SP's Aviation March 2013 by SP Guide Publications Pvt Ltd

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table of contents

vol 16 issue 3 • march • 2013

Cover Photo: Dassault Rafale dominated the skies with its impressive aerial display during Aero India 2013 Photograph by: SP Guide Pubns

Tecknow 5

Flying Solar

SP’s Exclusive 6

– IAF for More Embraer Legacy

– Indian Interest in V-22 Osprey Intensifies

– Avro Replacement Programme Will be a Two-Horse Race?

– Finally, Indo-French SR-SAM Programme Takes Off

Civil 8

Business Aviation

Air Transport

Regional Aviation

Fact file: Gulfstream in India Betting on Civil Aviation Fly Regional, Go Global

NEIGHBOURHOOD 14

Chinese Industry Coming of Age

www.spsaviation.net

Military 16

Trainer

Exercise

page 24

IAF in a Dilemma Iron Fist 2013

lead Story

Seminar report General Aviation: 33 The Next Steps

A Glimmer of Hope

regular Departments 3

A Word from Editor

4 NewsWithViews Proposal to Purchase 197 Choppers Put Off

Hall of Fame

Focus India

NewsDigest

LastWord

show report: Aero India 2013 Business potential of about $9.5 billion over the next decade was an incentive strong enough for global aerospace majors to flock to the show. There were in all 27 countries and 78 overseas delegations. The exhibition area this time was 1,25,000 square metres as against 75,000 square metres in 2011.

Mercury 13

Ill-timed Cuts

NEXT ISSUE High-end Business Jets

ISSUE 3 • 2013

table of contents 12

Fly Regional, Go Global

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 Senior Copy editor & Correspondent Sucheta Das Mohapatra

Contributors India Air Marshal (Retd) N. Menon Group Captain (Retd) A.K. Sachdev Group Captain (Retd) Joseph Noronha

Intermediate Jet Trainer

Europe Alan Peaford USA & Canada LeRoy Cook Chairman & Managing Director Jayant Baranwal Planning & Business Development Executive Vice President: Rohit Goel ADMIN & COORDINATION Bharti Sharma

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

Exercise Iron Fist 2013

DIRECTOR SALES & MARKETING Neetu Dhulia SALES & MARKETING General Manager Sales: Rajeev Chugh SP’s websites Sr Web Developer: Shailendra P. Ashish Web Developer: Ugrashen Vishwakarma © SP Guide Publications, 2013 Annual Subscription Inland: Rs 1200 • Foreign: US$ 320 Email: subscribe@spguidepublications.com LETTER TO EDITOR editor@spsaviation.net expert@spsaviation.net FOR Advertising details, contact: guidepub@vsnl.com neetu@spguidepublications.com rajeev.chugh@spguidepublications.com SP GUIDE PUBLICATIONS PVT LTD A-133 Arjun Nagar, (Opposite Defence Colony) New Delhi 110 003, India. Tel: +91 (11) 24644693, 24644763, 24620130 Fax: +91 (11) 24647093 Email: guidepub@vsnl.com Representative Office BENGALURU, INDIA 204, Jal Vayu Vihar, Kalyan Nagar Bengaluru 560043, India. Tel: +91 (80) 23682204 MOSCOW, RUSSIA LAGUK Co., Ltd., (Yuri Laskin) Krasnokholmskaya, Nab., 11/15, app. 132, Moscow 115172, Russia. Tel: +7 (495) 911 2762 Fax: +7 (495) 912 1260

Owned, published and printed by Jayant Baranwal, printed at Kala Jyothi Process Pvt Ltd and published at A-133, Arjun Nagar (Opposite Defence Colony), New Delhi 110 003, India. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, photocopying, recording, electronic, or otherwise without prior written permission of the Publishers.

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ISSUE 3 • 2013

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A word from editor-in-chief Our esteemed readers will notice the change in the design and outlook of the magazine from this issue onwards. The objective behind this has been to offer “sharp content for our sharp audience”. We also expect that the new feel of the magazine will prove to be more reader-friendly and eye-soothing.

The month of February this year was indeed a memorable one for the aviation fraternity in India. It was flagged by two major events, the first of which was the ninth edition of the prestigious international air show, Aero India. The five-day aviation related exposition was held in the second week of the month at Air Force Station Yelahanka, Bengaluru. The second major event was Exercise Iron-Fist, a one-day event organised by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in the last week of the month at the air-to-ground firing range at Pokhran, near Jaisalmer in Rajasthan. Aero India 2013 was a global exposition with participation by nearly 700 domestic and foreign companies connected with the aerospace industry from both the civilian and military domain of the global aerospace industry. Present at the air show were almost all the leading global aerospace majors, showcasing the latest technologies and products on offer seeking to penetrate the lucrative market in India for military aircraft and associated hardware estimated to be in the region of billions of dollars over the next two decades. It is therefore not surprising that despite the fact that several big-ticket purchases have already been made or are about to be finalised, the level of optimism amongst foreign vendors in the aerospace regime was still very high. Likewise, business prospects in the civil aviation sector are also bright. Boeing estimates that over the next two decades, India will buy nearly 1,500 airliners worth around $200 billion. The business jet segment is also hopeful with prospects improving in the wake of a resurgent Indian economy. Business sentiments were clearly visible at Aero India 2013. In this issue there are comprehensive reports on the air show by Air Marshal (Retd) B.K. Pandey and R. Chandrakanth. The second major event was display by the IAF of its awesome firepower and operational capabilities both by day and night. The exercise, appropriately dubbed as Iron Fist, was witnessed by the highest echelons of the national leadership. Air Marshal (Retd) Anil Chopra, Editorial Advisor, SP Guide Publications, was on the scene and has rendered a first-hand report of the event. The Air Marshal has also evaluated the Chinese aerospace industry and has traced its coming of age with the accompanying message for the Indian establishment. In an article on the intermediate jet trainer, he looks at the implications for the IAF of the inordinate delay in delivery of the aircraft and the

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options before the service to restructure basic flying training to cope with the situation. On the civil aviation scene, writing from Goa, Joseph Noronha examines the widespread growth of regional aviation globally and observes that the Indian civil aviation industry is still waiting for the revolution that has overtaken the industry in other parts of the world and has the potential to impact the fortunes of the airline industry in India. R. Chandrakanth’s view of the civil aviation industry in India is that it is all set to gather momentum and the government is working at creating ecosystems that will spur its growth. The industry however, needs to push the government for the right policies and at the same time get its act together to remain afloat. A New Design Our esteemed readers will notice the change in the design and outlook of the magazine from this issue onwards. The objective behind this has been to offer “sharp content for our sharp audience”. We also expect that the new feel of the magazine will prove to be more reader-friendly and eye-soothing. We shall await feedback on this effort that reflects our relentless effort to cope with the dynamics of times.

Jayant Baranwal Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

ISSUE 3 • 2013

News

with views NEWS:

Proposal to purchase 197 choppers put off A decision to procure 197 light helicopters which have come under scrutiny over allegations of deviation from the tendering process was put off, a move that comes against the backdrop of a scam in another chopper deal involving complainant AgustaWestland of Italy. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) of the Ministry of Defence, headed by Minister A.K. Antony, did not take up the issue related to purchase

of the light utility helicopters for the Army and Indian Air Force at an estimated cost of $1.5 billion (`8,250 crore). The DAC was to consider the report of a Special Technical Oversight Committee which went into allegations about non-compliance by one of the two contending vendors with the terms and conditions of the RFP. The issue was not considered as the Chief of Army Staff General Bikram Singh is on a tour to Japan.

Photograph: Eurocopter

VIEWS:

Efforts by the Indian Army to replace its ageing fleet of the Cheetah and Chetak helicopters inducted in the 1970s appears to be truly jinxed. The proposal to procure a new fleet of 197 light utility helicopters for the Indian Army and the IAF was initiated by Army Headquarters in the beginning of the last decade. As bulk of the order was meant for the Indian Army, it was appointed as the “Lead Service” to process the tender, notwithstanding the fact that the IAF had more experience in this discipline. Subsequent to the issue of an RFP in 2003, a number of helicopters were put through technical and field evaluation in which the single-engine AS550 C3 Fennec from Eurocopter emerged as the preferred machine. However, following a complaint from Bell Helicopter of irregularity in the evaluation process, the matter was referred to the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) by the Ministry of Defence (MOD). Findings by the CVC seemed to support the allegations. Bell Helicopter had been disqualified in the technical evaluation. Taking cognizance of the report by the CVC, the tender was cancelled by the government in 2007, reducing to naught seven years of effort by a number of agencies and millions of dollars invested by the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) participating in the tender. Meanwhile, both the Indian Army and the IAF continued to suffer from erosion of of the existing fleet of ageing helicopters. A fresh tender was floated in July 2008 in which two machines were shortlisted for flight evaluation: the single-engine Eurocopter AS550 C3 Fennec and the twin-engine Russian Kamov-226 Sergei. On account of internal issues, Bell Helicopter did not participate this time. Also, the AgustaWestland AW119 offered by the Anglo-Italian company, was eliminated from the race early as instead of the military version, the company had fielded a civilian version. Having got entangled in a web of allegations and investigations, the 197 helicopter tender floated in 2008, once again appears to have run into trouble. This time, AgustaWestland has made allegations of impropriety in the processing of the tender in that one of the vendors had “made changes in the structure of its chopper by adding a bubble bulge to carry injured troops

ISSUE 3 • 2013

on stretcher”. The other allegation pertained to lack of certification of engines of the Russian Kamov-226 Sergei helicopter which was in the race. As is the practice, the MoD was quick to appoint a high-powered Special Technical Oversight Committee (STOC) to go into the allegations as also to verify whether the parameters laid down in the tender document were indeed followed in letter and spirit. The STOC was headed by Lt General Gurdeep Singh, an aviator of the Indian Army, who had earlier headed the School of Artillery. Meanwhile, on request from the MoD, validity of the commercial bids were extended by the two contenders in the race to the end of March 2013. It has now transpired that subsequent to receipt of the report by the STOC, further processing of the tender for the award of contract for 197 helicopters that was to be taken up by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), has instead been deferred indefinitely. Coincidentally, this decision by the DAC comes at a time when the water has been muddied by another scandal involving allegations of kickbacks in the deal, for 12 AgustaWestland AW101 Helicopters for Air Headquarters Communication Squadron for VVIP travel. The AgustaWestland deal which also seems to be running aground, has been grabbing the headlines as a full-blown scam. Given the sensitivity of the prevailing situation, diffidence on the part of the DAC in moving ahead in the 197 helicopter deal that is also mired in allegations of impropriety, is hardly surprising. While the decision by the DAC would come as a major blow to both the contenders in the race for the 197 helicopters contract, it would perhaps be far more frustrating for the service headquarters as also for thousands of soldiers deployed in the inhospitable mountainous regions of Ladakh and the Northeast regions for whom the light utility helicopter fleet of the Indian Army provides a lifeline. But perhaps what is far more damaging is the loss of credibility of India’s Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) among the global aerospace majors. It is about time that the government take a fresh look at the DPP to make it simpler, practical and responsive to the imperatives of national security. SP —Air Marshal (Retd) B.K. Pandey

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Tecknow FIRST

Photographs: Daphnis Fournier

Flying Solar

With the photovoltaic cells on the large roof, it is a full-electric aircraft

French designer Daphnis Fournier is trying to make air travel better and environment friendly with a concept aircraft he calls the Ecological Aircraft Design Concept. A new concept aircraft, would help operators spend less energy for travels. With the photovoltaic cells on the large roof, it’s a fullelectric aircraft very independent on energy. It is air inflated to reduce energy loss and its balloon does not consume any energy for take-off. The flat balloon allows it to have a high speed because of its streamlined shape and its four large electric turbines. 65 metres long, the plane would

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have a speed of 1,200 kmph and can transport up to 324 passengers, flying above the clouds, where the solar cells would capture sunlight to generate electricity. According to the designer, the craft’s helium-filled envelope would provide lift and the turbines would propel it. SP E-mail your comments to: letters@spsaviation.net

ISSUE 3 • 2013

SP'S EXCLUSIVE Embraer Legacy, v-22

IAF for more embraer legacy The Indian Air Force (IAF) is in the process of drawing up a requirement for additional Embraer ECJ-135 Legacy jets for VVIP transport. In addition to the four already in service with the Delhi-based Communication Squadron dedicated to VVIP transport, the IAF is of the view that increased duties have compelled the formulation of a fresh requirement. The numbers are not certain yet, though it is likely that the IAF will be looking for four more aircraft. The BSF also operates one Embraer ECJ-135 Legacy. The Embraers have served well in IAF service and have proven to be a pleasant surprise for maintenance crew. The Embraers are complemented in the squadron by three Boeing 737-based BBJs. Embraer has also got a substantial amount of business from the Indian airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) programme, in which it has been contracted to supply three (one already delivered and in flight test) modified ERJ145 airframes, with business prospect of supplying 20 more in the medium term as the IAF's requirements fructify. SP

Indian interest in V-22 Osprey intensifies

Photographs: SPSC, Marines.mil

The Indian armed forces appear ready to consider the BellBoeing V-22 Osprey as a possible future platform. What began as a preliminary interest in the world's only operational tilt-rotor aircraft has blossomed into a specific set of missions that the Indian services have flagged as possible future Osprey roles in India. While it has been known for a while that the Indian Navy has shown preliminary interest in the Osprey as a potential carrier-borne AEW&C platform (and therefore for carrier on-board delivery), it is now known that the Indian Air Force (IAF) has asked for briefings on the aircraft for the combat search and rescue (CSAR) and special forces roles. The Indian forces have also flagged specific queries about the V-22’s ability to fly to the country’s island territories in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea. The platform’s unfuelled range has elicited sharp interest. After acquiring the C-130J for the special operations role, the IAF is now extremely keen on considering the hugely flexible tilt-rotor role as it expands its special forces capability in tandem with the Army. IAF sources informed SP's Aviation that “after a shaky start, the V-22 is now a proven platform with the US Marine Corps and it has demonstrated its capabilities well in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have requested preliminary information based on certain scenarios which we have arrived at, which could possibly be addressed by a tilt-rotor aircraft like the V-22.” A team from Bell and Boeing held unofficial briefings with Indian armed forces’ officials at the recently Aero India 2013 show in Bengaluru.

