$ 10-16 billion dollar deal : India on Tuesday selected the French Fighter Rafale over the Eurofighter Typhoon in a multi-billion dollar contract for the supply of 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA)

India on Tuesday selected the French Fighter Rafale over the Eurofighter Typhoon in a multi-billion dollar contract for the supply of 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) — the country's largest defence deal to date.

Interestingly, for a company that faltered at the start, with the Defence Ministry indicating that the Rafale was out of the race, Dassault made a comeback and went on to win the bid.

The decision to open exclusive negotiations with Dassault was acclaimed by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who praised the “very high-level, fair and transparent competition involving the two European finalists.”

While expressing disappointment over the development, Cassidian — the defence and security division of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company, which manufactures the Typhoon — maintained in a statement that it had offered the IAF the most modern aircraft available.

Sources in the Defence Ministry said the product was picked up on the basis of it being the Lowest Bidder (L1), a decision arrived at after complex calculations, including the life-cycle costs. The two aircraft were chosen from a list of six, including U.S. Boeing (F/A18) and Lockheed Martin (F-16), Russian MiG-35 and Swedish Saab (Gripen), in April last year.

The deal is estimated to be worth $10.2 billion (Rs.54,000 crore). The plan includes acquiring 126 aircraft, 18 of them in fly-away condition and the rest to be made in India at the Hindustan Aeronautics facility under transfer of technology.

For France, the deal is the third big defence contract that has come its way. In the current financial year, the Government of India cleared the $2.4 billion upgrade of 51 Mirage-2000 aircraft and the $970 million supply of MICA fire-and-forget missile for the same aircraft.

J 20 Chinese Stealth fighter - New close up photos

Click on photo to enlarge..

 

Chinese Army 58th Mechanized Infantry Brigade, 20th Group Army, Jinan Military Region

The Strategic Reserve (Jinan Military Region): The total manpower was some 240,000 persons, consisting of 4 army groups

Malaysia becomes first export customer for Gowind corvettes

DCNS and its local partner Boustead Naval Shipyard have won a US$2.8 billion contract to supply six Gowind patrol vessels to Malaysia, in the type’s first export order. The first corvette will be delivered in 2017, with others following at six-monthly intervals.

In October 2010 Boustead received a letter of intent from the Malaysian government that requested it to build six second-generation patrol vessels. Boustead Naval Shipyard (BNS) was selected for the contract in early December last year,




However, the contract was put on hold for several days as BNS and DCNS wanted the vessel to carry the SETIS combat management system designed by DCNS, while the Royal Malaysian Navy wants the Tacticos systems, developed by Thales and integrated onto the navy’s KD Kasturi vessel.

DCNS competed with Dutch firm Damen and TKMS of Germany, which is one of the Malaysian navy’s traditional suppliers, having delivered six Meko corvettes between 2004 and 2010.

DCNS has already established a relationship with Boustead through a 2009 joint venture to maintain two diesel-propelled Scorpene submarines used by the Malaysian navy. DCNS previously sold six frigates to Malaysia's neighbour Singapore, five of which were built in Singapore.

The Gowind vessels are 100 metres long and displace 2 400 tons. They can each carry one medium helicopter (Eurocopter EC 725 Cougar) and will be fitted with a 57 mm gun, surface-to-air missiles and torpedo launchers.

The Gowind class is built under a DCNS-funded programme. The first ship, L'Adroit, was made available to the French Navy on October 21 last year as part of DCNS's ambition to win a larger share of the markets for small- and medium-displacement surface ships.

Over the next three years, the French Navy will thoroughly test the vessel, designed for current and emerging maritime safety & security missions, including fisheries surveillance, drug interdiction, environmental protection, humanitarian support and search and rescue at sea.

With two crews rotating every four months, L'Adroit will offer a high level of at-sea availability, spending 220 days a year on operational missions.

L'Adroit has a length of 87 metres, an at-sea endurance of more than 3 weeks and a range of 8 000 nautical miles. With a top speed of 21 knots, the vessel has a helicopter flight deck and can accommodate UAV operations. It is designed for reduced crewing, with a complement of 30 and space for 30 passengers.

Innovations and capabilities of special interest to ship-based naval, commando and coast guard forces include a panoramic bridge offering 360° visibility, a single enclosed mast offering 360° sensor visibility, covert deployment of fast commando boats in less than five minutes and full provision for unmanned aerial and surface vehicles (UAVs and USVs).

