SP's Aviation June 2013

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SP’s

Aviation Sharp Content for Sharp Audience

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vol 16 ISSUE 6 • June • 2013

FORUM

BUSINESS AVIATION

PROS & CONS OF “FDI” IN DEFENCE

HOPE AMIDST DESPAIR

NEWS WITH VIEWS

DPP 2013 - DOES IT HAVE ADEQUATE FOCUS ON NATIONAL SECURITY?

RNI NUMBER: DELENG/2008/24199

An SP Guide Publication

WHY INDIA NEEDS MMRCA? sp’S introspectS on the mega deal in a 5-part series see page 28 & more in the next 4 issues

REGIONAL AVIATION

OPTIONS APLENTY CIVIL HELICOPTERS

GROWING APPETITE

& much more...

SHOW REPORT

EBACE 2013: BUSINESS AVIATION THE CORE OF AVIATION GROWTH STORY SHOW PREVIEW

PARIS AIR SHOW: A PLATFORM TO EXHIBIT, SELL & BUY NEWER SOLUTIONS

READY FOR TRAINING

PILATUS - TAILORED SOLUTIONS FOR PILOT TRAINING Pilatus Aircraft Ltd P.O. Box 992, 6371 Stans, Switzerland Phone +41 41 619 61 11, Fax +41 41 610 92 30 www.pilatus-aircraft.com

table of contents

`100.00 (INDIA-BASED BUYER ONLY)

vol 16 ISSUE 6 • june • 2013

SP’s

Aviation AN SP GUIDE PUBLICATION

Sharp Content for Sharp Audience

VOL 16 ISSUE 6 • JUNE • 2013

www.spsaviation.net

FORUM

PROS & CONS OF “FDI” IN DEFENCE

BUSINESS AVIATION

HOPE AMIDST DESPAIR REGIONAL AVIATION

OPTIONS APLENTY

NEWS WITH VIEWS

RNI NUMBER: DELENG/2008/24199

DPP 2013 - DOES IT HAVE ADEQUATE FOCUS ON NATIONAL SECURITY?

WHY INDIA NEEDS MMRCA?

SP’S INTROSPECTS ON THE MEGA DEAL IN A 5-PART SERIES SEE PAGE 28 & MORE IN THE NEXT 4 ISSUES

CIVIL HELICOPTERS

GROWING APPETITE

& MUCH MORE...

SHOW REPORT

EBACE 2013: BUSINESS AVIATION THE CORE OF AVIATION GROWTH STORY SHOW PREVIEW

PARIS AIR SHOW: A PLATFORM TO EXHIBIT, SELL & BUY NEWER SOLUTIONS

SP's Aviation Cover 06-13_Final.indd 1

11/06/13 4:09 PM

Cover Photo: The omni-role Rafale addresses the emerging needs of the armed forces in a changing geopolitical context, and it remains at the forefront of technical innovation.

multi-role fighter aircraft: On January 31, 2012, Rafale was declared the winner of the MMRCA competition, but the deal is yet to be inked

Photograph by: Dassault Aviation

SP’s Exclusives 10

– New DRDO Chief pushes emergency button on Project Tejas

– RFP out for major Avro replacement programme

– Priority re-think on Project AMCA

– Turbomeca to power HAL’s light copter

Show report 23

EBACE 2013

Preview 32

Curtain Raiser

regular Departments A Word from Editor-in-Chief 3 NewsWithViews

– New DPP 2013 comes into force –R AF’s Grob-115E Tutor aircraft grounded

7

In Focus

8

Forum

Hope Amidst Despair

35

Hall of Fame

17

Regional Aviation

36

Focus India

20

Helicopters

37

NewsDigest

40

LastWord

– IAF for six more C-130Js, type crosses million flight hours globally

Civil 14

Business Aviation

Options Aplenty

Growing Appetite

www.spsaviation.net

The Only Way Forward

Lead Story

PARIS AIR SHOW

4

page 28

Industry Rallies Together

WHY MMRCA? By 2003, the IAF was to be supplied with the LCA Tejas, to replace the ageing fleet of MiG-21 FL. As there was no certainty of the Tejas being available in the committed time frame, the gap needed to be bridged till the Tejas would be made available with FOC to retain the strength of the combat aircraft fleet and obviate erosion of operational capability.

Raising FDI Cap

Evelyn Bryan Johnson (1909-2012)

Engaging Private Players

NEXT ISSUE Future Technologies in Aviation

ISSUE 6 • 2013

1

table of contents 14

Hope Amidst Despair

Publisher And Editor-in-Chief Jayant Baranwal senior Editor Air Marshal (Retd) B.K. Pandey Assistant Group editor R. Chandrakanth Editorial adviser Air Marshal (Retd) Anil Chopra Senior Technical Group Editor Lt General (Retd) Naresh Chand Assistant editor Sucheta Das Mohapatra

20

Growing Appetite

Contributors India Group Captain (Retd) A.K. Sachdev Group Captain (Retd) Joseph Noronha Europe Alan Peaford USA & Canada LeRoy Cook Chairman & Managing Director Jayant Baranwal Planning & Business Development Executive Vice President: Rohit Goel ADMIN & COORDINATION Bharti Sharma

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EBACE 2013: Industry Rallies Together

design Holistic Directions: Jayant Baranwal Creative Director: Anoop Kamath Designers: Vimlesh Kumar Yadav, Sonu Singh Bisht Research Assistant: Graphics Survi Massey

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ISSUE 6 • 2013

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A word from editor-in-chief

A

An issue that is almost always in the forefront of news in the military domain in India is that of procurement of weapons systems and associated equipment from foreign sources as required by the armed forces of the nation. It is only understandable that this must be so as the Indian armed forces are embarked on a massive expansion and modernisation drive towards which the nation is expected to invest over $100 billion (`5,50,000 crore) over the next five years. Over 70 per cent of these funds would fall in the share of foreign vendors. Unfortunately, more often than not, the defence procurement process appears to remain mired in controversy leading to excruciating delays and often cancellation of tenders sometimes even in the last minute. This not only accentuates the despair in the armed forces but is also extremely frustrating for the global aerospace and defence industry majors who expended enormous resources, time and effort while negotiating the tedious process of bidding for contracts, evaluation and final selection, and ultimately find themselves up against a wall or at a dead-end.

Apparently, somewhat concerned with the increasing frequency of instances of impropriety in the procurement process, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has resorted to yet another revision of the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP). Dubbed as DPP 2013, the new version of the document attempts to provide a level playing field for the indigenous industry. As per A.K. Antony, the Minister of Defence, the panacea for the ills plaguing the process of procurement of defence equipment is indigenisation. In this issue of SP’s Aviation, different authors delve into the various aspects of the procurement process, DPP 2013 and the issue of indigenisation.

Air Marshal (Retd) Anil Chopra also examines the issue of foreign direct investment in defence and concludes that this is only way forward. While the Indian Air Force (IAF) awaits with bated breath for the news on award of the contract for 126 Rafale medium multirole combat aircraft (MMRCA), the MoD has floated a tender for 56 aircraft to replace the ageing fleet, the HS-748 Avro, in service with the IAF since the 1960s. Beginning with this issue, the case for MMRCA for the IAF will be reviewed in detail in a five-part series.

This is also the season for international air shows. R. Chandrakanth reviews the largest educational event in the aviation industry in Europe, EBACE, held in May this year at the magnificent Palexpo and Geneva International Airport. The event

www.spsaviation.net

The defence procurement process appears to remain mired in controversy leading to excruciating delays and often cancellation of tenders sometimes even in the last minute. This not only accentuates the despair in the armed forces but is also extremely frustrating for the global aerospace and defence industry majors.

is jointly hosted each year by the European Business Aviation Association, the leading association for business aviation in Europe and the National Business Aviation Association, the leading voice for the business aviation industry in the US. In a curtain raiser for the other big event, the Paris Air Show in mid-June, Sucheta Das Mohapatra evaluates the mood in the industry and focuses on what to expect at the event.

In the civil aviation regime, Group Captain (Retd) A.K. Sachdev reviews the state of business aviation in India, its potential and impediments. The author is of the view that a change in perception of business aviation is not only overdue, but also a necessity in the challenging times the Indian economy is passing through. Writing from Goa, Group Captain (Retd) Joseph Noronha looks at the regional aviation scene in the country, the wide range of regional jets emerging on the scene for entrepreneurs to choose from and the steps the government is taking to spur its growth. R. Chandrakanth evaluates the expanding global helicopter market as rotary-wing platforms find their way into new segments of the business world.

All these apart from the regular features in this issue.

Welcome aboard and happy landings!

Jayant Baranwal Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

ISSUE 6 • 2013

3

News

with views NEWS:

New DPP 2013 comes into force “The Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) 2013 aims to balance the competing requirements of speedy procurement, developing indigenous defence industry and conforming to the highest standards of transparency, probity and public accountability,” the Defence Ministry said in a release. To promote indigenisation, the new policy aims to create a level

playing field for the Indian industry. In the foreword of the new policy document, Defence Minister A.K. Antony expressed hope that “the defence industry and the procurement agencies will find the DPP 2013 to be a ‘progressive step’ aimed at giving impetus to indigenisation, creating level playing field and expediting the procurement process as a whole”.

Photograph: PIB

VIEWS: While laying the foundation stone of the newly established Indian National Defence University (INDU) in Gurgaon, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh stated that India was “well positioned to become a net provider of security in the South Asian region and beyond”. He went on to say that India now had “unprecedented access to high technology, capital and partnerships”, and that the nation needs to assume the responsibility for stability in the Indian Ocean region. He further stated that the government was conscious of the fact that adequate defence preparedness was critically dependent on sound defence acquisition policies. The government, therefore, has continually reformed those policies to ensure that the armed forces have the best equipment.

Despite assertion to the contrary from the top echelons of national leadership, the fact that India’s defence preparedness today is not what it should be is no longer a closely guarded secret. Also, the Prime Minister’s statement leaves none in doubt that the critical linkage between “Defence Preparedness of the Nation” and “Defence Acquisition Policy” is appreciated by those responsible to ensure that the nation is secure. Yet judging from the state of equipment held on the inventory of the armed forces today, one cannot but conclude that all is not well with the system of procurement of military hardware, 70 per cent of which comes from foreign sources. Despite the oft repeated lofty pronouncements on the government’s intent to ensure that the Indian armed forces have the best of equipment, the DPP has fallen well short of expectations since its formalisation nearly a decade ago.

On account of geopolitical compulsions during the Cold War era, India was tethered to a single source, the Soviet Union and later Russia, for sourcing military hardware. All transactions for the procurement of defence equipment were conducted between the two governments and the armed forces were privileged to receive the latest technologies available with the USSR on favourable rupee-rouble equation. While the technology available with the USSR, and later with Russia, might not have matched the best in the world, the armed forces were reasonably well-equipped as the required equipment was available without delay. The large contracts also included manufacture in India under licence albeit without transfer of technology (ToT). An eminently successful

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ISSUE 6 • 2013

project under the system followed in those days was the procurement of the Su-30MKI, the latest fourth-generation combat aircraft available with Russia. Delivery of the first batch of the aircraft began within a year of signing of the contract. Compare this with the project initiated by the IAF in 2001 under the newly introduced open-tender system to acquire the urgently needed medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) for which the French Rafale has been selected. Twelve years have gone by since projection of the requirement by the IAF but the contract is yet to be concluded.

Meanwhile, with the phasing out of obsolete aircraft, the combat potential of the IAF continues to be eroded further. What is rather disconcerting is that there appears to be no time frame stipulated for the finalisation of the MMRCA contract, so vital to national security. This issue needs to be addressed to strengthen the DPP. Undoubtedly, a number of refinements have been introduced in DPP 2013 in pursuit of the twin-objective of making the procurement system more efficient as also to strengthen the indigenous defence industry. The thrust of the latest revision is clearly on indigenisatione. The armed forces have been advised to first explore indigenous sources for their requirements of military hardware. The new edition of the DPP has also been deeply influenced by scams that appear to have become a part of the defence procurement process, invariably resulting in delay in finalisation or cancellation of tenders. The most recent of these has been the contract with AgustaWestland for 12 AW101 helicopters for VVIP travel, which mired in controversy, is on hold. This scam has not only demolished the reputation of a former senior functionary of the service but more importantly, has rattled the government. At the INDU function, the Prime Minister echoed these sentiments thus: “We have also been guided by the objective of making our defence acquisition transparent, smooth, efficient and less vulnerable to unethical practices. We will continue to seek the highest standards of probity in defence acquisition.”

In the final analysis, the most striking deficiency that continues to persist in the DPP is the notable absence of adequate focus on the imperatives of national security. This must necessarily be the overriding consideration. SP —By Air Marshal (Retd) B.K. Pandey

www.spsaviation.net

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Extended range with in-flight refueling capacity. The C-17 Globemaster III with Pratt & Whitney F117 engines has the airlift capacity to meet any mission.

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News

with views NEWS:

RAF’s Grob-115E Tutor aircraft grounded The Royal Air Force (RAF) has had to ground the entire fleet of training aircraft following two incidents when propellers came off in mid-flight, meaning they have been unable to teach new pilots for almost five months now. Defence sources have described the grounding of the Grob-115E Tutor aircraft as a ‘complete fiasco’.

The aircraft have not flown since

J­ anuary 9, 2013, following an incident at RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire when a plane’s propeller broke off in flight forcing an emergency landing. There was a similar incident on August 23, 2012, also near Cranwell, which had been put down to lightning strike. And in 2004, a propeller on one of the Grob aircraft broke up as it performed an aerobatic manoeuvre.

Photograph: Mod UK

VIEWS: With the grounding of the entire fleet of the 90-strong Grob-115E Tutor piston engine elementary flying training aircraft following few instances of serious technical malfunction in flight over nearly a decade, the RAF today is in a predicament that is somewhat similar to what the Indian Air Force (IAF) was in at the end of July 2009.

On July 29 that year, the IAF took the difficult but necessary decision to ground its fleet of 100-odd single-piston engine basic trainer aircraft, the HPT-32, built and maintained by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). This fleet had been in service with the IAF since the early 1990s. This decision was literally forced upon the IAF after a series of accidents on account of serious technical malfunction in flight that resulted in fatalities. As a result, the IAF was suddenly left high and dry without a basic trainer fleet and had no option but to switch over to basic flying training on the already ageing HAL-built jet trainer fleet of the HJT-16 Kiran aircraft. The rather sudden grounding of the HPT-32 fleet was not the best option, but the IAF perhaps had no alternative as the Indian aerospace major had no immediate or ready solution to offer to solve the problem. The grounding of the fleet had a cascading effect on the basic flying training of pilots for the Indian Army and the Indian Navy as well. The IAF initiated a case on fast-track for the procurement of 75 basic trainer aircraft from foreign sources.

Today, the RAF is also in a similar state as it does not appear to have a viable alternative or quick solution in sight. In this case too, pilot training for the other two services i.e. the Royal Navy and the British Army have also been adversely affected. And just as there was a difference of opinion between AVCO Lycoming, the manufacturer of the engine fitted on the HPT-32 and HAL about the root cause of frequent technical failures and remedial action, so also there is a dichotomy of views between the maintenance contractor Babcock and the German manufacturer of Grob aircraft, about the agency responsible for the technical failures which not only included in-flight separation of the propeller but in one case the canopy as well. The dispute is over whether there is an inherent design flaw in the engine and propeller

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ISSUE 6 • 2013

combination or that there is deficiency in maintenance. Just as in the case of the HPT-32, the problem of repeated engine failure did not lie with the engine, here too, the technical failure appears to be attributable to the oil system that leads to propeller failure. Attempts to resolve the problem using a newly designed propeller had not been successful so far. Babcock is the contractor that owns the fleet of Grob-115E Tutor aircraft and provides performance based logistic support to the RAF with the trainer fleet.

