Aerospace Diary

by  Neelam Mathews  - March 27, 2015, 7:42 AM India has bought three EMB-145s and equipped them with an indigenous AEW&C system but will not acquire any more Credit-Neelam Mathews India is seeking a joint-venture deal with Embraer to export the EMB-145 AEW&C system, now that it has decided on a larger platform to meet Indian Air Force (IAF) requirements. The country has acquired three of the Brazilian aircraft  and equipped them with an indigenous radar system . They are now undergoing trials, and two will enter service with the IAF. But the service will not exercised an option to acquire more such aircraft. Meanwhile, however, India is evaluating responses to the  RFP that was issued last year  for six larger platforms. S. Christopher, director of the Center for AirBorne Systems (CABS) within the government’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), told AIN that the...

Neelam Mathews December 3, 2012 A transparent sounding Chief of Indian Navy,   Admiral DK Joshi, minced no words at the Navy Day press conference, spiced with doses of subtle humor. Joshi informed Aerospace Diary that work on the Indian Aircraft Carrier-2 had started two years ago and ‘all options were being evaluated including arresting gear and it would take a “final shape” by mid- 2013. “We (then) hope to start requirement approvals.” This puts to rest all those critical of the IN saying no work had started on the IAC-2, a     sure recipe to another delayed program. An AEWC lands aboard the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman   What is prime ofcourse, on everybody’s mind, is whether the carrier will opt for the catapult or ski-based design, which will determine the kind of aircraft that will be procured. Joshi was clear: “”if we are going in for big programs, we want a capability for operating that will have usage for the next 50 years...

Neelam Mathews Aug 24, 2012 The first fully modified aircraft for indigenous Airborne Early Warning and Control Systems landed at CABS (Centre for Airborne Systems, Bangalore, a DRDO laboratory) at HAL airport.     The acceptance of the Aircraft was completed over a period of 15 days at Embraer facilities in Brazil by a team from CABS, its work centers, CEMILAC, DGAQA & IAF. “The aircraft ferried with several mission system external components of DRDO including the Active Electronically scanned Array Antenna with passive electronics fitted on the Aircraft,” said a statement. Following integration of the DRDO developed mission system, development flight trials in India will be held in 2013. The contract for the first aircraft delivered by Embraer was signed in 2008. The next aircraft is expected to arrive in December 2012.

Press Release April 5, 2012 The maiden flight of the second fully modified aircraft for the indigenously developed Indian Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AEW&C) was held on April 4, at the San Jose dos Campos in Brazil. The necessary mission systems and components including the dummy AAAU (Active Antena Array Unit) are successfully fitted onboard Embraer EMB 145I aircraft. Vijay Kumar Saraswat, SA to RM, Secretary Depttof Defense R&D and DG DRDO, said the “modified aircraft fitted with the dummy antenna unit performed very well.” This marks an important milestone in the AEW&C program as this aircraft will be delivered in June 2012 to India. The other mission systems will then be integrated on to the aircraft and Mission System flight trials are likely to commence from Nov 2012.  G Elangovan, Distinguished Scientist and Chief Controller Res & Dev (Avionics), DRDO in his message after the successful flight congratulated the entire team of CABS and ...

India Aviation Week & Space Technology Jun 07 , 2010 , p. 38 Neelam Mathews Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil EMB-145 airborne early warning aircraft with Indian radars set for first flight this year Printed headline: Readiness Is All Embraer expects a first flight as early as December of the EMB‑145 airborne early warning system aircraft it is building for the Indian air force, utilizing an active array antenna from India’s Defense Research and Development Organization that mimics the Saab-2000 Erieye. The DRDO’s contribution comes from the Active Array Antenna Unit of its Center for Airborne Systems and is to be integrated into the aircraft after certification. Deliveries are expected in 2011, says Embraer’s executive vice president for defense systems, Orlando Jose Ferreira Neto. Work began on the three EMB-145s in March for an initial surveillance program. The three are expected to be sufficient to support two continuous day/night patrols, but only for a limited time. Th...