Indian Air Force’s fourth Boeing C-17 Globemaster III delivered

By BA Staff

Boeing remains on track to deliver five C-17 Globemaster III airlifters committed to the Indian Air Force this year, as the fourth aircraft has departed the United States for India.

Boeing will deliver five more C-17s to India in 2014 to complete the ten aircraft contract.

Most recently, the IAF used its C-17s to support Cyclone Phailin relief efforts.

Boeing will complete production of the C-17 Globemaster III in the fourth quarter of 2015. In addition to the remaining C-17s for India, the company will build 15 more for other customers outside the United States. Boeing will continue after-delivery support of the worldwide C-17 fleet as part of the C-17 Globemaster III Integrated Sustainment Program Performance-Based Logistics agreement.

Boeing has delivered 258 C-17s, including 223 to the U.S. Air Force and a total of 35 to Australia, Canada, India, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the 12-member Strategic Airlift Capability initiative of NATO and Partnership for Peace nations.

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New Boeing 737-800s of SpiceJet and Jet Airways delivered

by Devesh Agarwal

US airplane manufacturer Boeing has delivered to two Indian airlines, SpiceJet and Jet Airways, their newest 737-800NG aircraft.

Last Thursday, VT-SZH of SpiceJet, L/N 4573 C/N 41261 B737-86N departed Boeing Field International airport for India via Gander, Newfoundland, Canada. The aircraft has already landed in New Delhi and completing its customs and aviation paperwork formalities to enter service shortly. This aircraft is leased to SpiceJet by GECAS.

Last Friday VT-JFL of Jet Airways, L/N 4579 C/N 39061 B737-8AL, departed Boeing Field International for India via Toronto, Canada. The aircraft is en-route, currently in Shannon, Ireland. Track the flight here. This aircraft is leased to Jet Airways from Bank of China Aviation (BOC Aviation).

Boeing Customer Codes

A small trivia for your enjoyment.

The full aircraft model shows the original customer as per the records of Boeing. The last two digits are the two digit Boeing customer code and the first four digits are the model and variant.

Hence a Boeing 737-800 will be shown at B737-8xx. A Boeing 737-900ER would be shown as B737-9xxER. This will never change in the history of the aircraft.

6N is customer code for GECAS and AL is for BOC Aviation. SpiceJet's Boeing customer code is GJ and Jet Airway's is 5R. If these aircraft were bought by either airline, irrespective of a subsequent sale and lease-back agreement, the aircraft models would have been B737-8GJ and B737-85R respectively.

Air India's customer code is 37, Air India Express is HG, and the Indian Air Force is HI. Sorry, but the code for the Indian Navy is not known at present. Will try and find out.

Above photos are representative of the aircraft and airline and are copyrighted. They may not be used without permission.

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Photos: Boeing delivers India's third C-17 Globemaster III

by Vinay Bhaskara

Boeing image

The third Boeing C-17 Globemaster III for the Indian Air Force departed on 20th August from Boeing's Long Beach facility, after the first and second C-17s arrived in June and July.

India will take delivery of two more C-17s this year, and five in 2014. The Indian Air Force is the largest operator of the C-17 after the United States.

The C-17 is a large, versatile military transport aircraft able to carry heavy, oversize loads long distances and land on rough and unprepared surfaces. It has been used in humanitarian and military missions around the world and recently surpassed 2.6 million flight hours."

To date, Boeing has delivered 256 C-17s; 222 to the U.S. Air Force, and a total of 34 distributed between Australia,Canada, India, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the United Kingdom (UK), and the Strategic Airlift Capability initiative of NATO.

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High resolution photos: Indian Air Force C-130J Super Hercules lands at Daulat Beg Oldi

by Devesh Agarwal

Yesterday, we wrote about the world record breaking effort of the Indian Air Force landing one of its C-130J Super Hercules strategic air transporters at the world's highest airfield at Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO). Read the story here.

With a hat-tip to Shiv Aroor, we present some high resolution pictures of the 'Herc' at DBO. The aircraft was on the ground for 30 minutes and kept its engines on the entire time it was on the ground.

