel.

Maybe the U.S. Air Force considers it revenge for the drubbing the Indians handed them a couple years back in the Cope India exercise, where some Alaska-based F-15s got repeatedly "shot down" by Indian jets.

http://blog.wired.com/defense/2007/08/us-spying-on-ou.html

Pilots wear diapers on bombing missions

Fighter pilots wore diapers and flew non-stop for more than nine hours to carry out the Indian Air Force's farthest and longest bombing exercise recently - symbolising the IAF's extended reach.

They flew Sukhoi-30 MKI fighters to destroy mock targets in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

A senior IAF officer told HT, "The fighters dropped air-to-ground ordnance for the first time on an uninhabited island in the Andamans. We want to exploit the location of these islands to train fighter pilots for extreme missions."

Six fighter planes were launched from air force bases in Bareilly and Pune for the experimental long-haul mission. Russian Ilyushin-78 refuellers flew from Agra to tank up the Sukhois during the flight over the Bay of Bengal.

The officer said long-range missions would be planned regularly from now on to push the limits of technology and human endurance.

Fighter pilots may have to get used to carrying more loads in their diapers. The officer said future missions would be more complex, requiring them to stay airborne for 12 to 15 hours. "We can keep the fighters airborne for as long as we want.

Refuellers are a game-changer," he said. The Air Force has started providing diapers to pilots as 'standard clothing'.

Former IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major, said, "The IAF seems to be gearing up for expeditionary missions. Human endurance should not be a limiting factor in the cockpit." :unsure: :unsure:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Pilots-wear-...le1-521689.aspx

I am wondering if the pilot's flight suit have a secondary purpose of helping blood circulation on such long flights. I mean i have seen some cockpits which are really crammed and sitting in that small space with little movement can result in Economy Class Syndrome.

well the Su-34 which is based of the same airframe does have a chemical toilet at the back

How do they eat & drink? Roti Prata or Mutabak with teh tarik in flight? :lol: