Tamil Nadu Transport Minister SS Sivasankar joined the fray of DMK members deflecting responsibility over the Chennai air show fiasco. He blamed the Centre for the mismanagement despite the DMK-led state’s oversight responsibilities.

In a recent press conference, Sivasankar cited weather conditions and cooperation with the central government as reasons for the chaos that led to five deaths. He further questioned departments like railways and metro for the lack of arrangements, even though essential resources remain under state control.

Sivasankar attributed the issues to weather conditions, stating, “We could only cooperate with them and cannot dictate terms.”

He added, “The Air Force organized the event under the central government. It’s clear that all departments coordinated and held special meetings for this. The accusations are coming not from the Air Force but from political parties, and we can see what the truth is.”

Later questioning the lack of water facilities and amenities, Sivasankar said, “It is not possible for the government to provide drinking water to 15 lakh people gathered.” He also illogically questioned the central government’s departments, like the railways and metro, about their arrangements, even though the state controls the necessary resources.

Who Said What?

Before Sivasankar, Greater Chennai City Corporation Mayor R Priya defended the preparations and attributed the deaths to weather conditions. She said, “The deaths were due to heat and dehydration. We had arranged for water, ambulances, and barricades.”

Ma Subramanian

State Health Minister Ma Subramanian also defended that all five deaths were heat-related and assured that measures would be taken to prevent such incidents in the future. He said, “Five people died from heat exhaustion, and 102 others were affected by the soaring temperatures.” 

RS Bharathi

Former Rajya Sabha MP and DMK leader RS Bharathi has run his mouth once again, making insensitive comments on the deaths in the aftermath of the IAF air show in Chennai on 6 October 2024.

Speaking to the press, the DMK leader said, “It is regrettable, but the arrangements had been done by the government, as stated by Ma Subramaniam. They also intimated the public to bring umbrellas and water bottles. Despite this, due to some people’s carelessness, things have happened. There is no report out yet. Depending on that, the government will take action. 15 lakh people assembled, it was sunny, and they died due to stroke. Those who were already sick should not have gone there.”

Syed Hafeez

Another DMK spokesperson Syed Hafeez kept justifying the deaths were not due to a stampede. Speaking to Times Now, he said, “The event was well organized. The government and the Corporation of Chennai with coordination from 4 other departments had done their best to avoid such a situation. See you have to understand, tehre was no stampede. If the state government had not organised this well, in such a manner. To completely blame the state government of mismanagement is not acceptable. See other news channels, people are praising the state government.”

Saravanan Annadurai

DMK member and advocate Saravanan Annadurai blamed the public for not taking adequate water bottles, caps, etc. He even questioned the health issues those who died may have had. It seemed to indicate that he was saying blaming the State government for poor arrangements is being done for political reasons. 

He wrote, “Aviation adventure and politics of jealousy! Yesterday the Indian Air Force, the adventure shows at the Marina were not properly coordinated, the trains were not running, 5 people died, and the state government should be held responsible. I also went to see the adventure, we walked 3 km, saw, walked again and reached home.

Important questions.

1. When 10 lakh people will gather, can all the vehicles be allowed to the place of adventure?

2. Can get down early and walk the last 2 or 3 km on your own.

3. Yesterday the sun was 36 degrees, walking in that sun and standing in the top sun can see this adventure. It has to go by itself with minimum progress. Hat, water, umbrella.

4. Adequate number of ambulances were available and first aid treatments were available for those who fainted in the sun.

5. Everyone has a desire to see it in person. They must have come to the event feeling that this hot environment would allow their bodies to cooperate. At least for about 3 hours, you have to walk to stand in the sun.

6. The death of 5 people is very regrettable, taking into consideration their health condition.

7. Southern Railway should explain why they are not running enough trains.

8. Is there a structure that can accommodate more than 10 lakh people in a short period of time?

9. Our guards did an excellent job, from first aid treatment to traffic regulation.

10. Majority of the people of Chennai who came to the program, enjoyed the program and left with satisfaction. They had come to the program knowing what kind of facilities would be available in such programs and how much would the facility be. It was conducted by the Union Government itself, what is their role? Those who try to portray this as some kind of administrative failure have no intention other than political jealousy.”

He went on to state that there was no stampede, so everything was fine. He wrote, “Only an autopsy will tell us how 5 people were dead? Did they have any pre existing illness, which got exacerbated while standing in the hot sun for 3 to 4 hrs. There was no stampede.”

