India's own Air Force One takes to the skies............

Quote:

Three Business Boeing Jets (BBJ) - all modelled on the US president's office-in-the-sky Air Force One - were Wednesday inducted into the Communication Squadron of the Indian Air Force (IAF) by President Pratibha Patil.

The President also undertook the maiden flight of the BBJ christened Rajdoot. The other two jets are called Rajhans and Rajkamal.

She flew to Lilabari in Assam on way to Arunachal Pradesh in the aircraft emblazoned with the name of India, a red beacon on top and Indian flag fluttering in the front.

'It will be more business-like with the journeys cut short. I can now give more time to study,' Patil said before boarding the aircraft.

The supreme commander of the armed forces boarded the aircraft after a small prayer ritual was conducted. The president was accompanied by an entourage of 20 officials on the four-day tour of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.

With the flight, Patil formally inducted the jets into the IAF's Air Headquarters Communications Squadron that is based at the Palam Air Force station here. The squadron ferries the president, the vice president, the prime minister, the service chiefs and other dignitaries.

'We have ushered in the new era for flying our national leaders. The aircraft in its class is the finest. Its features are SPS (Special Protection Suite), more passenger comfort and lower noise level, which makes it class apart from what we have been flying,' IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major told reporters here.

The IAF has purchased the aircraft from the US at a cost of Rs.9.34 billion each and they are equipped with state-of-the-art security gadgets and the latest communication systems.

The name Rajdoot was first initially borne by a Russian TU-124 and then by the Boeing-737 the new jet is replacing. The BBJ is based on a newer generation Boeing-737.

The aircraft has entered service nine months behind schedule due to last minute integration problems of the missile defence system and sorting out of end-user verification laws with the US.

'We have sorted this out. No physical verification will be there for the equipments in the aircraft,' Major said.

The three aircraft are being extensively flown across the country and are undergoing complete system checks. One aircraft will be dedicated for the president and the prime minister, another will be used to ferry special guests and senior ministers, while one will be on standby.

The aircraft have a spacious VVIP cabin and can carry a total of 46 passengers in four different zones.

The new jets have been configured to the same security specifications as the Boeing-747 that flies the US president. They are equipped with sophisticated electronic countermeasures, a protection suite and chaff dispensers to ward off missile threats, a secure satellite and VHF communication suite and other security gadgets.

Powered by two CFM-56 engines that are jointly manufactured by the US General Electric and the French Snecma, the long-range BBJs are designed to function as command posts in the event of an emergency. The jets are quieter and more fuel-efficient. It can cruise a speed of 41,000 feet at 450 knots.

Source:- http://in.news.yahoo.com/43/20090401/818/tnl-india-s-own-air-force-one-takes-to-t.html

deanhills

Looks as though India is doing well. Does it mean that there is no Banking Crisis there nor a recession?

vineeth

deanhills wrote:

Looks as though India is doing well. Does it mean that there is no Banking Crisis there nor a recession?

Please don't be surprised as we are not facing, in effect, any banking crisis or direct effects of recession. One of the reason for this is that most of Indians prefer to bank with public sector banks and they are doing a good job in these tough times with the assistance of Reserve Bank of India.

Sectors like BPO, IT, Gulf share etc are facing direct impacts of recession.

But in the case of India's Air Force One, recession is not a factor as it not too costly for Govt. of India.

deanhills

Well, looks then as though India can do some investing in the 1.2 trillion bonds that must be available for sale by now. Buy some ownership in the future of the United States! Smile

Boeing must be really happy with India right now Smile

prithvi

deanhills wrote:

Looks as though India is doing well. Does it mean that there is no Banking Crisis there nor a recession?

The recession effect is very much there.

On one hand, you have top line aircraft being purchased as standard conveyance for the premier Govt. officials.
On the other hand, you have several airlines, hotel, cargo employees losing their jobs, as a result of global recession.

However, the way our politicians and bureaucrats continue spending taxpayers' money for their personal security and luxury, it looks like the country is thriving.
On the other hand, the security of the common man has been taken for granted for several years now, what with terror attacks happening anywhere nowadays.

vineeth

prithvi wrote:

deanhills wrote:

Looks as though India is doing well. Does it mean that there is no Banking Crisis there nor a recession?

The recession effect is very much there.

On one hand, you have top line aircraft being purchased as standard conveyance for the premier Govt. officials.
On the other hand, you have several airlines, hotel, cargo employees losing their jobs, as a result of global recession.

However, the way our politicians and bureaucrats continue spending taxpayers' money for their personal security and luxury, it looks like the country is thriving.
On the other hand, the security of the common man has been taken for granted for several years now, what with terror attacks happening anywhere nowadays.

