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India Gazette
9 hours ago
- Business
- India Gazette
IAF to get Rs 10,000 crore indigenous I-STAR spy planes to help in precision strikes against enemy ground targets
By Ajit Dubey New Delhi [India], June 8 (ANI): Amid the ongoing Operation Sindoor against Pakistan, the Defence Ministry is going to take up Rs 10,000 crore proposal to buy three sophisticated spy planes to help Indian Air Force get a clear air-to-ground picture to carry out precision strikes against enemy ground targets like radar stations, air defence units and other mobile objects. The Rs 10,000 crore project for the Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (I-STAR) is expected to be taken up for clearance at a high-level defence ministry meeting scheduled to be held in the fourth week of June, defence officials told ANI. The ISTAR provides air-to-ground surveillance to the forces to help them in carrying out precision strikes. The spy aircraft project being developed by the Defence Research and Development includes the acquisition of three aircraft through an open tender from foreign manufacturers, including Boeing and Bombardier. The onboard systems on the aircraft would be completely indigenous, as the DRDO's Centre for Airborne Systems has already successfully developed them, they said. The systems have already been proven and developed by the CABS and they will just have to be integrated with the three aircraft which would be acquired and modified for the purpose, they said. The development of an ISTAR system would also add India to a select club of nations with such a capability, including the US, UK, Israel and a few others. ISTAR thus provides dynamic and time-sensitive targeting capability and contributes significantly to meeting the nation's security goals. It will aid in limiting the scale and complexity of undetected hostile threats. It has multi-spectral surveillance capability to detect, locate and monitor irregular forces. The I-STAR system shall be for carrying out intelligence gathering, surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting by day and night from stand-off ranges. The ISTAR systems are operated at high altitudes from large stand-off ranges and will be used for intelligence processing, exploitation, dissemination and generation of the common operating picture. The ISTAR aircraft will be a system comprising airborne and ground segments. (ANI)
India Gazette
5 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
6 Pakistan fighter jets, one C-130 aircraft, multiple cruise missiles, UAVs destroyed during IAF retaliation in Op Sindoor
By Ajit Dubey New Delhi [India], June 3 (ANI): As per an ongoing analysis of the damage inflicted upon by the Indian Air Force on Pakistan Air Force, it is emerging that 6 PAF fighter jets, two high value aircraft, over 10 UCAVs, one C-130 transport aircraft along with multiple cruise missiles were destroyed by Indian air-launched cruise missiles and surface-to-air missiles. Sources who were involved in the operations launched against Pakistani aggression told ANI that as per the technical analysis of the data available with the IAF, six of the Pakistan Air Force fighter aircraft were shot down in air during operations. One high value aerial asset, which could either be an electronic counter measures aircraft or an Airborne Early Warning or Control Aircraft, was taken out by a long range strike by the Sudarshan at distances of around 300 km, they said. The sources said that during the four-day conflict, the strikes at Bholari airbase using air to surface cruise missiles resulted in the loss of another AEWC aircraft of Swedish origin. There are inputs about presence of fighter jets also in the hangar but since the Pakistanis are not even taking out debris from there, 'we are not counting the fighter aircraft losses on ground', they said. The Pakistani fighter jets were captured by the Indian Air Force radars and air defence missile systems and were seen vanishing after hits were secured by the air defence systems. The Pakistan Air Force also lost a C-130 transport aircraft during one of the drone strikes by Indian Air Force in the Pakistani Punjab. The Indian Air Force used only air-launched cruise missiles to attack Pakistani bases and no surface- to-surface BrahMos missiles were used in the attacks, they said. In one of strikes on a hangar by Rafale and Su-30 jets, a significant number of Chinese Wing Loong series medium altitude long endurance drones were destroyed , the sources said. More than 10 UCAVs were also destroyed by the different IAF air defence systems over Pakistani air space in the conflict along with large-scale interception of Pakistani air and ground launched cruise and ballistic missiles aimed at different air bases, they said. The Indian Air Force, the sources said, is still carrying out the analysis of the huge amount of data gathered by it during the conflict. The conflict between India and Pakistan started in May 6-7 night when India retaliated by targeting terrorist universities in the Pakistani Punjab and Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir in response to Pahalgam terror attack. The conflict lasted till May 10 afternoon when Pakistan side requested for a ceasefire in view of the heavy losses suffered by it in the attacks by the Indian Air Force. (ANI)
India Gazette
28-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
How India
