Concerned over bird-hits grounding its combat and transport fleet, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is all set to buy 41 Avian radars to locate, track and monitor bird activity around airfields to help prevent accidents that adversely impact operational readiness.
With many of its air bases now located within cities and towns such as Agra, Bareilly, Gwalior, Srinagar, Chandigarh and Tezpur, the IAF will soon induct these sophisticated radars to bring down bird-hits that are the causes for nine out of 100 air crashes recorded since 1970.
According to latest Indian parliamentary standing committee report, nine per cent of over 1,000 air crashes recorded by IAF in the last four decades were due to bird-hits.
"The process for procurement of these avian radars for 41 air bases is underway and we expect to have these radars in place two years from now. We soon come out with a tender," an officer said here.
The number of bird-hits on IAF aircraft is relatively small compared to technical defects in aging aircraft fleet that caused 39.5 per cent accidents or human error due to inadequate pilot training that caused another 39 per cent mishaps.
But the air force wants to save its aircraft and pilots from the avoidable bird-hits and hence the procurement of Avian radars that will help in collecting data on bird activity and reorienting flight operations to evade them.
Apart from the avian radars, IAF also carries out several bird hazard control measures such as 'zone guns', automated scarecrows and special frequency transmitters to scare away the birds.
It also makes efforts for efficient garbage disposal and solid waste management within and around the airbases, and carries out risk awareness campaigns among residents and traders of populated localities.
http ://www.defencenow. com/news/330/iaf-to-buy-avian-radars-to-prevent-bird-hit-accidents.html
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