Kanimozhi

As if paying lip service, DMK MP Kanimozhi indirectly blamed the IAF for wanting to gather a large number of people. She wrote, “The news of the death of 5 people is very sad and painful when the public who witnessed the military flight adventure program held at the Marina beach in Chennai suffered from the crowd and the temperature was high. Unmanageable gatherings should also be avoided.”

Salem Dharanidharan

DMK spokie Salem Dharanidharan also blamed the IAF, stating they wanted to create a record and that the TN government did not organise the event. He said, “It is unfortunate that lives were lost and it should not happen. There have been many events, full-fledged events conducted in the state where more number of people have participated. There have been fantastic arrangements. Even our party conducted the Youth Wing conference which broke the record was fantastically arranged. The Air Force organizes this and it is not the Tamil Nadu government that wanted to create a record. People, out of their own willingness wanted to come and we made proper arrangements but I am not certain how these mishaps happened.”

The Event

On 6 October 2024, a record-breaking crowd at the air show on Chennai’s Marina Beach led to five deaths and over 100 hospitalizations, highlighting serious planning and management failures by the DMK, which was responsible for organizing the event at the request of the IAF.

The Indian Air Force’s air show received a tremendous response in social media, attracting a turnout that exceeded all expectations. Held on 6 October 2024, the event attracted around 1.3 million attendees, including many from neighboring districts. Unfortunately, the overwhelming crowd overwhelmed the city’s infrastructure, resulting in five fatalities and over 100 hospitalizations, as reported by officials.

In response, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin pledged to improve arrangements for future large-scale events. While authorities noted that effective planning prevented a potential stampede, they acknowledged that the lack of an exit strategy and the hurried departure of attendees led to chaos. Stalin admitted that although “stampedes were prevented, people faced difficulties in reaching their vehicles and accessing public transport.” He also announced compensation of ₹5 lakh for the families of those who lost their lives.

Stalin’s statement emphasized that the government had coordinated efforts involving police, fire and rescue services, the Greater Chennai Corporation, and the Health Department to manage the crowd effectively.

Inadequate Planning

Organizers and local officials identified two main factors contributing to the tragedy: the excitement generated on social media, which led to an unexpectedly large turnout, and poor planning regarding crowd dispersal.

This air show was the first of its kind in Chennai in over 20 years. While officials initially estimated around 1.1 million attendees, the actual number surged to between 1.2 and 1.3 million, arriving via trains, metros, buses, and private vehicles. The event, which ran from 11:30 AM to 1 PM, turned into a logistical nightmare as the entire crowd attempted to leave simultaneously.

Officials from the IAF and the state government revealed that crowd control measures were in place, but the massive turnout caught everyone off guard. A senior police officer reported that more than 40 ambulances and multiple medical teams were stationed for the event. “There was good communication among all agencies, but we failed to develop an effective dispersal plan,” the officer noted.

An IAF senior officer indicated that while barricades and crowd management strategies prevented a stampede, the sudden rush to leave exposed significant planning flaws. “Everyone, including us and the authorities, fell short regarding the exit strategy. There should have been prioritized pathways for children, women, and the elderly. The absence of such planning, combined with the public’s eagerness to leave, caused the issues,” he stated.

The city’s Mass Rapid Transport System (MRTS) did not increase service frequency despite the large crowd, leading to viral videos of long lines at the Velachery MRTS station.

The consequences were dire: five men lost their lives while trying to return home, and more than 100 were hospitalized due to heat exhaustion, dehydration, and other complications from the congestion. Many ambulances became stuck in traffic, and attendees reported waiting for over an hour in extreme heat.

A senior police officer noted that clearing a crowd of 40,000 at Chepauk Stadium after a cricket match typically takes an hour. He explained, “We had over 1.3 million people at Marina on Sunday. While the planning and barricades prevented a stampede, the absence of an exit strategy was our downfall.”

(With inputs from Indian Express)

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In a bid to make the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas more lethal, India has placed orders for American Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) precision-guided bombing kits. 

This is a very important decision because JDAM precision-guided bombs when released can cause a lot of damage to the enemy targets as China refuses to deescalate the military conflict along the Indian northern borders.

The acquisition of JDAM kits is under the delegated financial powers of the Indian Air Force (IAF) that will enable Tejas jets to take out enemy bunkers and runways at 80 km and distances beyond.

