Aerospace Diary

Sorry-posting it a bit late! AEROSPACE Mag -UK Rafale deal sealed at last 21 October 2016 In the wake of India's deal to acquire 36 Dassault Rafale fighters,  NEELAM MATHEWS  analyses this key defence procurement. A new dawn for Indian air power? (Dassault Aviation)  Four years after Dassault Aviation’s Rafale was chosen for India’s 126 Medium Multi Role Aircraft, India and France have signed a watered down deal for 36 aircraft valued at €7.87bn. It includes 28 single seaters at €91.7m each and eight twin seaters at €94m each. India has become the third international customer to buy Rafale after Qatar and Egypt. India will receive the first Rafale fighter within 36 months of signing the agreement while the remaining jets will be delivered in the following 30 months. “We have requested them to (deliver it) as fast as possible,” said defence minister Manohar Parrikar. Analysts view this in the backdrop of increased cross border tensions following n...

Neelam Mathews Aug 19 2015 AIN. Credit. Neelam Mathews India’s expanding aerospace industry has expressed regret about the government’s decision to buy 36 Dassault Rafale combat jets directly from France, without an offsets clause. Delhi has committed to signing the inter-government contract by the end of calendar year 2015,  AIN  has learned  from sources close to the negotiations . The tender for 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft ( MMRCA ), which has now been withdrawn, specified 50 percent offsets as well as licensed production of 108 aircraft. Negotiations on the  MMRCA  faltered on the liability clause between government-owned Hindustan Aeronautics ( HAL ) and Dassault, which was not willing to take responsibility for  HAL ’s work. “ So much for the Make in India program,” said an Indian defense vendor, who told  AIN  that the valuable  MMRCA  project would have boosted the aerospace industry in India. A num...

by  Neelam Mathews  -  July 15, 2015, 7:36 AM Airbus Helicopters believes that the Fennec may still secure a portion of the Indian reconnaissance and surveillance helicopter (RSH) requirement. (Photo: Chris Pocock) Airbus Helicopters and Mahindra Defence Systems will create a joint venture to respond to India’s large potential requirements for military helicopters. The new partners said this will be the first private Indian helicopter manufacturer under the   “Make in India” initiative . They are eyeing three particular requirements that could amount to more than 600 helicopters, although in two of the three cases, the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has already chosen alternative suppliers to meet part of the need. Mahindra is a vehicle and tractor maker with a defense business that supplies armored vehicles, radars and surveillance equipment to India’s armed forces. Its subsidiary Mahindra Aerospace recently bought GippsAero in Australi...

Neelam Mathews April 16, 2015 Following India’s delayed decision on the Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA), a process initiated in 2000, the announcement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the first day of his trip to France on Apr 13, for an ‘in principle’ clearance for the outright purchase of 36 Rafales in flyaway condition, is being seen as a game changer in the way defense procurement will now be done in India. The buy includes life cycle support and 50% offsets, AerospaceDiary learns While India is expected to exercise its option clause for 18 Rafales in future for outright buys that will take its Rafale squadrons to three, in a recent interview by IBN7 with Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar clearly indicated a desire to produce a single-engine fighter on Make in India basis. According to Parrikar the original deal for 126 is valued at approximately $14.50 billion, which leaves a large amount of money to consider the single-engine fighter. We are guessing it wi...

MARITIME SECURITY 10th April 2015 - 15:39 by  Neelam Mathews  in Delhi  Following a seven-year wait India’s Defence Acquisition Council has cleared the way for production of the Short Range Surface-to-Air Missile (SRSAM) for the Indian Navy. It has opened up the possibility of dialogue between manufacturer  MBDA  and the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) following a visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to France and Germany on 9 April. The original project was called ‘Maitri’ and it envisioned development of truck-mounted SRSAMs for the Army to replace Russian Strella SAMs, Indian Air Force OSA-AKMs, and Indian Navy’s OSA-M.  Delay in a decision led to the Army and IAF purchasing indigenous 5.6m long, 25km range ‘Akash’ SAM. The IAF is inducting eight Akash squadrons, and the Army two regiments, of which one will be supplied shortly. Akash failed to meet the Navy’s requirements for the system that includes fire cont...

by  Neelam Mathews  - February 24, 2015, 1:18 PM Last week's Aero Industry even was the biggest in the show's history. (Photo: Indian Ministry of Defence) While no major defense deals were signed at the Aero India show last week, it was clear that medium and small companies in India’s aerospace industry are starting to make their presence felt. More than 500 buyers and suppliers were at the show, which had a “Make in India” theme that was strongly promoted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he inaugurated the event. This was the biggest show since its inception with 33 countries participating. Sixty-four of those companies hailed from the U.S.; 58 came from France. There were 48 companies from the  UK , 41 from Russia, 25 from Israel and 17 from Germany. All of them expressed support for the ‘Make in India’ theme. Seven of the 11 foreign military aircraft on display were from the U.S.: two F-15C Eagles; two F-16C Fighting Falcons, a Boeing  K...