Aerospace Diary

AVIATION INTERNATIONAL NEWS  »  MARCH 2013 by    NEELAM MATHEWS  and  CHARLES ALCOCK March 3, 2013, 2:15 AM Though largely overshadowed by a heavy military presence, the business aviation sector made its voice heard at last month’s  Aero India show  in Bangalore (February 6 to 10). Serious obstacles continue to stand in the way of those trying to fulfill bizav’s undoubted potential in this vast emerging market  (see box) , but this has not deterred the major manufacturers from increasing their presence in India. During the show  Embraer  signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Mumbai-based  Indamer to provide maintenance support for the Legacy 500 . The midsize jet, which is expected to enter service next year, is currently in the flight-test stage following last year’s  maiden flight of the first prototype . Certification now is expected by the middle of next year, ac...

Neelam Mathews Feb 23, 2013 Wonder of wonders, I don't know whether to laugh or cry ( tears of joy) that FICCI has released the dates for the Hyderabad India Aviation show! So before I start to get disrespectful, I think a  a record may have been broken in our country. Unlike in the past- disdainful to the needs of visitors and exhibitors- rarely do organizers announce dates for an event so much ahead of time. Oh yes, the dates are March 12-16, 2014 at Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad. Hope to see one and all there. Hopefully, memory of the present bombings will be behind us and FICCI will be in a position to attract many more exhibitors and a good mix of participants. Now, one can hope that the agenda too will come on time, unlike Aero India, where interviews were fixed at the last minute and one was moving around like a headless chicken.

Neelam Mathews Feb 11, 2013 For a show like Aero India in which so much planning has been done and tax money spent, it is a pity the presence of some senior people unable to attend, was sorely missed by exhibitors who came in the hope of meeting them. A dmiral Devendra Kumar Joshi, Navy chief, was unfortunately on a foreign tour and though some did say this was an aviation-related show, we should remind ourselves of the various navy-related RFPs that are expected and clarifications to be sought. It;s an "unfortunate coincidence," moaned an exhibitor. Another missing peg was the MHA secretary who was stuck at a security conference in New Delhi. Pity we cannot plan our events so they don't clash with simultaneous ones. Or will we need another show to catch up with MHA? We also hear no one from DOMW was present at the Offset Conference! Also heard at the show- " This is the first time the Army Aviation DG is not an aviator." Fortunately, he wasn't missin...

Neelam Mathews Feb 11, 2013 All efforts to make a show successful are lost, in my humble opinion, if we show such lethargy to   waste.  Who can be held responsible, is the question. Or is it a conscience thing? If that exists anymore? Fortunately, my post can only be deleted and not thrown in a waste paper bin! Have a great day.

Neelam Mathews Feb 11, 2013 This is what foreign and Indian exhibitors resented. Public should be welcomed but on the third day of the business show? 

AIN NEWS LIVE FROM AEROINDIA  »  2013 by    NEELAM MATHEWS February 7, 2013, 6:26 AM Rockwell Collins sees big opportunities in India for military avionics and communications systems, according to Ram Prasad, the  U.S.  electronics group’s managing director for India. He told  AIN   that the company is in the early stages of establishing a teaming relationship with Bharat Electronics Ltd ( BEL ), which is looking to increase indigenous content in Indian military systems. Separately, Rockwell Collins is actively pursuing the Indian Air Force’s software-defined radio ( SDR ) program. “We have also responded to RFIs [requests for information] from the Indian Army, but most of their big communications procurements are still in the future,” said Prasad. “We have a number of SDRs that we think will fit in the Indian market. For airborne programs, we have the 629F-23 4 th  generation  ARC -210, and  R...

AIN NEWS LIVE FROM AEROINDIA  »  2013 by    NEELAM MATHEWS A C-17 heavy lifter was prominent among a large U.S. contingent of aircraft at this week's Aero India show. [Photo: Rakesh Mangaraj, Indian MoD.] February 8, 2013, 11:21 AM The U.S.-India Business Council coordinated a large  U.S.  industry delegation to this week’s Aero India show led by Lt.Gen. Jeff Kohler (Retd.), vice president of Boeing Military Aircraft and Vice Admiral (Retd.) Kevin Cosgriff, senior vice president for international business with Textron Systems. Defense sales to India from the  U.S.  have risen from an annual value of just $200 million in 2001 to over $14 billion today. “India’s defense modernization requirements and capacity building measures are vast, and reflect a growing need to secure critical infrastructure assets and defend sizeable borders, while securing their economic growth. The U.S industry leads the way in of...

AIN NEWS LIVE FROM AEROINDIA  »  2013 by    NEELAM MATHEWS At this week's Aero India show Embraer exhibited a Lineage large cabin  business  jet and it is also boosting its product support network in India. [Photo: Vladimir Karnozov] February 7, 2013, 5:12 AM Embraer has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Mumbai-based Indamer to provide maintenance support for the midsize Legacy 500. The Legacy 500, which is expected to enter service in 2014, is currently in the flight-test stage following the maiden flight of the first prototype late last year. Certification now is expected by mid-2014, according to Jose Eduardo Costas, vice president of sales and marketing with Embraer Executive Jets. To date, the Brazilian manufacturer has delivered 18 of its business jets to India, including three Legacy 650s that arrived in 2013. This represents more than 10 percent of the Indian-registered fleet of just over 160 ...

AIN NEWS LIVE FROM AEROINDIA  »  2013 by    NEELAM MATHEWS Publication of India's new Defense Procurement Policy has been delayed as a government auditor pushes for more efficiency in the process, including a greater role for the private sector. (Photo: Rakesh Mangaraj, Indian Mod) February 4, 2013, 2:55 PM India’s updated Defense Procurement Policy ( DPP ) for 2013 that was to be released in January is delayed by five or six months, a senior defense ministry official told  AIN . The DPP  governs the buying of military weapons and equipment. Recently, the country’s Comptroller Auditor General stated that the previous  DPP  2011 is not geared for efficient procurement. “The MoD [ministry of defense] needs to factor this into the  DPP  2013 to ensure greater efficiency in acquisition and eliminate discrimination between the private and public sector enterprises,” said an industry analyst with think-tan...