The RAF procured the Grob-115E Tutor aircraft in preference over the Slingsby Firefly designed, developed and manufactured by the indigenous industry of the UK. Incidentally, the turboprop version, the Grob-120TP, was one of the six contenders to bid for the contract for 75 basic trainer aircraft for the IAF. The Grob-120TP appeared to be a strong contender for the contract as it claimed to be the world’s lightest trainer, is equipped with ejection seats for both pilots and has the lowest cost of acquisition, operation and maintenance amongst the contenders in the race. The Grob-120TP did not make to the shortlist of three as the IAF was keen on tandem seating as against the side by side seating in the Grob trainer.

Eventually, the IAF opted for the Pilatus PC-7 MkII, induction of which has already begun. Possibly, the track record of technical failures also went against Grob. It is understood that Botswana also has decided in favour of the Pilatus PC-7 MkII over the Grob.

As per the Swiss manufacturer, “The Pilatus PC-7 MkII offers a reliable and economic training platform. The docile behaviour of the PC-7 MkII in the hands of a beginner delivers a confidence-building environment for inexperienced cadets.

With its highly cost-efficient Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-25C engine, it provides the lowest engine operating costs of all turboprop trainer aircraft.” Till date, the Swiss manufacturer has sold over 500 aircraft during the past three decades to 21 air forces worldwide.

In retrospect, it appears that the IAF seems to have made the right decision by opting for the Pilatus PC-7 MkII. SP —By Air Marshal (Retd) B.K. Pandey

www.spsaviation.net

inFocus

FDI

THE ONLY WAY FORWARD The Indian industry does not have the wherewithal and the foreign companies know that the largest importer of arms hardly has the required technological or manufacturing base. Both have thus come together to pressurise for increase in FDI.

O

Opening up of the defence industry to the Indian private sector in 2001 with 100 per cent equity and 26 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) has not achieved any results of significance even after a decade. India’s defence industry in the private sector is still at a nascent stage. It requires heavy investments and infusion of high technologies to produce relatively small numbers. Despite repeated industry-friendly improvements to the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) and Production Policies, the momentum is lacking. Foreign defence industry majors intending to make investments have been seeking increase in FDI to 74 per cent to gain control. Currently, the government is considering revision of FDI limit only to 49 per cent. The potential in the defence industry is significant as India is likely to spend over $100 billion (`5,50,000 crore) in the next five years on acquisition of military hardware.

The Indian industry does not have the wherewithal and the foreign companies know that the largest importer of arms hardly has the required technological or manufacturing base. Both have thus come together to pressurise for increase in FDI. ‘Reliable’ foreign companies may soon invest in Mahindra Aerospace, Larsen and Toubro (L&T), Tatas and Reliance. The Prime Minister himself has raised hopes in the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) national conference. The Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma also supports the proposal. Finance Minister P. Chidambaram backs increase in FDI as a means to finance the yawning current account deficit. CII President S. Gopalakrishnan has sought a long-term FDI policy for the defence sector to encourage multinational firms to set up shop here.

Illustration: Anoop Kamath

International Practices

Nations permitting FDI in defence have always retained the ‘ultimate’ veto share. BAE has a restriction of 15 per cent FDI stipulated by the British Government. The French Government is opposed to foreign investment above 10 per cent in Thales. The Italian Government is required to clear foreign investment above three per cent in its defence industry. ­ Finland, Lithuania and Slovenia prohibit FDI from outside the NATO or the European Union. In Austria, Spain and Sweden, foreign investment requires government approval on case-bycase basis. In UK and Germany, foreign acquisitions in defence-related industries require government approval. The US Government moni-

tors closely all defence firms irrespective of domestic or foreign equity and restricts FDI if it threatens national interest.

Arguments for FDI

Defence technologies developed after years of investment in research and development (R&D) are the preserve of the few and not to be parted with easily. Foreign investors welcome the thrust on higher indigenous content. As it is cheaper to manufacture in India and also as Asia offers huge market potential, India could actually be developed as an export hub. Maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) is another area attractive for investment. India needs investments and the West requires markets, a win-win situation for both.

Arguments against FDI beyond 49 per cent

High levels of FDI could have implications for national security. Foreign control could throttle defence supplies, retard local development through infusion of only low-end technologies or restrict technologies of critical components. There may be uncertainty about assured supplies during operations. The recent UN Arms Trade Treaty could also put restrictions on foreign companies to transfer certain technologies to developing countries. Experience shows that that high percentage of offset obligations is a better route to secure joint manufacturing and co-development than FDI. Way Forward

Notwithstanding the apprehensions, it is not easy for a foreign investor to antagonise the local government which can easily put export restrictions and cancel local orders. The important consideration is that the indigenous industry must have a better than level playing field. Unlike foreign institutional investments, FDI cannot be pulled out. The Indian Government must retain oversight rights even if it means a golden ‘veto’ share, monitoring equity transfers closely and specifying restrictions. The government must have its representatives as members on the board and can veto critical appointments. As the subject is complex, a firm-footed approach is the need of the hour.

For the way ahead, read Forum. SP —By Air Marshal (Retd) Anil Chopra

ISSUE 6 • 2013

7

FDI

Forum

Raising FDI Cap The record high current account deficit, which is expected to touch around five per cent of GDP in the current financial year, has accentuated the need for the steady inflow of capital.

But will the government be able to push through FDI in a sensitive sector such as defence, in the pre-election year?

A

As per a KPMG study, while six of the world’s top ten defence spenders are reducing budgets, India is among the few doing otherwise with 70 per cent of defence equipment being imported. India will spend over $300 billion (`16,50,000 crore) till 2020 on defence equipment. It is time to get the act right to reduce the massive outflow of foreign exchange.

Is FDI the way forward?

Neelu Khatri, Head of Defence Advisory Services at KPMG, said, “India is a lucrative low-cost manufacturing and engineering service base. The market presents significant opportunities to both domestic and international players. Till domestic supply chain, infrastructure and technology support are developed, we will continue to be dependent on the global integrators.” She hoped though that the new Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) does not turn out to be a licence raj all over again.

Ashok Saxena, Director UK Advanced Engineering, says that the recent changes to DPP have brought the private sector nearly on par with defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs), but they need the money to compete. “If the private sector does not come forward, offset obligations will be difficult to implement. This is a chance of a lifetime and India cannot afford to miss it,” he adds. R. Sundaram, former Member, Ordnance Factories Board, stated in a leading Indian newspaper, “We started off well in the initial years setting up massive DPSUs that made aircraft, frigates and tanks; but somewhere on the way our spirit of ‘we can do’ ebbed. Seed for conflict is that the military wants the best and the civilian establishment wants it to accept what can be produced. It is debatable if the new DPP will reverse the ratio of imports to local manufacture, which is static since 1998 at 70/30. Recommendations of the Rama Rao Committee to privatise sections of Defence Research and

‘To my mind, we have no option but to increase Foreign direct investment (FDI) limits and enter into more joint ventures’ — Air Marshal (retd) Vinod Patney, former Vice Chief of the Air Staff

8

‘Certainly, we think it’s very much in India’s own self-interest to look at ways to raise FDI cap to allow for greater investment’ — William J. Burns, US Deputy Secretary of State

ISSUE 6 • 2013

Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Kelkar Committee to corporatise ordnance factories need action. Only 29 per cent of DRDO products have entered service in the past 17 years.

The US Deputy Secretary of State, William J. Burns, while intercating with the media on May 10, 2013, said, “After our historic Civil Nuclear Agreement in 2008, our bilateral trade is likely to exceed $100 billion in 2013. The US defence sales to India already total some $8 billion. There’s a strong commitment to taking defence cooperation to the next level and that means moving ahead in co-production and co-development.

Certainly, we think it’s very much in India’s own self-interest to look at ways to raise FDI cap to allow for greater investment.”

Defence analyst and former Vice Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Vinod Patney said in a recent seminar, “The so-called ‘tried and tested’ course has not allowed us to progress in the past and is unlikely to be successful in the future. We have a vast pool of engineers and a genius for adaptability. Our manufacturing costs are low. Many Fortune 500 companies and major aerospace players have set up shop in India using Indian IT and engineering services. To my mind, we have no option but to increase FDI limits and enter into more joint ventures (JVs).”

FDI Contenders Little-known companies in Bengaluru and Hyderabad are producing technologies that are used by foreign armed forces. Tonbo Imaging, founded by Arvind Lakhsmi Kumar, shifted to Singapore, as Kumar felt inhibited to enter the world market from here.

Other than Tonbo Imaging for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), some Indian companies that are engaged in cutting-edge work in defence include: Data Patterns for BrahMos, Captronic Systems for space programme, Maini group making components for Eurofighter and Airbus and Dynamatics Technologies manufacturing

‘Raising FDI cap would lead to foreign control over indigenous capability’ — Dr V.K. Saraswat, Former DRDO ChieF and scientific adviser to the defence minister

‘Whether it is 49 or 74 per cent, we believe that there would not be full transfer of technology’ — R.K. Mathur Defence Secretary, when he was Secretary Defence Production

‘Till domestic supply chain, infrastructure and technology support are developed, we will continue to be dependent on global integrators’ — Neelu Khatri, Head of Defence Advisory Services at KPMG

www.spsaviation.net

Forum

FDI

‘why India cannot allow 100 per cent Foreign direct investment (FDI) in defence sector?’

— D.S. Rawat, Secretary General, ASSOCHAM

‘The best of our minds are utilised by other countries for their progress’ — A. Sivathanu Pillai, scientist and chief executive officer, BrahMos Aerospace

‘If India increases FDI ceiling, it would increase commercial incentives for global firms planning to invest’

‘China imports hardware while it continues to build local industry.

Privatisation of HAL should be India’s top priority’

‘‘Increase of FDI limit to 49 per cent will give foreign investors the confidence to manage business risks and set up industry in India’

— Ashton Carter, US Deputy Defense Secretary

— Edward Luttwak, American Defence Strategist

— Robert Metzger, expert on Indo-US defence ties

aircraft parts for Airbus. All could be great partners for foreign investors. “The best of our minds are utilised by other countries for their progress,” says A. Sivathanu Pillai, a scientist and CEO, BrahMos Aerospace.

Robert Metzger, an expert on Indo-US defence ties, says that the current 26 per cent cap is hardly a lure for foreign firms to set up shop and transfer high-end technologies. Protection of their Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) is another area of concern. Increase of FDI limit to 49 per cent will give foreign investors the confidence to manage business risks and set up industry in India to achieve the ‘Buy Indian’ goal in the long run. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion has suggested the FDI limit to be raised to 74 per cent and the proposal is under consideration by the government.

American Defence Strategist Edward Luttwak says, “China more freely imports military hardware while it continues to build local industry. Privatisation of the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) should be India’s top priority.” A senior defence company official is reported to have said that in negotiating the bottlenecks in India, several companies have developed ‘India fatigue’.

However, in anticipation, some companies have already formed JVs: Mahindra Defence Systems with BAE Systems and Seabird Aviation; L&T with EADS, Raytheon, Boeing, RAC MiG, Saab Gripen; Tata Advanced Systems with Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, Boeing, Israel Aerospace Industries; HCL with Boeing and Circor Aerospace.

Government Choices According to the Ministry of Defence (MoD), around 75 private companies have till date received 135 industrial licences for production of a variety of defence systems and subsystems. These pertain to some high technology items, including armoured and combat vehicles, radars, electronic warfare equipment, warships, submarine, avionics, military aircraft, safety and ballistic products, armaments and ammunition among others. As per the “Ten Year Plan for Self-Reliance in Defence Systems”, which was formulated in the early 1990s, the import content of defence procurement were to be brought down to 30 per cent by 2005. As per the Defence Standing Committee Report to the Parliament, the self-reliance index is still hovering around 30 per cent. Indian Ministry of Science and Technology figures peg India’s overall research and development (R&D) expenditure at 0.88 per cent of the GDP. This is rather low compared with more than two per cent of GDP in most developed countries.

FDI caps are pegged broadly at five levels—26, 49, 51, 74 and 100 per cent. D.S. Rawat, Secretary General, the Associ-

ated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), finds no reason why India cannot allow 100 per cent FDI in defence sector. Other industry chambers, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Federation of Indian Chambers and of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), have supported a smaller hike up to 49 per cent in order to safeguard Indian interests. The Naresh Chandra Committee report on the ‘National Security Apparatus’, had also recommended increase in FDI to attract better technologies. Recently, the US Deputy Defense Secretary, Ashton Carter, had also suggested that if India increases FDI ceiling, it would increase commercial incentives for global firms planning to invest. The record high current account deficit, which is expected to touch around five per cent of GDP in the current financial year, has accentuated the need for the steady inflow of capital. In a letter to Defence Minister A.K. Antony, Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma requested reconsideration of the proposal by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion to raise the FDI cap in defence sector to at least 49 per cent. With reports in the Indian media that the country plans to liberalise FDI norms, Russian business houses are looking at new windows of opportunity. This could be a big boost for companies like Sistema in expanding cooperation in the defence sector.

India’s first special economic zone (SEZ) for aerospace in Belgaum, Karnataka, was inaugurated in November 2009. The government is considering the establishment of dedicated SEZs on similar lines, catering specifically to the defence sector, providing a suitable tax-friendly environment and also aid in promoting export of products and services.

On May 17, at the Defence Expo, Suraksha 2013, in Kerala, the then DRDO Chief V.K. Saraswat gave a strong dissent and said that raising FDI cap would lead to foreign control over indigenous capability. This was well countered and a question was raised, “Where is the indigenous capability?” The Wall Street Journal mentioned about the report submitted by R.K. Mathur, the then Secretary Defence Production, to the Parliament on April 29, that stated, “The stand of the Defence Ministry has always been that beyond 26 per cent FDI at this stage, would be a compromise on the security of the country. Whether it is 49 or 74 per cent, we believe that there would not be full transfer of technology (ToT).”

Mathur is right that implementation of ToT has been poor.

Will the government be able to push through FDI in a sensitive sector such as defence in the pre-election year? We need to wait and watch. SP

—By Air Marshal (Retd) Anil Chopra

ISSUE 6 • 2013

9

SP'S EXCLUSIVEs Tejas, Avro, AMCA

Photographs: SPSC, anoop Kamath, EADS

New DRDO Chief pushes emergency button on Project Tejas The DRDO’s new Director General, Dr Avinash Chander, has activated Code Red on Project Tejas, and has called for an immediate emergency plan to get the lumbering programme back on track. Top sources at DRDO and the Aeronautical Development Agency informed SP’s Aviation that Dr Chander, over the last three days, has held video-conference discussions with all top scientists and visited Bangalore for one-on-one meetings with the team leading the second phase of the initial operational clearance (IOC2) mission. Things have been distinctly difficult for the programme over the last two years. Following IOC-1 in January 2011, it has been slow-moving.

On May 29, two days before Dr Chander took over as his Scientific Advisor, Defence Minister A.K. Antony declared that the Tejas would, at all costs, be delivered to the IAF by the end of next year, fully certified and cleared by all agencies concerned. That one announcement has put a huge amount of pressure on the

new DRDO Chief, who is now understood to have put together a team of eight persons, including two of his own appointees, to oversee on literally a day-to-day basis functional progress on the Tejas programme, including all aspects of certification and compliance. Dr Chander, sources say, will receive an official update either verbally or in report form every alternate day to keep himself abreast of what he considers to be the most crucial and pressing programme in the DRDO pipeline.

