Aerospace Diary

News AWIN First Dec 28 , 2010 Neelam Mathews NEW DELHI The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has notified Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale of 22 AH-64D Block III Apache helicopters to India, along with related equipment and training. The complete package would be worth approximately $1.4 billion. The Indian government had requested proposals from several foreign suppliers, including Boeing, for 22 attack helicopters. The Indian Air Force has completed field trials for the Apaches to replace its Mi-26s. However, a final downselect has yet to be made; DSCA says it notified Congress of the potential sale “so that, in the event that the Boeing-U.S. Army proposal is selected, the United States might move as quickly as possible to implement the sale.” If Boeing wins the competition, India will request a direct commercial sale of 50 T700-GE-701D engines; 12 AN/APG-78 Fire Control Radars; 12 AN/APR-48A...

World Conflict Guide Neelam Mathews New Delhi Internal security is a growing concern in India, as the country deals with the persistent Naxalite insurgency and with a large, and largely unsecured, coastline and regional waters, which terrorists, smugglers and pirates regularly threaten. Add to this the relatively unsecured land borders where dangerous activities flourish. The government is, consequently, increasing funding to strengthen coastal and border surveillance and to provide the necessary equipment and personnel for security enforcement. Procurement opportunities will emerge from the present budget of $14.7 billion, which is expected to increase to $25-28 billion over the next five to seven years. Planned expenditures cover intelligence gathering, law enforcement and counterterrorism activities, critical asset protection, government infrastructure protection, border defense and digital-network...

Top Defense Budgets India Slates Double-Digit Spending Increase Neelam Mathews India is expected to increase defense spending for Fiscal 2011 (April-March 2012) by 10%, which would add approximately $3.2 billion to annual expenditures. Firm numbers will not be released until March. Defense spending grew at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.14% from 2005–09, and is forecast to post a CAGR of 6.59% from 2010-15, reaching $42.6 billion by 2015. This is due primarily to replacement of aging hardware and technology, fighting domestic insurgencies and countering hostile neighbors. India is one of the largest buyers of foreign defense items, with a shopping list that includes warships, fighter jets, tanks and other weapons. The planned modernization program will make it the second-highest defense spender in the Asia-Pacific region within five years, and the seventh globally by 2016, says consultant Frost & Sullivan. Nevertheles...

News AWIN First Dec 25 , 2010 Neelam Mathews New Delhi The Indian Space Research Organization suffered its second consecutive failure of its Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F06) this year as the rocket developed a technical fault after liftoff and plunged into the Bay of Bengal. The communication satellite GSAT-5P, weighing 2,130 kg, with 24 C-band transponders and 12 extended C-band transponders was to replace the INSAT-2E satellite, put in orbit in 1999. It was also the heaviest satellite launched by an Indian launch vehicle. The rocket was launched from India’s only spaceport at Sriharikota from the Satish Dhawan Space Center, 100 km from Chennai. ISRO was using a Russian cryogenic engine which developed a leak and as a result the launch was postponed from Dec. 20 to 25. “Whether it is strap-ons or transition between first and second stage, one doesn’t know,” a space scientist says. “The performance o...

Aerospace Daily Dec 24, 2010 NEW DELHI — As international defense providers look to honor their offset commitments in India, partnerships to help tap the country’s vast titanium reserves could emerge as an attractive proposition. The main sources of titanium in India are beach sands in its southern and eastern states that contain monazite and ilmenite. But despite these resources, titanium still must be imported because of a lack of indigenous capability to convert titanium ore into metal. While mining in India remains the bastion of government- owned enterprises, if the means of producing the metal domestically become available, sourcing titanium for defense projects could become a part of offset packages, one vendor says. Efforts already are underway with the Defense Research Development Organization (DRDO) and stateowned Kerala Minerals & Metals Ltd. (KMML) to establish a titanium dioxide plant that is expected to have an annual capacity of 500 tons. The project, which...

