IAF to acquire more Sukhoi fighter aircraft

October 8th, 2009 HINDON - The Indian Air Force today celebrated its 77th anniversary with a breathtaking display of air power by its frontline fighter aircrafts, followed by a thrilling aerobatics performance by its Surya Kiran and Sarang teams. Both the Sarang helicopter team and Surya Kiran Aerobatics Team (SKAT) on Thursday enthralled the audience with their display of synchronized low level manoeuvring in close formation on the occasion of the 77th anniversary of the Indian Air Force.

September 10th, 2009 NEW DELHI - An Indian Air Force (IAF) MiG-21 fighter crashed at Bathinda air base in Punjab Thursday, killing its pilot, an official said. The aircraft apparently lost power while taking off from Bathinda air base but the pilot could not eject in time, the official added.

August 27th, 2009 AMRITSAR - An Air France plane was intercepted by an Indian Air Force (IAF) MiG 29 aircraft over Amritsar on Thursday morning as it crossed into Indian airspace. IAF radars picked up the aircraft, flying at a flight level of 37,000 feet, as it entered Indian airspace on an established border entry point on the ATS route.

July 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Defence Minister A K Antony today said the government is planning to increase the number of Sukhoi 30 MKI fighter aircraft in Indian Air Force to 230 by 2015. Antony informed the Rajya Sabha that since 1996 the Air Force has procured 98 Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jets.

June 18th, 2009 New Delhi June 18(ANI): Yet another Mig 21 fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed near Chabua in Assam. The pilot is said to be safe.ccording to an Indian Air Force communiqué, the fighter jet that took off from the Chabua airbase, around 1400 hrs, for a routine training- flying mission, crashed immediately after take off near the airbase after it experienced a technical snag.

June 15th, 2009 TEZPUR J - To strengthen its capability along the borders of China, the Indian Air force (IAF) today stationed four Sukhoi fighter jets at the Tezpur airbase in Assam. Air Marshal S.K.

June 2nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - After stationing the Sukhoi Su-30MIK war jets in Tezpur in Assam, the Indian Air Force will post another squadron of its frontline jets at the Chabua air base under its military policy to boost security along the border with China in the northeast. On June 15, four Su-30MKIs will land in Tezpur for a symbolic induction, making the airbase the third in the country to house the combat jets.

May 27th, 2009 NEW DELHI - A MiG-21 Bison fighter aircraft crashed Wednesday in Luni region of Rajasthan but the pilot ejected out safely, an air force official said here. "The aircraft took off from the Jodhpur air base at 12 noon and crashed in the Luni region sometime later.

May 27th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Commenting on the accident of a Mig-21 'Bison' plane on Wednesday, Air Chief Marshal Fali H Major today said that the Indian Air Force is deeply concerned about the loss of life or loss of fighter jets during accidents. " Its is more of a worry for the IAF than anybody else, and we are extremely worried.

March 5th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Indian Air Force (IAF) will Friday bid adieu to its MiG-23 'swing wing' ground attack fighter jets after nearly 30 years in service. The MiG-23 BN aircraft, which were bought from the erstwhile Soviet Union to counter Pakistan's then newly acquired F-16 jets, will take to the sky for its last sortie from the Halwara airbase in Punjab Friday.

February 11th, 2009 BANGALORE - The Indian Air Force (IAF) will restructure its inventory to ensure better maintenance and to achieve its sanctioned strength of 39.5 fighter squadrons by 2015, a top military commander said Thursday. 'We have a large inventory of platforms and maintaining (this) is a huge problem.

February 8th, 2009 BANGALORE - Amidst the thunderous din of the modern-day supersonic fighter jets at Aero India 2009 beginning here Wednesday, aviation enthusiasts will also be able to savour a slice from the glorious past of the Indian Air Force (IAF). On show at the static display would be two of the IAF's phased-out trainers - the De Havilland DH82 Tigermoth and Harvard aircraft.

January 18th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Seventy-five years after its formation, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has finally broken the gender barrier with a young woman reaching out to the skies as its first woman flying officer. Kavita Barala logs in another first this Jan 26 when, in a moment for posterity, she salutes India's first woman president Pratibha Patil.

January 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The air force and the navy will showcase some recent acquisitions at the Republic Day parade, including the Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) and Advanced Jet Trainer Hawks as well as the amphibious transport dock INS Jalashwa. 'The IAF (Indian Air Force) tableau will consist of a scaled down AWACS aircraft as the base with models of the newly inducted Hawk and Sukhoi-30MKI and Rohini 3 D Radar,' said Air Commodore N.K.

January 9th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Two Indian Air Force (IAF) Sukhoi-30MKI combat jets have been sent to Russia for a retrofit that would enable them launch the aerial version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile that India and Russia have jointly developed, an official said. 'The aerial version of the BrahMos missiles will be delivered from the Su-30MKI platform.