A top official of Dr Chander’s newly formed team informed SP’s Aviation, “The other programmes are progressing satisfactorily. The LCA requires special attention. It is for this reason that Dr Chander felt the need to allocate additional resources to supervise this final stretch of the prestigious project. We will be giving it our all to deliver a fine fighter to the customer.” Dr Chander’s team will similarly continue and oversee the Tejas Mk.2 programme once the Mk.2 final operational clearance is in the bag. SP

RFP out for major Avro replacement programme

Priority re-think on Project AMCA

After an abortive attempt to make it an indigenously-led modernisation effort that could set an example for future procurements, the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has finally released its request for proposal (RFP) for 56 medium-lift transport aircraft that will replace the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) fleet of HS-748 Avro turboprop transports.

The request for proposal demands that 16 aircraft be supplied in flyaway condition by the selected global vendor, and the remaining 40 built in India under a partnership with an Indian company. The RFP stipulates that the modalities of this partnership need to be hammered out and set down in bids within the next five months. In transport aircraft terms, this could be one of India’s largest, running into close to over `25,000 crore.

As earlier reported by SP’s Aviation, likely contenders for the deal include the EADS CASA C-295 or the Alenia C-27J Spartan. Other companies that have received the RFP include Ilyushin, Antonov, Lockheed Martin and Boeing. The company conspicuous by its absence in this entire effort is, of course, the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd., which is building a multi-role transport aircraft in partnership with UAC and Ilyushin. SP

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ISSUE 6 • 2013

Major and ongoing delays in the light combat aircraft programme have finally reached a point where the Defence Ministry has put a dam on the AMCA fifth-generation fighter effort, calling upon the DRDO labs involved to direct every last bit of energy into ensuring that there are no further slippages in the Tejas programme. With the eight limited series aircraft taking to the skies recently, confidence is finally back in the drifting programme, but budget sanctions and manpower projections of the AMCA forced the MoD to bite the bullet and take a hard decision.

For the Tejas to complete all clearances by the end of next year and enter squadron service the year after that, a thought process within the Defence Ministry is to pre-empt any further damage to a programme that has already seen massive time and cost overruns. In this matter, the DRDO Chief has been unofficially overruled, given that the AMCA is being pushed as a flagship aeronautical effort, in many ways to divert attention from the deep problems of the Tejas. For now, funding and manpower will be temporarily eased off pending completion of all parameters and delivery of the Tejas. SP

 By SP’s Special Correspondent

www.spsaviation.net

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SP'S EXCLUSIVEs LUH, C-130j

Turbomeca to power HAL’s light copter After a protracted effort to identify a suitable engine for the in-development light utility helicopter (LUH), the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) has finally chosen the Turbomeca 1U Ariden, a close variant of the 1H1 Shakti that powers the ALH Dhruv and light combat helicopter. The Shakti beats out the Honeywell-Rolls-Royce LHTEC CTS-800 that was also in contention.

It may be remembered that the Shakti, which had been nearly the default choice initially, was set aside and a competitive process taken up following disagreements over licensing for the LUH. HAL choice appears to suggest that any problems with Turbomeca have since been sorted out. A first ground test vehicle is likely to be tested by the middle of 2014, with a first flight in 2015. HAL is developing the platform to meet a 187 helicopter requirement for the Army and IAF. With the 197 reconnaissance and surveillance helicopter (RSH) hanging fire with no guidance or decision, the pressure on HAL to speed up the programme and deliver is even higher. The LUH will have a full glass cockpit and be developed in three different variants to meet requirements. The platform will move straight from prototype to series production, with no intervening limited series production phase, reveal sources. SP

Photographs: SPSC, DPR Defence

IAF for Six more C-130Js, type crosses million flight hours globally The IAF cannot wait to get its next six Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules medium transport aircraft, a deal that is in its final stages of confirmation. Coming as a boost to C ­ -130J customers worldwide, the type soared past the one million flight hours mark this month. “Thirteen countries operating C-130Js and members of Lockheed Martin’s Flight Operations and the US Government’s Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) teams contributed to this achievement. Hours were tracked beginning with the C-130J’s first flight on April 5, 1996, through the end of April 2013,” said Lockheed Martin in a statement. George Shultz, Vice President and General Manager of C-130 programmes at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, said, “Not only is this milestone a testament to the capability of the C-130J Super Hercules, it’s also a reflection of the dedication displayed by crews and maintainers each day they fly a C-130J. Once again, the Super Hercules family continues to prove why the C-130J’s flexibility and versatility remains without equal.”

The C-130J has come in for high praise in Indian service, with the fleet deployed across theatres, missions, and in all-weather conditions. The fleet’s availability has also proved to be a great reassurance to

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its pilots and operators. The type has been fielded in every major exercise since its induction, and continues to be the first response aircraft now for humanitarian relief missions.

Elsewhere, according to Lockheed Martin’s statement, “C130Js currently are deployed in two combat theatres and are operating at a very high tempo efficiently and reliably. In noncombat—but equally harsh environments—C-130Js are often the first to support humanitarian missions such as search and rescue, aerial firefighting in the US, and delivering relief supplies after earthquakes, hurricanes, typhoons and tsunamis around the world. Countries with C-130Js contributing to these flight hours include (in order of delivery) the United Kingdom, United States, Australia, Italy, Denmark, Norway, Canada, India, Qatar, Oman, Iraq, Tunisia and Israel (now in flight test for a summer 2013 delivery).

In the US, C-130Js are flown by the Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command, Air National Guard, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard units. Fifteen countries have chosen the C130J as an airlifter of choice—including Kuwait and the Republic of Korea, which will join the fleet with C-130J deliveries in 2014.” SP

 By SP’s Special Correspondent

www.spsaviation.net

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Civil

Business Aviation

Hope amidst Despair A change in perception about business aviation is not only overdue, but also a necessity in the challenging times the Indian economy is passing through

Photograph: Sp guide pubns

By Group Captain (Retd) A.K. Sachdev

R

Resplendent blue ribbons to celebrate the arrival of a business aircraft into the Indian skies are invariably preceded by strangulating red tape. At the beginning of this year, 40-odd applications for import of new aircraft into India were pending with the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA). Going by past statistics, about a fourth of these would have been for business aircraft. The policy then was that the Minister himself approved the final import after the Aircraft Acquisition Committee (AAC) had carried out due diligence. Owing to delay in clearance by the AAC as also all along the line, the time

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taken from submission of application for import to the first touchdown on Indian soil was usually about nine months.

The cumbersome, bureaucratic and restrictive policies involve clearances from up to ten different agencies which include the MoCA, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Airports Authority of India. One of the requirements is individual police verification and security clearance of all the directors of the parent company applying for the import. In short, the documentation and processing time is oppressive and discouraging. Much has been written about

www.spsaviation.net

Civil Business Aviation

Going great: (Opposite page) Bombardier Challenger 300; (Above) Interiors of a religare’s Business Jet; and (right) A Religare BizJet parked

Photographs: religare

the sad state of bureaucratic and regulatory concertina wire that must be confronted and wiggled through for importing and operating a business aircraft in India.

Business Aircraft Operators’ Association The Business Aircraft Operators’ Association (BAOA) formed two years ago through the amalgamation of Business Aviation Association of India (BAAI) and Indraprastha Aircraft Aviation Association (IAAA), has been rendering yeoman service to the business aviation sector. One of its significant drives has been towards convincing the establishment that a business aircraft is not just a status symbol but a substantial contributor to national economy. BAOA has indeed made some progress towards softening the official posture towards business aviation. However, there is no ray of hope as yet for what has been often referred to as the ‘stepchild’ of Indian civil aviation.

High Tax Burden The main rationale for this sobriquet is the inordinately high duty imposed on the import of an aircraft into India for busi-

ness purposes which the DGCA regards as “for private use”.

The import duty on aircraft is three per cent and is applicable for all aircraft imported into India for non-scheduled or business purposes. However, business aircraft are penalised by an additional four per cent as special additional duty and 16 per cent as countervailing duty, thus bringing the total to 23 per cent, almost a fourth of the cost of the aircraft. This additional burden is imposed under Customs Tariff Act, 1975.

Para 3A of Chapter 88 of the Act permits special additional duty to be collected at the rate of eight per cent unless a lower rate is prescribed by the government. The figure is horrifying from the point of view of the buyer. The distinction is not impermeable though as some business houses have sought and obtained non-scheduled operator permits and used them to import aircraft meant essentially for business purposes.

ISSUE 6 • 2013

15

Civil Business Aviation (IATA) has been critical of the approach of the Indian Government towards aviation and has hinted at the need for a ‘national’ stance recognising the benefits of aviation to the nation. As the travails of civil aviation are affected by the policies of several Central Ministries in addition to state government policies, a comprehensive set of policies focused at giving business aviation its rightful dues and privileges, has not been possible so far. One of the reasons is that the tangible and intangible benefits of business aviation to national growth are not understood. There is the need for an erudite and informed study to elicit and present to the establishment the contribuInfrastructure Issues The travails for business aviation do not end with import. tion that business aviation makes to the national economy.

Documentation necessary to get the aircraft off the ground Oxford Economics, a key advisor to corporate, financial and essentially a repeat of the certificates already held by that government decision-makers, has carried out a study entitled aircraft under another regime such as the Federal Aviation ‘The Role of Business Aviation in European Economy’ last year Administration (FFA) or European Aviation Safety Agency and expounded on the usefulness of business aviation by way (EASA), could take a few weeks. Once operations commence, of being part of European transport network, a distinct secnew tribulations await the operator. Infrastructure for civil tor, a complement of the scheduled network, a benefactor of aviation is woefully oblivious of business aviation needs. There local economies, a key corporate tool, a driver of employment growth, an investor in local infrastrucare no general aviation airports such as ture and a crucial contributor to EuroLa Guardia near New York, Stansted, pean economic recovery. This kind of Biggin Hill near London and Seletar in exercise has been done elsewhere in the Singapore. There are no dedicated terBusiness aviation is world too. India is different from other minals with hangars and parking space devoted to the needs parts of the world; a study addressing for business aviation aircraft especially the Indian context could help in altering at the metros. Parking slots for busiof commerce and is perceptions towards business aviation. ness aircraft are restricted and come at predominantly used by The business aviation community a premium. In the absence of heliports, has been clamouring for a simplification rotary-wing aircraft are compelled to business leaders, owners of the import procedures, possibly into operate alongside fixed-wing aircraft. and executives for whom a single-window clearance system. The Fixed base operators (FBOs) are air mobility is essential Minister announced recently that the almost non-existent and business terprocess had been liberalised and that the minals rare. Where they do exist, the to efficient functioning AAC was being disbanded. While there charges, usually ‘per use’ fees, are exof their business was a general sigh of relief at the anorbitant and unreasonable. Busy metros nouncement, it is yet to be seen whether are notoriously inhospitable to business ventures. Leisure travel the time taken from the proffering of an aircraft; some of them would like to by business aircraft is application for import of an aircraft to shoo away business aircraft as soon as incidental to business the actual approval will get shortened. they have brought in a passenger load, There is also perhaps a need for a dedionly to let them come back when the travel and is a small cated desk both at the MoCA and the passengers are ready for a quick deproportion of the latter.

DGCA to look after the peculiar needs of parture. Overnight stays are frowned business aviation specifically. According upon, not easy to manage and come at to Kapil Kaul, CEO, India and the Mida price. The BAOA has had to resort to dle East, Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation legal action in order to alleviate the burden of penal charges levied by the Mumbai International Air- (CAPA), “It is essential that a senior official in the MoCA be port Limited (MIAL) on non-Mumbai-based business aircraft. made the point guard for general and business aviation. The An appeal is pending with the Airports Economic Regulatory DGCA requires an organisational structure to oversee the inAuthority (AERA). The maintenance, repair and overhaul terests of non-scheduled operators. The AAI and BAOA should (MRO) support for business aircraft is also inadequate and also be involved in major decisions being taken on policy.” expensive. One of the reasons is the small number of business aircraft and the other is the taxation regime which renders Silver Lining unattractive any MRO venture by original equipment manu- Business aviation is devoted to the needs of commerce and is facturers (OEMs) and aircraft manufacturers. Apart from predominantly used by business leaders, owners and execusales tax/value-added tax, service tax and customs duty, MRO tives for whom air mobility is essential to efficient functioning business ventures have to pay hefty royalty to the airports of their business ventures. Leisure travel by business aircraft they are based at. Last year, the Airports Authority of India is incidental to business travel and is a small proportion of the (AAI) decided to raise the royalty charged from MROs to bring latter. A change in perception about business aviation is not them on par with those of ground handling services at air- only overdue, but also a necessity in the challenging times the ports. This has delivered another blow to the MRO business, Indian economy is passing through. The recent endeavours of discouraging new and potential entrants. the BAOA, so far rewarded by some accomplishments though modest, yet adequate for the non-airline civil aviation sectors to sit up and take notice, represent a silver lining in the othNeed for Policy Changes Significantly, even the International Air Transport Association erwise bleak business aviation skies. SP ­ owever, the government remains doggedly and single-mindH edly determined about not lowering the duty. Incidentally, this inordinately high rate of duty on business aircraft was introduced in 2007. It may be mentioned that the period from 2003 to 2006 witnessed growing interest in business aviation as part of the second wave of liberalisation of civil aviation in India. The imposition of this extortionate rate of duty has proved to be a major factor in the stunted growth of business aviation in India since 2007.

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www.spsaviation.net

Civil

Regional Aviation Quite & Comfortable: ATR 72-600 IN FLIGHT

Options Aplenty The Indian Government plans to encourage regional flights to about 80 Tier-III and Tier-IV destinations by auctioning these unenticing routes to the airlines. It is also likely to formulate fresh incentives for smaller aircraft to cater to the growing number of passengers from non-metro cities. And there are plenty of regional aircraft to choose from.

Photograph: ATR

By Group Captain (Retd) Joseph Noronha

T

The global commercial aircraft market is dominated by two fierce rivals, the European giant Airbus and the US corporation Boeing. Their competition is especially intense in the narrow-body jet segment where the next 20 years should see sales of over 20,000 aircraft like the Airbus 320 and the Boeing 737. But when it comes to regional jets, it is Bombardier of Canada and Embraer of Brazil that have carved up the market between them, while Bombardier and Europe’s ATR fight it out to rule the regional turboprop space. And working feverishly to challenge the Bombardier-Embraer duo are other original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) who would like to see their forthcoming regional jets corner a significant share of sales.

Bombardier’s 20-year commercial aircraft market forecast released last June predicts deliveries of 12,800 jets and turboprops in the 20-149 seats segment from 2012-31. This year’s forecast is unlikely to vary much. India is projected to need only about 640 planes in the 60-149 seats category. That is because the country’s major airports are located in the traffic-intensive metros and large cities, making it essential for airlines to deploy aircraft with 180 plus seats like the Airbus 320 and Boeing

737. The regional market, however, needs much smaller planes, since a majority of airports have short runways and their demand is insufficient to fill even a standard narrow-body airliner.

Private carriers like SpiceJet and Jet Airways are eager to tap the regional market because that is where the next wave of growth is expected. SpiceJet has acquired a fleet of 15 Bombardier Q400 NextGen aircraft to connect Tier-II and Tier-III cities across the country. The airline has options for another 15 of these versatile turboprops. Jet Airways operates 16 ATR 72-500 turboprop aircraft and is inducting five ATR 72-600s so as to touch a number of smaller airports that are unviable with jets.