-- Story continues below the fold --

The C-130J is part of the six aircraft that India ordered from the U.S. Government, and is based at Hindon near the capital New Delhi, with the newly raised 77 Squadron IAF named ‘Veiled Vipers’, and is used by the special forces, including the famous NSG Black Cats.

The squadron's motto “Kill with Stealth”, signifies the all-weather, stealthy 'black-ops' mission capabilities in deploying the special forces to deal with many varieties of threats. India has realised the capabilities of this great aircraft and is ordering another six.

The important of Daulat Beg Oldi Advanced Landing Ground (ALG)

The Aksai Chin region of Ladakh is hotly contested by both India and China. India and China fought a border war in 1962 and in 1993 accepted the Line of Actual Control (LAC) as the de-facto international border.

Daulat Beg Oldi is located just 4.5 kms away from the Karakoram pass and supports Indian troops on the Siachen glacier, which a major thorn in China's strategic interests in the region. This map shows a clearer picture.

Western borders of India and China with Aksai Chin region. Image courtesy Wikipedia

While the Chinese side of Aksai Chin is easily approachable from the east, for India, it is extremely difficult, and involves traversing the highest motor-able road in the world, the Khardung La pass.

This paper in PDF format from the Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis gives significant insight on why this high altitude desert called DBO is so important.



Chinese troops have been repeatedly violating agreements with India, and have crossed the LAC (Line of Actual Control) more than 150 times this year alone.

On April 15th, Chinese troops blatantly crossed the border near DBO and pitched tents right in the face of the Indian army. This infographic shows what happened.

Instead of fighting back the aggression, the UPA2 government took no action, and even sent its foreign minister Salman Khurshid to Beijing, pretending nothing had happened. At that time, Parliament had to be adjourned when the government was cornered by the opposition for its spineless tactics.

The landing of the Hercules today with its ability to carry in 20 tons, is a definite signal to the Chinese of the unmuzzling of the Indian armed forces and their ability to respond.

In the longer term, expect India to upgrade the landing strip to accommodate the big daddy, the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III heavy airlifter.

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IAF achieves landing of C-130J Hercules at world's highest airstrip Daulat Beg Oldie

by Devesh Agarwal

DBO near the top of the map. Image: Wikipedia

In a significant capability demonstration move by the Indian Air Force (IAF) achieved a world record when it landed a C-130J-30 Super Hercules aircraft landed at Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) Advanced Landing Ground (ALG), the highest airstrip in the world at 06:54 hrs today.

The Commanding Officer Group Captain Tejbir Singh and the crew of the “Veiled Vipers” along with senior officer of Air Headquarters touched down on the DBO airstrip located at 16,614 feet (5,065 meters) in the Aksai Chin area after taking off from their home base at Hindon, near the capital New Delhi.

DBO is a very important and highly strategic post for India. DBO is located a stone's throw from the Karakoram Pass which links China with Pakistan.

The base was built during the Indo-China conflict in 1962. The IAF operated a Packet aircraft between 1962 and 1965. In recent years, China has become increasingly belligerent in the Aksai Chin area, with repeated violations of the border.  The IAF along with the Indian Army re-operationalised the DBO ALG and landed a twin engine AN 32 aircraft from Chandigarh in 2008 after a gap of 43 years.


However, the AN-32 has a limited payload at these extreme altitudes, and India does not have road connectivity in to this area. This limits the ability of the Indian armed forces to react to repeated Chinese provocations.

The IAF decided to land the C-130J-30 Super Hercules which is capable of lifting up to 20 tonnes of load, to improve supply lines. With this enhanced airlift capability the IAF will now be in a better position to meet the requirements of Indian land forces who are heavily dependent on the air bridge for sustenance in these higher and inhospitable areas.

The tactical airlift C-130J-30 Super Hercules of the special operations squadron the “Veiled Vipers” is capable of undertaking quick deployment of forces in all weather conditions, including air-drops and landings on unprepared or semi prepared surfaces created history today by landing at this altitude and hostile terrain conditions.