Aerospace Daily Dec 24, 2010 NEW DELHI — Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL) has delivered the Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) Interrogator to Boeing for installation on the Indian navy’s P-8I long-range maritime reconnaissance and antisubmarine warfare aircraft. Boeing will install the system during P-8I final assembly at its facility in Renton, Wash. The P-8I is a variant of the P-8A Poseidon developed for the U.S. Navy. “The delivery is another positive step in our industrial participation effort with India,”says Vivek Lall, head of Boeing Defense, Space & Security in India. Other items for the P-8I include BEL’s Data Link II communications system, Avantel’s mobile satellite system and the Electronic Corp.of India Ltd.’s speech secrecy system. Boeing will deliver the first of eight P-8I aircraft to India within 48 months of the original contract signing, which took place in January 2009. India is the first international P-8 customer. - Neelam Mathews

Aerospace Daily Dec 24, 2010 NEW DELHI — Indian Defense Minister A.K. Antony will open two coast guard stations during a visit to the Lakshadweep Islands to facilitate closer coordination among maritime stakeholders and enhance coastal security. Increasing incidents of piracy near Lakshadweep have heightened security concerns in the region. The Lakshadweep archipelago comprises 36 islands with an area of about 32 sq. km. (12 sq. mi.). Only 11 of the islands are inhabited. The territorial waters comprise about 20,000 sq. km. The Eight Degree Channel, which separates Minicoy island from the Maldives, has traffic of about 30-40 ships a day. The first phase of the government’s coastal surveillance plan envisions 73 coastal police stations, 204 boats, 153 ground vehicles, 304 two-wheeled vehicles and related equipment in place by March 2011. A second phase has been approved at a cost of $350 million, to provide 131 more stations, 180 boats, 10 large vessels and 60 jetties. A u...

Asia-Pacific Aviation Daily Dec 22 , 2010 , p. 12 Neelam Mathews India is suffering from a shortage of capacity as traffic from January through November rose by 19% over the same period last year. Domestic passengers carried by scheduled airlines in November 2010 was 4.8 million, compared with 4.6 million the previous month. For the first 11 months, domestic airlines carried about 47 million passengers. In November, Air India fell below IndiGo in terms of market share, wtih Air India capturing about 17.1% to IndiGo’s 17.3%. Jet Airways and subsidiary JetLite led in market share at 26.2%, followed by Kingfisher Airlines at 19.1%, says the Ministry of Civil Aviation. IndiGo had the highest seat load factor at 91% and Air India the lowest at 70% in November. IndiGo also had the lowest cancellation rate of 0.4% and Air India, the highest at 2.5%. Analysis of capacity through available seat kilometers and demand m...

Airframers/Suppliers Aviation Daily Dec 21 , 2010 , p. 02 Neelam Mathews Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) is in discussions with some of India’s medium- and large-scale corporations for setting up a production facility in India for the Antonov An-148, UAC President Alexei Fyodorov told Aviation Week. He cited inexpensive labor, skilled engineers and good climate as primary reasons for the decision. A partner is likely to be announced in 2011. “We deal with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. in the military area and would like to look at a private industry partner for this venture,” Fyodorov said. The 75-seat aircraft (when in a single-class configuration) would be produced in passenger and cargo versions. It can fly to small cities with poorly equipped airfields with a runway length of 1900 meters. India has signed a Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement with Russia that will enable production once the terms are fina...

Aerospace Daily Dec 21, 2010 NEW DELHI — India and Russia have registered a joint venture called Medium Transport Aircraft Ltd. that will develop and manufacture products with India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL), according to United Aircraft Corp. President Alexei Fyodorov. “It will be in the market in six to seven years,” Fyodorov tells Aviation Week. “We are also considering working on unmanned aerial vehicles with India. But it is still in the early stages.” More than 25 agreements were signed between Russian and Indian companies here in the areas of life sciences, energy, navigation and information technology during the visit of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, which runs Dec. 20-22. India and Russia also will conclude a preliminary design contract for their joint fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) project (Aerospace DAILY, Dec. 17). The FGFA is based on the Russian Sukhoi T-50 PAK FA, which flew for the first time last January at the Komsomolskon- Amur facil...

Aerospace Daily Dec 17, 2010   By Neelam Mathews    NEW DELHI- Devas Multimedia will introduce spot-beam transmission for the first time in India once the GSat-6 and GSat-6A satellites are launched by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). A spot beam is a satellite signal with concentrated power that is sent by a high-gain antenna and focused on a limited geographic area. The $250 million satellite communications company entered into a partnership with Antrix Corp., ISRO’s marketing arm, to lease five transponders each from the GSat-6 and 6A satellites that were to be launched 18 months ago but were delayed following the failure of a cryogenic engine on India’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle in April. Launch is now slated for mid-2011. GSat-6 is a multimedia mobile satellite system serving mobile phones and mobile video/audio rece...

