Indian Air Force: News & Discussions (26 Viewers)

[Spitfire IX]

No amount of LCA will make up for the lack of engine.
They are having hard time procuring engine from murica for what like 16 jets a year. Imagine how much delay we would get for double that number.
The Scientist at DRDO must be given whatever they are demanding for R&D. It's a time consuming process and earlier we start the better it is. 3 billion as quoted by Folks from HAL.

Gormint should not be penny pinching at this moment.

How about investing in the basic equipment needed to develop and test engines and fighter aircraft? Other countries have.

 

[redpanda]

Airbus Eurodrone has a flight ceiling of 40000 ft and and endurance of 40 hours

India joins €7.1 bn Eurodrone as observer. Here’s what 4-nation programme is all about

Becoming a full-time Eurodrone observer will require India to bear costs for technical expertise. This partnership is expected to enhance defence cooperation with Europe.

theprint.in

Tbh we are only in it get inspiration for technology . Because there is no guarantee that it would be affordable purchase for us.

 

[FalconSlayers]

Maybe DcPP partners. I don't think these guys can develop their own drone anytime soon except Solar, Raphe and HAL. Adani will just push Israeli maal. Hopefully Solar has something good.

Though from a practical perspective locally made Israeli maal is still better than nothing.

Then why not buy 87 Predators? They're being locally assembled here anyways. It's not the airframe but the sensor packages they offer that makes it special, apart from being optionally armed with democratic hellfire missiles and JDAMs.

 

[redpanda]

Then why not buy 87 Predators? They're being locally assembled here anyways. It's not the airframe but the sensor packages they offer that makes it special, apart from being optionally armed with democratic hellfire missiles and JDAMs.

Will be more expensive We are already paying 4 billion $ irrc correctly for 30 Predators. That's roughly 35-37k crores. 87 would cost ~ 1 lakh crores.

 

[FalconSlayers]

Will be more expensive

Would be worth it. Especially since IAF alone was drooling over importing 100 Avenger drones in the past, the deal which never went through as USAF itself didn't find it useful enough over vanilla Reapers.

It's expensive due to it's sensor package, unlike other MALE drones with limited ISR capabilities beyond EO payload.

Navy alone should consider buying more of them.

Endurance and flight altitude is airframe and engine dependent.
That's the problem tapas had.

Read again. And anyway MQ-9 have both altitude and endurance enough to easily qualify.

 

[randombully]

It's not the airframe

Endurance and flight altitude is airframe and engine dependent.
That's the problem tapas had.

 

[shade2]

Tbh we are only in it get inspiration for technology . Because there is no guarantee that it would be affordable purchase for us.

Then why not buy 87 Predators? They're being locally assembled here anyways. It's not the airframe but the sensor packages they offer that makes it special, apart from being optionally armed with democratic hellfire missiles and JDAMs.

To appease Euros and get something for us, they could have ordered some 50-70 A400Ms + 6-9 A330 MRTTs and get us an Airbus FAL and local assembly and some parts manufacture for A400M.

But even in appeasement they have to choose the chindiest and dumbest way.

 

[redpanda]

Would be worth it. Especially since IAF alone was drooling over importing 100 Avenger drones in the past, the deal which never went through as USAF itself didn't find it useful enough over vanilla Reapers.

It's expensive due to it's sensor package, unlike other MALE drones with limited ISR capabilities beyond EO payload.

Navy alone should consider buying more of them.

Govt don't wanna commit ~ 1 lakh crores for drones at once. Hard to justify it. It will be too much of a controversial deal. The opposition will call it a scam.

Raul Vinci will say "Predator scam, 1 lakh crore ka scam, nahi sahega hindustan"

Predators even if they want 100+, it will come in batches. 30, 40, 50, etc.

