SP's Aviation September 2012

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E-JET Why

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Civil Aviation Minister to speak at the 5th ASSOCHAM International Conference on Civil Aviation September 21, 2012

September • 2012

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Issue 9 • 2012

SP’s ExclusiveS

9

10

VVIP Helicopter Coming Soon Apache on Top

Civil

12

28

41

BUSINESS AVIATION A Long Wait Regional Aviation New Kids on the Block Industry High Potential

BUSINESS AVIATION

16 Interview - Hawker Beechcraft

‘Our airplanes perform better on 32

short runways with increased safety margins’ Cessna Green Way to Business

Military

34 Special Mission On Specific Operation 36 AEW&CS IAF’s Eye in the Sky 39 Interview - Boeing Defense, Space & Security

‘Boeing sees great value in The Embraer 170 is an innovative and popular model that offers a low-cost option through a high degree of commonality amongst the different models

Cover Story

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19

partnering with India’

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RighT ChoiCE iS ThE

SToRy on pagE 19

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Civil aviation minister to speak at the 5th aSSoCham international Conference on Civil aviation September 21, 2012

A Word from Editor NewsWithViews – IAF Chief hints at design flaw in Su-30 MKI

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•

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E-JET The FirsT Pick A leading proponent of new technologies, Embraer’s range of E-Jets series regional airliners address the needs of customers across six continents

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September • 2012

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Cover Photo: Embraer 190 E-Jets features advanced engineering design, outstanding operating economics, low emission levels, and a spacious single-aisle cabin with no middle seats.

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6

In Focus Technology to Offset, at Last!

7

Forum Paving the Way for ToT

Hall of Fame Neil Armstrong (1930-2012)

44 45 48

NewsDigest LastWord Unwarranted Delays

Next Issue: Indian Air Force Special

Issue 9 • 2012 SP’S AVIATION 1

Table of Contents PLUS...

Publisher And Editor-in-Chief Jayant Baranwal Assistant Group editor R. Chandrakanth Senior Visiting Editor Air Marshal (Retd) V.K. Bhatia

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

Senior Technical Group EditorS Air Marshal (Retd) B.K. Pandey

28

Lt General (Retd) Naresh Chand New Kids on the Block

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 Europe Alan Peaford

36

IAF’s Eye in the Sky

USA & Canada LeRoy Cook Chairman & Managing Director Jayant Baranwal Planning & Business Development Executive Vice President: Rohit Goel ADMIN & COORDINATION Bharti Sharma Owned, published and printed by

41

Boeing 2012 India Market Outlook

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A Word from Editor

There is little doubt that India’s civil aviation sector is poised for an astronomical growth. But lack of infrastructure in practically all departments of civil aviation could spoil the party.

I

n the last couple of weeks, Indian skies were not only awash with the rain-gods showering their largesse to take this year’s monsoon rainfall to near normal, they were also witness to a rain of milestones in India’s aerospace sector. Interestingly, the spate of spectacular achievements was not limited to the defence sector alone. The civil aviation and space sectors experienced their own moments of glory.

On the night of August 22, the first fully modified Brazilian Embraer E-145 aircraft landed at HAL airport, Bangalore.

The aircraft was received at the Centre for Airborne Systems’ (CABS) hangar, which incidentally, will be responsible for the platform’s overall integration with a mission system developed by various laboratories of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to serve as ‘airborne early warning and control system (AEW&CS) for the Indian Air Force (IAF).

The IAF initial order stands for three systems but hopefully, will be extended to include three more aircraft.

On September 8, at 1705 hours (IST), the first advanced Boeing 787 ‘Dreamliner’ of Air India touched down at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), ending a four-year wait to add this next-generation airplane to its fleet. Given a royal water-cannon salute on arrival, the aircraft, after a brief religious ceremony, was formally inducted into Air India. But the big question is whether the all-new airplane, featuring the very best of technologies that provide exceptional value to airlines will help bailout the beleaguered national carrier from its present financial mess.

The picture on India’s space front however remained bright with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) achieving a historic milestone on September 9, with the launch of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). It was a remarkable event as it was ISRO’s 100th mission.

India’s overall civil aviation scenario too has a bright future was reiterated by none other than Boeing’s bigwig Dr Dinesh Keskar while releasing the Boeing 2012 India Market Outlook in Delhi on September 4. Describing India as the “Big Gorilla” and the “Shining Star” he said that India’s commercial aviation fleet is likely to grow by 4.5 times the size in the next 20 years.

There is little doubt that India’s civil aviation sector is

4 SP’S AVIATION Issue 9 • 2012

poised for an astronomical growth. That, this growth is not only restricted to large airlines but is all inclusive is more than evident when one sees how the regional and general aviation scenarios are also straining at their respective leashes. But lack of infrastructure in practically all departments of civil aviation unless addressed on war-footing could spoil the party. This edition carries two revealing articles, one: on the growth potential of regional airlines, substantiating the growth potential of India’s civil aviation and the other, on woeful state of fixed base operators in India.

The question that continues to come to one’s mind is: why the powers that be in India resort to only piecemeal improvements/reforms. Take the case of new guidelines related to defence procurement (covered in the In Focus/ Forum columns) where transfer of technology has been included as an eligible component of the offset obligations in defence deals. But will it really help India in a timely manner to realise its dream of attaining self-sufficiency?

All this and much more. Happy reading.

Jayant Baranwal

Publisher & Editor-in-Chief www.spsaviation.net

NewsWithViews

IAF Chief hints at design flaw in Su-30 MKI

On August 4, while on a visit to Pune, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal N.A.K. Browne revealed that the Indian Air Force (IAF) had identified a ‘design flaw’ with the Russian-made supersonic fighter aircraft Su-30 MKI. “We have identified a ‘fly-by-wire’ problem with the aircraft. It is a design issue and we have taken it up with the design agency,” he explained. The Air Chief was speaking to the reporters on the sidelines of a function held to mark the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) where he also released a postal stamp to commemorate the AFMC Golden Jubilee.

VIEWS

Photograph: IAF

A

ir Chief ‘Charlie’ Browne was obviously referring to the December 13, 2011 crash of a Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft. While the two pilots managed to eject safely, the problems of a design flaw resurfaced during the ensuing Court of Inquiry, instituted by the IAF. After a flawless flight safety record spanning more than a decade since its induction into service in 1997, it was on April 30, 2009, the IAF lost its first Su-30 MKI. Since then, two more ‘Sukhois’ have been lost in accidents. Interestingly, two of the three CAT-I accidents were attributable to malfunction of the fly-by-wire (FBW) systems. But what were the causes of malfunctions/failures?

The Su-30 MKI’s aerodynamic construction is an unstable longitudinal tri-plane that confers its unprecedented agility. Like most modern jet fighters, this highly unstable platform is manoeuvred by computer-controlled FBW system. Multi-layered backup systems are necessary as without the FBW, the aircraft cannot be manually controlled by the pilots. To ensure near-ultimate safety, the Su-30 MKI’s FBW system is endowed with quadruple redundancy. If one of the FBW channels becomes faulty, it automatically gets disconnected from the system, suitably warning the crew to take appropriate actions. A level-1 failure does not jeopardise the mission, while a level-2 failure would demand a diversion to the nearest suitable airfield. With so much in-built redundancy, a level-3 failure would normally be rarer than one in a million possibility which unless quickly rectified could lead to the loss of aircraft.

If the above be true, how did the IAF land up in a situation losing two Su-30 MKIs within a span of less than three years due to FBW system malfunctions? The Court of Inquiry constituted for the first accident found the accident was caused by the incorrect position of critical switches behind the pilots outside their field of view. The aircraft crashed when a crucial FBW switch was toggled disabling the flight control system.

Was it therefore, a self-inflicted tragedy?

