What is the insignia of the Indian Air Force. Indian Air Force. Purchases of new aircraft

Vladimir SHCHERBAKOV

Modern India is a rapidly developing world-class state. Its importance is also constantly growing as a powerful aerospace power. For example, the country has its own modern SHAR cosmodrome on the island of Sriharikata, has a well-equipped space flight control center, a developed national rocket and space industry, which develops and serially builds launch vehicles capable of launching payloads into space (including geostationary orbits). The country has already entered the international market of space services and has experience in launching foreign satellites into space. There are also cosmonauts, and the first of them - Air Force Major Rokesh Sharma - went into space on the Soviet Soyuz spacecraft back in April 1984.

The Air Force (Air Force) of the Republic of India is the youngest branch of the national armed forces. The official date of their formation is October 8, 1932, when the British colonial administration began the formation of the first aviation squadron of the Royal Air Force of Great Britain from representatives of the local population in Rusal-pur (now located in Pakistan). The General Command of the Indian Air Force was formed only after the country gained independence in 1947.

At present, the Indian Air Force is the most numerous and combat-ready among all the states of South Asia and even ranks among the top ten largest and most powerful air forces in the world. In addition, they have a real and fairly rich experience in combat operations.

Organizationally, the Air Force of the Republic of India consists of a headquarters (located in Delhi), a training command, a logistics command (MTO) and five operational (regional) aviation commands (AK):

Western AK with headquarters in Pala-ma (Delhi region): its task is to provide air defense for a large territory, from Kashmir to Rajasthan, including the capital of the state. At the same time, given the complexity of the situation in the region of Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, a separate task force has been formed there;

South-Western AK (headquarters in Gandhi-nagar): Rajasthan, Gujarat and Saurashtra are defined as its area of ​​responsibility;

Central AK with headquarters in Allahabad (another name is Ilahabad): the area of ​​​​responsibility includes almost the entire Indo-Gangetic plain;

Eastern AC (headquarters in Shillong): air defense of the eastern regions of India, Tibet, as well as territories on the borders with Bangladesh and Myan-moi;

South AC (headquarters in Trivandrum): formed in 1984, responsible for air security in the southern part of the country.

The MTO command, whose headquarters is located in the city of Nagpur, is responsible for various warehouses, repair shops (enterprises) and aircraft storage parks.

The Training Command is headquartered in Bangalore and is responsible for the combat training of air force personnel. It has a developed network of educational institutions of various ranks, most of which are located in southern India. Basic flight training for future pilots is carried out at the Air Force Academy (Dandgal), and further training for pilots takes place at special schools in Bidar and Hakimpet on TS training aircraft. 11 Iskra and Kiran. In the near future, the Indian Air Force will also receive MI 32 Hawk jet trainers. In addition, there are special training centers as part of the training command, such as the College of Air Warfare (College of Air Warfare).

There is also an interspecific joint Far East Command of the Armed Forces (the name Andamano-Nicobar Command is also used) with headquarters in Port Blair, to which the Air Force units and subunits stationed in that area are operationally subordinate.

This type of Indian Armed Forces is headed by the commander of the air force (locally called the chief of staff of the air force), usually in the rank of air chief marshal. Major Air Force Bases (AFB): Allahabad, Bamrauli, Bangalore, Dandigal (where the Indian Air Force Academy is located), Hakimpet, Hyderabad, Jamnagar, Jojpur, Nagpur, Delhi and Shillong. There are also more than 60 other main and reserve VVB and airfields in different parts of India.

According to official figures, the total number of the Indian Air Force reaches 110 thousand people. This type of national armed forces of the republic is armed with more than 2,000 aircraft and helicopters of combat and auxiliary aviation, including:

Fighter-bombers

Fighters and air defense fighters

About 460;

Reconnaissance aircraft - 6;

Transport aircraft - more than 230;

More than 400 training and combat training aircraft;

Fire support helicopters - about 60;

Multi-purpose, transport and communications helicopters - about 600.

In addition, several dozen air defense divisions are subordinate to the Air Force command, which are armed with more than 150 anti-aircraft missile systems of various types, mainly of Soviet and Russian production (the newest are 45 Tunguska M-1 air defense systems).

Aircraft of the Mikoyan Design Bureau, which are in service with the Indian Air Force, are in parade formation.

Jaguar fighter-bomber and MiG-29 fighter of the Indian Air Force

Fighter-bomber MiG-27ML "Bahadur"

The special forces of the Indian Air Force, whose units are called Garud, are also in a special position. Its task is to defend the most important objects of the Air Force, conduct anti-terrorist and anti-sabotage operations.

However, it should be emphasized that due to the rather high accident rate in the Indian Air Force, it is not possible to accurately indicate the quantitative composition of their fleet, but at the moment it is not possible. For example, according to the authoritative magazine Aircraft amp; Aerospace Asia-Pacific, for the period 1993-1997 only. the Indian Air Force lost a total of 94 aircraft and helicopters of various types. Partially, the losses, of course, are compensated for by licensed production of aircraft at Indian aircraft factories or additional purchases, but, firstly, partially, and secondly, this does not happen quickly enough.

The main tactical unit of the Indian Air Force has traditionally been an aviation squadron (AE), which has an average of up to 18 aircraft. According to the provisions of the ongoing reform of the armed forces, by 2015 there should be 41 combat aviation units (including helicopters with attack helicopters). Moreover, at least a third of their total number should be squadrons equipped with multi-purpose aircraft - most of the Su-ZOMKI. As of the beginning of 2007, there were more than 70 AEs in the national air force, including:

Fighter air defense - 15;

Fighter assault - 21;

Naval aviation - 1;

Intelligence - 2;

Transport - 9;

Refueling tankers - 1;

Helicopter shock - 3;

Helicopter transport, communications and surveillance - over 20,

Despite the impressive aircraft and helicopter fleet, the Indian Air Force is currently experiencing quite serious difficulties in maintaining all aircraft in good technical condition. According to many analysts, a significant part of Soviet-made aircraft and helicopters are technically and morally obsolete and are in a non-operational state. High in the Indian Air Force, as noted earlier, are the accident rates, which is also most likely a consequence of the low technical readiness of older types of aircraft and helicopters. Thus, according to the Indian Ministry of Defense, from 1970 to June 4, 2003, 449 aircraft were lost: 31 Jaguars, 4 Mirages and 414 MiGs of various types. Recently, this figure has improved somewhat - up to 18 aircraft in 2002 (i.e. 2.81 aircraft for every 1000 flight hours) and even less in subsequent years - but still quite noticeably "thinns" the ranks of Indian aviation.