ISSUE 3 • 2013

The US Marine Corps uses the V-22 for combat assault, amphibious assault and sustained land operations, while the US Air Force CV-22 is for long-range special operations and contingency operations. The Indian Air Force would be interested in all of these missions for a possible special operations role in the future, as also for humanitarian relief. SP

www.spsaviation.net

SP'S EXCLUSIVE AVRO REPLACEMENT, SR-SAm

Avro replacement programme will be a two-horse race? Waiting in the wings for an urgent replacement are the Indian Air Force's (IAF) vintage HS-748 Avro transports, built under licence by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) transport division. The replacement of 56 aircraft is an ambitious procurement programme that hopes to see the creation of manufacturing capacity in the Indian private sector. At a cost of `12,000 crore, it so far appears to be a European two-horse race. In terms of specifications, payload capacity and configuration, the only two aircraft available in the market now that fit the bill and meet the IAF's requirements in terms of a new-build new generation aircraft with modular architecture, are the Airbus C-295 and the Alenia Aermacchi C-27J Spartan, both high performance aircraft with proven track records and export sales. The Antonov and Ilyushin companies, which function under Rosoboronexport, are understood to be interested in pitching their products as well, though it is understood that the IAF is keen to keep this programme non-Russian, since HAL already has a partnership for the 20-tonne payload multi-role transport aircraft (MTA) with the United Aircraft Corporation of Russia. Sweden's Saab could also field the Saab 2000, though it remains to be seen if the requirement for 16 flyaway aircraft—as required by the air force—can be addressed with structurally refurbished, rewired aircraft. In a recent statement, Airbus said, "Airbus Military has

been selected as preferred bidder with the A330 MRTT aircraft and is promoting its very successful C295 transport aircraft in India for future competitions. Airbus Military also is the manufacturer of the A400M military transport aircraft, a heavy airlifter which on the long term could provide ideal capabilities for a country like India." Alenia Aermacchi, in a statement, said, "The C-27J Spartan is the best seller in the new-generation medium battlefield airlifter’s category. The C-27J is a twin-engine turboprop tactical transport aircraft with state-of-the-art technology in avionics, propulsion and systems. It provides high performances, high cost effectiveness, extreme operating flexibility and it is the only aircraft of its class offering interoperability with heavier airlifters. The C-27J has been designed, developed and tested as a true military aircraft using military standards to produce a robust, safe and performing aircraft, and has obtained Military Qualification Certificate." Unlike the C-130J and C-17 acquisitions, the Avro-replacement programme envisages the local licence build of 40 aircraft by the private sector in an effort to build capacity, since HAL has a massive order book and further programmes could critically burden its on-schedule delivery capabilities. The programme, in that sense, could be a tipping point for the Indian private sector. SP

Finally, Indo-French SR-SAM programme takes off

Photograph: SPSC

After years in discussions, the Indo-French 'Maitri' short-range surface-to-air missile (SR-SAM) programme is ready to be concluded. During the recent visit of French President Francois Hollande, it was revealed in a joint statement that negotiations on the $6-billion (`33,000 crore) programme had been concluded and that an agreement would be signed shortly. Incidentally, work has already begun on the missile itself, to be called 'Maitri'. India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will be a lead partner in the SR-SAM programme, with MBDA providing critical technologies (seeker, thrust-vectoring, endgame avionics, propulsion) as part of a workshare agreement that has now been made final. The SR-SAM will be built for tri-service applications, including a naval version with a point defence capability, along with the Revathi radar. In 2011, MBDA revealed that the SR-SAM would be offered to the Indian Army for two prospective acquisitions for SRSAMs and QR-SAMs, since this would provide "enhanced synergies". The SR-SAM is being developed with a range of 15 km, a max altitude of 3 km with a sea-skimming mode, with a vertical launch multiple target capability. It will sport a smokeless solid rocket motor, low aspect ratio wings and jet vane control for thrust vector control. SP

 By SP’s Special Correspondent

www.spsaviation.net

ISSUE 3 • 2013

Civil

business aviation

OPTIMISTIC ON INDIA: G650 - largest, fastest, longest-range purpose-built business jet; facing page - top: g550 exterior; bottom: g550 interior

FACT FILE: GULFSTREAM IN INDIA

Photographs: Gulfstream

By R. Chandrakanth

Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation which views India as a long-term growth market for its range of business jets has just released a fact sheet for the Asia-Pacific region wherein it shows ‘tremendous growth’ for Gulfstream. Gulfstream which has been part of the Indian market for over two decades has been growing at a rapid pace in the Asia-Pacific market, particularly India. In 2001, Gulfstream had five aircraft in the Indian market and by 2012 the number had reached 21, registering growth by nearly four times. The company now has a market share of 23 per cent in the mid- and large-cabin markets. “Gulfstream has been part of the Indian market for more than two decades providing long-range transportation to India’s largest companies. We have been part of their global growth

ISSUE 3 • 2013

and have, indeed, facilitated that growth by enabling executives to move rapidly and easily from continent to continent,” Roger Sperry, Regional Senior Vice President, International Sales for South America and the Far East, has said. “Our market in the Asia-Pacific has been our fastest growing of recent years, today accounting for 27 per cent of our aircraftorder backlog. We’ve been moving more product support resources into the region to support today’s operators and position ourselves for growth.” “We are focused on the future.” Sperry said, talking about two new products, the G280 and G650. “The G280 leads the super-midsize segment in performance, and the G650, with a range of 12,000 km and a top speed of Mach 0.925, simply cre-

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Civil business aviation

gulfstream in asia-pacific

General Highlights: Gulfstream Financially Strong • $15.67 billion backlog at end of 2012 • Revenue up 15.2 per cent • Earnings up 17.7 per cent Asia-Pacific Overview: Tremendous Gulfstream Growth • 2001: 27 Gulfstream aircraft in Asia-Pacific • 2012: 208 Gulfstream aircraft in Asia-Pacific—169 large-cabin; 39 mid-cabin • Fleet has more than tripled in last six years • Gulfstream has majority market share in segments in which it competes — 37 per cent market share in mid- and large-cabin jets India Overview: Continued Gulfstream Growth • 2001: 5 Gulfstream aircraft in India • 2012: 21 Gulfstream aircraft in India • Gulfstream has 23 per cent market share in mid- and largecabin jets Fleet Overview: • G150: 100 G150s in service Mumbai to Hong Kong nonstop at Mach 0.75* • G450: More than 245 G450s in service Mumbai to Paris nonstop at Mach 0.80* • G550: More than 370 G550s in service Mumbai to Sydney non-stop at Mach 0.80* • G280: Customer deliveries began Nov. 14, 2012 Mumbai to Moscow non-stop at Mach 0.80* 22 confirmed city-pair records • G650: Delivered six completed aircraft in 2012 Mumbai to Europe, Africa and Asia at Mach 0.90* Four confirmed city-pair records Special Missions: A Variety of Uses • More than 180 aircraft in government/special mission applications in 36 countries • 67 Gulfstream aircraft in service with the US Government • 26 countries use Gulfstream aircraft to transport heads of State Product Support: No. 1 in Product Support • 11 Gulfstream service centres • 13 Jet Aviation service centres • Air Works: Authorised maintenance facility in Mumbai • More than $1.4 billion in parts worldwide • Aniruddh Srivastava, Regional Director, Service Parts Distribution ates a category unto itself. They will create great opportunities for us in India and around the world,” Sperry has said. Gulfstream recently won type validation from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) of the Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation, for the ultra-long range G550 aircraft. The G550 is the current range leader in the business-jet market, with the capability to fly 6,750 nautical miles non-stop. It joins a growing fleet of Gulfstream jets in the Indian skies, which will soon include the all-new G650—the largest, fastest, longest-range purpose-built business jet. The aircraft has a range of 7,000 nautical miles, connecting Mumbai or New Delhi to London non-stop at very high speed. Alternatively, it will link any two cities across the globe with a maximum of one

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stop. Gulfstream has a 200-order backlog for the G650, its new flagship aircraft. Gulfstream has received type validation from the DGCA for many models, including the GIII, GIV, GV, G100, G200, G450 and G500. “Over a quarter century, Gulfstream has earned a reputation as the preferred provider of private jets to many of the country’s business leaders,” said Gulfstream Regional Vice President Jason Akovenko, who is responsible for the AsiaPacific region. “The Indian aviation industry is strong and vibrant, and we are excited about the future. Gulfstream continues to expand its commitment in the country by significantly increasing marketing and product support activities to serve our customers.” SP

ISSUE 3 • 2013

Civil

air transport

BETTING ON CIVIL AVIATION The civil aviation industry in India is all set to gather momentum and the government is working at creating eco-systems that will spur this growth

Photograph: Anoop Kamath

By R. Chandrakanth

At the inaugural ceremony of Aero India 2013 in Bengaluru, the Minister for Civil Aviation, Ajit Singh, seized the opportunity of explaining to an international audience, how, driven by enhanced economic growth, India would emerge among the top three civil aviation markets in the world by 2020. The International Air Transport Association (IATA), the Airports Council International and the FICCI-PwC have made similar growth forecasts with India riding high on exponential passenger/ cargo/aircraft movement. In a predominantly defence-related air show, Ajit Singh had reasons to talk about the potential of civil aviation in the light of the government having tweaked the defence offset policy in the recent past to allow for investments in civil aviation. On its own the civil aviation sector is doing well barring some occasional hiccups. India is experiencing significant

ISSUE 3 • 2013

growth in terms of passenger traffic and airport infrastructure development. During the last 10 years, the compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of total passenger traffic in India has been in the region of 15 per cent. According to the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), the CAGR of domestic traffic in the period 2009 to 2011 has been 17 per cent. Growth in Domestic Traffic Domestic traffic in the next 10 years in India is expected to touch about 180 million passengers per annum and international traffic is likely to exceed 80 million from the current 60 million and 40 million respectively. In particular, Ajit Singh emphasised enhanced hinterland connectivity which would further drive the growth of domestic traffic. However, that would entail

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Civil air transport development of low-cost airports to provide air connectivity to the remote and interior areas of the country while encouraging the growth of regional airlines. In addition to the upgradation/ development of 35 non-metro airports, the government has approved 15 more airports for infrastructure development. The passenger handling capacity in Indian airports has more than trebled in the past five years, from 72 million to 233 million. The US aerospace behemoth Boeing upped its estimates for India stating that it would require 1,450 airplanes by 2031. Considering the huge opportunities that are opening up, at Aero India 2013, the Indian aerospace major Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) announced its express intent to foray into the civil aviation sector including aero engines manufacturing. HAL is likely to be a lead partner in the proposed `7,500 crore national civil aircraft programme to develop a regional transport aircraft. The goal is to build a 90-seater regional aircraft with private participation. Apart from development and manufacture of aircraft, HAL has civil certification as an airport operator for Ozar airport in Nashik. With Ozar airport becoming operational for civil traffic, it is expected that congestion at Mumbai airport would reduce at least partially. Rising Cost of Fuel While the scenario looks good, there are issues which continue to undermine the sectors’ viability; continually rising cost of aviation turbine fuel (ATF) being the foremost. Today, over 40 per cent of the operational cost of an airline in India is accounted for by the fuel bill in comparison to 13 per cent a decade ago. As per International Air Transport Association (IATA), 2013 is expected to be far more challenging with oil prices hovering above $100 per barrel (Brent). Looking at 2012, rising oil prices and continued economic weakness, especially in Europe, appear to be the greatest threat to airline profitability. With its taxation structure, India is the worst hit as cost of ATF is much higher than the global average. IATA noted that the trends in growth of domestic air travel have differing patterns in different parts of the world. Representing under 40 per cent of worldwide industry volumes, domestic aviation markets are dominated by the United States and China. The US market expanded just 1.3 per cent in 2011; but the Chinese market grew almost 11 per cent. The Indian market, which is one-twelfth the size of the US market, grew even faster at 16 per cent. Airports Get Busy During 2011, airports in the country managed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), other joint venture airports and private airports, handled 1,518 thousand aircraft movements which included 310 thousand on international and 1,208 thousand on domestic segments, 157.51 million passengers consisting of 39.48 million international and 118.03 million domestic. Apart from these, airports handled 2,308.83 thousand tonnes of freight including 1,495 thousand international and 813 thousand domestic. The total aircraft movements and passenger traffic witnessed double-digit growth of 10.93 per cent and 14.43 per cent respectively, whereas freight traffic registered a marginal increase of 0.82 per cent as compared to the traffic handled during 2010. Cargo handled during the year was 3,19,619

tonnes, which was 23.48 per cent higher than the previous year. Cargo handled at AAI airports between April 2011 and September 2011 was 1,57.161 tonnes, which was 1.12 per cent higher than that in the corresponding period of the previous year. Foreign Direct Investment The recent increase of foreign direct investment (FDI) up to 49 per cent in civil aviation is expected to pay dividends in the medium term as there is still a ‘wait and watch’ mode that overseas investors have adopted. But on the horizon is the Etihad Airways and Jet Airways deal with the former intending to pick up stake in the latter. However, attempts by Kingfisher Airlines to get a foreign investor to revive the airline have not succeeded at the time of writing. The airline has been grounded for a number of reasons: finances, safety and gross mismanagement. The position of Air India is also not very sound and requires frequent infusion of funds by the government. But Air India is opposed to FDI in airlines as it perceives a threat to its international and even domestic operations. The good news however is that IndiGo, GoAir and SpiceJet have not only negotiated the turbulent times well, but have also gone on to expand to the surprise of many. All the three low-cost airlines have several planes on order. Maintenance Repair and Overhaul With the aircraft inventory going up, there is an urgent need to have maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) facility within the country. India is way behind in respect of MRO facilities and the operators rely heavily on MROs overseas, which only adds to their operating costs. However, there are some developments on the horizon which will transform the MRO sector and these include joint venture projects in the pipeline. India’s MRO segment is estimated to grow at 10 per cent and reach $2.6 billion (`14,300 crore) by 2020. Establishing MRO facilities in India will enable operators to achieve quicker turnaround, savings in operating costs and saving of precious foreign exchange. General Aviation The general aviation market in India is expected to grow at 10 per cent per annum to cross `1,600 crore by 2017 with operators acquiring about 300 business jets, 300 small aircraft and 250 helicopters. As per the report by the Working Group of the Twelfth Five Year Plan, a total investment of more than `20,000 crore in general aviation is expected during the Twelfth Plan period. The helicopter market in India is equally promising with growing requirements in tourism, mining, corporate travel, air ambulance and homeland security. India has been a laggard in the global general aviation market with approximately 680 aircraft and only around 150 active airports. Also, as of October 2011, aircraft movement for general aviation comprised only around 15 per cent of the total aircraft movement in the country. But all that is likely to change as prospects for the industry improves. In the final analysis, the civil aviation industry in India is all set to gather momentum and the government is working at creating eco-systems that will spur this growth. The industry has to push the government for the right policies and at the same time get its act right to stay afloat. SP

The civil aviation scenario in India is dramatically changing, driven by phenomenal passenger growth, increased airport infrastructure development and liberalised policies including FDI in airlines

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ISSUE 3 • 2013

Civil

Regional Aviation Regional aviation in its purest form consists of taking aviation services to remote locations that are not attractive enough for the mainline carriers. Indeed, if not for regional aviation, hundreds of towns and small cities across the globe would be bereft of an air link.

Regional power: Embraer E-Jets have been greatly successful commercially

FLY Regional, Go Global

Photograph: Embraer

By Group Captain (Retd) Joseph Noronha

Regional aviation, the lifeline of hundreds of small and isolated communities, means different things to different people. It is generally assumed to include all flights operated by feeder and commuter airlines. Strictly speaking, only one Indian airline, the Delhi-based Air Mantra, can be called a regional airline under the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) August 2007 regulations on Scheduled Air Transport Regional Services. But low-cost carrier (LCC) SpiceJet has a spanking new fleet of 15 Bombardier Q400 NextGen aircraft that have been acquired mainly 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 72-600 so as to touch a number of smaller airports that are out of bounds with jets. These in-built regional capabilities serve as feeder flights between outlying airports and the parent airline’s hubs. Indeed, any flight that links a small or out-of-the-way city is somewhat loosely termed regional aviation, even though it may be operated by a major carrier which routinely flies to international destinations. That is perhaps understandable, since just 30 per cent of do-

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mestic passenger traffic does not pass through the country’s six metros (Tier-I cities). BACK TO THE BEGINNING During the early days of commercial aviation, about a century ago, many independent airlines were launched only to meet the needs of their communities, because the limited range of their aircraft could not take them much farther. Their small propeller-driven planes would fly point-to-point between their home base and any nearby airport, capable of generating enough passenger traffic. Many of these flights would fall under the shorthaul regional aviation category as understood today. As the range of airliners steadily increased, so did the possibility of venturing further afield. Flag carriers like British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) created in 1940 through the merger of Imperial Airways with British Airways Ltd and Trans-Canada Air Lines established in 1937, specialised in flying long distance, especially overseas. Many older airlines like KLM (1919) and Pan American (1927) also gradually switched to bigger planes, preferring to operate on the lucrative long-

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Civil Regional Aviation distance routes and abandoning the small towns that had been an important source of passengers till then. The process came to a head with Pan Am’s introduction of the Boeing 747 on January 22, 1970. The Jumbo Jet’s mindboggling seating capacity, 660 in single class for the B747-400D, meant that it could profitably operate only from large cities. The small airlines that still owned only short-range planes, eventually termed regional aircraft, found a natural market, ferrying small groups of passengers from nearby airports to the major hub airports of the flag carriers. Thus they helped satisfy the voracious appetite for passengers of the large airliners bound for other national and overseas hubs. Before long, the small airlines’ role was formalised as regional feeder airlines operating under the “hub-and-spoke” model, so-called because of the bicycle wheel it graphically resembles. The regional aviation leg was often the first short stage of a journey that might end halfway across the globe. The US Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, which slashed government controls on commercial aviation, further helped sharpen the separation between major airlines and regional carriers. Most large airlines, now free to choose their routes, quickly abandoned the less profitable routes to smaller places. Gradually, regional airlines came to be defined as airlines that provide service to communities without sufficient demand to attract mainline service. Numerous small airlines entered the market, many prudently signing cooperative agreements with the big guys to form hub-and-spoke networks. The big airlines assumed most of the risk while providing nearly double-digit margins to regional airlines. And both benefited by increased growth. In due course, the switch from one airline’s aircraft to another’s became seamless, thanks to code-sharing agreements. Code-shares allowed the major carriers to competitively outsource their short-haul flying requirements to regional carriers while maintaining their brand identity. According to the US Regional Airline Association, such agreements help streamline the airline experience for the traveller, provide seamless service to smaller communities, and allow individual carriers to specialise in one particular aircraft. Nowadays the model is under severe strain mainly due to the precarious finances of the airline industry everywhere. However, not all regional aviation depends on being tied to the apron strings of the major carriers. There is also another type of regional airline, a commuter airline that operates under its own brand and provides service to small and isolated communities, for whom it is the only link to a nearby city. And a third commonly recognised type of regional airline is an independent airline that operates scheduled point-to-point service between larger destinations within a specific region, with sufficient traffic to fill planes with more than 100 seats.

serving many small and remote regional destinations, besides the larger cities. However, during the 1970s and 1980s, when narrow-body jets like the Airbus 320 and the Boeing 737 became the norm, many regional locations with short runways had to be dropped from its schedule. In 1981, Vayudoot was established as a dedicated regional airline. It operated from its hub at Kolkata mainly in the North-eastern region that was practically without air transportation services. However, Vayudoot’s financial performance steadily deteriorated and it was dissolved in 1993. The government’s regional aviation policy of August 2007 was intended to help small new airlines connect Tier-II and Tier-III cities to the nearest metro from where the major carriers would link distant destinations. Many enterprises seemed willing, but the only regional carrier that actually launched operations was MDLR Airlines, based in Gurgaon. However, it suspended operations in November 2009 on account of steeply rising oil prices. Nowadays, although most of the country’s airlines provide regional services to some degree, only Air Mantra is a recognised regional airline. It began operating in July 2012 with two 17seat Beechcraft 1900D turboprop aircraft between Amritsar and Chandigarh. Its services have since been extended to Jammu. The major airlines also realise that the inter-metro routes are saturated while the potential of Tier-II and Tier-III destinations is just waiting to be exploited. Lack of connectivity, rather than lack of demand, is holding back traffic growth. However, only small aircraft, especially turboprops, can provide air services to many airports with runways too short for narrow-body jets.