Aerospace Daily Dec18, 2010 PROGRAMS Lockheed Martin on Dec. 17 delivered the first of six C-130Js for the Indian air force that comprise a $1.2 billion order placed in 2008 as the country’s first U.S. Foreign Military Sale. The C-130J delivery is being made first to the U.S. Air Force and then will go the Indian air force in February. All the deliveries are expected to be completed by 2011. The contract includes training of aircrews and maintenance technicians, spares, ground support and test equipment, servicing carts, forklifts, loading vehicles, cargo pallets and a team of technical specialists who will be based in India during a three-year initial support period. Powered by four Rolls-Royce AE2100 engines, the C-130J is designed to support special operations. Equipped with an Infrared Detection Set, the aircraft can perform precision low-level flying, airdrops and landings in blackout conditions, Lockheed Martin says. - Neelam Mathews

Aerospace Daily Dec 17, 2010 PROGRAMS NEW DELHI — India and Russia will conclude the preliminary design contract for their joint fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) project during Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s visit to India on Dec. 20-22. “Once the approvals are through, we will then start the actual detailed work,” H industan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) Chairman Ashok Nayak tells Aviation Week. Concerning India’s involvement in the project, Nayak says: “It is in the preliminary stage now.” The FGFA is based on the Russian Sukhoi T-50 PAK-FA, which flew for the first time last January at the  Komsomolsk- on-Amur facility in Siberia. The 30-ton aircraft is priced at around $100 million each. “It would be a swing-role fighter with highly advanced avionics, giving 360-deg. situational awareness, stealth to increase survivability and smart weapons,” Indian Air Force Chief P.K. Naik says. The aircraft is expected to join the Indian air force between 2017 and 2020. T...

Aerospace Daily Dec 16, 2010 PROGRAMS NEW DELHI — A U.S. company has shown interest in an explosive detection kit (EDK) developed by India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), and a technology transfer agreement is likely to be signed soon, DRDO says. The EDK costs $100 and was developed by the DRDO’s High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (Hemrl) in Pune. It comes packed in a small box containing four reagents capable of detecting explosives even in trace quantities. The EDK can identify a range of explosives, includingPETN, Dynamite, TNT, RDX and HMX-based plastic bonded explosives. When a drop of the explosive substance is mixed with chemical reagents in the kit, the drop turns a specific color. Verification can be done using the Raman spectrometric test. While the U.S. and other countries have their own EDKs, “foreign technology has certain drawbacks, for example, it lacks confirmatory tests,” says Reny Roy, a H emrl scientist. “Since they use a t...

Aerospace Daily-Av Week Dec 17, 2010 NEW DELHI — Evidence is growing that the downselect decision for India’s Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) may not be announced until the fourth quarter of 2011, with the holdup centered on terms for technology transfer. India requires that any aircraft or weapons system introduced into service successfully clear all tests, trials and evaluations. All the MMRCA candidates have completed user trials, including weapons validations, technical and maintenance evaluations. They are currently being evaluated on their proposals for industrial offsets, with technology transfer next up. Only when this process produces a short list will their commercial offers be evaluated. Technology transfer terms must be completed with the main contract, a defense official explained. India requires that licensed production of the aircraft, including engines, accessories, radars, systems and tooling, be covered by the tech transfer proposal. The ministr...

Aerospace Daily Dec 16 FUNDING & POLICY NEW DELHI— As the Indian aerospace industry eyes significant business in defense offsets required of foreign providers to India’s military, there are calls to make the technology licensing policies more flexible. Indian defense providers are subject to a mandatory industrial license (IL).Among other requirements, ILs mandate that the applicant should be an Indian company/partnership, the majority of the board of directors and the CEO should be resident Indians, and foreign collaborators and domestic promoters should all be cleared through background checks. Currently, 70% of India’s procurement needs are met by foreign sources. “If the Indian defense forces increase [their] indigenous procurement from the current 30% to the target 70% over the next five years, the output of Indian firms would need to more than double each year,” said Vivek Lall, Vice President, Boeing BDS, at the energizing aerospace conference organized by the Center ...

