And, God gets a co-pilot in AVM Lamba

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https://www.onmanorama.com/news/india/2020/12/30/and-god-gets-a-co-pilot-in-avm-ajit-lamba.html
 

Tarmak Talking with Air Marshal B Suresh who donned the military uniform at the age of 12

How an IAF aviator & his team did first flight to North Pole on IL-76

 READ THE STORY HERE:  https://bit.ly/30Z2828

Desi Delight | BrahMos becomes first Indian missile to receive fleet release clearance (FRC)

Tejas Titans: Tarmak Talking with superheroes of HAL's LCA Division

#TarmakTalking

CAS INTERVIEW | We will expand operational utility of Tejas: Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria

By Anantha Krishnan M

These are interesting times for the IAF. The very nature of warfare is changing rapidly, and we now have to be simultaneously effective across multiple domains and levels of warfare extending from conventional to countering sub conventional threats. We have to not only embrace emerging fifth generation technologies/ capabilities but master the emergent technologies in cyber, networking and big data to be always ahead of our adversaries in capability and thought process. The Tejas has very good capabilities and as we gain experience we will continue to expand its operational utility in IAF plans. -- Air Chief Marshal R K S Bhadauria in an interview to Onmanorama. 

Full interview, here:  https://bit.ly/2T1jBTa

Thanjavur set to host South India’s first Sukhoi Squadron

READ: https://bit.ly/2MYBD5k

Tejas SP-21, first from FOC block taking shape at HAL

Read:  https://bit.ly/2kLSQUI

Tejas fuel tank falls in a field near Coimbatore

Read here: https://bit.ly/2JkoyQX

Kargil @20: Great sight watching LGB hitting enemy posts over Tiger Hill, says Air Marshal Nambiar

Read: bit.ly/2ZKCaLX

Successful BrahMos test gives IAF big strategic boost in Indian Ocean Region

By Anantha Krishnan M 

Bengaluru: The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Wednesday successfully test-fired the BrahMos air-launched cruise missile (ALCM) from its frontline striker Sukhoi (Su-30 MKI). 

This was the second test-firing of the BrahMos ALCM from Sukhoi, the first being held on November 22, 2017 against a sea target. The AIF thereby became the first air force in the world to have successfully fired an air-launched 2.8 Mach surface attack missile of this category on a sea target. 

Full report: bit.ly/2X06oK3

Boost to desi missions as Air Marshal Bhadauria takes charge as Vice Chief

By Anantha Krishnan M

India’s new Vice Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS) Air Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria took command at Air Headquarters on May 1.

Fondly known as ‘Chottu Sir’ among aviators and friends, Air Marshal Bhadauria is the man who played a significant role during the development and induction phases of Light Combat Aircraft, Tejas.

In fact, the No 45 Squadron Flying Daggers, operating the Tejas would not have found its permanent home at Air Force Station Sulur as per the script, but for the push given by the VCAS, while he was heading Southern Air Command at Thiruvananthapuram.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) top brass is said to have been convinced by the logic put forth by Air Marshal Bhadauria to push the Flying Daggers from Bengaluru to Sulur ahead of the schedule.

Full report here:  https://bit.ly/2VFo0NI

Tejas flies on L&T wings as HAL completes production of last IOC fighter

By Anantha Krishnan M

The last Light Combat Aircraft Tejas Mk1 fighter from the Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) block has flown out of the hangars of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

And most significantly, it (SP-16; SP stands for Series Production) flew on the wings made by Larson & Tourbo (L&T). This is a major step in HAL’s efforts to outsource Tejas parts to the private industries, in line with the Make in India mandate.

The Flying Daggers are expected to have the full quota of 16 IOC Tejas Mk1 fighters within a month. 

The front fuselage of SP-21 is in the advance stages with the mid-air refuelling probe requirement installed on it. The central fuselage too is in an advance stage and all the three fuselages are expected to be ready by end of April this year.

HAL now says SP-21 will roll out by the end of this year. The entire 16 FOC fighters will be delivered to IAF during 2019-2021 – which again accounts for eight aircraft per year.

