<ul><li>Mrs <keyword id="7311992" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="garima-abrol">Garima Abrol</keyword>, wife of martyr Sqn Ldr <keyword id="7311993" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="samir-abrol">Samir Abrol</keyword> has been selected to be trained at the Air Force Academy (AFA) to join the <keyword id="15141" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Air-Force">Indian Air Force</keyword> (IAF) as an officer. </li><li>Garima was recommended by the Air Force <keyword id="396738" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Services-Selection-Board">Services Selection Board</keyword>, Varanasi </li></ul>Garima Abrol, wife of martyred Indian Air Force fighter pilot Samir Abrol, is set to join the force. Samir Abrol lost his life when a Mirage 2000 fighter jet he was flying crashed in February, His widow Garima was given a recommendation by the Air Force Services Selection Board, Varanasi. She will join the Air Force Academy (AFA) in January 2020. Garima is a physiotherapist and zumba and prowl instructor by profession. <keyword id="178407" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Squadron-Leader">Squadron Leader</keyword> Samir Abrol and Sqn Ldr Sidharth Negi were flight testing a newly upgraded Mirage 2000 in Bengaluru in a <keyword id="86569" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hindustan-Aeronautics-Limited">Hindustan Aeronautics Limited</keyword> (HAL) airport for its acceptance sortie when it crashed. After the incident, Garima’s Facebook post on the topic went viral. She said that her late husband always said that his ultimate purpose is to serve the nation. “Every soldier’s wife’s biggest fear in life is when her husband would be called to the front line and serve in an active war. I too had this fear. Many a time I woke up crying after having one such bad dream, but Samir would hold me, console me and tell me, that is the ultimate purpose of his job to be able to serve our nation when the call comes.” <div type="javascript" title="Custom" contenttype="Video"><cdata><![CDATA[
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Martyr Squadron Leader Samir Abrol’s widow is all set to join the Air Force

<ul><li>India started using French Mirage 2000s in 1985 but started facing problems when in 2008 its R-530D and Magic II missiles became obsolete. </li><li>The <keyword id="15141" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Air-Force">Indian Air Force</keyword> decided to integrate its Russian R-73 missiles with the Mirage and Israeli ‘Elbit’ successfully completed the project. </li><li><keyword id="6355882" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="israel">Israel</keyword> integrated the missiles not only with the fighter jet but also with the DASH helmet it was providing India. </li></ul>The story of Indian Air Force has been written with the aid of many global counterparts. And over time, the country has become an expert at mix and match. Here’s how. An Indian pilot is flying a French Mirage fighter, weilding a Russian missile, with an Israeli helmet! This ‘mix’ is also because Indian forces use legacy equipment, which has been causing concerns. Air Force’s Mirage 2000 fighter jet has been in service since 1985 and officially India is the only country currently operating this aircraft. So much so, its maker <keyword id="6354785" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="france">France</keyword>’s Dassault stopped producing them. In 2008, the R-530D and Magic II air-to-air missiles which Mirage was primarily equipped also became obsolete and the fighter was left without any missiles to fight the enemy aircrafts. Source Code As the procurement of similar aircraft was lengthy, and IAF didn’t have many options, they decided to integrate their Russian R-73 missiles onto Mirage. Putting the R-73, which was then in service with the Sukhoi 30s, Mig-29s and Mig-21 ‘Bison’ jets, with any western platforms had never been tried before. This project did not go down well with the French who refused to assist India in this ‘Jugaad’ project. But an ‘innovative’ Israel was ready to take on the challenge. The integration was finally done with the help of the country’s Elbit, which was also supplying Indian Air Force with its latest sophisticated DASH <keyword id="2734412" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Helmet-Mounted-Display">helmet-mounted display</keyword>. This helps project critical information during missions, right to the pilot’s eye. “There were key challenges,” says an IAF officer who further added that, “This was a new helmet and we were working without source codes.” So they had to go to extra lengths and make algorithms to make Mirage’s <keyword id="47552" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="radar">radar</keyword> ‘talk’ to Russian missiles. While this was done under super surveillance as Elbit has to be given access to the aircraft’s sensitive information. The other countries of France and <keyword id="6358826" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Russia">Russia</keyword> were unhappy as their assistance was not taken for the project, though France did refuse help. However, it was a success, and all’s well that ends well. Even if the Indian forces have to resort to face multitude of issues instead of buying new equipment. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indian-army-places-order-for-israels-anti-tank-spike-missiles/articleshow/70175141.cms">Indian Army invokes emergency powers to buy Israel’s fire-and-forget anti-tank missiles</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indias-brahmos-missile-can-now-travel-at-3-times-the-speed-of-sound/articleshow/70129788.cms">India's flagship missile can now cruise at 3 times the speed of sound</a>