This state of affairs cannot but arouse concern among the command of the national air force and the armed forces as a whole. Therefore, it is not surprising that the Air Force budget for FY2004-2005. increased significantly and amounted to about $ 1.9 billion. At the same time, funding for the purchase of aviation equipment, ammunition and equipment is carried out under separate items from the general budget of the armed forces, which for this period amounted to $ 15 billion (an increase of 9.45% over compared to the previous financial year is about 2.12% of GDP) plus another 5.7 billion dollars - spending on research and development and purchases of weapons and military equipment during 2004-2007.

There are two ways to solve problems with the aviation fleet. This is the modernization of old and the purchase of new aviation equipment and weapons. The first, of course, is the ongoing modernization program for 125 MiG-21bis fighters (the MiG-21 in various modifications was supplied by the Soviet Union and produced in India under license, and the first group of design bureau employees arrived in the country to organize the production of these aircraft at the site back in 1965). The new modification received the designation MiG-21-93 and is equipped with modern Spear radar (JSC Fazotron-NIIR Corporation), the latest avionics, etc. The modernization program was completed in the first quarter of 2005.

L and her to MiG-29 fighters

Other countries were not left out. For example, in 2002 the Ukrainian company Ukrspetsexport signed an agreement with an estimated cost of about 15 million dollars on the overhaul of six MiG-23UB combat training aircraft from the 220th Air Squadron. As part of the work carried out by the Chuguev Aircraft Repair Plant of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the R-27F2M-300 engines were repaired (the direct executor here was the Lugansk Aircraft Repair Plant), the airframe, etc. The aircraft were handed over to the Indian Air Force in pairs in June, July and August 2004.

Procurement and purchase of new equipment. The main program here, no doubt, is the acquisition of 32 Su-ZOMKI multifunctional fighters and the licensed production of another 140 aircraft of this type already on the territory of India itself (Russia has transferred a “deep license” without the right to re-export these aircraft). The cost of these two contracts is estimated at almost 4.8 billion dollars. A feature of the Su-ZOMKI program is that the aircraft is widely represented by avionics of Indian, French, British and Israeli development, which was successfully integrated by Russian specialists into the onboard complex of the fighter.

The first Su-30s (in modification "K") were included in the 24th fighter-assault AE "Hunting Falcons", subordinate to the South-Western Aviation Command. The zone of responsibility of the latter is the most strategically important areas adjacent to Pakistan and rich in oil, natural gas, etc., including those on the sea shelf. By the way, almost all MiG-29 fighters are at the disposal of the same command. This testifies to the high appraisal given to Russian aircraft by the Indian military and politicians.

The Su-ZOMKIs supplied by the Irkut Corporation were officially adopted by the Indian Air Force and included in the combat strength of the 20th Fighter-Assault AE, based at the Lohegaon VVB near the city of Pune. The ceremony was attended by former Defense Minister George Fernandez.

However, as early as June 11, 1997, during the official ceremony of incorporating the first eight Su-ZOK into the Air Force, held at the Lohegaon Air Force Base, Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Satish Kumar Sari, stated that “Su-ZOK is the most perfect fighter, completely meeting the present and future needs of the Air Force." Representatives of the air force command of neighboring Pakistan have repeatedly expressed and continue to express "deep concern" about the entry of such modern aircraft into service with Indian aviation. So, according to them, “forty Su-30 aircraft have the same destructive power as 240 old-type aircraft, which are in service with the Indian Air Force, and have a greater range than Prithvi missiles.” (Bill Sweetman. Looking to a fighter future. Jane's International Defense Review. February 2002, pp. 62-65)

In India, these aircraft are produced at the factories of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), which has invested about $160 million in the installation of a new assembly line. The transfer of the first Su-30MKI assembled in India took place on November 28, 2004. The last licensed fighter should be transferred to the troops no later than 2014 (previously it was planned to complete the program by 2017).

Of particular note is the fact that Indian sources have repeatedly expressed the opinion that the newest Russian aircraft will be able to add to the list of India's nuclear weapons delivery vehicles. Especially in the event that negotiations on the purchase of Tu-22MZ bombers with a flight range of about 2200 km and a maximum combat load of 24 tons will end in nothing. And, as you know, the military-political leadership of India attaches great importance to increasing the combat capabilities of the command of strategic nuclear forces, created on January 4, 2003, which was headed in the past by a fighter pilot, and now Air Marshal T. Asthana (former commander of the Southern Aviation Command of the Indian Air Force ).

Upgraded fighter MiG-21-93

Mi-8T transport helicopter

As for the nuclear weapons themselves, according to available data, in 1998, during nuclear tests conducted in the Rajasthan desert at the Pokhran army range, Indian specialists also used aerial bombs with a yield of less than one kiloton. So they are planning to hang them under the "dryers". Given the presence of refueling tankers in the Indian Air Force, the Su-30MKI, as a carrier of low-yield nuclear weapons, can really turn into a strategic weapon.

In 2004, one of the most pressing problems of the Indian Air Force was finally solved - providing them with modern training aircraft. As a result of a $1.3 billion contract signed with the British company VAB Systems, Indian pilots will receive 66 Hawk Mk132 jet trainers.