This achievement qualifies for the world record for the highest landing by an aircraft of this class. The Super Hercules was the same aircraft and crew that operated at Dharasu during “Op Rahat” for the Uttarakhand flood relief.

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Indian Air Force's first C-17 en-route to India

by Devesh Agarwal

India's first Boeing C-17 Globemaster III transport airlift aircraft, CB-8001, is en-route to India after completing its almost six month long flight test program at Edwards Air Force Base in Palmdale, California, USA, which began following the aircraft's delivery to the Indian Air Force (IAF) on January 22. Boeing is expected to deliver four more C-17s to the IAF this year and the balance five in 2014.

Curiously, while the C-17 a global distance airlifter, the delivery flight which took off Tuesday night India time, will stop at many places along the way and arrive at its base, Air Force Station, Hindon, outside the capital New Delhi only on Monday June 17th.

The arrival of the first C-17 is almost two years to the date, after the original $4+ billion procurement deal for 10 aircraft was signed in June 2011. With the 10 aircraft, the Indian Air Force will be the largest operator in the world after the US Air Force. Boeing has delivered 254 C-17s, including 222 to the U.S. Air Force and a total of 32 C-17s to Australia, Canada, India, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the 12-member Strategic Airlift Capability initiative of NATO and Partnership for Peace nations.

India is expected to sign a follow-on order for more C-17's shortly.

Boeing will support the IAF C-17 fleet through the Globemaster III Integrated Sustainment Program (GISP) Performance-Based Logistics contract. The GISP "virtual fleet" arrangement ensures mission readiness by providing C-17 customers access to an extensive support network for worldwide parts availability and economies of scale.

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PHOTO & VIDEO: Malaysia Airlines A380 with Royal Malaysian Air Force Su-30MKM fly past at Langkawi show

At the start of the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (LIMA) Exhibition, a Malaysia Airlines Airbus A380 9M-MNE flanked by four Royal Malaysian Air Force Su-30MKM performed a fly past. A fifth Su-30MKM acted as spotter and coordinator.

A video of the fly past is embedded below.



Langkawi is a popular island getaway in the Andaman sea off the North-West coast of Malaysia. The Su-30MKM (Modernizirovannyi Kommercheskiy Malaysia or Modernized Export Malaysia) is very similar to the Su-30MKI of the Indian Air Force.

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Complete and unedited video of Indian Air Force chief NAK Browne's press interaction at Aero India 2013

The interaction with the Chief of Staff of the Indian Air Force, Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne, at the biennial Aero India 2013 air show, is always attended in force by members of the Indian and foreign media.

During his hour long interaction the chief addressed a wide variety of issues on various programmes, budgets, strategies, needs, achievements, including operations in the Naxal affected areas. We bring you the entire one hour interaction, unedited, for your listening pleasure. The lighting in the hall was very low and hence the flicker on the video. Our apologies for the poor quality.



A clarification, I was unwell on the day, and could not attend the seminar the chief refers around 8m45s mark in the video. So appreciate the time taken by the chief and his advice to captains of industry.

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IAF Sukhoi Su-30MKI crashes at Pokhran range. Fourth crash of frontline fighter. Crew safe.

IAF Su-30MKI in a flypast at AeroIndia 2011

A Su-30MKI air superiority fighter of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed at Pokharan range, Rajasthan, earlier today around 1920 IST (1350Z). Both the crew ejected safely and there is no damage reported to any civilian property of any casualties on the ground. A spokesperson for the IAF could not divulge details of the fighter, the squadron it belonged to, or details of the crew members.

This is the fourth crash of the front-line air superiority fighter of the IAF. The first crash of a Su-30MKI occurred in 2009, again over the desert of Rajasthan in 2009. Later that year another SU-30MKI crashed, again in Rajasthan. The third crash occurred in 2011 at Pune.

