Airliners-India.com Forum Index Airliners-India.com
Flickr Group & Facebook
 
 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 

IAF grappling with free fall in fighters

 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Airliners-India.com Forum Index -> Military Aviation & Space
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
shivendrashukla
Member


Joined: 21 Dec 2006
Posts: 1354
Location: Mumbai, India

PostPosted: Sat Oct 05, 2013 11:41 am    Post subject: IAF grappling with free fall in fighters Reply with quote

IAF grappling with free fall in fighters, will have to fly upgraded MiG-21s till 2025

Quote:
NEW DELHI: Just ahead of its 81st anniversary on October 8, the IAF has virtually sounded the red-alert over its fast-dwindling number of fighter squadrons. Confronted with the government's slow decision-making, fund crunches and Hindustan Aeronautics' sluggish performance, the force is now being forced to further stagger the already long-delayed retirement of its ageing MiG-21s and MiG-27s.

The grim situation can be gauged from the fact that IAF will continue to fly its 110 upgraded MiG-21 "Bisons" — of the total 260 MiG-21s still in its combat fleet — till 2025. Making this startling admission, IAF chief Air Chief Marshal (ACM) NAK Browne on Friday said, "We are authorized 42 fighter squadrons but, at present, we are much below that."

Though the primacy of airpower in shaping battles is undisputed, and both China and Pakistan are fast bolstering their fleets, the IAF is down to just 34 fighter squadrons (each has 16-18 jets) as of now.

So, even as plans are underway to upgrade airbases and advanced landing grounds for both the western and eastern fronts, there is a crippling shortage of modern fighters that can be deployed there.

With MiG-21 and MiG-27 squadrons slated for progressive phasing out over the 12th and 13th Plan periods (2012-22), IAF is desperate to ensure its long-standing new fighter induction plans are not derailed any further.

The topmost priority is the almost $20 billion MMRCA (medium multi-role combat aircraft) project to acquire 126 fighter jets, even as it will progressively induct the remaining 100 Sukhoi-30MKIs of the 272 such fighters contracted from Russia for around $12 billion.

The long-drawn MMRCA technical and commercial evaluation process began in August 2007, with the French Rafale fighter finally emerging the winner in January, 2012. But the contract — under which the first 18 jets are to be imported and the rest manufactured under licence by HAL over six years — is nowhere near being inked.

"The MMRCA and the first two squadrons of Tejas light combat aircraft (the indigenous fighter project sanctioned in 1983 but still to fully fructify) are very critical for us to maintain our deterrence capability. Otherwise, our force-levels will go down rapidly," said ACM Browne.

With the country headed for general elections, it's highly unlikely the MMRCA contract will be concluded in the ongoing fiscal. But the IAF chief said, "There is no back-up plan. The MMRCA is the only option, and it is highly doable. If we sign it by next year, the first MMRCA should come to us by 2017. We cannot delay it any further."

Even the long-term plan for co-developing the fifth-generation fighter aircraft with Russia is in the doldrums. It will take at least another year to ink the $11 billion "full design R&D contract" for the futuristic fighter, admitted ACM Browne.


Full Article here : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/IAF-grappling-with-free-fall-in-fighters-will-have-to-fly-upgraded-MiG-21s-till-2025/articleshow/23550327.cms

Cheers
Shivendra
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Airliners-India.com Forum Index -> Military Aviation & Space All times are GMT + 5.5 Hours
Page 1 of 1

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum


Powered by phpBB © phpBB Group. Hosted by phpBB.BizHat.com