 

[jaijaganath]

India to fastrack Rs 20,000 crore 87 MALE drone project for defence forces
Read more At:

https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/india-to-fastrack-rs-20000-crore-87-male-drone-project-for-defence-forces20250709193219/

View attachment 42777

Ayega hermes hi
No one can beat the influence of Adani out here
Tapas toh woh log marjayenge nahi lenge

 

[randombully]

India to fastrack Rs 20,000 crore 87 MALE drone project for defence forces
Read more At:

https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/india-to-fastrack-rs-20000-crore-87-male-drone-project-for-defence-forces20250709193219/

View attachment 42777

Hopefully

 

[FalconSlayers]

Govt don't wanna commit ~ 1 lakh crores for drones at once. Hard to justify it. It will be too much of a controversial deal. The opposition will call it a scam.

Raul Vinci will say "Predator scam, 1 lakh crore ka scam, nahi sahega hindustan"

Predators even if they want 100+, it will come in batches. 30, 40, 50, etc.

LoL they have no other option either, without a gas turbine propelling the drone it won't be cruising for 30 hours above 35000 feet. This requirement has been tailor made for buying MQ-9s.

This spec is between MALE and HALE, do tell me which Indian company can offer an indigenous or license made UAV that can mach these specs? None, other than the Reaper.

Ayega hermes hi
No one can beat the influence of Adani out here
Tapas toh woh log marjayenge nahi lenge

View attachment 42778View attachment 42779
Hopefully

Neither Archer-NG nor Hermes. One is yet to complete testing, other is not reliable, and both don't qualify the requirements set.

 

[shade2]

Ayega hermes hi
No one can beat the influence of Adani out here
Tapas toh woh log marjayenge nahi lenge

Not Adani
But the Merchant of Hermes



They are the ones with unbeatable ((( influence ))), only competitor to Eurogoys
Tapas is not in the picture

 

[705-Lira]

Ayega hermes hi
No one can beat the influence of Adani out here
Tapas toh woh log marjayenge nahi lenge

Hermes-900 can't fly for 30 hours nor can it fly over 30,000ft.

 

[redpanda]

LoL they have no other option either, without a gas turbine propelling the drone it won't be cruising for 30 hours above 35000 feet. This requirement has been tailor made for buying MQ-9s.

This spec is between MALE and HALE, do tell me which Indian company can offer an indigenous or license made UAV that can mach these specs? None, other than the Reaper.
View attachment 42780


Neither Archer-NG nor Hermes. One is yet to complete testing, other is not reliable, and both don't qualify the requirements set.

That is true. But who will offer local production for it?

 

[FalconSlayers]

That is true. But who will offer local production for it?

The one that is offering right now.

India To Assemble 21 MQ-9B Predator Drones: ViveK Lall

In a major disclosure, Vivek Lall, Chief Executive of American Defence Company General Atomics, disclosed for the first time in an interview with BharatShakti Editor-in-Chief Nitin A. Gokhale that 21

bharatshakti.in

 

[Ultraman]

Not Adani
But the Merchant of Hermes

View attachment 42781

They are the ones with unbeatable ((( influence ))), only competitor to Eurogoys
Tapas is not in the picture

lol , thought i seen all them

 

[redpanda]

The one that is offering right now.

India To Assemble 21 MQ-9B Predator Drones: ViveK Lall

In a major disclosure, Vivek Lall, Chief Executive of American Defence Company General Atomics, disclosed for the first time in an interview with BharatShakti Editor-in-Chief Nitin A. Gokhale that 21

bharatshakti.in

So HAL?

 

[Suryavanshi]

How about investing in the basic equipment needed to develop and test engines and fighter aircraft? Other countries have.

That's what the 3 billion is about

 

[ArjunMK1A]

That is already happening

GE will have India-specific "supply chain issues" till the end of time.

The problem about the su57 is you cannot be sure the Russians will be able to deliver it on time.

If they want 4.5gen planes to pad the numbers just buy Rafale.
Baguettes have the supply chain in-house and are ramping up production.

GE was asked to restart an Engine production which went offline for 5 years till we given the 2021 Tejas order. So obviously, you will see the supply side issue since the sub vendors were moved on to other projects and skilled people may be moved/left the organisation. They are going to give that 1 engine this month and 2 per month moving forward.

Just wait for the possible C-17 production restart, you will hear about even large delays. Production closed by an decade. Think about Boeing, much of the workforce may moved to other project, vendors may completely junked the production line. This is an industry level scenarios.