If the IAF has to carry out another Balakot-like airstrike, the JDAM will empower our fighters with more accuracy and precision to destroy multiple enemy targets.

India has already activated two LCA Tejas fighter squadrons and is working to replace the outgoing MiG-21 fighters that pron to accidents.

“Tejas is a far better aircraft than the Chinese developed JF-17 and the Hammer would take it ahead of their fleet in strike capabilities,” an official said.

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India is one of the few countries that have the capability to fire missiles from land, sea, and air which is an important defensive and offensive triad and it will receive a boost because India is developing a new air-launched version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile that will be capable of hitting enemy targets at more than 800 kms.

There was no doubt with the accuracy of the Brahmos missile but its range was at around 300 kilometers after being launched from a Su-30MKI combat aircraft.

“The range of the BrahMos missile has been increased already and with the advantage of being airborne at high altitudes, the missile can travel a longer distance and can hit targets at 800 kms and beyond,” sources known to ANI said.

However, India has increased the range of its tactical missile recently to destroy targets beyond 500 kms with just an upgrade in its software.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has equipped around 40 or two squadrons of its Su-30 combat aircraft with the BrahMos cruise missiles and these planes were brought to the northern sector from their home base in Thanjavur during the height of conflict with China.

The IAF also operates a surface to the surface squadron of planes to carry out pin-point attacks against enemy vital installations and military and air bases.

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The indigenous TEJAS fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force that recently dazzled at the Dubai Expo 2021, just received more teeth when the IAF placed orders for HAMMER missiles from France.

The hammer missile has the capability to take out any hardened bunkers or ground targets at stand-off ranges of more than 70 kilometres keeping the plane and the pilot safe from enemy radar and anti-aircraft missiles.

This development could not have come at a better time as the capability enhancement of the TEJAS fighter is being carried out amid the ongoing military stand-off with China.

The order was placed under the emergency procurement power granted by the Narendra Modi government to the defence forces.

“The HAMMER missiles are in the process of being integrated with the TEJAS and it will significantly enhance its capability to take out hardened targets from stand-off distances,” government sources told ANI.

The Indian Air Force had already acquired the HAMMERs for its Rafale fighters, however, by integrating it with Tejas the IAF has further enhanced its air to ground targeting capabilities and the French have agreed to supply them at a short notice for our Rafale combat aircraft. HAMMER (Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range).

As China is building bunkers, other defensive positions and upgrading its airbases with hardened aircraft shelter at the Line of Actual Control, the HAMMER is the right weapon that would take out any bunkers or hardened shelters in any type of terrain including mountainous locations such as Eastern Ladakh, the sources said.

In the last few years, the Indian armed forces have extensively exercised the discretionary power to procure weapons under the emergency procurement powers granted to them by the government to ensure aggression by enemies on both sides could be checked.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will officially dedicate the indigenous Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) to the Indian Air Force (IAF) in Uttar Pradesh’s Jhansi on 19 November. 

The LCH, is India’s first indigenously-built attack helicopter, designed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

However, this helicopter has been used by the IAF in Ladakh since last year after the Doklam incident. As per a report published in Livefist, two of these helicopters reached Ladakh from Bangalore in August 2020, and it has been flying armed patrol sorties in the region as China refuses to deescalate and move back its forces from areas it occupied along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in May.

In a tweet sent out by the official IAF media co-ordination, it reads, “VCAS Air Mshl Harjit Singh Arora visited forward air bases in the Ladakh sector today. He interacted with air warriors of the combat units currently operating in the sector and reviewed operational preparedness at IAF bases,”.

VCAS Air Mshl Harjit Singh Arora visited forward air bases in the Ladakh sector today. He interacted with air warriors of the combat units currently operating in the sector and reviewed operational preparedness at IAF bases. pic.twitter.com/7yj62WjLB3

— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) August 7, 2020

Air Marshal Arora flew the LCH from Thoise to Leh along with a HAL test pilot and as per Livefist, the helicopter was flown in “full mission configuration… with temperatures as high as ISA + 36 degrees”, crossed various passes such as Khardung La and Chang La, carried out a simulated attack, and then demonstrated its maneuverability in simulated “aerial combat profile”.

The LCH has been developed to meet the requirements of the Indian military in high-altitude areas and it has successfully demonstrated its capability of operating in high-altitude conditions during trials not only in Ladakh but also on the Siachen Glacier. 

The Shakti engine was co-developed with French engine-maker Safran and the 5.5 tonne helo has been designed to operate at an altitude of up to 20,000 feet.

