Good to see the first pics of the Phalodi AFS inauguration.
That said, I am amazed mixed with annoyance to see that the inaugural plaque is etched in English only! It is utterly shameful of the IAF to leave out the Hindi and the Devnaagri script altogether.
If the birds have a Indian name not to mention the missiles, boats, Navy bases etc. why this half hearted effort?
I know its OT, but it was ironical to see you discuss "To Marry or Not to Marry" for the hyderabadi drama on HT yestrerday when we were shell shocked for the 75 lives…was expecting you to cover the story…professional constraints i suppose
Well whats the good use! The armed forces are on a buying spree for spectacular weapon systems while security men get butchered daily by Naxalites. With corrupt, Lilly-livered politicians running successive weak spine-less governments, only things we can expect to see in the future are more such humiliations and worthless loss of lives. When are we going to make a statement? The only wars won by the Republic of India were those against Pakistanis, who are weaker, more corrupt and a failed state.Against a real country with its own convictions like China, what could happen can easily be found out from the pages of history. I say, let us become strong from within first. Bomb, gas, napalm those bloody Naxals. That bunch of anti-socials are a pathetic excuse for human beings. Those pests need to be EXTERMINATED. Unless we can a bunch of organized criminals, what are we to do with show-piece weapons. Wake up before its too late my dear Indians.
Why are most IAF officers fat? Do they store extra 'fuel' as reserve in case they need energy in future?
How can these senior officers live with their own hypocrisy? They are always giving lecture to juniors on maintaining standards, yet they never look in the mirrors themselves. Shameful.
@DRIKSOLO you just said the bitter truth perhaps the country is not mighty as we all here would like to think so. Anyways Jai hind hope india gets a true leader.
Buying new fighters,aren't we? But guess what, we don't even have a Basic Trainer, never-to-be-realized HAL IJT and a flawed AJT. Our vintage radars are no good in modern scenario, we do not have a tactical bomber and 🙂 our arms-depots keep catching fire! Guys we have a circus party to protect our borders! This is certainly not to question the abilities and professionalism of most our men in uniform but just to regret the amount of stagnation that has crept into every level. And then, God help us because we have HAL and DRDO. Unlike ISRO, these two are our pet "Safed-haathi". Not a single successful weapon system, not a single decent indigenous aircraft, not even an engine since their inception. Wake up dear Indian Government and privatize these organizations. Successful R & D can NEVER be rolled out of any institute run by bureaucracy, hierarchy and hypocrisy. I hear that the army is even looking to replace the unreliable INSAS rifle. Can anyone shed some light? Jai Hind.
Ha ha, the Couch-potato Air Chief said that the Air Force will not be used to fight the Naxals. Why? Because that will reveal the weaknesses of our forces and underscore their inability to carry out precise ground-strikes, limited availability of guided munitions and inability to gather real-time intelligence! Since when the Air Chief gets to decide whom to fight!!! I thought decisions were taken at a different level! Anyways, Dear Air Chief Sir, compliments to your cook and your dietitian, you can happily munch your ration, since IAF has never been called to do anything that has had an impact on the outcome of a war ( except few isolated acts of fantastic personal bravery by our superb pilots in all the wars). That just reminded me, when we put Mig-27s in the air the enemy has ball of a time. These birds fall off the air without having a single shot fired at them! Cheers to HAL. Future wars are going to be just like fighting the Naxalites. The enemy will strike and scatter. If our Air Force is unable, even to deal with this threat at the home front where there is no threat of SAMs or hostile aircrafts, then what will we do when there is a real war? Oh, perhaps the Air Chief will deliver speeches, cut ribbons and eat potato-chips even then!
As much as I hate to admit, I have to agree 100% driksolo. He is absolutely right. The IAF is one of the most useless, corrupt, inefficient, unproductive and unprofessional organization of the tri-services. It’s not just their fitness level of the IAF Chiefs that’s an issue. I have a feeling, I fear that more the half of the IAF fleet (combat and logistical support) and ammunition is unreliable or unusable let alone be sufficiently modernized to take on a tough enemy. Given the pathetic state of the IAF for well over a decade, it is downright shameful to see the IAF Generals and their wives indulging in ceremonies wearing clean uniforms and pretty saries. And then of course we have our regular “airshow” entertainment where the Surya Kirans pull some nifty stunts, but otherwise what value have they ever provided to our national security? The IAF’s sole purpose is only to buy expensive foreign toys and conduct ceremonies and public entertainment? When was the last time IAF did something decisive to change the outcome of war? Every time we have a national crisis, our Generals tell us we are underprepared. Have we learned nothing since 1962? What we really need to do first is to cut out this bureaucratic fat, replace the top brass with efficient and hard taskmasters who are promoted not on the basis of seniority but because of their capability, and turn IAF into a lean, modern and efficient fighting force. It’s not just our politicians to blame but also our military bureaucracy.
way to go….air warriors….
Shiv can you please let us know about the status of the Mi17I choppers that india had inked the deal for?
Hi Shiv,
Are the Jags in the pics the maritime jags from Sqn #6 (Sea Dragons)?
If yes, isn't it a bit wierd to have them in the middle of a desert far away from the sea?
Shiv,
You shouldn't have posted this. This is a MAJOR Nuclear Missile base
bizarre!!
jag IMs in rajasthan. Far from the sea right.
"Shiv you should not have posted this. This is a major nuclear missile base."
Sorry for that Shiv, it is not this base after all.
Good to see the first pics of the Phalodi AFS inauguration.