By Ajit Dubey New Delhi [India], May 28 (ANI): In Operation Sindoor against Pakistan, the Indian Air Force used air launched cruise missiles, long range stand off weapons and loitering munitions of different types which 'blinded, numbed and created a decision paralysis' in the Pakistan Air Force in four days forcing it to seek ceasefire with India said sources who were part of the decision making process during the operation. In the four-day conflict, the Indian Air Force carried out operations in a clinical manner, which led to major destruction of the Pakistani Air Force on both ground and in the air, sources in the defence and security establishment told ANI. The major action took place between the two sides on intervening night of May 9th-10th and continued till the afternoon of May 10th wherein air bases along the length and breadth of Pakistan were targeted by India conveying a strong message that 'we (India) can go deep, we can go wide and you (Pakistan) can do nothing about it.' After India had attacked terror bases in Pakistan on the night of May 6th-7th, including the terror hubs in Bahawalpur and Muridke in Pakistani Punjab, the Pakistani side retaliated by firing missiles at military targets in India, which failed to leave a mark due to a strong multi-tier Air Defence system. The Indian Air Force took the decision that in retaliation, it would first deal with the air defence network of the Pakistan Army which is deployed along the entire border with India including old American origin and Chinese radars and surface to air missiles of Chinese origin including the HQ-9s with maximum range of around 250 Km plus. Sources told ANI that the Indian Air Force used multiple methods to deal with the air defence radars by targeting the radar stations situated in the Pakistani Punjab area, and 4-5 of them were taken out by the Harop and Harpy loitering munitions. The targets destroyed by the Indian weapons also include a launcher site of the Chinese air defence missile system. The targeting of the air defence network, including Lahore, created major gaps in the Pakistan Air Force's capability to monitor Indian activities from May 7th to 8th onwards. However, 'blinded' by the destruction of its radar network in major areas, the Pakistani Air Force was still flying very deep within their territory to avoid the wrath of Sudarshan S-400, Saksham, Shaurya, Samar and Akash air defence missiles which had been deployed very strategically on the front, the sources said. The Pakistanis on May 8 evening responded with Turkish and Chinese drones to saturate Indian air defence networks but could not do so as the entire Indian air defence network from Siachen to Naliya was highly active including the small calibre L-70 and Zu-23 air defence guns which were doing major damage to Pakistani drone attacks along with the big air defence weapons of the Air Force and Army. The Indian Army was also causing major damage to the Pakistan Army and keeping it fully engaged in the areas opposite Jammu and Kashmir, using its artillery guns and rocket launchers overwhelmingly. The Indian Air Force on May 9th went in to aggressive mode by destroying the command and control (C2) centres of the Pakistan Air Force at the Chaklala, Sargodha and Murid air bases which were giving a battlefield picture to the Pakistan air defence networks which had been majorly affected by Indian attacks the day before that. The C2 centres at the three Pakistani bases were taken out by the three major weapons, including the world's fastest air-launched supersonic cruise missiles, Rampage and the Scalp. The Mirages, Rafales, Su-30s and the MiG-29s have been equipped with these missiles in the last 5-10 years. The extensive damage caused to the three command and control centres 'numbed' the Pakistani Air Force as they were not able to communicate or see the complete battlefield picture as there was no link between the Advanced Early Warning and Control system aircraft of PAF and their ground stations and the fear of Sudarshan from the May 6-7 night had forced them to go deep within a narrow Pakistan air space and hiding behind civilian aircraft was being adopted as deliberate tactics by them. On the same evening on May 9-10, around 1 AM, the Pakistan Air Force mustered courage and started launching attacks using surface-to-surface tactical missiles and fighter aircraft. The major bases which they trying to target were the Adampur base and two high-value assets in Punjab and Gujarat, respectively, the sources said. The Indian air defence missiles, especially the indigenous ones, played a key role in thwarting the attacks by intercepting the Chinese weapons. The sources said the low quality of weapons launched by Pakistan was so inept that some fell almost completely intact, only to be recovered later by industrious locals on the ground and handed over to Indian defence forces. The Indian Air Force started its action to create a 'decision paralysis' by attacking Pakistani air bases in Sargodha, Rafiqui, Rahimyarkhan, Jacobabad, Bholari and a Cantonment in Karachi on the morning of May 10. The Indian attack was launched from deep inside Indian territory using long-range, precision weapons, with no surface-to-surface missiles involved. The missiles hit targets in Pakistan and caused major destruction with pinpoint accuracy and intelligence. The Pakistani air base in Bholari was targeted at a hangar which housed a Saab 200 AEW&C airborne radar and surveillance aircraft along with at least 3-4 western-origin fighter aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force. The destruction caused was massive, and the Pakistani Air Force has not yet started taking out debris inside the hangar. One of the air bases in the Punjab sector saw three missiles being fired at different parts of the runways, and the aircraft were not able to fly for at least eight Indian attack was being monitored by the satellites as well as Indian AWACS aircraft. At the beginning of the Operation Sindoor, the top leadership had conveyed a message to the forces that the strikes at terrorist hubs and universities must be big enough to send across a strong message to terrorists' backers in the Pakistani military. The forces had got the message that they won't have to be content with dropping a relatively smaller payload. The destruction caused by the missiles, which has been shown mainly by social media and Pakistani networks at the terror hubs, also shows how the missiles breach the targets through one hole on rooftops and create massive destruction in the buildings targeted by them. The same small hole on the rooftop could also be seen in the Jaish building targeted by the Indian Air Force in 2019 Balakot attacks, and one can make out the destruction that it must have caused there, the sources said. The in-built systems of tracking and observing targets by the special munitions used to destroy radar stations and air defence networks have also given video evidence to the Indian Air Force, and they have been showcased to the top political and military leadership. The attacks against the Pakistani Air Force have taken them