Aerospace Diary

By  Neelam Mathews   Nov 5, 2015 India’s own MALE UAV is shown during recent taxi trials. It is named Rustom-2 after an Indian aeronautical scientist. (Photo: HAL) The Rustom-2 medium altitude long endurance (MALE) unmanned air vehicle (UAV) designed by India’s Defense Research and Development Organization   (DRDO) will make its first flight by early next month. Delayed by around two years, Rustom-2 “is at an advanced state of readiness,” according to Ashok Rangan, the program director at the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), a DRDO laboratory that develops and transfers technology to a production agency. The project was   first shown   as a full-scale model at the Aero India show in 2010. Rangan told   AIN   that Rustom-2 is benefiting from experience gained with the Rustom-1, also known as the Light Canard Research Aircraft (LCRA). This project of the National Aerospace Laboratory (NAL) developed a small UAV tha...

15 December 2014 - 10:39 by  Neelam Mathews  in New Delhi  THE Indian Navy is strengthening the country’s coastal security by installing 46 coastal radar stations and 51 automatic identification centres.  It has also set up an Information Management Analysis Centre (IMAC) on the outskirts of Delhi to track the movements of some 250,000 fishing boats along the 7 ...for more subscription Shephardmedia.com

By  Neelam Mathews  -  November 26, 2014, 6:00 AM Indian defense ground radar requirements have driven the creation of a new Franco-Indian joint venture between Thales and Bharat Electronics ( BEL ), after a two-year delay.  BEL -Thales Systems will enable the French company to meet Indian offset and technology transfer commitments associated with an Indian Air Force ( IAF ) order for 19 radars. Thales holds 26 percent of the new company, and state-owned Bharat Electronics the other 74 percent. It has been created to design, develop, market, supply and support ground-based civilian and military radars. While Thales’s main strengths are in systems engineering, integration and testing,  BEL  has manufactured radars for the military. Thales will supply six of the 19 Ground Smarter ( GS 100) low level transportable radars ( LLTR ) that the  IAF  has ordered from France, with the other 13 to be assembled in  BEL 's facility nea...

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...

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...

Neelam Mathews Oct 4, 2012   Two-thirds of the world’s biggest defense companies do not provide enough public evidence about how they fight corruption, according to a new study from Transparency International UK released today. This includes companies from all of the ten largest arms exporting nations like US, Russia, Germany, France, the UK and China—who between them are responsible for over 90 percent of the arms sales around the world, the  Defense Companies Anti-Corruption Index (CI)  shows. The rating is done on good, publicly available evidence of having at least basic ethics and anti-corruption compliance systems in place. HAL, BEML and BEL, were listed under the lower bands. Based on level of evidence for basic anti-corruption systems in place:Ten companies score in the top two bands. Fluor Corporation (only 3% defense) is the only company to score in Band A. In band B are Accenture, BAE Systems, Fujitsu, Hewlett-Packard, Meggitt, Northrop Grumman Co...

Neelam Mathews Aug 31, 2012 It was on January 1, 2009, the Government of India signed a contract with Boeing Defense, Space & Security to purchase eight P-8I long-range maritime reconnaissance and antisubmarine aircraft. The P-8I celebrated its first flight in Seattle in September 2011. Delivery of the first aircraft scheduled for 2013, may now be made around Dec 18, 2012, Aerospace Diary learns, but could not confirm. Boeing had said it would deliver the first P-8I within 48 months of contract signing, and the remaining seven by 2015.The P-8I is an India-unique variant of the U.S. Navy’s P-8A Poseidon and offers India the full range of maritime surveillance and patrol missions. HAL is currently contracted to manufacture the P-8I weapons bay door, tailcone, and IFFT, and the F/A-18 gun bay door and wiring harnesses. Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has delivered the Indian-designed Data Link II for the P-8I, a communications system that will enable exchange of t...

As Aerospace Diary reported on Aug 24,-here’s a press release sent today Aug 29, 2012 Following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on November 17, 2009 ,  Navratna Public Sector Company, Bharat Electronics Limited  (BEL)  and Thales   are delighted to announce that the Boards of both companies have approved the formation of a Joint Venture Company subject to statutory approvals of the Government of India and the French Government. The JVC will be dedicated to the design, development, marketing, supply and support of civilian and select defense radars for Indian and Global markets. The parent companies aim at making the Joint Venture Company a centre of excellence with the ability to offer solutions specifically aimed at meeting the needs of both Indian and export customers. In strict accordance with Indian regulations, Thales will hold 26% equity, the maximum allowable holding interest by any foreign company in the defence sec...