The findings of the December 2011 accident, are yet to find their way into the public domain. However, if incorrect positioning of the switches is once again established to be the cause of the accident, it would be evident that corrective actions in the aftermath of the first accident—that of inhibiting the identified crucial switches—did not prove to be fully effective. The fact that the second accident occurred soon after take-off, the possible wrong positioning of the switches on the ground itself may have escaped the pilots’ attention, as they continue to be located outside the pilots’ normal field of view.

Was this “the design defect’ that was alluded to by the CAS during his Pune trip?

Though world renowned for making robust military aircraft, the erstwhile Soviet Union and now the Russian federation, are less than well known for the aesthetics and ergonomics of their cockpit designs. The MiG-21for example—though still holding the record as the maximum massproduced supersonic aircraft in the world—was hardly inspiring when it came to its cockpit design. It was cramped, had atrocious front and side visibilities and suffered from a number of deficiencies vis-à-vis userfriendly positioning of switches/ displays. It is another matter that eventually, human ingenuity and adaptability conquered all these shortcomings, as would be vociferously espoused by many a MiG21 veteran. But it is equally true, how these deficiencies landed a number of pilots into avoidable embarrassing situations, especially during their young and inexperienced days.

However, one needs to be fair to the Sukhoi Design Bureau. The Su-30 MKI, by its very size, affords highly spacious and comfortable cockpits for both its occupants and has all the features (though not the latest) of modern fighter cockpits. But it could certainly do with relocating/reconfiguring the most vital switches, if this was the only design flaw its FBW was suffering from. SP —Air Marshal (Retd) V.K. Bhatia Issue 9 • 2012 SP’S AVIATION 5

InFocus

Offset

Technology to Offset,

At Last!

For the first time, the aim of the offset policy has been spelt out clearly, making it easier for vendors to understand and structure their offset obligations to satisfy Indian objectives

A

t last, India’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) appears to have appreciated the importance of transfer of technology (ToT) as a vital ingredient in its overall scheme of enforcing offsets while acquiring modern defence equipment from foreign vendors/OEMs. On August 2, the MoD announced a slew of keenly anticipated modifications to its defence offset policy, which came into effect from August 1. In sum, ToT has been made eligible for offsets, multipliers specified, sub-vendors have been allowed to discharge offsets, and the MoD has acceded to the vendor’s requests to relax time frames for the discharge of offsets.

Key Objectives

For the first time, the aim of the offset policy has been spelt out clearly, making it easier for vendors to understand and structure their offset obligations to satisfy Indian objectives.

According to the new policy, the three main objectives of the defence offset policy are: • To develop Indian defence industry • To augment capacity for research, design and development related to defence products and services • To encourage development of synergistic sectors like civil aerospace and internal security Transfer of Technology

The revised policy tries to clearly define the concepts of coproduction and co-development. Distinction has also been made between equity and non-equity route. It also clarifies that investment in ‘kind’ by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) through the non-equity route, i.e. co-development, co-production, etc will be recognised for offset credits, however, subject to certain conditions.

In addition, the revised policy allows provision of equipment and/or transfer of technology to government institutions and establishments engaged in the manufacture and/or maintenance of eligible products and provision of eligible services.

This, it is hoped, would facilitate capacity building for research, design and development, and training and education, in the government’s DRDO laboratories, army base workshops, naval dockyards and the air force base repair depots (BRDs).

Technology Acquisition

As a special incentive to the OEMs, technology acquisi6 SP’S AVIATION Issue 9 • 2012

tion by the DRDO for a list of specified technologies will be treated as an eligible offset and could be rewarded with a multiplier of up to three. For example, technology valued at `100 crore could be granted offset credit up to `300 crore.

However, as far as the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are concerned, transfer of technology or investment in ‘kind’ through non-equity route, the multiplier factor has been pegged at 1.5, that too when these happen to be the independent offset partners (IOPs).

More Sops

The MoD revised guidelines are studded with more sops which include: • Permitting Tier-1 sub-vendors under the main procurement contract to discharge part of the offset obligations on behalf of the main vendor, however, with overall responsibility continuing to rest on the main vendor.

• Over and above the period coterminous with the main procurement contract, allowing offset obligations to be discharged within a time frame that can extend beyond the main contract period by two more years (maximum).

• Banking offset credits which were earlier valid for a period of two years have been extended to seven years.

• Research and development (R&D) services (from government-recognised R&D facilities) have been included in the list of eligible services for offset credits.

• Provision has been made (though in exceptional cases) for the competent authority to permit change in offset partners provided the value of offset obligations remains unchanged to bring in greater flexibility in implementation.

• The offset penalty clause for failure to follow offset guidelines has also been relaxed to 20 per cent of the total offset obligations during the period of the main procurement contract. However, this relaxation would be restricted to the period of the main procurement contract only.

But, the big question still remains: will the relaxed guidelines for the discharge of offset obligations really set the Indian aerospace and specifically identified industries soaring to new heights of technological capabilities? For detailed comments, opportunities and what lies ahead turn to Forum. SP —Air Marshal (Retd) V.K. Bhatia www.spsaviation.net

Forum

Offset Indian Air Force

Paving THE Way for

ToT

Illustration: Anoop Kamath

It is clear that India will have to wait for many more decades before it can realise its publically much touted dream of attaining self-sufficiency to meet its defence needs

A

fter having turned a deaf ear for more than seven years to the industry/original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), what has finally prompted the architects of the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) and the decision-makers in the Ministry of Defence to include transfer of technology (ToT) as an eligible component of the offset obligations in defence deals? The idea of making offset obligations for all defence deals costing `300 crore and more had germinated way back in 2005. The same had been crystallised within a year thereafter and became part and parcel of the DPP in its 2006 avatar. Briefly, the DPP 2006 contained three principal features—an offset clause, no single vendor purchases and

S. Name of Scheme No.

Offset amount (in US dollars)

Date of signing of contract

1

MPR

54,06,000

16.10.2007

2

MiG-29 Upgrade

30,82,71,669

07.03.2008

3.

Mi-17 V-5 Helicopters (MLH)

40,50,70,000

15.12.2008

4.

Medium Altitude EO/IR Recce System for ­Jaguar Aircraft

2,10,86,031

06.02.2009

5.

P-IV (HAROP) System

4,43,10,000

13.02.2009

6.

C-130 J-30 ac FMS Case

21,90,00,000

06.03.2009

7.

Low Level Transportable Radar (LLTR)

3,47,50,000

29.07.2009

8.

AW101 WIP Helicopter

22,41,40,000 (€16,68,78,608)

08.02.2010

9.

Sensor Fuzed Weapons

10,25,40,000

15.11.2010

10.

C-17 Aircraft (VHETAC FMS Case)

1,09,17,00,000

14.06.2011

11.

Mirage 2000 Upgrade

59,28,10,000 (€4,13,67,882)

29.07.2011

12.

MICA IR and RF Missiles

38,64,00,000 (€28,76,90,000)

31.01.2012

Total

$3,435,483,700

compulsory transfer of technology in all big defence transactions. The offset clause had attracted the biggest attention as this applied to procurement proposals where a minimum of 30 per cent of all foreign defence deals above `300 crore were to be invested in the Indian defence industry. At the time of its initial formulation it was allowed to be in the form of setting up training facilities, sourcing components, technology sharing, or making use of IT services from India-based global service providers. The schemes for procurement from foreign sources were categorised as ‘Buy and Make’ with ‘ToT’ i.e. purchase from a foreign vendor followed by licensed production.