Sources inform Bangalore Aviation, the crash occurred during the full dress rehearsal for Iron Fist, a massive day and night fire power exercise of Indian Air Force at the Pokhran range, to demonstrate its integrated combat capabilities.

Eyewitnesses say the fighter, which was "fairly high, may be around 7,000ft", released flares, a standard procedure during night exercises, followed by the firing of a missile from the aircraft. Soon after the launch, the Su-30MKI caught fire mid-air, and the crew ejected. The aircraft broke in to two major pieces before crashing to the earth in two balls of fire.

Apart from marking the debut of the indigenously developed Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, the 'Iron Fist' exercise will feature over 100 aircraft from across the IAF including the Sukhoi Su-30MKI, Mirage 2000, Jaguar, MiG 27, MiG 21, MiG 29, various helicopters, UAVs, and AWACS and early warning platforms.

The exercise is to be witnessed on February 22, by Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, Defence Minister A.K. Antony, Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal N.A.C. Browne, senior officials from across the government and armed forces, military attaches of various countries and the national media. At this time, it is not known whether the exercise will proceed, but we speculate that it will.

As per Wikipedia the Indian Air Force bases with the Su-30MKI are:

• Bareilly AFS: 15 Wing’s 8 Squadron (Sqn) Eight Pursoots and 24 Hunting Hawks
• Bhatinda AFS: 34 Wing – 17 Sqn. Golden Arrows
• Chabua AFS: 14 Wing – 102 Sqn. Trisonics
• Halwara AFS: 34 Wing – 220 Sqn. Desert Tigers
• Jodhpur AFS: 32 Wing – 31 Sqn. Lions
• Pune (Lohegaon) AFS: 2 Wing – 20 Sqn. Lightning and 30 Sqn. Rhinos
• Tezpur AFS: 11 Wing – 2 Sqn. Winged Arrows

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Photo Essay: Aero India 2013 - Inauguration Day images

The ninth edition of Aero India opened late and missing a few performers, notably the Russian Knights air display team, which have still not reached the show by the end of the second day.

A photo essay on some of the performers on the first day.

A Dassault Rafale B takes off during the inaugural ceremony at Aero India 2013. The Rafale is the fighter that has been selected by the Indian Air-force for its MMRCA requirement.

A United States Air-force Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 50 from the 14th Fighter Squadron based out of Misawa Air Base in Japan.

The venerable de Havilland DH 82 Tiger Moth now fully restored, performs.

The HAL Rudra Mk-IV helicopter which is an armed version of the HAL Dhruv, achieved initial operational clearance on 4th February 2013.

A close up of the Rudra as it comes in to land, the pilot can be seen looking at the runway

The new Indian Air Force Embraer EMB-145 AEWCS fitted with the AESA radar array.

The HAL Light Combat Helicopter.

A USAF C-17 of the the 535th Airlift Squadron which is part of the 15th Wing at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. The wing is of the KC-135 tanker which accompanied the F-16's from Japan.

The new Pilatus PC-7 Mk-2 basic trainer of the Indian Air-force.

The Mil Mi-17B-5 is the latest troop carrier of the Indian Air-force.

The HAL Tejas Mk I Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) program.

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Indian Air Force's first Boeing C-17 Globemaster III enters flight testing

The Indian Air Force's (IAF) first Boeing C-17 Globemaster III airlifter (tail number CB-8001) has been delivered by Boeing, on schedule, for flight testing.

Indian Air Force C-17 Globemaster III. CB-8001

The first of the 10 airlifters ordered, now enters a U.S. Air Force (USAF) flight test program at the famous "The Right Stuff" Edwards Air Force Base in Palmdale, California, USA. This particular aircraft completed the 'major join' of its fuselage about six months ago.

These C-17's were ordered by the Indian government under the US government's Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme. In effect it is the US government that is selling these planes to India, hence Boeing's delivery to the USAF. India's Ministry of Defence signed an agreement with the U.S. government on June 15, 2011, to acquire 10 C-17 airlifters, making India the largest foreign C-17 customer. The governments finalised the Foreign Military Sales contract for the airframe on June 6, 2012.