Posted by- Neelam Mathews May 31, 2012 Press Release: Boeing on May 3 delivered to the U.S. Navy the first EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft with a cockpit sub-assembly produced by Bangalore-based Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL). The sub-assembly provides cockpit floodlighting compatible with the aircraft's Night Vision Imaging System (NVIS). Boeing awarded BEL an initial contract in March 2011 for work on Super Hornet cockpit subassemblies. That contract included options to renew annually for up to four years. As a result of BEL's demonstrated performance, Boeing recently exercised an option to renew the contract for another year. "BEL continues to demonstrate its capabilities and its position as a valued partner to Boeing," said Dennis Swanson, vice president of International Business Development for Boeing Defense, Space & Security in India. "BEL's work on P-8I, Super Hornets and Growlers is another example of how Indian companies a...

Posted by- Neelam Mathews Sept 5, 2011 In Parliament today The government has taken cognizance of security implications of the import of electronic components from China especially while manufacturing encryption products. Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL), a Defense Public Sector Undertaking, which is a manufacturer of strategic defense electronic systems has been advised to ensure that components of encryption products manufactured by BEL are not imported from China, Minister of State for Defense MM Pallam Raju said in parliament today.   DEFENSE FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT   Defense cooperation agreements/Molls have been signed with Colombia, Namibia, Sweden, Vietnam, Russia, Republic of Korea, Ecuador and Mongolia in the last three years. The details of joint training exercises conducted with other countries in the last three years are as stated below. No training exercise was conducted with New Zealand during this period. Joint Exercise held with foreign countries durin...

Aerospace Diary & Defense Report April13,2010 BUSINESS NEW DELHHI — ITT Defense International is focusing its efforts on the Indian market with the opening of an office here April 9. “We are very excited,” said Lt. Gen. (ret.) David Melcher, president of ITT Defense & Information Solutions. “India is the largest [growing] market in the world. ITT can be a great partner in that.” While ITT is advocating its Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (ADS-B) system to India’s ministry of civil aviation, in the defense arena the company expects its night vision devices to attract interest. The Indian Army Aviation Corps has released a Request for Information for night-vision goggles capable of “operating in low ambient light conditions” for helicopter pilots. ITT partners for the project, if approved, would be government- owned Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) and an ordnance factory. The tubes would be provided by ITT, while BEL would provide the power optics. Technical ...

Aerospace Daily & Defense Report March 30, 2010 NEW DELHI —Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems is close to accepting a 26% equity stake in a joint venture with India’s public sector company, Bharat Electronics Ltd., giving speed to the overdue project. The venture is to develop advanced imaging infrared seekers for the Python 5 fifth-generation air-to-air missile.India has ordered 18 Spyder systems that use advanced air-to-air missiles as ground-launched surface-to-air missiles. Besides the Python 5, it has the beyond-visual-range Derby missile, which has an active seeker. BEL says it hopes the joint venture will be sealed within four months. The venture will encourage development of indigenous missile and guidance technologies within India and will enable Rafael to meet offset requirements by transferring technologies and workshare. India restricts foreign equity in defense projects to 26%. This has been a bone of contention among foreign companies that say they are con...

Aerospace Daily & Defense Report Feb 18 , 2010 , p. 06 Neelam Mathews NEW DELHI — Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems is in negotiations with Indian public sector company Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL) concerning a joint venture program to produce advanced imaging infrared seekers for the Python 5 missile. “The ultimate solution is forming joint ventures,” Rafael Chairman Ilan Biran says. The joint venture with BEL may take a few months, as Rafael has requested that the Indian government increase the Foreign Direct Investment limit from 26 percent to 49 percent. Other issues to be determined include the scope of the project and its market assessment. However, investment is not an issue, BEL Chairman Ashwani Kumar Datt told Aerospace DAILY this week at the land and naval systems DefExpo here. India has ordered 18 Spyder systems that use advanced air-to-air missiles as ground-launched surface-to-air missiles. Besides the Python 5, it has the Derby beyond-visual-range missile, whi...