Indian Military Aviation; News, Updates & Discussions

Twinblade

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  • #42
WHOA :eek

That was totally unexpected. Digital camo ? on an Indian HELICOPTER ? That's a new one lol. Even the Americans don't use that kind of camoflage on their gunships.

Still looks awesome, tbh...
It will undergo further exhaust plume treatment in TD-3 0r TD-4 to reduce its signature against Manpads.
 

dragonfire

New Member
WHOA :eek

That was totally unexpected. Digital camo ? on an Indian HELICOPTER ? That's a new one lol. Even the Americans don't use that kind of camoflage on their gunships.

Still looks awesome, tbh...
Cant really look at the camo as a operational camo by the IAF or the IA, i doubt it would do justice to the environment an Attack Chopper would operate in to give it any kind of camouflage effect. It seems to me that it is purely a PR exercise by HAL to generate more interest in what could be champion product for overseas sales. Considering that already there are 200+ nos ordered by Indian Armed Forces.


Added Later:

Some of the additional pics i saw later; could actually help in a Desert environment, maybe the shades and combinations would define usability better
 

Twinblade

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  • #44
Cant really look at the camo as a operational camo by the IAF or the IA, i doubt it would do justice to the environment an Attack Chopper would operate in to give it any kind of camouflage effect. It seems to me that it is purely a PR exercise by HAL to generate more interest in what could be champion product for overseas sales. Considering that already there are 200+ nos ordered by Indian Armed Forces.


Added Later:

Some of the additional pics i saw later; could actually help in a Desert environment, maybe the shades and combinations would define usability better
LCH should blend in perfectly against the bare mountains of Leh, Afghanistan and any other vegetation free arid mountainous area (the areas where it is designed to excel), but will stand out like a sore thumb in tropics. Lets hope that this isn't the only camo pattern available.
 

Eeshaan

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LCH should blend in perfectly against the bare mountains of Leh, Afghanistan and any other vegetation free arid mountainous area (the areas where it is designed to excel), but will stand out like a sore thumb in tropics. Lets hope that this isn't the only camo pattern available.
Camo patterns depend on the user nation. The americans could paint it their own signature digital camo, or the standard NATO woodland camouflage. The Germans their own flecktarn etc.

The camouflage is a purely optional modification to a gunship like this, which will actually not be done by India, but by the armies that purchase the aircraft, and according to their own operational environments...
 

dragonfire

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IAF to induct 214 variants of FGFA

NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force (IAF) will induct a total of 214 single and twin-seater variants of the advanced Fifth-Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) being developed jointly by India and Russia and likely to be inducted by 2017.

"We are looking for 166 single seater and 48 twin-seater versions of the aircraft," IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne told reporters here.

IAF to induct 214 variants of fighter aircraft - Times Of India
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214 Fighters - 166 Single Seaters and 48 Twin Seaters. Which essentially raises the question of how different would the PAK-FA and FGFA be. Initially it was felt India preferred to operate 2 seater Fighters and would be ordering more Twin Seaters than Single seaters.

Based on this News it looks like IAF is basically going for the PAK-FA with some component customisation and ordering 3 Sqdns of the same but in trainer variant.
 

dragonfire

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Also Interestingly a news not reported here was the order for 75 Pilatus PC-7s for basic training. The order size could go upto 200. What has been challenging is its track record with incidents

The competition was between Grob’s G-120 TP, Embraer’s EMB-312 Super Tucano, Finmeccanica’s M-311, Hawker Beechcraft’s T-6C Texan-II and Korean Aerospace’s KT-1

Swiss Pilatus PC-7 to train IAF rookies - Bangalore - DNA

Wonder if the Surya Kiran team would be revived post deliveries.

If the Intermediate Trainer also shapes up then the training-element headache of the IAF would be eased for a long time.

-- The deliveries are supposed to start from 2013
 
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ADMk2

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Also Interestingly a news not reported here was the order for 75 Pilatus PC-7s for basic training. The order size could go upto 200. What has been challenging is its track record with incidents

The competition was between Grob’s G-120 TP, Embraer’s EMB-312 Super Tucano, Finmeccanica’s M-311, Hawker Beechcraft’s T-6C Texan-II and Korean Aerospace’s KT-1

Swiss Pilatus PC-7 to train IAF rookies - Bangalore - DNA

Wonder if the Surya Kiran team would be revived post deliveries.

