IAF chief flies in the Sukhoi-30MKI: but what strikes you most in this photograph? - Broadsword by Ajai Shukla - Strategy. Economics. Defence.
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Wednesday, 21 December 2011

IAF chief flies in the Sukhoi-30MKI: but what strikes you most in this photograph?

Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne, Chief of the Air Staff with Wing Commander Anurag Sharma, Commanding Officer, SU-30 MKI Squadron, before a one-hour sortie in a SU-30 MKI at Pune today



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74 comments:

  1. Anonymous21 December 2011 at 02:25

    The aircraft shelter?

    btw anybody know which sqn's patch the air chief is wearing on his chest?

    I'd also like to know why he's got the old blue overalls on.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous21 December 2011 at 02:38

    notebook

    ReplyDelete
  3. Kahlon21 December 2011 at 03:53

    That He actually flew the Aircraft. This was not a Jolly ride.

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  4. Anonymous21 December 2011 at 04:28

    It seems there is an inner bay for missiles.

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  5. Anonymous21 December 2011 at 04:41

    1: night vision gogles on pilot's helmet

    2: shed on top of SU30 for operation ready aircraft [hven't seen those sheds before in Indian airbases]

    ReplyDelete
  6. Broadsword21 December 2011 at 04:48

    NOPE! NOBODY'S GOT IT AND, WHAT'S MORE, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY IS GOING TO.

    IT TAKES A SPECIALLY PERVERSE, SUSPICIOUS BRAIN LIKE MINE TO SEE SOMETHING LIKE THIS...

    HEH, HEH!

    ReplyDelete
  7. joydeep ghosh21 December 2011 at 05:00

    @ajai sir

    its the indian made ejection seat

    thanks

    Joydeep Ghosh

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous21 December 2011 at 05:12

    The chief has blue color cloth leaking through his G suit.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous21 December 2011 at 05:27

    it is carrying... some belly fittings... might be to... carry a single... brahmos... or any modified... air launched... surface to surface... missile???...

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous21 December 2011 at 05:28

    Office shoes? :P
    - Vikas

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous21 December 2011 at 05:34

    Something which is of made up steel or shinning in nature like a pointy thing hanging around left hand side near there waist.

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  12. Hari21 December 2011 at 05:34

    ohhh come on Ajai sir. Enough of teasing, give it to us already...

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous21 December 2011 at 05:34

    Its a brand new aircraft built with raw materials in India by HAL

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  14. Anonymous21 December 2011 at 05:35

    The chief is not holding the oxygen mask unlike the other pilot. so might have flown medium altitude level flights only!!!

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  15. Raviprakash21 December 2011 at 05:37

    First time a serving father and son to file the sukhoi.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous21 December 2011 at 05:44

    ACM has a hard-on ?

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous21 December 2011 at 06:01

    can you tell what is it???

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anonymous21 December 2011 at 06:37

    did he pee in flight?

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  19. Anonymous21 December 2011 at 06:46

    The WingCo's fly is open?

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  20. Anonymous21 December 2011 at 06:46

    there are minor change in design specially regards the wing section and canard to reduce rcs from front.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Santosh21 December 2011 at 06:53

    What's with those flight pants? They have strategically positioned openings.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Anonymous21 December 2011 at 07:04

    is it that Mr. Brownie does not hav a night vision device on his helmet...even when he was flying.....

    ReplyDelete
  23. Arun21 December 2011 at 07:06

    The pilots are not wearing diapers!

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  24. Girish21 December 2011 at 07:06

    As far as I can make out, there is only one chock in front of each main wheel (there should be a pair - one in front of the wheel and the other behind the wheel - they are used in pairs)

    Neat cover on the HUD (Indian style) :-D

    The Indian Flag on the other pilots right arm seems to be missing the 'Chakra' (although that might be a limitation of the image itself)

    ReplyDelete
  25. Anonymous21 December 2011 at 07:12

    Nobody can be more peverse than me when it comes to special pictures on the internet.

    But in this picture, what strikes be is how tiny these guys look. Either they are midgets or the aircraft is really tall.

