According to official figures, 14 squadrons of the MiG 21, MiG 27 and MiG 29 are due for retirement in the next 10 years which will bring down the fighter squadron strength to 19 by 2027 from the current 33.
The IAC would serve to bolster India's position in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and its quest for a blue water Navy
India's Republic Day parade featured a tri-services tableau showcasing the country's increasing focus on enhancing synergy among its armed forces. The tableau, themed "Shashakt aur Surakshit Bharat" (strong and secure India), displayed a battlefield scenario with indigenous military equipment, including the Arjun main battle tank, Tejas MKII fighter aircraft, and the destroyer INS Visakhapatnam. The display highlighted the Ministry of Defence's commitment to boosting tri-services synergy and jointness in preparation for future conflicts.
Before his departure, Putin visited software major Infosys on the outskirts of Bangalore and defence undertaking Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
The Indian military was the show-stealer at the grand Republic Day parade in New Delhi on Sunday.
The Indian Army will showcase the main battle tank T-90 Bhishma, infantry combat vehicle BMP-II-Sarath, mobile autonomous launcher of the Brahmos missile system, multi-launcher rocket system Pinaka, electronic warfare system Samvijay among others during the parade on Tuesday, the Defence ministry noted.
Lavender cultivation has been amplified across Jammu and Kashmir.
Expected to offer Gripen NG fighter aircraft or a possible joint collaboration in manufacturing single engine light combat planes.
The much-delayed indigenous Light Combat Aircraft Tejas aircraft is expected to be ready for induction into operational service by 2015, Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne said on Tuesday.
The list of aircraft planned to be inducted by the Air Force include 36 Rafales, 114 Multirole Fighter Aircraft, 100 Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) and over 200 variants of the Light Combat Aircraft. "In the next 15 years, 83 LCAs are our primary focus, after that LCA Mark 2 will come in we are looking at close to 100 of those, that makes it near 200 of LCA class," Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria told ANI in an interview.
At a press conference ahead of Air Force Day on October 8, he also said that India needs to catch up with China on technology and speed in production of military equipment, holding that "we are way behind" the neighbour. Air Chief Marshal Singh, at the same time, said the Indian military is way ahead in terms of personnel including those operating various machines and platforms. "I am very confident that as far as human angle is concerned, as far as our people behind the machine are concerned, we are way ahead of them," he said.
Facing flak for time slippages in Light Combat Aircraft Tejas programme, DRDO chief V K Saraswat on Friday attributed the delay to "setbacks" caused by international sanctions and inadequate development of aerospace industry in the country.
Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria said the recent induction of Rafale jets along with previous acquisitions of C-17 Globemaster aircraft as well as Chinook and Apache helicopters have provided the IAF with substantial tactical and strategic capability enhancement.
Here are glimpses of what to expect at this R-Day parade.
China has announced a 7.2 percent increase in its national defence budget, bringing the total to USD 249 billion for the year. This rise comes amidst China's ongoing efforts to modernize its armed forces, including the development of new warships and fighter jets. The budget increase, exceeding last year's 7.2 percent rise, reflects China's commitment to bolstering its military capabilities. Chinese Premier Li Qiang emphasized the importance of the Communist Party's leadership in guiding the military, with President Xi Jinping at the helm of the Central Military Commission. China's defence spending is now three times that of India's and is viewed by critics as a sign of the country's growing military ambitions.
There is little appetite among combat aircraft engine makers to share the IP that results from a co-creation project. But Rolls-Royce is willing to walk the Aatmanirbhar talk.
According to HAL, "this is the biggest ever order that HAL has placed on any Indian company boosting 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' campaign."
Videos from the scene, shot by locals in Morena, showed debris of the aircraft on the ground.
India's indigenous Light Combat Aircraft Tejas has successfully completed air-to-air close combat missile firing tests, ahead of its clearance for induction into the Indian Air Force.
On the 20th anniversary of the first flight of the Tejas, we must congratulate the entire team who made sure that the LCA flew and returned safely on January 4, 2001, sowing the seed for development of a state-of-the-art fighter airplane that our country so badly needed, says IAF veteran Air Commodore Nitin Sathe.
President A P J Adbul Kalam on Friday asked scientists to design and develop a Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) which could compete with world giants.\n
The JF-17 Thunder aircraft, an advanced multi-role light combat aircraft, has been jointly developed by China and Pakistan.
India will launch its first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant on Monday, making an entry into a select club of countries capable of designing and building a carrier of this size and capability.
Observers of India's struggle to design and build defence equipment might wonder why the indigenous missile programme has been so much more successful than many other projects that the Defence Research and Development Organisation has taken up.
In his Independence Day speech, Modi said recently, import of more than 100 military equipment has been stopped.
The technology and its applications can be adapted for different platforms, including new aircraft like the Light Combat Aircraft, and retrofitted on older aircraft like the Indian Air Force's existing fleet of jets.
The indigenous Kaveri aircraft engine, soon to make its debut flight, lacks the muscle needed by India's Tejas light combat aircraft, which the engine was designed to power. In its present form, the Kaveri will never power a modern fighter. The Indian Navy is snapping up the Kaveri for powering its growing fleet of warships.
Four major Defence Research and Development Organisation projects, including the Light Combat Aircraft, Airborne Early Warning and Control System and Kaveri engine, are running behind schedule resulting in increase in their development cost, Lok Sabha was informed on Monday.
The key platforms that India has been exporting are Dornier-228 aircraft, 155 mm Advanced Towed Artillery Guns (ATAGs), Brahmos missiles, Akash missile system, radars, mine protected vehicles, armoured vehicles, Pinaka rockets and launchers, ammunition, thermal imagers and various components of avionics and small arms.
Indigenously developed Light Combat Aircraft 'Tejas' will be inducted into the Indian Air Force this year, Defence Research and Development Organisation chief V K Saraswat has said.
Air Chief Marshal R K S Bhadauria's plan includes building 83 Tejas Light Combat Aircraft in quick time to fill the light fighter vacancies left by the retirement of MiG-21 and MiG-27 fighters.
While the Army will be getting around 100 light utility helicopters, it is also looking at the option of taking choppers on lease to meet its requirement.
Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria flew a Tejas single-seater light combat aircraft MK1 FOC fighter during his visit to IAF and flight test establishments and facilities of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Bengaluru.
The Tejas Light Combat Aircraft, which has remained grounded for more than three months, finally resumed flight-testing last week.
The main objectives of test-firing were to validate safe separation of the missile from the parent aircraft, effect of missile plume on engine air-intake, functionality of store management system, including safety interlocks, effect of missile plume on composites structures and handling quality assessment during missile launch.
The Indian Air Force will soon place orders for the first batch of 20 Light Combat Aircraft with the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said on Thursday. \n\n
Ajai Shukla spends a day with Tejas test pilots to find out what drives them.
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