The Indian Government plans to encourage regional flights to about 80 Tier-III and Tier-IV destinations by auctioning these unenticing routes to the airlines. It is also likely to formulate fresh incentives for smaller aircraft to cater to the growing number of passengers from non-metro cities. And there are plenty of regional aircraft to choose from.

Bombardier’s Brainwave Bombardier Aerospace, the world’s third-largest aircraft manu-

ISSUE 6 • 2013

17

Civil Regional Aviation

Cost Effective: Bombardier CRJ900 in service with Lufthansa

Photograph: Bombardier

facturer, can justifiably claim to have sparked the modern regional jet party in 1992. When it hit upon the idea of transforming the unsuccessful Challenger business jet into the 50-seat Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ), the experts were not impressed.

But the CRJ100/CRJ200 sold well and encouraged Bombardier to think even bigger. Over the years, the larger CRJ700 (66 to 78 seats), CRJ900 (75 to 90 seats), and CRJ1000 (86 to 104 seats) have succeeded in lowering seat-mile costs significantly and have come to epitomize regional jets. As of March 31, 2013, Bombardier has delivered 1,680 jets of the CRJ family and has an order backlog of 102 aircraft.

Then there is Bombardier’s eagerly awaited CSeries regional jet, the biggest and most complex aircraft it has yet built. The CS100 with 108-125 seats and the CS300 designed for 130-145 passengers will both have the impressive new Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan (GTF) engine, the PW1524G. According to Bombardier, the CSeries should have a 15 per cent lower operating cost, 20 per cent fuel burn advantage and impressive environmental credentials compared to Embraer E-Jets.

The CS100 is expected to record its first flight in June and its entry into service (EIS) may be in mid-2014. The CS300’s EIS is expected in 2015. What may give Airbus and Boeing sleepless nights is a proposed 160-seat CS300 variant that would blur the divide between regional and narrow-body jets. Bombardier currently has firm orders for 145 CSeries planes and options on 193.

Embraer Emerges Embraer’s first regional jet, the 50-seat ERJ-145 entered service in December 1996 just when the US carriers were yearning for short-range jets to replace their unpopular turboprops on regional routes. Embraer soon began to challenge Bombardier in the regional jet market.

And not complacent with the success of the ERJs, it introduced the larger and roomier E-Jets in 2004. These too were highly successful, giving regional airlines an option midway between small regional jets and the narrow-bodies from

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Boeing and Airbus. The E-175 with 78-88 seats and the E-195 with 106-122 seats gave Embraer an immediate advantage over Bombardier, which in turn responded with the stretched CRJ700 series. As of March 31, 2013, Embraer has delivered 925 E-Jets and has a firm order backlog of 211 and 624 options.

Reacting to Bombardier’s CSeries, Embraer has opted for an updated version of the E-Jets instead of a new design. Expected to enter service by 2018, these “second generation” E-Jets will have composite-based wings, longer fuselage, and taller landing gear to accommodate fuel-efficient GTF engines, Pratt & Whitney’s PW1700G for the E-170 series and PW1900G for the E-190 series.

Sukhoi’s Slow Success In April 2011, the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) Sukhoi Superjet SSJ100-95 (86 to 103 seats) entered commercial service.

This Russian regional jet was designed to compete internationally. However, an unfortunate accident during a demonstration flight in Indonesia in May 2012 in which 45 perished, revealed several technical flaws denting its popularity. The official backlog of the SSJ100 stands at 179 aircraft. Sukhoi has also begun flight-testing a long-range version, the SSJ100LR. Increasing Competiton The long-delayed Comac ARJ21 Xiangfeng (“Soaring Phoenix”) will be the first passenger jet to be indigenously developed and produced in China. To enhance demand for regional jets, China is working zealously to open new airports in small cities. The ARJ21 is fitted with specially developed General Electric CF34-10A engines that give it powerful take-off and climb performance, permitting the use of airports with short runways. While the ARJ21-700 baseline model will have a capacity of 78-90 seats, the ARJ21-900 stretched version will take 98-105 passengers. Comac now aims to deliver the first ARJ21-700 in 2014 and claims to have secured 309 orders till date, with 20 options.

Private carriers like SpiceJet and Jet Airways are eager to tap the regional market because that is where the next wave of growth is expected

www.spsaviation.net

Civil Regional Aviation

Second-gen E-Jet: The updated version of E--190 will have PW1900G engines

Then there is the keenly awaited Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ), designed by Japan’s Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation.

The MRJ too will have Pratt & Whitney’s fuel-efficient PW1217G GTF engines. The MRJ90 (86 to 96 seats) is likely to complete its first flight during the fourth quarter of this year and enter service by early 2016. Development of the MRJ70 (70 to 80 seats) is expected to lag perhaps a year. Mitsubishi has 167 firm orders from customers convinced that the MRJ will live up to the Japanese reputation for technological excellence. The company claims that the MRJ90 will achieve 20 per cent better fuel burn than rival Embraer E-190. But it is still guarded about the pro-

A Variety of Regional Aircraft Manufacturer Entry Seating Max Cruise Engines into Capacity Range Speed Service (nm) (knots) CRJ100 Bombardier 1992 50 2,003 437 2 x turbojet CRJ700 Bombardier 2001 66-78 2,003 447 2 x turbojet CRJ1000 Bombardier 2010 86-104 1,535 447 2 x turbojet CS100 Bombardier 2014 108-125 2,950 447 2 x turbojet CS300 Bombardier 2015 130-160 2,950 447 2 x turbojet E-145 Embraer 1996 50 2,000 470 2 x turbojet E-175 Embraer 2004 78-88 2,102 481 2 x turbojet E-195 Embraer 2005 106-122 2,201 481 2 x turbojet SSJ100-95 UAC 2011 68-83 1,645 469 2 x turbojet ARJ21-700 Comac 2014 78-90 2,000 516 2 x turbojet ARJ21-900 Comac 2015? 98-105 1,800 516 2 x turbojet MRJ70 Mitsubishi 2017 70-80 820 447 2 x turbojet MRJ90 Mitsubishi 2016 86-96 900 489 2 x turbojet Q400 Bombardier 2000 70-78 1,361 360 2 x turboprop ATR 42 ATR 1985 42-50 842 300 2 x turboprop ATR 72 ATR 1989 68-74 715 276 2 x turboprop Source: Respective OEM’s website and Wikipedia. All figures are approximate.

Photograph: Embraer

Type

posed 100-seat MRJ100X, a variant in which European airlines have shown great interest.

India is the only BRICS country without indigenous passenger aircraft manufacturing capability. It has set up a National Civilian Aircraft Design Bureau which is working on the preliminary design of the project expected to be a 70 to 90-seat jet with a range of 2,500 km. Such a plane would have strong regional utility within the country. Russia’s UAC, which manufactures the SSJ100, has reportedly offered to set up joint development and manufacturing facilities in India for the purpose.

Turboprops Triumph For some years, regional jets threatened to completely marginalise the slow and noisy turboprops. However, the inexorable rise in fuel prices over the last ten years has helped fuel-efficient turboprops stage a spectacular comeback.

The Bombardier Q-Series turboprops were introduced in 1984. According to Bombardier, the 70 to 78-seat Q400 (EIS 2000) burns 30-40 per cent less fuel on routes where it has replaced older regional jets. It is also quieter and more comfortable than older turboprops. As of March 31, 2013, Bombardier has delivered 1104 Q-series aircraft and has an order backlog of 34.

The French-Italian aircraft manufacturer, ATR, with headquarters in Toulouse, France, builds the 42 to 50-seat ATR 42 and 68 to 74-seat ATR 72, both introduced in the 1980s. With the series-600 programme, launched in 2007, ATR further strove to improve the performance and efficiency of these aircraft without making significant changes. The new aircraft look much the same externally but are very different inside. Their new engines provide five per cent additional power at take-off, improving performance from short runways and “hot and high” conditions.

The avionics suite has also been transformed. While the ATR 72 competes with the Bombardier Q400, any airline needing a new 50-seat turboprop can only buy the ATR 42. By December 31, 2012, ATR had delivered 1,033 aircraft (422 ATR 42 and 611 ATR 72) and its backlog stood at 221, the largest backlog for any regional aircraft of up to 90 seats.

In about five years, the regional aircraft market is expected to see several OEMs jostling for space. Will turboprops eclipse jets?

The price of oil holds the key. SP

ISSUE 6 • 2013

19

Civil

Helicopters

GROWING APPETITE

Photographs: Eurocopter, AgustaWestland

The civil helicopter is increasingly finding its way into corporate aviation, tourism, medical evacuation, VIP travel, election campaigning, policing, aerial filming, advertising and photography, all of which are driving demand. Honeywell has forecast 4,900 to 5,600 aircraft deliveries by 2017.

A

By R. Chandrakanth

After a depressing 2012, the civil helicopter industry is looking up once again. Honeywell has forecast 4,900 to 5,600 deliveries between now and 2017, and the demand is spread across all continents. Helicopter manufacturers are coming up with new designs which will factor in speed, range, passenger comfort, safety and all-weather capability, driven by a growing appetite from various verticals. The civil helicopter is increasingly finding its way into corporate aviation, tourism, medical evacuation, VIP travel, election campaigning, policing, aerial filming, advertising and photography, all of which are driving demand. According to Richard Aboulafia, Vice President of Teal Group Corporation, the offshore oil operator is one of the key drivers of demand in the civil market. He analyses that it is the upper midsize twin-segment which is the most promising part of the civil helicopter market in terms of new product development, new technology and growth potential. This zone, bracketed at the bottom end by AgustaWestland’s AW139 and at the

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top by Eurocopter’s Super Puma, has long been something of a hole in manufacturer product lines and that manufacturers are racing to fill the gap.

Besides offshore oil operator needs, other sectors are also finding enormous benefits in employing helicopters and the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are strategising accordingly. The five global primes in the civil helicopter segment are AgustaWestland, Bell Helicopter, Eurocopter; Russian Helicopters and Sikorsky. In Tier-II (regional players with global aspirations) are the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), KAI and Changhe Aircraft Industries. The local players and ultralight helicopter manufacturers are Denel, Robinson Helicopter Company, Enstrom Helicopter Corporation, Helibras, IAR Brasov and PZL Swidnik among others.

The OEMs are eyeing a strategic mix of military and civil helicopters globally. This is reflected in the statement of Viktor Egorov, Director, Market Analysis, Russian Helicopters, who re-

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Civil Helicopters

in flight: (Opposite page) eurocopter EC175; AW169 AC3; (above) Bell 429 and Sikorsky S92

Photographs: Bell Helicopter, Sikorsky

cently stated that ‘‘the company is facing a great challenge in trying to increase its share of the global market. We will have to increase the scope of our work in the following areas: increasing the competitiveness and quality of work with the customers and development of new civil helicopters.” The share of Russian helicopters in the civil segment, according to him, is nine per cent and it has set its eyes on key markets, CIS region, India, Middle East, Africa and Latin America. New helicopters and new markets are going to be key for OEMs. Eurocopter Leads the Market In 2012, Eurocopter confirmed its position as the world’s No.1 helicopter manufacturer with a turnover of 6.3 billion Euros (`4,540 crore), orders for 469 new helicopters and a 38 per cent market share in the civil and para-public sectors. The company’s civil helicopter range extends from the EC120 light helicopter to the EC225 Super Puma. Eurocopter’s strong international presence is ensured by its subsidiaries and participation in 21 countries.

Eurocopter’s civil range include EC120B, Super Puma (AS332 and EC225), EC175, Dauphin (AS365 and EC155), EC145, EC135 and Ecureuil (AS350; EC130 and AS355).

At the recently concluded European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE) at Geneva, Eurocopter set new standards in business and private aviation by unveiling the nextgeneration EC175 helicopter in its executive and VIP versions, which combine unparalleled elements of style and comfort with the largest cabin of any medium-sized twin-engine helicopter.

The EC175 Executive and VIP versions integrate a superior level of interior cabin creativity from Peder Eidsgaard of Pegasus Design whose worldwide reputation results from his work on business jets and super yachts. These aircraft will be Eurocopter’s top-of-the-range products in their segments.

AgustaWestland’s New Generation Rotorcraft AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, has announced that

a final assembly line for the new generation AW169 helicopter will be established at its AgustaWestland Philadelphia facility in the US. The first Philadelphia built AW169 helicopter will be inducted into final assembly in May 2014 and will be delivered to the first customer in early 2015. The new production line will ramp up to produce around 20 aircraft per year by 2017.

The new AW169 production line will be scalable to accommodate production escalations based on market demand.

AgustaWestland’s facilities in Vergiate (Italy) and Yeovil (UK) will also play major roles in the manufacturing activities for the AW169 programme.

More than 80 AW169 helicopters have now been ordered for a wide range of missions including corporate transport, air ambulance, law enforcement, utility and offshore transport. With all four prototypes already flying, the AW169 is on schedule to achieve civil certification in 2014.

A versatile, new generation twin-engine light intermediate category helicopter, the 10,000 lbs (4.5-tonne) AW169 has been designed in response to the growing market demand for an aircraft that delivers high performance, meets all the latest safety standards and has multi-role capabilities and state-of-the-art

Market forecast  4,900

to 5,600 new civilian helicopter deliveries expected in the period 2013-17.

 The five-year share of demand from the US and Canada is 27

per cent and combined the Western Hemisphere represents 47 per cent of total global demand.  Europe’s

share of five-year demand closely matches that of North America with 28 per cent.

 Demand

in Asia/Oceania accounts for 19 per cent Africa/ Middle East share a little over six per cent.

Source: Honeywell

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Civil Helicopters first deliveries of the S-76D, the latest version of Sikorsky’s popular 12-passenger helicopter. Though delayed by several years, Sikorsky’s new S76D model looks set to continue the S76 series’ strong position in corporate and other segments.

Sikorsky has long held a strong position in two segments within the market with its S76 and S92. Remarkably, for four years in the past decade, Sikorsky succeeded Bell 429, New Model Advanced project: in displacing Bell for the From Bell Russian Helicopters’ number three civil marBell’s civil helicopter Mi-171A2 ket position. market share averaged The S-76D helicoparound 30 per cent in 1992-98, but this has fallen to an average of 16 per cent over the ter is truly the next step in helicopter technology, setting a past ten years. Teal Group forecasts the company’s civil market new standard of excellence that S-76 helicopter operators have come to expect. Power and performance are enhanced presence to an average of 13.6 per cent over the next decade.

Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company, is pushing aggres- by all composite main rotor blades and optimised Pratt & sively its corporate configured Bell 429 which has a state-of- Whitney Canada PW210S engines with dual FADEC c­ ontrols. the-art glass cockpit with the Bell Helicopter BasiX-Proâ In- It’s quiet tail rotor allows for reduced external acoustic tegrated Avionics System. The 429 will continue to grow its ­signature and gain acceptance with the communities where presence in Europe across all segments. Bell’s first all-new it operates. civil model in decades, the 429, is challenging Eurocopter’s strong EC 135.