Yes, this is confirmed when the IPL cricket matches were moved out of the country claiming that Govt. cannot provide security to the cricket matches during election time. If they can't do it for such a popular event, what would be the condition of common man during election time? Will the entire force be moved for VIP security?

Even otherwise, policing in India is degrading to such a level that the police stations are meant only to accept complaints from losers and do nothing else. I doubt whether they ever heard about proactive security and sensible policing.

But I must say in out state, Kerala, things are changing much more as so many educated people are being recruited to the police force. They think the same way general youth of the country thinks and hope this could make some difference...

deanhills

prithvi wrote:

The recession effect is very much there.

On one hand, you have top line aircraft being purchased as standard conveyance for the premier Govt. officials.
On the other hand, you have several airlines, hotel, cargo employees losing their jobs, as a result of global recession.

However, the way our politicians and bureaucrats continue spending taxpayers' money for their personal security and luxury, it looks like the country is thriving.
On the other hand, the security of the common man has been taken for granted for several years now, what with terror attacks happening anywhere nowadays.

Think people will have to get in a position where they appoint watchmen to watch the politicians, all over in the world. Really a problem. Perhaps democratic countries are not as democratic as they think they are.

Fake

vineeth wrote:

deanhills wrote:

Looks as though India is doing well. Does it mean that there is no Banking Crisis there nor a recession?

Please don't be surprised as we are not facing, in effect, any banking crisis or direct effects of recession. One of the reason for this is that most of Indians prefer to bank with public sector banks and they are doing a good job in these tough times with the assistance of Reserve Bank of India.

Sectors like BPO, IT, Gulf share etc are facing direct impacts of recession.

But in the case of India's Air Force One, recession is not a factor as it not too costly for Govt. of India.

are u a malbari?
u look like a malbari, just curious

Hogwarts

vineeth wrote:

Please don't be surprised as we are not facing, in effect, any banking crisis or direct effects of recession. One of the reason for this is that most of Indians prefer to bank with public sector banks and they are doing a good job in these tough times with the assistance of Reserve Bank of India.

Around 42% of India's population live on under $1.25/day. They don't even make enough to put in a bank Rolling Eyes

vineeth wrote:

But in the case of India's Air Force One, recession is not a factor as it not too costly for Govt. of India.

Of course not Rolling Eyes

A few million dollars to save a hundred thousand from indentured labor, or an aircraft over-glorified by patriot Indians? Why, of course, we shall logically choose the aircraft! The government has plenty of money to roll about in Rolling Eyes

hunnyhiteshseth

Hogwarts wrote:

vineeth wrote:

Please don't be surprised as we are not facing, in effect, any banking crisis or direct effects of recession. One of the reason for this is that most of Indians prefer to bank with public sector banks and they are doing a good job in these tough times with the assistance of Reserve Bank of India.

Around 42% of India's population live on under $1.25/day. They don't even make enough to put in a bank Rolling Eyes

But they still save more than an average American in percentage terms Laughing

Quote:

A few million dollars to save a hundred thousand from indentured labor, or an aircraft over-glorified by patriot Indians? Why, of course, we shall logically choose the aircraft! The government has plenty of money to roll about in Rolling Eyes

Its more like US giving 400bn$ bailout to AIG, when around 13bn$ is all that is needed to achieve all millenium development goals of UN which would affect millions of life.

Hogwarts

hunnyhiteshseth wrote:

Its more like US giving 400bn$ bailout to AIG, when around 13bn$ is all that is needed to achieve all millenium development goals of UN which would affect millions of life.

The US is quite sound in their rights to care more about themselves then over-patriotic Indians, whereas the Indian government has a slight responsibility to look after their own population Rolling Eyes

hunnyhiteshseth

Quote:

Its more like US giving 400bn$ bailout to AIG, when around 13bn$ is all that is needed to achieve all millenium development goals of UN which would affect millions of life.

The US is quite sound in their rights to care more about themselves then over-patriotic Indians, whereas the Indian government has a slight responsibility to look after their own population

Do you mean that the 'things' living in US are not human and have no obligation towards humanity and hence they damn care about that? huh?

Anyway, the point here is not about India or US, the point here is that sometimes seemingly wasteful expenditures are needed.
Leave alone India, name me any nation/state/city/or for that matter any tribe whose leader doesn't spend rather lavishly as compared to his followers?

deanhills

hunnyhiteshseth wrote:

name me any nation/state/city/or for that matter any tribe whose leader doesn't spend rather lavishly as compared to his followers?

Osama Bin Laden?

hunnyhiteshseth

deanhills wrote:

hunnyhiteshseth wrote:

name me any nation/state/city/or for that matter any tribe whose leader doesn't spend rather lavishly as compared to his followers?

Osama Bin Laden?

I accept, I was wrong!! Laughing