    But I know what he is getting at and it has to do with the tank on the nose wheel bay door.

    Cujo

    ReplyDelete
  26. Anonymous21 December 2011 at 07:21

    The serial # of the Sukhoi 30MKI is not painted completely. The chief does not have the sortie paper, the WingCo has it but it was reported that the Chief flew the bird. The Wingco's helmet has a NVG integrated. Also the bird seems to be clean no (AAM) missiles!!!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Anonymous21 December 2011 at 07:38

    red stoppers in place next to rear wheels....no one places stoppers right after sortie..which means this pic is taken with an aircraft that was on base and perhaps never took to the skies...is tat wat u r trying to say colonel

    ReplyDelete
  28. Mr. Ra21 December 2011 at 07:42

    Something hands in gloves.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Anonymous21 December 2011 at 07:53

    Col is on his way to find fault with Russian stuff.

    ReplyDelete
  30. sagar21 December 2011 at 08:29

    internal bay kind of thing(hatch is open)?

    ReplyDelete
  31. Anonymous21 December 2011 at 08:36

    Are you speaking about the position of the canard?

    Indranil

    ReplyDelete
  32. Anonymous21 December 2011 at 09:04

    HUD?

    ReplyDelete
  33. sahanshu21 December 2011 at 09:56

    ladders are not touching the ground.
    or the orange cover on the hud(never )seen it before.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Dev21 December 2011 at 09:59

    Gloves?? I ain't sure whether those should be the kind of gloves to be used, if at all gloves are used (the other pilot doesn't have any).

    ReplyDelete
  35. Mihir21 December 2011 at 10:01

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Anonymous21 December 2011 at 10:02

    He seems to say guys

    itne mein itnaich milega

    Thank your stars :)

    ReplyDelete
  37. Anonymous21 December 2011 at 10:16

    Is it their suits or the intakes?

    ReplyDelete
  38. ArjunTankFan21 December 2011 at 10:34

    The aircraft seems to be stationed in a temporary hangar. Something the sort of a giant metallic frame with stretched fabric skin. It doesnt appear to be under any hardened bunker type hangar

    ReplyDelete
  39. Anonymous21 December 2011 at 10:35

    The huuugeness of the MKI...Its like a B737...they look puny in front of this giant Eagle..

    ReplyDelete
  40. Anonymous21 December 2011 at 10:56

    what strikes me the most is the fact that they finally have light weight weather protection shelters to protect the sukhoi from the extreme sun and heat. Thank god we got onto it.

    but do tell me what strikes YOU most in the photograph, Colonel

    ReplyDelete
  41. Spartacus21 December 2011 at 11:07

    The Plane is parked in the opposite direction. At the front of the white square, there are yellow markers where the rear wheels are supposed to be parked.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Spartacus21 December 2011 at 11:07

    The Plane is parked in the opposite direction. At the front of the white square, there are yellow markers where the rear wheels are supposed to be parked.

    ReplyDelete
  43. Anonymous21 December 2011 at 11:36

    Is it the same aircraft that the commander in chief flew earlier? Additionally I see some electronics on the side that look like plasma stealth as seen on the PAK FA.

    ReplyDelete
  44. Anonymous21 December 2011 at 11:42

    chief's right leg is shorter than his left leg??

    ReplyDelete
  45. Anonymous21 December 2011 at 11:51

    This bird doesn't have a mid-air refuelling pod. It is usually on the left side of the pilot.

    ReplyDelete
  46. sahanshu21 December 2011 at 12:07

    some names are written on the ladder

    ReplyDelete
  47. Anonymous21 December 2011 at 12:34

    Is it about the ORANGE thing above the HUD?

    ReplyDelete
  48. Anonymous21 December 2011 at 13:02

    Anti FOD guard on the nose wheel?

    ReplyDelete
  49. Bhramastra21 December 2011 at 17:30

    Mr Shukla,

    You are behaving like a only child with a lollipop. Please grow up and share your conspiracy theory...

    ReplyDelete
  50. Anonymous21 December 2011 at 17:43

    OK, spill the beans, kernel sahab.

    ReplyDelete
  51. Anonymous21 December 2011 at 18:14

    No way they flew that plane in the background.

