Indian Airforce crying wolf? or facing shortage of jets?

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Noticias de Rupia | Nouvelles de Roupie | Rupiennachrichten | ??????? ????? | ???? | Roepienieuws | Rupi Nyheter | ??????? | Notizie di Rupia | PAKISTAN LEDGER | ???????? ????? | DefensebriefsIntellibriefs Translate this page on to one of these languages: Subscribe to our RSS feed: ="" /> | RUPEE NEWS | November 05th, 2008 | Moin Ansari | ???? ??????? | ????? ????? | Save/Share  Recently the IAF has been crying hoarse that it is losing its superiority in numbers against Pakistan and China. How much of this is false propaganda and how much is it age old whining to get more funds for the IAF.

IAF faces shortage of fighter jets 21 Apr 2008, 0018 hrs IST,Rajat Pandit,TNN

IAF is down to 30-32 squadrons at present, with many more older MiG variants lined up for retirement

NEW DELHI: At a time when the primacy of airpower in winning wars or at least “shaping” the battlefield for the army to move in is well-established, IAF will not be able to achieve its “sanctioned” strength of 39.5 fighter squadrons even by 2017.

The sheer inability of successive governments to formulate long-term integrated defence plans to progressively build the country’s military capabilities in tune with its geopolitical objectives means the IAF will continue to grapple with a shortage in fighters for the foreseeable future.

The IAF is down to just about 30-32 squadrons (each has 12 to 18 jets) at present, with many more older MiG variants lined up for progressive retirement.

Even with new acquisitions, India will only have 35.5 fighter squadrons by the end of the 11th Five Year Plan (2012), and 37.5 squadrons by end of the 12th one, say IAF projections.

“The depleted air force is a serious risk to national security,” warns the latest report of the parliamentary standing committee on defence.

“There is an imperative need to revise acquisition targets to meet the authorised strength in the shortest possible timeframe,” it adds, calling for “an action plan” by the government in this regard.

This is especially important since IAF itself has held it needs 44 squadrons to meet the “possible contingency” of “a full conflict” with Pakistan, while maintaining “a dissuasive posture” against China.

Moreover, simultaneous conflict with both Pakistan and China, with the capability to hold Pakistan and defend against China, will require 55 squadrons.

Though the IAF is inducting advanced multi-role fighters such as Sukhoi-30MKIs (230 jets have also been contracted from Russia in deals worth $8.5 billion) and force-multipliers like IL-78 mid-air refuellers and ‘Phalcon’ AWACS (airborne warning and control systems), numbers do matter in the ultimate analysis.

Both Pakistan and China, on their part, are rapidly boosting their air forces. Pakistan, for instance, is getting 36 more F-16s from the United States, coupled with its plans to induct as many as 250 JF-17 ‘Thunder’ fighters from China. rajat.pandit@timesgroup.com, IAF faces shortage of fighter jets 21 Apr 2008, 0018 hrs IST,Rajat Pandit,TNN

It is true that the IAF has been loosing planes, but it has signed major deals with Russia and is being courted by the USA on plane sales and plane manufacturing. See story on $12 Billion plan below. It is a matter of concern to the IAF that within the next few years Pakistan will be able to compete with the IAF, something it has not been able to do since the 60s.

The previous IAF chief, Air Chief Marshal S P Tyagi, in fact, had even warned the UPA government that “unless immediate steps are taken to arrest the reduction in IAF’s force levels, the nation will, for the first time in its history, lose the conventional military edge over Pakistan”.

The six-year delay by the government in launching the hunt for 126 new multi-role combat aircraft, under the gigantic Rs 42,000-crore project, will lead to the first lot of these fighters being delivered only by 2012 at the earliest.

By then, IAF would have retired 100 more MiG-21s, which constitute the bulk of its combat fleet, and 40 more MiG-27s.

To counter the sharp fall in numbers, IAF has upgraded 125 MiG-21 ‘Bisons’ and 100 each of the MiG-27MLs and Jaguars with new avionics, weapon systems and life-extension refits.

And now, after signing a Rs 3,840-crore deal with Russia to upgrade its 69 MiG-29s by 2011, IAF is looking for a similar package for its 51 Mirage-2000s with France.

