Aerospace Diary

AIN DEFENSE PERSPECTIVE  »  JANUARY 11, 2013 by    NEELAM MATHEWS India will become the fifth country to operate A330 multi-role tanker transports (MRTTs), following Australia, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the UK. (Photo: Airbus Military) January 11, 2013, 10:25 AM The Indian Air Force ( IAF ) has selected the A330 multi-role tanker transport ( MRTT ) for its tanker procurement in preference to the Ilyushin Il- 78MK , after a second round of bidding. Commercial negotiations for six aircraft with an option for three more will start soon, and a contract that includes a 30-percent offset commitment is expected to be signed by June. Airbus Military  CEO  Domingo Urena-Raso said, “This has been a long and tough competition, and we are honored to have been selected.” The depot maintenance and life support costs of the A330 were a factor in the Airbus win, since the base price of the Il-78 was lower. Having suffered in t...

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...