25 Years Back

From Vayu Aerospace Review Issue III/ 1992

Agni Launched

The second launch of India’s Agni intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM) took place from the Interim Test Range at the Chandipur-on-Sea site in Orissa on 29 May, the first test having been carried out on 22 May 1989. The 2500 km range Agni carried a one tonne-plus payload on its successful launch but the missile later failed to carry out the final manoeuvres in the re-entry stage, owing to “premature ignition and separation of the second stage”. Russia ‘Go-ahead’ on Tech Transfers Russia has refused to bow to US pressure to stop the sale of rocket engines to India and said it would honour the contract with New Delhi, inviting neutral international experts to remove doubts from any side. Asked about the US “warning” to both Russia and India that it would impose penalties in case Moscow went ahead with the sale of rocket engines to India, it was stated that the Russian approach was fully in line with the norms of international relations. Further, Russia and India had finalised the text of a new Friendship Treaty to replace the 1971 Indo-Soviet treaty and assured uninterrupted supplies of defence equipment and crude oil to New Delhi.

100th MiG-27M delivered

HAL’s MiG-Complex handed over the 100th MiG-27M swing-wing fighter built by it to the Indian Air Force during a formal ceremony at Ojhar airbase (Nasik) on 2 May 1992. The first HAL-MiG-27M was delivered to the IAF on 14 December 1984 and the aircraft has been progressively manufactured with increasing indigenous content since then. HAL’s MiG-complex started off in 1964 with production of the MiG-21FL, moving to the ‘M’ and ‘bis’ variants over the next twenty years.

Ajeet Trainer

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has criticised the Ministry of Defence for its failure to develop and produce a trainer aircraft (the Ajeet jet trainer) which has entailed a “huge infructuous expenditure” of Rs 37 crore. In its 25th report on the development and production of this aircraft, presented to the Lok Sabha the Committee asked the government to “draw suitable lessons from the sad experience from this project and take corrective steps to obviate the chances of such recurrences in the future”.

Women Flight Cadets

For the first time, nine women flight cadets will enter portals of the Air Force Academy at Dundigal, on 6 July 1992. These pioneering women had secured top ranks among a total of 275 women who were chosen after a rigorous selection process during which they underwent the same physical obstacle course and mental aptitude tests as men.

“Vayudoot still not viable”

The Controller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has cited major lapses in the planning and operations of the country’s feeder airline Vayudoot since its inception, resulting in huge losses. In the 10 years of its existence, the Company had failed to make its operations financially viable. The CAG report pointed out that Vayudoot had not been given the mandate by the government to operate services in “regions other than the north-east” on considerations other than commercial. In fact, its operations in these regions were not in conformity with the government policy”.

The other critical observations contained in the report are : failure to maintain schedules in respect of stations operated by it. Poor seat utilisation also has been a chronic problem. As regards the latter, the seat utilisation was below 50 per cent during 1987-88 to 1989-90 on as many as 20 to 25 routes. At least seven routes were operated below 20 per cent utilisation. The lowest was BombayRatnagiri at 6.8 per cent. According to the report, the break even seat factor was above 200 percent at least in one of the years.

Su-27s For Pakistan ?

The PAF is seriously discussing the procurement of Sukhoi Su-27 long-range interceptors from the CIS, as the earlier reported intent to buy Mirage 2000s from France is unlikely to be followed through. The Mirage 2000s are considered as “too expensive” and this not “cost-effective” for the PAF while the Su-27 is being offered at substantially lower prices. Further, the Chinese PLA Air Force is to receive a batch of Su-27s and perhaps, considering the closecooperation between the two air arms, a common new fighter type may be advantageous. According to the reports, the PAF is likely to order 60 Su-27s with a follow up for another 40 with the option to licence assemble or even manufacture the type by PAC in Pakistan.

The Euro Fighter

Germany is understood to be pulling out of the European Fighter Aircraft (EFA) project, putting the entire $36 billion project into jeppardy. Germany has already invested $3.6 billion in the project but is under great internal financial pressures, compounding an on-going recession and the cost of “reunification”. The Eurofighter consortium, including the UK, Italy and Spain, formed in 1986, had plans to develop and build some 764 EFA but subsequent cuts by Germany, Spain and Italy had reduced this to 667. The unit cost of the EFA (being developed as a single-seat, highly agile air superiority fighter with secondary ground attack role) is estimated at nearly $ 80 million.