AERO INDIA 2009 IN BANGALORE, INIDA SPECIAL COVERGAE

India's aero show takes off with a roar in Bangalore

Bangalore: Aero India 2009 took off to a roaring start on Wednesday with India flaunting its air power in a stunning aerobatics display by fighter jets, helicopters and jet trainers.
Billed as the biggest biennial event in South Asia, the five-day seventh edition of Aero India 2009 began on a sunny and breezy day from the Indian Air Force (IAF) station at Yelahanka, about 20 km from Bangalore.
With a security blanket in place to ward off terror attacks, about 5,000 people, including diplomats and air chiefs from the world over, were treated to a two-hour spectacular show by scores of IAF pilots.
The inaugural by Defence Minister A.K. Antony in the presence of Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa was marked by a flypast and breathtaking manouveres from IAF's assorted aircraft -- Sukhoi-30MKI, Mirage 2000, Jaguar, MiG-21, supersonic jet trainer Hawk and subsonic trainer Kiran and a slew of helicopters.
Four indigenous Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) of the state-run Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) scrambled over the gathering, while a IAF fleet of Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) aerobatic team christened Sarang kept spirits soaring high.
IAF's transport behemoths and air-to-air refuelling aircraft had the spectators in awe with their sheer size and functionality mid-air.
"Growing in stature, size and public participation, the air show has emerged as the most important event in South Asia, drawing global attention," Defence Secretary (production) Pradeep Kumar said in his introductory remarks.
With 25 countries participating and 50 official delegations, including many led by their defence ministers and air chiefs, the Indian version of the air show has come of an age to turn into a war theatre for the world's major aerospace firms and global consortiums.
A total of 592 firms, including 303 from overseas and 289 from the Indian subcontinent, are showcasing their products and technologies spanning military and civilian sectors to woo the country's three armed services and the burgeoning aviation industry.
The Indian government is set to invest a whopping Rs.1.4 trillion ($30 billion) over the next five years to modernise and upgrade its defence services.
The IAF order to induct 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) into its depleting fleet as a replacement to the ageing MiG-21 old warhorse has made the six global aerospace bidders vie for the estimated $10 billion (Rs.500 billion) contract by flying in their metal birds to show their strike power.
A dozen global aerospace firms, including the state-run HAL, as well as US and German air forces have flown in their fighter jets, transport planes, a fleet of helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles for flying and static displays at the event.
Spanning an area of 44,000 square metres as against 30,000 sq m in 2007, the exhibition area has five international pavilions hosting Australia, Belgium, Germany, Israel and Romania, 54 chalets and about 600 stalls to house international and Indian firms and a host of facilities forming the eco-system.
With the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) riding high on the successful launch of India's maiden lunar mission Chandrayaan-1 to the moon, a space pavilion is also put up to flag the country's prowess in space technology and space applications.
"We are expecting about 125,000 visitors, including 50,000 business delegates and about 75,000 people from across the country, especially Bangalore and Karnataka,"Kumar said.
11/02/09 IANS/The Hindu

China's participation at Aero India evokes interest

Bangalore: The communist China's participation for the first time in an Indian air show has generated interest but New Delhi has sought to downplay it saying too much need not be read into it.
For the first time, China would be sending a delegation, Defence Production Secretary Pradeep Kumar told media persons here on Tuesday.
It would be a seven-member Chinese delegation. He said one should not read too much into it. Countries take part in air shows for commercial considerations, he said, hinting there is nothing political about it.
Asked why Pakistan is not participating in Aero India 2009, Mr Kumar said 'we don't invite Pakistan'. On why India did not invite Pakistan, he said "I don't have to answer" and then retorted: "What's your suggestion? (do we have to invite Pakistan or not?."
Defense public sector undertaking Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) and aircraft manufacturer Boeing on Tuesday announced that they have signed a MOU to jointly develop an analysis and experimentation Centre in India to offer customers the ability to make better informed decisions in modernising India's defense forces.
11/02/09 Mangalorean

HAL to showcase its export version of Dhruv

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will display the export version of the indigenously designed and developed advanced light helicopter (ALH) Dhruv for the first time at the seventh edition of the international air show, Aero India 2009, starting here on February 11.
“This is for the first time that the export version of the ALH will be on display,” secretary (defence production) Pradeep Kumar told reporters, here today. The exhibition of the export version of the ALH at Aero India 2009 is significant with the public sector undertaking HAL set to to export five helicopters to Ecuador. “The deal has been finalised to export five Dhruv helicopters to Ecuador and the air chief of the Ecuador air force will be here for the airshow to collect the keys,” Kumar said.
However, he added that Afghanistan and Malaysia, which had earlier shown interest in the flagship helicopter of the HAL, had not made any export request. “We are in talks with Mauritious and Suriname for the export orders,” Kumar added. Besides there will also be many firsts to the seventh edition of the air show. Following the success of India’s lunar mission Chandrayaan, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has also opened a pavilion at the air show.
11/02/09 Business Standard

