India’s SU-30 jets in Britain for joint exercise

[tigershark]

(Not sure where to post exercise announcements) javascript:void(0);
Grin

 India’s SU-30 jets in Britain for joint exercise

New Delhi, June 28: India's frontline Sukhoi-30 jets have flown to a Royal Air Force base for the first joint exercise in British airspace by the two countries beginning next week.   The SU-30mkis participating in the "Indra-Danush" exercise at Waddington airbase have attracted aviation afficionados and "spotters", who have been camping near the base in eastern England with cameras to get their first glimpse of the IAF jets.    The 10-day exercise will get underway on July 2. Six SU-30mkis and two IL-78 mki mid-air refuelling aircraft will participate in the wargame.   The first of two IL-76s ferrying 50 IAF personnel, including ground crew and technicians, arrived at the RAF base yesterday via Doha in Qatar and Tanagra in Greece.   "This is the first time ever that an IL-76 has landed at any RAF airbase," Wing Commander P S Arora, the leader of the crew of the IL-76, was quoted as saying by a IAF spokesman.   RAF Sergeant Ashwin "Azzy" Rana of the no 8 fighter squadron at Waddington airbase is the liaison officer for the IAF contingent.   The Waddington base is home to the RAF's airborne intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance aircraft.   Boeing E-3D sentry surveillance aircraft and nimrod R1 jets are operated from the base. The former constitutes the British component of the NATO early warning force.   The airbase is also preparing for the Waddington international air show, the largest of RAF's air shows.    Three SU-30mkis will be put on static display at the show on June 30 and July 1. A flypast by a IL-78 flanked by two SU-30mkis will also be part of the event.   Last year, the IAF and RAF conducted a joint exercise at the Gwalior and Agra airbases. During this exercise, the RAF's Tornado F-3s, an E-3d sentry and a VC-10 tanker engaged IAF aircraft like the SU-30mki, Mirage 2000, MIG-21 bison and MIG-27. 

Bureau Report

http://www.zeenews.com/znnew/articles.asp?rep=2&aid=379646&sid=NAT

[valkyrian]

I see the Indians are getting "globalized"....i hope they do some dissimilars in Tanagra with M2000 Mk-5....

[tigershark]

Does anybody know if there will be Typhoon vs MKI Flanker?   If this battle does take place I hope the training is setup where both sides have a fair chance.   I wonder how the Typhoon will do I guess a lot depends on how its setup.   

[Globetrotter]

Well, I just don't give a sh... on this anymore!

When a Flanker wins, people say the EF pilot keeps the "magic technics" secret.... bullsh...

[tigershark]

If it does happen Flanker vs Typhoon I fully expect the Flanker to come out on top because I think its the best fighter flying beside the F-22.   It all depends on how the host country setups the exercise.   I would assume the RAF would keep most of the exercise is the strengths of the Typhoon.   I hope they allow the Typhoon to use the full range of the AIM-120 to make it interesting at least.   The India/US exercise a few years was setup by India, they laid out the ground rules.   By taking away the full range of the US missiles its like making a boxer with a good long range power jab, shorten his punches.   Kind of takes away a good thing, not everything but the jab does setup up other punches, see where I'm going with this.   It changes your fight if you think about it in boxing terms.   India's AF is much better then most people think too which had a lot to do with it back then.   Since the RAF got waxed before by the IAF I'm sure there have something setup this time, should be interesting.   

[tigershark]

A little updated basic information about what's going on I thought I would posted it. 

Exercise 'Indra Dhanush' Gets Underway in UK

New Delhi, July 4: The Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Royal Air Force (RAF) have commenced their second bilateral air exercise 'Indradhanush-2007' with their personnel getting into the act at the RAF base Waddington, in the UK.

The inaugural day Monday -- primarily for familiarisation of the participating IAF's Su-30 MKI aircrew with the flying environment in UK -- saw the IAF Air Warriors flying alongside RAF F3 Tornadoes of the Leeming-based 25 Squadron -- operating from Waddington for the duration of the exercise, according to reports received here.

Also airborne were a Eurofighter Typhoon from the No 17 Squadron from RAF Conningsby, and a Hawk aircraft.

