Aerospace Diary

By  Neelam Mathews  and Chris Pocock  -  June 30, 2016, 7:28 AM An Indian Air Force Su-30MKI takes off for the first time with a Brahmos cruise missile on a centerline station. (Photo: HAL) The Indo-Russian Brahmos missile has taken to the air on an Indian Air Force Su- 30MKI   for the first time. The long-delayed 45-minute captive-carry test flight on June 25 marked a significant milestone for Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. ( HAL ), which has faced issues related to the limited design data shared by the Russians. Brahmos Aerospace Pvt. Ltd. ( BAPL ) is a joint venture between the Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation and the Russian   NPOM   missile house.  “ This is the first time that a heavyweight supersonic cruise missile has been integrated on a long-range fighter aircraft,” claimed Sudhir Kumar Mishra,   CEO   and managing director of   BAPL . The project to adapt the land- and ship-launched ...

FARNBOROUGH AIR SHOW  »  2014 by    NEELAM MATHEWS July 14, 2014, 7:00 AM A slowdown in reforms in India over the past five years–and a virtual pause in procurement–may be about to change following renewed optimism and confidence as the new government shows, for the moment at least, that it is serious. As hectic activity takes place in the ministries of commerce, finance and defense, increasing manufacturing, exports and foreign direct investment ( FDI ) are focus areas of the new regime. A proposal to increase  FDI  levels from the present 26 percent to 49 percent, and possibly later, 74 percent for transfer of production (build to print) and 100 percent in the case of a single-source-hub transfer, including transfer of technology, is being viewed with interest. While India has moved steadily in automobile and automotive components manufacturing, with auto giants leveraging the country’s strengths in  I...

AIN DEFENSE PERSPECTIVE  »  NOVEMBER 15, 2013 by    NEELAM MATHEWS Russo-Indian cooperation to develop the Brahmos cruise missile will be extended. But integration onto India’s Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighters has been delayed. (Photo: Chris Pocock) November 15, 2013, 12:56 PM The contract between India and Russia to cooperate on the Brahmos supersonic cruise missile expires in February next year but is likely “to be renewed indefinitely by the end of [this] year,” an Indian Ministry of Defense (MoD) official, who did not wish to be identified, told  AIN . “We’re partners. It’s not for us to divulge,” Shivathnu Pillai,  CEO  and managing director of BrahMos Aerospace, told  AIN . Earlier this year, the Indian Navy tested a highly maneuverable, warship-based version of the Brahmos. The surface-to-surface version has a top speed of Mach 2.8, and 290 km range with  GPS /Glonass mid-course guidance. It is being prep...

AIN DEFENSE PERSPECTIVE  »  JULY 19, 2013 by    NEELAM MATHEWS Indian commerce minister Anand Sharma (Photo: Ministry of Commerce, India) July 19, 2013, 11:45 AM Indian commerce minister Anand Sharma announced the raising of the country’s cap on foreign direct investment ( FDI ) in 13 important industrial sectors, including defense. But while the defense industry was expecting the cap to be raised to 49 percent from the present 26 percent, Sharma said that defense proposals for more than 26 percent will be permitted only for state-of-the art technology for which, the Cabinet Committee on Security ( CCS ), a body that decides on matters of national security, will consider any proposals “on a case-by-case basis.” Because “state-of-the-art” products were not defined, it falls to the Ministry of Defense to make the decision, said Sharma. “So what’s new? This is a classic case of pulling wool over eyes to show India has made ...

AIN NEWS LIVE FROM AEROINDIA  »  2013 by    NEELAM MATHEWS Russia and India have agreed to develop a hypersonic version of the BrahMos missile, which would achieve speeds of Mach 5-7. February 6, 2013, 6:35 AM The integration of the new BrahMos missile on to Sukhoi’s Su- 30MKI  long-range fighter is due to reach a key milestone this year with integration of the weapon on test aircraft, ahead of planned first deliveries to the Indian Air Force ( IAF ) next year. Shivathnu Pillai,  CEO  and managing director of BrahMos Aerospace, told  AIN , “We faced many challenges…it has already gone to the Navy and the Army, and the Indian Air Force will get it next year.” Earlier this year, the Indian Navy successfully tested a highly maneuverable version of a sea-based BrahMos supersonic cruise missile. The  IAF  is planning to arm 40 Su- 30MKI  Flanker-H fighters with BrahMos missiles, which a...

Neelam Mathews Oct 10, 2012 The twelfth meeting of the India-Russia Inter-governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation was held in New Delhi today led by the Defense Minister AK Antony and AE Serdyukov, Defense Minister of the Russian Federation.  It may recalled the minister who was scheduled to visit India on Oct 4, deferred it by 6 days as the dates are reported by the media to have coincided with the visit of the Pakistan   Army chief General   to Moscow. This seems strange as official visits of dignitaries are generally planned in advance. "We have handed over the revised overhaul and transfer schedule to the Indian side and we believe that transfer of the ship will take place in the 4th quarter of the 2013," Serdyukov told reporters at the joint press conference after the meeting of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation (IR-IGMTC). "The ship encountered big malfunction with the main power plan...

March 4, 2012 The surface to surface missile capability, the second BrahMos unit of Indian Army has been operationalised somewhere in western sector. The Indian Army unit successfully launched BrahMos missile and destroyed the preselected target in the field firing ranges in Rajasthan on Sunday.  BrahMos has the capability of attacking surface targets by flying as low as 10 m. in altitude.  It can gain a speed of Mach 2.8, and has a maximum range of 290 km. The BrahMos has been developed as a JV between DRDO of India and the Federal State Unitary Enterprise NPO Mashinostroyenia (NPOM) of Russia under BrahMos Aerospace.

On Aerial reconnaissance pods …defense minister Contracts for the procurement of aerial reconnaissance pods along with Ground Exploitation System was signed with ELTA, Israel on 31st December 2004 and with Rafael, Israel on 06 th February 2009. A third Contract was signed for procurement of reconnaissance equipment from IAI, Israel, in 2010. The procurements are in accordance with the Defense Procurement Procedure. The equipment procured meets the operational requirements of the Indian Air Force (IAF).     On IAF – Radar Shortage ….…defense minister The IAF is in the process of procuring aerial reconnaissance aircraft, additional Aerostat Radar systems as well as various types of radars that are expected to provide a gap-free Air Defense coverage along the Eastern and Western borders. The capability build-up of IAF envisages procurement of radars of various classes. The induction of these systems along with network centricity is aimed at a gap-free Air Defense cover a...

Aerospace Daily Dec 2, 2010   By Neelam Mathews NEW DELHI A Block III+ version of India’s 290-km. (180-mi.) range Brahmos supersonic cruise missile was fired Dec. 2 from a Mobile Autonomous Launcher by Indian army personnel at the interim test range at Chandipur on the east coast of Orissa. This follows a test firing of the advanced version of Brahmos Block-II in September, which was the third launch in the series for the Indian army. The Brahmos test firing once again has established “its mountain warfare capability with upgraded software and a new advanced guidance scheme incorporating large-scale maneuvers at multiple points and a steep dive from high altitude with precision strike capability,” a statement says. While the Block II launch met the army’s requirement for the land attack version with advanced seeker software with target discriminating capab...