People just venting out that HAL should buy engine before itself/after itself. The deal signed in 2021 and GE only deliver products once they got payment. It is natural course of action.


If you really want to see where we are cockblocked. It is on Semiconductor. India is practically banned to access nodes like 14nm and below. The equipments required is blocked at various levels.

It already is, deliveries are in "Mere Karan-Arjun aayenge" phase

Tee oh Tee deal for GE F414 is predictably stuck.

Import Marshalls as it is don't want Tejas.

As i've said, There is a big chance Ruskal will eat our money and burp on our faces without any Su57 being delivered just like S400 regiments being delayed.

Atleast with French the delivery is guaranteed.

Su57 is not a 5th gen aircraft anyway, it's 4.5gen plane.

TOT for 414 includes lot of manufacturing practices and machines. This may involve few things like EBPVD, CMC, PMC casting etc. It is workshare and manufacturing %. HAL is confident they are closing this deal by this FY.

Next will be random GTRE scientist entering the plant taking some necessary learning for Next Gen Gas turbine.

I see BrahMos as a supersonic drone, capable of independently tracking and engaging targets much like a fighter jet. Unlike traditional missiles that follow a fixed trajectory, cruise missiles like BrahMos can maneuver like a fighter jet to reach their target. And what engine is being used in CATS Warrior? I think it uses the engine of Nirbhay missile, which is also a cruise missile like BrahMos but operates at subsonic speeds.

can do S-manoeuvre before striking the target. Otherwise, it is extremely an fast missile difficult for an AD crew to intercept due to extremely low reaction time. It primary advantage is speed, it hovers it will shot down. It do not do excessive maoeuvre to waste its fuel.

CATS use PTAE-7 Turbojet. Nirbhay uses STFE Manik Engine which is an Turbofan. Different engines.

Something is pathetically wrong with IAFs equipment and maintenance unless they are over stressing the airframes due to lack of enough aircrafts to distribute the sorties.

View: https://x.com/WIONews/status/1942859996703908185?t=dgEBvx_gKDrzS2seexVNbQ&s=19

SEPECAT Jaguar entered service in 1981 (44 years old). Fighters were never supposed to fly for even 30 years. We are flying 40-60 years old planes. Also Jaguar Adour is cooked, credit for HAL, GTRE, Midhani for giving some life. But it is an museum piece.

Thank god, it's a Jaguar. Six Tejas MK1A are ready to be delivered to IAF. So no worries this aircraft will be replaced soon. Both Jags and MiGs needs to be replaced ASAP. If GE is able to deliver only 24 Engines per year then that will be our production rate. In the mean time, HAL has promised to sign the deal for F414 Engines which will be fitted on MK2 by March 2026. I hope they don't fuck this up. Our production line should never be ideal for the next 15 years. They need to be churning out fighter jets every month.

If HAL keeps it's word next year 24 Tejas MK1A jets will be delivered. It is very disappointing with respect to the timelines for upgrading SU-30MKI. The upgrades will run into 2030s. PMO should immediately call stakeholders for a emergency meeting and come up with solution to feel the gaps in IAF inventory. Promise them businees for the next 20 years. In the mean time, we need 54 Rafales has a backup. Better spend the money on Rafales than Javalines.

Tejas MK1A was an replacement for MIG 21. Tejas was always an MIG 21 replacement when it was conceived. With iconic scope creep we got an plane which is in size of Mig 21 but needs to do the role of Mirage 2000. Primary reason why IAF shocked when they found out they cannot do all jacks in such small air frame. Then boom, Tejas MK2 which now becomes MWF, which is officially destined to replace Jaguar, Mirage 2000 and Mig 29.

Now order size of MWF is highly confusing. Some of them ball parking to 200 (10 Squadrons). Some of them want them in large numbers like how China man using J10 (around 500). I am ok with 300-400 with few of them were EW variants.

As for as gap is concerned. For the last 25 years starting from 2000 to 2025.

We inducted 272 SU 30 MKI, 36 Rafales and 40 Tejas MK1. A total of 348 planes. PLAAF on the other hand inducted around 1000 planes during this time period. Since low induction is basically dragged the older planes to deathbed, we are seeing a massive gap since the retirement of jets will be in Hundreds but induction is in single digit so far.