There were two serious handicaps though, in the entire scheme of things in the above arrangement. One, the offsets had to be discharged towards the Indian defence industry alone and; two, the ToT (mainly for licensed production under the ‘Make’ clause of ‘Buy and Make’) was to be free of cost and only related to the production know-how in terms of what was happening in the assembly line and sourcing of some nondescript components. That these were serious limitations was brought out time and again during the numerous seminars/workshops held in the capital city Delhi and elsewhere in the country, did not seem to have any effect on the decision-makers within the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

The MoD continued to oppose the demand for ‘technology against offsets’ on the specious plea that it was not in a position to price the technology realistically. In the meantime, Issue 9 • 2012 SP’S AVIATION 7

Forum

Offset offset obligations of different vendors continued to pile up with each defence deal that was signed by the services.

Defence Minister A.K. Antony gave a resume in Parliament during the last session in May this year, listing out the defence contracts (including offsets) that had been signed since the beginning of 2007—after the offset clause came into being. In a written reply to the Member Parliament Manish Tiwari, he disclosed that 17 offset contracts had been signed till then. These included as many as 12 for the Indian Air Force (IAF). The remaining five were for the Navy (see Tables I & II).

Note: The Indian Army does not figure in the lists of offset contracts as it has so far not been able to conclude any defence deal with a foreign vendor since the promulgation of the ‘offset’ clause in defence deals.

Since the tabling of the above lists in Parliament, two more air force contracts have been signed relating to NGPGM and the Pilatus basic trainer aircraft. Even with the bare minimum of 30 per cent offset obligations against the main contract, the sum total for offset obligations in case of the IAF alone has far exceeded $3 billion (`16,500 crore). If the Navy’s ‘offset’ obligations were also taken into account, the cumulative figure would easily approach of $5 billion (`27,500 crore). This obviously is a huge amount, but would pale in comparison to the offset obligations connected with the IAF’s pending the medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) deal. The MMRCA contract is presumably in the last stages of commercial negotiations. When inked, it could attract an offset obligation of as much as $10 billion (`55,000 crore) pegged as it is at 50 per cent of the total contract which some analysts suggest could touch $20 billion (`1,10,000 crore).

It took a number of years for the MoD to understand the enormity of the offset obligations and the fact that the Indian defence industry alone would be unable to absorb such huge amounts of offsets. But instead of going in for bold reforms, MoD adopted a piecemeal approach, forever fearful of the government losing its tight central control in the defence sector. After a series of revisions, in the DPP 2011 version civil aerospace and internal security sectors were also added to the defence sector for discharge of offset obligations in defence deals. This did ease matters but only to a limited extent. Perhaps, it was the looming MMRCA deal which acted as a catalyst in removing the last hurdle to allow transfer of technology—in the true sense of it—to be accepted as an eligible option for the discharge of offset obligations.

The August 2 announcement by the MoD, while unshackling the ToT and bringing it within the ambit of eligibility criteria has set three clear-cut objectives of the defence offset policy i.e. to develop the Indian defence industry, augment capacity for research, design and development related to defence products and services, and encourage development of synergistic sectors like civil aerospace and internal security (also spelt out in the preceding ‘In Focus’ column).

On the face of it, time may now be ripe for India to acquire the cutting-edge technologies that it has not been able to master on its own through the lackadaisical endeavours of its Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and other high-tech institutions, mainly in the public sector. Some examples that could immediately be cited relate to jet engines, advanced radars of the AESA type and missile seeker heads, etc. There would be many more areas that would need to be covered. Perhaps, the individual ser8 SP’S AVIATION Issue 9 • 2012

Indian Navy S. No.

Name of Scheme

Offset amount (in US dollars)

Date of signing of contract

1

Fleet tanker

5,52,79,455 (€4,15,63,500)

23.04.2008

2

Long-range maritime reconnaissance anti-submarine warfare aircraft

64,12,60,500

01.01.2009

3

Fleet tanker under option clause

5,52,79,455 (€4,15,63,500)

31.03.2009

4

Air route surveillance radar (ARSR)

1,11,64,800

06.11.2009

5

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV)

8,07,74,390

04.03.2010

Total

$843,758,600

vices could take the lead in specifying the technologies that need prioritisation in their capacity as the end-users to build necessary capabilities. The policy could also open doors for acquiring state-of-the-art dual-use technologies for the development of other synergistic sectors as well.

The possibilities are indeed immense. However, these could only be realised if both public sector and the evereager private sector fully participate to absorb the massive offsets accruing out of the defence deals. It must be clearly understood that the public sector alone cannot absorb the offset obligations even in the relaxed time frames given in the new guidelines. The big question is: has the government finally provided an even playing field for both public and private sectors to operate and compete?

Perhaps it would be expecting too much from a government that continues to be steeped in its old mindset, favouring the public sector as usual. Even a quick glance at the fine print of the new ‘guidelines’ reveals how the government has unnecessarily complicated the policy provisions by splitting technology transfer into three separate avenues.

Whereas the private sector can get technology only for the production of eligible goods and services, the public sector is allowed to obtain technology even for the augmentation of ‘research, design and development’ facilities. An exclusive route has been provided to the DRDO to obtain high technologies which has been cleverly denied to the private sector. Even the ToT incentives weigh heavily in favour of the public sector. One of the leading offsets experts, Mrinal Suman points out, “It will not be incorrect to state that the government has failed to appreciate the enormous clout of the leverage of offsets. The new guidelines are least suited to help develop Indian defence industry. On the contrary, they have the potential to delay and stall defence procurements.”

In the final analysis, it is clear that India will have to wait for many more decades before it can realise its publically much touted dream of attaining self-sufficiency to meet its defence needs. SP — Air Marshal (Retd) V.K. Bhatia www.spsaviation.net

SP’s Exclusive VVIP Helicopter

Coming

Soon

New VVIP choppers will begin arriving this month

Photograph: AgustaWestland

 By SP’s Special Correspondent

T

he first of 12 AgustaWestland AW101 helicopters for VVIP transport will arrive in India this month to begin duties with the Air Headquarters Communication Squadron based at Palam Air Force Station in Delhi. The new helicopters will replace the old Mi-8/17 copters currently used for executive transport of the President, Prime Minister, senior government leaders and visiting dignitaries.

The €560-million (`4,760 crore) deal signed in February 2010 includes five years of extensive logistics support service and training of pilots, which began earlier this year.

The AW101 is said to be the largest helicopter in its class, sporting a cabin for 30 passengers plus a rear baggage bay.

A 1.83 m high cabin provides stand-up head room and low levels of vibrations, due to an active vibration reduction system—one of the features that made it a chosen platform for Indian VVIP transport.

The VVIP chopper deal is AgustaWestland’s first military sale in India. The company is currently awaiting the results of the Navy’s multi-role helicopter (MRH) programme, where it is looking to supply (as part of its joint venture with Eurocopter and Fokker), the NH90. SP Issue 9 • 2012 www.spsaviation.net SP’S AVIATION 9

SP’s Exclusive ATTACK HELICOPTERS

Apache on top

Boeing AH-64D is likely to be officially declared the winner of the IAF’s attack helicopter competition  By SP’s Special Correspondent

T

the Apache and I am incredibly proud of the soldiers who fly and maintain this helicopter,” said Colonel Jeff Hager, Apache Project Manager for the US Army. “I am also pleased for the opportunity to work with dedicated and diligent men and women in government service and industry who design, build and continue to modernise an aircraft that delivers proven capabilities and cutting-edge technologies.”

Boeing assembles Apaches at its facility in Mesa. Since the first production aircraft was delivered two months ahead of contract schedule in September 1983, Apaches have effectively fulfilled the demands of battlefield commanders.

The newest and most advanced Apache, the AH-64D Apache Block III, features composite main rotor blades, a composite stabilator, 701D engines with an enhanced digital electronic control unit and an improved drive system that enhances the rotorcraft’s performance. SP

Photograph: Boeing

he Indian Government is expected shortly to officially declare Boeing AH-64D Apache Block III the winner in the Indian Air Force’s (IAF’s) 22 attack helicopter competition, beating out the Russian Mi-28NE Night Hunter. A formal $1.3-1.4 billion contract will be announced shortly, sources say. The decision comes at a time when Boeing and Team Apache suppliers worldwide are welcoming a new milestone for the US Army AH-64 Apache helicopter fleet that has just surpassed 3.5 million flight hours.