The Government Committee for Procurement of Weapons and Military Equipment approved this agreement back in September 2003, but the final decision was traditionally timed to coincide with an important event, which was the Defexpo India-2004 exhibition, held in February 2004 in the country's capital. Of the 66 ordered aircraft, 42 will be assembled directly in India at the enterprises of the national company HAL, and the first batch of 24 aircraft will be assembled at BAE Systems plants in Broe (East Yorkshire) and Wharton (Lancashire). The Indian version of the Hawk will be in many ways similar to the Mk115 Hawk modification, which is used as part of the NATO Flying Training in Canada (NFTC) pilot training program.

The changes will affect some cockpit equipment, and all American-made systems will also be removed. Instead of it and part of the English equipment, a similar one in purpose, but designed and manufactured in India, will be installed. In the so-called "glass" cabin, it is supposed to install multifunctional displays on the dashboard (Head Down Multi-Function Display), a display on the windshield (Head Up Display) and a control system with the location of instruments on the ore (Hands-On-Throttie-And-Stick , or HOT AS).

In addition, the Indian aerospace industry is making progress on the HJT-36 Intermediate Jet Trainer (IJT) trainer aircraft designed to replace the obsolete HJT-16 Kiran aircraft. The first prototype of the HJT-36 aircraft, developed and built by HAL since July 1999, completed a successful test flight as early as March 7, 2003.

Another undoubted success of the Indian defense industry can be considered the Dhruv helicopter, designed on its own, designed to gradually replace the large fleet of Chita and Chitak helicopters. The official adoption of the new helicopter into service with the Indian Armed Forces took place in March 2002. Since then, several dozen aircraft have been delivered to the troops (both in the Air Force and in the Army), which are undergoing intensive testing. It is assumed that over the next years, at least 120 Dhruv helicopters will enter the armed forces of the republic. Moreover, the latter also has a civilian modification, which the Indians are promoting to the international market. There are already real and potential customers for these rotorcraft.-

Fighter "Mirage" 2000N

An-32 transport aircraft

Realizing that in modern conditions the presence of AWACS aircraft in the Air Force has already become a vital necessity, on March 5, 2004, the Indian command signed a contract with the Israeli company IAI for the supply of three sets of the Phalcon AWACS system, which will be installed on specially converted IL aircraft for this purpose. -76. The AWACS complex includes a radar with a phased antenna array E 1/ Elta M-2075, communication and data exchange systems, as well as equipment for electronic intelligence and electronic countermeasures. Almost all information on the Phalcon system is classified, but some Israeli and Indian sources claim that in terms of its characteristics it surpasses the similar complex of the Russian AWACS A-50 aircraft, also developed on the basis of the Il-76 transport aircraft (as for Indian specialists, they can do such statements, since in the summer of 2000 they had the opportunity to get to know the Russian Avax more closely during the Air Force exercises, in which two A-50s specially took part. (Ranjit B. Rai. Airpower in India - a review of the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy, Asian Military Review, Volume 11, Issue 1, February 2003, p. 44. The contract is valued at $1.1 billion, of which India is committed to pay $350 million in advance within 45 days. from the date of the signing of the agreement.The first aircraft will be handed over to the Indian Air Force in November 2007, the second - in August 2008 and the last - in February 2009.

It should be noted that the Indians tried to solve this issue on their own and developed a project to convert several HS.748 transport aircraft, produced in India under an English license, into an AWACS aircraft (the program was called ASP). The mushroom radome of the radar, located on the fuselage closer to the tail, has a diameter of 4.8 m and was supplied by the German concern DASA. The conversion work was entrusted to the HAL branch in the city of Kanpur. The prototype aircraft made its first flight at the end of 1990. But then the program was suspended.

The implementation of the new military doctrine of the Indian Armed Forces, adopted at the turn of the century, required the aviation command to create a fleet of tanker aircraft. The presence of such aircraft will allow the Indian Air Force to solve its tasks on a completely different level. According to the contract concluded in 2002, India received six Il-78MKI refueling tankers, the construction of which was entrusted to the Tashkent Aviation Plant. Each Il can take on board 110 tons of fuel and refuel seven aircraft in one flight (the first candidates for working with tankers are Mirages and Su-30K / MKI). The cost of one aircraft is about 28 million dollars. It is interesting that the Israeli aviation industry “teared off a piece” here too, concluding a contract for equipping the Ils themselves with an in-flight refueling system.

The Indian company HAL continues the development program of the national light combat aircraft LCA, which began back in 1983. The terms of reference for the aircraft were formulated by the Indian Air Force in 1985, three years later, under a contract worth $ 10 million, the French company Avions Marcel Dassault-Breguet Aviation completed the design of the aircraft, and in 1991 the construction of an experimental LCA began. Initially, the entry into service of the new aircraft was scheduled for 2002, but the program began to stall and was constantly postponed. The main reason is the lack of financial resources and technical difficulties faced by Indian specialists.

In the medium term, we should expect the entry into service of a new Russian-Indian transport aircraft, which has so far received the designation Il-214. The corresponding agreement was signed during a visit to Delhi on February 5-8, 2002 by a Russian delegation consisting of representatives of several ministries and departments headed by the then Minister of Industry, Science and Technology of Russia Ilya Klebanov. At the same time, the second meeting of the Russian-Indian Intergovernmental Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation was held. Russia is the main developer of the aircraft, and its production will be carried out at the plants of the Russian corporation Irkut and the Indian company HAL.

However, according to the Indian military, the main focus in the short term should be on the purchase of the latest ammunition, mainly high-precision air-to-surface weapons, which are practically non-existent in the Indian Air Force. According to Indian sources, the vast majority of the modern aircraft weapons of the Indian aviation are conventional bombs and obsolete missiles of various classes. In the current conditions of high-tech warfare, guided bombs, medium-range and long-range smart missiles, as well as other advanced means of armed struggle are required.