Raytheon offers airborne radar for India's homeland security

Bangalore: With India going into overdrive to secure its coastline in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks, US defence major Raytheon is positioning its airborne standoff radar (ASTOR) as the ideal solution for the country's homeland security.
"This may be something of interest to India. There's a lot of opportunity here," Mike Henchey, Raytheon's Vice President for space and airborne systems, said.
Pointing to the success achieved by the British defence ministry in operating the system, Henchey, who is here for Aero India-2009 that opened today, said he hoped to discuss its benefits with Indian officials during the five-day international air show.
The ASTOR system, Raytheon says, provides a highly effective 24-hour surveillance and target acquisition capability. It delivers wide area, all weather surveillance and reconnaissance imagery in near real time for peacekeeping, war fighting and homeland security needs.
Raytheon, which has had a presence in India for the past 60 years, views India's new policy for procuring military hardware as an opportunity for building long term partnerships that would benefit the country economically and industrially.
"We see the offsets clause as an opportunity for partnerships and we would be very pleased to work with our partners here," Henchey pointed out.
11/02/09 IANS/Sify

World gathers in India to win major contracts

Bangalore: At this year’s Aero India show, a biennial schmooze fest for aerospace firms, the world’s biggest makers of fighter jets, spy planes, helicopters and radars will show off their wares in Bangalore starting Wednesday, hoping to win some of the tens of billions of dollars India is expected to spend buying such hardware.
Aerospace firms say they will be patient with India, where decisions still take years coming, although the defence procurement process has accelerated over the past decades.
Patience could eventually prove rewarding.
Aided by a six-year economic boom, India’s military will spend at least $30 billion (Rs1.46 trillion) by 2012, a significant portion of it on 126 fighter jets, for which it has floated the world’s largest tender in recent years. The deal for the so-called medium multi-role combat aircraft may cost some Rs42,000 crore.
India is the only major nation in the world that uses weapons and fighter planes from both Western nations and its traditional ally Russia. China is a large importer from Russia while the US and Europe insist on locally made weapon systems for their Armed Forces. Moscow rarely imports arms.
The Indian Air Force’s (IAF) plans include replacing a third of its fleet of Russian-built MiG-21 planes. “(In the) next few years, you will find every bit (of) inventory (with) some kind of transformation. Assets being inducted, upgraded and replaced—it will be an entirely new environment,” India’s air chief, Air Marshal Fali Major, had said on 17 January.
The IAF is expected to invite six firms—Lockheed Martin Corp., Boeing Co., European Aeronautic, Defence and Space Co., Saab International, Dassault Aviation, and Russia’s MiG Corp.—to test their planes from April over terrain ranging from the deserts of Rajasthan to the snow-laden peaks of the Himalayas.
On a conference call with analysts late last month, Bruce Tanner, chief financial officer of Lockheed Martin, put in context the Indian deal with other potential supply contracts in Taiwan for 66 of its F-16 planes and Romania’s nearly two dozen. The longer objective is the India competition (or deal) for the MMRCA (medium multi-role combat aircraft), which is 126 aircraft, Tanner said.
Traditionally, India’s defence purchases have been long-drawn and often delayed. The 66 Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer deal it signed in 2004 with British aircraft maker BAE Systems Plc. took at least two decades to conclude.
That process has speeded up, with India sewing up deals worth at least $5 billion to buy planes, missiles and helicopters since the last Aero Show in 2007.
Deals since then include the purchase of 80 Russian-made Mi-17v5 helicopters, three Boeing business jets for VIP travel, and six C-130J Super Hercule transport aircraft from Lockheed Martin. Three IAF squadrons are being equipped with Israel’s Spyder surface-to-air missiles and two squadrons with Akash medium-range missiles from Bharat Electronics Ltd. In addition, the Armed Forces are acquiring 159 Dhruv advanced light helicopters from Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.
11/02/09 K. Raghu/Livemint

