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Author Topic: Indian Advanced Su-30MKIs Come to USA  (Read 5058 times)

Offline tigershark

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Indian Advanced Su-30MKIs Come to USA
« on: August 23, 2008, 03:30:54 PM »
Indian Advanced Su-30MKIs Come to USA
Aug 21, 2008

By David A. Fulghum davef@aviationweek.com

American, French and South Korean aircrews are getting a close look at one of the world's fabled aircraft - the Indian air force's Su-30MKI strike fighter.

An Indian air force group of 50 pilots and weapon systems officers - flying eight Su-30MKIs, two Il-78 tankers and an Il-76 transport - are just finishing a month-long deployment to the United States with a training cycle at the latest, annual Red Flag aerial combat excercises based at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.

They were part of a contingent of 246 IAF personnel selected from 20 (fighter) Squadron, Poona; 78 (tanker) Squadron, Agra; 44 (transport) Squadron, Nagpur, and a special operations team trained for combat search and rescue, says Group Captain Dee Choudhry.

Of great interest to observers - and no doubt to U.S. intelligence - was the Su-30MKI's Russian-made, long-range radar and AA-12 Adder air-to-air missile capability. In fact, foreign air force officials admit that they suspect that intelligence gathering goes on at an event like Red Flag.

India's Su-30MKI aircraft offers an especially attractive target. It carries the Tikhomirov Scientific Research Institute of Instrument Design NIIP-BARS radar that so far has only been seen on the MKI. But it's considered a variant of what NIIP developed for Russia's new Su-35 multi-role aircraft and what it's working on for the next-generation PAK-FA fifth-generation stealth fighter.

One long-time military analyst mused to Aviation Week that the event might provide insight, although it was no certainty. "I'll bet your [intelligence] boys hovered up every little squiggly amp from BARS. [Yet] sometimes the [radar's] training mode is just a software package that emulates the radar transmissions, but it's actually not emitting."

Indeed, to observers' dismay, and no doubt to that of the U.S. intelligence community, the IAF flew with a number of handicaps, some of them self-imposed, some not.

Their powerful Russian-made radar was, in fact, emitting, says Choudhry, but operating only in the training mode which limited all its range and spectrum of capabilities. In addition, the IAF wasn't allowed to use chaff and flares to avoid being targeted by surface-to-air missiles nor did its aircraft have the common data link. CDL brings a flow of targeting information into the cockpit displays that improves the accuracy and speed of data transfer and eliminates the need for most communications. The Indian air crews had to rely on voice communications which slowed the process and limited situational awareness.

Despite its limitations, the Su-30MKI's radar was able enough to allow the IAF's Sukhois to participate in a beyond-visual-range fight with U.S. aggressor aircraft carrying simulated AA-10C air-to-air missiles. Because there were so many foreign aircraft capable of offensive counter-air/escort missions (including French Rafales and South Korean F-15Ks), the Sukhois are flying fewer air-to-air missions than Indian team members had hoped, Choudhry says.

"It was almost what we expected," Choudhry says. "Because we couldn't use our chaff and flares, when we were targeted by SAMs we were shot down. And there was no picture in the cockpit to help our situational awareness so the workload on the [aircrews] was very high." Nonetheless, "We came a long way. We trained hard. And the degree of difficulty was not unexpected."

Photo showing Indian Air Force support conducting post-flight maintenance on an SU-30 Fighter following a Red Flag mission at Nellis Air Force Base on Aug. 13 by USAF Airman 1st Class Ryan Whitney.)

Source
http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story.jsp?id=news/INDI08218.xml&headline=India%27s%20Advanced%20Su-30MKIs%20Come%20to%20USA&channel=defense

Offline SukhoiLover

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Re: Indian Advanced Su-30MKIs Come to USA
« Reply #1 on: August 23, 2008, 04:14:51 PM »
I´m sure that all the other pilots are enjoying the moment, it must be great to fly alongside the Flanker.
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Offline tigershark

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Re: Indian Advanced Su-30MKIs Come to USA
« Reply #2 on: August 23, 2008, 04:24:18 PM »
I'm sure its a thrill for the Flanker pilots as well flying with almost 400 other aircraft as well. 

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Re: Indian Advanced Su-30MKIs Come to USA
« Reply #3 on: August 24, 2008, 05:53:00 PM »
Wouldn't be the US intel guys be better off by just putting in an order for a couple of Flankers? I think the Russians would sell to anyone. Of course with limitations in place, but at least it will give a good idea of what China, Algeria, Venezuela got, and Iran might get some day.
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Offline tigershark

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Re: Indian Advanced Su-30MKIs Come to USA
« Reply #4 on: August 24, 2008, 07:14:29 PM »
Its Intel that the US could or already have but won't say in public.  I thought the US already leased or bought (2) Flankers from some country many years ago not sure if its true or not.  There are many ways to collect such information one being USN subs off India's coast while Indian pilots train.

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Re: Indian Advanced Su-30MKIs Come to USA
« Reply #5 on: August 25, 2008, 02:32:06 AM »
If true they had the N001, not the N011M Bars, quite a difference.

About the subs, not sure, but why then are they making such a fuss when the indians travel overseas for exercises?
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Offline tigershark

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Re: Indian Advanced Su-30MKIs Come to USA
« Reply #6 on: August 25, 2008, 03:42:05 AM »
The US isn't making a fuss the Indian's are just playing it safe and I'm sure the Russian remind them not to make it easy that's all. 

Subs do nasty sneaky things like that all the time its one of their main functions.

 



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