Joint aerobatics of the MiG-29 and F-15 during one of the US-Indian exercises

In November 2004, the Indian Air Force Command tentatively approved a working plan of action, which provides for a wider use of budgetary funds allocated to this type of armed forces for the purchase of aviation weapons. It is assumed that for these purposes about 250 million dollars will be allocated annually to the command of the Air Force.

It should be especially noted that it is planned to equip the unmanned aerial vehicles of the Searcher, Mark-2 and Geroi types at the disposal of the Air Force with small-caliber guided munitions with GPS receivers and modern reconnaissance and surveillance systems for their effective use in mountainous areas (mainly on the border with Pakistan). As a priority measure to strengthen the air defense of aviation groupings, the Air Force command proposed to the leadership of the Ministry of Defense to put at least 10 divisions of short-range air defense systems "Shord" into the troops.

The Indian military-political leadership is striving for the comprehensive development of military-technical cooperation with various foreign states, not wanting to become dependent on any one partner. The longest history includes military-technical ties with Great Britain (which is quite natural, given the country's long colonial past) and with Russia. However, Delhi is gradually getting new partners.

In 1982, a memorandum of understanding was signed (in the rank of a long-term intergovernmental agreement) between India and France on military-technical cooperation, including the supply of weapons and military equipment, licensed production of a number of weapons and military equipment. There is also the possibility of so-called technology transfer. For the most effective implementation of the agreement, an intergovernmental consultative group was created.

Then Israel followed, with which India has established fairly strong relations in various fields, and the United States became the most “fresh” partner. The latter in September 2002 in the new National Security Strategy for the first time gave India the status of a "strategic partner."

The mutual decision to establish a strategic partnership between the two countries was made back in November 2001 during a summit meeting between US President George W. Bush and Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. On September 21, 2004, talks were held in Washington between the President of the United States and the new Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh. The meeting, during which a wide range of issues was considered in such important areas as bilateral cooperation, regional security and the development of economic ties, took place just a few days after the signing on September 17 by India and the United States of an important document on lifting US restrictions on the export of equipment for Indian nuclear energy. The procedure for licensing the export activities of US companies in the field of commercial space programs was also simplified, and the Indian Space Research Organization (fSRO) disappeared from the "black list" of the US Department of Commerce.

These activities are carried out as part of the first stage of a long-term program of strategic cooperation, promulgated in January 2004 and aimed at removing all barriers to bilateral cooperation in the field of high technologies, commercial use of outer space and strengthening the policy of non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). In American circles, it is often referred to as the "Next Steps in Strategic Partnership" (NSSP),

At the second stage of the NSSP, the main focus is on continuing to remove barriers that impede closer cooperation in the field of high technologies, and joint steps to strengthen the WMD non-proliferation regime and missile technologies.

If we talk about Russia, then for her close cooperation with India, including in the military-technical sphere, is vital. India is not only a "priority" buyer of our weapons, but also a strategic ally, actually covering our borders from the South Asian direction. Not to mention that India is the dominant power in the South Asian region today. In conclusion, it is worth mentioning that only with India does Russia have a long-term "Military-Technical Cooperation Program", designed initially for the period up to 2000, but now extended until 2010. And our military-political leadership should by no means miss initiative in this matter.

Image caption The latest crash of the Indian MiG-21 occurred during the landing approach - the most difficult maneuver

The Delhi High Court is considering a lawsuit by an Air Force pilot demanding that the world's most widespread MiG-21 fighter jet be recognized as an object that violates the human right to life.

And this is not about the lives of those against whom this aircraft can be used - a lawsuit was filed by the Indian Air Force pilot, wing commander Sanjit Singh Kayla, who claims that the aircraft not only violates his right to life, but also does not provide the right to safe conditions labor guaranteed by the country's constitution.

He filed a lawsuit in court on July 17, 48 hours after the MiG-21 crash near the Nal airbase in Rajistan, in which a young Indian pilot died.

The court accepted the application and adjourned the meeting until October 10 to study the list of accidents involving these aircraft.

Open data that got into the press says that out of more than 900 MiG-21s that were received by the Indian Air Force, more than 400 aircraft crashed. More than 130 pilots were killed in the process.

Over the past three years, the Indian Air Force has experienced 29 accidents. 12 of them - with the participation of the MiG-21. In India, this aircraft, which for decades was the basis of the fighter fleet, was nicknamed the "flying coffin".

True, the enemy of the MiG in the Indo-Pakistani war, the American F-104 fighter, received exactly the same nickname among its pilots.

"Balalaika"

The second-generation supersonic jet fighter MiG-21 was created at the Design Bureau of Mikoyan and Gurevich in the mid-1950s.

The new MiG in all respects turned out to be an order of magnitude more complex and technologically advanced machine than its predecessor, the MiG-19. In the Soviet Air Force, it was immediately nicknamed "balalaika" for its characteristic shape of triangular wings.

This number takes into account fighters produced in India, Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union, but does not take into account Chinese copies - J7 fighters (that is, in fact, there were even more of them).

India decided to purchase the MiG-21 in 1961. Deliveries began in 1963, and a few years later the MiG, along with another Su-7 heavy fighter, took part in the war with Pakistan.

This aircraft changed the situation in the Indian Air Force, raised them to a qualitatively new level.

"Wonderful lady"

During the Indo-Pakistani conflict, he played an important role in air combat, and in many respects it was then that a special attitude towards him was born among Indian pilots.

Among them, many, if not most, do not at all share the opinion of Sanjit Singh Kail, who filed a lawsuit.

"It was the best fighter of its time. How long has it been flying with us, 40 years? And is still in service. It's just a wonderful plane," retired Indian Air Force Colonel General Yogi Rai told the BBC Russian Service.

Another general of the Indian Air Force - Anil Tipnis - published an article on the Indian military-analytical website Bharat Rakshak entitled "My Fair Lady - Ode to the MiG-21".

