Aerospace Diary

Neelam Mathews March 17, 2013   " Within a few months we are going to change the defense procurement procedure again,” Defense Minister A.K. Antony told Parliament recently, sending shudders down the spines of OEMs who privately voiced their opinion saying this is was a kneejerk reaction to the Augusta Westland scam. Though I am not opinionated and not questioning whether this is right or wrong, good or bad, one wonders if this kneejerk reaction is the way we will design our policies and planning in the present and future?  Calling indigenization the “ultimate solution to the scourge of corruption…. (and) Because of the operational necessity of the services, on the request that they need the most modern equipment to meet the operational necessity, the Government moves to import any high-value equipment from foreign sources,” Antony said."   Here we go again!  Always a loophole! Many OEMs would react to the fact that indigenization and build-out of defen...

Neelam Mathews Nov 16, 2012 The delay in making decisions for major tenders gathering dust in the corridors of power, are becoming a source of concern for the military. In a quest for looking squeaky clean, India might just be compromising the operational preparedness of its forces. And of course, we may have overlooked that delays have a cascading effect in terms of money with the rupee depreciating, costs and obsolence in technology and equipment. So who is going to pay for this? The un-suspecting, naive tax payer ofcourse!  All because of inefficiencies, lethargy and a need to be transparent. Does anyone care anymore, one wonders? Is it time to permit lobbyists - a more respectable standing to middlemen- with a set of rules and guidelines as followed elsewhere including the US that claims to follow ethics in business dealings? I might be the most hated person to suggest this, but a bitter pill and guts is the need of the hour. Just a few examples. Take the 197 RSH helico...

Neelam Mathews Nov 5, 2012 Defense Minister A.K Antony has told a consultative committee that included the IAF to complete all pending Court of Inquiry proceedings into air accidents especially for category-I aircraft accident as early as possible. Category-I accidents are those in which the aircraft is destroyed, damaged beyond economical repair, missing or if the cost of repair, excluding damage to aero-engines, exceeds 50% of the total cost.  Antony said an inspection of helicopters detachments was carried as there was “an unusually high number of accidents and incidents on helicopters,”, while operating away from their parent base.  The inspections resulted in highlighting several shortcomings for which “action is being taken on these shortcomings on a priority basis.” Training standards of the younger fighter aircrew, is a focus, said Antony. The basic flying training is being shifted from HPT-32 to Kiran aircraft.  “To make up for the deficiencies of ...

Posted by - Neelam Mathews Following the accidents of Mirage 2000 aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) on Feb 24 and March 5 , all routine training flying on the Mirage 2000 fleet has been temporarily stopped as a precautionary measure, said AK Antony in Parliament on friday. Based on the results of the initial investigations of the accidents, certain checks have been instituted by the IAF. Commencement of flying of the Mirage 2000 fleet is being undertaken in stages post completion of checks, he added. During the last two years (2010-11 and 2011-12) and current financial year 2012-13 (upto 19.4.2012), two Mirage 2000 aircraft have crashed. Technical defect was the cause of both accidents. IAF has simulators for Kiran Mkl/IA, Hawk Mk-32, An-32 and Dornier aircraft which are being used as trainer aircraft. All these simulators are serviceable and the training syllabus includes flying training on these simulators. Further, simulators are being procured along with new induction o...