Airliners-India

747-237 · Member Joined: 11 Jun 2007 Posts: 1442 Location: SRQ

Some things never change.

Flight International
22 Feb 1973
India's Air Shopping List

shivendrashukla · Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2009 11:11 am Post subject:

Gnats and Kiran!!

Nice Pic..

Cheers
Shivendra

sumantra · Member Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 415 Location: New Delhi

HamiltonAir · Member Joined: 25 Dec 2006 Posts: 796 Location: Bangalore

Werent the Gnats called as Ajeets in the IAF? Please correct me if I am wrong.
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HamiltonAir

747-237 · Member Joined: 11 Jun 2007 Posts: 1442 Location: SRQ

HamiltonAir · Member Joined: 25 Dec 2006 Posts: 796 Location: Bangalore

Thanx for the info 747-237! So, basically, ajeets were modified gnats. The IAF should have maintained atleast one or two ajeets in flyable condition, atleast for the airshows across the country.
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HamiltonAir

karatecatman · Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2009 12:06 pm Post subject:

www.business-standard.com/india/news/iafs-11-bn-order-may-become-larger/373419/
IAF's $11-bn order may become larger
Ajai Shukla
New Delhi
October 16, 2009

India may go beyond the purchase of 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft.

The winner’s jackpot could soon become even bigger in what is already the world’s most lucrative fighter aircraft tender: India’s proposed purchase of 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) for an estimated Rs 51,000 crore ($11 billion).

The reason is a breakdown in India’s long negotiations with Dassault Aviation, the French aircraft manufacturer, for upgrading 51 Indian Air Force Mirage-2000 fighters. According to senior IAF sources, Dassault has refused to reduce its quota of Rs 10,000 crore ($2.1 billion) for extending the service life of the IAF’s Mirage-2000 fleet by fitting new radars and avionics. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) considers this price — Rs 196 crore ($41 million) per aircraft — unacceptably high, given that the airframes and engines will not be changed.

In comparison, each of the 126 brand-new, next-generation MMRCAs will cost some Rs 400 crore ($87 million) per aircraft. That includes the cost of technology transfers, as well as capital costs for setting up a manufacturing line in India. Once those costs are amortised, additional MMRCAs would be significantly cheaper.

Dassault’s India head, Posina V Rao, did not return multiple phone calls from Business Standard. MoD sources say Rao is engaged in last-ditch attempts to salvage the deal.

But, the MoD is veering around to the view that the Mirage-2000 fleet should continue service in its current form. After six squadrons (126 aircraft) of MMRCAs have entered IAF service, an additional two squadrons of MMRCAs would be built to replace the 51 Mirage-2000 fighters. That amounts to a 40 per cent rise in the MMRCA’s numbers.

Israeli aerospace companies have reportedly entered the fray, offering to upgrade the Mirage-2000 for half the price being quoted by Dassault. The MoD, however, is not inclined to accept that offer.

Price negotiations for the Mirage-2000 upgrade have travelled a rocky road over two years. Initially, Dassault quoted Rs 13,500 crore ($2.9 billion), which it brought down to the current level of Rs 10,000 crore ($2.1 billion) after the IAF diluted its upgrade requirements. But the MoD believes Dassault’s reduced bid only reflects the diluted requirements, rather than any flexibility on the latter’s part.

The IAF, traditionally a staunch supporter of Dassault and the Mirage-2000 fighter, is apparently changing its views. Dassault, say pilots, has badly damaged its credibility during the recent negotiations by arm-twisting the IAF over the supply of spares for the Mirage-2000 fleet.

The Gwalior-based IAF squadrons that currently fly the Mirage-2000 are Number 1 squadron (Tigers) and Number 7 squadron (Battle Axes).

Five of the six contenders for the MMRCA contract — Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Eurofighter, Gripen and RAC MiG — know they could reap handsome gains, through larger fighter orders, if India chooses not to upgrade the Mirage-2000. The sixth contender, Dassault Aviation itself, realises failure to negotiate the Mirage-2000 upgrade contract could seriously damage the chances of its Rafale fighter for the MMRCA contract.

The fighters in contention for the MMRCA contract are sequentially undergoing flight trials and evaluation, which the IAF expects to complete by April 2010. It will take another six months to finalise the trial report and send that to the MoD, which will then announce the winner of the contract.
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747-237 · Member Joined: 11 Jun 2007 Posts: 1442 Location: SRQ

Boeing offers Apache and Chinook helicopters to India

http://www.janes.com/news/defence/jdw/jdw091026_1_n.shtml

karatecatman · Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2009 6:57 pm Post subject:

www.domain-b.com/defence/general/20091029_boeing_oneView.html
Boeing assurance on ToT for production of F-18IN in India
29 October 2009

New Delhi: After successfully completing the second phase of trials for Indian Air Force's 126 medium range multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) tender , US firm Boeing Co said it was ready to transfer technology which would allow construction of its F/A-18IN Super Hornet fighter jets in India.

'We fully intend for Super Hornet to be built in India,' said Boeing Military Aircraft Integrated Defence Systems president Christopher M Chadwick here.

While the Indians generally maintain a free-flowing relationship with the Russians as far as transfer of technology is concerned, US firms are more tight-fisted and, given the lack of political goodwill amongst both nations, also more unreliable.

'We plan to build 18 aircraft in the US and from the 19th aircraft it will be built in India…. we will continue transfer of technology to India so that they not only assemble but make lots of part of the aircraft in India…. actually building the aircraft here,' Chadwick added.

Boeing and the Indians are aware that for transfer of American technology, prior approval of the US Congress required. It is fairly certain that award of the MMRCA contract to a US firm, either Boeing or Lockheed Martin, would eventually hinge around the level of technology transfers that the Americans are willing to allow with their aircraft.

Lockheed Martin, the world's biggest defence contractor, is in the running with the Block 60 version of the F-16, dubbed the F-16IN Super Viper. This is the most advanced version of the aircraft currently available and serves with the UAE air force.

Meanwhile, Boeing's offering for the Indian Air Force, the F/A-18IN, has completed the first two phases of trials. While the first phase was completed in the United States, the second phase was conducted at various locations around India - Bangalore, Jaisalmer and Leh.

The third phase of trials, which will be the weapons phase, will be held in February 2010 in the US.

The other aircraft competing for the $11 billion MMRCA tender are the Lockheed Martin F-16IN Super Viper, Dassault's Rafale, Saab's Gripen, Russia's MiG-35 and the European consortium EADS' Eurofighter Typhoon.

As per terms of the tender, the IAF will acquire 18 aircraft in fly-away condition, with the rest being manufactured by HAL under a technology transfer deal. There is a possibility of the size of the order being enhanced. The aircraft are meant to replace primarily the IAF's ageing fleet of MiG-21 Fishbed fighters.

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