"For four decades, the MiG-21 has become the basis of India's air defense both in peacetime and in wartime. It vigilantly defended the country day and night," the general wrote in his note.

MiG does not forgive mistakes

However, the number of accidents and catastrophes is an indisputable fact. The number of MiG-21s destroyed as a result of accidents, the number of pilots who died in these accidents, is greater than the number of pilots killed by the enemy.

Retired Indian Air Force Colonel General Yogi Rai explained it simply: "The number of MiG-21s in the Indian Air Force is large, they are actively used, respectively, the number of accidents is also high." However, there are other versions.

First of all, as Vladimir V., a graduate of the Borisoglebsk Higher Military Aviation School, who himself learned to fly the MiG-21, told the BBC, this aircraft is difficult to control due to its flight characteristics - it did not forgive the mistakes of an inexperienced pilot.

With a very small wing area, it was designed for high flight speed, but it required a great deal of skill to land the aircraft.

"About the 21st they joked:" Why does he need wings? “So that the cadets are not afraid to fly.” It was very strict in terms of speed. If you couldn’t withstand the power, you removed it, then that’s all - it failed, the vertical speed is high, and that’s all, ”said the pilot.

At the same time, due to the same design feature, the plane could not plan - if it started to fall, then it was only possible to eject.

True, other fighters of this generation also suffered from the same disease - in the USSR the Su-7 was considered the most emergency, in the air forces of Western countries there were legends about the disasters of the MiG-21 enemy - the American F-104 fighter, whose accident rate corresponded to the levels of the Indian MiG-21.

The latter, being conceptually close to the MiG-21, also suffered from the fact that it was prepared for flying at high speed, and not for a comfortable landing.

Spare parts

Over the past 10-15 years, as far as I know, after the Soviet Union became Russia, incoming spare parts must be ... checked by Uday Baskar
Indian military expert

The MiG-21, which crashed near the Nal airbase in Rajistan, crashed during the landing approach. There are no official reports about the reasons for its fall, but it is known that it was piloted by an inexperienced pilot.

In India, as noted by many experts, there is a problem of mastering high-speed aircraft by cadets - they do not have time to gain experience when transferring from training to high-speed aircraft.

Another problem is spare parts. As one of the leading Indian military experts, Udai Baskar, told the BBC in an interview, the military has many claims against Russian enterprises regarding the quality of aircraft parts.

"Over the past 10-15 years, as far as I know, after the Soviet Union became Russia, incoming spare parts must be ... checked," he said, stressing that this is not the official position of the Indian Air Force, but his personal opinion.

The problem of spare parts for MiGs really exists. Perhaps for reasons that the Indian analyst cautiously noted, and perhaps for other reasons, India buys spare parts for fighters not only in Russia, but also in other countries.

In May 2012, Russian Ambassador to India Alexander Kadakin said that Indian MiGs are crashing due to counterfeit parts, advising them to buy them only in Russia.

Supply diversification

About a hundred MiG-21 fighters remain in service with the Indian Air Force. They will be definitively withdrawn from service as new aircraft arrive - a tender for the supply of 126 fighters worth more than $10 billion was recently completed in India.

The Russian MiG-35 fighter also participated in the tender, which as a result lost to the French Rafale.

In addition, Russia also lost in tenders for the supply of military transport and attack helicopters to India.

In each specific case, experts note that the loss can be explained by the non-compliance of Russian devices with technical conditions.

However, there is a general trend - India, which for decades depended on arms supplies from the USSR, now wants to try Western weapons as well.

And that means the MiG-21, which has guarded the Indian sky for four decades, will soon remain only in the memory of the Indians - as a reliable defender and not a very reliable aircraft.

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Indian Air Force(Hindi भारतीय वायु सेना ; Bhartiya Vāyu Senā) is one of the branches of the Indian Armed Forces. By the number of aircraft, they are in fourth place among the largest air forces in the world (after the USA, Russia and China).

The Indian Air Force was established on October 8, 1932, and the first squadron appeared in their composition on April 1, 1933. They played an important role in the fighting on the Burmese front during World War II. In the years 1945-1950, the Indian Air Force carried the prefix "royal". Indian Air Force took an active part in the wars with Pakistan, as well as in a number of smaller operations and conflicts.

In 2007, the Indian Air Force had more than 1,130 combat and 1,700 auxiliary aircraft and helicopters. A serious problem is the high accident rate. From the early 1970s to the early 2000s, the Indian Air Force lost an average of 23 aircraft and helicopters annually. The greatest number of flight accidents is accounted for by Indian-made Soviet MiG-21 fighters, which form the basis of the Indian Air Force fleet and have earned themselves a reputation as "flying coffins" and "widowmakers". From 1971 to April 2012, 482 MiGs (more than half of the 872 received) crashed.

The Indian air force is the fourth largest in the world after the United States, Russia and China. The date of creation of the Indian Air Force is October 8, 1932, when in Rusalpur, which is now in Pakistan, the British colonial administration began to form the first "national" RAF aviation squadron from among local pilots. The squadron was organized only six months later - April 1, 1933.

The Air Force of the Republic of India, which gained independence in 1947, was formed immediately after gaining sovereignty. From the first days, the Indian Air Force had to defend the interests of the country in bloody battles with Pakistan and China. From 1947 to 1971, three Indo-Pakistani wars took place, in which the aviation of the two newly created states was a direct participant.

The Indian Air Force is organizationally an integral part of the combined branch of the armed forces - the Air Force and Air Defense (Air Defense). The Air Force is led by the Chief of Staff. The Air Force headquarters consists of departments: operational, planning, combat training, intelligence, electronic warfare (EW), meteorological, financial and communications.

Five aviation commands are subordinated to the headquarters, which manage units in the field:

The Air Force has 38 aviation wing headquarters and 47 combat aviation squadrons.

