Indian Armed Forces

[VAMAN]

The AWACS looks beautiful. Any information about it's operating status? Just curious.

[VAMAN]

Hi-Res

INS RANVIR commences her Replenishment At Sea approach on HMAS SUCCESS during in Passage Exercise enroute to Quingdau, China for participation in the PLA-N 60th Anniversary International Review.
(Date taken: 17 April 2009)

Hi-Res

IN Ships RANVIR (right) and MUMBAI (left) conduct a dry hook up during a Replenishment At Sea with HMAS SUCCESS.
(Date taken: 18 April 2009)

Hi-Res

Commanding Officer HMAS SUCCESS, Commander Simon Brown, keeps a close eye on the lines as HMAS SUCCESS conduct a dry hook up with INS RANVIR D54 on passage to China.
(Date taken: 18 April 2009)

Hi-Res

INS RANVIR D54 approaches for a dry hook up during a Replenishment At Sea with HMAS SUCCESS.
(Date taken: 18 April 2009)

Hi-Res

HMA Ships SUCCESS and PIRIE in company with IN Ships RANVIR and MUMBAI during a Photographic Exercise in the Yellow Sea, China.
(Date taken: 18 April 2009)

Hi-Res

HMAS SUCCESS in company with IN Ships RANVIR and MUMBAI during a Passage Exercise between Manila and Qingdao.
(Date taken: 18 April 2009)

[Kunal Biswas]

The AWACS looks beautiful. Any information about it's operating status? Just curious.

Leading current affairs magazine 'India Today' reported that the Indian Air Force's newest force-multiplier, the first of three 'Phalcon' Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW) aircraft landed quietly in New Delhi on Sunday.

Confirming this, senior IAF officials said that the aircraft was at Delhi's Palam technical area airport on a stopover from Israel. It was inspected by senior air force brass, including Air Chief Marshal Fali Major before heading out to Agra. The aircraft are to be based in Agra and form part of a new AEW squadron.

The induction of the Phalcon comes as a tremendous force multiplier in the present standoff between India and Pakistan. "It can help monitor the military build-up, troop and aircraft movements nearly 200 km inside Pakistan while flying nearly 100 km inside your own

http://www.india-defence.com/reports-4144

[Kunal Biswas]

http://www.spyflight.co.uk/mainstay.htm

[VAMAN]

Thanks Kunal for the update. Here is another news article about AWACS.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/agra-gets-ready-to-receive-iafs-first-eye-in-the-sky/463207/

Agra gets ready to receive IAF’s first eye in the sky

Manu Pubby
Posted: Thursday , May 21, 2009 at 0227 hrs IST

New Delhi:

The first of India’s three Airborne Early Warning and Control Systems (AWACS), a Phalcon Israeli radar system mounted on a Russian IL-76 aircraft, will arrive in Agra this month — reports from Jerusalem suggest possibly this Sunday via Jamnagar— and completely change the way the IAF functions. The other two Phalcons—Phased Array L-Band Conformal Radar— are expected next year.

The Phalcon delivery is being tracked closely by military experts across the world, given the sheer increase in capability it will provide to the Indian armed forces. The “eye in the sky”, which is an airborne radar that can pick up enemy fighters, incoming missiles and even ground troop movements from a distance of over 400 km, will be a crucial force multiplier, one which will also allow the IAF to use lesser number of fighters for a variety of tasks.

Bought in a tri-nation $1.1 billion deal signed in 2004, this will be the first entry of AWACS in the region. While China is perfecting its own version of the system, Pakistan is importing a smaller system from Sweden, delivery of which is not expected before next year.

What makes the AWACS so special is that it enables the air force to monitor enemy movements at ranges of several hundred kilometres and deploy its own assets according to the need of the hour. Such is the capability of the system that India, for example, can now position a Phalcon over Srinagar to pick up objects flying near its consulate in Jalalabad in Afghanistan.

[Panchito12]

pics from jetphotos.net

WOW! Take a look at the size of that aux intake in the port wheel sponson. Probably an a/c unit needed to take care of electronic cooling.