Programs Aerospace Daily & Defense Report Dec 15 , 2010 , p. 08 Neelam Mathews BENGALURU, India — India’s largest defense manufacturer, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL), is in talks with the U.K.’s BAE Systems on various projects related to Hawk Advanced Jet Trainers. HAL is currently licensed by BAE to produce the Hawk in India for the Indian military. Possible future projects include establishing a maintenance, repair and overhaul base for Hawks worldwide, building a worldwide supply chain and making India the center for exporting the Hawk in the long term, Aviation Week has learned. The final decision on what direction the partnership will take will depend on cost and both companies’ desire to kick-start the project. Opportunities are opening up for BAE as it expands its installed base for Hawks in India. In February 2003, India signed a $1.7-billion contract with BAE to supply 66 Hawk trainer jets. In...

India To Launch GSAT-5 Communications Sat Dec 13, 2010   By Neelam Mathews NEW DELHI The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) plans to loft GSAT-5 on its Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F06) powered by a Russian cryogenic engine on Dec. 20. Also known as Insat 4D, the 2,400-kg. (5,300-lb.) satellite features 24 regular C-band and 12 extended C-band transponders, and a design life of 12 years. It will be launched from India’s spaceport at Sriharikota. Earlier this year, GSAT-4, the 19th geostationary satellite built by ISRO and the fourth in the GSAT series, failed to reach orbit because the GSLV-D3 malfunctioned. That mishap was later linked to a turbopump failure (Aerospace DAILY, April 16, July 12). Preparations are also underway to loft PSLV-C16, which will carry India’s advanced remote-sensing Resourcesat-2 and auxiliary satellites Y...

Programs Aerospace Daily & Defense Report Dec 07 , 2010 , p. 06 Neelam Mathews NEW DELHI — French shipbuilder DCNS says the first of six diesel-electric Scorpene submarines will be delivered to India’s Magazon Dock Ltd. (MDL) in Mumbai in 2013, now that initial roadblocks concerning technology transfer have been overcome. Scorpene “is one of the biggest transfer of technology [TOT] programs because it is the first time that the TOT starts from the first ship, which is generally built at the OEM premises,” says Patrick Boissier, Chairman and CEO DCNS . “MDL now has the necessary technology for submarine production.” The project has been delayed and costs have escalated as a result of MDL’s learning process. The combat systems have been delivered for the first sub, while the frame of the third, fourth and fifth submarines are in progress. “We are motivated to meet the delivery date,” Boissier says. He was a member of the bus...

Programs Aerospace Daily         Dec 7, 2010 NEW DELHI — Following initial delays, the Indian army’s Corps of Signals will soon have a Tactical Battlefield Communication System (TCS), Minister of State for Defense M.M. Pallam Raju said at a seminar in New Delhi Dec. 2. The deployable wide-area network provides a secure communications infrastructure and network-enabled operating environment to cover communication needs on the battlefield. As India looks to shifting from Platform-Centric to Network-Centric Warfare, “a strong, robust and secure information grid is a prerequisite for this,” says Chief of Army Staff Gen. V.K. Singh. The Indian army’s network-centricity efforts are being operationalized. “Once equipped, I see our armed forces increasingly harnessing the power of data and voice networks . . . that use information as a weapon to strike with pinpoint precision,” he says.

Funding and Policy Aerospace Daily & Defense Report Dec 07 , 2010 , p. 16 Neelam Mathews NEW DELHI — The Indian air force is looking at the management of Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) as it plans its compliance with the Montreal Protocol. “The Indian air force is adopting a multipronged strategy to combat ozone depletion, including limiting the use of Halon to mission critical uses, tighter control laws and incorporating accountability toward phaseout of ODS,” Air Chief Marshal P.V. Naik said at a workshop in Delhi. For new weapon systems in the pipeline, an inclusion of a clause in requests for proposals asks for alternatives. “The use of recycled Halon recovered from phased-out or downgraded aircraft and equipment is being planned,” Naik says. India is talking with original equipment manufacturers for suitable alternatives for full life-cycle support regarding existing weapons system. The military is one of the largest u...

News AWIN First Dec 06 , 2010 Neelam Mathews NEW DELHI Central Asia-based Air Astana , national carrier of the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan, is continuing to expand its network in Asia. It increased frequencies on the Almaty-Bangkok route on Dec. 5 to four services per week. The seating capacity on the route will increase by almost 30% to match the steady increase in traffic. “Given the prevailing shift of global influence and commercial dynamism towards Asia in general, I foresee continued expansion of Air Astana’s network of services to the region in the years ahead,” said Peter Foster, president, Air Astana. Last month the carrier said it was in talks with Boeing to buy three new 787s for delivery in 2014. With a fleet of 22 aircraft, it has plans to increase its fleet size to 34 aircraft by 2014. It is also planning to acquire six Airbus A320s . Services on the Almaty to Kuala Lumpur route were increased...

