LCH flies!

The LCH gets airborne for the 1st time ever. And it's a looker.

I'm already imagining a convoy of these along with the Dhruv WSIs. What a sight that would be!

MiG 29K

The Navy inducted it's most modern fighters today. The 29s might be a design from the 70s, but still manage to look good.

So now, as I was reading somewhere, we have a strange situation wherein there aren't enough Sea Harriers to man the Viraat, while we do have the MiGs to man the VikramAditya which itself isn't close to setting sail before 2012. The wonders of Indian defence procurement.

Viper!

The MMRCA fair weather trials began in Bangalore about a month back. Boeing had sent in a Super Hornet initially & one could hear a new kind of jet exhaust over Bangalore skies all of last month. Unfortunately I never managed a sighting, which was sad since I really like the plane.


This was followed last week by Lockheed Martin's F-16IN Super Viper flown in from the UAE. Today while returning from office, I heard the roar of a distinctly non Russian jet engine coming in low & fast from the East. Luckily, the sky was clear & I looked up just in time to make out the silhouette of the Viper. An awesome sight, my 1st ever of an American fighter. It's not as loud as the Russian jets, but sounds menacing none the less.

Indian Phalcon

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).

Pic and text from LiveFist.

IAF's new BBJ

India's first Boeing Business Jet takes over as the new Air Force One. I wish we had a more deserving President.

Poseidon for IN

The US has cleared a $ 2.1 bn sale of 8 of Boeing's P-8I Poseidon maritime reconnaissance aircraft to the Indian Navy. India had signed up in January.

The sale marks Boeing's 1st defence sale to India & is the largest ever defence deal with India by a US company. Interesting.

Aero India 09

.... took place here in B'lore from the 11th to 15th of February.

Bar the Grippen & Rafale, all the contenders for the MRCA competition were present; with the Typhoons from the Luftwaffe .....


.... making their Aero India debut.

The F-16 for the competition was christened ....


.... the F-16 IN Super Viper. Let's see if that helps Lockheed Martin strike it big.

My favorite for the selection though remains .....


.... the F-18 Super Hornet.

The Ruskies' offering ....


.... the Mig-35 was present too, like in the last edition.

Among the others was my fav heavy lift transporter ....


.... the C-17 GlobeMaster.

The Sarangs were at their ....


.... impressive best. As were ....


.... the Surya Kirans.

The Indian firecrackers were provided by the (now) incredibly sleek & sexy ....


.... Tejas and it's factory cousin - the menacing looking weaponised version .....


.... of the Dhruv. Eat your heart out Kiowa.

Good show all in all.

The ticket prices acted as a dampener though. Som & Salil wanted me to accompany them, but I let it go since it would have meant taking the bus all the way to Domlur in the above normal February heat & then riding pillion till the other end of the city to Yelahanka. Maybe next time, if Pavan & his Goan 800 are free & willing.

The Brood

A shot of an IAF IL-78 Midas/MKI along with 4 SU-30 MKIs in Portugal on the way to Nevada for Red Flag 2008.

An awesome shot & my current wallpaper.

Phalcon!

The 1st pictures of IAF's latest toy have started making their appearances on the net. This was on Airliners.net.

A Beriev A-50 E/I supporting the Phalcon on a radome, the plane looks the part. And the Indian Air Force camouflage gray looks deadly.