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...

Neelam Mathews June 13, 2012 With a Request for Proposal awaited for  India ’s first private medium airlifter project for the Indian Air Force (IAF) to replace 56  Hawker Siddeley HS 748s,  the government is facing the reality that is private enterprise – running into losses just won’t do. India’s handful of manufacturers that have been in discussions for this project, say they need a commitment from the Ministry of Defense for at least 200 aircraft before they commit to getting involved. “We need a business case before we invest money in the project,” says one of the Indian manufacturers on condition of anonymity. The  Hawker Siddeley HS 748s were originally designed by the British firm Avro in the late 1950s. A Request for Information was released in December last year inviting foreign OEMs to bid for a medium transport aircraft  only if they could find private Indian partners who would build the aircraft in I...