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Visit cfmaeroengines.com www.baesystems.com EX4128 India Ad_Hawk.indd 1 27/09/2012 12:28 VAYU_Engine_280x215.indd 1 12/09/2012 12:52 V/2012 V/2012 Aerospace &Defence Review ‘Ongoing strategic Face of the Future New Generation LIFT 34 56 Angad Singh analyses status of 82 Vayu’s UK editor Richard transformation’ the Indo-Russian joint venture In this exclusive interview with Gardner looks at the increasingly in developing the PAK FA / Vayu on eve of the IAF’s 80th tough air battle being fought in FGFA, with information on the Anniversary, Air Chief Marshal the world’s defence market for The IAF at 80 aircraft’s design, flight testing, advanced and lead-in fighter Ongoing Strategic Transformation NAK Browne, CAS gives readers Face of the Future armament, radar and engines. trainers. Leading the pack “The Right Stuff” an assessment of the progress Riveting the Relationship The tactical and strategic impact remains the BAE Systems Hawk The IAF at 100 : a wish list made in transformation of India’s of the FGFA will dramatically air arm towards becoming a high but several other entrants are alter the balance of power in the Sukhoi T-50 formates with MiG-29M2 over Zhukovsky tech and well trained force. The potential players. region. Plus a special graphic on during the Russian Air Force’s 100th Anniversary LTIPP 2012-27 is commented the ‘growth’ of the IAF from 1st celebrations (photo by Vladimir Karnozov). upon as are the people-centric to 5th gen fighters. ‘Squall’ at 100 Feet reforms and welfare processes. 93 The well known NDTV presenter Vishnu Som, who is EDITORIAL PANEL also a great aviation enthusiast MANAGING EDITOR and has flown and reported Vikramjit Singh Chopra on some of the world’s latest fighters, flew the Dassault Rafale EDITORIAL ADVISOR during a recent visit to Istres in France. His sortie on the Rafale Admiral Arun Prakash The IAF at 100 : a wish list was “a dream come true”. 61 What will the IAF look like EDITORIAL PANEL in October 2032 ? In his Pushpindar Singh The Role of Technology inimitable style, Ravi Rikhye 97 Riveting the Relationship Air Marshal Brijesh Jayal 38 Air Marshal M Matheswaran, projects the trends in terms of Vayu was invited to Long Beach in California to visit the facility where Air Cdre. Jasjit Singh Deputy Chief of Integrated number of aircraft, satellites, Defence Staff (PP & FD) at the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III Lt. Gen. Kamal Davar ABM defences, UCAVs, PGMs, headquarters IDS writes on supporting special mission heavy airlifter is manufactured Gp Capt JC Malik such a role in crafting a National aircraft but also the intangibles, and to witness the ‘major join’ Dr SR Valluri Aerospace Strategy. He articulates particularly the need for efficient ceremony which signaled final assembly of the IAF’s first C-17 Cdr M Nirmal on the fact that major powers ‘management’, which is the (‘India I’). The editor also recalls Monica Arora of the 21st Century will have name of the winning game. to evolve into becoming air and his flight in the very first C-17 to Angad Singh space powers. visit India in mid-1995. Richard Gardner (UK) Reuben Johnson (USA) 130 Looking Back - Into the Simon Watson (UK) Future Bertrand de Boisset (France) Air Chief Marshal OP Mehra, Dr Nick Evesenkin (Russia) who was CAS during 1973-75, Tamir Eshel (Israel) ‘The Right Stuff’ recollects some vital aspects of 73 Air Commodore Jasjit Singh, DG his years as Air Chief. In fact, he ADVERTISING & MARKETING MANAGER CAPS focuses on flying training in was present on the occasion in the IAF, with some introspection New Delhi when Vayu Aerospace Husnal Kaur on several high level Committees Review (then Vayuyan) was formally BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER which looked at this imperative released by Defence Minister requirement in the past decades. Swaran Singh in November 1974. Premjit Singh Shortage of the right training Also, excerpts of ACM Mehra’s aircraft types and infrastructure interview in that very first Issue. has impacted on the Service 47 Continuing Transformation and emphasised is the need for Also : of the IAF far greater attention on flying The Russian Air Force turns ‘100’, The IAF is in the midst of major