Soldier On
Few purchases are more demonstrative of the changing nature of US-India ties than the deal that will result in the gradual makeover of the Indian military’s helicopter fleet from a largely Russian line-up to a mostly American one. From choppy to chipper could well be the title of this saga, as India’s defense minister Manohar … Read more
Hundreds of candidates who are attending an Indian Air Force drive to recruit Airmen are spending the night outside the Dr. M G R Stadium here stadium, the venue of the rally. The candidates, some of whom had come with their parents, have to sleep on the pavement of Race Course road. For candidates from … Read more
After China’s warning against deployment of BrahMos missile in Arunachal Pradesh, the Army has said that how India addresses its security concerns should not be anybody else’s concerns. “Our threat perceptions and security concerns are our own, and how we address these by deploying assets on our territory should be no one else’s concern,” top sources … Read more
Ships and aircraft of the US and India will soon be able to use other bases for refueling, refurbishment and replenishment. A long-pending agreement for this is set to be signed when Defence Ministry Manohar Parrikar visits USA on August 29 “The draft agreement has been accepted by both sides,” said a senior Defence Ministry … Read more
The Air Force will build a sprawling new Aerospace Museum in the national capital, focusing on the nation’s rich aviation history. The new Aerospace Museum will be close to the international airport. Spread over 43 acres, it would have extensive indoor and outdoor displays including huge aircraft parked and hanging in flying attitude with mural depicting the golden era of the Indian … Read more
In a major policy shift last year, New Delhi had agreed to transfer four Mi-24/35 attack helicopters to Afghanistan, the first supply of lethal equipment to Kabul, which has been seeking Indian assistance to strengthen its fledgling Afghan National Army (ANA). However, it has been learnt that the last of the four helicopters is yet … Read more
The Indian Air Force has initiated its search for a new smart airfield protection system eight months after the Pathankot attack exposed sever chinks in the perimeter security at a vital airbase, leading to the death of seven security personnel and a close call for fighters and helicopter gunships stationed there. To start with, the … Read more
“How badly did they torture you?” I asked Group Captain K Nachiketa. He kept silent for a moment, looked down and then at me straight in the eye. “The torture was quite bad. There comes a point where you think ‘death is simpler,’ but fortunately for me, the third degree part, which is the last … Read more
In the early hours of June 13, 1999, at the height of the Kargil War, Indian Air Force fighter pilots were minutes away from launching a full-fledged air attack deep inside Pakistan. Targets had been assigned, route maps finalized; Pistols to be carried by pilots had been loaded with ammunition and Pakistani currency collected, … Read more
Following the recent space of accidents in the Indian Air Force (IAF), defence minister Manohar Parrikar clarified in the Parliament that no aircraft that is in operation in the IAF has completed its prescribed life and all the existing fleets have residual life for operational utilization. Stating that every aircraft which is launched is fully … Read more
It’s a story that has been forgotten in the fanfare of India’s first women fighter pilots being commissioned into the Indian Air Force earlier this year. India’s first women combat aviators went into a war zone 17 years ago, during the Kargil War. And while Flight Lieutenant Gunjan Saxena and Flight Lieutenant Srividya Rajan never … Read more
A ray of hope for the aggrieved families of the missing AN-32 passengers as the kin of airman Raghuvir Verma claimed that they were able to ring him on his mobile number.Verma was onboard the ill-fated AN-32 which disappeared over the Bay of Bengal.The Airmans’s phone was still active even five days after the supposed … Read more
When an Air Force transport plane, an AN-32, took off from Chennai 18 days ago on a flight to Port Blair, it was not carrying essential equipment that would have helped locate it in the event of a crash at sea. We have learned that the black box of the Indian Air Force An-32, which … Read more
Russian-designed Sukhoi Su-30MKI (Flanker-H) multirole fighters integrated with Russian-Indian BrahMos cruise missiles are expected to go into service of the Indian Air Force in the first four months of 2017. Three squadrons of such aircraft are set to join the ranks of the Indian army, according to the source. “There are plans to deploy and … Read more
As civilians, we have a different perspective of the services and how things are done there. However, the people working there have an entirely different and real perspective regarding the same. The reason being very simple, they are working there and seeing and facing the things every day. We are lucky to have a Technical … Read more
According to latest Indian media reports Srilanka and Egypt have expressed interest in acquiring indigenously developed Light Combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas fighter jet from India and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar too has shown his willingness to sell LCA-Tejas to friendly countries but major hurdles to LCA-Tejas export plans may come from Countries who have provided … Read more
The state government, which is constructing a six-lane expressway between Mumbai and Nagpur, plans to develop three special stretches on the highway where aircraft can make emergency landings for rescue operations during a calamity or a major accident. Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has asked its consultants to identify sections on the highway that … Read more
As India plans a more robust presence in the greater Asia-Pacific, it is in the process of enhancing its defense ties with Vietnam. India seems now ready to sell the supersonic BrahMos missile, a product of an Indo-Russian joint venture, to Vietnam after dilly dallying on Hanoi’s request for this sale since 2011. Though India’s … Read more
If the recent induction of the indigenous Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) has received a muted welcome from the IAF, there are very good reasons for it. While the nation and the defence-industrial complex may celebrate a milestone in military indigenisation, the service, charged with the defence of our skies, has much more to worry … Read more
Missile Man and former President APJ Abdul Kalam’s dream project Prithvi will now be replaced by Agni series and other missiles. Prithvi, India’s first indigenous ballistic missile, has served more than its intended use and will now be phased out. The new Agni series will include Agni-1 (700 km), Agni-2 (2,000 km), Agni-3 (3,000 km), … Read more