Introduction

Aviation Research Centre (ARC),is a part of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) of the Cabinet Secretariat. The first boss of the ARC was Ramnath Kao, the legendary founding chief of RAW. Over the years the ARC has grown into a large operation and flies a large and varied fleet that till recently included the high flying Mach 3 capable MIG-25 that for long flew with impunity over Pakistan and China. Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW)[1] is Indias external intelligence agency. ... The term arc is derived from the Latin word arcus meaning bow. Look up arc in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... MiG 25 Foxbat The MiG-25 (NATO reporting name Foxbat) is a high-speed interceptor and reconnaissance aircraft produced by the Soviet Unions Mikoyan-Gurevich design bureau. ...

Inventory

IAF MiG-29 K

From its humble origin consisting of Twin Courier loaned from the USAF, ARC today boasts of having fixed-wing transport and light aircraft like Russian IL-76s and AN-32s, it also has General Dynamics Gulfstream III/SRA-1s and upgraded Gulfstream IV/SRA-4 jets. The helicopter inventory comrises of Russian MI-8s and a mix of locally built Cheetahs (modified French Alouette IIs) and Chetaks (Alouette IIIs). The secret weapon of ARC is however the MIG-25 (also christened as Foxbat by NATO)which can be used for reconnaisance as well as offence (the plane was decommissioned in 2006 & is no longer in service). Rumors abound that the Second Strike capability of India vests on the ARC. ARC is also believed to be the first wing of Indian Intelligence agency to induct the indigenously built Pilotless Target Aircraft (PTA) Lakshya.Lakshya is equipped with advanced support system to help it perform tactful aerial exploration in the battlefield, including target acquisition. The six-foot long Lakshya is fitted with a digitally controlled engine that can be operated from the ground using a remote.Lakshya had been designed by Aeronautical Developmental Establishment, Bangalore. Lakshya is a surface/ship launched high subsonic reusable aerial target system, remotely piloted from ground. It provides training to the gun and missile crew and to air defense pilots for weapon engagement. Image File history File links IAFMiG.JPG Source:[1] File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links IAFMiG.JPG Source:[1] File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Seal of the Air Force. ... The Bell 206 of Canadian Helicopters Robinson Helicopter Company (USA) R44, a four seat development of the R22 A helicopter is an aircraft which is lifted and propelled by one or more horizontal rotors. ... The Alouette II is a light helicopter originally manufactured by Sud Aviation and later Aérospatiale of France. ... South African Air Force Aérospatiale Alouette III The Aérospatiale Alouette III is a general purpose, single-engined light utility helicopter originally manufactured by Sud Aviation (later Aérospatiale of France, now Eurocopter). ... MiG 25 Foxbat The MiG-25 (NATO reporting name Foxbat) is a high-speed interceptor and reconnaissance aircraft produced by the Soviet Unions Mikoyan-Gurevich design bureau. ... MiG 25 Foxbat The MiG-25 (NATO reporting name Foxbat) is a high-speed interceptor and reconnaissance aircraft produced by the Soviet Unions Mikoyan-Gurevich design bureau. ... NATO 2002 Summit in Prague The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation[1] (NATO), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, the Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for collective security established in 1949, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, DC, on 4 April 1949. ... The term arc is derived from the Latin word arcus meaning bow. Look up arc in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Bangalore or Bengalūru (Kannada: ; pronunciation: in Kannada and in English) is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. ...

Bases

Although highly secretive in its operation it is believed that there are five RAW Aviation Research Centre operating bases:^[1] at Charbatia in Cuttack; at Chakrata near Dehra Dun on the Uttar Pradesh-Himachal Pradesh border; Dum Duma near Tinsukia in Assam; at the Palam domestic airport in Delhi and at the Farkhor Air Base^[2],the only Indian military base situated in a foreign country, at Farkhor/Ayni in Tajikistan. Raw describes material that is in its natural unprocessed form, or has not had the final stages of processing. ... Chakrata, located at an elevation of 5,500-6,500 feet, approx. ... Farkhor Air Base is the only Indian overseas military base, situated at Farkhor/Ayni in Tajikistan. ...

Function

Cameras of MiG-25RB for aerial surveillance

Aerial surveillance,SIGINT operations, photo reconnaissance flights (PHOTINT)^[3], monitoring of borders, imagery intelligence (IMINT)^[4] are the main functions of the Aviation Research Centre (ARC). The aircraft are fitted with state-of-the-art electronic surveillance equipment and long range cameras capable of taking pictures of targets from very high altitudes. ARC also takes the responsibility along with the IAF to transport Special Frontier Force (SFF) commandos from their trans-location at Sarsawa, 250 km north of New Delhi, though the SFF's own base is in Chakrata. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1170x746, 103 KB) Summary Cameras of MiG-25RB at Lipetsk AFB, 1997 Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1170x746, 103 KB) Summary Cameras of MiG-25RB at Lipetsk AFB, 1997 Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 ... SIGINT stands for SIGnals INTelligence, which is intelligence-gathering by interception of signals, whether by radio interception or other means. ... IMINT, short for IMagery INTelligence, is an intelligence gathering discipline which collects information via satellite and aerial photography. ... IAF could mean Indian Air Force Industrial Areas Foundation International Astronautical Federation Israeli Air Force This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The Special Frontier Force are a special forces unit of the Indian military. ... Promotional artwork for the Commandos series. ... An Aerial view of New Delhi The Humayuns Tomb, situated in New Delhi, has an architectural design similar to the Taj Mahal. ... Chakrata, located at an elevation of 5,500-6,500 feet, approx. ...

Controversies

ARC is blamed by many for its failure to monitor and detect the intrusion by Pakistan in Kargil. There has been even rumors about possible split of ARC from RAW^[5].Moreover turf battles between the civilian and military intelligence agencies, which had intensified following feeble attempts to revamp the country's information gathering capabilities five years ago, led to difficulties in close cooperation or information sharing between RAW and the Intelligence Bureau^[6]. Kargil was a part of Gilgit-Baltistan before 1947, but now is a town in the Indian-controlled Kashmir. ... Raw describes material that is in its natural unprocessed form, or has not had the final stages of processing. ...

References

1. ^ http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/india/dum-duma.htm
2. ^ http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/HH12Df01.html
3. ^ http://www.cvni.net/radio/nsnl/nsnl052/nsnl52in.html
4. ^ http://www.ciaonet.org/olj/sa/sa_nov00anv01.html
5. ^ http://www.janes.com/aerospace/military/news/jdw/jdw051115_1_n.shtml
6. ^ http://www.ipcs.org/Mar_06_militaryAirforce.pdf#search=%22%22%20Aviation%20Research%20Centre%22%22

See also

• Espionage in ancient India
• Research and Analysis Wing
• Farkhor Air Base
• Indian Air Force
• List of Indian Intelligence agencies

Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW)[1] is Indias external intelligence agency. ... Farkhor Air Base is the only Indian overseas military base, situated at Farkhor/Ayni in Tajikistan. ... The Indian Air Force (भारतीय वायु सेना : Bharatiya Vayu Sena) is the air-arm of the Armed Forces of India and has the prime responsibility of conducting air-based warfare and securing Indian airspace. ... India has a number of intelligence agencies. ...

External Links

• Official website of The Indian Air Force
• Indian Air Force on bharat-rakshak.com
• The USAF connection of ARC