Russian Helicopters Expanding Global Presence The Bell 429 is one of the most advanced light twin heli- Russian Helicopters is the sole Russian rotorcraft designer and copters ever developed. It delivers exceptional speed, range manufacturer and one of the few companies worldwide with and hover performance, and offers operators a state-of-the-art the capability to design, manufacture, service and test modern single and dual pilot IFR helicopter with top user-rated in-ser- civilian and military helicopters. Headquartered in Moscow, it vice support. A fully-integrated glass cockpit with two or three has design bureaus, helicopter assembly plants, components multi-function displays, dual digital autopilot and an integrated production, maintenance and repair enterprises and helicopelectronic data recorder, help increase situational awareness ter service company providing after-sales support in Russia and safety margins. Other safety features include a collective- and abroad. mounted throttle, damage-tolerant hub and rotor system, and The company’s advanced projects for the commercial marenergy attenuating seats. ket include the new Ka-226T, Ansat, Mi-171A2, Ka-62 and MiThe 429’s spacious cabin accommodates one pilot and 38. The light multi-purpose helicopter Ka-226T powered by seven passengers with a quick change interior that can be Arrius 2G2 engine by Turbomeca, may be operated in urban converted from passenger to cargo service. The powerful and conditions for high-rise construction works, patrolling as well as reliable Bell 429 serves the full spectrum of segments includ- for police operations. ing air medical, law enforcement, oil and gas, utility and corporate aviation. The HAL’s Global Aspirations Bell 429 has been pitched in all the four After decades of effort, India has promission categories, corporate, helicopter duced the only new market entrant of emergency medical service (HEMS), oil note in the world, the Dhruv advanced The EC175 Executive and and gas, and para-public. light helicopter. The civilian variant of VIP versions integrate the Dhruv is used for transport, rescue, policing, offshore operations and airSikorsky Ramping Up Production a superior level of ambulance role among others. India is With Sikorsky setting up a separate civil interior cabin creativity seeking the Federal Aviation Adminishelicopter unit, Sikorsky Global Helicopfrom Peder Eidsgaard tration (FAA) certification for the Dhruv ters, the company is ramping up prohelicopter. duction to meet the growing demand of Pegasus Design whose The helicopter industry is competifor commercial choppers. The division worldwide reputation tive and healthy. The established OEMs revenues are likely to grow by 30 per are working on designs to remain ahead cent, driven by demand for the 19-pasresults from his work in the race. The new models, the AW169 senger S-92 in the offshore oil and gas on business jets and and 189, EC 175, S76D and Bell 429, are as well as search-and-rescue (SAR) marsuper yachts expected to stimulate market demand. SP kets. Civil sales will also be boosted by

Photograph: russian Helicopters

technology. The large spacious cabin can seat up to ten passengers.

The AW169 is part of the AgustaWestland family of new generation helicopters that includes the AW139 and AW189 models, which possess the same high performance flight characteristics and safety features as well as share a common cockpit layout, design philosophy and maintenance concept.

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Show Report EBACE 2013 Super Versatile Jet: Pilatus Aircraft unveiled jet-engined PC-24 at ebace

Industry Rallies Together The three-day event featured static display of 52 aircraft, education sessions as also maintenance and operations sessions. Though there were only 460 exhibitors as against last year’s 491, the enthusiasm of the industry never dampened.

Photograph: Ebace show management

By R. Chandrakanth

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Notwithstanding the economic gloom in Europe, the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE) 2013 held at Palexpo and Geneva International Airport from May 21 to 23, made an emphatic statement that business aviation would continue to remain at the core of the growth of the aviation industry in the region. The CEO of European Business Aviation Association (EBAA), Fabio Gamba reflected this sentiment when he said “What I saw at EBACE 2013 was an industry that is not only addressing the economic situation in this region, but one that is taking the necessary steps to ensure

that business aviation remains essential in Europe.” Endorsing the sentiment were several primes who brought to the show the latest of products and solutions, as Europe, after the US, is a trendsetter of sorts in the business aviation industry.

Jointly hosted by EBAA and the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) of the US, the three-day event featured static display of 52 aircraft, education sessions as also maintenance and operations sessions. European Business Aviation Association reported an attendance of over 12,300 delegates, a figure on par with those in recent years. Though there were

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Show Report EBACE 2013 only 460 exhibitors as against last year’s 491, the enthusiasm of the industry never dampened. It is the third highest number of exhibitors in the event’s 13-year history. NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen agreed, stating, “Just like last year, EBACE has proven to be of great value to the business aviation community. It has been a place where the industry has rallied together, made new announcements and set a positive tone, all of which has the business aviation community looking forward to the future.” EBAA President Brian Humphries said, “One thing remains clear: EBACE continues to be the single-most important European event on the industry’s calendar and the best opportunity for buyers and sellers to connect in Europe.”

Bombardier Launches Challenger 350 At a special event during EBACE, Bombardier Aerospace launched the Challenger 350 jet along with worldwide leader in private aviation NetJets. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2014. “The Challenger 350 jet will take our existing Challenger family to new heights,” said Steve Ridolfi, President, Bombardier Business Aircraft. The Canadian aerospace major also showcased the first production Learjet 75 jet. The new jet features the pioneering Bombardier Vision Flight Deck with an interior influenced from its bigger stable-mate, the Learjet 85.

Alongside the debutante were the three additional class-leading jets—Challenger 300, Challenger 605 and Global 6000.

Actor and pilot John Travolta was the cynosure of all eyes at EBACE. Ambassador of Bombardier, Travolta, called the Challenger “a really pilot-friendly airplane”, and added, “I want one.”

Photographs clock wise: Bombardier, Beechcraft, Dassault Aviation, Ebace show management

BBJ-3 Talks About Range Boeing put on the show for the first time the BBJ-3, an airplane based on the 737-900 ER, and outfitted with its custom VIP interiors at Jet Aviation in Basel, Switzerland. The range of the BBJ-3 exceeds that of other business jets in its class. It can fly 4,900 nautical miles, over 1,500 nautical miles farther than its direct competitor. The BBJ-3 carries 38 passengers and eight crew. It has a large cargo area that holds 230 pieces of baggage.

Pilatus presents PC-24 ‘Super Versatile Jet’ Pilatus Aircraft Ltd unveiled the PC-24, the world’s first “Super Versatile Jet”. The entirely new PC-24 sees traditional Pilatus values of versatility, efficiency and Swiss precision brought together in a business jet for the very first time. This innovative development by the Swiss aircraft manufacturer marks the creation of a new segment in the business aviation market. The PC-24 is the first business jet worldwide with the ability to use very short runways, paved or unpaved, and a cargo door as standard.

Oscar J. Schwenk, Chairman, Board of Directors at Pilatus, remembers: “Over ten years ago, we started asking our PC-12 customers what they would like to see in the next Pilatus aircraft.

The answers were always the same, further and faster whilst retaining the much appreciated strengths of the PC-12 such as short-field operations capability. It was a huge challenge for our development team! We are all the more proud to be able to unveil an aircraft with exactly those qualities today, the PC-24.”

“Work on the prototype in Stans is in full swing. The rollout is scheduled for the third quarter of 2014. The PC-24 will takeoff on its maiden flight end 2014. Certification by the European (EASA) and American (FAA) authorities is planned for early 2017 and the first aircraft will be delivered immediately thereafter.” Schwenk has no doubt that the PC-24 will be just as successful as the PC-12, of which over 1,200 have been sold till date. “The PC-24 is a completely new development—not a ‘me too product’. Specifically, there is no other business jet in the

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market with the same credentials and qualities as our new jet.

The list price is approximately $8.9 million. First orders will be taken at EBACE 2014.”

Beechcraft Bounces Back Beechcraft Corporation made a strong presence at EBACE, thus signalling that it had left its troubled financial past behind. At

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Show Report EBACE 2013 Geneva, Beechcraft delivered a new Beechcraft Baron G58 twinengine piston to SaxonAir of Norwich, United Kingdom. Beechcraft Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Shawn Vick said, “We are now a well-capitalised company with a definitive plan for all our platforms. We are confident that there will be new product announcements from 2014 until the end of the decade.”

Beechcraft’s static display included the King Air 250, C90GTx, 350i, 350ER special mission demonstrator, currently on a global demonstration tour, the G58 and G36.

Embraer’s Legacy 500 Legacy 500 from Embraer Executive Jets made its debut here besides premiering a cinematic-style film starring the Legacy 500, illustrating how the company is bringing tomorrow’s aircraft to the market today. “Embraer Executive Jets has already created a lot of comments about the Legacy 500 and now people can take a look at this remarkable aircraft for themselves,” said Ernest Edwards, President, Embraer Executive Jets.

Impressive Falcon Dassault Falcon presented a full line-up of long-range largecabin executive jets, including the recently certificated Falcon 2000S, entry-level jet along with the Falcon 900LX longrange aircraft and the top-of-the-line Falcon 7X. Dassault also highlighted the EASy II advanced avionics suite, FalconCabin HD+ entertainment system and FalconBroadcast airborne health monitoring service, which in the first half of 2013 were expanded to all new Falcon models.

Gulfstream Remains Bullish Gulfstream President Larry Flynn was optimistic at EBACE that despite “headwinds” in the industry, the company remained bullish about market prospects. While stating that “uncertainty” in financial markets, political instability in the Middle East and elsewhere, and austerity programmes in Europe have all contributed to a more challenging market for some of Gulfstream’s products, he was pleased with the performance of the company’s two newest products, the super-midsize G280 and the ultra-long-range G650.

Nextant Appoints Aviators in India Nextant Aerospace, maker of the Nextant 400XTi, the world’s only remanufactured business jet, announced the appointment of Aviators as the exclusive sales agent for India. The company will place an initial order for three 400XTi dedicated air ambulances valued at $15 million (`82.5 crore). Aviators has vast history and deep experience with the Indian business aviation market and will play a key role in defining Nextant’s sales, marketing and customer service strategy in the region.

Established in 1994, Aviators markets and operates aircraft and helicopters in India. The company’s latest proposal is India’s first dedicated air ambulance service to facilitate quick assistance during emergency medical situations and for missions of critical transport. The addition of the three Nextant 400XTi air ambulances will complement their fleet of helicopter air ambulances, planned to start operations next year. strong presence: (opposite page, top to bottom) Bombardier Launched Challenger 350 Jet on May 20, 2013; Boeing Showcased BBJ-3 for the First Time at EBACE; Beechcraft’s static display at ebace 2013; (top to bottom) Beechcraft delivered a new Beechcraft Baron G58 twin-engine piston to SaxonAir of Norwich of UK; dassault falcon presented 900lx long-range aircraft along with a full line-up of large cabin executive jets; Embraer showcased its wide range including the largest and the smallest at EBACE.

Honeywell Range of Solutions Honeywell highlighted its retrofit, modification and upgrade (RMU) solutions that offer cost-effective technologies that bring improved efficiency, connectivity and safety to operators. Honeywell is currently fitting the system on TAG Aviation’s new Bombardier Global 6000 aircraft in partnership with Jet ­Aviation St. Louis. EBACE participants got the opportunity to

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Show Report EBACE 2013 experience a fully functioning mock up of the FAA and EASAcertified Ovation Select system.

In addition to the cabin retrofits and upgrades, Honeywell also showcased several avionics upgrades. The company introduced a new range of SMART upgrades with discount pricing for the Cessna Citation X to improve navigation, pilot situational awareness, connectivity and safety. It also announced EASA certification for flight management system (FMS) 6.1 on the Global Express to add WAAS LPV capability, as well as FAA and EASA certification of Honeywell’s Primus Epic-based EASy II flight deck for Dassault Falcon F2000 and F7X aircraft.

Honeywell announced Eclipse as a satellite communications distributor in the EMEA region. Satcom Direct, provider of satellite voice, fax, data link and Internet communications solutions, signed an agreement with Honeywell to be a business aviation distribution partner for Inmarsat GX Aviation Ka-band services and will be a distributor of GX avionics equipment. Through this agreement, customers will be able to purchase GX Aviation services through Satcom Direct, and package it with existing services for a complete aircraft communications solution.

Jetex and Honeywell signed a partnership agreement to boost their respective flight planning, aircraft data link, flight following and international trip support offerings to make it easier for business jet operators to plan and manage flights around the world.

Piper and its European Dealers Piper Aircraft Inc., its European dealers and sales agents displayed a 2013 single-engine turboprop M-Class Meridian at the show. “This venue is truly Europe’s premier event focused on business aviation, and Piper’s M-Class aircraft offer European companies an alternative to higher cost twin-engine business aircraft,” said Piper Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Drew McEwen.

Photographs: ebace show management

VIP and executive versions of EC175 Eurocopter set a new standard in business and private aviation by unveiling the next-generation EC175 helicopter in its Executive and VIP versions, which combine unparalleled elements of style and comfort with the largest cabin of any medium-sized twin-engine helicopter. The EC175 Executive and VIP versions, integrates a superior level of interior cabin creativity. These aircraft will be Eurocopter’s top-of-the-range products in their segments. The EC175 VIP is offered in three different styles, all accommodating from six to eight passengers. The first style is “avant-garde,” inspired by modern sport cars; the second brings the French flair—contemporary and highly sophisticated—inspired by modern penthouse interiors; while the third is more classical, inspired by the grand villas of Europe.

HondaJet achieving milestones Honda Aircraft Company highlighted the milestones achieved in the development of the HondaJet, the world’s most advanced light jet. “The HondaJet programme is steadily approaching the final phase of flight testing and manufacturing has transitioned to production of customer aircraft,” said Michimasa Fujino, President and CEO of Honda Aircraft Company. “I’m committed to bringing new value to aviation by introducing the HondaJet. At the same time, Honda Aircraft Company continues to build the infrastructure and talent to design, manufacture and service this revolutionary aircraft.”

Piaggio Aero’s maintenance plan for P. 180 Avanti/II Piaggio Aero announced a reduced maintenance programme

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for its Piaggio P. 180 Avanti/II aircraft. In its ongoing quest to make the already fuel-efficient aircraft even more costeffective to operate, Piaggio Aero announced that it has now approved a revised maintenance programme with extended inspection intervals for its fuel-efficient twin turboprop. In early 2013, the 10-year time between overhauls of the Piaggio Aero P. 180 Avanti/II aircraft landing gear was extended from 10 to 12 years.

RUAG & Dassault celebrated 25 years of success Year 2013 marks the 25th anniversary of the highly successful partnership between Dassault Aviation and its authorised service centre, RUAG Aviation. In recognition of the long-standing partnership between the two companies, a ceremony was held at EBACE in which Dassault Aviation presented RUAG Aviation with an official token of appreciation.

CAE’s many announcements On the eve of EBACE 2013, CAE launched the CAE RealCase Troubleshooting for maintenance training. The innovative methodology is now available for the Dassault Falcon 7X, Falcon 900EX EASy and Falcon 2000EX EASy models. CAE RealCase Troubleshooting for maintenance training was developed using the same principles behind CAE RealCase for recurrent pilot training incorporating recent real life event scenarios

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Show Report EBACE 2013 VistaJet’s historic deal VistaJet International and Jet Support Services, Inc. (JSSI) declared the enrolment of 50 Bombardier Global 5000 and Global 6000 aircraft onto JSSI’s Platinum Engine and APU hourly cost maintenance programmes. The long-term agreement is valued at over $205 million (`1,128 crore) based on JSSI 2013 list prices. The aircraft are part of VistaJet’s largest order in aviation history placed in November 2012.

Cessna confident on European economic upswing Speaking at the EBACE in Geneva, Switzerland, Kriya Shortt, Senior Vice President of Sales, said: “While the euro zone as a whole remains in recession, there are bright spots that give grounds for optimism. Many economists expect Germany, a major business aviation market, to benefit from rising exports and domestic consumption in coming months.” The company officials said that Cessna is well prepared for the future with a long line of new product developments all running as per schedule. The first production flight for the new Citation Sovereign took place in April this year. The company is also making progress on two key line up additions for their family of Citation business jets. The Citation Latitude and Citation Longitude programmes are both bringing new performance and innovation to two different categories of business aviation.

