History in the making: Video of Tejas demo at BIAS2016

Tejas appears from 2.40 minutes on this video link.

Here are some my reports that went live

yesterday in different news networks:

SWARAJYA: http://swarajyamag.com/biz/silencing-critics-tejas-all-set-for-ballet-in-bahrain/

ONEINDIA: http://www.oneindia.com/india/tejas-scripts-history-bahrain-with-stunning-demo-indian-air-force-hal-1989907.html

MATHRUBHUMI: http://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/india/tejas-creates-history-with-8-minute-flight-in-bahrain-english-news-1.813894

Tejas will be at ‘striking distance’ of Pak JF-17s in Bahrain

https://twitter.com/writetake

Bengaluru, Dec 13: It’s official! And, it is as close as it can get! India’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas will be at a ‘striking distance’ of Pakistan’s JF-17 Thunder in Bahrain.

The Bahrain International Air Show (BIAS) is scheduled from January 21-23 at the Sakhir Airbase.

As reported by OneIndia last month, this will be for the first time Tejas will be participating in a flying demonstration outside India. 

http://www.oneindia.com/india/tejas-may-create-history-with-flying-demo-bahrain-air-show-1950118.html

At BIAS, two Tejas aircraft will be parked next to two Pakistan’s JF-17s on aircraft display Pad No 15.

Two Royal Air Force Typhoons will also be parked on Pad No 15.

Behind the Tejas, the entire Pad No 14 has been allotted to the United Arab Emirate’s Al Fursan aerobatic display team. 

Pakistan’s JF-17s is a joint development project of Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and China’s Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation.

Operational with the Pakistan Air Force since 2010, the JF-17s have already seen some international air shows, including Paris.

It’s unclear on what basis the organisers have grouped two military platforms from two not-so-friendly nations on the same parking bay. The move is expected to grab immense media attention during the show.

An LCA Tejas telemetry cabin with a tracking antenna and other equipment have also been given a space inside the Sakhir Airbase area, closer to the static aircraft display trade area.

Likely to reach Bahrain today: Military sources have confirmed to OneIndia that two Tejas platforms LSP-4 and LSP-7 are scheduled to fly out of Air Force Station Jamnagar on Wednesday.

“The planes reached Jamnagar last week from Bengaluru and they are all set to fly out to Muscat today. It will be historic in many ways as Tejas will be cruising out of Indian skies for the first time,” an officer told OneIndia.

In the last one week, in addition to various technical clearances, Tejas had to undergo a series of mandatory custom checks at the Jamnagar base.

“It will have a stopover at Muscat before flying out to Sakhir Airbase in Bahrain. It is scheduled to reach Bahrain today itself,” the officer said.

Technical crew spread across different bases: A team of over 150 technicians, engineers and ground crew have already been positioned at Jamnagar, Muscat and Bahrain ahead of the Tejas’ historic outing.

As reported by OneIndia recently, Tejas had cleared one of the most critical flight test parameters in the programme, when the pilots pulled 8 'g' (limit of envelope) during its test flights in Bengaluru last month.

Read more at: http://www.oneindia.com/india/tejas-pilots-pull-8-g-beyond-clearing-critical-foc-point-1970986.html

A top delegation from Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) is expected to depart for Bahrain next week ahead of the air show.

“It’s a massive effort by the team to ensure that the planes are in good shape and ready for the demonstration. Everyone is excited since it is for the first time Tejas will be performing outside India,” the officer added. @OneIndia

IAF’s Aviation Toxicology Lab adds teeth to air crash investigations

IAM Commandant Air Commodore Deepak Gaur

By Anantha Krishnan M

OneIndia News

Bengaluru, Oct 07: India’s only Aviation Toxicology Laboratory (ATL) has gone live and kicking with state-of-the-art-facilities in Bengaluru.

Situated inside the Institute of Aerospace Medicine (IAM), a premier Indian Air Force (IAF) unit next to HAL Airport, the ATL has already developed protocols for evaluating 20 different drugs (molecules) which are required in aviation accident investigation.