Air Commodore Sanjay Nimesh, Air Attaché at the Embassy of India said

"The C-17 met the stipulated airlift requirements of the Indian Air Force when it flew field evaluation trials in India during June 2010," "It was exciting to see the C-17 fly again, this time with Indian Air Force markings, as the airlifter completed its first-flight milestone on Jan. 11. We look forward to the day that the first IAF C-17 flies over India."

After completing its flight trials and IAF acceptance trials, the first C-17 will arrive in India in the late summer of this year.

Boeing confirms, it is on track to deliver four more C-17s to the IAF this year and five in 2014. Boeing will support the IAF C-17 fleet through the Globemaster III Integrated Sustainment Program (GISP) Performance-Based Logistics contract.

A Boeing spokesperson confirmed that a USAF C-17 would come for the AeroIndia 2013 show, but not the IAF aircraft.

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Indian Air Force selects Airbus A330 MRTT as in-flight refuelling tanker

by Devesh Agarwal

Airbus Military has confirmed that it has been selected by the Government of India as the preferred bidder to supply its A330 MRTT Multi Role Tanker Transport to the Indian Air Force (IAF).

The decision follows a lengthy and thorough selection process including the completion of extensive flight demonstrations in India by the A330 MRTT during which the aircraft refuelled multiple types of IAF fighters and operated from the high-altitude IAF base at Leh.

Detailed negotiations will now begin which it is expected will lead to the award of a final production contract for an envisaged six aircraft in 2013.

The A330 MRTT is derived from the highly successful Airbus A330-200 commercial jetliner. It has a basic fuel capacity of 111 tonnes or 245,000 lb. The tanker is available with both the Boom refuelling system and/or under-wing hose and drogue pods.

The A330 MRTT can also be used as a pure transport aircraft able to carry 300 troops, or a payload of up to 45 tonnes. It can also easily be converted to accommodate up to 130 stretchers for Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC). It is unlikely the Indian Air Force will use the A330 MRTT in these roles as it already has an order with Boeing for ten of its C-17 GlobeMaster III strategic transport aircraft, which are in production right now.

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Indian Air Force's first Boeing C-17 Globemaster III completes "major join"

The first of ten Boeing C-17 Globemaster III heavy lift transporters, ordered by the Indian Air Force (IAF), came together at the airframer's Long Beach, California facility on July 31.

An IAF officer drives rivets in to the C-17 fuselage

Indian embassy officials, senior Indian Air Force officers and local elected officials including Rep. Dana Rohrabacher drove ceremonial rivets into the aircraft as they celebrated the "major join" ceremony, where sections of the fuselage are joined and the aircraft first starts looking like one.

India will be the largest C-17 operators outside the United States. These aircraft are being procured under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route of the US government. The contract worth US$ 4 billion, was signed last June. The first aircraft is expected to be delivered to the IAF in May or June 2013 and the tenth before the end of 2014. A special squadron is being created, based at Hindon Air Force Station just outside Delhi. Pilots and loadmasters from the IAF are already undergoing training in the United States.

At the ceremony Ambassador N. Parthasarathi, Consul General of India, San Francisco said

"The defense relationship between India and the United States is an important dimension of our strategic partnership," "This momentous occasion, where we see India's first C-17 take shape, further strengthens our growing relationship. As India strives to become a global reservoir of highly skilled and technologically sophisticated manpower, we will witness an escalating technology transfer, collaborative joint research and development, and co-production of defense items between our two countries."

The Indian Air Force is contemplating an addition six to ten C-17's and will be facing enormous pressure from US lawmakers who would like to see those additional orders to keep the production facility open, along with its associated employment.

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Dassault Rafale selected in $10.4 billion Indian Air Force MMRCA deal

One of the largest military contracts in the world, the Indian Air Force's competition for 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) appears to have been decided in favour of the French airframer Dassault's Rafale, though there is no official confirmation.

