Aerospace Diary

by  Neelam Mathews  - October 5, 2016, 7:34 AM The Indian Air Force (IAF) has confirmed that it will re-engine its fleet of Anglo-French Jaguar strike aircraft. The plan was discussed by IAF Chief of Air Staff Arup Raha during his annual press conference this week. Raha was enthusiastic about the recently confirmed acquisition of Dassault Rafales, but cautious on progress with the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) project with Russia. “Technology is improving so rapidly that weapon systems and platforms soon become redundant,” said Raha. This phenomenon is being addressed through the IAF’s Long Term Perspective Plan, a 15-year scheme that is divided into three five-year spans. Raha said that while most previous procurement “had been process-driven; it is now changing to outcome-driven.” Honeywell is to supply 270 F125IN turbofan engines to replace the twin Rolls-Royce Adour Mk 821s on apporoximately 120 Jaguars. The...

AIN DEFENSE PERSPECTIVE  »  SEPTEMBER 19, 2014 by    NEELAM MATHEWS An upgrade to the Indian air force Mirage 2000 fleet is progressing, but a quarter of the unmodified aircraft are grounded for lack of spares. (Photo: Indian Air Force) September 19, 2014, 8:53 AM Although a $2.2 billion upgrade of India’s Dassault Mirage 2000 fighters is progressing, around a quarter of the fleet of 49 is grounded because a contract for spares has remained unsigned for years,  AIN  has learned  from sources involved in the program . “ Bureaucratic holdups have caused delays. As a result, parts are being cannibalized and there are some aircraft [inactive] since 2010. Life of some parts, especially avionics is expiring,” said an engineer   not willing to be identified.  Repairs of the Mirages are carried out at the base repair depot in Gwalior in the central state of Madhya Pradesh. The depot also does material planning ...

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 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...

Paris Air Show  »  2013 by  Neelam Mathews A multiple flamingo strike on a SpiceJet Boeing 737 in 2007 climbing out from Delhi airport resulted in damage costing $200,000 and grounding of the aircraft. June 14, 2013, 11:30 AM As congestion increases, avoiding collisions between aircraft and birds is becoming a more pressing issue. The Indian Air Force, which conducts many operational and training flights and often at very low level, attributes around 10 percent of accidents to bird hits. It took the lead last year by issuing global bids to four companies for 45 bird detection and monitoring radar systems ( BDRS ) to be installed at airports and air bases across India. India’s civil and military aviation is ...

AIN DEFENSE PERSPECTIVE  »  MAY 24, 2013 by    NEELAM MATHEWS An Indian Air Force requirement to replace these aging Avro 748 transports is supposed to create a privately held aircraft manufacturing company. (Photo: Indian Air Force) May 24, 2013, 9:00 AM India’s Ministry of Defense has issued a request for proposal ( RFP ) for the procurement of 56 transport aircraft to replace the air force’s aging fleet of around 30 Avro 748Ms. In a bid to launch an indigenous private defense manufacturing capability, this is the first time an  RFP  states that the Indian Production Agency ( IPA ) will be a private company. This leaves out Hindustan Aeronautics ( HAL ), which has until now held a monopoly in defense programs. The last date for submission of bids is October 8. The  RFP  for the five-ton and above, 50-seater transport aircraft with a rear ramp has been released to eight  OEM s–Airbus Military, A...

AIN DEFENSE PERSPECTIVE  »  MARCH 1, 2013 by    NEELAM MATHEWS HAL is manufacturing a re-engined version of the evergreen Alouette II and Lama helicopter series as the Cheetal for the Indian army. (Photo: HAL) March 1, 2013, 10:20 AM The Indian Army has placed a $77 million order with Hindustan Aeronautics ( HAL ) for 20 Cheetal helicopters, a re-engined variant of the Aerospatiale  SA  316B Lama that was built under license in India as the Cheetah. The order is a short-term measure for logistics support to the Indian troops on the Siachen Glacier because of delays to the twice-bid competition for 197 reconnaissance and surveillance helicopters ( RSH ). The future of that requirement  is uncertain . HAL   has committed to “supply 20 Cheetals over the next four years besides providing training to its pilots and technical crew,” the company said in a statement. It has already delivered nine Cheetals from the 1...

AIN DEFENSE PERSPECTIVE  »  FEBRUARY 15, 2013 by    NEELAM MATHEWS HAL’s light combat helicopter (LCH) was on display at the Aero India show. (Photo: Vladimir Karnozov) February 15, 2013, 12:18 PM Indian light helicopter requirements remain subject to a   bureaucratic procurement process. The program to acquire 197 reconnaissance and surveillance helicopters ( RSH ) is close to being scrapped, but Hindustan Aeronautics ( HAL ) has inked a contract for 187 light utility helicopters ( LUH ).  HAL  is also proposing the LUH  for a new Indian Navy requirement. Meanwhile,  HAL  continues to develop its light combat helicopter ( LCH ), which  first flew in March 2010 . The   RSH   program was supposed to replace 230 aging Chetaks (Aerospatiale   SA316 Alouette   III ) and Cheetahs ( SE316B   Alouette   II ). The single-engine Eurocopter AS550C3   and twin-engine Ka...