Sequence of actions required to be taken when inducting Rafale

AIRFIELD: Check status/availability of:

Runway length minimum 2700m, condition, width=/>50m, LCN, electro-hydraulic arrester barriers, distance to go markers, markings at either dumb-bell, aprons at either dumb-bell, soft ground arrester pits, ~50-75m long bright white painted extensions after the barrier, night lighting, VASI/AVASI, requisite links with ATC and SRE. Bird-free approaches. Abattoirs and ground-fill areas removed on both sides of approach, up to 15 km from the runway. Interact with municipalities to get this clearance, if not already done.

ATC to film all approaches and landings, for debrief via LAN

Deficiencies, if any, to be made up ASAP.

Parallel taxi-track for emergency landing, width =/>25m with prominent centre line and markers. Minimum 2500m length.

OPERATIONAL AREA

Adequate number of well dispersed blast pens. Older generation blast pens built in the MiG-21 era were relatively small and cramped for newer types of ac. The bigger ac had to be moved around very carefully. Current generation pens are satisfactory.)

Tarmac dimension, Sun-screen shelters on the tarmac, along with specific electrical supply for the ac, Ground refuelling ports, co-ordinates. Mobile self-propelled low-slung a/c units.

Crew room and other required office space with internet facility. ECM/ECCM/ESM platforms, both for config and for analysis in real-time. Debrief rooms equipped with data display centre for single and multi-aircraft missions. Flight hazard limitations to be included to display deviations therefrom. Induct data from air to ground firing range sensors.

LAN with links to CO, Flt Cdrs, ECM office, Debrief room, Sqn Tech Offr, Flight Desk, Sqn ac datacenter.

and also down-link to LAN for inter-base exercises debrief capability.

MASTER CENTRE: CENTRALISED DATABASE

Dust-free Underground Master Centre, the repository of all ac data. Real-time status and location of all LRUs, link with Logistics centre and Local storage unit. Link with Sqn ac datacenter, all Bomb Dumps, Laser weapon shed, Missile sheds, Radar centre, Engine test bed (ETB), Hydraulic test bed, Avionics centre, Laser lab and eqpt centre ( Laser guidance heads and tails),Camera pod centre, IR bay, flares and chaff dispenser kits + towed-decoy pod labs, all dust-free. Used as backup with daily tallying with Sqn datacenter, as all modules have BITE which feeds back through the data-link on Tarmac/Hangar.

TRAINING CENTRE/SCHOOL

Photo lab, Laser lab, Radar lab, anechoic chamber, AESA nodule tester. Weapons tester for all bombs and missiles, Camera units, IR units.

Periodic Overhaul Centre dispensed with. All other types of IAF fighter ac have prolonged tests at fixed time intervals. Time gaps between these tests are rather low for Russian ac, affecting their availability. The Mirage 2000 is now undergoing mid-life upgrade at Bgl more than 30 years after induction. It had flexible on-site flying-hours related tests taking half of one day. Rafale mid-life update scheduled for 8,000 hrs/12 years. THIS IS A MAJOR QUALITY UPGRADE. The 75% guarantee will reduce workload considerably.