Sources indicate the Rafale has been selected over the Eurofighter Typhoon from European competitor EADS for a contract estimated at around $10.4 billion (Rs. 51,000 Cr.), which has been keenly fought over for the better part of this century. Last year saw the exit of four other competitors the Lockheed Martin F-16IN SuperViper, the Boeing F/A-18E/F SuperHornet, the Saab JAS 39 Gripen, and the MiG 35.

The Government will hold further negotiations on price with Dassault over the next two weeks and the contract is expected to be signed in the next fiscal year which commences on April 1.

As per terms of the tender Dassault is to supply 18 of the 126 ordered aircraft, within 36 months, from its facilities with the remaining aircraft being produced under license at Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL), in Bangalore.

This order will be a huge boost for both Dassault as well as President Sarkozy. Till date, the Rafale has been limited to service only at the French Air Force and Navy. Dassault has also won a small contract to sell a few planes to Brazil.

In selecting the Rafale, the sentiments of those "in the know", have been proven true. For the last two years sources have consistently told Bangalore Aviation that other things being equal, the Indian Air Force will go for Dassault, due to their long standing, and more importantly, very positive, relationship.

The Indian Air Force has used both the Ouragan and Mystère jets, and was one of the earliest adopters of the Mirage 2000 (called Vajra meaning Thunderbolt) despite skipping the famous Mirage III fighter.

In July 2011, India signed a contract worth $3 billion (Rs. 15,000 Cr.) to upgrade its fleet of 51 Mirage 2000H's to Mirage 2000-5 standard.

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Photo: Indian Air Force's sixth Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules enroute to India

From the photo site of Lockheed Martin.

Number six of the six C-130J Super Hercules ordered by India, under the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program, departed Marietta, Ga. on December 15, 2011. This aircraft, like its five predecessors, was delivered ahead of schedule and under budget.

A photo of tail number KC-3801. Click on the image for the high resolution view and see the the infra-red pod under the nose of the aircraft.

These C-130J's were ordered post 26/11 and are meant to be used by India's elite special and counter-terrorism forces. Hence the ability to operate in complete darkness.

 
Hat tip to Neelam Mathews for the lead.

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Indian Air Force Sukhoi Su-30MKI frontline fighter aircraft crashes near Pune

IANS is reporting that a Sukhoi Su-30MKI the frontline air superiority fighter of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed near Pune around 13:15 local (07:45Z) today. Both the pilots bailed out to safety, an officer said.

The fighter belongs to a squadron of the Su-30MKI which is based at the Lohegaon Air Force Base to protect amongst others, the economic capital of India, Mumbai. The part of the base also serves as the civil airport serving the city of Pune.

Base commander, Air Commodore V. R. Chaudhry told reporters

‘Today at around 1.15 p.m. a Sukhoi fighter jet, which took off from the Lohegaon Air Force Base for a sortie, presumably developed a technical snag and crashed,’

‘Two officers – Wing Commander Suhail, who was the pilot and Flight Lieutenant Nautiyal, who was the weapons system operator – ejected out of the aircraft after manoeuvring it over barren land,’

‘While the preliminary circumstantial reason could be a technical snag, we are investigating the matter. Both the officers were highly competent. They showed great presence of mind and courage by steering the aircraft towards a safe location and thus avoiding any civilian damage,’

Both the officers have been taken to the Command Hospital in Pune.

The aircraft crashed at Wade-Bholai village, 20 kms from here. The search for the aircraft’s black box is on.

This is the third crash of a Sukhoi Su-30 since its induction in 1997.

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Photos: Indian Navy's first Boeing P-8I maritime aircraft completes first flight

The first of the Indian Navy's eight P-8i long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft, ordered on manufacturer Boeing back in January 2009, completed its first flight earlier this morning.


IN320 took off from Renton Field at 12:02 PDT (00:32 IST) earlier today and landed 2 hours and 31 minutes later at Boeing Field in Seattle.

