Aerospace Diary

Paris Air Show  »  2013 by  Neelam Mathews A multiple flamingo strike on a SpiceJet Boeing 737 in 2007 climbing out from Delhi airport resulted in damage costing $200,000 and grounding of the aircraft. June 14, 2013, 11:30 AM As congestion increases, avoiding collisions between aircraft and birds is becoming a more pressing issue. The Indian Air Force, which conducts many operational and training flights and often at very low level, attributes around 10 percent of accidents to bird hits. It took the lead last year by issuing global bids to four companies for 45 bird detection and monitoring radar systems ( BDRS ) to be installed at airports and air bases across India. India’s civil and military aviation is ...

AIN DEFENSE PERSPECTIVE  »  MAY 10, 2013 by    NEELAM MATHEWS May 10, 2013, 10:30 AM The Indian Naval air arm is set to double its fleet of 217 aircraft in the next decade. The fleet–a mix of 14 models–“has emerged as a mini air force,” said assistant chief of naval staff (Air) Rear Admiral  D.M.  Sudan. On May 11 the Navy will commission the first of three MiG-29K squadrons at its base in Goa. One is for training. The 16 aircraft originally ordered have all been delivered, as have four of a further 29. They will fly from the aircraft carrier  INS  Vikramaditya  (previously  Admiral Gorshkov ), which has taken five years longer than planned to be refitted. Later, they will also fly from the Indian-built aircraft carrier ( IAC -1), which is under construction in Kochi in Kerala. The MiG-29Ks are replacing Sea Harriers that previously received a limited upgrade. The  VTOL  aircraft will b...

AIN NEWS LIVE FROM AEROINDIA  »  2013 by    NEELAM MATHEWS Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne is having to spell out spending priorities with a cut in India's defense budget looming large.  February 7, 2013, 2:57 PM Following Indian defense minister A.K Antony’s revelation to  AIN  yesterday that the country’s defense budget will be cut for the next fiscal year beginning in April, Air Chief Marshal  NAK Browne has laid out the Indian Air Force priorities for procurement. “There are a number of projects in the final stages,” he told a February 7 press conference at the Aero India show. “They include the C-130J for special operations, 22 [Apache] attack helicopters, 15 heavy lift helicopters and tankers. The mother of all, as you [media] call it, is the   MMRCA   [medium multi-role combat aircraft]. In my view, it takes the highest priority.” The Air Chief Marshal also talked about a need to en...

AIN DEFENSE PERSPECTIVE  »  DECEMBER 14, 2012 by    NEELAM MATHEWS Negotiations for the sale of 126 Rafale combat aircraft to India have run into obstacles related to offsets and the role of Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL). (Photo: Dassault Aviation) December 14, 2012, 12:40 PM More than 10 months after India chose the French Rafale  to meet its $15 billion medium multi-role combat aircraft ( MMRCA ) requirement , contract negotiations are mired in issues related to offsets, the transfer of technology and the role of Hindustan Aeronautics ( HAL ). The Press Trust of India quoted industry sources as saying that Dassault has requested from the Indian Ministry of Defence the freedom to decide the proportion of work to be done by  HAL , versus private Indian companies. Last February, Dassault signed an MoU with Reliance Industry, India’s largest private-sector company, for collaboration in manufacturing. At a French pa...