training in the future. New Vistas in Indo-Russian Published by: equipment renewal which Cooperation, Man’s Curiosity THE SOCIETY FOR AEROSPACE STUDIES process involves the induction on Mars, Archival material on with several new advanced ‘Formation of the IAF’, ‘The D-43, Sujan Singh Park, weapon and combat support Inheritance’ (1947), Air Marshal New Delhi 110 003 India systems which will transform the Bharat Kumar’s ‘Against the Tel: +91 11 24617234 Service over the next decade. An Hordes’ (1962), ‘Longewala 1971’, Fax: +91 11 24628615 article by Vivek Kapur, presently ‘First of the Many’ (MiG-21F), e-mail: [email protected] with the IDSA. ‘Requiem for the HPT-32’, ‘Rolls e-mail: [email protected] Royce Relationships’, ‘The Future 77 YAK− Attack by Airbus’, ‘Birds in Paradise’. Printed at Aegean Offset Printers Test Pilot Peter Collins flew the The opinions expressed in the articles Yak-130 during his visit to Irkutsk Regular features : published in the Vayu Aerospace and in eastern Siberia to test-fly and Commentary, Outlook, Professional Defence Review do not necessarily reflect evaluate this new combat air View, Aviation & Defence in India, the views or policies of The Society for trainer. His first hand report. World Aviation & Defence News, Aerospace Studies. Vayu 25 years back, Tale Spin. Visit us at: www.vayuaerospace.in lovea380.com Operators love the aircraft that passengers love to fl y. Airbus, its logo and the product names are registered trademarks. A 380 Higher load factors. Lower costs. When will your revenues profi t from the A380? Airbus . Love at fi rst fl ight. 56122_038AIRBUS_Vayu_Oct.indd 1 __TFG Prepress__ 19/09/2012 16:18 lovea380.com Operators love the aircraft that passengers love to fl y. Airbus, its logo and the product names are registered trademarks. A 380 Higher load factors. Lower costs. When will your revenues profi t from the A380? Airbus . Love at fi rst fl ight. 56122_038AIRBUS_Vayu_Oct.indd 1 __TFG Prepress__ 19/09/2012 16:18 C O M M E N T A R Y design processes of the PAK-FA. Since India took years to decide The Indo-Russian fighter to join the FGFA project, HAL missed out the design phase he FGFA is the flagship of the Indo-Russian partnership. entirely. The 18-month PDP, which terminates this year, will be TBoth countries say it would be the world’s most advanced followed by the ‘R&D phase’, which could take another seven fighter. But interviews with Indian designers who have overseen years, said the HAL chairman. The FGFA would be designed in the project suggest significant disquiet. There is apprehension the both countries. About 100 HAL engineers already operate from a FGFA would significantly exceed its current $6 billion budget, facility in Bangalore. Another contingent would move to Russia because this figure reflects the expenditure on just the basic to work in the Sukhoi design bureau. aircraft. Crucial avionics systems would cost extra. But the most valuable learning, say HAL executives, would On the positive side, Indian designers say the FGFA project take place during the FGFA’s flight-testing. “Unlike the basic would provide invaluable experience in testing and certifying a design phase which we missed out on, we will actually gain heavy fighter aircraft that is bigger and more complex than the experience during flight testing. This phase throws up dozens of Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA), India’s foundational aerospace problems, and we will participate in resolving these, including achievement. The Russian and Indian Air Forces each plan to through design changes,” said Agarwal. build about 250 FGFAs, at an estimated cost of $100 million HAL designers also relish the FGFA’s specific challenges. per fighter. That adds up to $25 billion each, in addition to the For achieving stealth, its missiles, rockets and reconnaissance development cost. payloads are concealed in an internal bay under the wings. Before The FGFA’s precursor has already flown. In January 2010, using these, a door slides open, exposing the weapon for use. Russian company Sukhoi test-flew a prototype called the PAK- The Russians clearly believe HAL possesses useful capabilities, FA, the acronym for Perspektivnyi Aviatsionnyi Kompleks including the ability to design the AESA radar.