Russian 6th generation MiG Skat UCAV - Beyond 5th gen Sukhoi T-50 PAK FA

**Atleast the maker of this video is claiming it to be a "6th"generation aircraft.

PAF - Pakistan Air Force looses another pilot - Squadron Leader Masood Hussain

Turkish T-37 disappeared, pilots missing including a Pakistan Air Force Squadron Leader Masood Hussain
 

During an unfortunate incident PAF pilot Squadron Leader Masood Hussain, who was on posting to Turkey under exchange posting to Turkish Air Force has crashed while on a routine training mission, with a Turkish under training pilot. According to a press release issued by PAF here on Tuesday, a portion of the wreckage of the trainer aircraft has been found in the sea near Izmir (Turkey).

The Turkish Air Force is carrying out search and rescue operations. Meanwhile, contradicting news reports regarding crash of a PAF aircraft in Turkey, a spokesman of PAF told APP that no PAF aircraft has been sent to Turkey for taking party part in any exercise or training mission. He, however, said that a trainer pilot, Squardron Leader Masood Hussain, was sent to Turkish Air Force on exchange posting.

MiG-29K gets on board Indian aircraft carrier - Source Flightglobal

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/picture-mig-29k-gets-on-board-indian-aircraft-carrier-366104/

Copyright Vladimir Karnozov Moscow

With work on the Indian navy's future aircraft carrier the INS Vikramaditya now 90% complete, an RSK MiG-29K fighter has been placed aboard the vessel for the first time.

According to Sevmash, the Vikramaditya will start sea trials in May 2012, with these to involve take-offs and landings using two industry-owned aircraft. One is a purpose-built MiG-29K, while the other is a MiG-35D two-seat demonstrator now being modified after the crash of a MiG-29KUB trainer during trials in 2011.





 Pictured on the carrier's deck at the Sevmash dockyard in Severodvinsk, northern Russia during November, aircraft Side 311 was deployed using a crane to serve as a mock-up only.
Originally introduced to service with the Russian navy in 1987 as the Baku, but deactivated in 1992, the modified Vikramaditya now features a "ski-jump" ramp and three arrestor wires to support fighter operations. New Delhi's total investment in the ship is worth around $2 billion, with Sevmash expecting it to be commissioned into service on 4 December 2012 - Indian navy day.

Russia has so far delivered 11 of the 16 MiG-29K/KUBs ordered for the Indian navy under a 2003 deal worth $530 million, with the remainder due to be shipped to Goa before the end of 2011.
India also this year firmed up an option for 29 more navalised MiG-29s to equip its future homegrown aircraft carriers.

Will it be the or Eurofighter Typhoon or Dassault Rafale

Results of the Indian Airforce - IAF - $ 10 Billion deal likely this week

Indian AWACS Moving Forward on 2 Fronts

In recent years India has been shifting toward aircraft that would give it the ability to patrol and act at extended ranges. In January 2004, India and Israel signed a $1.1 billion contract for 3 Phalcon airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft, as part of a $1.5 billion tripartite agreement with Russia. With the arrival of its first IL-76 Phalcon, India joined the global ranks of AWACS operators. The aircraft will monitor huge swathes of Indian airspace, intercept communications and log radar frequencies, add some ground surveillance, and help command IAF responses.

At the same time, India moved to implement AWACS capabilities on a 2nd, smaller, platform, in order to provide broader coverage. The goal there is to field a Tier 2 platform based on Embraer’s ERJ-145 jet, and Indian radar and electronics, allowing India to join the global ranks of AWACS designers. Just to make things interesting, their arch-rival Pakistan offers a contrasting case study, with quicker fielding of off-the shelf buys from China (Y-8 based ZDK-03) and Sweden (Saab 2000 Erieye).

Act of Valour

First Look at India's Indigenous Aircraft Carrier

Turkey will purchase two F-35 fighter aircraft and 15 helicopters from United States

Turkey will purchase two F-35 fighter jets and 15 helicopters from the United States, Defense Industry Implementation Committee (SSIK) said Thursday, January 5, 2012. The committee said that it authorized the Defense Ministry Undersecretariat to order the purchase of two F-35 fighter jets for the Turkish Armed Forces. The fighter jets will be delivered to Turkey in 2015, the committee added.

