Aerospace Diary

by  Neelam Mathews  Aug 5 2015 The Cheel UAV to be co-developed in India by Dynamatic and AeroVironment will be a development of the latter’s Raven, seen here. (Photo: AeroVironment) Bangalore, India-based Dynamatic Technologies is co-developing a new generation lightweight unmanned aerial system (UAS) with AeroVironment of the U.S. It is named the Cheel (Hindi for Eagle) and will be based on AeroVironment’s proven expertise , with the design evolving from the 5 kg Raven and 12 kg Puma UAS. The project is one of the six “pathfinder projects” identified under the U.S.-India Defense Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI)  earlier this year . “The first Cheel will fly eleven months after formal approval,” Udayant Malhoutra, Dynamatic CEO and managing director told  AIN . The Indian company is already a supplier to Airbus, Bell and Boeing and has built an advanced avionics and communications laboratory; payload developm...

Neelam Mathews June 15, 2015 Prme Minister Modi and Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, left, have taken the relationship between his nation and India "out of the closet." India’s thrust in the past year to get a greater slice of the international defense equipment pie has resulted in a host of agreements being signed in the first five months of 2015, under the new Narendra Modi government. The country is aggressively tapping the world for hi-tech equipment. Underscoring India’s aerospace technology plans, Minister of State for Defense Rao Inderjit Singh said the focus is to “open opportunities for innovative minds to exploit the globally evolving spirit of teaming up and pooling resources.” Modi has not been shy of talking openly about relations with Israel, which is a top-three exporter of arms, following India’s establishing of diplomatic relations with the country in the early 1990s (which it kept under wraps due to sensitivities). He will become the fi...

DEFENCE NOTES 03rd March 2015 - 14:46 by  Neelam Mathews  in Delhi  The US-India Defense Trade and Technology Initiative (DTTI) appears to be at a standstill. Three unsigned agreements remain to be signed before the four Pathfinder projects that will introduce co-development and co-production of defence equipment with the US move forward. They have as yet not been approved by India because of sovereignty issues. Speaking to  Shephard  at a media briefing, Frank Kendall, US under-secretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, said the Communication Interoperability and Security Memorandum Agreement (CISMOA) ‘is an important agreement. We would like to get that in time.’ CISMOA is one of the three agreements and is the administrative framework for sharing communications. The other two include the Logistics Support Agreement (LSA), a cross-servicing agreement, to enable the two militaries a quid pro quo for logistics support, r...

Gordon Arthur   &   Neelam Mathews   Closer US-India military cooperation in the UAV field kicked up a gear when  AeroVironment  and Bangalore-based  Dynamatic Technologies  inaugurated a production facility on 17 February.  The two companies will now co-develop a next generation unmanned aircraft system dubbed Cheel (Eagle), which was unveiled during Aero India on February 18. The Cheel will be based on AeroVironment’s small UAS expertise, with the design an evolution of the lightweight 5kg  RQ-11B Raven  and  12 Kg Puma ....... The prototype is expected to be ready in 12 months, according to Dynamatic Technologies CEO and managing director Udayant Malhoutra.  .... ...more on Shephardmedia

by  Neelam Mathews The U.S. extended the Defense Trade and Technology Initiative (DTTI) signed with India in 2005 by another decade, to 2025. The move came during this week’s visit to India by President Obama, the first U.S. president to be chief guest for India’s 66th Republic Day celebrations. He was accompanied by a large defense-related delegation. The visit came barely a week after Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu was in the country for the 14th meeting of the Inter-Governmental Commission on Military and Technical Cooperation. The DTTI covers potential partnership in U.S.-India military-industrial matters. From a list about 17 technologies permitted for transfer, the two sides have identified four “Pathfinder projects” for co-development and co-production. They are the AeroVironment RQ-11 Raven B UAV; roll-on roll-off cargo modules for disaster-relief operations worldwide by Lockheed Martin C...

Neelam Mathews Jan 17, 2015   My past writings have shown a definite leaning towards quality and efficiency of military equipment whether it be bought from home or abroad and most would agree that would stand us in good stead in time of crisis. Something India has learnt bitter lessons from. Yes, waiting for the LCA and engines for many a project has delayed many a procurement. Now with ‘Make in India’ a slogan and the practice being adopted and implemented, one might have to revisit some clauses before we jump in to manufacture basic foreign equipment that could perhaps have its strength in India. Take for example the US mini UAV- an agreement for manufacture that could be announced at President Obama’s visit to India with US AeroVironment RQ-11 Raven, a small hand-launched remote-controlled UAV that can fly upto 10km. One does know of a similar model designed in India by Kadet Defence Systems, SilverBee. So what makes us rush into the arms of the Amer...

http://www.shephardmedia.com/news/landwarfareintl/javelin-co-production-india-advances-under-dtti/?nocache=141380557039 Land Warfare 17th October 2014 - 14:00 by  Neelam Mathews  in Delhi  Plans are afoot in India to co-develop and co-produce the next generation of Raytheon-Lockheed Martin FGM-148  Javelin  ATGMs. The Javelin proposal is being instigated as the US signs a new 10-year Defence Trade and Technology Initiative (DTTI) with India as the old one is set to expire in mid-2015. On a recent visit to India, US secretary of defense, Chuck Hagel stated: ‘This is an unprecedented offer that we have made only to India and no one else. To ensure our defense industrial cooperation receives the attention it demands, in May, I announced that I was directing the Pentagon's Undersecretary for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, Frank Kendall …. to lead and advance the DTTI.’ Presently, the military has to make do with second-generation 2km rang...