Amid the growing buzz of the IAF’s determined drive to inject a fresh lease of life through acquisition and modernisation, SP’s proudly welcomes its readers to Defexpo 2010 in the prestigious capacity of the show’s official media partner

SP’s Aviation continues to track Indian Air Force’s determined drive to modernise/augment its operational assets to not only regain its lost glory, but also to build additional capabilities to effectively meet the emerging threats and increasing challenges. In the process, the IAF is looking at full-spectrum capability enhancements that include not only the fighter, transport, and the helicopter and trainer fleets, but also air defence and other support equipment. In the lead are its efforts to arrest the downslide in the numerical strength of its jet fighter squadrons. It is only hoped that there will be no undue delays in the MMRCA and the indigenous Tejas programmes. The IAF would do well to enlarge the levels of its MMRCA and Su-30 MKI acquisition programmes to build up its fighter force to 42 squadrons by the end of India’s 13th Five Year Plan.

On the rotary wing front also, the IAF has apparently got a ‘wake-up’ call and initiated a slew of measures to modernise and augment different categories of its helicopter fleets. Out of a total planned procurement of 695 helicopters for the armed forces, the IAF’s share comes close to a healthy figure of 300. On the transport front, after a gap of almost twenty years, the IAF is all set to witness a quantum leap in its air transport capabilities. Rapidly warming relations with the US and the IAF opting for the C-130J Super Hercules and the C-17 Globemaster III mean that in the coming years, American origin aircraft could well be the major components of the IAF’s air transportation capabilities. The edition also carries a write up on the IAF’s quest for enhancing the UAV capabilities.

As the operational capability of the IAF is founded on the attributes of its trainer fleet, it is imperative on the part of the IAF to give due priority to this segment of its infrastructure which is plagued with many deficiencies. The IAF needs to induct new types of basic and intermediate jet trainers (IJT) and continue to build on its advanced jet training capabilities.

An historical milestone was achieved with the Indo-Russian joint venture PAK-FA taking to the skies for the first time from the Sukhoi’s facility at Komsomolsk-on-Amur in Siberia, Russia on January 29. The Indian version of the PAK-FA twin-seat is also being developed with the IAF hoping to induct the fifth generation fighter around 2017.

On the civil aviation front, the recent spurt in the number of air travellers in India has encouraged new entrants to start operations as regional carriers. But elsewhere Air India/Indian combine continues with its dismal performance. The much touted merger appears to have failed miserably with the talks of a de-merger gaining ground. The Last Word again sums it up—privatise or perish—as the only mantra for the doomed public sector behemoth.

All this and much more. SP Guide Publications are all set to welcome its readers and guests at the upcoming India’s Defexpo 2010 in the prestigious capacity as the show’s official media partner.

See you there!