Aerospace Diary

Please credit aerospacediary Neelam Mathews Apr 29, 2016 Even as global firms battle to gain attention of India for the second line of fighters, Dirk Hoke  CEO of Airbus Defence and Space (DS) made his company's focus clear by making a visit to Delhi this week to make an offer to design, develop, manufacture and export the Advanced Medium Combat  Aircraft (AMCA).  The AMCA offer aerospacediary learns, comes with a rider: Airbus will only be associated with the project in a 50:50 joint venture since decisions tend to get overridden by Indian counterparts. Discussions are likely to get stuck if HAL insists on Airbus reimbursing it for the cost of the LCA development. In which case, Airbus is likely to demand cost of transfer of technology. Another future Make in India project sunk before floated!? Hoke took over his position from April 1 this year, and was making no bones in the aggressive role the company wants to play. Airbus is believed to have focusse...

MIL-LOG 28th May 2015 - 15:02 by  Neelam Mathews  in Delhi  India’s Defence Acquisition Council has approved the Indian Air Force bid for the supply and production of 56  C295  transport aircraft. The new aircraft will replace its ageing Avro 748Ms and comes as a piece of good news for Airbus Defence and Security which was hit by the  crash of an A400M  aircraft on 9 May causing the deaths of four crew. The clearance for the $2.4 billion project comes on the heels of the visit of Spanish Minister of Defence to India in March, who had offered to take the project on a government-to- government level. The sole bidder consortium comprises Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) as the Indian Production Agency in partnership with Airbus DS.  Within two years of a contract signing, up to 16 flyaway aircraft......read more on ShephardMedia

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...

Posted by- Neelam Mathews Sept 30, 2012 Visiting India for the first time since he became Secretary General for Defense Policy in January this year,   Alejandro Alvargonzález San Martín who was serving as the Spanish Ambassador to Bosnia-Herzegovina, is tapping his extensive knowledge of emerging geographical regions, such as Asia, in particular India, he says. San Martín has a lot on his agenda here having already met two military chiefs and DRDO. On monday, more meetings follow, "To create a network and...sign an agreement on defense exchange." The Indian Navy has released an RFP to build four large projection  vessels with dual helicopter carrier and amphibious role.  Those in the running are likely to be French DCNS with its Mistral class , Spain's Navantia perhaps with its Buque of Proyecciones Estategica, South Korea and  Fincantieri with i ts multifu nctional Ship. Navantia-Canberra Class Pix-DefenseIndustryDaily Outlining partnerships with I...