Cobham’s SwiftBroadband Communication Solution Cobham SATCOM announced on the second day of EBACE that its versatile SwiftBroadband communication solution, Aviator 300, has received a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for installation on Bombardier’s Challenger 300. The announcement followed a confirmation that the Aviator 300 has received a European Aviation Safety Agency STC for its use aboard the Cessna 550, 550 Bravo and S550.

Photographs: Airbus, Honeywell

global leaders: (opposite page, top to bottom) the ultra-long-range G650 from gulfstream has made a global presence; An interesting concept (fire brigade training aircraft) on display at Ebace; (top to bottom) ACJ 318 Airbus Tyrolean Jet Services cabin and honeywell’s EASy FlightDeck prototype

into training. CAE and Aviation Performance Solutions (APS) announced an extension of their partnership to provide upset prevention and recovery training (UPRT) for business aircraft pilots in Europe. The programme uses proven e-Learning webbased academics, in-aircraft practical skill development and full flight simulator exercises and scenarios.

Emirates-CAE Flight Training (ECFT) and the Middle East Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) announced a new service package entitled MEBAA Total Training Service to be offered exclusively to MEBAA members.

Airbus ACJ 318 Cabin view Airbus showcased an ACJ 318 corporate jet, giving potential customers the chance to see how much wider and taller its cabin is in comparison with other large business jets. The Airbus ACJ 318 which was on display is operated by Tyrolean Jet Services of Austria for a private customer, as well as on VVIP charters. The aircraft features lounge areas, a private room that doubles as an office and a bedroom plus beautiful bathrooms.

AgustaWestland at EBACE AgustaWestland’s static display featured a GrandNew light twin helicopter in a special ‘James Bond 007’ style livery, a full scale mock up of the dedicated VIP interior for the new generation AW169 light-intermediate twin, 4.5-tonne class helicopter developed by MAG and a scaled model of the exclusive VIP interior for the best selling AW139 intermediate twin by the popular and leading fashion design house Karl Lagerfeld. A sophisticated luxury interior developed through the collaboration with Karl Lagerfeld for the AW139 was also showcased, featuring a four-seat and two-cabinet configuration. Also, a MAG VIP cabin mock up designed for the all new AW169 was exhibited showing some of the possible high quality solutions which can be offered

by AgustaWestland through its large range of tailored solutions to satisfy any request on a customer demand basis.

Emphasis on Safety The 2013 show kicked off with the opening session that featured top aviation authorities discussing the state of the industry in Europe. Siim Kallas, European Commissioner for Transport, reported on implementation of the Single European Sky, while Patrick Ky, Managing Director of the Joint Undertaking for the Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) programme, addressed the ongoing development of this next-generation overhaul of European airspace operations.

On May 20, the one-day EBACE Safety Workshop provided critical safety information to operators, with a particular focus on human performance factors, while an EBACE Cabin Crew Symposium addressed safety, security, service and training issues relevant to business aviation cabin crew operations. SP

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Military

Fighters

WHY MMRCA?

By Air Marshal (Retd) B.K. Pandey

Photograph: Dassault Aviation

By 2003, the IAF was to be supplied with the LCA Tejas, to replace the ageing fleet of MiG21 FL. As there was no certainty of the Tejas being available in the committed time frame, the gap needed to be bridged till the Tejas would be made available with FOC to retain the strength of the combat aircraft fleet and obviate erosion of operational capability.

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The requirement of the Indian Air Force (IAF) for a medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) as it is known today, was first mooted at the level of Directorate of Air Defence at Air Headquarters (Vayu Bhavan), New Delhi, in the year 1999. As per plans, by 2003, the IAF was to be supplied with the indigenous light weight air defence aircraft, the light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas, designed, developed and built by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to replace the ageing fleet of MiG-21 FL, also known as Type 77.

The latter is essentially an aircraft designed for the air defence role and its induction into the IAF had begun

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in the early 1960s after the Sino-Indian conflict. In fact, the first lot of the aircraft had participated in the war with Pakistan in 1965.

As there was no certainty of the Tejas being available in the committed time frame, the IAF rightly began to explore options from sources abroad to find a replacement for the Type 77 fleet that was nearing the end of its total technical life and would have to be soon retired from service. The gap needed to be bridged till the Tejas would be made available with full operational clearance (FOC) to retain the strength of the combat aircraft fleet at the authorised level of 39.5 squadrons and obviate erosion of operational capability.

It took the IAF almost two years to finalise the proposal and the initial projection to the Ministry of Defence in the year 2001

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Military Fighters

waiting: rafale by dassault/ france has been selected as the final contender for india’s mmrca requirements

Alouette helicopters continue in service today in the IAF. The French engine manufacturer Snecma has also been involved in the development of an engine for the ALH in partnership with HAL. With the Airbus and ATR family of airliners, the French aerospace industry has a domineering presence in the Indian civil aviation sector as well. The French are notably independent in the pursuit of their foreign policy and hence their decisions are expected to be immune to external pressures from within the EU or the USA. Defence sales by France are based purely on commercial considerations.

Defence Procurement Procedure The experience of the IAF with the Mirage 2000 fleet in the brief conflict with Pakistan in Kargil, had served to reinforce the belief that the Mirage 2000-5 would indeed be the right choice. However, on account of the need to set up new production lines for the manufacture of the latest from their stables, the Dassault Rafale, and lack of orders of older platforms, the Mirage 2000 production lines were to be closed down. Dassault was prepared to keep production lines open for the Mirage 2000-5 Mk II, provided the IAF placed firm orders. But the government had other ideas as with the formulation of the newly conceived Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP), the Ministry of Defence was focused on the “open tender” system involving multiple vendors as against a single vendor system involving direct transaction with the OEM ostensibly to get the best value for money and to provide the IAF with a wider range of equipment to choose from.

was for 126 platforms, equivalent to six squadrons with an option for another 74. The specifications spelt out were for primarily an air defence aircraft with a 20-tonne maximum take-off weight limit (MTOW) with some ground attack capability. This case was designated as the multi-role combat aircraft (MRCA) project.

At the point in time that the case for MRCA was initiated, in the perception of the IAF, the gap in air defence capability owing to phasing out of the MiG-21 fleet, would be adequately met with the purchase of 126 Mirage 2000-5, an improved version of the Mirage 2000 from the French aerospace major Dassault Aviation. The Mirage 2000 aircraft has been in service with the IAF since the mid-1980s and the IAF has been quite happy with the performance of the fleet as also with the efficient product support provided by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM).

The French Aerospace Industry The association of the French aerospace industry with the IAF is around five decades old. During this period, the French aerospace industry has consolidated its position in India though the supply in the 1960s of the Ourgaon, renamed Toofani by the IAF, and the Mystere. The Mirage 2000H fleet was inducted in the mid-1980s. Apart from combat aircraft, French Alouette helicopters were produced in India under licence by HAL in large numbers for the three services. The Mirage 2000H fleet and

The Tendering Process As a first step, in 2004, request for information (RFI) was issued to four vendors, namely Dassault Aviation (Mirage 2000-5 Mk II), Lockheed Martin (F16 C&D Block 52+ also referred to as the F 16IN), Saab (JAS 39 Gripen) and Mikoyan (MiG-29 OVT). All the four aircraft are under 20-tonne MTOW and other than the MiG-29, all three are single engine combat aircraft. But soon thereafter, based on re-evaluation of the changing strategic environment in the context of India emerging as a regional power and the expanded zone of economic and security interests, it was felt that the IAF ought to be equipped with a heavier aircraft, preferably with two engines, long-range capability and two-man crew. Besides, apart from the MiG-21, other fleets of strike aircraft such as the Jaguar inducted in the late 1970s and the MiG27, joining the IAF in the 1980s, were also nearing the end of their total technical life. The MiG-23 fleet was already in the process of being phased out. What was also of concern was that the potential adversaries of India i.e. both China and Pakistan were embarked on an aggressive modernisation plan of their respective air forces. In the evolving security scenario, the IAF badly needed to preserve its operational edge through the induction of a modern fourth-generation multi-role combat fleet with state-ofthe-art avionics and weapon systems.

The specifications for the MRCA were therefore reviewed and revised. The upper limit of weight which was pegged at 20 tonnes was removed and a request for proposal (RFP) was issued enabling heavier twin-engine aircraft such as the F/A 18IN Super Hornet from Boeing and Eurofighter Typhoon from European Aeronautic, Defence and Space (EADS) to enter the race. Russia replaced the MiG-29 OVT by the MiG-35 which was yet under development.

Dassault then opted to replace the offer of the Mirage 2000-5 Mk II by the twin engine Rafale. Meanwhile, Lockheed Martin offered a customised version of the F16, the F16IN Super Viper which is regarded as equivalent to Block 60, to meet the requirements of

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1964 - 2014 50 Years

Preview

Paris Air Show

Curtain Raiser The 2013 Paris Air Show will once again act as a catalyst for international partnerships, serve as a networking platform for industry decision-makers and an ideal place to exhibit, sell and buy latest products and solutions

By Sucheta Das Mohapatra

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Newer technological breakthroughs, raining orders, trade pacts and much more—the Le Bourget airport in north Paris witnessed major aircraft sales and showcases of innovative prototypes during the International Paris Air Show 2011. While Airbus made a record breaking $72.2 billion (about `4,00,000 crore) business with a total of 730 aircraft orders, including orders from Indian low-cost airline IndiGo and the Malaysian lowcost pioneer AirAsia. Visitors to the show had the delight to see the solar power airplane ‘Solar Impulse’ throughout the week.

The world’s leading tourism destination and once famous as the centre of education, La Ville-Lumière, the city of light, Paris, has once again geared up to play host to several aviation professionals, experts, technocrats, defence personnel, political leaders, and decision-makers from across the world for the 50th Paris Air Show 2013 to be held from June 17 to 23.

Since its inception in 1908 as an aircraft exhibition held as part of the 2nd Paris Automobile Show, organised at the GrandPalais near the Champs-Élysées, the show has over the years continued to grow as the world’s leading civil and military aviation event. With the US companies playing a low key this time, this year’s show does not appear to be as grand as the 2011 show especially with regard to major announcements to be made.

However, despite the economic slowdown, the show this time will once again act as a catalyst for international partnerships, serve as a networking platform for industry decision-makers and an ideal place to exhibit, sell and buy latest products and solutions.

“With a full complement of exhibitors, the 50th Paris Air Show promises to be a resounding success. This is a reflection of the booming aerospace industry and confirms our position as the world’s leading air show,” says Emeric d’Arcimoles, Commissaire Général of the International Paris Air Show. According to the organisers, about €50 million have been invested in infrastructure at the Le Bourget Exhibition Centre and €4 million in renovating the 350 business chalets. The show will bring together 2,215 exhibitors, 3,51,000 trade and public visitors and 290 international delegations.

Looking Back After the debut in 1908, the first exhibition devoted entirely to

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aircraft was organised at the Grand-Palais by André Granet and Robert Esnault-Pelterie in 1909. In 1924, the show for the first time had foreign exhibitors and since then was held every two years except a break during World War II. The 2011 Show The 49th Paris Air Show was inaugurated by the then French President Nicolas Sarkozy and was attended by Prime Minister François Fillon and eleven French Ministers and Secretaries of State. There were at least 290 official delegations from 82 countries among which were 64 institutional delegations, 97 from embassies and 64 from the DGAC (Civil Aviation General Directorate). Over 2,100 exhibiting companies and about 1,51,000 professional visitors from around the globe were involved.

While during the show in 2011, India was awaiting the selection of the lowest bidder in the medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) tender, in 2013, the country is still waiting for the contract to be inked with Dassault Aviation.

2013 Logbook More than 40 aircraft will be participating in the daily flying displays scheduled from 1230 to 1630 hours and which will be projected onto giant screens. The Su-35 will be making its international debut during the show, along with Yak-130 trainer and Antonov AN-70 from the Ukraine. The military helicopters likely to participate in the air show are the Eurocopter EC665 Tigre ALAT, NH Industries NH90, Bell 407GT, AgustaWestland AW149/159 models and the Russian KA-52 ‘Alligator’ gunship.

Two Boeing 787 Dreamliners are also likely to be on flying display.

After the French pavilion, which will occupy the largest space at the show, will be the US pavilion spread over 4,100 square metres. But there are reports that Israeli companies are reducing the size of their delegations, sales representatives and executives to the show. Northrop Grumman this year will once again be absent from the show. The much expected Lockheed Martin F-35 might also not be seen this year and so could Boeing’s F-15, F/A-18E/F and the C-17. On the other hand, there will be newcomers like ­Lacroix Electronics which will be exhibiting for the first time its know-how as a provider of electronics manu-

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Preview Paris Air Show

Photographs: Ernoult

a bird’s-eye view of the display at the paris air show 2011

facturing services and its assets on the aerospace and defence market. A total of seven regional airliner manufacturers will be seen, including newcomers such as China’s Comac (with its delayed ARJ21 development), Russia’s Irkut (MS-21) and Mitsubishi. Dassault, Gulfstream, Bombardier and Embraer will be the stars of the business a ­ viation sector at the show.

Embraer Commercial Aviation will show the ERJ 135 regional jet and the Embraer 190 jet from Kazakhstan flag carrier Air Astana, and for the first time, Embraer Defense & Security will showcase the Super Tucano from the Mauritanian Air Force.

An A400M to be delivered to the French Air Force and an A380 to be delivered to the British Airways will be seen both on static and flying displays. Various commercial aircraft from Airbus will be delivered to customers during the show, including Sharklet equipped A320s, an A330 and the 100th Airbus Military C295. An Airbus ACJ318 which has the widest and tallest cabin of any business jet will also be on static display. A full life-size A350 XWB cockpit and cabin section can be walked through at the EADS pavilion. The latest developments in new energies can be viewed at the dedicated “Alternative Fuels” pavilion. Commercial announcements are also likely to be made during the week.

Bombadier will showcase the Global 6000, Q400 NextGen turboprop and the CRJ1000 NextGen jet. Visitors will also be able to see the mock-up of the recently launched Challenger 350 business jet and the CSeries pavilion, dedicated to Bombardier’s

all-new CS100 and CS300 commercial aircraft. On the sidelines of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) annual general assembly in Cape Town, South Africa, Bombardier’s Senior Vice President Sales and Marketing Chet Fuller said, “Bombardier is guardedly optimistic. about being able to announce new sales for its CSeries narrow body family at the Paris Air Show.”

MBDA’s air launched weapons will be the prominent feature and many of the products on display will be of direct interest to India and in particular to the Indian Air Force (IAF), especially with the planned upgrades of the Mirage and Jaguar fleets and weapons for the MMRCA. The company’s stand will show the full complement of weapon systems capable of optimising the IAF’s operational capabilities across their multitude of missions. Both IR and RF versions of the MICA ordered for the IAF’s Mirage upgrade will be on the stand to highlight the advantages offered by this weapon. The weapon features two interoperable seekers which will enable the IAF’s Mirages to cover the full air combat spectrum from short range combat to beyond visual range intercept.

Also on display will be the Meteor, the visual range air-toair missile; Brimstone, long range cruise missile Storm Shadow/ SCALP and Taurus KEPD 350 etc. Displayed for the first time will be MBDA’s SPEAR missile. Also will be the latest version of Milan anti-armour weapon, MBDA’s PARS 3 LR weapon which was shown at Aero India. Promoted in India for the Rudra (ALH Dhruv WSI), PARS 3 LR is already in service in Germany on its Tiger

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Preview Paris Air Show ­ elicopters. In the ground and naval based h air defence category will be the Maitri or SR-SAM which is being offered to the Indian Army to meet its VSHORAD requirement.

a view of the static display during the 2011 edition of paris air show

Russian Delights Russian fighter jets will make a comeback at the Paris Air Show this year. Daily flight demonstrations of the Sukhoi Su-35 presented by the United Aircraft Corporation and Irkut Corporation’s Yak-130 military training aircraft will be a delight for the visitors at the show. SuperJet International’s 100-seat commercial airliner, the SuperJet 100 will also be on the static display.