India has a developed airfield network. The main military airfields are located near the cities: Udhampur, Leh, Jammu, Srinagar, Ambala, Adampur, Halwara, Chandigarh, Pathankot, Sirsa, Malaut, Delhi, Pune, Bhuj, Jodhpur, Baroda, Sulur, Tambaram, Jorhat, Tezpur, Hashimara, Bagdogra , Barrkpur, Agra, Bareilly, Gorakhpur, Gwalior and Kalaikunda.

Data on equipment and armament of the Indian Air Force taken from the Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine page.

India maintains 40+ operational Earth imagery satellites in polar orbits.

English is the official language of the Indian Armed Forces. All military ranks exist only in English and are never translated into any of the Indian languages. The British military rank system is used in the Indian Armed Forces with little or no change.

The Indians plan to turn the country into one of the most powerful and modern forces in the world with a network architecture of interaction. The Indian Air Force has prepared a comprehensive long-term program for the long-term development of LTPP (Long Term Perspective Plan) until 2027 with the aim of possible countering all predicted threats from the air. The government allocates appropriate funds for this.

Ambitious tasks are solved in the implementation of three main programs:
— purchases of new aircraft to upgrade the fleet;
— modernization of military equipment;
- full staffing of aviation units with personnel of the highest level and its continuous training.

At one time, Indian aviation magazine reported that the Indian Air Force planned to spend $ 70 billion on the purchase of new equipment and the modernization of its fleet from 2012 to 2021. And according to Pakistan Defense, Air Marshal Reddy, Director of the Inspection and Safety Commission, said in November 2013 at the opening of the 8th International Conference on Accelerating the Development of the Indian Aerospace Industry that in the coming 15 years, Indian The Air Force will spend $150 billion on defense purchases.

For many decades, the Indian Air Force was limited mainly to one source of supplies - the USSR / Russia. Most of the equipment purchased from us is now outdated. Today, the Indian military is alarmed by the decrease in the combat effectiveness of its fleet and a number of other indicators. Meanwhile, the long-term and fairly vigorous efforts of the Indian Defense Research and Development Organization DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organization) and the local aerospace industry are not yet able to provide the Indian Air Force with the capabilities they are counting on.

The almost complete dependence on foreign suppliers of advanced technologies and advanced equipment is potentially the main factor that could threaten the combat capability of the national air force.

Purchases of new aircraft

The main task facing the Indian Air Force at the present time is the acquisition and integration of military platforms based on the latest technological principles and the modernization of military equipment. The list of weapons and military equipment (AME) to be purchased by the Air Force is impressive.

In the next decade, only fighter aircraft are planned to be put into operation 460 units. Among them are the Tejas light combat airctaft (LCA) (148 units), 126 French Rafal fighters that won the MMRCA (Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft) tender, 144 FGFA (Fifth Generation) fifth-generation fighters Fighter Aircraft), which are planned to be received from 2017, an additional 42 Su-30MK2 multipurpose fighters, requirements have already been issued for their production for the local company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

Also, the Air Force will be armed with 75 training aircraft (TCP) of basic training "Pilatus" (Pilatus), two more - early warning and control (AWACS and U) based on the Russian transport aircraft Il-76, ten military transport C -17 manufactured by Boeing, 80 medium-class helicopters, 22 attack helicopters, 12 VIP-class helicopters.

According to the Financial Express newspaper, in the near future, the Indian Air Force may sign the largest military contracts in the history of its military-technical cooperation with foreign countries for a total of $25 billion. The plans include a long-awaited deal for the supply of 126 fighters under the MMRCA combat aircraft program ($12 billion), a contract for the purchase of three C-130J aircraft for special operations forces, 22 attack helicopters AH-64 "Apache Longbow" (1.2 billion), 15 CH-47 Chinook heavy military transport helicopters ($1.4 billion), and six A330 MRTT tanker aircraft ($2 billion).

As Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Air Force Air Chief Marshal Brown said, five major deals worth $25 billion are close to signing in the current financial year (until March 2014).

As for missile weapons, the Indian Air Force has 18 launchers for medium-range MRSAM (Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missiles) anti-aircraft guided missiles (SAMs), four Spider installations for 49 short-range SRSAM missiles ( Short-Range Surface-to-Air Missiles) and eight launchers for Akash missiles (Aakash). The Air Force has developed a multi-stage plan for the introduction of missiles of different classes into service to create a multi-level defense system.

In addition, the Air Force has the capabilities of AWACS and U, and on the basis of an agreement between the governments of the United States and India, is negotiating with representatives of the American company Raytheon (Raytheon) on the purchase of two systems designed for intelligence, surveillance, detection and target designation (ISTAR) with a total cost of 350 million dollars. Analysts believe that Indian interest in such systems has increased after the end of the operation in Libya.

After delivery to the Indian Air Force, the ISTAR systems will be integrated with the existing Indian air command and control system IACCS (India's Air Command and Control System). It is based on a similar system of the NATO standard and allows you to control the movement of aircraft and coordinate it, control the performance of combat missions by aviation, and carry out reconnaissance activities. AWACS and U aircraft and radars for various purposes are integrated into IACCS, which allows the transfer of received data to the central command and control system.

According to representatives of the Ministry of Defense of India, the main difference between ISTAR and AWACS and U aircraft is that the first is designed to track ground targets and control troops on the battlefield, and the second is to target air targets and ensure air defense.

In terms of radar capabilities, the Air Force has in its arsenal the Rohinis radar, small balloon radars, which are a smaller version of AWACS and U aircraft systems and do not help in the detection of ground targets, medium power radar, low-level tactical radar, network AFNET (Air Force Network) data transmission and the modernized airport infrastructure MAFI (Modernization of Airport Infrastructure), which is currently being formed.

Initially, the Bhatinda airfield (Rajasthan) will be equipped with the MAFI system. The first medium power radar in Nalia (Gujarat) began operation in 2013. In addition to these systems, the country's arsenal includes UAVs designed to perform reconnaissance missions, but their capabilities are limited.