REGIONAL AVIATION GROWING

Regional aviation began with small, slow, rather uncomfortable, short-range aircraft. But that’s rapidly changing. In the US, the average trip length for regional flights was 210 km in 1980, but now stands at 770 km. In Europe, the average regional aircraft size increased from 78 seats to 86 within just one year. As these trends continue, the distinction between regional and mainline aviation is becoming increasingly blurred. For instance, the Bombardier CSeries CS300 regional jet, due to enter commercial service next year, has a maximum seating capacity of 145 and promises comfort and performance comparable with a standard narrow-body jet. Regional aviation in its purest form consists of taking aviation services to remote locations that are not attractive enough for the mainline carriers. Indeed, if not for regional aviation, hundreds of towns and small cities across the globe would be bereft of an air link. In the US, some 40 per cent of the passenger fleet is made up of regional jets and turboprops. Regional carriers there operate 13,000 flights daily, constituting about 50 per cent of the nation’s passenger flights and serving 681 airports. In 75 per cent of such cases they provide the only THE INDIAN CONNECTION In countries like India, a distinction should be made between scheduled service. In Europe, LCCs like Flybe are actually huge regional aviation and regional airlines. Any scheduled flight regional airlines. Based in Exeter, England; Flybe operates over 180 routes to 65 European airports. Irish that touches an airport in a Tier-II, TierLCC Ryanair, although not classified as a III or Tier-IV location is regarded as reregional airline, follows a point-to-point gional aviation, even though it may not model, mainly serving small regional be operated by any of the three recogairports that offer lower landing and nised regional airline types. Regional aviation began handling charges than the large internaA few years after independence, the with small, slow, rather tional airports. In China, the government country’s airline industry was nationis building regional airports at a furious alised and eight private domestic airlines uncomfortable, shortpace thus providing a major fillip to rewere merged to form a new national carrange aircraft. But that’s gional aviation. India too awaits its own rier, Indian Airlines Corporation. The airrevolution in regional aviation. SP line started operations in August 1953, rapidly changing.

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ISSUE 3 • 2013

NEIGHBOURHOOD CHINESE INDUSTRY

COMING OF AGE

the J-20 fifth gen stealth fighter reflects China’s rising ambitions

Photograph: snafu-solomon.blogspot.in

The last two years has seen China simultaneously managing multiple advanced aircraft programmes. Currently, no other nation can afford to allocate such resources, both human and financial, towards achieving its long-term goal of becoming a superpower.

As India was showcasing its military might on Republic Day this year, the Chinese defence industry crossed a significant milestone, with the country’s ‘independently-developed’, ‘home-built’ Xi’an Y-20 ‘large’ transport aircraft successfully completing its first test flight. It is yet another example of the ‘art of reverse engineering’ that the Chinese have mastered and something the Russians were blamed for during the Cold War. Closely resembling the US C-17 Globemaster III and the Russian IL-76, the Xi’an Y-20 is estimated to weigh around 200 tonnes and has a payload capacity of 66 tonnes vis-à-vis 50 tonnes of the IL-76, 77.5 tonnes of the C-17 and 37 tonnes of the European A-400M. The prefix ‘Y’ stands for YùnShūJī, signifying transport aircraft and Xi’an is the city where the plant is located. The aircraft is slightly smaller than the C-17 and a little larger than the A-400M. As China always plays it safe when testing new airframes, the Y-20 is powered by Russian D-30 engines procured with the IL-76. The aircraft would provide China the global reach it aspires for as a superpower in the times to come. As per the Chinese Defence Ministry, the aircraft was being developed “to meet the needs of the national economy, social development, and in the service of military’’. In 2009, a model of the new plane had appeared at a Chinese trade show. In parallel, China also began developing a turbofan engine specifically for large transport aircraft but engines being more complex to develop, it could be years before the Y-20 gets its indigenous power plant. Development of Combat Platforms The Chinese aircraft industry came into limelight in the mid1990s when it unveiled variants of the Soviet designed Su-27, designated as the Flanker by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). The Chinese version of the Sukhoi Su-27SK air-superiority fighter called the J-11 (J for JiānJīJī) was finally ready in 1995. This success came after China secured a $2.5 billion (`13,750 crore) production agreement with the licence to build

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By Air Marshal (Retd) Anil Chopra

200 Su-27SK aircraft using Russian-supplied kits. However, only 100 of these aircraft were finally produced. The J-11 was fitted with Russian avionics, radars and engines. The People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) later revealed a mock-up of the J11B, an upgraded multi-role version of the J-11. This indigenous variant incorporated upgrades to the airframe, their own radar, avionics and weapons. At the Russian air show MAKS 2009, Rosoboronexport’s Anatoli Isaykin was quoted as saying, “Russia is going to investigate the J-11B, as a Chinese copy of the Su-27.” In 2010, Rosoboronexport announced that it was in talks with the Chinese regarding the ongoing production of weapons that Russia considered as unlicensed. The Chinese aerospace industry however continued manufacturing several other clones of Russian combat aircraft. These included the J-16, the Chinese version of Su-30MKK acquired from Russia and the carrier-borne J-15, a Su-33 clone. The J-20 and the J-31 are fifth-generation stealth fighters under development at Chengdu and Shenyang respectively. On January 11, 2011, the J-20 undertook its maiden flight making China the third nation in the world, after the US and Russia, to “develop and test-fly a fullsize stealth combat aircraft demonstrator.” In late October 2012, photographs of a new prototype emerged. This aircraft featured a different radome, speculated to house the active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. Designated as the Shenyang J-31 and nicknamed “Gyrfalcon” or Falcon Eagle, this is a twin-engine, mid-size, fifth-generation jet fighter with stealth features and is currently being developed by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation. This aircraft has also been referred to as F-60, J-31 and J-21. Some reports say that the F-60 is the export version and the J-31 would be for domestic use. The Chinese are touting it to be an equivalent of the Lockheed Martin F-35 and are offering to those who cannot get or afford the expensive American fifth-generation fighter. With its maiden flight on October 31, 2012, China became the second nation

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NEIGHBOURHOOD CHINESE INDUSTRY to test two stealth fighter designs concurrently. Apart from three hard points under each wing, the F-35, the J-31 has two internal weapon bays each carrying two medium-range missiles. However, it lacks the centreline station for mounting a gun or jamming pod. Vladimir Barkovsky of Russian Aircraft Corporation (RAC) MiG has stated that the engines on the prototype aircraft are the RD-93. Meanwhile, China claims to have an engine similar to the RD-93, the Guizhou WS-13, currently installed on the JF-17 which has the same thrust and size as the Russian RD-93. China is working on an improved variant designated as the WS-13G with 100kN thrust for use on the J-31. Lin Zuoming, the Chairman of China’s Aviation Industry Corporation I (AVIC I), hopes to put indigenous engines on the fighter soon.

Photograph: defense.gov

Aviation Industry Corporation AVIC I is essentially a Chinese consortium of aircraft manufacturers created on July 1, 1999, by splitting the state-owned China Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC) into AVIC I and AVIC II. AVIC I was focused on large planes such as bombers (H-6 and H-7, H for HōngZhàJī), medium-size commercial planes such as the ARJ-21) or fighter aircraft ranging from the J-7 to JF-17, while AVIC II was focused on smaller planes and helicopters. On October 28, 2008, the companies officially merged into one organisation to more efficiently manage resources and shed redundant projects. The main factories were at Chengdu, Guizhou, Shanghai, Shenyang and Xián. In April 1956, an agreement was signed between China and the Soviet Union which included assistance to China’s aviation industry. This included the No 132 fighter manufacturing plant construction project at Chengdu. Reorganisation In 1982, China began reorganisation of its aerospace industry based on the principle of “unified leadership and decentralised management” with focus on Chengdu. Steps were taken to induct advanced foreign technology and equipment to improve existing products and speed up development of new products for export as well as for the domestic market. The J-7A, F-7IIA, F-7B, F-7M and F-7III were developed and exported to over ten countries. In 1988, under a subcontracting arrangement with the US, the plant began production of the McDonnell Douglas MD-80. This arrangement was expanded in 1995 to include Boeing in the US and firms in South Korea and Singapore. The Chengdu Aircraft Company later began producing components for Airbus A320 and Boeing 757-200 and achieved ISO 9001 certification in avionics. Guizhou Aircraft Industry Corporation manufactures military aircraft. The company’s products include trainers, turbojets, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), missiles and launchers. The Shanghai Aviation Industrial Company handles aircraft manufacturing as also subcontracts for components, repair and overhaul. Among its products include Shanghai Y-10 jetliner, a series of McDonnell Douglas jetliners (MD-82, 83, 90), Boeing-737 tail section assembly and vertical stabilisers for Boeing-777.

The Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) is the civilian and military aircraft manufacturer founded in 1953 and is one of the oldest aircraft manufacturers in the People’s Republic of China. SAC is focused mainly on design and manufacture of fighter aircraft. On November 27, 2007, Cessna announced that its 162 light sport aircraft would be produced by SAC. The other products were Shenyang J-4 to J-7 (Chinese variant of the MiG15, 17, 19 and 21). The Xi’an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC), the largesized aviation industry enterprise is integrated with research and development and is a base for developing and manufacturing large- and medium-sized airplanes in China. Over 40 years, XAC has successively developed and manufactured more than 20 different types of aircraft, later designed and developed as per CCAR-25 and FAR-25 requirements. The parts and components for foreign companies produced in XAC are mainly B-737-700 vertical fins and B747 components for Boeing, Airbus doors and ATR-42 wing box among others. Like the Russian aircraft building plants, Chinese plants used spare capacity to build non-aero products. Xian also made the MA-600 turboprop airliner (version of An-26) and is currently developing the 90-seat MA-700 turboprop airliner with Ukraine’s support. Among the fighter bombers was Xian JH-7A Flying Leopard twin-engine aircraft, NATO codename “Flounder”. Introduced in 2004, it had fly-by-wire controls. Xian H-6 twin-engine bomber was the Chinese-upgraded variant of the Tu-16 Badger which was also sold to Egypt and Iraq. Coming of Age The US Naval War College Professor Andrew Erickson and Gabe Collins, both co-founders of China Signpost, have said that the Y-20 is the third example of a new trend in which AVIC has moved beyond cloning and copying and can now successfully meld aspects of multiple foreign airframes and technical expertise with domestic designs to improve indigenous systems. The J-20 and J-31 were the first two Chinese-made aircraft to make this leap and now the Y-20 has done so as well. The English language website of the People’s Daily claims that the Y-20 outperforms Russia’s Il-76 and says it boasts of “Chinese characteristics in supercritical aerofoils, integrated avionics, cabin equipment, composite materials and their processing. It can transport these even to underdeveloped airstrips, thanks to its “strong adaptability to take-off and landing fields”. The last two years has seen China simultaneously managing multiple advanced aircraft programmes. Currently, no other nation can afford to allocate such resources, both human and financial, towards achieving its long-term goal of becoming a superpower. China allocated Chinese Su-27 $25 billion (`1,37,500 crore) for Flanker fighter defence research and development (R&D) last year, which is nearly two-thirds of India’s total defence budget. Yet it is not all that rosy either. The investments have to yield technical breakthroughs in critical areas such as aero engines, electronics and avionics. The world is watching as the once sleeping Dragon begins to spit fire. SP

The Chinese aircraft industry came into limelight in the mid-1990s when it unveiled variants of the Soviet designed Su-27, designated as the Flanker by the NATO

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ISSUE 3 • 2013

Military

Trainer

IAF IN A DILEMMA Delay in the intermediate jet trainer (IJT) programme and its impact on training have been questioned by parliamentarians. IJT slippage immediately means extension of life for the Kiran fleet which should have been retired by now. But to maintain the Kiran fleet is a herculean task in itself.

Photograph: Sp guide pubns

By Air Marshal (Retd) Anil Chopra

Rendering Yeoman Service The Kiran aircraft has been a workhorse of the Indian Air Force (IAF) since 1968. It was the basic jet trainer used for intermediate stage of training after the initial training on HT-2 and later on HPT32 aircraft. Powered by the Rolls-Royce Viper Mk-II engine, it was designated Kiran Mk-I. Later, under production aircraft were fitted with under-wing hard points for weapon training and was desig-

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nated as Kiran-IA. A total of 190 Mk-I and 1A aircraft were built. A version was also powered by the more powerful Bristol Siddeley Orpheus engine, named Kiran Mk-II, 61 of which were inducted into the IAF in the beginning of 1985. Based on the British Jet Provost design, the Kiran fleet has seen the IAF through 44 years of training. Practically, every pilot serving in the IAF today has had the pleasurable experience of flying this excellent machine.

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Military Trainer Kiran aircraft became the darling of the country when in 1996 the nine-aircraft Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT) was shaped as the ‘Ambassadors of the IAF’. Their world-class breathtaking display could give goose pimples to any patriotic watcher. The Kiran fleet is now becoming difficult to sustain. Spares are difficult to get and the fleet is getting stretched. The SKAT has been disbanded and is to be replaced by the BAE Hawk. More recently, ace badminton player and London Olympics bronze medallist Sania Nehwal flew a Kiran Mk-II aircraft at the Air Force Academy at Dundigal, near Hyderabad. Sitara–The New Jet Trainer The IAF had visualised the replacement of Kiran fleet well in time. In 1997, HAL began design work on an intermediate jet trainer (IJT), designated HJT-36. Government approval for the project was received in June 1999 and the value of the contract was then estimated at `180 crore. Two prototypes were manufactured, the first, PT-1, flew on March 7, 2003, and was christened as the “Sitara”; and the second prototype (PT-2) flew on March 26, 2004. The writer was then the Commandant of ASTE Bengaluru. At the very initial stage, the IAF assessed the Snecma Turbomeca Larzac engine delivering 14.1 kN thrust, as under-powered. In August 2005, HAL in response, reached a deal to replace the Larzac engine with the NPO Saturn AL-55I with 16.9 kN thrust. The deal also provided for licence-production of the engine in India by HAL. The IJT project cost was now revised to `467 crore. The date for initial operational clearance (IOC) scheduled for March 2004, was revised to March 2007 and final operational clearance (FOC) was rescheduled for March 2008. Contract for 12 limited series production (LSP) aircraft was signed in March 2006 at a total cost of `486.82 crore. Deliveries were to be completed by March 2010. The IJT project suffered a setback owing to inordinate delay in the delivery of the NPO Saturn AL-55I engine. The first AL55I engine was received from Russia on December 28, 2008, two years later than committed. Flight tests on the PT-1 powered by the new engine commenced in May 2009. Following further development and extensive testing, the IAF placed an order with HAL for 73 aircraft. After 280 test flights, the aircraft entered LSP in 2009 for the first 12 aircraft to be delivered to the IAF. The first LSP aircraft began its flight test phase in January 2010 and the IOC was expected by July 2011. The IAF order was expected to grow in the years to come. However, till date, not a single LSP aircraft has actually been delivered to the IAF. LSP 1 and 2 are being utilised for flight testing. LSP 3 and 4 are also planned to be utilised for flight testing to expedite IOC. In February 2007, at the Aero India air show at Yelahanka, PT-1 suffered serious damages when its canopy opened up during takeoff, causing the aircraft to veer off the runway. On February 4, 2009, PT-2 landed on its belly after a routine aerobatic sortie, resulting in extensive damage to the undercarriage and one of the wing tips. Failure of the structural testing specimen in 2010 and an accident on PT-1, involving an ejection on April 28, 2011, the aircraft was grounded till the completion of investigations. The aircraft was cleared to resume flight testing only in February 2012 after redesign of the primary control circuits in all three channels. These events led to further delay in the programme. Dogged by Uncertainty Apart from the order for 12 LSP aircraft,