News AWIN First Dec 06 , 2010 Neelam Mathews NEW DELHI Domestic carriers in India are adamently opposed to the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s plan to take action against those increasing their fares to what it deems as unacceptable levels as traffic surges after two years of recession. The airlines say market forces should determine the fares. As a result of increases in passenger capacity, air fares surged with the start of the peak season last month. Not satisfied with the airlines’ responding to an inquiry on the upsurge in fares last month, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, following meetings with domestic airlines on Dec. 4 and 6, has told them to maintain transparency in tariffs. The airlines have been directed to upload the route-wise tariff across networks in various fare categories and to reduce tariffs. “It is gratifying to note that tariffs during the last 48 hours have shown a downward trend of ne...

Aerospace Daily-Av Week Dec 3, 2010   By Neelam Mathews  NEW DELHI- The lack of inter-agency security coordination exposed during the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks resulted in the Indian navy taking numerous initiatives to strengthen security of coastal areas. The most significant step has been the integration of all maritime stakeholders, including several state and central agencies into the coastal security matrix, according to Chief of Naval Staff Adm. Nirmal Verma. “I am of the view that attaining awareness of the maritime domain is not a localized action to be undertaken by a single agency,” Verma said here Dec. 2 at a press conference held for Navy Day, which is celebrated on Dec. 4. “Intelligence and information sharing has undergone a transformational change,” he continued. “There is today far better coordination, synergy and understanding among all agencies.” There are 36 ships and submarines curre...

Aerospace Daily Dec 2, 2010   By Neelam Mathews NEW DELHI A Block III+ version of India’s 290-km. (180-mi.) range Brahmos supersonic cruise missile was fired Dec. 2 from a Mobile Autonomous Launcher by Indian army personnel at the interim test range at Chandipur on the east coast of Orissa. This follows a test firing of the advanced version of Brahmos Block-II in September, which was the third launch in the series for the Indian army. The Brahmos test firing once again has established “its mountain warfare capability with upgraded software and a new advanced guidance scheme incorporating large-scale maneuvers at multiple points and a steep dive from high altitude with precision strike capability,” a statement says. While the Block II launch met the army’s requirement for the land attack version with advanced seeker software with target discriminating capab...

Business & Operations Dec 01 , 2010 , p. 33 The limited scope of MRO suppliers in Africa is changing, as African markets start to grow. By Neelam Mathews ADDIS ABABA—While the African subcontinent represents only 4% of global MRO revenues, its markets are anticipated to witness greater demand for MRO services as a result of air traffic growth, new aircraft deliveries and airline consolidation, says Frost & Sullivan. These predictions are supported by Boeing ’s September forecast, which pegs carriers in Africa to experience steady growth over the next 20 years, with a delivery of 710 airplanes in that time frame. Obvious growth is happening in Ethiopia, as Ethiopian Airlines gets set to join the Star Alliance in the next 12-18 months. Of the 58 destinations it services, 37 are in Africa. The carrier is amid preparations to receive the first of five Boeing 777-200LRs on order on Nov. 21, a second in mid-December and a thi...

Programs Aerospace Daily & Defense Report Dec 02 , 2010 , p. 10 Neelam Mathews NEW DELHI — At its 45th anniversary, the Border Security Force (BSF) — responsible for guarding India’s land boundaries during peacetime — is being transformed into a modern, technology-driven force, according to its director general, Raman Srivastava. “We are pursuing modernization,” Srivastava says. Procurement plans include buying handheld thermal imagers, battlefield surveillance radars, long-range reconnaissance and observation systems, and biometric ID machines. The BSF provides training for bomb disposal to state police and trains commandos. The BSF also may purchase bomb-disposal equipment in the near future. With a sparse aviation wing comprising one Embraer , one Beechcraft and 14 helicopters, BSF is now looking at replacing its aging three Avros. Three helibases also are planned in eastern India. The B...