Air fleet modernization

The air force fleet improvement program involves 63 MiG-29 fighters, 52 Mirage-2000s, and 125 Jaguars. Three of India's 69 MiG-29B/S fighter jets underwent modernization in Russia under a $964 million contract signed in 2009. Three more aircraft arrived in India at the end of 2013.

The remaining 63 MiG-29 fighters will be modernized at the HAL corporation's plant in Nasik and at the 11th Aircraft Repair Plant of the Indian Air Force in 2015-2016. These aircraft will be equipped with the new Klimov RD-33MK engines, the Zhuk-ME phased-array radar of the Fazotron-NIIR corporation, and Vympel R-77 air-to-air missiles to engage air targets behind line of sight range.

Upgrading the Mirage 2000 multirole fighters in service to the fifth-generation standard will cost 1.67 billion rupees ($30 million) per unit, which is more expensive than acquiring these aircraft. Minister of Defense Arakaparambil Kurian Anthony notified Parliament in March 2013.

In 2000, India purchased 52 Mirage-2000 fighter jets from France at a cost of 1.33 billion rupees (about $24 million) per unit. During the modernization, the fighters will receive new radars, avionics, on-board computers and aiming systems. As expected, six aircraft will be brought to mind in France, and the rest in India at the HAL enterprise.

Multipurpose fighter "Mirage-2000"

The contract to bring the Jaguar aircraft to the Darin-3 configuration (Darin III) worth 31.1 billion Indian rupees was signed in 2009. Work at the enterprises of the HAL corporation is planned to be completed in 2017. The first updated aircraft successfully completed a test flight on November 28, 2012.

The aircraft is equipped with new avionics and multi-mode radar. In the future, it will be remotorized, which will make the Jaguar all-weather, with high combat effectiveness, and will also significantly increase its working life.

To equip the fleet of modernized Jaguars, India has chosen advanced ASRAAM (Advanced Short-Range Air-to-Air Missile) medium-range missiles developed by the French company MBDA and intends to purchase 350-400 missiles of this type.

Honeywell recently applied to the Indian Ministry of Defense for 270 F125IN powerplants, developed by Sepecat and built at Indian HAL facilities, to upgrade the engines of 125 Jaguar fighters.

Training

An important aspect of the restructuring of the Indian Air Force is to increase the number of military personnel and their training in the operation of new equipment. The Air Force plans to increase the number of fighter squadrons to 40-42 by the end of the 14th five-year period (2022-2027) and possibly up to 45 units by the time the 15th period (2027-2032) is implemented. Currently, the Indian Air Force has 34 squadrons.

It is expected to achieve the highest combat readiness after the adoption of all fighters planned for serial licensed production - Su-30MKI, MMRCA, FGFA. Obviously, this will require an influx of a huge number of combat pilots, which is a very difficult problem.

Although the state of affairs in the field of flight personnel training has improved in recent years, the Indian Air Force is still far from the desired standards. Various measures are being taken to solve this problem, such as recruiting candidates and providing them with additional training before being awarded a rank in the Air Force. Much is being done to keep the ranks of its pilots, in particular, training facilities are constantly being improved.

Over the past three fiscal years, the Air Force has received more defense procurement funds than the other two branches. This trend is likely to continue over the next few years.

However, the Air Force has managed to achieve and give the impression of a powerful force capable of protecting the sovereignty of the Indian airspace. It seems that in the long term, the Indian Air Force has no other choice but to acquire promising technologies and equipment from abroad. There is also the possibility of joint development and production, as well as offset programs that have been developing recently. This direction is the most expedient from the point of view of obtaining the status of a domestic product for military equipment.

The service life of modern aircraft is usually about 30 years. Then, as a rule, it is extended for another 10-15 years after modernization at the stage of average service life. Thus, the new equipment acquired by the Air Force will remain in service until 2050-2060. But since the nature of warfare also changes over time, in addition to acquiring modern weapons, a comprehensive reassessment of the plan of likely operations that the Air Force will have to face and reform its weapons accordingly is required.

To do this, at the present stage, the Air Force must take into account the status of India's regional power and assess its possible role and responsibility in the new geopolitical and geostrategic environment.

Pride of the Indian OPK

The total cost of purchasing Tejas aircraft was approximately $1.4 billion. The LCA program is a great achievement of the Indian defense industry and its pride. This is the first fully Indian combat aircraft. And although some analysts point out that the Tejas engines, radars and other on-board systems are of foreign origin, the Indian defense industry has been tasked with bringing the aircraft to full Indian production.

Indian Defense Minister Anthony announced on December 20, 2013 that the Tejas Mk.1 (Tejas Mark I) light fighter had reached initial operational readiness, that is, it was being transferred to the final tests by the Air Force pilots. According to him, the fighter will reach full operational readiness by the end of 2014, when it can be put into service.

Light fighter "Tejas"

“The Air Force will commission the first squadron of Tejas aircraft in 2015, and the second in 2017. Aircraft production will begin soon,” Anthony said, adding that each squadron will be based at Sulur Air Base near Coimbatore in the southern state of Tamil Nadu and will consist of 20 fighters designed to replace aging MiG-21s. In total, the needs of the Air Force for these aircraft are estimated at more than 200 units.

Tejas, implemented under the LCA program, is one of the record holders in terms of design work carried out by HAL and DRDO. Work on the creation of this completely Indian fighter began in 1983, he made his first flight in January 2001, and broke the supersonic barrier in August 2003.

At the same time, a new modification of the Tejas Mk.2 (Tejas Mark II) fighter is being developed with a more powerful and fuel-efficient engine manufactured by the American General Electric, improved radar and other systems. “Later, the Air Force will commission four squadrons of this fighter modification, and the Navy will adopt 40 Tejas carrier-based fighters,” said Indian Defense Minister Anthony.