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on March 22, 2010, the IAF had concluded a contract for another 73 IJT aircraft with AL-55I engine, taking the total order to 85. The value of the order for 73 IJT aircraft with associated spares and equipment was around `6,200 crore. Current estimates are that the aircraft ordered will be delivered between March 2013 and March 2017. However, significant part of the testing is yet to be completed—refinement of stall characteristics and thereafter spin trials—both of which are essential for a basic training aircraft. Envelope expansion to 7g and night flying are other important segments of the flight test profile yet to be completed. The AL-55I engine still has issues related to weight reduction (around 30 kg) and engine life extension that need resolution. Also the installed engine thrust is currently lower than required, which would degrade the performance by up to 20 per cent. Will it then end up at same performance level as the Pilatus PC-7 Mk II? IOC is now likely to be obtained by December 2013. In an interview with an online defence magazine of international repute, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal N.A.K. Browne is quoted to have said, “We are concerned as we are not seeing significant progress on the IJT. HAL put in a dedicated design team, yet there are no results. This is a training aircraft and we cannot compromise on safety.” He also indicated in the interview that issues that continue to dog the IJT programme include: controls, engines and the aircraft’s weight, stall and spin characteristics. The IAF has stationed its own personnel at HAL to monitor the development of the IJT. A consultancy with BAE Systems is also in the process of being signed. There were rumours that the programme was on the verge of being scrapped on account of the inability of HAL to deliver performance. But the report was quickly denied by the IAF and HAL. However, the IAF now needs to plan for real situations. Options before the IAF Delay in the IJT programme and its impact on training have been questioned by parliamentarians, desirous of being apprised of the options before the IAF. IJT slippage immediately means extension of life for the Kiran fleet which should have been retired by now. To maintain the Kiran fleet is a herculean task in itself. And for the trainees to fly the Kiran in Stage II after Pilatus at basic stage with much more modern avionics would be a retrograde step. The second option would be to procure additional Pilatus PC-7 MK-II trainers for Stage II training. The Pilatus could be modified to carry basic weapons such as guns, bombs and rockets. Belgian FN Herstal 12.7mm gun is known to have been cleared on the aircraft. This however, would require time. The third option is to go in for the Pilatus-9 which essentially has same airframe but also has under-wing hard points. This would however mean fresh specs and new request for proposal (RFP). The fourth choice could be to temporarily change to two-stage training with Pilatus and Hawk. Additional aircraft of each type as required could be procured. This option would provide a little more time to salvage the IJT. This in my opinion could be a good choice. The last option would be to explore the global market for an IJT. Having already invested heavily, the decision to close down an indigenous project would be somewhat difficult both for the IAF and the government. Northrop T-38 Talon replacement programme, the T-X and Russia’s Yak-130 jet trainer are eyeing this possible vacuum, some reports say. It is time for decision-making. We are sure the government and the IAF are fully seized of the matter. SP

Apart from the order for 12 LSP aircraft, on March 22, 2010, the IAF had concluded a contract for another 73 IJT aircraft with AL-55I engine, taking the total order to 85

ISSUE 3 • 2013

Military

exercise IAF’s Boundless Energy: A Target being destroyed by a stick of bombs during iron fist 2013

This year, the day, dusk and night event showcased all facets of air power with participation by the entire inventory of manned and unmanned aircraft, air-to-air and surface-to-air weapons, Special Forces and net-centric warfare capability

Photographs: Indian Air Force

By Air Marshal (Retd) Anil Chopra in Pokhran

iron fist 2013 18

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Military exercise

Exercise Iron Fist 2013 held at the air-to-ground firing range at Pokhran near Jaisalmer in Rajasthan on February 22, 2013, was undoubtedly the greatest show ever of Indian air power. This time, both the President and the Prime Minister of India witnessed the demonstration of fire power the Indian Air Force (IAF) was capable of delivering against an adversary. Pokhran has been the venue for fire power demonstration by the IAF since 1988. This year, the day, dusk and night event was to showcase all facets of air power with participation by the entire inventory of manned and unmanned aircraft, air-to-air and surface-to-air weapons, Special Forces and net-centric warfare capability. Also on show was soft power, which included demonstration by Akash Ganga skydiving team and the ‘Sarang’. The event began with the arrival of the President of India Pranab Mukherjee. Earlier Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Defence Minister A.K. Antony and a host of other dignitaries both civilian and military as well as the military diplomats and the media had arrived. The firing range which came into limelight after the ‘Smiling Buddha’ nuclear test of 1974, is spread over several hundred square kilometres in a sparsely populated desert area of the country. For the event, a large number of dummy structures simulating a variety of targets had been erected. The visitors were briefed on the details of the event and pictures from the ‘Heron’ unmanned aerial vehicle flying at high altitude above the venue were projected on large screens. Welcoming the guests, Air Chief Marshal N.A.K. Browne, Chief of the Air Staff, stated, “The glorious history of the IAF over the last eight decades has been a saga of professional and boundless energy displayed by air warriors in the face of insurmountable odds. Exercise Iron Fist 2013 is aimed at showcasing the operational capabilities of a transforming IAF and assuring the nation that the safety of its sovereign skies lies in very capable hands.” The display began with three Mi-8 helicopters trooping colours followed by a MiG-27 towing the ‘Iron Fist’ banner. A flypast followed with the oldest and the newest, a Tiger Moth, and the latest entrants, the ‘Pilatus’. The main event then began with a low-level sonic run by a MiG-29 and was followed by formation fly past by MiG-21s, Jaguars, MiG-27s, MiG-29s, Su-30s, a mixed fighter formation and a mixed helicopter formation. The air was filled with the smell of the cordite, sound and fury. Formation after formation rained bombs and rockets with the aircraft releasing flares. The fire power demonstrations included Mirage 2000 with 250 kg bomb, Bison with salvo of 57 mm rockets, Su-30 with TV guided Russian KAB 500 kg, laser guided bombs (LGB) and BETAB bombs, MiG-27s with 80 mm rockets, Jaguars with 1,000 pounders and 500 kg practice bombs. The heavy calibre weapons rented the air with pounding noise and shock wave. The event that was applauded by the audience was the indigenous Tejas LCA achieving a direct hit with an LGB and then turning around to fire the R-73 close-combat air-to-air missile on a flare dropped earlier by a MiG-21. Two Russian ‘Igla’ shoulder-fired missiles were also launched on the same flare. Two OSA AK-M quick-reaction short-range surface-to-air missiles were then fired on a drum target dropped by an AN-32. Two young pilots flying the Hawk fired rockets dropped bombs with pin-point accuracy getting special applause from the central stand. A Mi-17 V5 accompanied by two Mi-35s demonstrated a CSAR mission which was bounced by a simulated enemy aircraft. Front gun strafing, heavy rockets, stick bombing by a variety of fighters followed. Rocket firing by Mi-35s was the most impressive. At the end of the events by day, there was a para-drop by two C-130Js, heavy drop by IL-76 and slithering from Mi-17 1Vs.

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MiG-21 firing rockets

AN-32 releasing flares

Embraer releasing flares as part of the finale

Dusk events began by a MiG-29, sanitising the airspace by firing an R-73 on a flare. A C-130J carried out an assault landing on a semi-prepared strip and unloaded troops. The next was Bambi Bucket Operations to extinguish fire by two Mi-17s. FLIR demonstration by the Mi-17 1V was shown on the screens. Combined Operations by the NSG and Garud dropped by a Mi-17 V5 in an urban

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Military exercise 1

Scintillating performance: A SU-30 MKI aircraft releasing flares after the aerobatic Demonstration and a close up of the aircraft soon after releasing flares (right)

scenario, were greatly appreciated by the VIPs and the DG NSG. The icing on the cake was the low-level aerobatics by the Su-30. Omar Browne, son of the current Air Chief, on the controls with it re-enforced the faith senior officers have in our machines. Before the night events began, there was threat of rain and thunderstorm. Although the visibility dropped considerably, the show went on. The 30-minute event that followed included a Mi-17, firing 128 rockets in three seconds; a volley that can obliterate any target in the tactical battle area. The ten thousand pound bombs dropped by an AN-32

C-130J dropping para troopers

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Military exercise

resident Pranab Mukherjee releasing the Postal Cover P to commemorate 50 Years of Air Power of Indian Air Force. Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Defence Minister A.K. Antony and air chief marshal n.a.k. browne are also seen.

6 A HAWK Trainer aircraft taxing out 8

Pilatus PC-7 Mk II getting ready at a forward base

1,000 Lbs bombs being dropped by the Jaguars

rockets being fired from a Mi-35 attack helicopter

3 A SU-30 MKI moving Out from a Forward Base 4 OSA-AK missile fires during the exercise 5 A Mirage 2000 Taking Off from a forward base

shook the stand. A train of fighters unloaded bombs in quick succession. Just two days earlier, during the full dress rehearsal, a suspected bomb explosion under the wing of a Su-30 MKI had resulted in fire and forced the pilots to abandon the aircraft. Witnessing Pechora firing at night is a memorable experience. Slithering Operations under search light cover from two other helicopters also had great operational significance. The finale was the impressive bulk flare dispensation by IL-78, AN-32, and Embraer VVIP aircraft. It was a good show for the

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7 The OSA-AK missile leaving the launcher

10 The initial flypast during the exercise was conducted by jaguars 11 The modified Advanced Light Helicopter sarang on flying display

Air Force and the SWAC. The dignitaries were impressed. Defence Minister A.K. Antony was most satisfied with a job well done. Former Defence Minister Jaswant Singh was visibly proud. The young MPs Naveen Jindal and Piyush Goyal were vocally excitedly and thrilled. Presumably, the politicians and bureaucrats got a whiff of what the money invested would actually do to the enemy and got the confidence that the country was in safe hands. The diplomatic corps must have been in awe of this emerging power. Our own brethren in Army and Navy would feel more secure. SP

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1964 1964

Our Journey Starts as Guide Publications was founded by its Founder Publisher & Founder Editor Shri S P Baranwal...

Apart from many publications written, edited and published by the Founder, Military Yearbook is introduced in 1965...

1974

Military Yearbook continues relentlessly with collective support from dignitaries including the Prime Ministers and Presidents of India...

1984

JUST 1 STEP SHORT OF

2014

WE SHALL BE 50 THIS YEAR

Guide Publications is rechristened as SP Guide Publications offering tribute and gratitude to its Founder...Also envisioned is the path of introduction of a few magazines...

2013

Military Yearbook is

SP’s Aviation, SP’s Land

rechristened as SP’s

Forces, SP’s Naval Forces

Military Yearbook

are launched starting

SP’s Airbuz, SP’s

conveying gratitude to

from ‘98 and within a

M.A.I. follows the

Founder Publisher...

span of a few years...

intensity of magazines introduction...

1994

F 50 YEARS

2004

Show Report

Aero India 2013

the show opens: defence minister inaugurating aero india 2013

IAF’s new acquisition: defence minister inspecting the basic turboprop trainer Pilatus PC-7 mkii

India Inc. Rising Aero India 2013 was certainly important with regard to the “trade” aspect of the exposition as it would serve to provide a powerful impetus to offset business worth billions of dollars. The air show is expected to be the beginning of fresh dialogue for collaboration and joint ventures between the global and the Indian aerospace industry.

Photographs: Sp guide pubns

By Air Marshal (Retd) B.K. Pandey

The ninth edition of Aero India, a biennial international air show hosted by the Department of Defence Production under the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD), was held from February 6 to 10, 2013, at the Indian Air Force (IAF) base at Yelahanka on the northern outskirts of Bengaluru. The air show was organised by the Defence Exhibition Organisation of the MoD in collaboration with the IAF, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Department of Space, and the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA). Overall management of the event was subcontracted by the MoD to the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). Aero India was preceded by a three-day international seminar at the NIMHANS Convention Centre, Bengaluru, organised by the DRDO in association with the Aeronautical Society of India. Covering a variety of aerospace-related themes, the seminar that has always been held as a prelude to the air show in the past has served to generate new ideas. The seminar also provides an opportunity for participating institutions to establish collaborative programmes for research and technology partnerships.

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Aero India: Driven by Market Potential An international aerospace exposition such as Aero India is aimed at projecting India’s emergence as an attractive market, as well as a key outsourcing hub for the global aerospace industry. Participation in the air show, especially by the global aerospace industry, is driven essentially by the enormous and lucrative market potential for aerial platforms and weapon systems that a rising power like India has to offer. Today, with the projected expenditure of $100 billion (`5,50,000 crore) over the next decade towards defence acquisitions, India is undoubtedly leading the world as importer of military hardware. However, this year, the air show was hosted in the backdrop of several big-ticket purchases for the Indian armed forces already finalised, the prospects for fresh deals in the short term being just a few, and the mega deals likely only in the distant future. Acquisition Programmes From the newly cultivated sources in the West, the deals already finalised included the acquisition of six Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules for $1 billion (`5,500 crore) already in service

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Show Report Aero India 2013

Photographs: PIB, Anoop Kamath

Celebration time: ALH mk-IV army version rudra

From the traditional source, Ruswith the IAF; orders already placed for ten handing over ceremony and pritam sia, there are a number of ongoing proBoeing C-17 Globemaster III strategic airbhavnani, president, honeywell aerospace india, with the f125IN grammes. These include orders placed for lift aircraft for the IAF worth $5.8 billion engine designed to extend mission 139 Mi-17V5, the induction of which has (`31,900 crore); orders placed for eight capability of the iaf’s jaguar fleet already begun, as also the 42 Su-30MKI Boeing P-8I long-range maritime patrol combat platforms through the Hindustan aircraft for the Indian Navy for $2.1 bilAeronautics Limited. Furthermore, HAL lion (`11,550 crore), the first of which has has entered into an agreement with Unitalready been delivered in December 2012; contract concluded for 99 General Electric GE F414 aero engines ed Aircraft Corporation of Russia for the co-development and valued at $750 million (`4,125 crore) to power the indigenous co-production of twin-engine multi-role transport aircraft (MTA) light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk II, designed and developed to replace the ageing An-32 fleet of the IAF. The initial order by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL); and the acquisi- from the IAF is for 45 platforms and 105 from Russia. HAL has tion of 75 Pilatus PC-7 MkII basic turboprop trainer aircraft for also entered into an agreement with Sukhoi and Rosoboronex$523 million (`2,875 crore), induction of which has already com- port of Russia for the fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA), a menced. There is a strong possibility of follow-on orders for six two-seat derivative of the single-seat Russian T50 PAK FA. To be additional C-130J aircraft, six C-17s, four P-8Is, as well as for a produced in India by HAL on completion of its development, the fairly large number of the Pilatus PC-7 MkII aircraft on an emer- IAF will receive 214 of these fifth-generation machines. On the gency basis to reinforce the basic trainer fleet of the IAF. Deals indigenous front, HAL has a variety of commitments for its largto procure 22 AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopters for est customer, the IAF. These include 159 advanced light helicop$1.4 billion (`7,700 crore) and 15 CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift he- ter (ALH) Dhruv; 76 of its weaponised version, the Rudra, which licopters for $1 billion (`5,500 crore), both platforms from Boeing was formally handed over to the Indian Army Aviation Corps at Aero India 2013; 179 of the light combat helicopter (LCH) Defense Space and Security (BDS), are likely to be concluded. Further, two other acquisition programmes are currently in currently under development; and 187 light utility helicopters different stages of being processed. These include the tender (LUH) also under development. for six flight refuelling aircraft for around $1.5 billion (`8,250 crore) in which the A330 multi-role transport tanker aircraft Acquisition Programmes Ahead offered by Airbus Military has been identified as the lowest bid- Despite the fact that contracts for aircraft and aero engines worth der and for which contract negotiations are likely to commence over $12.6 billion (`70,000 crore) have already been concluded in the near future. The second is the mega deal for 126 me- or are about to be inked and that product/vendors have already dium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) for over $20 billion been selected for deals worth another $21 billion (`1,15,500 (`1,10,000 crore) or possibly higher, for which contract negotia- crore), there is no lack of enthusiasm on the part of the global tions are in progress and is expected to be finalised in the next aerospace and defence industries in the market potential in Infinancial year i.e. 2013-14 if there are no fresh impediments. dia. The global aerospace majors are eyeing fresh deals likely to A major project that is proving to be elusive is the $1 billion materialise in the short term. These include the `12,000 crore (`5,500 crore) tender for 197 light utility helicopters which was ($2.2 billion) project for 56 medium-tactical transport aircraft cancelled in 2007 but was refloated in 2008. With two contend- to replace the ageing fleet of the HS 748 Avro twin-engine transers in the race, namely the Eurocopter AS550 C3 Fennec and port aircraft acquired from Britain in the 1960s. In the rotarythe Russian Kamov-226T Sergei, the tendering process is yet to wing regime, the Indian Navy has floated a global tender for be completed. At this point in time, the time frame for the finali- procuring 56 light-utility helicopters. The tender is estimated sation of this tender appears somewhat uncertain and hence to be in the region of $900 million (`4,950 crore) to replace the ought not to be regarded as a “done deal”. fleet of its vintage Cheetah and Chetak helicopters. But a much