Raining Jobs The Concorde Hall will feature a job and training area which will be a 3,000-sqmetre aircraft mock-up called the “Career Plane,” where those looking for a career change will be able to interact with engineers, pilots and other aviation professionals.

About 100 companies and 50 different aviation jobs will be represented, thus helping the young seeking placement in aerospace.

While Airbus will be showcasing its latest commercial and military product range and there would be latest innovations from the EADS Group on display, EADS human resource experts will hold a series of career workshops and events for students and attendees. EADS and its four divisions—Airbus, Astrium, Cassidian and Eurocopter—would organise interactive workshops to discuss the latest innovations and to guide job seekers on the challenging career perspectives. Professionals, graduates and students will have the opportunity to meet EADS managers, engineers and HR representatives during the show.

In 2013, Airbus is recruiting 3,000 globally to add to the 10,000 already hired since 2011.

For Visitors’ Convenience The show hours at the 50th Paris Air Show have been extended so that exhibitors can enter the Le Bourget site from 6:30 a.m. and trade visitors can enter from 8:30 a.m. which is an hour earlier than in the previous shows. The show is going green with the organisers adopting new ISO 20121 standard, requiring the use of sustainable construction materials for exhibition stands.

Finding your way out at this year’s show will be far easier as the organisers have introduced an application for iPhones and Android devices. The geo-location function will enable visitors to easily navigate the 70 hectares of the show, helping you find your way to specific exhibits and show locations. And if you have time, do visit the Musée de l’Air et de l’Espace (Air & Space Museum) at the Le Bourget Airport to have a closer view of more than 400 aircraft, from the very first aeroplanes to the Breguet 19 “Point d’Interrogation”, the Spitfire and the Concorde. SP

Why MMRCA... Continued from page 29 the IAF. The project was recategorised from MRCA to medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA). While the thrust of the RFP was towards a heavy twin-engine combat aircraft, for some reason, not easy to fathom, the single engine light weight category of aircraft were not automatically excluded. As a result, there was a mix of light-weight single engine and heavy two-seat combat aircraft amongst the six contenders now in the race. For the evaluators in the IAF, it was akin to comparing apples with oranges.

The RFP for 126 aircraft was finally issued on August 28, 2007, six years after the case was projected by the IAF. The first 18 aircraft equivalent to one squadron, would be procured from the OEM in a ‘flyaway’ condition and the remaining 108 would be manufactured in India with full transfer of technology (ToT).

The value of the contract was initially estimated at $10.4 billion or `57,200 crore, at today’s exchange rate. The bidders were permitted six months time from the release of the RFP to submit their formal proposals and the cut off date was specified as March 3, 2008. However, in response to request by some of the bidders primarily on account of the complexity of the RFP, the deadline was extended to April 28, 2008.

After completion of technical evaluation by end May 2009, the IAF carried out comprehensive technical evaluation of all the six contenders. This was followed by rigorous flight evaluation which

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began at Bengaluru in August 2009. The Rafale completed flight evaluation by end September 2009. At the end of the flight evaluation phase, only two of the six contenders remained in the race, the Dassault Rafale and the Eurofighter Typhoon from EADS. When the commercial bids were opened, the Rafale turned out to be the lowest bidder (L-1). Contract negotiations have been going on for over a year having taken longer than expected. However, the process is believed to be in the final stages.

The IAF in Difficulty It is noteworthy that over a decade has gone by since the MRCA project was initiated but neither the Tejas nor its alternative is available with the IAF. The Tejas is yet to receive even the initial operational clearance (IOC) and the time frame for FOC cannot be predicted with any degree of certainty. While the Minister of Defence A.K. Antony has directed the HAL to deliver the Tejas to the IAF by 2015, the IAF cannot afford to be complacent.

The July issue of SP’s Aviation will deliberate on the developments in the neighbourhood, the deteriorating security scenario in the region and the imperative need for the IAF to be prepared to face the challenges in the future. SP Beginning with this issue, the case for MMRCA for the IAF will be reviewed in detail in a five-part series. To be continued in the following issues.

www.spsaviation.net

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hall of fame Keeping a meticulous record of flying hours is second nature to any pilot because these figures, tabulated according to the types of aircraft flown, gives a fairly good idea of the experience level and capability of the pilot. Many private aviators fail to complete even a thousand hours over a lifetime. Even pilots who regularly fly intercontinental airliners are happy if they can reach around 15,000 or 20,000 hours. And then there was Evelyn Bryan “Mama Bird” Johnson who totalled 57,635.4 flight hours, quite enough to see her name listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the woman with the highest flight time ever.

It amounts to an astounding sixand-a-half years spent in the air, or over a tenth of her 60-yearlong flying career. In fact, there was just one man, Ed Long from Alabama, USA, who accumulated more than her, about 64,000 hours. But most of his flight time was spent routinely surveying power lines in a Piper Cub. By contrast, almost all of Evelyn Johnson’s hours were handson dual instructional flying and “check rides”, the equivalent of a final flying exam. She probably trained more pilots and conducted more flying tests than any other instructor, male or female.

Her nickname referred to her caring nature and abiding interest in the students she trained.

Evelyn was born in Corbin, Kentucky, USA, on November 4, 1909. A few days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour on December 7, 1941, her husband joined the Army Air Corps, leaving Evelyn in sole charge of their laundry business. Searching for something to distract herself from the tedium of almost 18 hours a day of laundry work, her eye happily fell on an ad for flight classes. The prospect held instant appeal.

Her first flight lesson was in October 1944 in a Piper J3 Cub. On November 8, 1944, she completed the minimum eight hours required before qualifying to go solo.

Then her instructor alighted from the Cub, asking her to get airborne alone.

Later she said she was glad nothing untoward happened because she really didn’t know much about flying at the time. However, she made quick

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progress, earning her private pilot’s certificate in June 1945 and a commercial pilot’s licence in 1946. She became a flight instructor in 1947.

It was the start of a lifetime vocation teaching others to fly, over 5,000 student pilots in all. She was designated examiner in 1952 by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reaching the pinnacle of her career in 1979 when she was chosen Flight Instructor of the Year. Along the way she also qualified to pilot seaplanes

Evelyn Bryan Johnson (1909-2012) Check rides were a passion for her. In all, she gave over 9,000 check rides, more than any other examiner. Despite the colossal flying experience, she never wrecked an aircraft. She did experience two engine failures, fire in the air and other problems, but handled every emergency with great aplomb.

and as instructor on helicopters. She participated in several air races. For 19 years she worked with flying just about everything Cessna produced.

Many aviation pioneers began flying young and died early. In contrast, Evelyn set the tone for the more mature flyer. Beginning at 35, she contin-

ued flying well into her nineties. For many years she was the oldest flight instructor in the world. She finally stopped flying in 2005 at the age of 96 when her leg had to be amputated after a car accident.

Her students who held her in high esteem ranged from those flying for sheer fun to professional aspirants who went on to captain large jetliners.

She taught them that concentration, study, effort and dedication are the attributes of a good pilot. A US Senator who learned flying from her once commented, “She’s the sweetest, kindest lady you would ever want to meet except when she’s doing a check ride. Then she’s a pure devil.” He should know, because he failed on his first check ride.

On another occasion when she asked him to execute a stall and recovery on a Beech Debonair, he demurred, saying the plane wasn’t designed for stalling. She declared that if they didn’t do the stalls, he couldn’t get his private pilot’s licence. He raised no further objection.

Indeed, check rides were a passion with Evelyn. In all, she gave over 9,000 check rides, more than any other examiner. A diligent examiner who took her job seriously, Evelyn was critical of some younger instructors saying, “A lot of them are just doing it to build time.” She also felt that some of them did not teach their students basic map reading and radio navigation. Others were reluctant to train their pupils on stalling a plane and practising good rudder control.

Evelyn Bryan Johnson died on May 10, 2012, at the age of 102. Despite the colossal flying experience, she never wrecked an aircraft. She did experience two engine failures, fire in the air and other problems, but handled every emergency with great aplomb.

Among numerous honours and awards, she was inducted into the “Women in Aviation Pioneers Hall of Fame”, the Tennessee and Kentucky aviation halls of fame and others.

She was also awarded a bronze Carnegie Medal for rescuing a helicopter pilot after he crashed. SP

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—Group Captain (Retd) Joseph Noronha, Goa

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focus india / SP’S SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT First C-17 to arrive in India shortly

On June 17, the Hindon Air Force Station will receive its first Boeing Defense C-17 Globemaster III heavy-lift transport aircraft. The aircraft will be followed by two more by August at which time a formal commissioning ceremony will be held for the squadron. Hindon, notably, also houses the 77 Veiled Vipers squadron that houses US-built Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules tactical transports. All 10 C-17s will be delivered to the Indian Air Force (IAF) at Hindon by the end of 2014. The IAF will also take a call on a follow-on order of 10 more aircraft by December this year. With Boeing’s Long Beach C-17 facility winding down production by next year, the Indian Government will need to confirm its final order quickly, or be satisfied with a fleet of 10 aircraft. An internal assessment suggests that the IAF would like to operate 20-25 C-17 aircraft. India and the US concluded a $4.1-billion deal for 10 C-17s in June 2011.

Second Nirbhay missile test likely

They also revealed that a crucial second test could take place by November this year, if all goes well. The March 12 debut test was a partial disappointment since the Nirbhay test was already delayed by at least two years. The Nirbhay will be tested till 2017, following which it will be inducted into the armed forces. An air-launched and ship-launched version will also be developed and tested.

HAL and BrahMos to forge partnership

With synergies simply waiting to be exploited between the two aerospace majors, and with the hypersonic BrahMos-2 speeding up on the drawing board, the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and BrahMos have forged a partnership for long-term support towards all variants of BrahMos programmes. Under the new understanding, HAL will install and augment required facilities under the technical support of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) laboratory Research Centre Imarat (RCI) to meet the current and the future programme expectations. The two sides also agreed to partner and enhance indigenous content of the BrahMos programme.

MiG-21: 50-year journey

Following the partial success of the Nirbhay subsonic cruise missile on its March 12 debut test, the development team has managed to identify the glitch in the inertial navigation system (INS) that forced them to push the kill button 17 minutes into the flight, following a perfect launch sequence. Defence Minister A.K. Antony confirmed in the Parliament that the problem had been identified and was in the process of being fixed. DRDO sources reveal that fixing the problem was a learning process, given that the Nirbhay is almost entirely Indian, with all major systems and electronics fully indigenous.

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The venerable Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG21 continues to be the backbone of the IAF’s air defence force, since its arrival in 1963. Sprinkled across squadrons mostly in the West and South West, the MiG-21 is expected to receive a two-year extension that will see over 100 MiG-21 Bisons see service till 2017. This has been necessitated by steadily depleting squadron numbers as well as delays in asset addition programmes, including

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the indigenous LCA Tejas and MMRCA, that’s expected to see a concluded contract this calendar year. The type may mark five years, but it is also true that the platform has seen continuous upgrades and improvements in Indian service, making it more of an Indian aircraft than Russian.

IAF for new assault rifle The IAF is looking for a modern assault rifle for its special units (Garud) that should be compact, foldable, easy to carry, handle, operate, simple to maintain and with high range. The requirement joins a raft of tenders already active for other weapons including assault rifles for the Army, sniper rifles for special units (including the MARCOS), 9mm small arms for the Army, etc. The Army is also in the process of replacing the INSAS rifle in service. The Garud Commando Force of the IAF currently operates with the INSAS and AK-47, and the new tender appears to be a move towards replacing those arms with new generation weapons in line with the other two special units of the other two services.

IAF for shoulder-fired weapon simulator

The IAF is scouting for an indigenously developed and built shoulder-fired weapon simulator for the in-service 9K38 IGLA for training purposes. The system needs to include a hardware/software system as well as the combat equipment simulator itself. The simulator is to be designed for (a) training of IGLA gunners in combat operating skills and (b) practice aimed at maintaining and improving acquired skills. The IAF has stipulated that the system should be capable of imitating the firing environment covering the entire gamut of the IGLA’s launch envelope till the target is destroyed. The vendor will have to provide the source code for all the software developed in connection for this project. The IPR for the developed software will rest jointly with the vendor and the IAF. For complete versions log on to: www. spsaviation.net & www.spsmai.com

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News Digest MILITARY ASIA PACIFIC foundation stone of Indian National Defence University laid

The Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh laid the foundation stone for the Indian National Defence University (INDU) at Binola, Gurgaon, on May 23. The event was attended among others by the Governor of Haryana, Defence Minister and other luminaries including the three service chiefs. The proposed Indian National Defence University spread over 80 hectares of land will be fully functional in 2018 and will be set up as a fully autonomous institution to be constituted under an Act of Parliament. The President of India would act as the Visitor, the Defence Minister will be its Chancellor.

IAF Station dedicated to the nation

Defence Minister A.K. Antony dedicated to the nation the new Air Force Station at Thanjavur at a brief function held on May 27. Speaking to reporters, Antony said the operationalisation of the Air Force Station, Thanjavur would strengthen the air defence capabilities of the Indian Air Force in general and the Southern

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Command, in particular. He said various sensitive, strategic, industrial, aerospace and economic assets are coming up in the Southern Peninsula and the station will play a vital role in providing protection to those assets.

Union Defence Minister A.K. Antony has said that it was not possible to set a time frame for signing the much-awaited deal for MMRCA with French company Dassault Aviation. The contract is still at the negotiation stage, a year-anda-half after the French firm emerged as the lowest bidder in the tender which was floated in August 2007. “Given the complexity of the proposal, no definite time frame can be fixed at this stage (for signing the deal),” Antony said in a written reply in Parliament.

The Indian Air Force has issued a global tender to purchase 56 tactical transport aircraft and the likely companies in the run are Alenia Aermacchi which is part of aeronautics division of Finmeccanica, Ilyushin (Russia), Lockheed Martin (USA), Embraer (Brazil) and EADS CASA, which

IAF inducts Pilatus PC-7 MkII

he IAF’s premier Academy located at Dundigal, Hyderabad, on May 31, witnessed the unveiling of Pilatus PC-7 MkII, by the Minister of State for Defence Jitendra Singh. Three PC-7 MkII aircraft got airborne in a vic formation led by Group Captain R.S. Nandedkar to put up a brief display for the audience.

This marked the first formal flight of the basic trainer aircraft over the skies at the Air Force Academy in Hyderabad. This was followed by handing over of technical documents of the aircraft by Air Commodore Nagesh Kapoor, Chief Instructor (Flying) to Minister Singh.

The Minister said, “The induction of PC-7 MkII as basic trainer aircraft in IAF is a very important landmark in our nation’s quest to modernise its armed forces.

Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal N.A.K. Browne said, “This event is a significant milestone in IAF’s transformation into a modern multi-spectrum strategic force. It is my responsibility to ensure that our pilots and technicians operate the best trainer in the world, the nation can afford. Pilatus will prove to be the ideal platform that will train the ab initio trainees about the nuances of basic flying and expose them to modern avionics and navigation aids. This trainer will provide a solid foundation and facilitate a seamless transition from ab initio stage through intermediate and advanced stages into full-fledged operational flying for all streams.”

The PC-7 MkII aircraft would be used for basic training of all pilots of the IAF, in addition to the pilots of the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard. Also present on the occasion were Ambassador of Switzerland Linus Van Castelmur and Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Training Command Air Marshal Rajinder Singh.