The need for an ATL was felt soon after the Air India Express Boeing 737 crash in Mangalore, in May 2010, which killed 158 people onboard. A Court of Inquiry had blamed the pilot for the crash.

In an exclusive interview, IAM Commandant Air Commodore Deepak Gaur says that the ATL has the latest technology and expertise for the analysis of samples from air crashes in a highly refined manner.

“This laboratory was established with an objective to augment aircraft accident investigations. The lab also aims at improving flight safety by conducting exclusive scientific research in the field of aviation toxicology,” says Air Commodore Deepak, an MD in Aerospace Medicine.

The ATL is now refining the sample preparation techniques which will enable analysis of postmortem specimens from air crashes including blood, urine, muscle and other tissues.

Full report, here: http://bit.ly/1WN4juY

HAL conducts successful flight of Jaguar DARIN-III upgraded strike aircraft

By Anantha Krishnan M

https://twitter.com/writetake

Bengaluru, April 01: Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) successfully carried out the first flight of a Jaguar DARIN III upgraded ‘strike’ aircraft at its facilities in Bengaluru recently.

HAL officials confirmed to OneIndia that the first flight of the upgraded Jaguar ‘strike’ aircraft lasted for about 15 minutes.

The maiden flight was followed by another flight of the upgraded Jaguar that lasted for an hour on March 25 for an hour.

In November 2012 HAL had carried out the first flight of Jaguar DARIN III upgraded ‘maritime’ aircraft, with an unhappy Indian Air Force (IAF) wanting more features to be added on to the aircraft. 

“The IAF had some concerns with the Mission Computer used in the maritime aircraft. It was of DARIN-II standard. We have now upgraded all possible systems on the aircraft as per the user requirement,” HAL Chairman T Suvarna Raju told OneIndia.

Three Jaguar prototypes (strike, maritime and trainer) have been set aside for testing the DARIN-III features. Raju says that HAL is mandated to upgrade 59 Jaguars that were inducted into the IAF, forming the original batch.

Read the complete report, here: http://bit.ly/1CvmifO

#PlaneCarnival | AeroIndia2015 Exclusive | Nirbhay 2nd launch video

Video of India's nuclear-capable, subsonic cruise missile Nirbhay's successful 2nd launch (17 October 2014) from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur. Total duration is 2 minutes 14 seconds. The missile is from DRDO lab ADE lab in Bangalore. 

In the video, from 0:48 seconds onwards the missile's flight has been captured from a Jaguar deep-penetrating strike aircraft of IAF, which did the chase duties. The video is sourced from publicity materials being prepared by Indian government to showcase its missile development capabilities during Aero India 2015. It's a cleared video for public consumption. 

You can watch the video of Nirbhay's first launch here: http://bit.ly/198x16b

You can read my comprehensive report on 2nd launch of Nirbhay here: http://bit.ly/1DEgTVi

OneIndia Exclusive | My job is to clear all hurdles for forces: Manohar Parrikar

By Anantha Krishnan M

https://twitter.com/writetake

Thirteen hours of non-stop meetings, facility visits, speeches in between, listening to attention-seeking officials, visitors and photo sessions hardly seemed to have frazzled India’s Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. 

Parked a few metres from his make-shift office was a Service aircraft ready to transport him and the battery of officials to the next destination. “The take-off is at 8 pm,” reminded one of his aides.

Parrikar adjusts his reading glasses and says matter-of-factly. “You go ahead with your questions, I am listening.”

He takes a look at the watch. “It’s 7.40 (pm). Okay, go-ahead,” he says, nodding his head. It was time for a really supersonic interview before the scheduled take-off at 8 pm. Excerpts from the interview granted to OneIndia.