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ISSUE 3 • 2013

Show Report Aero India 2013

Photograph: Sp guide pubns

larger project under consideration by the Indian Navy is for 120 naval multi-role helicopters (NMRH) to replace its ageing fleet of Sea King helicopters acquired in the 1980s as also to enhance its capabilities in tandem with the growing responsibilities in the region. The contract, if and when concluded, is expected to be in the region of `35,000 crore ($6.4 billion). The major global military helicopter manufacturing companies such as Eurocopter and AgustaWestland from Europe as also Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin from the US were present at the air show with the latest from their stables. Business potential of about $9.5 billion (in excess of `52,000 crore) over the next decade apparently was an incentive strong enough for global aerospace majors to flock to Aero India 2013 in full strength. But apart from the prospects of fresh aircraft deals, what really provided a powerful impetus for Indian companies, especially the small and medium enterprises to showcase their capabilities at the exposition, is the lure of offset business of over $3.3 billion (`18,150 crore) generated by the deals already concluded. Of greater significance is the offset obligation pegged at 50 per cent for the MMRCA deal which could be to the tune of $10 billion (`55,000 crore) or even higher. Collectively, it is a windfall for the indigenous aerospace industry especially the private sector. In Aero India 2013, the focus has shifted from new generation and sophisticated aerial platforms to the supporting industries, joint ventures and small players.

on display: IAF’s embraer EMB 145 AEW&C aircraft on flying display; (opp page) HAl-Sukhoi prospective multirole fighter at the hal booth

Defence V.K. Saraswat, and FICCI President Naina Lal Kidwai. The ceremony began with a flypast by three Mi-8 helicopters from Air Force Station Yelahanka trooping the Indian national flag, the IAF ensign and the Aero India flag. The inauguEnthusiastic Participation It is little wonder therefore, that in the ninth edition of the show, ral ceremony was witnessed by the Marshal of the Air Force Arthere were over 700 companies, around 100 more than in the jan Singh, officials both civilian and military, industry delegates, previous edition where business potential was much larger. There exhibitors, representatives of companies from India and abroad were in all 27 countries represented at the air show as participants and the media. In his inaugural address, Antony, while reiterating the govand there were 78 delegations from overseas. The exhibition area this time was 1,25,000 square metres as against 75,000 square ernment’s commitment to rapid modernisation of the Indian metres in 2011. The major participants were aerospace compa- armed forces, emphasised the need “to prioritise requirements nies from the United States, Israel, Russia, France, UK, Germany, of aircraft and weapon systems keeping in mind the possibility Belgium, Bulgaria, Italy, Ukraine, Australia, Belarus, Czech Re- of imminent cut in the forthcoming budget. He made it clear public, Japan, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, however, that “the operational readiness of the armed forces will Brazil, Canada, the Netherlands, Romania, Sweden, UAE and Sin- not be compromised due to monetary constraints”. He called gapore. National pavilions were set up by ten different countries, for higher degree of self-reliance and scaling up of the defence namely Belgium, Bulgaria, Italy, Israel, Russia, Germany, France, industrial base through enhanced investment in research and UK, Ukraine and the US. Amongst the international participants, development. He invited the private sector to participate in the the US companies that outnumbered all others, had together oc- defence industry for which a new defence production policy has cupied the largest indoor floor area, half of Hall E. The US was fol- been put in place since 2010. “There are opportunities for interlowed by Israel and Russia. EADS had the largest outdoor pavilion. national aerospace majors for partnerships with Indian indusOn the domestic front, DRDO along with ADA occupied the largest try,” said the Defence Minister. Others who addressed the gatherindoor and outdoor area of over 2,500 square metres and were ing were R.K. Mathur, Naina Lal Kidwai, and Jagadish Shettar. On this occasion, the Defence Minister released the Governfollowed by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Bharat Electronment of Karnataka’s newly crafted Aerospace Policy (2013-23), the ics Limited (BEL) and Tatas. first such document at the state level in the country. The policy envisions establishing Inauguration Karnataka as a vibrant and globally recogThe air show was inaugurated by Denised aerospace destination in Asia. fence Minister A.K. Antony, who was also An international The inaugural function was followed the chief guest on the occasion. Among by flying displays by a variety of fixedthe others present at the inauguration aerospace exposition wing aircraft and helicopters ranging ceremony were Union Minister of Civil such as Aero India is from the vintage Tiger Moth to the LCA Aviation Ajit Singh, Minister of State for Tejas, the Flying Bulls of the Czech ReDefence Jitendra Singh, Chief of the Air aimed at projecting public, Dassault Rafale and the Zephyr Staff Air Chief Marshal N.A.K. Browne, India’s emergence as an ZM-1, a unique canard design aircraft asChief Minister of Karnataka Jagadish attractive market, as well sembled privately in India. The Russian Shettar, Defence Secretary Shashi Kant Air Force’s formation aerobatic team, the Sharma, Defence Production Secretary as a key outsourcing hub Red Knights, consisting of five Sukhoi SuR.K. Mathur, Director General DRDO, Secfor the global aerospace 27 UB fighters, that were eagerly awaited, retary Department of Defence R&D and managed to arrive only three days later. Chief Scientific Advisor to the Minister of industry

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Photograph: Sp guide pubns

Show Report Aero India 2013

US Aerospace Industry The largest ever industry delegation sponsored by the US-India Business Council (USIBC) was present at Aero India 2013 to showcase capabilities of the US aerospace industry relevant to the requirements of the Indian armed forces as also for the internal security needs of the country. The aim of the USIBC was also to enhance industrial partnership and play a major role in the programme for modernisation of the Indian armed forces. Purchase of defence equipment by India has increased from around $200 million (`1,100 crore) in 2001 to over $14 billion (`77,000 crore) in 2013, bulk of it in the last five years. The leading US defence companies at Aero India were Bell Helicopter, Boeing, Cessna, GE Aviation, Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, Honeywell, L-3 Aviation Products, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Rockwell Collins, Sikorsky and Textron Systems. American aircraft on display included the C-17 Globemaster III strategic airlift aircraft of the US Air Force, C-130J Super Hercules already in service in the IAF, F-16 from the USAF and the KC-135. In the civil aviation segment, the US had the Cessna Citation Mustang and the Caravan turboprop while Hawker had the Beechcraft King Air 350i on display. Other systems from the US industry and of interest to the military, included light armoured vehicles, tactical communications equipment, integrated weapon systems and thermal imaging technologies. “In addition to offering proven US platforms and systems and an end-to-end commitment to customer satisfaction, we are eager to initiate cooperative programmes with India’s defence industry,” said Vice Admiral (Retd) Kevin J. Cosgriff, Senior Vice President, International Business and Government, Textron Systems. Boeing which has especially in recent times been in the forefront of investments in collaboration and partnership with Indian industry, reiterated its commitment to further strengthen relationships and become the aerospace company of choice for both civil and military aviation segments in India. Rockwell Collins showcased its latest products and technologies at the air show with special emphasis on avionics and communication products. The company aimed to increase awareness of its range of products for both commercial and military applications. The product portfolio included next-generation avionics and communication for aviation, software defined radio, synthetic vision, government systems, airborne software defined radio, flex net radios, avionics for helicopter and transport aircraft, multi-function display system for helicopters, en-

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gine monitoring system for aircraft, optical warning system and synthetic vision for helicopters, etc. T.C. Chan, Vice President and Managing Director, Rockwell Collins (Asia Pacific), outlined the company’s growth strategy globally as well as in India and elaborated on the technological innovations that Rockwell Collins will bring to the Indian defence and aerospace market. Honeywell Aerospace that specialises in automation and control solutions, transportation systems, performance materials and technologies has its growth driven largely by business in China and India. The company sees prospects in India to be bright as according to Pritam Bhavnani, President of Honeywell Aerospace India, the domestic aviation market has been doubling every five years. The company is currently working on the request for proposal (RFP) for the supply of 270 F125IN aero engines for the upgrade of the Jaguar fleet of the IAF. Lockheed Martin disclosed that the company is investing $20 million (`110 crore) on the joint venture at Hyderabad with Tata Advanced Systems to manufacture components for its C130J Super Hercules aircraft, both for the domestic and export markets. This is a part of the offset obligation for the six C-130J already inducted into the IAF. Textron that owns Bell Helicopter and Cessna, has a team of 500 engineers employed at its centre in Bengaluru and plans to enhance the strength by another 400. The new Managing Director of Textron India, Inderjit Sial disclosed that the company is working on a number of new products that included helicopters, aircraft and surface vessels. The European Aerospace Industry The European aerospace industry had a commanding presence at Aero India 2013, dominated by European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company in a large outdoor pavilion which housed its four divisions, Airbus, Astrium, Cassidian and Eurocopter, displaying a broad selection of cutting-edge technologies, products and services. MBDA and Eurofighter had separate indoor stands to showcase their range of products and systems. As per Yves Guillaume, CEO of EADS, companies that are now a part of EADS have been associated with India for nearly five decades, supplying their products for commercial aviation, defence sector and space. Although somewhat disappointed with the MMRCA tender not going in its favour and hopes of the Eurofighter making a re-entry into the race fading, EADS participated in the exposition with spirits partially revived with the success in the Airbus A330 MMRTT tender. In this tender, the company has emerged as the lowest bidder. Airbus Military is also optimistic about the chances of the C-295/C-235 twin-engine military transport aircraft competing successfully in the bid to be floated by the IAF for a replacement for its HS748 Avro fleet. Airbus Military believes that its heavy airlifter, the A400M military transport aircraft, is an ideal airlift solution for India’s requirements. A mock up of the ATR 72-600 which is now being inducted in Indian carriers, was also on display. Also competing for the Avro replacement is the Alenia Aermacchi C-27J twin-engine military transport aircraft, a model of which was on display at the show. Cassidian, a subsidiary of EADS dealing with UAVs, sensors, defence electronics and avionics systems, in pursuit of its globalisation strategy, is working closely with Indian DRDO to build foundations for cooperation not only with the Indian aerospace and military industry, but also to access markets in Asia. Also, Eurocopter, a rotorcraft subsidiary of EADS which in 2010 established Eurocopter India Pvt Ltd as a full-fledged subsidiary, showcased its AS565 MB Panther helicopter which is on offer to the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard. After the frustrating abort of the tender in 2007, the company is hopeful

ISSUE 3 • 2013

Show Report Aero India 2013 that its AS550 C3 Fennec helicopter would emerge as the preferred machine in the second round of tendering for 197 light utility helicopters for the Indian Army and the IAF. Unfortunately, the controversy over the AgustaWestland AW101 deal may cast ominous shadows on the prospects of early finalisation of this tender. Apart from the AS350 B3e, one of the most popular light utility helicopters in India which was available for flight, Eurocopter had on display by way of scale models of the new EC175, that has excellent performance for offshore operations and the performance-enhanced new EC130T2, which shares the technological baseline with the AS350 B3e and is ideal for passenger transport and tourism. Eurocopter sold two EC135 to two different Indian customers at Aero India 2013. The other European helicopter major AgustaWestland showcased its range of modern high performance military and commercial helicopters at Aero India 2013 which included the AW101 that has been grabbing the headlines for all the wrong reasons, the AW109 light twin-engine military helicopter, the best-selling AW139 medium-twin engine helicopter and the naval variant of the NH90 helicopter. In 2010, AgustaWestland along with Tata Sons Ltd formed a joint venture company called Indian Rotorcraft Ltd located in Hyderabad for the assembly of AW119 commercial helicopters for the global market. The new facility is currently under construction. As per Geoff Hoon, Managing Director, International Business, AgustaWestland, the company is working on a strategy to be a part of India’s growing aerospace industry and Aero India provides a platform for the achievement of this objective. Being the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), AgustaWestland is bidding for the contract for midlife upgrade programme of the Sea King fleet of the Indian Navy. OSS Air and Air Works India have been appointed as authorised service centres for commercial helicopters of AgustaWestland in India. The IAF’s latest acquisition, a basic turboprop trainer Pilatus PC-7 Mk II from the Swiss company made its public debut at Aero India 2013. Of the 75 aircraft ordered in May 2011, two were delivered to the IAF just before Aero India. French Aerospace major Dassault was clearly dominating the skies with the impressive aerial display by Rafale that if all goes well with the contract negotiations currently under way, could soon be a frontline fighter of the IAF. It appears that Dassault would prefer to allocate the major portion of work related to offset obligations to Reliance Industries, an Indian entity with which it has established a joint venture instead of HAL which as per the terms of the tender is designated as the lead integrator of the aircraft. Dassault with an eye on the growing market for high-end business jet in India had the three-engine Falcon 900LX and the twin-engine Falcon 2000S on static display. Also on display was the three-engine Falcon 7X, the latest from their stables. With 20 Falcon jets flying in India, Dassault is moving forward with its plans for aggressive marketing of its business jets in India. Embraer at the Air Show Air display at the air show included the first of the three Embraer 145 based airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) system delivered recently to the IAF. This platform is symbolic of a successful joint development programme between Embraer and laboratories of the Indian DRDO. The latter have developed the operational equipment including the sensors and the fixed antenna mounted on top of the fuselage for the phased array surveillance radar. Present in India since 2005 and with 18 business jets of the company currently in operation in India, Embraer had a larger presence at the air show in the business

ISSUE 3 • 2013

jet segment, showcasing its Lineage 1000, Legacy 650 and the Phenom 100 on the static display. At the show, Embraer made public its agreement with Mumbai-based company Indamer to provide maintenance support for the midsize Legacy 500 which is scheduled to enter service in 2014. Israeli Presence at Aero India Technologically rated as amongst the advanced nations in the world, the national pavilion of Israel at Aero India 2013 organised by SIBAT, Israel’s Defence Cooperation Authority under the Ministry of Defence, showcased a variety of systems from the leading companies from its aerospace and defence industry. These included the airborne early warning radar developed for special mission aircraft, medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle and advanced air defence missile systems. One of the unique systems displayed for the first time in India was the Iron Dome, the indigenously developed missile interception system. Other systems on display included the most advanced precision guided weapons, avionics equipment, state-of-the-art command, control, communications, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance equipment, as also highly sophisticated protection systems ranging from active electronic countermeasures, electronic warfare systems, decoys and passive armour system. While inaugurating the pavilion, Alon Ushpiz, Ambassador of Israel in India, said, “Many of the Israeli systems on display here in Bengaluru have proven themselves under highly challenging combat operations.” He went on to say, “This pavilion is a symbol of the level of intimacy and cooperation that we have reached with India. Our two nations share a wide array of security challenges. The cooperation in these fields has been an integral part of the growing multifaceted relationship.” Russia at Aero India Russia, erstwhile the largest military supplier to India accounting for 70 per cent of Indian defence purchases, has in the recent past, lost several multibillion-dollar contracts to the US or European companies. However, with the order for large numbers of Mi-17V5 helicopters and Su-30MKI combat platforms, Indian contracts with Russian companies is in excess of $7 billion (`38,500 crore). The Russian delegation at Aero India was led by Viktor Komardin, Deputy General Director of Rosoboronexport. The state-owned entity was promoting a variety of military equipment which included scale models of the amphibious aircraft Beriev Be-200 Altair, the Kamov Ka-226T Segei that is in the race for the 197 helicopter contract, the latest air defence equipment, the Yak-130 combat trainer, Il-78MK-90 tanker, the newest Il-76MD-90A military transport aircraft, Mi-35M, Mi26T2 and Ka-31 helicopters as also aerial weapon systems and training aids. Updates on the multi-role transport aircraft and the fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) programmes were also presented. The Tenth Edition of the Air Show Overall, Aero India 2013 was certainly important with regard to the “trade” aspect of the exposition as it would serve to provide a powerful impetus to offset business worth billions of dollars. The air show is expected to be the beginning of fresh dialogue for collaboration and joint ventures between the global and the Indian aerospace industry. Also, the level of entertainment for the public at large especially with the three aerobatic teams was also reasonably high. As announced during the inauguration by the Defence Minister, the tenth edition of Aero India will be held at Air Force Station at Yelahanka, from February 18 to 22, 2015. SP

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Show Report

Aero India 2013 Strengthening ties: us ambassador to india nancy powell at the honeywell stall

Coming of Age By R. Chandrakanth

Photograph: Sp guide pubns

The international air shows at Le Bourget, Paris, and Farnborough, London, continue to be top-notch, though the major buyers of both defence and commercial aviation products could be outside Europe. These air shows have long been established and continue to attract trade visitors from across the world. India, on the other hand, is a fairly recent entrant with the first Aero India held in 1996 and is making rapid strides, one driven by major acquisition programmes and two the organisation of the show itself is coming of age. And we at SP Guide Publications are proud to be associated as the ‘Key Official Media Partners’ of Aero India for successive editions. In its ninth edition, Aero India 2013 held from February 6 to 10 at the Yelahanka Air Force Station, near Bengaluru, the show has matured, though there was initial scepticism that it would not have the same kind of ‘firepower’ of the previous editions, now that India had selected Dassault Aviation’s Rafale for IAF’s requirement of medium multi-role combat aircraft. The pundits were proven wrong as the enthusiasm and business opportunities were opening up fast. And we are not talking about the sea of humanity which turns up for the air show, unlike anywhere else. Air shows are not all about fighter aircraft which one wag called fighter jets as ‘fuel to noise converters’. They are about aircraft, small and big, military and commercial; they are about products and solutions, both airborne and ground; they are about weapons; they are about components; they are about services and a whole gamut of aviation related stuff. While the number of aircraft on display, both static and air, was marginally down from the previous edition, Aero India 2013 used twice the exhibition space of 2011 to showcase a wide array of products and solutions. And boy, the exhibitors were happy. Todd Hattaway, Country Director (India) of Beechcraft, said: ‘Though our chalet was far away from the nerve centre, we must say that it has been a good show, getting better every time. We have had some fruitful business meetings.” The fact that Beechcraft found the going good was an indicator how commercial/general aviation side was finding Aero India as an ideal platform to partner with, despite the fact that it remains predominantly a military show. The presence of a large number of civilian aircraft manufacturers gave it a twist. There were almost 50 of the total 627 exhibitors (352 from overseas).