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Airbus

Impossible to set time frame for MMRCA deal: Antony

tender for 56 transport planes

QuickRoundUp

Oman Air, the national carrier of the Sultanate of Oman, has placed an order for three A330-300s, growing its A330 Family fleet to a total of ten Airbus aircraft. The aircraft will be operated on long haul routes and can comfortably seat about 300 passengers.

Airbus Military

The second production Airbus Military A400M has successfully completed its first engine runs as it begins final preparation for its maiden flight later this month. The aircraft, known as MSN8, is now undergoing taxying trials. Airbus Military expects to complete four A400M aircraft in 2013 and will deliver MSN8 to the French Air Force in the third quarter of the year.

Alenia Aermacchi

Alenia Aermacchi, in collaboration with BAE Systems and Cassidian, has delivered the first upgraded Tornado electronic combat/reconnaissance (ECR) to the Italian Air Force. The Tornado ECR MLU is the upgrade of the ECR version and its main function is to localise and suppress hostile air defence radar emitter sources by anti-radar missiles. It features an integrated IN-GPS navigation system supported by a multi-mode receiver system for approaches and ILS blind landings.

Australia

Minister for Defence Materiel Dr Mike Kelly has announced that Australia’s Department of Defence has signed two multimillion-dollar contracts with L-3 Oceania for the supply and support of satellite terminals to the Australian Defence Force.

Beechcraft

Beechcraft Defense Company has announced that it has signed a contract with the US Air Force for the production of 35 T-6 training aircraft, with an option for two additional aircraft. The new contract is valued at $210 million and will comprise 33 T-6 aircraft for the US Navy and two for the US Army with the final delivery scheduled for February of 2015.

Bell Helicopter

Bell Helicopter Textron Inc., has been awarded a costplus-fixed-fee, FMS contract with a maximum value of $8,54,00,000 for engineering and technical support services in support of Iraq and Taiwan.

Boeing

Boeing and Turkish Airlines have finalised a firm order for 40 737 MAX 8s, 10 737 MAX 9s and 20 Next-Generation 737-800 jets, valued at $6.9 billion at list prices. The order, originally announced as a commitment last month, also includes options for an

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News Digest QuickRoundUp

additional 25 737 MAX 8s and is the largest Boeing order in Turkish Airlines’ history.

CAE

Emirates and CAE inaugurated their ultra-modern pilot training facility at the world-class commercial park Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO) which is the second training centre owned and operated by Emirates-CAE Flight Training.

EADS

The Chinese carrier, Air China and its subsidiary Shenzhen Airlines said in a regulatory filing with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange that they have agreed to purchase 100 Airbus 320-series aircraft from Parisbased Airbus for $8.85 billion.

is a part of Airbus (Europe). The value of the tender is about $2.2 billion. The RFP stipulates that 16 aircraft will be imported and the remaining 40 will be made in India which may open the doors for the private sector, for which additional two months have been given to the OEM to tie up with Indian industry.

AMERICAS Lockheed Martin & MDA test new airlaunched missile target prototype

Lockheed Martin and the US Missile Defence Agency (MDA) have successfully tested a prototype air-launched extended medium-range ballistic missile (eMRBM).

In the test, a full-scale prototype of the eMRBM target was released from the cargo bay of a US Air Force C-17 aircraft at 25,000 feet. The system’s parachutes deployed, and the prototype successfully

Embraer

SkyWest Inc. has announced that it has entered into an agreement with Embraer for the purchase of 100 new E175 dual-class regional jet aircraft.

EUROCOPTER

Eurocopter’s EC135 will perform medical airlift duties throughout Turkey with a fleet of 17 helicopters to be flown by the Turkish Aeronautical Association’s THK Gökçen Aviation commercial arm, marking the latest major contract win for the twin-engine rotorcraft in the international emergency medical services marketplace.

Eurofighter

Following Eurofighter’s promise to assemble 53 Eurofighters in South Korea if the aircraft is selected as Korea’s next-generation fighter, global aerospace company EADS said that it will “invest $2 billion in its technology in the KF-X to help Korea to become a fighter jet producer”.

Defence Minister A.K. Antony expressed optimism that the country’s indigenously developed fighter aircraft, LCA Tejas, will get final operational clearance of the IAF by the end of next year. Speaking at the annual awards functions of DRDO on May 29, he said, all stakeholders including the DRDO, IAF and HAL must put their energy together in a focused manner to achieve this objective.

L-3 Communications

L-3 Communications has announced that it has been awarded a $38.5 million contract from Australia to supply 51 Hawkeye III Lite 1.2-metre very small aperture terminals as well as training and long-term sustainment services which is one of a number of coordinated projects that will enable the Australian Defence Force to deploy an integrated wideband Satcom capability.

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ISSUE 6 • 2013

CIVIL AVIATION ASIA-PACIFIC IndiGo permitted to import 28 A320s

The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has given permission to IndiGo to import 28 A320 aircraft in 2013 and 2014. The additional aircraft will enable IndiGo to take its low fare and hassle-free service

appointments

Ministry of Defence

Senior IAS officer Radha Krishna Mathur has been appointed Defence Secretary to succeed Shashikant Sharma who has taken over as Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India.

DRDO

Dr Avinash Chander has been appointed as the new Scientific Advisor to Defence Minister, Secretary Department of Defence Research and Development and Director General of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

Piper

Indian MoD

separated from the carriage extraction system. The prototype is a replica of the missile target, without propulsion, that is being used to test and validate the air-launch equipment and carriage extraction system in preparation for the maiden flight of the eMRBM missile target planned for later this year. Lockheed Martin is developing the eMRBM target for the MDA for testing of the ballistic missile defence system.

Piper Aircraft Inc. has appointed general aviation industry veteran, Drew McEwen, as Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

Beechcraft

Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Support for CS and Thierry Tosi has been appointed Vice President and General Manager, Service Solutions business unit in I&SS.

Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martin has appointed Gordon Johndroe as Vice President of Media Relations and International Communications.

EADS

Sébastien Remy has been appointed Head of Innovation Works. He will lead the Group’s network of research centres.

Airbus

Christopher “Kit” Johnson has joined Airbus Americas as its new Customs Manager for the company’s A320 Family assembly line in Mobile, Alabama.

Beechcraft Corporation has appointed Kingsley Okoli as Regional Sales Director for Beechcraft products in Sub-Saharan Africa.

DRS

Rockwell Collins

IATA

Rockwell Collins has announced several leadership changes within Commercial Systems (CS) and International & Service Solutions (I&SS).

Scott Gunnufson has been appointed

DRS Technologies has appointed Steven J. Cortese as Executive Vice President of Washington Operations.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has announced that Richard H. Anderson, CEO of Delta Air Lines, is now the Chairman of the IATA Board of Governors.

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News Digest Show Calendar 12 June Rotary Operations Conference London Heliport, UK www.miuevents.com/roc13 13 June MIDDLE EAST CORPORATE AVIATION SUMMIT Sofitel Dubai Jumeirah Beach, Dubai, UAE www.aeropodium.com/cp/mecas.html 17-23 June Paris Air Show Le Bourget Airport, Paris, France www.paris-air-show.com 11 July Business Aviation Regional Forums TAC Air, Centennial Airport, Denver, CO, USA www.nbaa.org/events/forums/20130711 29-31 July Military Helicopter Brazil São Paulo, Brazil www.militaryhelicopterbrazil.com 13-15 August Integrated Air and Missile Defence, Brazil Carlton Hotel Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil www.airmissiledefencebrazil.com

to more customers and enable stronger connectivity within India and abroad.

INDUSTRY ASIA PACIFIC KAI contract for mass producing FA-50

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has announced that the company has concluded the contract for mass producing the FA-50, amounting to approximately 1.1 trillion won (about $1 billion) with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration. In accordance with the contract, subsequent to the first mass production contract which was signed on 2011, KAI plans to deploy the aircraft (first production portion) beginning in August and seek its entire force integration by 2016. The FA-50 is a light combat aircraft which was developed based

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on the T-50, a supersonic advanced trainer in order to replace the military’s obsolete fighters like the F-5E/Fs and A-37s. The FA-50 combat aircraft is able to carry up to 4.5 tonnes of weapons including the basic weapons like air-to-air/ air-to-surface missiles and machine guns as well as precision-guidance bombers such as joint direct attack munitions and multi-purpose precision-guidance cluster bomb units.

QuickRoundUp

Lockheed Martin

AMERICAS

Lockheed Martin’s joint air-to-surface stand-off missile (extended range) has successfully completed the US Air Force initial operational test and evaluation flight testing, scoring 20 successes in 21 flights, a success rate of 95 per cent.

Rolls-Royce wins order from CIT

Northrop Grumman

Rolls-Royce has won an order from the US leasing company CIT Aerospace for Trent XWB engines to power ten Airbus A350 XWB aircraft and Trent 700 engines to power 13 Airbus A330 aircraft.

The Trent XWB engines will power ten CIT A350 aircraft that were announced in January 2013 which were in addition to five A350 XWB aircraft already on order.

The Trent XWB, specifically designed for the Airbus A350, is the fastest selling Trent engine ever, with more than 1,200 already sold. The Trent 700 is the only engine specifically designed for the Airbus A330 and more than 1,400 Trent 700 engines are either in service or on order.

Northrop Grumman has been awarded a maximum ceiling $55,56,00,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinitequantity contract for Global Hawk modernisation. Work will be completed by May 14, 2015.

Rolls-Royce

Rolls-Royce has won an order from the US leasing company CIT Aerospace for Trent XWB engines to power ten Airbus A350 XWB aircraft and Trent 700 engines to power 13 Airbus A330 aircraft.

Saab

SPACE

Saab has verified a number of key capabilities of its Skeldar V-200 vertical lift UAS through flight campaigns at different sites in the US and Sweden, demonstrating the system’s performance for both land- and sea-based operations. A number of successful customer demonstration flights have also been conducted.

ASIA-PACIFIC

Selex ES

ISRO Navigation Centre inaugurated

The ISRO Navigation Centre (INC), established at the Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN) complex at Byalalu, near Bengaluru, was inaugurated on May 28, 2013, by V. Narayanasamy, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions. INC is an important element of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), an independent navigation satellite system being developed by India.

AMERICAS Boeing selected to build ViaSat-2

Selex ES has completed deliveries of the Praetorian electronic warfare self-protection system for Tranche 2 Eurofighter Typhoons. All 236 Tranche 2 Typhoons operated by the UK, Germany, Italy and Spain will be equipped with electronic support measures, electronic countermeasures and missile approach warning elements.

Sikorsky

Sikorsky has been awarded a $13,58,22,257 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price FMS contract for the procurement of Navy MH-60R green aircraft in support of Denmark. The cumulative total face value of this contract is $4,95,53,10,889.

Sukhoi

Boeing has a new satellite customer under a contract to design and deliver one Boeing 702HP high-power spacecraft to ViaSat Inc. in 2016. The satellite, ViaSat-2, will provide high-speed satellite broadband services to subscribers of the ViaSat Exede Internet service, as well as address its growing mobile broadband businesses. The companies will also cooperatively offer the system to other satellite providers. •

The first aircraft of the batch of Su-34 production frontline bombers to be delivered in 2013 to the Russian Air Force under the State Defense Order for the year was delivered by the Sukhoi Company. Several more Su-34 bombers will be delivered to the Russian Air Force shortly.

United Aircraft

Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) has said that the Russian Defense Ministry has signed a contract with the Beriev Aircraft Company for the purchase of six Beriev Be-200 amphibious planes worth 8.4 billion rubles ($268 million).

ISSUE 6 • 2013

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Last word

Photograph: Sp guide pubns

Engaging Private Players The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has issued a tender worth private sector is to mitigate the crippling dependency on HAL. over `12,000 crore to replace the ageing fleet of 56 HS-748 Avro The Indian aerospace major is already burdened with projects aircraft in service with the Indian Air Force (IAF). The tender related to a variety of platforms that are in different stages of has been issued to eight foreign vendors including some of the design, development and production such as the Su-30MKI, the global aerospace majors such as Lockheed Martin, Saab, Roso- advanced jet trainer (AJT) Hawk, light combat aircraft (LCA) boronexport, Airbus Military, Alenia and Embraer. The selected Tejas, intermediate jet trainer (IJT), basic trainer HTT 40, foreign vendor will provide 16 aircraft in a fly-away condition advanced light helicopter (ALH) Dhruv, its weaponised version and assemble 40 in collaboration with a private company in Rudra, LCA, LUH, fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) and India. Indian companies such as Tatas, Mahindra Defence Sys- multi-role transport aircraft. HAL is clearly overloaded with tems, Reliance Industries and Larsen & Toubro are expected to programmes some of which have been suffering cost and time overruns apart from quality issues. It may not, therefore, be partner with the foreign vendor for the programme.

The fleet of Avro twin-turboprop transport aircraft was pro- appropriate to assign it another project especially when altercured from the UK for the IAF in the 1960s and was also built natives are available.

As per the tender, the foreign vendors participating will under licence by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the IAF and the then domestic carrier Indian Airlines. Although have to respond with their “techno-commercial proposals” not originally designed as a military transport aircraft, the IAF within five months. Criteria for the selection of an Indian adapted the platform for transportation as well as aerial deliv- partner by the foreign vendor winning the contract has been ery of cargo and personnel through modification of side doors. spelt out in the request for proposal (RFP). Of the total of 56 aircraft required, the first 16 would be procured off-the-shelf.

The aircraft was also used extensively for VIP travel.

The Avro fleet that has rendered yeomen service in the Of the remaining 40 to be produced in India at the facilities creIAF for over five decades has been overtaken by obsolescence ated by the Indian partner, the indigenous content of the first and ought to have been replaced at least a decade ago. But the 16 aircraft will be 30 per cent, increasing to 60 per cent in the delay in its replacement is understandable as the IAF has been remaining 24 planes.

But the project may have imponderables to contend with. somewhat preoccupied with other priorities such as revamping its strategic and tactical airlift capability as also its capability Creation of an aircraft assembling facility is a complex affair and for Special Operations. The IAF has also expended consider- requires colossal investments. For such a venture to be viable as a business model, there must able energy trying to induct be an assured market for combat aircraft and light utilaround 200 platforms at the ity helicopters, both badly very least. A demand for just needed by the service. Unforavro - potential 40 aircraft is much too small opportunity tunately, efforts in this regard to generate any level of inspiare yet to fructify. ration in the private sector.

Normally, HAL would be Private entrepreneurs aim for assigned the task to produce low investment, quick returns aircraft required by the IAF. and sustained demand.

However, in this case, Air Besides, despite the indigeniChief Marshal N.A.K. Browne, sation mantra the MoD has Chief of the Air Staff, has been chanting for some time been of the firm view that the now, the systemic reforms to project be given to the Indian facilitate entry of the private aerospace industry in the prisector into defence producvate sector. He rightly believes tion continue to remain a disthat it is about time that tant dream. efforts are made to provide Unless these issues are the private sector the opporaddressed quickly and effectunity to enter defence protively by the government, it duction in collaboration with If most of the global aerospace majors are in may be difficult for a foreign foreign partners to enable it private hands, why is it not so in India? But vendor to find a willing partto grow and compete with the despite the indigenisation mantra the MoD has ner in the private sector in public sector. If most of the been chanting for some time now, the systemic India to take on the project global aerospace majors are for the replacement of the in private hands, why is it not reforms to facilitate entry of the private sector Avro fleet. SP so in India? into defence production continue to remain a The other reason why —By Air Marshal (Retd) distant dream. the IAF is in favour of the B.K. Pandey

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