Low-Cost carriers Aviation Daily Dec 02 , 2010 , p. 07 Neelam Mathews Malaysian long-haul buget carrier AirAsia X will launch its 15th international destination — from Kuala Lumpur to Christchurch, New Zealand — with four weekly nonstops, starting April 1, 2011, and using new Airbus A330 aircraft. "AirAsia X flights will open up routes and connectivity to New Zealand not just from Malaysia, but from India, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, China and London via AirAsia X's Kuala Lumpur hub," said Tourism New Zealand CEO Kevin Bowler. "We have strong growth in demand from Southeast Asia, and this new service will go a long way to fulfilling this increased interest," Bowler added.

Technology Aerospace Daily & Defense Report Dec 02 , 2010 , p. 11 Neelam Mathews EXPLOSIVE POWER: India’s Defense Research and Development Organization has synthesized an explosive it hopes to use to reduce the weight and size of warheads considerably while packing them with more power. The explosive is CL-20, or octanitrocubane, a nitramine-class of explosive 15 times as powerful as HMX. Scientists synthesized CL-20 at the Pune-based High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (Hemrl), but it is still very expensive to produce compared to RDX. “We have a tie-up with an industry partner for intermediate commercial exploitation of [Indian] CL-20,” says A. Subhananda Rao, director of Hemrl.

Programs Aerospace Daily & Defense Report Dec 02 , 2010 , p. 09 Neelam Mathews Cobham has a received a $28 million order from BAE Systems to supply weapons carriage and release equipment for the Indian Air Force Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer program. The contract award follows India’s purchase of 57 BAE Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer Aircraft (AJT) in July 2010, to be built by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. in India. Forty aircraft have been assigned to the Indian Air Force and the remaining 17 for the Indian Navy. Cobham will deliver significant quantities of Light Duty Ejector Release Units and Carrier Bomb Light Stores (CBLS) training aids to BAE Systems between 2012-14. Cobham’s Carrier Bomb Release System CBLS 2000 provides the facility for carriage and release of up to four practice stores. It conforms to the latest military specification requirements for the Eurofighter , Gripen and latest Hawk var...

Aerospace Daily Dec 1, 2010 BUSINESS NEW DELHI — Tata Advanced Systems Ltd. (TASL), a Tata Group company, has purchased a 74% stake in Hyderabad-based HBL Elta Avionics — its first defense acquisition. The purchase price was not disclosed. The remaining 26% of HBL continues to be held by its partner, ELTA Systems, a unit of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). ELTA Systems has expertise in intelligence, electronic warfare, surveillance and target acquisition. HBL Elta Avionics, a provider of battery and power systems technology, has diversified into microwave systems and subsystems. The company has built a range of products from 500 MHz to 40 GHz for both military and industrial applications. TASL provides support in technology sourcing and management, production of defense technology, obsolescence management and project execution. It focuses on homeland security, network-centric warfare, avionics, surveillance technologies and communications. - Neelam Mathews

Aerospace Daily Dec 1, 2010 FUNDING & POLICY NEW DELHI — Indian military leaders are calling for the creation of an agency similar to the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) to develop new military technology. “This indicates the realization of a ‘futuristic element’” in Indian technology development planning, said a delegate at the National Seminar on Aerospace Technologies (N-Sat) held here Nov. 24-25. “The Indian air force, for instance, is looking at sensors and weapons packages beyond the Su-30MKIs and Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft. "We have been guilty in the past of not looking at strategy,” says former air chief S.P. Tyagi. “There is a direct link between technology and economic growth. In India, we have a very long way to go for both R&D and manufacturing.” With security issues threatening progress, the military needs to develop all of its capabilities, Air Chief  Marshall P.V. Naik says. “It is important to safeguard national info...

Regional Airlines Aviation Daily Dec 01 , 2010 , p. 11 Neelam Mathews India on Dec. 25 will get its regional carrier—Jagson Airlines—which will take advantage of a government break in parking and navigation fees by operating its AVRO RJ-85 with only 80 seats. The Ministry of Civil Aviation introduced its regional air transport policy in August 2007, when a worldwide recession put plans for launching regional services on hold. India introduced the policy for scheduled regional air transport services because there was a need to promote air connectivity between non-metro and remote airports. The RJ-85 was chosen following its ability to land on short runways. “It flies at twice the speed of the present ATR-42s being run on the route by full-service and budget carriers and with no weather restrictions,” CEO Koustav Dhar told Aviation Week. To take advantage of the government rule that permits the waiving of parkin...