Indian Air Force and the story of how it brought Israel, France and Russia together

<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/57f3bb6c57540ccb028b4744-850/screen shot 2016-10-04 at 102226 am.png" alt="finnish f-18 hornet baana 16" /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pOkdmdHBsI">Finnish Defense Forces via YouTube</a>A Finnish F-18 Hornet takes off of a highway.As part of the Nordic Defence Cooperation, Finland, Norway, and Sweden are joining forces for a large air exercise with help from the Netherlands, Belgium, Great Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Switzerland and the US nuclear-capable B-52H bombers.The exercise will feature multi-role fighters, electronic warfare aircraft, airborne warning and control system aircraft, and ground-based air defense "for the purposes of crisis management," according to a <a href="http://ilmavoimat.fi/en/article1/-/asset_publisher/arctic-challenge-exercise-17-lentotoimintaharjoituksen-lentavat-joukot-ja-tukikohdat" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">statement from the Finnish Air Force</a>. The Scandinavian countries remain neutral militarily, but have seen their airspace and territorial waters regularly breached by Russian aircraft. Russia has also conducted <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/12139943/Russia-simulated-a-nuclear-strike-against-Sweden-Nato-admits.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">mock nuclear strikes against Sweden</a>. The event promises to bring together some of the best platforms in Western aviation. US F/A-18s, F-16s, and F-15s with a variety of air forces will fly with Sweden's domestically-built Gripen and France's Dassault Mirage 2000 and Rafale fighters.<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/578643064321f172088b7c46-1277/screen shot 2016-07-13 at 93117 am.png" alt="Saab Gripen E" /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKlQyPOiRuE">Saab/YouTube</a>Sweden's Gripen mult-role fighter.To top it off, a US nuclear-capable B-52H will make the long range trip to join the fighters and electronic attack craft near Russia's border. Meanwhile, the US has send B-2 Spirit nuclear-capable stealth bombers to the UK.As it stands, Russian forces in the region <a href="http://nordic.businessinsider.com/putin-russia-air-force-prepare-time-of-war-nato-doesnt-stand-chance-2017-2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">outnumber NATO and Scandinavian forces significantly</a>, and Finland and Norway share about 900 miles of border with Russia. The exercise runs from May 22 to June 2. <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/us-marine-corps-f-35-fires-gun-pod-first-time-lockheed-martin-2017-5">Watch the US Marine Corps' F-35 run and gun for the first time</a></h3> Please enable Javascript to watch this video

Finland, Norway, and Sweden are conducting a massive air exercise amid Russia tensions

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/47515812.cms" />Once India's former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had said “To be safe on land, we must be supreme at sea”. Much has been said about the <keyword id="6355100" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Indian-Navy">Indian Navy</keyword>'s blue water aspirations over time. However a number of experts have already described the Indian Navy as being a blue-water navy and the intentions of developing blue-water capabilities were outlined under the 2007 Maritime Capabilities Perspective Plan. In the recent times India has built one of the largest and most powerful navies in the world with an indication towards major possibilities of further growth. It has 2 conventional Aircraft carriers, 1 amphibious transport dock, 50 Frigates, Destroyers and Corvettes one nuclear-powered and14 conventionally-powered attack submarines and a many other naval ships including around 100 armed patrol ships with the Indian Coast Guards. 
 
Why Blue Water Capabilities? 
Ability to operate across the deep waters of open oceans along with the maritime expeditionary capabilities is required to be a <keyword id="2880481" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Blue-Water-Navy">Blue Water Navy</keyword>. Blue Water capability is required to project the power of India’s area of strategic interest in the <keyword id="12350" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="80" keywordseo="Indian-Ocean">Indian Ocean</keyword>. It is marked by the increased presence of the Indian Navy in the Persian Gulf and the Horn of Africa to the Strait of Malacca, and it also conducts anti-piracy operations and partnership building exercises with other major navies in the region. 
 