    And of course, they didnt fly the F35!!

    ReplyDelete
  52. Broadsword21 December 2011 at 18:32

    OKAY, OKAY... I MUST SAY THAT I STAND EXPOSED BY ALL YOUR HIGHLY TECHNICAL REPLIES!! HUDs; MISSILE BAYS; NV GOGGLES; CANARD POSITIONS!

    NO, I'M AFRAID MY OBSERVATION IS MORE THAT OF A JOURNALIST!

    IT IS THIS: ZOOM INTO THE PHOTO AND YOU WILL FIND... WRITTEN ON THE THIRD RUNG FROM THE TOP ON EACH OF THE LADDERS, THE COST OF THE LADDER.

    THE LADDER ON THE LEFT COSTS Rs 12,000/- AND THE LADDER ON THE RIGHT COSTS Rs 15,000/-

    IT SEEMS CLEAR THAT SOME VENDOR (AND, THEREFORE, PERHAPS ALL THE VENDORS) ARE MAKING HEFTY PROFITS ON THE COMPONENTS THAT THEY SUPPLY TO HAL.

    THESE LADDERS --- MADE OF SIMPLE STEEL TUBING --- CANNOT POSSIBLY HAVE COST MORE THAN A COUPLE OF THOUSAND RUPEES TO MANUFACTURE. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT 600% PROFIT MARGINS HERE.

    AND THAT IS WHY THE COST OF THE HAL-BUILT SUKHOIs IS SO HIGH... AND THE LCA WILL COST Rs 200 CRORE EACH TO BUILD.

    Q.E.D.

    ReplyDelete
  53. Anonymous21 December 2011 at 19:37

    Ladder price_ What an Idea Sirjee.

    ReplyDelete
  54. joydeep ghosh21 December 2011 at 20:09

    @ajai sir

    do i sniff another scam here

    He!!He!!

    thanks

    Joydeep Ghosh

    ReplyDelete
  55. Anonymous21 December 2011 at 20:13

    No sir you got it wrong, its the cost of aircraft that they are flying...earlier they used to write on the nose of the aircraft but now on the ladder.its something like 200 lac... may be your assumption is also correct bcoz it reads 52000...but they used do the latter in early days don't know whether they even follow it now..

    ReplyDelete
  56. Anonymous21 December 2011 at 21:31

    OH Col...apne to daryi diya tha!!! Sigh of relief for all of us...We all very well know that DPSU and its union are biggest thugs supported by each successive government in center for financing so-called democracy.

    ReplyDelete
  57. Teja21 December 2011 at 23:32

    Its a bit strange that they will write the acquisition cost of a ladder like this. It doesnt make sense for any audit or operational purpose.

    I am sure Ajai ji its not the price, which is mentioned by COST. It has to be an abbreviation of something else.

    ReplyDelete
  58. Anonymous22 December 2011 at 05:08

    Nope colonel, it is the cost of the airframe only. Earlier used to be written just under the canopy or on the fore section of the nose.

    12K Lakhs + 15K Lakhs = $52 Million.

    ReplyDelete
  59. Broadsword22 December 2011 at 07:21

    Sorry to rebut you all very conclusively, but I have the original photograph in its full file size, and I can expand it to 24 inches X 24 inches.

    The price is that of the ladders. Just for your information, all army equipment has the price written on it, even motor-cycles! The aim was to make the soldier aware of the cost so that he would handle it with greater care.

    Those ladders are Rs 12,000/- and Rs 15,000/- respectively. Don't waste your time arguing with me... instead, get out there an sell the IAF some ladders. You won't regret it.

    ReplyDelete
  60. Anonymous22 December 2011 at 08:16

    are the said ladders procured with the aircraft....is it like each a/c has a separate set of laddders?

    ReplyDelete
  61. Anonymous22 December 2011 at 09:20

    Well, I tried zooming the picture as much as I could, but still could not make out the writing on the ladders. And I know what to look for now. This is not a fair question (;-)

    ReplyDelete
  62. Anonymous22 December 2011 at 09:28

    so where is the price tag on the airplane?

