http://www.facebook.com/airinternationalmagazine http://www.airinternational.com | 39Bangladeshi Herks, Indian Sukhois and Kiwi King Airs
ASIA
supplied at a little more than a third
of the price India is paying for the
36 Dassault Rafales it is proposing
to acquire under its MMRCA
programme. Raju is reported to have
offered the 40 Su-30s for a total of
INR 170 billion.
Raju told India’s Business
Standard newspaper on May
15, 2018: “We will offer a very
competitive price. Since 2010, we
have been delivering the Su-30 at (a
unit cost of) INR 4.25 billion. We can
deliver another three squadrons at
that same price.”
He added: “HAL has already
absorbed the technology for
building and supporting the Su-30s.
Now the aim is to build those three
new squadrons as quickly, and as
cheaply, as possible.”
If India’s Ministry of Defence
accepts the unsolicited proposal, it
will increase the Indian Air Force fleet
of Su-30s from 272 to 312 aircraft.
Raju told local media that the Su-30s
also have the advantage of beingmodified to carry the 2,500kg (5,500
lb) Brahmos air-launched missile.
Raju added: “We are required
to modify 40-odd Su-30s to carry
the Brahmos Air-Launched Cruise
Missile. Instead of upgrading older
fighters, with a shorter residual
lifespan, it would be better to
build three more squadrons of
Sukhois with the capability to carry
Brahmos missiles.”
In related news, Indian media
reports during the period suggest
that Delhi is looking to acquire
the MBDA Meteor beyond visual
range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM)
for its indigenous Tejas Mk1A Light
Combat Aircraft programme.
The reports suggest that the
Indian Air Force has issued a
Request for Proposal for a BVRAAM
in the class of Meteor to equip the
83 Tejas Mk1As.Kiwi King Air 350 delivered
New Zealand’s Defence Minister,
Ron Mark, announced on May10, 2018, that the first of four
Beechcraft King Air 350i aircraft
being acquired for the Royal New
Zealand Air Force has now been
certified for operations.
The Royal New Zealand Air Force
is leasing four King Air 350s to
fulfil its multi-engine pilot training
requirements and the aircraft will
replace a similar number of older
King Air 200s in the role, based at
RNZAF Base Ohakea with No.42
Squadron. Like their predecessors,
the new aircraft will also be used in
the light airlift role.
Mark said: “These smaller aircraft
have proved cost efficient for the
extensive multi-engine training
Royal New Zealand Air Force pilots
need after becoming proficient
on single engine aircraft. With the
end of lease of the old fleet, the
government has made a decision to
increase the Royal New Zealand Air
Force’s domestic capability.”
The remaining three aircraft will
be delivered between now andthe middle of 2019 and Mark also
said that the fleet will be used to
provide specialist aircrew training
currently undertaken in Australia,
with the Royal Australian Air Force
at RAAF Base East Sale, Victoria, to
be brought home to New Zealand
after a gap of two decades.
The specialist aircrew training
will begin with navigation, flight
planning, mission management
and communications training, with
Air Warfare Officer (AWO) courses
to begin later in 2018. Royal New
Zealand Air Force AWOs are trained
to fly and operate the P-3K2 Orion
and C-130 Hercules.
Mark said: “This reflects the
government’s focus on ensuring
our pilots and specialist crews
develop and maintain essential
skills, and continue to support New
Zealand Defence Force operations
in New Zealand. Two of the aircraft
will be configured to assist in important
maritime surveillance tasks across our
exclusive economic zone.”Two shots of Indian Air Force
Su-30MKI Flankers; the main shot
shows aircraft SB 048 fitted with a
Rafael Litening targeting pod; the
shot to the left shows an unusual
angle of the Su-30’s foreplanes
tilted downward. Paul Ridgway