India: Military Snippets-6

India -Malaysia defence ties

News report, New Delhi18 August 2008: India-Malaysia defence ties got a boost recently when the Indian Air Force ( IAF ) began to train Malaysian pilots to fly Russian-made Sukhoi fighters. IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major left for Malaysia on August 16 to discuss bilateral defence cooperation. He will be meeting with the Malaysian defence minister and Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) chief on ways to bolster defence ties. He will also visit the Gong Kedak airbase, where a team of IAF pilots and technicians are now stationed...

Israeli missile system for IAF

Media report New Delhi18 August 2008: The government will be giving the go ahead for long-delayed IAF plans to procure SpyDer low-level quick-reaction air defence missile systems from Israel. News reports quoting sources said the deal costing over Rs 1,800 crore for the 18 SpyDer systems would be inked within a few weeks after being approved by the Defence Acquisitions Council. The deal was stalled so far as Israeli Aerospace Industries and Rafael were named by the CBI in the case of kickbacks in the Rs 1,160 crore Barak-I deal.

IAF short of 400 pilots: Air Chief

News report, New Delhi20 August 2008: The chief of Indian Air Force (IAF) Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major has said the IAF was facing a shortage of 400 pilots. According to him it would take five years to make up the shortage. It takes 6-8 years of operational training before an IAF pilot can become fully operational in his role. The Air Chief said "They have to be trained over a period of time and there are not shortcuts. We are short of about 400 pilots but with the measures we are taking, we will make good the shortage in the next five years.”

Progress in India’s defence cooperation with Russia

News report, New Delhi 20 August 2008: At a two-day meeting of the Inter Governmental Commission on military cooperation held here on August 18, India and Russia seem to have resolved the bottleneck over transfer of key technology for the T90 S Main Battle Tank (MBT). The issue had slowed down the production rate of the Russian tank in India. Russia has promised to share the specifications of the gun barrel and will transfer all relevant documents by the end of the year under a new agreement.

Both sides also exchanged views on the progress of other joint projects like missile systems, shipbuilding, and aviation sector projects like the fifth generation fighter aircraft and multi role transport aircraft. They agreed to take steps for their successful implementation.