The Army’s aviation programme office said that the milestone of endurance and reliability was reached in June as Apache crews flew combat missions in Afghanistan, participated in exercises in South Korea, and trained with the new AH-64D Apache Block III—the variant that was fielded in the Indian competition. “Achieving and surpassing 3.5 million flight hours is a very significant milestone for

10 SP’S AVIATION Issue 9 • 2012

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Civil BUSINESS AVIATION

By Group Captain (Retd) A.K. Sachdev

Long Wait

illustration: Anoop kamath

A

Despite being geographically located in an ideal position to serve as a hub for international business traffic, India continues to wait for an infrastructure policy permitting FBOs to thrive and prosper

12 SP’S AVIATION Issue 9 • 2012

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Civil BUSINESS AVIATION

I

ndia, along with China, is poised to show impressive growth vectors in the civil aviation domain.

The figures bandied about in the Indian context are exciting and sound plausible. However, civil aviation experts pose a caveat; the regulatory framework has to change, and the infrastructure has to be brought up to support the expected and inexorable growth. That these two areas have remained the bane of Indian civil aviation for decades is accepted by everyone familiar with the industry. The aircraft numbers owned or leased by Indian companies remain uninspiring, despite the rationale of economic growth being interrelated to civil aviation. Notwithstanding the small number of aircraft flying in and out of our airports, supporting infrastructure remains inadequate and inefficient. One of the weakest columns for the airport support remains the near absence of fixed base operators (FBOs) for general aviation and non-scheduled operators (for the purpose of this article, the term general aviation includes business aviation as well as non-scheduled operations).

The US Air Commerce Act of 1926 first made a distinction between mobile teams that supported aircraft as they moved from one venue to another, and those that remained at one airport and provided support to aircraft plying at that airport (hence the term FBO). The Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) defines FBO as “a commercial business granted the right by the airport sponsor to operate on an airport and provide aeronautical services such as fuelling, hangaring, tie-down and parking, aircraft rental, aircraft maintenance, flight instruction, etc”. As scheduled airlines are big enough to cater for their operations at all the bases they operate to and do not need to outsource support, the FBO is a support concept related to general aviation.

The US currently has more than 5,000 listed FBOs for the 20,000 airports across the nation. Most of them provide all of the services listed in the FAA definition above; indeed, many go beyond that. A typical FBO would offer a host of services (see Box) and meet every need of general aviation operation to the airport they were located at. While the term FBO is well-defined and the model well-developed in the US, in India, the concept has remained undernourished. The DGCA official site has no mention of FBOs under “Operators”. Indeed, the term FBO has been used in the Indian context only in two cases. In February 2010, Universal Aviation was permitted to provide services somewhat akin to FBO at the Mumbai International Airport. Media was quick to brand it an FBO essentially because Universal was a company providing FBO services outside India. However, in India the scope of services was limited; for instance, fuel—a major share of the FBO business abroad—remained outside the ambit of the Mumbai FBO. Moreover, the charges for services provided were so excessive (partly due to the high rate of royalty exacted by the Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL)) that opposition from the industry was instant and loud.

Currently, Celebi NAS provides services to all general aviation and scheduled operators in Mumbai. However, Mumbai is not the best of hosts as far as visiting aircraft are concerned. Recently, MIAL imposed a penalty on aircraft overstaying permission granted to them (usually not longer than a day or two); the rates were so high (starting from `1,000 an hour for a C 90/ B200/ PC 12 type to `15,000 per hour for an A 319) that the Business Aircraft Operators Association (BAOA) is taking recourse to legal means in pursuit of redressal.

Later that year, in June, the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) permitted Shaurya Aviation Private Limited (SAPL) to establish a FBO in Delhi. The charges proposed were exorbitant and the services diminutive. Initially, there was apprehension amongst the general aviation operators that a full scale FBO model (including maintenance, ground handling, passenger handling, etc) would be forced upon them at extortionate prices. This did not come about but SAPL now had a monopoly over the general aviation facility; no general aviation departure could take place without having to transit through the “general aviation lounge”, and the rates for the handling and nominal usage of facilities was prohibitive. After some downward movement in the rates originally announced, general aviation operators unwillingly accepted the regime. As an illustration, an aircraft operator was obliged to use a “ferry” vehicle at the rate of `2,000 per trip (which could be as short as a few hundred metres) to drop crew, cabin crew and passengers. Moreover, the FBO terminal was located in the old domestic departure building (Terminal 1D) and in the first few months of operation, for international departures, immigration and customs formalities one still had to go through at Terminal 3 which was quite some distance away. As suddenly as Shaurya had been given the FBO contract, it was withdrawn one fine morning and Cambata Aviation, another company, replaced Shaurya. The exorbitant rates charged for general aviation aircraft (including those based at Delhi) are effectively received in advance by DIAL by way of a security deposit; a letter issued in July 2012 by DIAL to all general aviation operators asks them to immediately make a security deposit of “`10,00,000 or two months’ operation cost (to be calculated at peak two months) whichever is higher”.

As can be seen, far from introducing FBOs to make life easier for general aviation, MIAL and DIAL are clamping down on general aviation at their respective airports. Interestingly, the term FBO is not used (even by the media) in the context of any other airport in India. Bangalore International Airport is yet to have a distinctive and exclusive handler or terminal for general aviation. Perhaps there is inadequate motivation as a substantial proportion of the general aviation traffic favours the HAL airport whose location within the city is convenient to the passengers as well as the crew on layovers. A similar situation accrues at Hyderabad where the old airport at Begumpet permits better access (as compared to the new Hyderabad International Airport at Shamsabad) to the city as it is located within the city.

A major factor inhibiting FBOs in India is the fact that sale of fuel, which would produce substantial revenue for the FBO, is not a possibility due to the oligopoly of the state run fuel suppliers

Issue 9 • 2012 SP’S AVIATION 13

Civil BUSINESS AVIATION

A Typical Advertisement for an FBO in US A Sample • Command Aviation Service is the Pacific Northwest’s First Choice FBO. Located at the Bellingham International Airport—the most convenient port-of-entry airport and gateway to all— the Northwest has to offer.

• As a first-rate FBO, Command Aviation offers a full range of FBO services, including pilot amenities, concierge/reservation services and VIP handling.

Amenities • On-call maintenance/AOG • Avionics installations & service • Weather and flight planning room • Passenger lounge and galley • Wireless Internet access • Conference room • Pilot shop and supplies

Aerial Flight Services • Scenic flights • Aerial photography • Pipeline patrol • Ferry services Concierge Services • Ramp-side auto access • Crew courtesy vehicles • Rental car and lodging discounts • Corporate/VIP handling • Reservation services • Gourmet catering • Oxygen and maid services • Coffee and ice • Shower facilities • Aircraft cabin cleaning and wash • Quick turnarounds • Pacific NW excursions General Aircraft Services • Full-service, 24x7 maintenance department

FBOs abroad, with custom and immigration services, cut out long queues and waiting periods for business passengers by operating out of airports dedicated to general aviation; the examples are: Teterboro in New York, Seletar in Singapore, and Luton in London. Even if operating out of regular airports, they have a totally separate access away from the regular passenger traffic. However, in India, one of the problems is that in the operation, management and development agreement (OMDA) for construction of the new airports in Bangalore and Hyderabad, the developers have ensured that no other airport can be developed within 150 km of the new facilities, thus eliminating the possibility of satellite airports with FBOs serving general aviation. At the same time, the new airports are getting busier day by day, thus highlighting another major issue related to aviation infrastructure.