Lot of reasons for this situation.

On the pak forum they don't want to understand I'm french.

They speak of me as a "Rakesh". What doest it means? They don't want to explain (as an indian....)

Most probably they thought you are Indian.

Airbus Eurodrone has a flight ceiling of 40000 ft and and endurance of 40 hours

India joins €7.1 bn Eurodrone as observer. Here’s what 4-nation programme is all about

Becoming a full-time Eurodrone observer will require India to bear costs for technical expertise. This partnership is expected to enhance defence cooperation with Europe.

theprint.in

Will not take any brochure specs from Euros, Israelis. Hermes was supposed to do 30 hrs endurance. Ends up doing just 10 hours. Meanwhile poorly developed tapas shows more endurance than that.

Only American toys with respect to drones have good endurance. Others were too much hype little substance.

 

[Aditya 98]

GE was asked to restart an Engine production which went offline for 5 years till we given the 2021 Tejas order. So obviously, you will see the supply side issue since the sub vendors were moved on to other projects and skilled people may be moved/left the organisation. They are going to give that 1 engine this month and 2 per month moving forward.

Just wait for the possible C-17 production restart, you will hear about even large delays. Production closed by an decade. Think about Boeing, much of the workforce may moved to other project, vendors may completely junked the production line. This is an industry level scenarios.

People just venting out that HAL should buy engine before itself/after itself. The deal signed in 2021 and GE only deliver products once they got payment. It is natural course of action.


If you really want to see where we are cockblocked. It is on Semiconductor. India is practically banned to access nodes like 14nm and below. The equipments required is blocked at various levels.



TOT for 414 includes lot of manufacturing practices and machines. This may involve few things like EBPVD, CMC, PMC casting etc. It is workshare and manufacturing %. HAL is confident they are closing this deal by this FY.

Next will be random GTRE scientist entering the plant taking some necessary learning for Next Gen Gas turbine.



can do S-manoeuvre before striking the target. Otherwise, it is extremely an fast missile difficult for an AD crew to intercept due to extremely low reaction time. It primary advantage is speed, it hovers it will shot down. It do not do excessive maoeuvre to waste its fuel.

CATS use PTAE-7 Turbojet. Nirbhay uses STFE Manik Engine which is an Turbofan. Different engines.



SEPECAT Jaguar entered service in 1981 (44 years old). Fighters were never supposed to fly for even 30 years. We are flying 40-60 years old planes. Also Jaguar Adour is cooked, credit for HAL, GTRE, Midhani for giving some life. But it is an museum piece.




Tejas MK1A was an replacement for MIG 21. Tejas was always an MIG 21 replacement when it was conceived. With iconic scope creep we got an plane which is in size of Mig 21 but needs to do the role of Mirage 2000. Primary reason why IAF shocked when they found out they cannot do all jacks in such small air frame. Then boom, Tejas MK2 which now becomes MWF, which is officially destined to replace Jaguar, Mirage 2000 and Mig 29.

Now order size of MWF is highly confusing. Some of them ball parking to 200 (10 Squadrons). Some of them want them in large numbers like how China man using J10 (around 500). I am ok with 300-400 with few of them were EW variants.

As for as gap is concerned. For the last 25 years starting from 2000 to 2025.

We inducted 272 SU 30 MKI, 36 Rafales and 40 Tejas MK1. A total of 348 planes. PLAAF on the other hand inducted around 1000 planes during this time period. Since low induction is basically dragged the older planes to deathbed, we are seeing a massive gap since the retirement of jets will be in Hundreds but induction is in single digit so far.

Lot of reasons for this situation.



Most probably they thought you are Indian.





Will not take any brochure specs from Euros, Israelis. Hermes was supposed to do 30 hrs endurance. Ends up doing just 10 hours. Meanwhile poorly developed tapas shows more endurance than that.

Only American toys with respect to drones have good endurance. Others were too much hype little substance.

Which aircrafts in the fleet apart from the jag and mig 21 were finished ages ago and need to be finally put out their misery.