India's largest-ever air show from today

Bangalore: India’s largest-ever air show, Aero India-2009, opens here on Wednesday with participation by frontline fighter aircraft from the United States, Europe and Russia, all of whom are in the race for the Union Government’s plans to acquire multi-role combat aircraft.
The Americans have flown-in the F16 (Lockheed Martin) and have been providing “sorties” to people before it flies Olympian Abhinav Bindra, while Boeing will showcase its F/A18 Hornet.
MiG 35
Europe plans to pitch the “Typhoon” while the Russians are here with the MiG 35 with an ad line, “For India, with India”, plastered across billboards here. The French Rafael and Swedish Grippen will also mark their presence.
Supporting these efforts while building defence relations, British High Commissioner Richard Staag and U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission Steven J. White addressed the media here on Tuesday, while French Minister of State for Defence Jean-Marie Bockel plans to do so on Wednesday after Defence Minister A.K. Antony inaugurates the show.
These frontline fighters are in the bidding for India’s plans to purchase 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft worth Rs. 45,000 crore. Their spectacular display is a show stealer. The biennial event has this year attracted a record 592 companies, including 303 from 25 countries, exhibiting their products over 44,000 square metres expanse.
Being held under high security cover and strict access controls, the event will have 289 Indian companies with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) showcasing its successful bid to supply seven advanced light helicopters to Ecuador at the air show. Mr. Antony will be handing over the keys to the Ecuadorian Air Chief on the occasion, symbolising the execution of HAL’s first export order.
However, the HAL’s plan to fly Intermediate Jet Trainer (IJT) fell off the shelf following a mishap here last week. Pradeep Kumar, Defence Secretary (Production), sought to downplay the change in plans owing to the setback at a news conference here stating that HAL is still testing the product and not yet ready to fly now. The completely indigenised British trainer Hawk will also be part of the display.India-Russia joint venture missile Brahmos is on display as have many Indian companies which have joint ventures with other leading manufactures..
11/02/09 K.V. Prasad/The Hindu

US defence companies to fly high at Aero India

Bangalore: Six major global aerospace companies will slug it out at the Aero India International Show, trying to demonstrate the strike power of their fighter jets in the high-profile pitch for an order worth $10 billion from the Indian Air Force (IAF).
US-based defence companies will dominate the seventh edition of the bi-annual aero show to showcase an array of military and civilian aircraft for static and flying displays.
US defence giants — Boeing and Lockheed Martin — are in the race for the $10-billion fighter-plane contract — medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) — the largest in the world over the past 15 years.
Defence production secretary Pradeep Kumar said the technical evaluation of the six bids was underway and trials would be conducted thereafter.
Other contenders include Eurofighter Typhoon of European Aeronautic Defence and Space (EADS), Gripen of Saab, French Rafale of Dassault and MiG-35 of MiG for the IAF order.
The US pavilion will also sport aerospace giants such Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, General Dynamics and Bell Helicopter which will showcase their products. The focus of the event will be on B2B activity between Indian, foreign vendors and government organisations.
Public sector Hindustan Aeronautics will display its Dhruv choppers, five of which will be exported to Ecuador. But HAL’s intermediate jet trainer will be missing in action due to an accident met by a prototype model.
Other indigenous products such as ‘Tejas’ light combat aircraft, ‘Hawk’ advanced jet trainer manufactured by HAL through licence of BAE Systems and Dhruv would perform at the show.
11/02/09 Economic Times

India Evaluating Technical Aspects of Lockheed, Boeing’s Bid

Indian government is evaluating bids by Lockheed Martin Corp., Boeing Co. and four other companies to supply 126 fighter jets worth $11 billion in the largest military contest in play worldwide.
“It’s a complex process, it will take its own time,” Defense Production Secretary Pradeep Kumar told reporters in Bangalore today ahead of the Aero India air show. “Technical evaluation is on and trials will be conducted.” He wouldn’t say when the deal may be completed.
India in April got bids from six companies to supply the jets as part of its efforts to modernize the air force and replace its aging Russian-made aircraft. The fighter-plane contest is the largest in 15 years, according to Boeing, and marks the first opportunity for U.S. companies to break into India’s defense market.
Lockheed’s F-16 is competing in the fighter contest against Chicago-based Boeing’s F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet; Russia’s MiG-35; Saab AB’s Gripen; France’s Rafale made by Dassault Aviation SA; and the Eurofighter Typhoon, a joint venture of Airbus SAS, BAE and Italy’s Finmeccanica SpA.
10/02/09 Vipin V. Nair/Bloomberg