China copies the U.S. Navy- Sea Shadow stealth boat into the "PLAN Phantom Hunter "

UAE to buy Lockheed Martin - Missile Defense System - Lockheed Martin THAAD from US

Washington/Dubai/Abu Dhabi: The US has inked a USD 3.48 billion arms deal that includes sale of as many as 96 missiles to crucial Middle East ally UAE, as Washington gears up for increased tensions in the region with Iran. While the announcement of the deal came yesterday, at a time of increased tension with Iran, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said in a statement that the deal was inked on December 25 when the US and UAE signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) for a Foreign Military Sales-configured Terminal High Altitude Area Defence System, valued at approximately USD 3.48 billion.

The announcement came within days of another USD 30 million arms deal with Saudi Arabia, and also close on the heels of the sale of Patriot missiles to Kuwait, the other two staunch US allies in the region. "This contract will deliver 2 THAAD batteries, 96 missiles, two AN/TPY-2 radars, and 30 years of spare parts, support, and training with contractor logistics support to the UAE," Little said.

The US and the UAE enjoy a strong bilateral defence relationship, driven by common interests in a secure and stable Gulf region, he said. Little said acquisition of this critical defence system will bolster the UAE's air and missile defence capability and enhance the already robust ballistic missile defence cooperation between the United States and the UAE. "This sale is an important step in improving the region's security through a regional missile defence architecture, and follows a number of recent ballistic missile defence-related sales, including a 2011 USD 1.7 billion direct commercial sales contract to upgrade Saudi Arabia's Patriot missiles to the PAC 3 configuration, and the 2011 sale of 209 Patriot GEM-T missiles to Kuwait, valued at approximately USD 900 million," Little said.

Qi lai!! Qi lai!! Qi lai!! Is China’s Air Force shrinking ? 850 aircraft of Nanchang Q-5 and Hong-5 type no longer in service ??

Nanchang Q-5

The first prototype was completed in 1960.A small team kept the program alive until it was re-opened in 1963, when production was shifted to Nanchang. The first flight finally occurred on 4 June 1965. Series production began in 1969, with squadron delivery starting in 1970.

About 1,000 aircraft were produced, 600 of them being the updated Q-5A. A small number, perhaps a few dozen, Q-5As were modified to carry nuclear weapons; these are believed to retain their internal weapons bay. A long-range Q-5I, introduced in 1983, added a fuel tank instead of the internal weapons bay, compensating for that with the provision of two additional under wing pylons.

Hong-5 light bomber

The H-5 (Hongzha-5, or Hong-5) is a Chinese copy of the Soviet Union/Russian IL-28 (NATO codename: Beagle) twin-engine jet bomber aircraft first introduced in the Soviet Air Force in the late 1940s. China obtained several hundred examples of the IL-28 in the 1950s during the honeymoon period of the Sino-Soviet ally. A licensed production of the aircraft in China was scheduled but the project could not be materialised due to the breaking up of the Sino-Soviet relation in 1960. As a result, Harbin Aircraft Factory (now Harbin Aircraft Manufacturing Company, HAMC) was ordered to produce a Chinese version of the IL-28 by reverse-engineering. 

The aerial arsenal of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army shrank by nearly a quarter over the past year, from around 3,400 combat aircraft to just under 2,600. The best assessment of the secretive PLA, a database managed by Flight International magazine and updated annually, showed 800 fewer jet fighters in the PLA inventory compared to a year ago.

The reduction reflects "improved data," according to Flight's annual report, released late last month. The data allowed the report's authors to remove from the PLA's active rolls a "combined 850 obsolete Harbin H-5 and Nanchang Q-5 combat aircraft." The H-5 and Q-5 date from the mid-1960s. It's unclear exactly when the PLA retired the two models.



The PLA isn’t alone in shedding combat aircraft. Most of the world's major air arms are slowly shrinking, owing to decreasing military budgets and the tendency of planners to favor small numbers of high-tech new aircraft over larger numbers of less-sophisticated, older models. The U.S. Air Force is replacing more than 400 F-15s with just 187 newer F-22s, for instance. China built hundreds of H-5s and more than 1,500 Q-5s, but has built just 300 or so combined of more recent warplanes such as the J-10 and J-11.

The PLA’s warplane holdings have apparently contracted at an even faster rate than the Pentagon's, growing the gap between the two aerial powers and cementing the U.S. military's position as the dominant aerospace power. The U.S. Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Army and Coast Guard together operate 13,000 manned aircraft. Number two Russia operates 3,600. China, in third place, possesses 2,600 warplanes. Of roughly 5,400 warplanes on firm order as of late 2011, the Americans accounted for 1,700. "This [U.S.] dominance shows no sign of being diminished for many years to come," Flight reports.