Aerospace Diary

DEFENSE Essential news and analysis on the defense aerospace business. Your trusted source for new and ongoing programs and requirements in military aircraft (manned and unmanned), engines, avionics, weapons and associated systems, including ground-based air defense. GA-ASI finally has a customer for its long-proposed maritime surveillance version of the Predator B UAS. June 29, 2017 Neelam Mathews and Chris Pocock T he U.S. has offered to sell the GA-ASI Sea Guardian unmanned aircraft system (UAS) to India, as part of a planned boost in defense cooperation between the two countries. A meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington on June 26, discussed what would be India’s first procurement of a high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) UAS. After the meeting, the White House stated that “the U.S. and India look forward to working together on advanced defense e...

Neelam Mathews JAR June 27 2017 Escalating demand in  Singapore  for cheap, high-tech commercial  drones has prompted authorities in the city-state to develop  an unmanned aerial system (UAS) traffic management (UTM)  system. A joint research centre called the Air Traffic Management  Research Institute (ATMRI), led by Nanyang Technological  University (NTU) and the Civil Aviation Authority of  Singapore (CAAS), is working on a four-year project called Traffic Management  of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (TM-UAS). The project is scheduled to complete .......read in JAR 

by  Neelam Mathews  -  June 17, 2017, 11:39AM Subcontractor for precision machining, sheet metal fabrication, assembly, forging and special processing for  OEM s and Tier 1 customers, India’s decade-old Aequs Aerospace (Hall 2b, Stand   E170 ) has been on a consistent and disciplined growth trajectory, especially in the past two years. Global acquisitions have helped the company locate closer to a regional customer base and help complement its technical capabilities across the value chain for mechanical parts, Aravind Melligeri, chairman and   CEO   of Aequs, told   AIN . “ Our goal at the 2017 Paris Airshow is to show what we are offering to the world…an ability to deliver value and quality for components of landing gears, actuators and engines parts, including machining capability—[also] including 4D machining,” said Melligeri.  Headquartered in Belagavi in the southern state of Karnataka close to Goa, Aequs is located on ...

Paris Air Show 2017    by  Neelam Mathews  -  June 20, 2017, 3:40 AM With production facilities in India and Germany,   MKU , the India-based manufacturer of ballistic protection for personnel, vehicles (ground and air) and electro-optic devices has reported strong demand in retrofitting helicopters. As domestic unrest has become more widespread,   MKU   said, search-and-rescue missions have taken on a more dangerous tone, creating an increased need for armored protection. Having completed more than 250 helicopter retrofits, primarily in Southeast Asia, South America and Africa,   MKU   (Hall3 Stand   C8 ) finds its services in increasing demand. “ Relief agencies and air ambulances often go through firing zones, as do fire service helicopters and transporters,” said Sharad Khandelwal,   MKU international sales director, to   AIN . As the world undergoes a new order, commercial and bus...

Neelam Mathews Jun 13 2017 The new USD195 million Terminal 1 (T1) at Astana International Airport was officially opened by Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev on 31 May, before the three-month Expo 2017 began on 10 June. 1699820 Paolo Ricciotti, chairman of Astana International Airport. ( Neelam Mathews) The new terminal went operational on 5 June with the initial transfer of all international airlines apart from Air Astana, which will be transferred at a later stage of operations. Air Astana is to use the airport as a hub, as will fast-growing SCAT Airlines (the second-largest airline in  Kazakhstan ). The new terminal is an element of the State Programme of Infrastructure Development 2015-2019. As the only airport serving the capital of  Kazakhstan , Astana International is fully state-owned and managed by the Airport Management Group, a 100% subsidiary of Kazakh Railways. Paolo Ricciotti, chairman of Astana ....more on Janes ..

Neelam Mathews June 8 2017 AIN Having gained a majority in parliament, the government of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has begun seriously considering the restructuring and/or privatization of national carrier Air India. A high   GDP   growth rate and a domestic aviation market set to overtake Japan this year as the world’s third largest has led to calls for a more effectual national carrier. Air India’s debts now amount to $7.5 billion, about half of which stems from aircraft loans. The Ministry of Civil Aviation, prodded by a proposal made by the government’s newly formed innovation think tank Niti Aayog, has started the process of preparing a note for the cabinet that will decide on the future course of action, confirmed junior minister of civil aviation Jayant Sinha at a press briefing on June 5. He and an Air India official both refused to comment on the details or reports that the new entity could launch in 18 months. Asked whether the move could presag...

Neelam Mathews May 31, 2017 Special Ops As threats from porous borders cause concerns, experts noted critical gaps in counterterrorism technology, procurement and governance in India at a homeland security meeting organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Delhi on 24 May. Immediate challenges faced by ... Read on ShephardMedia