If the Intermediate Trainer also shapes up then the training-element headache of the IAF would be eased for a long time.

-- The deliveries are supposed to start from 2013
I always found that rather curious. Are these second hand PC-7's or did Pilatus bid new builds for the contract?

If so why? It has just spent a small fortune on developing the PC-21, an advancement on the PC-9. Interesting that India would accept such a relatively older prop trainer?
 

dragonfire

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I always found that rather curious. Are these second hand PC-7's or did Pilatus bid new builds for the contract?

If so why? It has just spent a small fortune on developing the PC-21, an advancement on the PC-9. Interesting that India would accept such a relatively older prop trainer?
These would be new builds and it would be the PC-7 Mk II which is a slightly advanced version comparable to the PC-9, except for engine - the PC-7 Mk II operates with the Pratt & Whitney PT6A-25C.

IAF with this purchase is looking for a Basic Trainer and perhaps the PC-21 being marked as an advanced turboprop trainer might have gone against it, either ways basis on the requirement projected by IAF this was the model floated by Pilatus they did not field the PC-21 and perhaps there might be a cost differential which considering the volume of purchase might give some cost savings
 

dragonfire

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Wonder if the Surya Kiran team would be revived post deliveries.
21 more Hawks for IAF's Surya Kiran aerobatics display team

IAF is purchasing 21 more Hawks which would be for the Surya Kiran Acrobatics Team
(SKAT). Interesting days ahead for the Indian aircraft and airshow enthusiasts. Hawks would definitely be faster and generally be more awesome as show stoppers :cool:. Probably some training with the Red Arrows and the SnowBirds would be on the cards as well
 

Feanor

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Twinblade

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DRDO's Emb-145 AEWC has taken flight. Should take probably another year and a half of systems integration and testing to enter into service.
 

Twinblade

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Indian Navy to induct 24 Boeing P-8I maritime patrol aircraft
The Indian Navy will acquire 12 more Boeing P-8I maritime patrol aircraft to boost its eye in the sky over India's territorial waters and exclusive economic zone. This is in addition to the 12 already ordered, a top commander said. Indian Navy Chief Admiral Nirmal Verma told India Strategic defence magazine (..:: India Strategic ::.. Home Page: The authoritative monthly on Defence and Strategic Affairs.) in an interview that the force was satisfied with the progress of the first eight P-8Is being built by Boeing under a 2009 order and that the second order for four more aircraft was being processed. It would be placed within the current fiscal ending March 2012.
Indian Navy to induct 24 Boeing P-8I maritime patrol aircraft

It seems like Indian navy has fallen in love with their latest acquisition and are going to order a dozen more.
 

Feanor

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This is interesting because overhauls are continuing on their Tu-142ME fleet, with the completion date for all 8 aircrafts overhauls being 2020... bort 312 was handed over recently. After overhauls, these plans are expected to remain in service for at least some time, despite large scale P-8I purchases.
 

dragonfire

New Member
This is interesting because overhauls are continuing on their Tu-142ME fleet, with the completion date for all 8 aircrafts overhauls being 2020... bort 312 was handed over recently. After overhauls, these plans are expected to remain in service for at least some time, despite large scale P-8I purchases.
Does the Tu-142ME have any offensive capability?
Both the Tu-142ME and the IL-38SD are being upgraded to enable operation of air launched version of the BrahMos Missile; whereas the Weapons package for the P-8I Neptune is not clear and we havent heard anything about the BrahMos being integrated into it. However looks to me that over a period of time the P-8I would replace both the Bear acquired in 1988 (8 nos) and the May which was acquired between 1977 and 1983 (5 nos).

Apart from the BrahMos integration the Tu-142ME is an ASW asset; weapon capability including ability to carry 12 torpedoes, FAB 250 freefall bombs and depth charges. It as well as the IL-38 SD had earlier been integrated with the Sea Eagle AShM which the BrahMos would replace
 
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