Aerospace Diary

AINONLINE by    NEELAM MATHEWS The Airbus C-295 might be the only qualified contender for India’s Avro 748 replacement project. (Photo: Airbus Defence & Space) July 22, 2014, 2:50 PM The new Indian government has re-issued the request for proposal ( RFP ) for 56 transport aircraft worth an estimated $2 billion, to replace the Indian Air Force’s aging Hawker Siddeley 748M twin-turboprops, known as Avros. The final date for submission of bids is August 28. The contract is expected to be awarded in late 2015 or early 2016. The candidates will likely include Alenia with the C-27J, Antonov with the An-32, and Airbus Defence  &  Space with the C-295. However, a decision on whether Alenia can bid is pending, after the  controversial sale of  AW 101 helicopters by fellow Finmeccanica subsidiary AgustaWestland was halted . There are also concerns about Antonov, from war-torn Ukraine. Should the C-295 end up as a sole bi...

 AIN DEFENSE PERSPECTIVE » JULY 12, 2013 by    NEELAM MATHEWS The Indian Air Force operates a fleet of more than 100 Antonov An-32 turboprops (offshoots of the An-26), a possible replacement for the service’s aging Avro/Hawker Siddeley HS.748Ms. (Photo: Antonov) July 12, 2013, 9:45 AM India will likely extend the submission deadline of a request for proposals ( RFP ) to replace the Indian Air Force’s aging Avro/Hawker Siddeley  HS .748M turboprops by another month, a defense ministry official told  AIN . The deadline is currently October 8; however, manufacturers face a challenge in identifying private partners in India that have adequate facilities for final assembly and component and sub-system manufacture of the replacement aircraft. I ndian government-owned companies are not allowed to participate in the  HS .748 replacement bid, a first for defense procurement. The winning vendor will be expected to deliver 1...