India plans to completely replace the MiG-21 fighters by 2018-2019, but the process may be delayed until 2025.

Su-30MKI, Rafal, Globemaster-3

A $1.6 billion contract for the supply of technological kits for the licensed assembly production of the Su-30MKI was signed by HAL during Vladimir Putin's visit to India on December 24, 2012. After the implementation of this contract, the total number of aircraft produced at the facilities of HAL will reach 222 units, and the total cost of 272 fighters of this type purchased from Russia is $12 billion.

To date, India has adopted more than 170 Su-30MKI fighters out of 272 ordered from Russia. By 2017, 14 squadrons of these aircraft will be based at Indian air bases.

To date, HAL is already producing Su-30MKI and Tejas combat aircraft. In the future, the company will also produce the Rafal, which won the MMRCA tender, and the fifth-generation FGFA fighter jointly developed by Russia and India.

Su-30MKI Indian Air Force

India and France have been unable to agree on the terms of delivery of the Rafale fighter, which won the MMRCA tender in January 2012, for a year now. In October 2013, the Deputy Commander of the Indian Air Force, Air Marshal Sukumar, said that the agreement would be signed before the end of the current financial year ending in March 2014.

Under the terms of the competition, the winner will invest half of the amount paid for the aircraft in the production of fighters in India. About 110 Rafal aircraft are to be manufactured by HAL, while the first 18 are to be delivered directly by the supplier and delivered to the customer assembled. The amount of the transaction was originally estimated at $10 billion, but today, according to various sources, it may already exceed $20-30 billion. Initially, the first Rafale fighter of the Indian Air Force was planned to be put into service in 2016, now this date has been postponed to at least 2017.

In 2011, the Indian Ministry of Defense signed an agreement with the US government on the supply of 10 heavy strategic military transport aircraft (MTC) C-17 Globemaster-3 (Globemaster III) by the LOA method (Letter of Offer and Acceptance) in the amount of five billion dollars. At the moment, the Air Force received four C-17s: in June, July-August and October 2013. All aircraft will be delivered by 2015. Boeing promises to transfer the rest of the military-technical cooperation to the customer in 2014, having completed the implementation of the contract. By analogy with the C-130J tactical military transport aircraft, the Indian Air Force plans to increase the C-17 fleet by another 10 aircraft.

Educational and training equipment

Since August 2009, the Air Force has suspended a fleet of obsolete training aircraft (TCP) HPT-32 from flying. Subsequently, the Ministry of Defense announced a tender for the supply of basic flight training aircraft (Basic Trainer Aircraft - BTA) for the Indian Air Force, which was won by the Swiss company Pilatus (Pilatus).

In May 2012, the Security Committee of the Cabinet of the Government of India approved the purchase of 75 PC-7 Mk.2 (PC-7 Mark II) aircraft for the country's Air Force in the amount of 35 billion Indian rupees (more than 620 million dollars). From February to August 2013, the first three vehicles were handed over to the Indian Air Force. The Ministry of Defense is planning a new contract with Pilatus for the supply of 37 additional trainers.

Training aircraft "Hawk" (Hawk)

For advanced flight training, the Air Force is acquiring AJT (Advanced Jet Trainers) Hawks. In March 2004, the Indian government signed a contract with BAE Systems (BAE Systems) and Turbomeca (Turbomeca) for the supply of 24 Hawks, as well as with HAL for the production under license of another 42 TCBs. The total value of the contracts is $1.1 billion.

All the first 24 aircraft were completely built at the facilities of "BAe" and delivered to the Indian Air Force, another 28 of the 42 aircraft produced by HAL from ready-made vehicle kits were handed over to the customer before July 2011.

In July 2010, the Ministry of Defense signed a contract worth $779 million for the purchase of 57 additional Hawk trainers: 40 aircraft for the Air Force and 17 for the Indian Navy. HAL began their production in 2013 and should be completed by 2016.

Strategic Airlift

One of the main tasks of the Indian Air Force in the future will be to carry out strategic air transportation. But New Delhi's involvement in international security requires the gradual development of the air force towards a rapid reaction force, while at home the creation of a regular security force is on the agenda.

Considering India's recent status as a regional power, the country's growing role and responsibility in the new geopolitical and geostrategic environment, and renewed partnership with the United States, New Delhi could be required to deploy large numbers of troops to any region. Forces and means of strategic air transportation of the Air Force must be formed practically from scratch, since the service life of the corresponding fleet is ending.

At the tactical level, the Air Force must be provided with a fleet of medium-sized tactical military transport aircraft and helicopters capable, together with special forces, of quick response at a shorter range.

Clearly, India needs to expand its tanker fleet if it is to have significant troop and military equipment capabilities and influence in this segment.

The Air Force should also increase the combat capabilities of some equipment already in service. At the strategic level, the Air Force must be able to provide a credible nuclear deterrent to Pakistan and China. They also need to be able to have a military presence in regions of obvious national security interests and on the territory of allies with combat aircraft, tankers and strategic transport. To carry out strategic strikes against enemy territory, the Air Force must be armed with air missiles placed on platforms with powerful electronic warfare equipment. At the same time, tactical roles can be transferred to UAVs and helicopters.

These forces must be able to provide a quick response in a crisis situation and have logistical support in order to complete tasks over a long period of time.

To effectively ensure national security, the Air Force should acquire an additional fleet of AWACS and U aircraft in order to increase the possibility of observation at low altitudes. The air defense systems currently in service with the country must be replaced by a new generation of zonal and object air defense systems.

The Air Force should stock up on its own satellite systems and a fleet of UAVs with a wide range of sensors to provide round-the-clock and all-weather strategic and tactical intelligence. UAVs must be provided with an appropriate ground infrastructure for automated and rapid processing of intelligence information, as well as a fleet of tactical transport aircraft, helicopters and special forces for a quick response to possible threats.