Then, of course, there is the indigenous ‘Tejas’ Light Combat Aircraft programme, which was launched in 1983 to replace the ageing MiGs. But it’s running years behind schedule, with the first squadron likely to be inducted only by 2011-2012 now. rajat.pandit@timesgroup.com, IAF faces shortage of fighter jets 21 Apr 2008, 0018 hrs IST,Rajat Pandit,TNN

Not only does the PAF a wide range of modern aircraft but it now also has indigenous capability to develop planes and drones. In light of the failures of the LCA and missile program, the Indians are schocked by the speed in which the JF-17 Thunder and Pakistani missiles were developed.

PARIS (Thomson Financial) – India has extended a March 3 deadline for global military aviation giants to bid on a contract to supply 126 fighter jets worth as much as 12 bln usd, officials said today.

The announcement of the two-month extension to the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft competition comes after reports that one or more bidders had sought additional time.

India floated the global tender for the fighter jets last August and said six contenders were on its short list.

‘We have issued an eight-week extension and this will ensure the maximum competition until the last date,’ a senior defence ministry official told Agence France-Presse on condition he was not named.

The official did not elaborate but said the extension was offered on Wednesday.

Seattle-based Boeing (nyse: BA – news – people ), one of the front-runners, said it was ready with its proposals for the contract, which stipulates that 18 jets will be bought in flyaway condition by 2012 and the rest assembled in India.

‘Our proposal to offer Super Hornets to India is complete,’ Boeing Integrated Defense Systems spokesman Chris Chadwick said in a statement to AFP. ‘We are ready with a fully compliant proposal and will submit it three days early.’

US-based aerospace firm Lockheed Martin (nyse: LMT – news – people ), which is offering its F-16s to the technology-hungry Indian air force, said last week it could meet the deadline.

‘We have sought no extension and plan to meet the deadline,’ company vice president Orville Prins recently told reporters in New Delhi.

EADS, one of the European partners making up the Eurofighter consortium along with EADS Casa in Spain, Finmeccanica in Italy and BAE Systems (other-otc: BAESF.PK – news – people ) in the UK, said it ‘welcomes’ the 8-week extension of the deadline. A spokesman for EADS was unable to comment on whether EADS had requested the extension, but said that the consortium will deliver its proposal within the new timetable and believes the Eurofighter Typhoon is ‘well-positioned’ in the competition.

Russian manufacturers were not immediately available for comment. The Russian Mikoyan MiG-35 is being offered as part of the competition, along with Sweden’s Saab Gripen. India defers bidding for 12 bln usd fighter jet contract UPDATE 02.28.08, 7:41 AM ETPopular Videos (Updates with statement from EADS, adds names of all bidders)

The Peoples Liberation Army Airforce (PLAAF) has more planes, more modern aircraft and more lethal flying machines than the IAF, and the Chinese capability is growing exponentially. How much will the transfer of technology boost the IAF? only time will tell.

India defers bidding for 12 bln usd fighter jet contract UPDATE 02.28.08, 7:41 AM ETPopular Videos (Updates with statement from EADS, adds names of all bidders)

Industry sources said at least two rivals called for the extra time in a bid to bypass a military import policy which has been labelled ‘restrictive’ by international arms firms.

The policy stipulates foreign firms selling products to India must reinvest up to 50 pct of the total amount to build manufacturing capacity in the country.

India introduced this clause into all major defence deals in the mid-1990s as a way of protecting itself from non-delivery as well as boosting its own domestic armament industry.

India promised last week it will relax the rules by April.

‘And so, it doesn’t make much sense to submit our bids under the terms of the existing offset policy,’ a source from one of the six contenders said. helen.beresford@thomson.com, India defers bidding for 12 bln usd fighter jet contract. India defers bidding for 12 bln usd fighter jet contract UPDATE 02.28.08, 7:41 AM ETPopular Videos (Updates with statement from EADS, adds names of all bidders)

Noticias de Rupia | Nouvelles de Roupie | Rupiennachrichten | ??????? ????? | ???? | Roepienieuws | Rupi Nyheter | ??????? | Notizie di Rupia | PAKISTAN LEDGER | ???????? ????? | DefensebriefsIntellibriefs Translate this page on to one of these languages: Subscribe to our RSS feed: | RUPEE NEWS | November 05th, 2008 | Moin Ansari | ???? ??????? | ????? ????? | Save/Share

Indian Airforce crying wolf? or facing shortage of jets?

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