All airport development in India appears to be focused on scheduled airlines, with scant regard to general aviation.

Bangalore and Hyderabad, where the old airports represent an excellent opportunity for FBO development, are left out of the race because of the 150-km exclusion clause (if BIAL and GHIAL could have their way, no general aviation aircraft could land at the old airports in Bangalore and Hyderabad). Scheduled passenger traffic is growing so fast that busy airports like Mumbai and Delhi are subject to slot constraints; the suffering community is, of course, general aviation. Parking slots are allotted for limited periods and long notice periods are needed— defeating the whole purpose of business aviation by curtailing the capability to move at short notice. Even at

Line Support • 24-hour fuel and ground support • Short-term hangar space rental • Tugs certified for use on aircraft sized up to a Global Express Hangar Services • Hangar and ramp parking • NATA Safety First certified line technicians • Tie-downs available through the Port of Bellingham Airport Services • 24-hour control tower • 24-hour airport security • US Customs ( 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, phone: 360.734.5463 ) • Airport landing fee ($1/1000 lbs) required for aircraft over 7.5k lbs, Port of Bellingham •

upcoming airports, dedicated facilities for general aviation are non-existent; business jet passengers have to go through the same terminal building and the same customs, quarantine and immigration desks as commercial passengers.

A major factor inhibiting FBOs in India is the fact that sale of fuel, which would produce substantial revenue for the FBO, is not a possibility due to the oligopoly of the state run fuel suppliers.

There is also the fact that while in the US and Europe, FBOs are run by independent (mostly private) operators, in India, airport operators either directly or indirectly operate FBOs (whatever stunted form of FBOs that may exist). Thus, while abroad, there is a competition amongst more than one bidder to provide services at the least expensive rates, in India, airport operators encourage and appoint those vendors who offer the highest rates of royalty to the airport operator—corresponding, of course, to the highest cost to the general aviation operator.

As mentioned earlier, the so-called FBOs in India have been monopolistic, expensive, no-alternative options imposed upon the operators. Should a competitive regime be put into place— with several FBO options at each (or at least the metro airports), the affordable costs would render them as attractive options for operators. However, the current volume of general aviation traffic is not adequate for a large number of FBOs to thrive. Meanwhile, despite being geographically located in an ideal position to serve as a hub for international business traffic, India continues to wait for an infrastructure policy permitting FBOs to thrive and prosper. SP

All airport development in India appears to be focussed on scheduled airlines, with scant regard to general aviation

14 SP’S AVIATION Issue 9 • 2012

www.spsaviation.net

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BUSINESS AVIATION Interview - HAWKER BEECHCRAFT

Sean McGeough, President, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Hawker Beechcraft, in an exclusive tête-à-tête with Jayant Baranwal, Editor-in-Chief, SP’s Aviation, laid out the company’s plans for Indian market. Also present were senior company officials, Daniel Keady, Vice President, Sales, Asia-Pacific and Todd Hathaway, Regional Sales Director, India.

Our airplanes perform better on short runways with increased safety margins

Photograph: Hawker beechcraft

SP’s Aviation (SP’s): What has been the company’s engagement with the Indian market, its market share and the prospects of growth of business?

Sean McGeough (McGeough): India has always been one of our strongest international marketplace. We are very proud to say that we have a 58 per cent market share in India. In markets we serve around the world, we have 30 per cent market share in the face of stiff competition. Of the 219 fixed-wing business aircraft in India, we have 127. We have been doing business here for over 60 years and we are very comfortable. Our aircraft such as the King Air and the Hawker are robust and durable. Their success is based on Indian companies that have to reach out to remote areas.

SP’s: Can you give HBC’s footprint in India related to maintenance and support services for business aircraft?

McGeough: Yes, service sells airplanes and this is something we try and improve. The unique requirements in India have to be addressed no differently from China, Russia or South Africa. As a global company, we have invested in spares that are available all over the world, in Dubai, Hong Kong and very soon in India through our recently appointed partner Air Works. We have a technical representative in the country. Todd Hattaway has been a part of Air Works earlier and we feel that having the presence of in-country person will make sure that the airplane is serviceable. We have put the required infrastructure in place in the last two years.

16 SP’S AVIATION Issue 9 • 2012

SP’s: How do you see the market evolving in the next five to 10 years? What class of business aircraft (midsize, heavy jets, light jets, etc) is the tilt towards?

McGeough: We are primarily focused on King Air business, the strongest part of our business around the world. Our special mission aircraft business which is based on the King Air platform that has applications such as air ambulance, surveillance and marine patrol. These types of programmes take a long time to come to fruition. We have been working behind the scenes and in the next three to five years, we see our special mission aircraft coming into India. There is a need for India to protect maritime resources, carryout surveillance of borders, safeguard pipelines and medevac. On the retail side of the business, it will always be strong as companies such as Reliance, Essar and Hero Honda, who always have need for aircraft, will still buy our airplanes as they have done for years. We see a stronger demand in special mission area, primarily because the Indian Government in India has been somewhat more restrictive in respect of civil aircraft than they have been over the last two years, compared to when I first came to India nine years ago. Then there was a great entrepreneurial spirit, the companies here wanted to be just as competitive as their counterparts in the US. They needed aircraft to visit their customers around the country.

SP’s: Which authorities have you interacted with for special mission programmes? www.spsaviation.net

BUSINESS AVIATION Interview - HAWKER BEECHCRAFT McGeough: I cannot disclose as it is competitively sensitive.

But I can tell you that there is considerable interest in the special mission programmes we are offering. For example, there is a lot of interest in areas like patrol, surveillance and medevac. Some of the neighbouring countries have through successful programmes highlighted our airplanes. Middle East, Australia and Malaysia are examples. The King Air has been shown as cost effective and not a barrier to the entry level price which is not as high as some other programmes or platforms.

SP’s: What is your long-term business strategy for the Indian market?

McGeough: The long-term strategy has been the same as has been for the last ten years, which is improving products and building aircraft that meet the demands of the Indian marketplace. A good example is the King Air 250 which was built for India because it can fly in and out of shorter strips and have better performance. In the past we built King Airs to North American standards and tried to deliver around the world.

SP’s: What do you mean by improving products in the Indian context?

McGeough: The King Air 200 is used extensively throughout India. We have improved performance of the engines, added winglets and new propellers so that it can operate from shorter strips.

Daniel Keady (Keady): We get into India with hot and high performance with limits where the King Air 200 or 250 can fly in and out of those strips because of the improvements on the engines and the wings.

McGeough: Essentially better short-field performance has opened up a thousand more airports internationally. King Air/B200 orders have increased specially in India where there are many short runways. Our airplanes perform better on short runways with increased safety margins.

SP’s: What has been your experience of dealing with customers and regulatory authorities in India? Any specific

recommendations or suggestions to reform in the way the aviation-related business environment is structured and conducted here?

McGeough: We enjoy the relationship we have in India.

The unique thing here is the opportunity of meeting some of the best Chairmen in the corporate world such as Ratan Tata and Mukesh Ambani. Those relationships have stayed with us over time. When it comes to the authorities, we have a great relationship with the DGCA, but I do believe that we need a CAA in India like in South Africa, Australia, Europe and the US. Procedures to import aircraft are restrictive, cumbersome and burdened with extensive paperwork.

I believe the CAA can make this process easier and more streamlined.

SP’s: Tax and regulatory issues must be keeping high net-worth individuals away from buying aircraft. Is this affecting sales in India?

McGeough: It is. India has followed other countries on the perception of business aviation which is a tool to build business. Everyone knows what happened in the US when the Chairman of three companies in Detroit flew to Washington in different aircraft. Since that time the US business aviation market has rebounded so much so that the US last year was the strongest marketplace for a number of OEMs. Flight movements in the US have increased year over year. The entrepreneurial spirit in the US that grows business is back.