Commercial and general aviation The Minister for Civil Aviation, Ajit Singh, at the inaugural ceremony underscored the growing importance of civil aviation market in India and how it was racing towards becoming one of the top three fastest growing markets in the next couple of years, registering a growth rate of 15 per cent a year. With foreign direct investment (FDI) in airlines; policies to encourage regional airliners; hinterland connectivity; exponential passenger and cargo movement, the sector is all set to explode in the coming years. Endorsing the growth story was Boeing’s Senior Vice President of Asia Pacific and India Sales for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Dinesh Keskar, who is betting big on India. Boeing in fact has revised upwards the airplane requirement for India in sync with growth patterns. Keskar said that in the short term while traffic is dropping due to reduced capacity, yields are improving and fuel prices are stabilising in the market. ‘These are all positive signs for the airlines in India.” From a commercial and general aviation perspective, some of the biggies who showcased included the Brazilian giant Embraer with its Lineage 1000, Phenom 100 and the EMB 135BJ (business jet variant). From Hawker Beechcraft there was King Air, while Cessna brought the VLJ Cessna Mustang to the show. The Indian Air Force’s new Pilatus PC-7 Mk II made its presence too.

US leads with huge delegation The major foreign companies were from the US which had the largest delegation (67 companies), followed by France (49), the

Focus shifts In recent years, the focus of defence and aviation events in India is shifting from selling or buying to getting into collaborations, joint

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United Kingdom (33), Russia (29) and Germany (22). With the US military sales to India touching close to $12 billion, several top US defence companies such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Rockwell Collins, Textron, Gulfstream, General Electric, Honeywell and a host of others were displaying their products and solutions for the Indian market. Endorsing their presence was the US Ambassador to India, Nancy Powell, who eulogised the growing relationship between the two countries. From UK, the Minister of Defence Equipment, Support and Technology, Philip Dunne was hoping to build on the UK’s recent successes in the Indian market, in particular the Hawk jet trainer contract and looked forward to further tranches of the aircraft in the near future. He also cited the excellent progress of the Rolls-Royce/Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) joint venture that is producing engine components.

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Show Report Aero India 2013

HAL on Restructuring Mode the Directorate General of Civil Aviation for Ozar airport near Mumbai and hoped that it would ‘decongest’ Mumbai international airport. He said that the Civil Aviation Secretary had endorsed the proposal to reopen HAL Airport in Bengaluru to civil traffic to decongest Bengaluru International Airport (BIAL). “BIAL was planned for a capacity of ten million passengers annually but had already crossed 12 million and was being expanded to cater for 17 million.” HAL airport could be used for short haul flights, he said adding that nowhere in the world an operational airport had been closed down to accommodate a new airport.

take-off mode: light combat aircraft “tejas” in flight

Aerospace major HAL is in a massive restructuring and expansion mode as aerospace and defence sectors are becoming highly dynamic in the Indian context. At Aero India 2013, R.K. Tyagi, Chairman HAL, outlined how the company was gearing up to achieve its 2020 vision of becoming a $10 billion (`55,000 crore) company, the portfolio including military and civil aircraft, MRO and UAVs. “We are working on 12 indigenous platforms—eight fixed and four in rotary.” Leveraging expertise developed over the years, HAL is entering into civil aerospace. “Projections are that by 2020, India will be the third largest civil aviation market. The government has decided that HAL will lead the `7,500 crore programme to develop a national civil aircraft jointly with the private sector. Tyagi mentioned that HAL had received certification from

Photograph: PIB

ventures, partnerships, etc following the government liberalising the defence offset policy. The fruits of such collaborative efforts will be seen in the next couple of years. Such platforms propel small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and at the show, the SMEs were busy in the light of liberalisation, offset opportunities, etc. Defence aviation rules However, the military aviation drew all the attention. The major attractions were indeed the Dassault Rafale, Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, the indigenously developed light combat aircraft Tejas, HAL’s advanced light helicopter ‘Rudra’ among others. Major aircraft manufacturing companies such as Lockheed Martin, Saab, etc did not showcase any aircraft, though there was an air force F-16 as part of the static display. The highpoints at the show included the HAL-Sukhoi prospective multi-role fighter (PMF), the modified version of the Sukhoi T-50/PAK FA which is already under test across four prototypes in Russia. In the rotary-wing, Eurocopter and Sikorsky made presentations on how their choppers were suitable for a variety of missions, both military and civilian. UAVs attract Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are becoming the norm in

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Military Aircraft Programmes HAL, he stated, has been on track on various programmes related to military aircraft. “Let me assure you that development of the intermediate jet trainer (IJT) is on track. We expect to have initial operational clearance (IOC) by December this year.” For the fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA), work had already been initiated with Russian partners. So also the multi-role transport aircraft in the 15-20 tonne class was being co-developed with Russia. The mock-up of the light utility helicopter (LUH) at Aero India, he said, was HAL’s answer to the civilian helicopter needs of the country. “We hope to get IOC in the next two years.” “As for the light combat aircraft Tejas, ADA expects to get IOC by June 2013. We are one of the partners and we have ramped up our manufacturing facilities, have made investments and teams are in place. Once the IOC is achieved, we will start delivering eight aircraft per year and with further investments, increase it to 16.” Similarly, plans are afoot to start work on the medium multi-role combat aircraft along with Dassault and 17 other associated companies. SP

—By R. Chandrakanth

intelligence surveillance reconnaissance (ISR) activities and there was growing interest in the same. Cassidian showcased Tanan 300 UAV; UTC Aerospace Systems exhibited two new unmanned aerial systems – Vireo and Optio which are said to be low-cost and applicable in a wide variety of markets; Elbit Systems presented high performance turnkey UAS solutions, including advanced air vehicles, ground control stations etc. Elbit presented in 1:1 size the Skylark (long endurance) UAS and Hermes 90, a tactical close-range long-endurance UAS. Northrop Grumman Corporation highlighted its industryleading range of capabilities in ISR including airborne early warning and control systems for maritime reconnaissance and unmanned aerial vehicles. Israeli companies caught the attention for their effective defence strategies and Rafael, for the first time, showcased the ‘Iron Dome’ missile system, designed to intercept and destroy shortrange rockets and artillery shells fired from distances of 4-70 km. BrahMos Aerospace unveiled a scale-model of the hypersonic BrahMos-II multi-role cruise missile and full-scale model of the launch pylon for air-launched BrahMos-I, etc. Airbus, Astrium, Cassidian and Eurocopter displayed a broad selection of cutting-edge products, technologies and so-

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Show Report Aero India 2013

Eurocopter’s India Plans fledged subsidiary to be established in the country, with plans to expand organically and through co-operations with local partners,” Dr Bertling said.

Photographs: Anoop Kamath

“We are not shy of cooperating in India. As such our helicopters know the Indian skies, they know every corner of the country,” said Dr Lutz Bertling, President and CEO of Eurocopter on the company’s plans of building on its five-decade-long relationship with the Indian industry. Since its inauguration in 2010, Eurocopter India has gone aggressive, capturing majority of the civil and parapublic market with large success with the EC135. In 2012, it recorded an impressive booking of 12 helicopters, driven largely by the sale of nine light twin-engine EC135. On the deliveries front, it is again leading for the third consecutive year with a total of six registered deliveries and has 43 per cent market share. “We will continue developing our presence in the market, building on the strengths of Eurocopter India as the only full-

Military Helicopters for India Eurocopter’s prospects include the 197 AS550 C3 Fennec helicopters sought by the Indian armed forces, the AS565 MBe Panther and for the requirement of 56 utility helicopters for the Indian Navy. The Indian Coast Guard is planning to acquire 16 ship-based light-medium helicopters. The Indian Navy has plans to acquire 120 naval multi-role helicopters under the ‘buy and make’ route and the Indian Coast Guard for 14 shore-based CSAR helicopters. Dr Bertling said the AS550 C3 Fennec would be ideal replacement for the Cheetahs and Chetaks. “It is military certified and combat proven and also it is user-friendly for pilots and technicians due to similar architecture to Cheetah.” He said that the first deliveries can be made in 12 months after contract is concluded as Eurocopter makes 300 Ecureruil/ Fennec a year. “The urgent Indian requirements easily fit into our production capacity,” he said and added that the company was ready to set up production capability in India. “We have the best tool for the Indian Air Force.” Industrial cooperation Eurocopter and HAL, he said, had five decades of strategic partnership with over 600 Cheetahs/Chetaks produced with associated MRO activities. HAL is part of Eurocopter’s global supply chain for composite chipsets. The company also had industrial and commercial partnerships with Mahindra & Mahindra and Pawan Hans Helicopters. The relationship would be further strengthened. SP

—By R. Chandrakanth

lutions and they included a mock-up of the multi-role tanker transport (MRTT) from Airbus Military; sitcom terminal and telecommunications satellites from Astrium; UAVs, sensors, defence electronics and avionics systems from Cassidian; a range of helicopters including a Naval Panther from Eurocopter and a mock-up of ATR 72-600. India’s very own Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) was aggressive in marketing their efforts. V.K. Saraswat, Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister and head of DRDO, said: “Growth in aerospace cannot be limited to collaboration in manufacturing and has to be in all aspects—design, product and development.” The takeaway from Aero India 2013 indeed had to do with indigenisation efforts in collaboration with foreign partners, now that the government has liberalised offsets policy. There may not have been any major announcements or deals during the air show, but it was indicative of steady development of the Indian defence industry with keen participation from the private sector. To sum up, the surging crowds at the air show which normally come for the aerobatics (by the Flying Bulls from Czech Republic; the Russian Knights and IAF’s Sarang) reflects the growing enthusiasm for high-end technologies, be it in the air or ground. SP

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ISSUE 3 • 2013

Show Report Aero India 2013

Photograph: Hawker Beechcraft

Beechcraft offers Special Mission capabilities on KingAir 350i Hawker Beechcraft’s chalet was in one far corner of Aero India 2013, getting lesser eyeballs than many other companies who were upfront. In fact, Hawker Beechcraft found that it was to their advantage that they could get people who mattered, up to the chalet and have fairly quiet meetings. “This has been a busy show. It has been much better this year…. So many customers coming over here, though we were far away from the main area,” said a beaming Todd Hattaway, Country Director, India, Beechcraft. Hattaway along with Ted Farid, Senior Vice President (International Sales); Steve Porte, Vice President (International Support) and Mark Qualis, Director Commercial and International Special Mission (Business Development and Sales) were on a mission at Aero India, creating awareness and campaigning about KingAir 350i’s special mission capabilities. Hattaway said: “Our aircraft are used in a wide variety of applications…be it for border control, maritime patrol, training, cargo, military, weather and the like. It is a very versatile and rugged aircraft. Our aircraft are in operation in about 125 countries in both military and special mission configurations. In the Asian region, the need for such aircraft is growing. For special mission applications, this is the most costeffective aircraft.” In India, there are 94 KingAir aircraft with state and Central Governments; companies, operators and others. It is only now that there is the necessity of special mission, considering the vast geographical expanse of the country, with a difficult terrain in the north and a very long coastline in the south. “Special mission as a product has been around for years,” chipped in Farid. “The aircraft can land on short and unprepared fields. In India we are here to communicate to the defence sector about the special mission characteristics. We would like to be there when the government takes decision on fulfilling such requirements.” Adding that homeland security terminology is a post-9/11 creation, Farid mentioned that the aircraft can do surveillance, mapping, photography and much more, all at an economical cost. “Sometimes, we reconfigure the aircraft, sometimes the customers get integrators to do it, depending on the needs and

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budget. We have three models of KingAir and we can fit equipment based on customer requirements.” Giving details of special mission equipment for maritime patrol, Mark Qualis explained that it would have a search radar which could stay at higher altitudes; electro-optical cameras which could keep an eye on the movements on sea and could be used to detect illegal fishing; illegal discharge of pollutants in water, etc; on what kind of cargo the ship is carrying and also locate ships which are in distress. Outlook “It is hard for us to predict,” responded Hattaway but added that there are positive developments in the region. However, there were matters of concern regarding infrastructure, regulatory issues, etc. “For instance on January 23 this year, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has mandated that all new turbo twin-engine aircraft should have flight data recorders (blackbox), while we are alright with regard to safety, there has to be some kind of uniformity. A single engine turboprop is exempted and also the change was not discussed with OEMs or operators.” Asked about leasing market, Farid added: “The leasing market around the world is weak. However, our kind of aircraft are typically acquired.” In India, the market is growing between 7 per cent and 12 per cent in the past three years, and they are mostly acquisitions, including pre-owned. On changes at the corporate level, they said: “We were Beechcraft earlier and we are going back to being called Beechcraft. All service and support centres will remain the same, except that we would be signing a new contract with the customers in the name of Beechcraft,” said Steve Porte. KingAir 350i has unmatched fuel efficiency and low operating costs and it is said to be the ‘greenest business aircraft’ in its segment. The King Air 350iER (extended range) delivers extended range or high performance special mission capabilities. SP

—By R. Chandrakanth

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Seminar

Report

A Glimmer of Hope A day-long seminar was organised by the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with the US-India Aviation Cooperation Programme on efforts to boost general aviation in India By Sucheta Das Mohapatra

Photographs: IACC

For the Betterment of general aviation: Civil Aviation Minister Ajit singh and director General Civil aviation Arun Mishra

A glimmer of hope emerged at the seminar on “General Aviation: The Next Steps”, organised by the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC) in collaboration with the US-India Aviation Cooperation Programme (ACP), as the Minister of Civil Aviation Ajit Singh spoke about policy changes to be made and a time frame to ease out regulatory issues. Delivering the inaugural address, Ajit Singh said that the political consensus allowing 49 per cent investment in Indian carriers shows the commitment of his government. He spoke about different steps taken by the government which would help in the growth of civil aviation sector in the country including the state-of-the-art facilities coming up at several airports in the country, 15 new Greenfield airports, provisions in the Union budget 2013-14, etc. Ajit Singh said that bilateral relations between India and the US have strengthened over the years and the “open-sky policy” has helped India’s aviation market grow. He said that the current estimates indicate that the Indian airports would require an investment of about `67,000 crore during the next five years, of which 75 per cent is likely to come from the private sector. The Minister stated that India has the potential to become a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) hub and airlines can create subsidiaries for ground handling. However, he said that airlines should form consortiums for the purpose as the government will put a cap on the number of ground handlers. To facilitate the growth of MRO business, the government, he said, has

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recently decided to give several concessions which include extension of time period allowed for utilisation of aircraft parts, etc. In order to cater to the need for trained and skilled manpower in the country, Ajit Singh said the government is keen on setting up an aviation university and said that suggestions from IACC would be welcome. The Minister ended with a positive note, quoting former US President John F. Kennedy, “Things do not happen, things are made to happen.” K. Narayan Rao, Director, GMR Infrastructure Ltd and Chairman, Civil Aviation Committee, PHDCCI, spoke about the challenges faced by general aviation in India, and was followed by Todd Hathaway, Country Director, Beechcraft, who gave the US industry perspective and suggested that it is highly relevant to provide and encourage innovation in all fields of civil aviation sector. On the Indian industry perspective, Raman Kapoor, Associate Vice President, Business Development, Ligare Voyages, said that the sector is growing and gave out details of what can still be done. The need for setting up a working group to look at the aviation requirements was emphasised upon by C.J. Collins, Senior Representative, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). She said representatives of the Civil Aviation Ministry, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), industry partners, etc should be members of the Working Group. Judy Reinke, Minister Counselor for Commercial Affairs, US Embassy, said that India is the least penetrated but has huge potential.