“During the Kargil War of 1999, there was a need felt for armed attack helicopters capable of operating at high altitude. That’s where the LCH fits in,” former Indian Air Force chief Fali Homi Major, the only helicopter pilot to become Chief of Air Staff, wrote recently.

The LCH is armed with a cannon mounted below its nose that has armour piercing rounds and can fire thousand 20-millimetre bullets a minute. It also has 70-millimetre rockets on pods on either side and has the provision to be armed with an air-to-air missile and an anti-armour missile making it a multirole attack platform.

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After the Sri Lankan Government detected contamination in the organic fertiliser supplied by China, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has lifted 100,000 kilograms of Nano Nitrogen fertilizer after the Government of Sri Lanka sent out a SOS.

The High Commission of India in Colombo, Sri Lanka said in a statement, “Two Indian Air Force (IAF) heavy-lift aircraft arrived in early morning hours of 04 November with a consignment of Nano Nitrogen fertilizer on the request of the Government of Sri Lanka.”

The statement stated further, “The two IAF C-17 Globemaster aircrafts arrived at Bandaranaike International Airport with 100,000 Kg of Nano Nitrogen. The deployment was essentially to support the Government of Sri Lanka’s initiative towards Organic farming and to expedite availability of Nano Nitrogen Fertiliser to the Sri Lankan farmers.”

“The Government of India has continued to support Sri Lanka in times of critical requirement as part of its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy and has repeatedly demonstrated its capacity and role as the ‘First Responder’ in the region,” it added.

As per reports, a consignment of Chinese fertiliser was found contaminated and it did not pass its quality standards set by Sri Lanka’s Plant Protection Ordinance that prohibits the government from importing any product that is found to host microbes or other harmful microorganisms.

However, tests that were carried out on Chinese samples showed the batch was contaminated with harmful microbes. The Chinese who are known to deny any failure on their part asked Sri Lanka to re-test the contaminated batch claiming the standards on the island nation did not meet the international standards.

As of now, Colombo has informed Beijing that it will not allow for a bulk permit to the Chinese batch of fertilisers, which prevents it from entering or loading in Sri Lanka. 

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As China remains adamant at the Line of Actual Control, (LAC), the Indian Air Force power got augmented with three more Rafale fighters that landed at the Jamnagar airbase in India, after mid-air refuelling by tanker support from France and UAE, on Wednesday (October 13) night.

The three new fighter jets will increase the count of Rafale jets to 29 out of the total 36 India had ordered and due to the growing relationship with France and the UAE, when the fighters took off from France and flew all the way to India after mid-air refuelling over the Middle East was provided by friendly Air Force.

After Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari took over as the Chief of Air Staff earlier this month this will be the latest batch of India’s 4.5 generation fighters that would be distributed between the Golden Arrows squadron in Ambala and the 101 squadron in Hashimara, West Bengal.

The Golden Arrows squadron based in Ambala and the 101 squadron in Hashimara in West Bengal is important airbases that can easily intercept and destroy any Chinese air incursion. Ambala is even more important because of its close proximity to Pakistan.

In an inter-governmental agreement that was signed with France in September 2016, India consented to the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around ₹58,000 crores and the first five Rafale jets arrived in India on July 29 last year and all these fighters are India specific which include special enhancements that would make it more lethal and capable.

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In order to maintain the serviceability of its two 4th generation Mirage 2000 fighters, the Indian Air Force (IAF) will acquire 24 second-hand Mirage 2000 fighters, made by Dassault Aviation, thus it will also secure parts for its two existing squadrons.

The IAF has initiated a contract worth 27 million euros to buy the fighters, and as per reports, eight of which are in ready-to-fly condition and the per-aircraft acquisition cost will be 1.125 million euros as logistics are being formulated to ship the other fighters to India in containers.

It was the Mirage fighters that were flown by our pilots when India bombed Islamic Jihadi terror camps in Balakot in 2019, and right now it is undergoing a mid-life upgrade and the acquisition of the second-hand aircraft being the immediate need for 300 critical spares.

France, a major defence partner of India is replacing this aircraft which it thinks is technologically obsolete in the current environment and IAF chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhaduaria decided to go in for the purchase.

Out of the 24 fighters, 13 are in complete fly-away condition with engine and airframe intact with eight of them (nearly half a squadron) ready to fly after servicing. The remaining 11 fighters are partially complete but with fuel tanks and ejection seats, which will be used to secure parts for IAF’s two existing squadrons of the fighter.