* IAF keen on Tejas squadron at the earliest

* My job is to clear all the hurdles

* Forces need to be motivated

* ‘I don’t need any publicity’

Read the above bullet points in detail on OneIndia: http://bit.ly/17WKIo2

OneIndia Exclusive: Parrikar to review DRDO, HAL projects in Bengaluru

By Anantha Krishnan M

https://twitter.com/writetake

Bengaluru, Jan 16: Two days after owning up the responsibility for recommending the contract termination of India’s top missile brain and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Chief Dr Avinash Chander, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar will touchdown in Bengaluru on January 17 morning for the review of critical projects. 

Ministry of Defence (MoD) sources told OneIndia that Parrikar’s office, currently facing the heat for targeting one of the most-revered defence scientists in India, has given instructions not to have any media interaction during his lightning one-day visit. He is expected to visit the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) during the first half of the day. 

* Empowered Committee on LCA meeting 

* Aero-cluster review also being lined up 

* A low-key Tejas handing over event likely 

* HAL’s proposal with MoD 

* Dr Avninash Chander to be absent 

Read the full report at OneIndia, here: http://bit.ly/1KQwbt1

Arihant’s maiden sea sortie shortly; stringent safety audits to curb accidents: Admiral Dhowan

By Anantha Krishnan M

https://twitter.com/writetake

Ezhimala (Kerala), Dec 1: The Indian Navy’s future cruise will be guided by a perspective plan mapped to perfection after taking into account factors like threat perception, technological needs, likely environment in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and India’s state as a maritime nation.

In an exclusive interview to OneIndia, ahead of the Navy Day on December 4, the Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R K Dhowan said that the Indian Navy’s structured phase of transformation has received a boost with the launch of the dedicated satellite -- Rukmini -- last year.

The country’s maiden dedicated military satellite Rukmini (GSAT-7) was launched by the Arianespace from French Guiana in April 2013, giving Indian Navy more teeth for its missions in the IOR.

“Currently ships, submarines and aircraft are being inducted into the Navy at regular intervals. We have gone multi-dimensional and the Rukmini satellite has ensured that the Navy will have an operational network footprint in the IOR,” Admiral Dhowan told OneIndia during his recent visit to the Indian Naval Academy (INA) in Ezhimala (Kerala).

LCA Navy delay is a matter of concern: Admiral Dhowan said that the delay in the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Navy programme has been taken up seriously. “It’s an important programme for us and we have the IAC (Indigenous Aircraft Carrier) in Kochi getting ready and the SBTF (Shore Based Test Facility) waiting for LCA Navy. It’s important that the programme is speeded up,” he said.

He said the Navy was monitoring the progress of the project closely. “We have conveyed our concerns to the agencies concerned. We hope to start the trials of LCA Navy at SBTF at the earliest. The delay has been a cause of concern. We have also conveyed our concern to the Ministry of Defence and the defence production officials,” he said.

More roles for ALHs; aviation arm on a threshold: He said for the Navy is looking for additional ALHs for enhanced maritime operations in the IOR. To a specific query whether the Navy would go for weaponised versions of ALH, the Navy Chief said: “Our requirements are different. Now we are using them for SAR (search and rescue) operations and as a utility copter. In future, we want the ALHs for shallow water ASW (anti-submarine warfare) requirements. So we hope to get the best ALHs.”

He said the naval aviation is on a threshold with the induction of new assets. “We have the MiG 29 Ks (both fighter and trainer) flying onboard INS Vikramaditya. More MiG 29Ks will be inducted soon to consolidate their operational process from an aircraft carrier. We have inducted six P8-Is at Rajali and two more will join to complete the first slot. We have a case in progress to explore the option clause for four more,” he said. 

He said the rotary UAV programme undertaken by the DRDO has been very slow. “We have taken note of the delay in the project. We have given lots of impetus to the project in the last two years. We have laid down stringent timelines and conveyed the same to DRDO for an early solution. We have seen some progress on this front now,” the Admiral said. He said the Navy’s relationship with DRDO is that of a synergy.

Arihant’s first sea sortie shortly: The Navy Chief said that all efforts have been made to ensure that the operational submarines are fully operational and combat-ready. “We are also undertaking an aspect related to the service life extension of these submarines so that we can give them longer lease of life,” he said.