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Seminar Report Giving out the keynote address, Arun Mishra, Director General, DGCA, said that there is primary synergy between India and the US. “We are new kids in the block and need support.” “Safety is my primary concern. Regulation of safety in business aviation is very important.” He admitted that there is shortage of staff at DGCA but said that the process for filling the vacancies has begun. There are several issues which the DGCA is looking at, he said, including trying for short notice flights, issues of general aviation flying into defence control outfit, etc. “There is a long way to go and we want to engage with the FAA in a very constructive manner.” The inaugural session ended with Dr Vivek Lal, the Chairman Aviation and Aerospace Committee and President and CEO, New Venture, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), stating that the conference can act as a catalyst in formulating policies on general aviation and there is tremendous opportunity for the US and India to work together. Technical Session I The first technical session was on “Policy and Regulatory Framework” and was presided over by Atul Sharma, former Regional President, IACC and Managing Partner, Link Legal. Emphasising on the need for safety, A.M. Ganapthy, Head, Standards Committee, Business Aircraft Operators Association (BAOA), spoke about the need for international standards for India and advantages of international standard for business aircraft Operations safety management system (IS-BAO-SMS), which is regarded as a golden standard for safety. Sudipta Dutta, Director, Directorate of Air Worthiness, DGCA, spoke on management of airworthiness and concerns of general aviation operators which includes lack of budgetary support, non-availability of qualified manpower, proper training to working personnel, proper quality audit system and a dedicated auditor, adequate management support for improvement, etc. Ravi Nath of Rajinder Narain and Co. Solicitors and Advocates, spoke on the legal aspects of finance and leasing of aircraft. Enforcement of foreign decrees, arbitral award enforcement, deregistration issue, etc were among different legal aspects he highlighted on. Similarly, Kamal Abrol, Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), threw light on taxability under domestic tax provisions, dry lease and wet lease, indirect taxes on leasing of aircraft, dual taxation, etc. Technical Session II The luncheon session was on “General Aviation: Technology and Infrastructure” and was presided by Captain Rohit Kapur, President, BAOA. Ravi Menon, Executive Director, Air Works, detailed out on “MROs for General Aviation” and said that there is need for attitudinal changes, optimising the capabilities available in the country, and aligning regulations with the needs of the industry. He welcomed the government’s move to set up an aviation university to develop manpower and reduction in taxation and royalty on MRO components. “Airports and Airspace Restructuring” was the subject, Arjun Singh, former Programme Director, US-India ACP, spoke about in detail. Wing Commander (Retd) B.S. Singh Deo, Managing Director, Bell Helicopter India, spoke on “Heliport Management and Regulatory Challenges in General Aviation”. Helicopter is the vehicle of the future and can be used in 30 different roles, he said, but informed that the helicopter fleet has reduced in 2012 and would reduce further. “It is like a dream not come true.” Talking on the impediments, he said that noise pollution was the primary reason which came on the way of a helicopter service which was planned to be started by Pawan Hans between South and North Mumbai. However, he said that today new technologies have come up and helicopters are now equipped with noise

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abatement designs. However, later at the same session R.P. Sahi, Consultant, Ministry of Civil Aviation and former Joint DG, DGCA, informed that the heliport at Mumbai could not be developed as the land identified was under the Coastal Regime Zone and clearances could not be attained. At the end of session, while the members agreed that MROs need to come out of international airports, the need to develop other areas other than metros for the purpose was also felt. “The growth story of business aviation will move together with the growth story of the nation.” Technical Session III The session on “Role of General Aviation Industry in Key Areas” was chaired by R.P. Sahi, Consultant, Ministry of Civil Aviation and former Joint DG, DGCA. Panellist Lex Den Herder, Vice President, Government and Industry Affairs, Universal Weather and Aviation Inc. spoke on “The Value of Business Aviation, Implementing Change and Views for New Opportunities”. He said that BAOA is the voice of business aviation in India and urged more and more members to join the association. He said that the advanced passenger information system (APIS) is currently utilised only for airline operations. Sanjeev Choudhury, Senior Vice President (Business Development), Arrow Aircraft and Ex-Senior Vice President, Indocopters Pvt Ltd, gave a presentation on “Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) and other Emerging Areas of Operations”. He expressed regret that in India till date there were no dedicated HEMS service and what is there, is medical evacuation, wherein passenger aircraft are used for flying a patient from one destination to the other. “Fortunately, one aviation company is now starting the HEMS with seven helicopters.” Choudhury also spoke about powerline operations. The mood at the day-long which was a mix of hope and despair, witnessed a sudden uplift as Ammeet K. Agarwal, President and CEO, Supreme Aviation, gave his presentation. Comparing India with the US, Canada, South Africa, he said that 900 new airstrips can be developed in India, which will lead to five lakh job opportunities and 640 districts of India will be connected with each other. “It takes only `4 lakh, six weeks of training and a medical test to get a private pilot licence in the US. And with the licence, you can fly from anywhere and anytime. His calculations said it is possible to have a two and fro journey from Delhi to Jaipur in just a few hours and for `2,000 per person in a private charter. While several eyebrows were raised, Agarwal with his futuristic statements and amusing figures (which he said is a trade secret) made the session lively. The Last Session The last session on “Emerging Areas and Opportunities in General Aviation” was once again presided by Rohit Kapur and Rajan Mehra, Managing Director, Universal Weather and Aviation-India, Ed Smith, Senior Vice President-International and Environmental Affairs, General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) and Manish Mishra, Khaitan and Co were the panellists. Trying to boost the mood of one and all as doubts were raised in the previous session whether India would actually be able to achieve the figures in the next five to ten years, Mehra said that things can change suddenly and dramatically. “A couple of years back, China had lesser aircraft than India, but now there is a quick turnaround.” There are problems but if government realises and acts, everything is possible. He said that there is now positivity as far as the government is concerned and the budget 2013-14 has minor concessions too. “Could visualise things happening very fast,” he said. While Smith spoke on the economic value of a strong general aviation industry, Mishra threw light on the legal aspects. SP’s Aviation was the media partner of the event. SP

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hall of fame

Mercury 13 was the nickname of 13 daring American female pilots, formally known as the First Lady Astronaut Trainees (FLAT), each one of whom dreamt of becoming the world’s first woman in space. In 1960, they were rigorously tested for their fitness for spaceflight under a private programme financed by the worldrenowned aviatrix Jacqueline Cochran. The reasons were practical. Women are lighter than men and require less fuel for the blast-off into space, a vital factor at the dawn of the space age. They are less prone to heart attacks and are better able to cope with claustrophobic isolation in space. However, Mercury 13, not part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronaut programme, never ventured into space. In 1959, independent medical researcher William Randolph Lovelace II who helped develop selection tests for NASA’s male astronauts and the US Air Force Brigadier General Donald Flickinger wondered how women might endure spaceflight. The Soviet Union had launched the world’s first man-made satellite Sputnik-1 in October 1957 and the US followed suit with Explorer-1 in January 1958. It was only a question of time before human spaceflight would become a reality. And General Flickinger knew that America had to hurry if it wished to launch a woman into space before the Soviets. With impressive credentials, Jerrie Cobb was chosen to be the first American woman to be subjected to physiological and psychological screening tests as for male astronauts selected in April 1959 for Project Mercury. Since no human being had yet flown in space when these tests were designed, extreme fitness standard was a prerequisite. Several highly-accomplished commercial pilots including famous personalities like Jerrie Cobb and Wally Funk applied. The oldest candidate, Jane Hart, wife of a US Senator, was a 41-year-old mother of eight, while the youngest, Wally Funk, was just 23. Finally, 13 of the women passed the same tests as the first group of the US male astronauts. A few of the women underwent additional Phase-II

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trials, comprising an isolation tank test and psychological evaluation. Only Jerrie Cobb passed the PhaseIII checks which were advanced aero medical examinations using military equipment and jet aircraft. Some others were getting ready to follow when a telegram was received, abruptly cancelling all further tests. Apparently, since NASA wasn’t willing to sponsor the tests, the US Navy decided to discontinue the use of its facilities for a project that was not official. Urgent appeals even to the US President to reconsider the matter came to naught.

MERCURY 13 Although the Mercury 13 space project was unceremoniously terminated, many of the women went on to extraordinary achievements in other fields. On June 16, 1963, Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space.

the programme was only a private effort sponsored by an independent consultant to NASA on astronaut selection. NASA’s QRs clearly mentioned that all astronauts should be graduates of military jet test pilot programmes and should hold an engineering degree. Perhaps it was reasonable to prefer military personnel in view of the military origins of the space programme, the easy availability of hundreds of experienced test pilots, the criticality of the space race and the high cost of failure. In 1960, 75 per cent of American women did not work outside the home. Forget testing military jets, female pilots could not even join the US military. Therefore, it would be more apt to conclude that the Mercury 13 pilots were victims of the prevailing conservative attitude in the society towards women. Although the Mercury 13 space project was unceremoniously terminated, many of the women went on to extraordinary achievements in other fields. On June 16, 1963, Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space. NASA itself did not welcome women astronauts until 1978. Since then, over 50 different women of various nationalities have flown in space. Astronaut Sally Ride became the first American woman in space in 1983 on Space Shuttle STS-7 and Eileen Collins was the first woman to pilot the Shuttle STS-63 in 1995. Collins also became the first woman to command a space shuttle mission STS-93 in 1999. Women have twice commanded the International Space Station, including Indo-American Sunita Williams last year. On International Women’s Day, that’s clearly something to celebrate. Only 12 human beings, all white American males, have ever walked on the moon. But Mars will be different and women have a fair chance of being among the first few to set foot on the red planet. That’s something to look forward to. Because, when it comes to the crunch, capability should count, not gender. SP

That is how the dreams of Mercury 13 were rudely shattered. Were they victims of NASA’s gender bias? In all fairness it must be said that

—Group Captain (Retd) Joseph Noronha, Goa

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focus india / SP’S SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT Nirbhay: Mixed Success

The much anticipated maiden test of India’s long-range cruise missile, Nirbhay, ended mostly in disappointment on March 12, with the programme scientists forced to destroy the missile about 20 minutes after launch. While the launch itself from the road mobile launcher, the separation of the booster and deployment of wings, were successful operations, about 20 minutes into the flight, the cruise missile drifted alarmingly from its flight path forcing the test team to take the drastic action. Protocol during such tests necessitates emergency fallbacks in the event of loss of control of the missile. The Bay of Bengal Test range is a safe one, but the Nirbhay was being tested to its maximum range of 1,000 km and therefore coastal security presented itself as an immediate concern. The test team was therefore unanimous that the missile test must be aborted. Sources indicated that there could have been mechanical issues with control surfaces, or possible certain minor electrical glitches that may have pushed the weapon off course. A post-test inquiry team will look into all telemetry data to zero in on what went wrong. National Civil Aircraft programme targets 2020 In the next six-seven years, the ambitious National Civil Aircraft Development (NCAD) programme hopes to ready its first platform—a 100-seat civil passenger jet for Indian service and exports. A team from the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and National Aeronautics Laboratory (NAL) recently made a presentation to the Planning Commission. It has been decided that HAL will be the lead integrator on the programme, along with the NAL. A modalities of a consortium or joint venture are to be formalised shortly. According to HAL Chairman R.K. Tyagi, the NCAD programme envisages an investment of `7,500 crore—`4,500 crore in design and `3,000 crore for prototype production. On February 20, addressing young designers at HAL,

former President Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam said, “There are opportunities and challenges such as developing 100-seat passenger jet which could be taken up by youngsters like you.” A host of private sector companies are expected to be part of the programme. According to NAL, “The design and development of National Civil Aircraft will be carried out by a core team at NAL in configuration design, systems engineering, definition of subsystems, integration/flight testing and programme management. NAL will also be responsible for undertaking the detailed engineering design for the new aircraft. NAL is in the process of organising the teams to establish a design bureau which will address various engineering issues related to aircraft configuration, subsystem definition, test and qualification programmes.” IMRH parameters to be frozen by 2014

The Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) has its hands full, as a result of which the all-important Indian Multi-role Helicopter (IMRH) programme has taken a backseat. However, with conceptual development between HAL and the three armed forces progressing well, HAL Chairman R.K. Tyagi has revealed that the configuration and parameters for the proposed platform could be frozen by early next year. Foreign platforms including the Eurocopter EC725 Caracal and Sikorsky S-92 are interested in partnering with HAL for the proposed effort. To save time on an ab initio effort, the IMRH will almost certainly be a partnership or a modified version of an existing helicopter with significant work share for HAL. IAF’s Su-30MKIs Cause of Concern? The Iron Fist fire power demonstration over the Thar Desert last month has spelt bad news for the Su-30MKI. Things started off on a bad note on February 19 when a Su-30MKI crashed during a night bombing and flying training mission over Pokhran, the full rehearsal ahead of Iron Fist three days later. This was the fourth accident of the venerable and relatively new Su-30 fleet and therefore a major cause for concern. Sources indicate that there may have been certain problems with weapon release.

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The IAF’s fears were proved again when two Su-MKIs at Iron Fist failed to deploy their ordnance or PGMs, circuiting the theatre and returning without dropping their weapons as a result of a suspected release malfunction. Light Copter Buy Delayed? One of India’s most crucial purchases—197 reconnaissance and surveillance helicopters (RSH)—for the Army and IAF is likely to be delayed indefinitely according to reports. The process has remained stuck for over a year now with no decision taken on opening the bids of Eurocopter (for the AS 550 C3 Fennec) and Rosoboronexport (for the Kamov Ka-226T Sergei). The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) which was to take a decision in February has failed to do so thus far, leaving the procurement in abject limbo. It may be pertinent to note that Eurocopter has refused to extend the validity of its commercial bids beyond March 31 this year, without adequate clarity on the decision-making process. Both companies have expressed deep concern at the lack of information emanating from the MoD on the procurement process. Critical Review of LCA Tejas The LCA Tejas showed off some of its operational prowess at the recent Iron Fist firepower demonstration over the Thar Desert—the platform was fielded after the IAF expressed keenness in seeing the aircraft perform alongside other inventory types. The LCA Tejas fired an R-73 missile and dropped precision guided bombs during the demonstration. With the platform now on a final leg ahead of the second phase of initial operational clearance (IOC-2), a critical review of lessons learned from the testing of the Tejas was presented recently as a paper at Aero India by the man who leads the flight test programme on the Tejas at the National Flight Test Centre (NFTC) and Aeronautical Development Agency. In an insightful paper on the aircraft and lessons learned from it, Air Commodore K.A. Muthana has delved into never before areas that could prove to be crucial for future development programmes— including higher defence management, clarity on standards, clarity on path certification, clarity on agencies involved, involvement of the IAF, evaluation of prototypes and, crucially, the process of transition from design to manufacture. For complete versions log on to: www. spsaviation.net & www.spsmai.com

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News Digest Military Asia-Pacific French President Visits India

Second look at Procurement Policies

Defence Minister A.K. Antony has said that speedy indigenisation in defence production is essential to eliminate corruption in procurement process. Addressing the Second International Seminar on Army Air Defence, Antony said the armed forces, the government, the DRDO, the industry—both public and private sector—should come together in a mission mode so that the country can achieve maximum for indigenisation in a reasonable framework of time.

