Posted on 11/16/2007 11:06:50 AM PST by sukhoi-30mki
IAF gets Rs 100 cr for Red Flag
November 16, 2007
NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 15: Brushing aside the Left’s objections to pursuing close defence ties with the US, the UPA Government has sanctioned an expenditure of Rs 100 crore to the Indian Air Force along with a formal approval to participate in the prestigious Red Flag advanced aerial combat exercises in Nevada with the Americans and other NATO allies in August 2008.
While CPI’s A B Bardhan has openly objected to IAF’s participation in the Red Flag exercises, CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat has opposed any strategic relationship with the US on grounds that it is aimed at containing China. However, last Saturday, Defence Minister A K Antony signed the expenditure sanction and a formal participation approval was sent to the Air Headquarters.
Government sources said the IAF has been allowed to take around nine SU-30 MKI fighters, an IL-76 M mid-air refueller and two IL-76s for logistical purposes for 17 days. The exercises will be held between August 11-22, 2008 at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, US. Air Forces from Australia and New Zealand are expected to participate in these exercises along with India.
Antony gave the green signal to the Air Force after top officials convinced him that the participation in the prestigious Red Flag exercise is only by invitation and that it was vital for the IAF to compete with the big boys in their F-16 and F-15 fighters. The Red Flag exercises are spread over an area of 6,000 nautical miles in Nevada with participating air forces simulating real combat situations.
This should be good for getting 100-200 more F-22s out of the U.S. Congress.
We very much need to be operating against the SU-30, and those SU-30s are going to be making air-air kills on our F-15s. There is nothing like cold hard reality to get the attention of Congress.
UPA? CPI(M)? Are these political parties?
Things get complicated in parliamentary systems with their
scads of parties...
The CPI-M is the largest communist outfit in India-they are affiliated to the Chicoms,which is why they are not too fond of the yankee imperialists.The UPA is current coalition government headed by the Centrist Congress Party.
Quite. F15 is one of the all-time great aircraft ... but it's old. Buying less than 200 Raptors (as currently authorised) is not just insane, it's criminally negligent.
Do nations pay the US to come to Red Flag???I’d think that they only pay for their expenses in coming to & participating.
Good point. My bet is that number will be increased significantly in time. It better or we’ll both be screaming bloody murder.
But I don't know that.
That they would have to do-but I don’t think there is any “entry” fee.
Don’t read too much into my comment in #3 ... my point is simply that they’re spending money here in the USA, when they participate in Red Flag. AND they’re giving us the stick we need to beat Congress over the head regarding the F22.
LOL
I have a bud that still works the range and gets to see the 1V1 and 1 V many RFMDS (UCLAS) briefs. I am willing to bet in a 1 V 1 and many V many, the F15s come up aces.
Technology is one thing, trained pilots flying over their home turf altogether different....
Smoke ‘em if you see ‘em........
The Indian pilots who get to fly the SU-30 are usually picked from the best of the lot & get to fly lots of hours as well-acc. to some estimates,over 200 hours an year & they’ve more or less proved that level by doing rather well in exercises against the French/Brits/Singapore etc.
The results should be interesting IF they have a SU v F15 matchup.
I would note some time back when the F14 was the hottest new airframe around, well trained Scooter (A4 Skyhawk for those in RIo Linda) pilots would smoke the big boys time after time. Singapore still flys Scooters, upgraded to darn near F-16C+ capability.
Another interesting matchup would be some F16 vs SU - 1V1 and many V many.
Even more fun would be to put up some T38 V SU and see how large vs small would turn out.
Assuming equal pilots & a level playing field,a baseline F-15 would have trouble from the SU-30MKI/MKM variants which have a huge phased array radar-ofcourse the USAF F-15 C/Ds are being upgraded to get a new AESA radar & other combat improvements like a new helmet mounted sight system,so it’s not as simple as that either!!
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