Read full report, here: https://bit.ly/2Wn57vG

Next-gen desi anti-radiation missile set for trials with passive seeker

By Anantha Krishnan M

Bengaluru: India’s maiden attempt to develop a New Generation Anti-Radiation Missile (NGARM) has finally picked up momentum. The scientists with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) are warming up to undertake the pending trials of this state-of-the-art missile without further delays. Its user -- the Indian Air Force (IAF) -- feels that the DRDO must fast-track the project.

The missile will now be heading for a series of carriage and release flight trials. The carriage flight trials will be conducted to evaluate the performance of seekers against a wide range of targets. Subsequently, release flight missions will be planned to demonstrate the mid-course guidance and terminal guidance using seekers. 

Scientists tracking NGARM flightpath confirm that the next flight will be a ‘seeker performance evaluation’ one. A desi passive seeker will be onboard the missile during the next trial, while the test after that will have an active seeker as well. 

Trials of NGARM with both seekers together should be in July or August this year. 

Plans are also afoot to develop future variants of NGARM. It would mean upgrades with higher versions of software with the capability to handle larger variety of targets under various operational scenarios.

Full report, here: https://bit.ly/2Ok12ph

Finally, FOC for Tejas

Report here: https://bit.ly/2Vb8eq5

LCH packs a punch with induction at striking distance

By Anantha Krishnan M 

Bengaluru: The Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) is at striking distance from being inducted into the Services. The designers and test crew at the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (LTD) vouch for the chopper’s might with four prototypes having completed the pre-induction trials as mandated by the users – the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Indian Army. 

During a recent visit to the Rotary Wing Research and Design Centre (RWRDC) of HAL, Onmanorama was briefed by the officials about the future flightpath of the combat chopper programme. 

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) had cleared the proposal to induct initial batch of 15 LCHs. Notwithstanding the final orders to formally come, HAL had gone ahead and began the process of manufacturing the limited series production (LSP) platforms. 

Of the 15 LSPs, 10 are for the IAF and the remaining five for the Indian Army. There’s an additional projection of 65 LCHs for the IAF and 97 for the Indian Army. The LSP of LCHs was launched in August 2017 by Arun Jaitley, when he was holding the additional portfolio of Defence. 

Post completion of all trials, HAL officials now say that they are confident of LCH becoming one of the most resourceful and potent chopper for high-altitude missions. The programme has already got the Initial Operational Clearance (IOC). 

The officials said that during firing trials, the chopper performed excellently meeting accuracy requirements. 

“This is the first attack helicopter with us which has aerial combat capabilities. A moving UAV can be taken on easily with an air-to-air missile or with the front gun. This was a capability gap the Services had and LCH will fill it now,” an official said. 

Seven LSP platforms are at various stages of manufacturing at the assembly hangars of HAL now.

Full report, here: https://bit.ly/2SQqHL9

Mirage 2000 crash | IAF misses josh box Abby & problem-solver Sidd

Charles Elwood Chuck Yeager, the legendary Experimental Test Pilot (ETP or TP) and the first man ever to break the sound barrier, once said about the risks and aftermath of military flying.

“You don’t concentrate on risks. You concentrate on results. No risk is too great to prevent the necessary job from getting done,” he had said.

May be the two young TPs of Indian Air Force (IAF) -- Sqn Ldr Samir Abrol and Sqn Ldr Siddhartha Negi – martyred in the Feb 1 Mirage 200o I/TI crash in Bengaluru, too were hardcore devotees of Chuck Yeager, now 95.

And, they probably knew that they will have to risk their lives and may be hailed as martyrs, if they fell for their motherland during the call of duty.

Onmanorama dives into the lives of Sqn Ldr Abrol, fondly called as Abby and Sqn Ldr Negi, who is Sid to his friends, to find out more about them as investigators carefully stitch together the evidence to find out the reasons behind the crash.

Full report, here: https://bit.ly/2WUMzEk

HAL ramps up Tejas production; 5 more fighters to fly out by March 2019

Read: https://bit.ly/2PPI6lG

AFS Sulur offers Flying Daggers envious environment to operate Tejas

Read the report, here: bit.ly/2SZVzWA

Flying Daggers celebrate Diwali at new base

Read here: bit.ly/2z15e6X