Aerospace Diary

by  Neelam Mathews  - February 24, 2015, 1:18 PM Last week's Aero Industry even was the biggest in the show's history. (Photo: Indian Ministry of Defence) While no major defense deals were signed at the Aero India show last week, it was clear that medium and small companies in India’s aerospace industry are starting to make their presence felt. More than 500 buyers and suppliers were at the show, which had a “Make in India” theme that was strongly promoted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he inaugurated the event. This was the biggest show since its inception with 33 countries participating. Sixty-four of those companies hailed from the U.S.; 58 came from France. There were 48 companies from the  UK , 41 from Russia, 25 from Israel and 17 from Germany. All of them expressed support for the ‘Make in India’ theme. Seven of the 11 foreign military aircraft on display were from the U.S.: two F-15C Eagles; two F-16C Fighting Falcons, a Boeing  K...

Neelam Mathews Feb 18, 2015 Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech at the February 18 opening of the Aero India show in Bangalore signaled that his government intends to fulfill its promises to reform the country’s defense procurement policies. Exhibitors responded positively to the prospect that India’s leaders might finally put an end to years of what many in the industry view as gross inefficiency and missed opportunity. Modi, elected last year on a platform of economic reform, acknowledged that a key plank of his reform agenda is opening up opportunities for India’s private sector aerospace and defense companies so that not all partnerships with Western manufacturers have to be channeled through state-controlled entities that have often struggled to manage programs effectively. “Our defense industry will succeed more if we can transform the manufacturing sector in India,” Modi told show visitors in a speech that reiterated the key objectives of his “Make...

by   Neelam Mathews  -Pix Credit-Snecma February 16, 2015, 3:18 PM France’s Snemca and India’s Max Aerospace have finalized an agreement to form an aircraft engine maintenance, repair and overhaul operation called Maxaero Aircraft Engines Pvt Ltd ( MAEPL ). The partners claim that the operation, which is set to start operations during the second quarter of 2015, will be India’s first privately owned engine   MRO   joint venture. Initially,   MAEPL   will provide line support for the Snecma M53 engines that power Dassault Mirage 2000 fighters operated by India’s air force. The service has indicated that it plans to outsource more maintenance work. The new company will also start supporting   CFM 56 airliner engines, made by Snecma’s   CFM   International partnership with   GE   Aviation. According to   MAEPL   chairman Bharat Malkani, there are currently approximately 400 CFM 56 engines in ser...

 by Neelam Mathews  - February 16, 2015, 12:51 PM Dynamatic Technologies CEO and managing director Udayant Malhoutra says the company’s appointment as a single source tier one supplier by Airbus significantly boosts the Indian content in the European airframer’s products. [Photo: Neelam Mathews] Airbus has appointed India’s Dynamatic Technologies as a single source supplier of flap track beams for A330 airliners. The agreement, announced on the eve of this week’s Aero India show in Bangalore, is the largest manufacturing contract awarded by the European airframer to an Indian private sector company and makes Dynamatic a global tier one supplier. The flap-track work will be divided between Dynamatic’s main factory in Bangalore and the Bristol facility of its UK   subsidiary Dynamatic Oldland. The   UK   plant is handling some work involving materials such as titanium and aluminum for which the Indian facility is not yet certified. Dynamatic wi...