[H2O]

cool pics

[18SASS]

I love the 'can do' attitude of the Indian Armed Forces. My grandfather was born in India to German parents till he was killed fighting the british just before independance. Been reading through some of his diary entries and seems have have nothing but good things to say about the willpower and resolve of the people he helped train to fight. Mentions the phrase "Vande Mataram" quite a bit.

Very happy to where the nation is now.

[dredger14]

I love the 'can do' attitude of the Indian Armed Forces. My grandfather was born in India to German parents till he was killed fighting the british just before independance. Been reading through some of his diary entries and seems have have nothing but good things to say about the willpower and resolve of the people he helped train to fight. Mentions the phrase "Vande Mataram" quite a bit.

Very happy to where the nation is now.

Whose independence would that be?? Indian??

[18SASS]

Whose independence would that be?? Indian??

India yes.

[Jeancarl]

We are proud of you Ladies …..

Nice picture mate

[dredger14]

I love the 'can do' attitude of the Indian Armed Forces. My grandfather was born in India to German parents till he was killed fighting the british just before independance. Been reading through some of his diary entries and seems have have nothing but good things to say about the willpower and resolve of the people he helped train to fight. Mentions the phrase "Vande Mataram" quite a bit.

Very happy to where the nation is now.

Indische Legion???

[VAMAN]

Protest withdrawn, Indian peacekeepers on way to Congo

Manu Pubby
Posted: Friday , May 22, 2009 at 0304 hrs IST

New Delhi:
India has resolved a long standing problem over sending troops for peacekeeping missions to Congo after the country withdrew its protest against the deployment of Indian troops in UN missions.

More than six months after the Congolese government wrote to the UN asking it not to send any new troops from India, the first batch of Indian soldiers are set to leave for the peacekeeping mission on May 27. Sources said the matter was resolved after Congo withdrew its protest and apologised to the Indian government. While India is not yet considering additional deployments, the troops are being sent to replace peacekeepers who have been serving in the country.

Sources said three battalions who are in Congo currently will be replaced by fresh troops. While the first batch is expected to depart by the end of this month, the other two battalions will shortly leave for the country. “The troops need to be replaced as they have already served their mandated term in the country. That is why fresh soldiers were needed and are being sent in,” an official said.

These will be the first troops to go to Congo after reports last year from Kinshasa said that Indian peacekeepers are being rejected due to allegations of ****** abuse. The stand-off had taken a serious turn in March when India cancelled the deployment of over 200 Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel to the country at the last minute. The IAF personnel were supposed to replace troops in Congo, but were pulled back at the last minute after assembling in New Delhi, raising concerns that India may pull out of the Congo mission completely.

SOURCE

[fulcrum_shift]

[mentil]

50 Sqn's first Phalcon arrives in India!

From - LiveFist


IAF Statement: The first of the three Indian Air Force AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) platform arrived in India from Israel today. The giant IL-76 configured in its new avatar was escorted by three Mig-29 and Jaguar aircraft each that took off from an advance fighter airbase of South Western Air Command (SWAC). The fighter formations caught up with the AWACS mid-air and escorted it as it entered the Indian FIR (Flight Information Region), till safe touchdown at the Jamnagar airbase, close to midday, today.



Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, SWAC, Air Marshal KD Singh, Air Defence Commander Air Vice Marshal P Singh and the AOC Jamnagar, Air Commodore C Hari Kumar and air warriors of the airbase welcomed the crew of the AWACS aircraft that included the Commanding Officer of the first AWACS squadron, Group Captain B Saju. Their maiden touchdown on Indian soil also marks the first landing of the AWACS in an IAF airbase.



"It was a great feeling to be escorted by our fighters and it feels really good to be back", said Group Captain B Saju upon arrival. Flown by a full complement of IAF pilots belonging to the newly formed squadron from Ovda International airport, located in southern Israel, the aircraft undertook an eight-and-a-half hour's flight skirting around several countries taking the aerial route over the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea before landing at Jamnagar.



The aircraft is slated to arrive at Palam airport tomorrow where an induction ceremony is scheduled on May 28. The AWACS are slated to operate from the Agra airbase under Central Air Command and frenetic preparations ahead of its first arrival to join the extended fleet of the IL-76 family are complete.