''It will be a mutual learning experience for both'', said Wing Commander AK Bharti, talking of the learning values in terms of inter-operability between the two Air Forces after returning from a sortie of a four-aircraft formation comprising the Su-30 MKI, F3 Tornado, Typhoon and a Hawk.

The 'airborne warning and control' (AWAC) system experience -- a veritable electronic 'eye-in-the-sky' platform -- was also observed by a few IAF personnel onboard an E3-D Sentry AWAC aircraft belonging to RAF's No 8 Fighter Squadron, based in Waddington.

The E3-D Sentry and the F3 Tornadoes had also participated in the first edition of 'Exercise Indradhanush-2006', held at Gwalior, last year.

The exercise between two simulated air elements, the "Red Air" (aggressors) and the "Blue Air" (defenders) forces, will have the training element for the latter. Missions comprising multiple aircraft will form some of the intrinsic training missions, some of them highly advanced and complex.

Mediating between the two will be the "White" force, who remain neutral and whose decisions will be the last word, to mitigate differences, if any.

They comprise 'observers' from both sides, and include members from the IAF's 'Tactics and Combat Development Establishment' (TACDE) and the RAF's 'Air Warfare Centre' (AWC), the premier institutions of the two Air Forces, constituting the 'best-amongst-the-best' aircrew and personnel on both sides.

--- UNI

http://www.newkerala.com/news5.php?action=fullnews&id=44147

[tigershark]

More updates

A little part pf the whole story
The operational part of the 'Exercise Indradhanush-2007' began with a series of 1 vs 1 air combat sorties. Both variants landed with their much-touted reputations intact as each side tested their potentials with their adversary in the air to their limits. These sorties were premised not entirely on having winners or losers – but more for their evaluator and training values as encapsulated in the objectives. Both sides ended-up sharing an enhanced respect for each other's capabilities – both in terms of training values, and combat potentials of the diverse aerial platforms.

Full story
http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=29045

[valkyrian]

0-0=0

All are winners, so who is the loser?

[tigershark]

Not in a defined way but the Typhoon is a later design and was built to defeat the Flanker.   For England who's been out of the fighter aircraft business for a long time it's important.   The start up cost for the program and France pulling out has caused delays and I assume cost overruns as well.   For bragging rights mainly England is a very open country and it's been sold to the press and British government that the Typhoon can beat the Russians best.   I think India's upgraded MKI version might be the best model Flanker in the world and not the Flanker the Typhoon was designed to beat.   This is training only neither country will show 100 percent of there capabilities, there governments won't allow it.   I do feel that what capabilities are known and allowed that both Indian and England's pilots will give it 100 percent.   From everything I ever read about fighter pilots and the ones I've talked in person they never want to lose period.   I had a pilot explain to me a little what these training events are like and very different then what I thought.   Simple things like radio's and different rules and how things are proven, like who shot who first is much harder then the average person thinks.   I would have thought in 2007 it to be an exact science but it's really not, not by a long shot.   

[tigershark]

Another update I found it gives a little more information but still lacks the down dirty stuff.

INDRADHANUSH-2007 DRAWS TO A CLOSE AT UK
Curtains were finally drawn on the second bilateral Indo-UK air exercise - Indradhanush 2007, which concluded on a high note here at Royal Air Force (RAF) Waddington on Thursday.

The exercise that began with a series of 1vs1 sorties, reached its crescendo with a highly complex conceivable scenario - a 6vs6 aerial combat involving 4 x Su-30 MKIs, 4 x F3 Tornadoes, 2 x Typhoons and 2 x GR9 Sea Harriers of the Royal Navy. Also airborne were an IL-78 MKI air-to-air refueller and an E3D Sentry AWACS aircraft in the vicinity of the exercise.

Whole story
http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=29145

[WRCKid]

Found this on how the SU-30MKI and Brittain's new Typhoon stack up against each other...pretty interesting

http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/typhoon-vs-su-30mki-the-2007-indra-dhanush-exercise-03470/#more

[valkyrian]

Good link WRC.....Reading the article, i don't agree on the point that the EF is more stealthy, and i have to agree with Copp's article on this area. Besides RCS has nothing to do with the size of the aircraft.

I wonder whether the Spanish air force has evaluated the Ef's against the F/A-18, at least in the maneuvrability. Does anyone know anything on this?