Aerospace Diary

THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ _________                                                              August 30, 2013 PRESS BRIEFING BY SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS ON SYRIA Via Conference Call 1:20 P.M. EDT      MS. HAYDEN:  Hi, everyone.  Thanks for joining us on what we know is a busy day.  We are doing this call on background with senior administration officials to talk to you about the documents you just received -- the U.S. government assessment of the Syrian government’s use of chemical weapons on August 21st.      The call is on backgro...

Neelam Mathews Aug 31, 2013 They say history repeats itself along with all the mistakes. Now it seems the US might once again be putting its internal security at risk with its decision on military intervention on Syria following its chemical weapons attack. Even as Secretary of State John Kerry explained why military action against Syria was justified, the Heritage Foundation slammed the decision saying it lacked strategy and would not deter Syria to act again, leading to a spiral of violence and escalation of civil war. On Kerry’s remark: “And history would judge us all extraordinarily harshly if we turned a blind eye to a dictator's wanton use of weapons of mass destruction ………,” Brett Schaefer, Jay Kingham Fellow in International Regulatory Affairs, Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom, said in a concall: “A lot of this is based on emotion that Secy Kerry is playing on.” It is also clear now that Kerry’s reference to many countries willing to support the US were “exa...

Neelam Mathews Aug 29, 2013 RAC MiG and Delhi-based Basant Aerospace have signed at MAKS 2013, two deals worth $55 million for maintenance and support for India’s MiG-29UPG fleet as part of RACs offset commitments. The deal is part of RAC MiG’s $300 million offset obligation under the 2008 MiG-29 upgrade contract Under the first contract, valued at $43 million a facility will be set up provide repairs for the Phazotron Zhuk-ME radar and electronic systems on IAFs fleet of some 60 upgraded MiG-29UPGs. The second contract for $12million will repair equipment for the MiG - 29 UPG type aircraft.

AINALERTS  »  AUGUST 27, 2013 by    NEELAM MATHEWS August 27, 2013, 3:30 PM India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation ( DGCA ) has banned non scheduled air operator permit ( AOP ) holders–including indigenous business jet operators–from flying to international destinations unless certification documents adhere to the international air operator certification manual. This follows an  ICAO  safety audit of India last December that found “significant safety concerns,” with deficiencies in  AOP  holders and maintenance. Last month, an Indian-registered business jet was refused landing by Singapore as it did not have  AOP  documentation. In the past week an  ICAO  team carried out a follow-up on aviation safety and regulatory practices in India and found no “significant safety concerns.” Before the follow-up audit, the  DGCA  grounded Eon Aviation, a Mumbai-based charter company, af...

AIN DEFENSE PERSPECTIVE  »  AUGUST 23, 2013 by    NEELAM MATHEWS The first Indian Navy P-8I Poseidon at Utkrosh naval air station. The jet may be a contender for India’s latest maritime patrol aircraft requirement, even though a smaller aircraft is envisioned. (Photo: Indian Navy) August 23, 2013, 10:35 AM India’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) has issued a request for proposal for nine medium-range maritime reconnaissance ( MRMR ) aircraft for the Indian Navy, plus 38 anti-ship missiles. The Navy has taken delivery of the first of eight Boeing P-8I Poseidon jets, and Boeing Harpoon anti-ship missiles. Although the new  RFP  seems to encourage smaller, lower-cost airframes and weapons, its terms may limit the bids. The  RFP  states the aircraft must fly a transit of 400 nm at 300 knots and patrol 400 nm for four hours at a height of 10,000 feet, configured with two missiles with a range of about 50 nm. The Mo...