Blue water capability is necessary to shift the balance of power to an extent in India's favor and is also fueled by Beijing's “String of Pearls” strategy in the Indian Ocean. China's intention in building of maritime facilities in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar can be seen as an encirclement in the Indian ocean which can have serious outcomes in the coming future. True Blue Water capabilities not only protect India's own territory but also enables to project power beyond it. 
 
The Nuclear Triad 
Delivery of a nuclear arsenal through strategic bombers, Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs), and submarine launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) is termed as a nuclear triad. The purpose of having a nuclear triad is to increase the second strike capability and the nuclear deterrence. A three-branched nuclear capability significantly reduces the possibility that an enemy could destroy all of a nation's nuclear forces in a first-strike attack. India maintains a no first use nuclear policy as a part of its credible minimum deterrence doctrine. 
 
India has surface-to-air and surface-to-surface missiles such as Agni missile system with a range of 5000-8000kms which can be tipped with the nuclear warheads and forms the land based part of the nuclear triad. It can deliver nuclear warheads through air with the help of strategic bombers like Jaguars, SU-30MKI and Dassault Mirage 2000H. India operates a nuclear-powered missile submarine, <keyword id="45878" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="INS-ARIHANT">INS Arihant</keyword> which is capable of launching nuclear capable K- family missiles like Sagarika and K-4 which has a range up to 5000kms. Once deployed in 2016 India will complete its nuclear triad to be a true Blue Water Navy. 
 
Area of Thrust and the future India has transformed itself into a self-sufficient navy and the future lies in developing <keyword id="6500558" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="80" keywordseo="Indigenous">indigenous</keyword> platforms, systems, sensors and weapons as part of the nation's modernization and expansion plan. As of now the Indian Navy has around 45 vessels of various types under construction including; an aircraft carrier, destroyers, frigates, corvettes, conventional and nuclear-powered submarines. 
 Indian navy operates two carrier task forces centered on <keyword id="317546" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="INS-Vikramaditya">INS Vikramaditya</keyword> and <keyword id="65178" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="INS-Viraat">INS Viraat</keyword>. India needs at least 5 more aircraft-carriers out of which 3 should be nuclear-powered with a capacity of having 60-70 fixed winged aircrafts on it. Dependency on MIG-29K for its carrier can be understood for now but India should also look and invest in a new indigenously developed carrier based fighter so that it can move from STOBAR to CATOBAR system and that fighter should have an extended range of around 3500kms. The road ahead for the Indian Navy's true Blue Water aspiration requires time-bound completions and proper policy framework. 
 
(Image Courtesy: wallpaper-kid.com)

Indian Navy's Blue Water journey: the road ahead

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/47469512.cms" />Since the last decade, India has been on a spree of buying modern weapon systems through its ever increasing defence budget. In particular the <keyword id="15141" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Indian-Air-Force">Indian Air Force</keyword> is going through a total revamp. India is the only country which has categorised its fighters as heavy, medium and light combat aircrafts. It has assigned specific roles to its fighters however most are multi-role in nature. 
 
The Dassault Mirage 2000 is a French multirole, single-engine jet fighter manufactured by Dassault Aviation. India has acquired a total of 51 Mirages, which include 41 single-seater Mirage 2000Hs and 10 two-seater Mirage 2000TH trainers. 
 
The SEPECAT <keyword id="42034" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Jaguar">Jaguar</keyword> is an Anglo-French jet attack aircraft originally used by the <keyword id="2875013" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="British-Air-Force">British Air Force</keyword> and is playing the nuclear strike role with the Indian Air Force. Similarly MIG 21 and MIG 27 are the interceptors and Ground attack aircrafts. HAL Tejas is a single seater, single engine multirole fighter. Sukhoi SU-30MKI is the pride of the Indian fleet and is one of the best 4++ generation air superiority fighters in the world. 
 
The MMRCA deal, the comparison and what went wrong 
India is planning to decommission its entire fleet of MiG 21s and MiG 27s by the year 2020~2023. Now, the MiG 21 is an Interceptor while the MiG 27 is a Ground attack aircraft. 
 