at least five years back and caused great damage to them and their Chinese and Turkish inventory of weapons, which could not stand even against vintage Pechora and OSA-AK Russian origin air defence systems. The sources said that the real capabilities of the Sudarshan S-400 air defence systems could be seen during the night of May 9-10, as it was firing and thwarting all types of missiles and aircraft attacks on Indian military assets. The Sudarshan could have created a record of sorts by hitting targets at very long ranges. Technical analysis of the targets engaged by the Indian missiles is on at the moment and it is going to take some more days for the Indian Air Force to be able to put out a full picture as it wants to be '500 per cent sure' of official claims to be made by it, added the source to ANI. Sources said that the unexpected attitude of the Indian Air Force in the skies and the Indian Army on the ground made the Pakistanis and their western colleagues seek a ceasefire early in the morning of May 10, and they were in touch with their Indian national security counterparts. Sources said that attacks were carried out by a 'large package of aircraft from North to South' using long-range vectors, which produced desired results in sending across a strong Indian message. (ANI)
India Gazette
04-05-2025
- Business
- India Gazette
Indian Army receives new supplies of Russian-origin Igla-S shoulder-fired air defense missiles
By Ajit Dubey New Delhi [India], May 4 (ANI): In a major boost for its capabilities amid tensions with Pakistan over the Pahalgam attack, the Indian Army has received new supplies of the Russian-origin Igla-S missiles. The Very Short Range Air Defence Systems (VSHORADS) are an important part of the air defence protection of the Indian Army, and the new supplies of the Igla-S missiles have been received as part of a contract inked under the emergency procurement powers given by the Centre to the forces. The new supplies of the Igla-S air defence missiles have been received by the Indian Army a couple of weeks ago and are being provided to the forward formations for taking care of the threat from enemy fighter aircraft, choppers and drones on the borders, defence sources told ANI. The contract worth around Rs 260 crore is expected to boost the strength of the air defence troops in the forward areas especially on the western sector, they said. The Indian Air Force has opted for a similar contract for the air defence missiles which are Infra Red sensor based VSHORADS. The Indian forces have been boosting their inventories through emergency and fast-track procurements over the last few years, where a major focus has been on the spares and other equipment to keep the fleets running through high tempo operations. Along with the fresh deliveries of the Igla-S missiles, Indian Army has also issued tender for buying 48 more launchers and around 90 missiles of the VSHORADS (IR) under fast track procedures. The forces are also looking at acquiring new versions of the laser beam-riding VSHORADS soon. The Igla-S is the advanced version of the Igla missiles, which have been in use since the 1990s. The existing inventory of older version missiles has also been refurbished by an Indian firm in the country itself. The Indian Army requires a large number of missiles as well as enhanced drone detection and destruction capabilities, given the threat from all types of unmanned aerial vehicles used by the Pakistan Army on the western front. The Army has deployed the Mark 1 of the indigenous Integrated Drone Detection and Interdiction System which can detect, jam, spoof and kill drones from a distance of over 8 kilometers. The systems are also fitted with lasers which can burn and bring down drones. The Army Air Defence units had recently brought down a Pakistan Army drone using the same systems opposite the 16 Corps area in the Jammu region. The Defence Research and Development Organisation has also developed a longer range and high powered direct energy weapon which can take down large size drones, cruise missiles and aircraft in times of conflicts. The Army also has to get the low-level transportable radars for a quicker detection and destruction of enemy drones and aircraft operating a lower levels. (ANI)
India Gazette
24-04-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Indian Air Force Rafales, Su-30s carrying out major Exercise
ANI 24 Apr 2025, 22:45 GMT+10 By Ajit Dubey New Delhi [India], April 24 (ANI): The Indian Air Force is carrying out Exercise Aakraman (Attack) over a large area in the central sector involving its mainstream fighter aircraft fleets led by the Rafale combat aircraft. The Indian Air Force operates two squadrons of the Rafale aircraft which are based out of Ambala and Hashimara in West Bengal. 'The cutting-edge technology fighter jets are carrying out complex missions involving ground attack and electronic warfare drills,' defence sources told ANI. 'The assets of the Indian Air Force have been moved from multiple airbases, including from the eastern side,' they added. The Indian Air Force has been practising for complex ground attack missions for operations in different terrains, including plains and mountainous areas, the sources said. The Indian Air Force also holds an edge over its adversaries in the south Asian region with the inductions of Meteor air to air missiles and induction of long range high speed low drag missiles like the Rampage and Rocks. The exercise is taking place at a time when tensions between India and Pakistan have gone up after the Pahalgam attack. The exercise is being closely monitored closely by the Air Headquarters. Top Gun pilots of the Indian Air Force are taking part in rhetorical exercise under close watch of high qualified instructors. The Indian Air Force was used in a big way to carry out the post-Pulwama attack strikes inside Pakistan in February 2019. The Indian Air Force has acquired the Rafale fighter jets since then and they have revived its edge over the readies in the region. The Indian Air Force had used the Mirage 2000 fighter jets in 2019 but has indicted many force multipliers like the S-400 air defence system, which can be the very effective against the airborne early warning and control aircraft of the adversaries. (ANI)
