Lockheed Martin has rechristened the F-16V Block 70 as the F-21 multi-role fighter for the second MMCRA procurement. The aircraft which would be produced in India by Lockheed and Tata Advanced Systems would have a number of unique features compared to existing F-16s like, extendable hose-and-drogue refuelling probe, a large display in the cockpit. Dr. Vivek Lall, vice president of …
Read More »
Aero India 2019 opened today at Yelahanka Air Force Station. The show which was inaugurated by the defence minister of India began with a series of flypasts, one of which was a missing man formation to commemorate Wing Commander Sahil Gandhi, the pilot who lost his life in the Surya Kiran crash yesterday. Innugural Flypast The show began with a …
Read More »
Two aircraft of the Indian Air Force aerobatic display team the Surya Kirans have reportedly crashed at the final rehearsal day of Aero India 2019. The pilots have reported having ejected and their condition is unknown at this time. Two suryakiran aircraft have just collided. I see smoke and saw two chutes. No word on anything more at the moment. …
Read More »
As of this writing, there are 15 miners trapped inside an illegal mine in Meghalaya and rescue efforts have not quite seen the push that they require from government and citizens alike. This note is a call to the aviation community to come together and push for the rescue. On January 12th, before the break of dawn, 5 members of …
Read More »
The Indian air force has accepted a 70 year old Dakota DC-3 into their vintage fleet. The aircraft which now bears the tail number VP 905 and called ‘Parashurama’ was gifted to the IAF by member of parliament and industrialist Rajeev Chandrasekhar. The gift deed was signed at a ceremony at New Delhi by Mr Chandrasekhar, his father Air Commodore …
Read More »
The Indian Ministry of Defence has finalized an order with Boeing for 22 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters and 15 CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift helicopters. The order includes production, training and support of both the helicopters. The order which is worth around 2.5 billion US dollars, was cleared by the cabinet committee on security on the 22nd of this month just before …
Read More »
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) government has cleared the lone bid of the Tata-Airbus consortium for the CASA C-295. The aircraft will replace the ageing Avro fleet of the Indian Air Force (IAF). The deal is expected to be worth Rs.11,930 crore (USD 1.87 Billion). The aircraft will be the first to be built …
Read More »
India has finalized a deal for 36 Dassault Rafales during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to France. The deal comes after three years of Dassault and the Indian Air force (IAF) working on the larger Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) contract. The Rafale was shortlisted in 2012 as the final aircraft during the IAF’s MMRCA competition. The original MMRCA tender was …
Read More »
For over 25 years, the venerable ‘Queen of the skies’ the Boeing 747-400, of the national carrier, Air India, has served as India’s VIP (very important person) international transport. Tagged as ‘Air India One’ two of these aircraft are used by the President, the Vice President, and the Prime Minister of India on their international trips, even if to neighbouring …
Read More »
The Bangalore Aviation photo team is at the Air Force Station (AFS) Yelahanka today ahead of the Aero India 2015 air show which commences tomorrow. We have sent back some images for your enjoyment. Pictures are copyright of Bangalore Aviation and it’s respective photographers, all rights reserved. Please do not reproduce in any form.
Read More »
Airbus Defence and Space (ADS) and Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) have teamed up and submitted a joint bid for the Airbus C295 medium transporter in response to the Indian Air Force´s plan to replace 56 HS748 Avro aircraft in the force’s air transport fleet. In 2012, India had taken, what was considered an audacious decision to replace the ageing HS-748 …
Read More »
The search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 continues off the coast of Australia. The three maps below show the areas searched till date, and what is planned for March 24, 2014. Global news agencies are focussing on the US Navy P-8A Poseidon which is arguably one of the best, if not the best, maritime surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft in …
Read More »
In this week’s of plane spotting, we have made a compilation of some of the helicopters of the Indian Air Force (IAF). We have also included some rare cockpit photos of some of these whirlybirds. Let’s start with the workhorse of the Indian Air Force, the Mil Mi-8. The Mi-8 is the IAF’s primary medium transport helicopter. It was first …
Read More »
Yesterday after months of near misses, we finally managed to get the first independent photos from India, of the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) new Boeing C-17 Globemaster III; and it was right here in Bangalore. In June 2009, the Indian Air force (IAF) selected the C-17 to fulfil its Very Heavy Lift Transport Aircraft requirement to replace it’s ageing Ilyushin IL-76 (Gajraj) …
Read More »
Right in the wake of the departure of former Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne and appointment of Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, the Ministry of Defense has announced the termination of the scandalous VVIP helicopter deal for 12 Augusta Westland AW101 helicopters. The 560 million euro deal was put on hold last February after allegations that several top politicians and …
Read More »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 …
Read More »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 …
Read More »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 …
Read More »
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 …
Read More »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 …
Read More »
Bangalore Aviation News, Reviews, Analysis and opinions of Indian Aviation