Aerospace Diary

Posted by-Neelam Mathews March 31, 2012 Thales says it delivered the first series-produced RBE2 radar with active electronically scanned array (AESA) to the Dassault Aviation facility in February in Mérignac, France. The radar will now be installed on Rafale C137, the first Rafale with this new capability, which is scheduled for delivery to the French defense procurement agency (DGA) this summer. A comprehensive three-month flight test program conducted with the first production RBE2 AESA radar at the Istres air base demonstrated the qualities of the radar and confirmed the expected levels of performance prior to delivery to Dassault Aviation. The RBE2 AESA radar was delivered in line with the contract schedule, demonstrating the new radar’s technological maturity and further consolidating Thales’s European leadership in radars for combat aircraft. The RBE2 AESA will give the Rafale a number of key advantages, says Thales: - Extended range for full compatibility with the lates...

Neelam Mathews March 29, 2012 Aerospace Diary has learnt there may be an announcement at Defexpo of Selex Galileo entering into a JV with Data Patterns. The JV will be the primary vehicle for bids moving forward, a government source told Aerospace Diary. The Indian market provides a huge opportunity for Selex Galileo and the Company aims to build on its existing footprint in-country, says an official. At Defexpo, the company is showcasing its technologies including the AESA radar, Electronic Warfare and UAS that can support India's emerging operational. Data Patterns focuses on building reliable open architecture building blocks on various internationally accepted standards such as cPCI, VME, PCI and other Mezzanine standards such as IP, M Module, and PMC. These building blocks are further utilized in order to provide functional solutions in the areas of automatic testing and data acquisition solutions.

Air Chief Marshal Pradeep Vasant Naik, chief of the air staff of the Indian Air Force, caught up with ShowNews’ Neelam Mathews last week to discuss his expectations for procurement, and immediate plans for increasing force levels. ShowNews: What is the status of the Medium  Multi Role Combat Aircraft bids? Where do  you see it moving from your perspective? CAS: This month, the Commercial Negotiation  Committee (CNC) will start. We have  given recommendations [to the Ministry of  Defense (MoD)] as to who meets the criteria and who does not. [The CNC is constituted  under the MoD. Its members are drawn from  the Acquisition Wing, the Service headquarters,  users, quality assurance directorate, and  the R&D organization]. All the six (vendors) meet 95% of the  requirements. SN: What are the technologies you expect to  get from foreign vendors? CAS:We expect to import raw metals, single  crystal engine blades, and, for th...

Aviation Week Intelligence Network Programs Aerospace Daily & Defense Report Oct 11 , 2010 , p. 06 Neelam Mathews NEW DELHI — India is looking at fitting its Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighters with Russian Phazotron Zhuk-AE active, electronically scanned array (AESA) radars. The X-band radar can track 30 aerial targets in the track-while-scan mode and engage six targets simultaneously in attack mode. By 2018, the Indian air force inventory is expected to comprise around 300 Su-30MKIs. India’s Sukhois currently use N011M passive array technology, which delivers less peak power than an AESA. The N011M also has limitations in its back-end processing and requires more maintenance. Defense Minister A.K. Antony recently told the Indian parliament about a proposal to upgrade the Indian air force’s Su-30 fleet. The upgrade is be carried out by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. and Russia’s Irkutsk, the original equipment manufacturer, starting in 2012. It is likely that the order for the AESA ...