The MMRCA program was initiated to replace both these specialized aircraft with a Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft. This is the reason IAF floated a global tender for a suitable aircraft. 
 Out of the 6 aircrafts which reached the last stage of negotiations, Dassault <keyword id="6381048" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Rafale">Rafale</keyword> emerged as the winner. Initially the plan was to buy 126 aircrafts, 18 in flyaway condition and the remaining 108 was to be manufactured domestically under the Transfer of Technology agreement. However after Narendra Modi's <keyword id="6354785" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="France">France</keyword> visit in April, air was made clear and India inked the deal for 36 aircrafts in flyaway condition for an undisclosed amount of money which could seriously go over US$ 6 billion. 
 
Much has been said about the escalating cost of the deal and its worthiness to acquire the Rafale jets which was out rightly rejected by many former bidders and a section of experts believe that a SU 35 would be a much better option specially for India. 
 
 Dassault Rafale vs Sukhoi SU-35 
 Overall rating table 
<table align="center" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>
				CATEGORY</td>
			<td>
				DASSAULT RAFALE</td>
			<td>
				SUKHOI SU-35</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				BVR Rating</td>
			<td>
				90%</td>
			<td>
				80%</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				Armament</td>
			<td>
				7.8/10</td>
			<td>
				8.1/10</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				Technology</td>
			<td>
				7.7/10</td>
			<td>
				8.1/10</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				Avionics</td>
			<td>
				8.0/10</td>
			<td>
				8.2/10</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				Manoeuvrability</td>
			<td>
				9.5/10</td>
			<td>
				8.4/10</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				Rate of Climb</td>
			<td>
				max. 300 m/s – 60k ft/min</td>
			<td>
				max. 280 m/s – 55k ft/min</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				Thrust/Weight</td>
			<td>
				1.13</td>
			<td>
				1.10</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				Service Ceiling</td>
			<td>
				17 km – 55k ft</td>
			<td>
				18 km – 59k ft</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				Speed</td>
			<td>
				2.00 Mach</td>
			<td>
				2.25 Mach</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				Fuel Economy</td>
			<td>
				0.27 km/l – 0.63 NM/gallon</td>
			<td>
				0.19 km/l – 0.44 NM/gallon</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				Unit Cost</td>
			<td>
				90.000.000 USD</td>
			<td>
				65.000.000 USD</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				Overall Rating</td>
			<td>
				very good</td>
			<td>
				very good</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

	 
	FACTS- Dassault Rafale vs Sukhoi SU-35
 
Sukhoi SU-35 is cheaper. 
Dassault Rafale is more economical. 
Sukhoi SU-35 is faster. 
Sukhoi SU-35 is better armed. 
Dassault Rafale is better dogfighter. 
Dassault Rafale is smaller than Sukhoi SU-35. 
 

	France is a reliable defence partner for India and it is already supplying and upgrading the Mirage 2000 fighters however its credibility in the international defence market was questioned after the Mistral row. Rafale is a good fighter in its class and a better dogfighter but the days of dog fighting are over and this is the era of Net-Centric Warfare. Rafale is smaller in size when you compare it to the SU-30MKI or the SU-35 and possess good ground attack capabilities. India is becoming a regional resource centre for the SU series fighters and should have gone for the SU-35 or the Euro fighter both of which have a lower price tag than the Rafale fighters. However buying 36 Rafale jets was vital for Indo-French geo-political relations. Now is the time to have a complete stop on this and which was also confirmed by the Indian <keyword id="6366153" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Defence-Minister">Defence Minister</keyword>. 
	 
	(Image Courtsey: gripen4canada.blogspot.com) 
	<o:p></o:p>

You Searched For "Dassault Mirage 2000" and got 5 results

Martyr Squadron Leader Samir Abrol’s widow is all set to join the Air Force

BI India Bureau

Indian Air Force and the story of how it brought Israel, France and Russia together

BI India Bureau

Finland, Norway, and Sweden are conducting a massive air exercise amid Russia tensions

Alex Lockie

Indian Navy's Blue Water journey: the road ahead

Avinash Kumar

India's Fighter Aircraft ambitions: Desire and Dilemma

Avinash Kumar