During the flight, Boeing test pilots performed airborne systems checks including engine accelerations and decelerations and autopilot flight modes, and took the P-8I to a maximum altitude of 41,000 feet prior to landing. In the coming weeks Boeing will begin mission systems installation and checkout work on the aircraft at a company facility near Boeing Field.


The P-8i is the Indian Navy variant of the U.S. Navy's potent P-8A Poseidon, a long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft based on the Boeing Next-Generation 737 commercial airplane. Boeing is expected to commence delivery of the P-8i to the Indian Navy in 2013. The original contract for eight aircraft includes an option for four more aircraft.

In addition to the P-8i order, Boeing has an order from the Indian Air Force for the C-17 Globemaster III for its strategic and tactical airlift needs and is in negotiation with the Indian Defence Ministry for its AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopter.

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High price threatens to derail the Indian Air Force Boeing C-17 Globemaster III deal

The acquisition of ten Boeing C-17 Globemaster III strategic heavy lift transporters by the Indian Air Force, which was one the cornerstone deals during the recent visit of US President Barack Obama to India, has hit a price hurdle.

The Indian Express newspaper is reporting that the Indian Air Force had estimated the 10 aircraft deal to be around $3 billion based on the $300 million Australia is paying for each C-17 they are purchasing. Now the deal is pegged at $4.1 million by the White House, and at a whopping $5.8 billion in the official notification made last month to the US Congress.

Apparently the Indian Air Force has been taken aback at this high cost, and with various scams and revelations repeatedly tainting the ManMohan Singh administration, and with upcoming elections in key states, the Indian government is on a defensive wicket.

The Indian Express reports the Indian Ministry of Defence has written to Washington to disclose the comparative prices at which the aircraft has been sold to other nations.

This must surely be unwelcome news for Boeing which has seen the contract to its final stages, having completed commercial negotiations with the India Government.

Read the related Indian Express articles.

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Friday Video: The MiG-29 - the second line air superiority fighter of the Indian Air Force

While many are familiar with the front line air superiority fighter of the Indian Air Force (IAF) the Sukhoi Su-30MKI, the MiG-29 Baaz (meaning Hawk) has remained in relative obscurity with the public. A further development of the MiG-29 is the MiG-35 which was a contender for the 126 MMRCA tender of the IAF.

India was the first international customer of the MiG-29. The IAF placed an order for more than 50 MiG-29s in 1980 while the aircraft was still in its initial development phase.

Indian MiG-29s were used extensively during the 1999 Kargil War to provide fighter escort for Mirage 2000s which were used for ground attack. It is rumoured that two MiG-29s from the No. 47 squadron the Black Archers gained beyond visual range (BVR) missile lock on two F-16s Falcons of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) which were patrolling close to the border, but did not engage because of a lack of an official war declaration.

Impressed by the performance of MiG-29 the IAF has decided to upgrade all 69 aircraft in its fleet to the MiG-29SMT variant. The upgrade program will fit the MiGs with a phased array radar (PESA), will include latest avionics, Zhuk-ME Radar, engine, weapon control systems etc., and in-flight re-fuelling capability, enhancing the multi-role capabilities of the aircraft.

In January 2010, India and Russia signed a US$1.2 billion deal under which the Indian Navy would acquire 29 additional MiG-29Ks, bringing the total number of MiG-29Ks on order to 45. The MiG-29K entered service with the Indian Navy on 19 February 2010.







Happy weekend everybody.

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More images from Aero India - Grippen, Sarang, Sitara, Super Hornet, Rafale,

Still have about 6,000 photos to sort through. In the mean time, some more opening day photos from Vedant, a Bangalore Aviation photographer. See more of his pictures here. Click on the images for a larger view.

The Saab Gripper shows off its moves.
The Indian Air Force helicopter demonstration team Sarang performs the dangerous 4 aircraft cross. The sweep diameter of the props makes this dangerous.
The Intermediate Jet Trainer prototype Sitara.
The U.S. Navy Boeing F/A-18F (F=Fighter A=Attack)
The French Air Force (Armee De L'Air) Dassault Rafale. Watch the birdie.

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