    ReplyDelete
  63. KDG22 December 2011 at 09:54

    Colonel,

    With the greatest of respect, a specialised ladder at Rs.12,000.00 is a pretty good deal. At the prevailing exchange rate, that works out to $228.00. PLease see enclosed link to Walmart - which prides itself on sourcing quantity to provide low prices. Their ladder is only $109.00 but might not be suitable for safe use with an Su....Or even reach as far!

    Best regards

    http://www.walmart.com/ip/Cosco-17-World-s-Greatest-Ladder/11150979?findingMethod=rr

    ReplyDelete
  64. Anonymous22 December 2011 at 13:15

    Dear Colonel,

    Very ingenious. But these are not ordinarly ladders. These are custom made ladders that need to be of specific standards. Yes, I can put together a ladder of similar shape and size with tubes and welding for much lesser price of Rs 1000. bUt there is no guarantee that when the Air Chief Marshal climbs on it, it wont break and he will fall to teh ground.

    That said, 12000 and 15000 is not too much for ladders imported direct from overseas. Its 230 and 285 USD respectively.

    When a regular ladder in Home Depot costs 260USD, (see http://www.homedepot.com/Building-Materials-Ladders/h_d1/N-5yc1vZaqnp/R-100659877/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053 ) I really cannot complain if an imported ladder from Russia, built to specific measurements and certified for certain loads goes for the same prices. Yes once you start manufacturing them inhouse you may make them cheaper, but focus first on building the Sukhois at home cheaper.. ladders can wait.

    ReplyDelete
  65. Anonymous22 December 2011 at 17:09

    Price on the ladder! Hum, I remember seeming something that looked like the price printed on the front section (probably the nose) of a Mig-21 in the film Vijeta. I always though I was reading too much into it, but now after 20+ years since first seeing that, I think it probably was the real price of a Mid-21. Indirectly you have actually helped close the loop on an open question. So thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  66. bookz22 December 2011 at 20:08

    Ajai,
    That's a gross over simplification. The ladders were probably custom built and in small quantities. The cost of navigating the red tape of the MoD babudom would also have been factored in. You can call it corruption, but I call it "cost of doing business" with this ... this government.
    Not for a moment do I believe that the manufacturer made a killing here.

    ReplyDelete
  67. Shubham22 December 2011 at 20:22

    A great observation. Such issues may not be restricted to the IAF alone, and may be happening in other services as well? It may be some additional fodder for the CAG to look into? Why not get some appropriate people from the IAF (serving or retired) to clarify)?

    ReplyDelete
  68. Anonymous22 December 2011 at 23:33

    I bought a simple local made 4 feet swivel Aluminium ladder for domestic use which cost me 3500 Rs about 5 years back.

    The Su-30 is a pretty big aircraft,if made with quality material and welding,the costs quoted may not be that high.

    ReplyDelete
  69. Mr. Ra22 December 2011 at 23:59

    It may be rather illogical to read the cost of a ladder when riding in to a bigger aircraft. But they have kept separate costs on both ladders. So it may be something funny.

    ReplyDelete
  70. Vijay23 December 2011 at 07:30

    It is amazing to see people here rationalising the high cost of these ladders as if they are some super duper hi-tech hard-to-make items.

    Sorry to disappoint you, people, but private contractors do fleece the armed forces when it comes to selling them equipment. I should know, I worked for one.

    The reason the military doesn't make too much of a fuss is that these items are still far cheaper than what they would pay if these were to be purchase directly from abroad.

    ReplyDelete
  71. Anonymous23 December 2011 at 07:44

    a great find colonel

    ReplyDelete
  72. Anonymous23 December 2011 at 10:20

    What about IAF toilet seats. are the prices mentioned somewhere?

    ReplyDelete
  73. Anonymous23 December 2011 at 10:22

    Toilet seat covers that is. remember USAF ones used to cost $600

    ReplyDelete
  74. Subhankar30 December 2011 at 07:58

    The tail number reads SB32. Wouldn't it mean the aircraft wan't made by HAL, but came from the Irkutsk. Not confident with HAL product our ACM is?

    ReplyDelete

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