I believe that it will come back in India as well, as long as the government authorities look at business aviation as a business development tool and not as a Chairman’s toy.

SP’s: How would you compare business opportunities in the Indian market with those in other regions under your span of responsibility?

McGeough: India is the highlight of our international business. The number of aircraft that we have brought into the country has increased by 80 per cent in the last 10 years. I have been coming here for the last nine years and the opportunities here are still strong today even with some of the

Significant increase in deliveries New research from Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC) reveals that there has been a strong increase in demand for business aircraft in India. The findings state that deliveries of business aircraft in the country between 2002-06 and 2007-11 increased by 84 per cent, from 38 to 70.

Country Singapore China Hong Kong Indonesia India Thailand Malaysia South Korea Japan Asia Total

Fleet size

Per cent for sale

29 163 92 44 238 48 56 37 181 888

10 per cent 1 per cent 4 per cent 2 per cent 11 per cent 4 per cent 16 per cent 14 per cent 3 per cent 7 per cent

Deliveries, 2002-06 3 16 9 4 38 5 10 6 27 118

Deliveries, 2007-2011 18 79 44 17 70 9 17 9 19 282

Per cent change of deliveries, 2002-06 to 2007-11 500 per cent 394 per cent 389 per cent 325 per cent 84 per cent 80 per cent 70 per cent 50 per cent -30 per cent 139 per cent

Issue 9 • 2012 SP’S AVIATION 17

BUSINESS AVIATION Interview - HAWKER BEECHCRAFT restrictions. We look at the King Air and the special mission as opportunities for success.

aircraft. The Japanese air self-defence force has bought 29 Hawker jets, delivered over 10 years.

SP’s: Which other country is closest to the market share you have in India?

McGeough: India that has some of the best companies in the world and accounts for 27 per cent of our total market share in the Asia-Pacific. We are very proud that big companies here operate our aircraft, whether it is the King Air or Hawker and in some cases both.

SP’s: What features are the Asian customers looking at—range, comfort, efficiency, ‘affordability’ or all of them? How is HBC addressing these issues?

McGeough: All of them. We have a broad range of products to offer in various ranges and customers buy airplanes that fit their missions. The one thing we pride ourselves is the quality of our interiors, the performance of our aircraft, their reliability and durability.

SP’s: While it is heartening to note an upward trend in demand for business aircraft in Asia, is this sustainable in the long run and if so, what do you attribute it to?

McGeough: I attribute this to the strength of the economy throughout Asia-Pacific. Nine years ago, India was the only strong economy in the Asia-Pacific, outside Australia. Now you have China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore that offer opportunities throughout the region. High-networth individuals are growing, providing new opportunities.

Keady: India has a 50-year history of business aviation. It’s something that is part of the fabric of business in India and we see it continuing.

SP’s: So you mean it is definitely going to sustain.

McGeough: Yes. India is going through a slow-down phase, no different from what has happened in the US which is now rebounding on the business aviation front. In the US, it is not just the top one per cent of the Fortune 500 companies; 98 per cent of business aviation is done by the smaller companies developing their business, getting to those parts of the world or the country where one can’t get by road. Despite infrastructure growth, there are places in India where you can’t get to within two or three hours, it takes six hours. The King Air has opened new doors. The fundamentals are strong and the market will rebound. Hopefully, the government will loosen restrictions.

SP’s: So keeping all this in view, we should expect contnuing growth in the coming times.

McGeough: Yes absolutely.

Keady: It’s hard to determine. It is flat right now. We don’t know whether it is going to be another year or two years. In the long-term, the trend will continue McGeough: We are very fortunate that we have the special mission part of our business. The retail side is not that strong now, but for example in Europe, we have the government side business where we can sell King Airs too. So we can weather the storm during these times.

SP’s: If we look at the Hawker Beechcraft study, all countries in the Asian region are witnessing demand growth, except Japan. Why is that so? How different is the Japanese market?

McGeough: Japan is a special mission market where we have sold a number of King Airs and jets to the government.

The Japanese economy is recovering from the downturn a year ago. We are engaged with the Japanese Government on the replacement aircraft all the time.

Keady: We have over 80 aircraft, King Airs and Hawkers in Japan, 90 per cent of these are owned by the military. The other buyer is the major airlines in Japan who buy trainer 18 SP’S AVIATION Issue 9 • 2012

SP’s: Safety is a key issue in aviation. It is said that there is shortage of trained manpower in the business aviation sector. Hawker Beechcraft besides making a safe aircraft, does it provide with training inputs?

McGeough: Yes. India is one of the places where there is a unique requirement. When we originally delivered the new Hawker aircraft we needed to do flight safety training and that on top of that 100 hours of familiarisation training. We have appointed Air Works and allocated time for training to ensure that they came up to speed very quickly. Training is paramount to make sure that the aircraft is reliable and safe.

SP’s: What measures have Hawker Beechcraft adopted or is contemplating to address the growing concerns of the impact of aviation on global warming?

McGeough: The King Air 350 is the most environmentfriendly aircraft in its class. So it’s very popular in Europe because environment as you know is very important there.

Keady: An article in Time magazine last week stated that turboprops are making a comeback. The article highlighted that turboprops are a great solution.

McGeough: The King Air burns less fuel. Jets have to get to altitude in order to burn less fuel. The King Air is very versatile; it can fly numerous flight levels and burn very similar fuel quantities. In air space like India, it is very important because I have flown myself here and we are always kept low and we can never get higher. As for environmental impact, we have got airplane that doesn’t burn that much fuel compared to one of our competitors, burning three times as much fuel. In India, the King Air will definitely have a lower impact on the environment.

SP’s: How about the jet engine business aircraft which are also part of your fleet? Are you working towards the environment concerns with all those aircraft and how?

McGeough: Yes we are working with our partners such as the engine and avionics manufactures. Technology and fuel efficiency are improving. The less fuel you burn, the lower the environmental impact. We are always looking at ways to improve the aircraft and minimise the impact on the environment.

Todd Hathaway: India has the largest spacing requirement I have ever seen. Honeywell has brought up several times the 12-mile spacing requirement coming into the Delhi region. That adds impact to the environment compared to separation of two or three miles McGeough: When you have an airplane whether it is a Hawker 800 or Boeing 777 being put on hold and which is very commonplace here because of the separation, it needs to be addressed as well. SP www.spsaviation.net

c o v e r

s t o r y

Civil Regional Aviation

The

First

Pick

A leading proponent of new technologies, always foraying into areas where it perceived a competitive advantage, Embraer today has become one of the companies driving the aircraft industry. Its range of E-Jets series regional airliners address the needs of customers spread across six continents.

Photographs: Embraer

By Air Marshal (Retd) B.K. Pandey

Issue 9 • 2012 SP’S AVIATION 19

Civil Regional Aviation Low-Cost option: Embraer 170 on the tarmac

E

mpresa Brasileira de Aeronáutica S.A. (Brazilian Aeronautics Company) or Embraer for short, was established in 1969 as a state-owned venture and was subsequently privatised in 1994. With its headquarters at São José dos Campos, Brazil, and subsidiaries in China, France, Portugal, Singapore and the United States, today Embraer not only dominates the aerospace sector in Brazil but is also the third largest manufacturer of commercial aircraft in the world. The company has maintained a strong focus on the market for regional jets that has high growth potential and which constitutes 40 per cent of the commercial aircraft segment in the United States and Europe. Regional aviation is a sector that is often misunderstood and frequently overlooked amid the publicity generated by large size airliners.

