Aerospace Diary

PARIS AIR SHOW  »  2013 by    NEELAM MATHEWS Sikorsky S-92 cabins are now being manufactured in India under a joint venture with Tata Advanced Systems. The facility recently increased production to four units per month. June 17, 2013, 2:40 AM As vendors await the announcement of belated contracts, India continues to grapple with its ever-changing  defense procurement policy , with the latest– DPP  2013–announced and effective from June 1. The focus of  DPP 2013 is on buying Indian defense products, even though these can fill only a fraction of the country’s requirements. It is being viewed as a kneejerk reaction to bribery allegations surrounding the procurement of AgustaWestland  AW 101  VVIP  helicopters. “The new procedures will give further impetus and a new momentum to indigenization,” Defense Minister  A.K.  Antony said recently. “We also [want] to aggressively pursue indigenizatio...

Neelam Mathews May 13, 2013   The government must have its eyes at the back of its head if it cannot recognize that of the 7980 Tatra trucks (including those with DRDO and Brahmos), around 2800 are off the road! That’s a scary figure and I’d hate to be head of ops should there be a national emergency. While around 20-30% parts are available in India, in the absence of purchase of further parts, the number of trucks out of operation are increasing day by day!  It is increasingly clear that the logistics sector of the army is most crippled by the off road trucks. Despite the fact there has been no blacklisting of either BEML or Tatra, it is the fear of the unknown and lack of decision making that has resulted in no action being taken in acquiring Tatra parts. As is the mandate of procurement, repairs are carried out at various Army workshops, though the spares are acquired from BEML only by the Master General of   Ordinance Service ( MGO) Branch. And, yes,...

Posted by- Neelam Mathews April 20, 2013 PRESS RELEASE With the twin objective of infusing greater efficiency in the procurement process and strengthening the defence manufacturing base in the country, the Defense Acquisition Council, the apex decision making body of the MoD, took a series of decisions today,  including amendments to Defense Procurement Procedure (DPP). The Defense Minister AK Antony, who chaired the Council meeting, said the only way forward for the country is rapid indigenization of defence products, with both the public and the private sectors playing  pivotal roles in this endeavour. Antony said the government will make all efforts to create genuine level playing field for Indian manufacturing industries vis-à-vis Global Players. Following are the highlights of the amendments to the DPP-2011: 1.    Prioritisation of Various Categories for Capital Acquisitions under Defense Procurement Procedure Preference for indigenous pro...