In 1985, the IAF purchased around 50 fourth-generation Mirage 2000 C and B fighters but the maintenance contract had expired in 2005, so another contract was signed in 2015-2016 with Dassault who is the original equipment manufacturer.

India also plans to manufacture original equipment and spares under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat campaign to ensure there is no shortage of spares till the time the fighter is decommissioned and ensure supply chains to India for future acquisitions as fighters abroad reach obsolescence much faster than in India.

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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh handed over the first Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM) System to Indian Air Force (IAF) chief R.K.S. Bhadauria.

This SAM was developed in the APJ Abdul Kalam Missile Complex and present during the ceremony was Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) chairman G. Satheesh Reddy.

scientists at the Kalam Complex and Research Centre Imarat (RCI) housed inside, had worked on developing this advanced missile in association with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). “It is the true success of a synergistic effort put in by defence public sector and private sector units, respective scientists and technologists over the last dozen years with RCI being the nodal lab,” informed senior defence officials, wishing to remain anonymous, on Saturday.

Also, more than 100 medium, micro and small scale industries were involved in the project which cannot be named that has led to scaling up technologies and skills to global standards.

The APJ Abdul Kalam Missile Complex is spread across 4,000-acres of which the former President of India had envisioned and it also houses the Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL) and the Defence Research & Development Lab (DRDL). These two labs have played a very important role in the development of strategic missile development projects including avionics over the years.

The Indian Navy has already inducted its version of MRSAM but engineers and scientists had to make some changes for the IAF needs with a hat-trick of successful trials for “accuracy, reliability and efficacy” conducted five years ago at Balasore. “An Army version of the missile is in the advanced stage of development,” informed senior officials.

As of now, the IAF has contracted for 18 firing units with each unit consisting of 24 missiles each as the MRSAM system will now provide point and area air defence for ground assets against threats from fighter aircraft, UAVs, helicopters, guided and unguided munitions, subsonic and supersonic cruise missiles.

The new air defence system is also capable of engaging multiple targets at ranges up to 70 km and is powered by an indigenously developed rocket motor and control system for achieving high manoeuvrability.

Firing unit has Missiles, Combat Management System (CMS), Mobile Launcher Systems (MLS), Advanced Long Range Radar, Mobile Power System (MPS), Radar Power System (RPS), Reloading Vehicle (RV) and Field Service Vehicle (FSV).

“This has been a transformative project with major production units as well as ancillary units augmenting their line systems and manpower. It has helped foster special skills, technologies; setting the right template for development of next generation tactical missiles,” asserted senior defence officials. Incidentally, new RCI director U. Raja Babu has been programme director for MRSAM and P. Srihari is project director, they added.

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In a boost for Indian defense aviation, the configuration for the fifth-generation advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA) has been frozen and the preliminary design is complete.

While TEJAS MK-2 is a single-engine multirole fighter designed by Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will be 4.5 generation, AMCA is called the 5th generation fighter jet program of India.

Girish S Deodhare, Program Director (combat aircraft) and Director, ADA while speaking at an event by the Centre for Air Power Studies and Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers said: “The detailed design is complete. In fact, we are in the critical design review stage and metal cutting should start very shortly. Roll-out of the aircraft (MK-2) is planned for next year and the first flight in early 2023. We are well on track to achieve these goals.”

The fighter jet has a tailless compound delta-wing configuration with high maneuverability and will be powered with a heavier GE 414 engine and is expected to be commissioned into the Indian Air Force by 2026.

As per public information, the supersonic fighter aircraft is made of lightweight materials like aluminium, lithium and titanium alloys, and carbon composites, etc.

The TEJAS MK-2 is a 4.5 generation aircraft with enhanced range and endurance. It is 1,350 mm longer featuring canards and can carry a payload of 6,500 kg compared to 3,500 kg the TEJAS can carry. Reportedly, the aircraft will also be equipped with a multi-sensor data fusion system including an active electronically scanned array radar, infrared search and track, and a missile approach warning system.

For the first time, an onboard oxygen generation system is also being integrated into the aircraft. Heavy weapons of the class of Scalp, Crystal Maze, and Spice-2000 will also be integrated on the Mk2.

The Defence Ministry signed a Rs 48,000 crore deal with HAL in February for 83 TEJAS MK-1A to the Indian Air Force which has one squadron of the TEJAS that has operational clearance.

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