20 SP’S AVIATION Issue 9 • 2012

A leading proponent of new technologies, always foraying into areas where it perceived a competitive advantage, Embraer today has become one of the companies driving the aircraft industry. Its range of E-Jets series regional airliners address the needs of customers spread across six continents and with these world-class products that are the market leader worldwide in their segment, the company has earned its place on the global scene. Renowned for its innovative and popular models ranging from the ERJ 145 to the Embraer 170/190 families that offer a low-cost option through a high degree of commonality amongst the different models, Embraer has grown into a position from where it can only grow further and continue to dominate the global regional aviation scene. The company should serve as a model for any nation aspiring to develop a domestic aerospace industry to support civil aviation. The Indian aerospace industry certainly has plenty of lessons to learn from the Embraer experience.

Embraer in Regional Aviation

While airlines in the more developed markets of North America and Europe recognised the capacity gap between 50-seat regional jets and 150-seat single-aisle narrow bodies long back, airlines in most other parts of the world are only now beginning to understand the potential of 70- to 120-seat jets in their networks. E-Jets now operate in ways no traditional regional jet ever could—on short legs or long five-hour legs and in single or multi-class configuration. In fact, there is very www.spsaviation.net

Civil Regional Aviation Specifications of EMBRAER 170 WEIGHTS

3-D view of the aircraft

AR Version

Maximum takeoff weight

85,098 lb

Maximum landing weight

73,414 lb

Maximum zero-fuel weight

68,123 lb

Basic operation weight

46,429 lb

Maximum payload

21,693 lb

Maximum fuel*

20,580 lb

32 ft 4 in (9.85 m)

98 ft 1 in (29.90 m)

*Fuel density: 0.803 kg/l (6.70lb/gallon)

PERFORMANCE (AR Version) Maximum Operating Speed

M 0.82

M 0.82

Time to Climb to FL 350,

16 min

16 min

Takeoff Field Length, ISA, SL MTOW

5,394 ft

1,644 m

Takeoff Field Length, ISA SL TOW to 500 nm

3,763 ft

1,147 m

Landing Field Length, ISA, SL MLW

4,180 ft

1,274 m

Range 70 PAX @ 220 lb (100 kg), LRC

2,100 nm

3,892 km

Wingspan

85 ft 4 in

26.00 m

Length overall

98 ft 1 in

29.90 m

Height overall

32 ft 4 in

9.85 m

Horizontal stabilizer span

32 ft 10 in

10.00 m

Fuselage width

9 ft 11 in

3.01 m

Fuselage height

11 ft 0 in

3.35 m

Cabin length (excluding cockpit)

63 ft 9 in

19.43 m

Cabin width (at armrest)

9 ft 0 in

2.74 m

Cabin height

6 ft 7 in

2.00 m

Aisle width

19.75 in

0.50 m

Seat width

18.25 in

0.46 m

TOW for 500 nm

32 ft 10 in (10.00 m)

EXTERNAL DIMENSIONS

INTERNAL DIMENSIONS

85 ft 4 in (26.00 m) Source: Embraer

little that E-Jets have not accomplished yet in the 70- to 120seat category. The interest in E-Jets is truly going global. In 2005, over 90 per cent of the order backlog with Embraer was from carriers in the US and Europe but by the end of last year, over 40 per cent of the backlog was from airlines outside these two regions. Today, E-Jets from Embraer have emerged as the best solution for the regional aviation market.

Regional aviation jets originate flights from smaller cities and airports that feed passengers to main flights in larger airports that serve as hubs, thus providing connectivity between secondary and tertiary markets. Embraer today has a family of aircraft specifically designed for markets that are best served with 70- to 120-seat jets. In the commercial jet segment, Embraer has a 92 per cent share of all delivered aircraft in Asia till date.

Competitors have received orders for their airplanes in the same category and

of the same capacity; but none have been delivered to Asian carriers as yet. Embraer’s E-Jets are proven in their ability and have reached a respectable level of maturity.

Embraer’s E-Jets are a new class of equipment that spans all business models ranging from low-cost or lowfare, traditional mainline to regional point-to-point service.

The diversity of its application across a range of business models is one attribute of the E-Jet platform that makes it so attractive to airlines and lessors alike, as optimal fleet performance has become crucial to profitability. While 40 per cent of E-Jets are deployed on regional routes with regional carriers, 38 per cent are configured to mainline standards with premium cabins and in-flight entertainment systems.

The remaining 22 per cent of the world fleet is flying with low-cost carriers who have discovered that one aircraft size no longer fits all.

The future for Embraer E-Jets is undoubtedly bright

Issue 9 • 2012 SP’S AVIATION 21

Civil Regional Aviation Specifications of EMBRAER 190 WEIGHTS

3-D view of the aircraft AR Version

Maximum takeoff weight

114,199 lb

Maximum landing weight

97,003 lb

Maximum zero fuel weight

90,169 lb

Basic operation weight

61,333 lb

Maximum payload

28,836 lb

Maximum fuel*

28,596 lb

34 ft 8 in (10.57 m)

118 ft 11 in (36.24 m)

*Fuel density: 0.803 kg/l (6.70lb/gallon)

PERFORMANCE (AR Version) Maximum Operating Speed

M 0.82

M 0.82

Time to Climb to FL 350, TOW for 500 nm

16 min

16 min

Takeoff Field Length, ISA, SL MTOW

6,745 ft

2,056 m

Takeoff Field Length, ISA SL TOW to 500 nm

4,157 ft

1,267 m

Landing Field Length, ISA, SL MLW

4,341 ft

1,323 m

Range 98 PAX @ 220 lb (100 kg), LRC

2,400 nm

4,448 km

Wingspan

94 ft 3 in

28.72 m

Length overall

118 ft 11 in

36.24 m

Height overall

34 ft 8 in

10.57 m

Horizontal stabilizer span

39 ft 8 in

12.08 m

Fuselage width

9 ft 11 in

3.01 m

Fuselage height

11 ft 0 in

3.35 m

Cabin length (excluding cockpit)

84 ft 6 in

25.76 m

Cabin width (at armrest)

9 ft 0 in

2.74 m

Cabin height

6 ft 7 in

2.00 m

Aisle width

19.75 in

0.50 m

Seat width

18.25 in

0.46 m

39 ft 8 in (12.08 m)

EXTERNAL DIMENSIONS

INTERNAL DIMENSIONS

94 ft 3 in (28.72 m)

Note: Please refer to page 24 to have an insight into the aircraft

Embraer’s regional jets have indeed been well received as would be evident from the numbers that speak for themselves. In just eight years, the company has accumulated orders for 1,100 E-Jets and will deliver the 900th aircraft later this year, a real success story for the Brazilian aerospace major. Some 61 airlines in 41 countries have chosen Embraer E-Jets for regional aviation including some well-known carriers in the world such as British Airways, Lufthansa, United, Japan Airlines, Air France/KLM and Air Canada. The huge international and varied clientele that Embraer has reflects the quality of its airplanes. It also goes to show that the regional jets produced by Embraer have established themselves as essential tools for the development of aviation, worldwide.

E-Jets deliver a superior passenger experience with a level of cabin comfort and personal space that is as good as or even better than many larger narrow-body jets. The 70- to 120seat E-Jets have a strategic function in airline companies, helping them to maintain their competitive edge. Embraer has more than 40 years of experience in commercial aviation and has an established network of customer support and authorised service centres all over the world.

22 SP’S AVIATION Issue 9 • 2012

Source: Embraer

Addressing Environmental Concerns

In conformity with the demands of the times, Embraer has been sustaining efforts to address the ever growing concerns in the world community about the adverse impact of aviation on the environment, leading to climate change. The company has recently announced that it is working on a series of enhancements that will see reductions in fuel burn and operating cost on their E-Jets and consequently cut emission of greenhouse gases. In respect of overall fleet age, the E-Jets family is relatively young, the average age of the world fleet being just four years, yet Embraer is continually investing in technology to ensure that their E-Jet platform is in a position to meet the demands and challenges of not only the market but also those of the environment. It is already developing plans for a new generation of E-Jets that will adopt additional technologies that will keep the platform competitive well into the next decade.