That said, I am amazed mixed with annoyance to see that the inaugural plaque is etched in English only! It is utterly shameful of the IAF to leave out the Hindi and the Devnaagri script altogether.
If the birds have a Indian name not to mention the missiles, boats, Navy bases etc. why this half hearted effort?
great!
now we need more phalodis at eastern border to counter the chilichikens
Hi Shiv,
I know its OT, but it was ironical to see you discuss "To Marry or Not to Marry" for the hyderabadi drama on HT yestrerday when we were shell shocked for the 75 lives…was expecting you to cover the story…professional constraints i suppose
Those are the post-DARIN upgrade jags – thus the different nose. Not to be confused with the IM jags.
Where is Phalodi? Cant be located on the map
Well whats the good use! The armed forces are on a buying spree for spectacular weapon systems while security men get butchered daily by Naxalites. With corrupt, Lilly-livered politicians running successive weak spine-less governments, only things we can expect to see in the future are more such humiliations and worthless loss of lives. When are we going to make a statement?
The only wars won by the Republic of India were those against Pakistanis, who are weaker, more corrupt and a failed state.Against a real country with its own convictions like China, what could happen can easily be found out from the pages of history.
I say, let us become strong from within first. Bomb, gas, napalm those bloody Naxals. That bunch of anti-socials are a pathetic excuse for human beings. Those pests need to be EXTERMINATED. Unless we can a bunch of organized criminals, what are we to do with show-piece weapons.
Wake up before its too late my dear Indians.
Why cant the Indian government risr a Auxiliary Air Force to deal with the internal threats & to support the paramilitary forces?
There seems to be a provision for that
http://indianairforce.nic.in/RTI/ReserveAuxiliaryAFAct52Rules53.pdf
Why are most IAF officers fat? Do they store extra 'fuel' as reserve in case they need energy in future?
How can these senior officers live with their own hypocrisy? They are always giving lecture to juniors on maintaining standards, yet they never look in the mirrors themselves. Shameful.
anon@11:55 PM:
You suffer from some perception and generalization syndrome ?
To Anonymous
here are the co ordinates for phalodi
27° 6'46.84"N 72°23'19.83"E
Loook its a pig, No its a Elephant, no its India's Air Chief.
Boy he must love eating.
Yea tax payers money.
driksolo@3:19 pm:
Sounds like Hitler.
@DRIKSOLO you just said the bitter truth perhaps the country is not mighty as we all here would like to think so. Anyways Jai hind hope india gets a true leader.
Buying new fighters,aren't we? But guess what, we don't even have a Basic Trainer, never-to-be-realized HAL IJT and a flawed AJT. Our vintage radars are no good in modern scenario, we do not have a tactical bomber and 🙂 our arms-depots keep catching fire! Guys we have a circus party to protect our borders! This is certainly not to question the abilities and professionalism of most our men in uniform but just to regret the amount of stagnation that has crept into every level.
And then, God help us because we have HAL and DRDO. Unlike ISRO, these two are our pet "Safed-haathi". Not a single successful weapon system, not a single decent indigenous aircraft, not even an engine since their inception. Wake up dear Indian Government and privatize these organizations. Successful R & D can NEVER be rolled out of any institute run by bureaucracy, hierarchy and hypocrisy.
I hear that the army is even looking to replace the unreliable INSAS rifle. Can anyone shed some light?
Jai Hind.
Ha ha, the Couch-potato Air Chief said that the Air Force will not be used to fight the Naxals. Why? Because that will reveal the weaknesses of our forces and underscore their inability to carry out precise ground-strikes, limited availability of guided munitions and inability to gather real-time intelligence!
Since when the Air Chief gets to decide whom to fight!!! I thought decisions were taken at a different level! Anyways, Dear Air Chief Sir, compliments to your cook and your dietitian, you can happily munch your ration, since IAF has never been called to do anything that has had an impact on the outcome of a war ( except few isolated acts of fantastic personal bravery by our superb pilots in all the wars). That just reminded me, when we put Mig-27s in the air the enemy has ball of a time. These birds fall off the air without having a single shot fired at them! Cheers to HAL.
Future wars are going to be just like fighting the Naxalites. The enemy will strike and scatter. If our Air Force is unable, even to deal with this threat at the home front where there is no threat of SAMs or hostile aircrafts, then what will we do when there is a real war?
Oh, perhaps the Air Chief will deliver speeches, cut ribbons and eat potato-chips even then!
As much as I hate to admit, I have to agree 100% driksolo. He is absolutely right. The IAF is one of the most useless, corrupt, inefficient, unproductive and unprofessional organization of the tri-services. It’s not just their fitness level of the IAF Chiefs that’s an issue. I have a feeling, I fear that more the half of the IAF fleet (combat and logistical support) and ammunition is unreliable or unusable let alone be sufficiently modernized to take on a tough enemy. Given the pathetic state of the IAF for well over a decade, it is downright shameful to see the IAF Generals and their wives indulging in ceremonies wearing clean uniforms and pretty saries. And then of course we have our regular “airshow” entertainment where the Surya Kirans pull some nifty stunts, but otherwise what value have they ever provided to our national security? The IAF’s sole purpose is only to buy expensive foreign toys and conduct ceremonies and public entertainment? When was the last time IAF did something decisive to change the outcome of war? Every time we have a national crisis, our Generals tell us we are underprepared. Have we learned nothing since 1962? What we really need to do first is to cut out this bureaucratic fat, replace the top brass with efficient and hard taskmasters who are promoted not on the basis of seniority but because of their capability, and turn IAF into a lean, modern and efficient fighting force. It’s not just our politicians to blame but also our military bureaucracy.
Keep it up.