“We took stock of the ongoing submarine construction ‘Project 75’ programme (Scorpene) at the Mazagon Dockyards Limited. We have given a deadline of September 2016 for the first submarine to come out, followed by five more,” he added. The Navy Chief said that India’s nuclear submarine Arihant will have its first sea sortie shortly soon after its harbour trials. 

Quality control at dockyards made stringent: When asked about the growing number of accidents being reported in the Navy during the last one year, the Navy Chief said that if the procedures are not followed with alacrity, accidents do happen.

"Navy is a highly professional service driven by technology advancements. For every action carried out onboard our assets we need to strictly follow all the procedures. When we don’t follow them, there will be room for errors leading to accidents,” he said.

Saying that 50 per cent of naval ships are almost 20 years old, he said safety procedures cannot be overlooked even once.

“The lifespan of a ship or submarine is around 30-35 years. It’s not easy to operate on a submarine or a ship while we work in a very challenging environment. When we have older ships we have to be extra careful while maintaining them. Nobody would like accidents to happen. Our sailors and officers spent sleepless nights so that our citizens can sleep in peace. All measures have been taken, including safety audits, to ensure that accidents can be minimized,” the Navy Chief said.

He said the material failure is an aspect related to maintenance. “There are many agencies involved at our dockyards. The quality control at our dockyards has been made stringent,” he said.

Manpower induction and development of infrastructure key: He said the Navy is gearing up to add more manpower with more assets being inducted on a regular basis. “Man power development and development of infrastructure are two key factors for the Indian Navy now. Since we are inducting more ships, submarines and aircraft, we are focusing more on the human resources now. The INA is the cradle for human resources development of officers and it has to cater to the enhanced rate of induction. We have set our sight on the Phase-II expansion of INA now,” Admiral Dhowan said.

He said the Phase-II will take into account the living accommodation, training facilities, classrooms, sports facilities sound education and training. “We would want INA to impart the highest quality of training available,” he said.

‘A salute to remember’ photo inspires the Chief: The Navy Chief expressed his happiness over the photograph of a special child saluting with the title ‘A salute to remember’ going viral on the social media. "I am touched by this photo. Indian Navy needs more such inspiring moments. Glad you could capture this. An inspiring image for the Indian Navy when we are heading for Navy Day celebrations," the Chief told OneIndia. 

The photo was captured by this writer outside the INA main gate on November 28. It was a mere coincidence that OneIndia was present while Sandeep (a special child) was saluting Rajeev (of the Naval Police). Sandeep is a student of Sneha Nilaya Special School, Kaakanaadu (Kochi) and had visited the INA along with other children as part of Indian Navy's outreach programme.

The Chief also said that the Navy would become more visible on social media platforms. “We are looking at the pros and cons on taking to the social media. We would certainly want better visibility,” Admiral Dhowan said.

Copyright@OneIndia

APJ@83 | I have full faith in our youth who will propel India's future: Dr Kalam

Photo: Billionbeats

https://twitter.com/writetake
People’s President and India’s inspiration machine turned 83 today. In his own words: “I will be entering into 84th orbit around the Sun.” Nothing has changed in the life of former President of India, who still stays awake till 1 am reading and replying to his fan mails. Amidst visitors, calling him on at his No 10 residence on Delhi’s famous Rajaji Marg with birthday wishes, Dr Kalam granted an exclusive interview to OneIndia. “Every day matters and every moment matters to me. Every 1st of January, I design what should be my mission for that year and start working towards it. Based on my experience, I achieve almost 60-70 per cent of what I have planned. You see, my mission never stops,” he said. (Copyright@OneIndia.)

What are his regrets in life?

Why did he stay a bachelor?

What's his take on youth power?

Where should India be by 2020?

And, what it takes to be an Indomitable Spirit?

(You can catch the full interview at OneIndia, India's leading news portal. INTERVIEW LINK HERE.)