Aerospace Diary

Programs Aerospace Daily & Defense Report Dec 02 , 2010 , p. 09 Neelam Mathews Cobham has a received a $28 million order from BAE Systems to supply weapons carriage and release equipment for the Indian Air Force Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer program. The contract award follows India’s purchase of 57 BAE Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer Aircraft (AJT) in July 2010, to be built by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. in India. Forty aircraft have been assigned to the Indian Air Force and the remaining 17 for the Indian Navy. Cobham will deliver significant quantities of Light Duty Ejector Release Units and Carrier Bomb Light Stores (CBLS) training aids to BAE Systems between 2012-14. Cobham’s Carrier Bomb Release System CBLS 2000 provides the facility for carriage and release of up to four practice stores. It conforms to the latest military specification requirements for the Eurofighter , Gripen and latest Hawk var...

PROGRAMS NEW DELHI — U.K.-based Cobham is in discussions with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. and India’s Aeronautical Development Agency about retrofitting a retractable refueling probe on the current model of the Light Combat Aircraft as well as the Mk2 version. While Cobham is not certain how the business model will be globally tendered, the company’s experience will be a definite advantage, according to Lee Griffiths, director of Cobham India. The Indian air force and navy are believed to be keen to get the fueling probe because of issues with flight handling, drag and movability. “We will develop and design a retractable refueling probe,” Griffiths says. “LCA is a tightly packed aircraft ... Unfortunately, we’re later in the design period. We will roll out the retractable [version] by 2013-14.” Cobham has already provided to the Indian air force 20 Buddy Refueling Pods for its Su-30s - Mark 754. Its main features include a fueldraulic hose rewind and response, digital control...

PROGRAMS NEW DELHI — India is expected to release a request for proposals soon for outsourcing maritime air surveillance of the country’s coastline. “We are hoping the Request for Proposal will be out soon,” says Lee Griffiths, head of Cobham in India, which plans to bid on the work with an Indian partner. The Australian government’s Border Protection Command entrusted Surveillance Australia, part of the Cobham Services Division, with maritime air surveillance of Australia’s borders. It was named the preferred bidder for a 12-year, A$1 billion contract over Raytheon Australia under a performance-based contract that lasts until 2020. The company provides a full turnkey operation with 10 modified Bombardier Dash 8 maritime patrol aircraft which each year fly 2,500 missions and 15,000 hr. Cobham is taking its prospective Indian partner on the Indian surveillance contract to Australia to observe its operations,according to Griffiths. “The challenge here [in India] is to work throug...

Programs Aerospace Daily & Defense Report Jun 08 , 2010 , p. 10 Neelam Mathews NEW DELHI — Following two years of joint development, Indian defense manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL), Lockheed Martin and Cobham have developed an F-16 refueling probe. The probe’s prototype will be demonstrated and showcased at the Farnborough Air Show. “We will market [it] and HAL will [produce and] sell to customers,” Lockheed Martin India chief Roger Rose told Aerospace DAILY. HAL had requested the refueling probe be developed for the Indian air force’s Medium Multi Range Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) program, to fulfill India’s requirement that the MMRCA be able to use drogue-equipped aerial tankers. Many global customers need a similar capability, Rose says. The F-16 does not have a probe since it has a boom refueling system, except for the United Arab Emirates’ version. HAL is expected to sell the product to other vendors even if the F-16 is not chosen for the MMRCA. Lockheed...