AgustaWestland’s statement President Francois on his two-day visit to India had discussions with Dr Manmohan Singh on a range of bilateral issues including defence deals, nuclear plants, cooperation in space, situation in Mali, counterterrorism, Pakistan, Afghanistan, cooperation in education and science, and metro rail for Bengaluru. Observing that India is Hollande’s first Asian destination for a bilateral trip, Singh said this demonstrates the importance of this relationship between the two countries. Expressing satisfaction with the progress in defence cooperation, Dr Singh said, “Discussions on the MMRCA contract are progressing well. We have also concluded negotiations on the shortrange surface-to-air missile (SR-SAM), which, once approved by the government, will be co-developed and co-produced in India.” On his part, Hollande said he has come to take the Indo-French strategic partnership to “yet another level”.

AgustaWestland has issued a statement with reference to the Indian Ministry of Defence’s request for information regarding the AW101 contract received by the company last week. AgustaWestland has confirmed that it is responding to the notice in the spirit of full cooperation with the Indian Ministry of Defence. AgustaWestland has established that its conduct has been fully compliant with the rules which regulate the AW101 helicopters contract signed with India. The company said that the contract was awarded to AgustaWestland following a comprehensive technical and flight evaluation of competing types performed by the IAF in accordance with the Defence Procurement Procedures. “This evaluation demonstrated that the AW101 was the only aircraft able to fully meet the Indian Air Force’s operational requirements, as already confirmed by the Indian authorities on different occasions.”

QuickRoundUp

ARIANESPACE

The 1,800th flight of a Soyuz launch vehicle was performed on February 11, 2013, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Arianespace and its Russian partners report that the Progress cargo spacecraft was accurately placed on the target orbit for another mission to the International Space Station. This was the second Soyuz family mission in 2013.

AIRBUS

Airbus is confident that the lithium ion (Li-ion) main battery architecture it has been developing with Saft and qualifying for the A350 XWB aircraft is robust and safe. However, till date, as the root causes of the two recent industry Li-ion main batteries incidents remain unexplained, Airbus has thus decided to revert back to the proven nickel cadmium main batteries for its A350 XWB programme at Entry into service. The A350 XWB flight test programme will continue as planned with the Li-ion main batteries.

ATK

ATK has been awarded a contract worth $17 million for production of rocket motors for AIM-9P Sidewinder customers within the United States foreign military sales (FMS) programme. The ATK rocket motor is used to power the AIM-9P version of the Sidewinder missile, which is a supersonic, heat-seeking air-to-air missile used by a variety of fixed-wing combat aircraft since the 1970s.

AVIATORS

Aviators Pvt Ltd has signed a firm order for an initial batch of seven Eurocopter EC135 aircraft for helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) operations. A second order is expected to be carried out later this year and rapid growth is anticipated in the HEMS market—as many as 50 helicopters are expected to be deployed throughout the country in the coming years.

BOEING

Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton, Chief of the Air Staff, Royal Air Force, met Air Chief Marshal N.A.K. Browne, Chief of the Air Staff, Indian Air Force, at Air Headquarters, New Delhi, during his visit to India on March 6.

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Boeing will continue modernising the global positioning system (GPS) satellite constellation for five more years, extending the company’s role in the vital military and civilian navigation network. The US Air Force, which operates the GPS network, recently awarded Boeing a $51-million one-year contract with four one-year options. The contract covers GPS IIF satellite shipment to the launch site in Florida, pre-launch preparation, post-launch checkout, handover and on-orbit support. Boeing and Icelandair have announced a firm order for sixteen 737 MAX airplanes, valued at more than $1.6 billion at list prices. The order, originally announced as a commitment for 12 airplanes in December 2012, has been increased to 16 airplanes and includes 737 MAX 8s and 9s, as well as purchase rights for eight additional 737 MAXs.

ISSUE 3 • 2013

News Digest appointments

QuickRoundUp

Boeing & Elbit

Boeing and Elbit Systems Ltd have signed an MoU for self-defence solutions for Boeing military aircraft in international markets. On offer is the Elbit Systems’ directed infrared countermeasure (DIRCM) systems for a range of Boeing military fixed-wing and vertical-lift aircraft. The Elbit DIRCM family of systems is lightweight, compact systems designed to protect aircraft from common battlefield threats.

CFM

2012 proved to be another outstanding year for CFM International with the company logging orders for 898 commercial, military and spare CFM56 engines and firm orders and commitments for more than 1,100 LEAP engines for a combined value of $23.5 billion at list price. Till date, CFM has logged total orders and commitments for more than 4,500 LEAP engines while total CFM56 engine orders stand at nearly 29,300 engines.

Eurofighter

On February 13, 2013, Eurofighter completed ten years of service. The world’s first series production Eurofighter took off on its first flight from Cassidian’s Military Air Systems Centre in Manching during February 2003. The aircraft bearing the marking GT001 (GT stands for German Trainer) was delivered to the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) School of Engineering No. 1 in Kaufbeuren, just a few days later, where it has since been used to train ground personnel.

French Air Force

Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d’ARmement (OCCAR), acting on behalf of France, and Airbus Military have signed the initial in-service support contract providing an 18-month A400M support services package to the French Air Force. This is a key milestone in preparation for the delivery of the first A400M to the French Air Force.

Indra

Indra has signed a framework agreement with the French Direction des Services de la Navigation Aérienne for the supply of en route and terminal distance measuring equipment. The contract was signed for a period of 15 years and will contribute to the renewal of the navigational systems of the French Air Space.

Lockheed Martin

The first Lockheed Martin production model F-35C carrier variant, known as CF-6, flew its first sortie on February 14. Upon delivery later this year, the jet will be assigned to the US Navy Fighter Attack Squadron 101 (VFA-101) at Eglin AFB, Florida. The unit will serve as the Fleet Replacement Squadron, training Navy F-35C pilots and maintainers.

ISSUE 3 • 2013

INDIan air force

Air Marshal Daljit Singh has taken over as Air Officer Commanding-inChief, South Western Air Command (SWAC), Gandhinagar. Air Marshal Shirish Baban Deo has taken over as Director General Air (Operations) at Air Headquarters (Vayu Bhavan), New Delhi.

DRDO

Dr K. Tamilmani, Scientist and Chief Executive, Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC), an establishment of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), has been appointed as the Chief Controller (R&D), Aeronautics.

Eurocopter

The EADS Board of Directors has appointed Guillaume Faury to succeed Lutz Bertling as CEO. He will join on May 1, 2013

Piper

Piper Aircraft Inc. has named Jack Mill as Vice President of Engineering, reporting to President and CEO Simon Caldecott.

Rockwell Collins

Board as a non-executive Director and take over from Sir Simon at the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting on May 2.

Engine Alliance

Dan Athans has been named President of the Engine Alliance, succeeding Mary Ellen Jones, who is returning to a senior leadership position at Pratt & Whitney.

Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman has announced that it has appointed Vice Presidents Robert Burke, Dale Burton and Art Lofton to a new leadership position within the company’s Aerospace Systems sector. In their new roles, Burke, Burton and Lofton will report to Tom Vice, Corporate Vice President and President of Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems. The company has appointed Mary Petryszyn as Vice President, International, for the company’s Aerospace Systems sector. Northrop Grumman Board of Directors has elected Michael Hardesty as Corporate Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer.

Rockwell Collins has announced that Greg Churchill, Executive Vice President, International and Service Solutions, will retire at the end of March. Colin Mahoney will succeed Churchill as Senior Vice President, International and Service Solutions.

Astrium

ManTech

Boeing

ManTech International Corporation has named Brian McHugh Vice President for Program Development and Risk Management.

Gulfstream

Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation has appointed Dan Nale as Senior Vice President, Programmes, Engineering and Test.

Rolls-Royce

Rolls-Royce has announced that Ian Davis will succeed Sir Simon Robertson as Chairman. He will join the

Bart Reijnen has been appointed the new Astrium Bremen Site Director. He will also be Head of Orbital Systems and Space Exploration within the Astrium Space Transportation business unit.

Greg Hyslop has been appointed Vice President and General Manager, Boeing Research & Technology. He succeeds Matt Ganz, who was recently named President, Boeing Germany and Northern Europe, and Vice President, European Technology Strategy.

BAE Systems

BAE Systems has appointed Erin Moseley, Senior VP of Government Relations, as President of the company’s Support Solutions sector. He succeeds David Herr, who is now the Executive Vice President, Service Sectors.

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News Digest Show Calendar

Honeywell GBAS at Chennai airport

QuickRoundUp

18-19 March Air Power Middle East 2013 Armed Forces Officers Club, Abu Dhabi, UAE www.meairpower.com 19-21 March BUSINESS AIRPORT WORLD EXPO Farnborough Airport, London, UK www.businessairportworldexpo.com 26-30 March LIMA 2013 Langkawi, Malaysia www.lima.com.my 9-11 April AIRCRAFT INTERIORS EXPO 2013 Congress Centre Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany www.aircraftinteriorsexpo.com

Honeywell’s SmartPath, the groundbased augmentation system (GBAS), has been selected by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) as part of a pilot project for satellite-based precision approach and landings at Chennai International Airport. SmartPath will support future demand at Chennai International by reducing delays and journey times for passengers, lowering operational costs for airlines, and increasing traffic throughput at the airport.

Industry America

Asia-Pacific

F-35 with Marietta-built center wing

Tata & Piaggio Aero join hands

The first Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II with a Center Wing Assembly (CWA) built at the Lockheed Martin facility in Marietta, was flown for the first time this week. The aircraft, known as BF-25, is an F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing variant that will be delivered to the US Marine Corps at Yuma, Arizona. The CWA is a major structural component and represents approximately one quarter of the aircraft’s fuselage. Approximately, 350 people work on the F-35 programme in Marietta.

Civil Aviation Asia-Pacific AAI partners with SITA

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has announced that SITA, the global IT provider for the air transport industry, has been selected to equip 25 airports with its common-use passenger processing system to improve the experience of millions of passengers. This announcement follows the successful implementation of SITA’s common-use passenger processing system at 13 AAI airports, which was part of the first phase of airports modernisation plan by AAI. All these 38 airports managed by AAI will now enjoy the benefits of improved check-in, boarding and new self-service facilities thanks to SITA’s advanced technology.

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Tata Technologies, a leading global provider of engineering services and product development IT, announced that it has won a multi-year engineering services contract from Piaggio Aero Industries, the oldest aircraft manufacturer in Italy and a pioneer in aviation. Tata Technologies will deliver a complete structural design and analysis solution for the aviation major’s new multi-role patrol aircraft (MPA). Tata Technologies and its joint venture with the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), Tata HAL Technologies Ltd will deliver on this engagement.

Europe 20 years of Falcon 2000

The first flight of the ground breaking Dassault Falcon 2000 business jet took place in March 1993 in BordeauxMérignac (France). Since its certification, Dassault has delivered nearly 500 Falcon 2000s worldwide and the global fleet has achieved close to two million flying hours, making it one of the world’s most popular and widely used business jets in operation. Dassault marked the aircraft’s 20th anniversary at the Abu Dhabi Air Expo 2013, where the company presented its range of business jets including the next generation Falcon 2000LXS. •

Lockheed Martin has received two production contracts worth $161.7 million from the US Army to continue upgrades of the modernised target acquisition designation sight/pilot night vision sensor (M-TADS/PNVS) programme for the Apache attack helicopter. An F-35A Lightning II conventional takeoff and landing aircraft, known as AF-1, completed its final test mission for clean-wing flutter recently. Flutter testing was conducted to ensure the jet’s structure could withstand various aerodynamic loads verifying the F35A’s design. The testing demonstrated the F-35 is clear of flutter, at speeds up to 1.6 Mach and 700 knots with weapon bay doors open or closed, critical to performing its combat mission.

Navmar

Navmar Applied Sciences Corporation, Warminster, has been awarded a $31,284,013 cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price contract for continued sustainment and establishment of Copperhead UAV detachments. This includes the procurement of the 42 TigerShark unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) Block III platforms, and up to four ground control stations and associated spares. Work is expected to be completed in February 2014.

Raytheon

Raytheon Company and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc.,(GA-ASI) are working together to develop a highly autonomous, unmanned electronic warfare capability based on equipping GA-ASI’s Predator B/ MQ-9 Reaper remotely-piloted aircraft with Raytheon’s miniature air-launched decoy.

Sukhoi

Four Sukhoi Superjets operated by Aeroflot have been grounded after faults were found in the chassis and wing flap systems. The state-owned airline received a letter from the Federal Air Transportation Agency announcing the temporary suspension of the aircraft’s flight worthiness certificates on March 12, Vedomosti reported, citing two sources “close to the agency.” Sukhoi Superjet100 long-range has performed its maiden flight which will mark the commencement of the test programme in the near future. The test programme will last for three-four months and after the tests are over, the documents are to be submitted to IAC AR. SSJ100LR is supposed to receive certification in 2014.

SIPRI

Sales of arms and military services by the largest arms-producing companies—the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Top 100—totalled $410 billion in 2011, according to a new data on international arms production, released by SIPRI.

ISSUE 3 • 2013

Last word

Photograph: Boeing

Ill-timed Cuts The dawn of 2013 did not particularly bring cheer for the ing that “fiscal adjustment was necessary since the economic Indian armed forces as in the first week of January this year, an situation was grim”, on the other hand, Minister of Defence announcement by the Ministry of Finance about a decision to A.K. Antony had earlier promised “a hike in the defence budget impose a cut of `10,000 crore in the current financial year on to cater to the threat of the expansive China-Pakistan military the capital acquisition budget for the Ministry of Defence sent a nexus”. However, while inaugurating Aero India 2013, on Febwave of agonising concern through the leadership of the three ruary 6, the Minister of Defence sounded less optimistic and services. The cut in the defence budget which was only about stated that “India, the world’s leading arms importer, was passfive per cent of the total budgetary allocation for the current ing through difficult days”. Warning of possible budget cuts in financial year, at first glance, appeared inconsequential. How- the next financial year, the Defence Minister went on to say that ever, when viewed in the context of the budgetary allocation “the whole government is facing some financial problems, so for capital acquisitions, the cut was substantial and significant. we need to tighten in all areas for a better future.” While the Quite understandably, this step by the government generated Minister did assure the audience that the MMRCA programme concerns in the three services about the inevitable impact on would not be affected by budgetary cuts, the fact of the matter the ongoing modernisation programmes that is badly needed is that the pace at which contract negotiations for the Rafale are proceeding, in any case, finalisation of the much delayed mega by all the three services. The budgetary cut which is directed at reining in expendi- tender is unlikely this year. This only means that the impact ture only on capital acquisitions is seen by the armed forces of the cut in the defence budget would be borne by the other as somewhat inopportune. There are genuine apprehensions smaller contracts some of which would have to be carried over that some of the major acquisition programmes in the pipeline to the next financial year. Achieving a healthy balance between investment in defence including the more than $20 billion (`1,10,000 crore) deal for the 126 Rafale medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA), and civilian sectors of the national economy demands the highest levels of finesse in management 22 AH-64D Apache Longbow skills and immense political dexattack helicopters, 15 CH-47 terity. Recent pronouncements Chinook heavy-lift machines, of the Indian Finance Minister 197 light utility helicopters, indicate that at this point in submarines, 155mm artillery time, he is indeed negotiating guns, missiles as also a variety a political and economic mineof other smaller weapons are field while grappling with the likely to be adversely affected. economic challenges before the But there is another side nation. The guns versus butter of the picture. With the growth debate is eternal especially in a rate in India’s annual gross nation with finite resources and domestic product (GDP) plungengaged in a desperate struggle ing to five per cent in 2012-13, to achieve a respectable level of from the high of over nine per economic growth and prospercent in 2005-06, and the manity for its people. date to control the ever widIn the guns versus butter ening budget deficit to remain debate, the final decision by the under five per cent, there is national leadership is likely to be imperative need to cut governinfluenced to a large extent by ment expenditure across the the perceived threat to national board. Undoubtedly, P. Chidamsecurity from potential adversarbaram, the Minister of Finance, ies. However, in the final analyhas a difficult and an unenvisis, it is an incontrovertible fact able task ahead of him. By virthat there is a direct linkage betue of the fact that the national tween national security and ecoelections are just a year away nomic prosperity of a nation. or possibly earlier, the task While it is true that economic before the Finance Minister is growth provides the nation the rendered even more tedious wherewithal to ensure higher and complex. The Minister of levels of national security, it is Finance must do everything in While it is true that economic growth provides also equally true that without his capacity to ensure that the the nation the wherewithal to ensure higher high level of security in the first vote bank is not alienated in place, it will be well-nigh imposany way. levels of national security, it is also equally true sible to achieve a respectable While on the one hand the that without high level of security in the first level of economic growth. SP Ministry of Finance has atplace, it will be well-nigh impossible to achieve tempted to justify the decision — Air Marshal (Retd) to trim the defence budget statB.K. Pandey a respectable level of economic growth

ISSUE 3 • 2013

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