There are other initiatives on the environment front as well. Embraer has also partnered with GE and Amyris to test the viability of biofuel having conducted a test flight in July this year using fuel derived from fermented sugarcane. www.spsaviation.net

Civil Regional Aviation

comfortable and spacious: Inside Embraer 190

The AMJ700 biofuel can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 82 per cent compared to current fossil-derived fuel.

Competition Ahead

While the journey so far for Embraer has been illustrious, offering passengers the unique and pleasant experience of flying on Embraer regional jets, the company cannot rest on its laurels. A number of companies are looking to break into the global regional aircraft market and are developing new aircraft that compete for sales in the top segment of the market. These include the Chinese firm Comac with its ARJ21 regional jet, the Japanese company Mitsubishi with the Mitsubishi Regional Jet and the Russian firm Sukhoi Civil Aircraft fielding the Superjet 100. All these developments are taking place against the backdrop of a changing regional airline industry. After the slump in the period 2008-09, a recovery has been under way; but as per the recent economic indicators, the global economy could easily slow down or relapse into recession. The top end of the regional aircraft market is also witnessing an influx of new models. Bombardier is developing the CSeries, a new family of 100- to 145-seat aircraft that will bridge the gap between the regional jets and the large airliners. The CSeries will compete against large regional jets from Embraer and others as also against narrow body airliners such as the Airbus A319 and the Boeing 737-700. According to Forecast Inter-

national’s senior aerospace analysts, Raymond Jaworowski, “The challenge from the CSeries has become a prime consideration for Airbus and Boeing as they make development decisions regarding their narrow-body families.” Embraer, on the other hand, is well positioned in the 70- to 120-seat market with its E-Jet series of regional jets and has been exploring options for the development of strategy in the future. Among the options being considered by the Brazilian aerospace major is a re-engining of the E-Jets family. Also on the table is the possibility of developing in the future, a larger, all-new aircraft family. As and when that happens, the larger, all-new aircraft family would compete in the market above 120 seats, taking on Bombardier’s CSeries.

Enduring Commitment

Even after the aircraft are handed over to the customer, Embraer continues to take great pride in their performance and remains involved throughout its life cycle. Whether it is maintenance, repair, training or operational support, the services and support groups of Embraer Commercial Aviation are there to ensure that the aircraft always perform the best. This leads to warm relationships with customers’ worldwide and direct participation in their success. This is something of immense comfort for the customer and an attribute that the company is extremely proud of. The future for Embraer E-Jets is undoubtedly bright SP Issue 9 • 2012 SP’S AVIATION 23

Civil Regional Aviation

Embraer 190 42

Reproduced with permission from Flight International Structure and general 1 Upward hingeing radome – mixed composite 2 Radar mounting/forward pressure bulkhead (bird impact proof) – machined and built-up aluminium alloy 3 Electronics bay (forward) rear-sliding access door 4 Windshield wipers (electric) – two off 5 Instrument panel glareshield 6 Standby magnetic compass 7 Direct vision window release handle 8 Centre console 9 Pilot’s fully adjustable seat with armrests and headrest 10 Rearward sliding direct vision window – acrylic 11 Nose landing gear bay 12 Flight observer’s seat – stows behind pilot’s seat 13 Observer’s panel – behind co-pilot’s seat 14 Cockpit door 15 Plug type (forward) service door/type I emergency exit – 1.37 x 0.61m clearance 16 Cockpit/cabin wall 17 Forward galley G1 – modular 18 Forward lavatory – vacuum type 19 Skin splice doubler 20 Forward flight attendant’s folding seats – two (one optional) located in forward cabin and two (one optional) located in aft cabin 21 Airstair with integral hand rails (cptional) – power assisted operation 22 Airstair actuation mechanism – electrical 23 Plug type (forward) passenger door/type I emergency exit – 1.82 x 0.75m clearance 24 Forward stowage compartment 25 Forward galley G2 – modular 26 Passenger door doubler 27 Airstair – shown in folded and stowed location

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Instrument panel, HUD, electrical panel, centre console and side panel detail with smoke detectors, fire extinguishers and “animal-live” option – 11.9m3 32 Centre fuselage I to centre fuselage IIA section interface 33 Centre fuselage IIA “plug” section – 2.4m 34 Forward fuselage/wing fairing – composite 35 Cabin dado panel 36 Nacelle strake 37 Fan cowl door – panel open for access 38 Thrust reverser – panel open for access 39 Pylon/wing fairing panel 40 Wing leading edge spar – machined aluminium alloy

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24 SP’S AVIATION Issue 9 • 2012

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Giuseppe Picarella and Tim Brown São José dos Campos Brazil 2004

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28 Forward fuselage to centre fuselage I section interface 29 Cabin overhead bins (typically 0.21m3) – 24 off 30 Single class adjustable cabin seat (98-seat layout shown, with a maximum capacity of 108 seats possible) – overwing escape rows have increased pitch to aid egress 31 Forward cargo compartment (pressurised)

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41 Fuel tank end rib – machined aluminium alloy 42 Winglet – aluminium alloy structure and skins 43 Outboard flap section – starboard flaps shown C8 in retracted position 44 Wing skin lower panels – machined aluminium alloy with integral stringers and fuel cell access panel openings 45 Centre fuselage IIA to centre fuselage II interface C7 46 Cabin side-wall panels 47 “Z” section extruded stringers – aluminium alloy 48 Fuselage skin – machined and chemmilled aluminium alloy 49 Cabin floor panels – composite C6 50 Cabin floor beams – aluminium alloy

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51 Stub–wing/forward circumferential frame interface 52 Outboard seat mounting rail 53 Plug type overwing emergency exit 66 (type III) – 508 x 914mm 54 Overwing emergency exit internal skin doubler 55 Stub-wing to centre fuselage II interface 56 Stub-wing section incorporating fuel system collector and surge tanks – mixed aluminium alloy structure 57 Cabin window (53 off) – 325 x 357mm 58 Forward circumferential frame – machined aluminium alloy 59 Jacking point – wing 60 Engine pylon upper link fittings 61 Spar mounted link attachment points

www.spsaviation.net

65 P5

63 P2

Civil Regional Aviation 111 E48

110

118 carbonfibre top skin 82 Cabin insulation – thermal and acoustic blanket 83 Centre fuselage II to centre fuselage IIB section interface 84 Rear cargo compartment (pressurised) with smoke detectors and fire extinguishers – 9.9m3 85 Aft circumferential frame – machined aluminium 86 Aft stub-wing/centre electronics bay interface 87 Main landing gear spar/stub-wing attachment point 108 88 Rear fuselage/wing fairing – composite

62 Engine pylon box beam – mixed aluminium and steel construction 63 Engine mounting yoke 64 Pylon-mounted yoke interface 65 Pylon nose fairing 66 Nacelle inlet – mixed aluminium and composite 67 Thrust link – single 68 Aft mounting box 69 Wing box mounted pylon thrust link attachment fitting 70 Spoiler main hinge/actuator fitting – one per spoiler 71 Spoiler outer hinges – two per spoiler 72 Wing trailing edge spar – machined aluminium alloy 73 Wing trailing edge shroud 74 Engine pylon rear fairing – mixed aluminium alloy and titanium 92

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89 “Double bubble” flat section 90 Typical fuselage frame 91 Centre fuselage IIB “plug” section – 3.7m 92 Centre fuselage IIB to centre fuselage III interface 93 Cabin ceiling panel 94 Plug type (rear) service door/type I emergency exit – 1.38 x 0.63m clearance 95 Rear galley G3 – modular unit

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75 Wing skin upper panels – machined aluminium alloy with integral stringers 76 Inboard flap/fuselage fairing – fixed 77 Main landing gear spar – machined aluminium alloy 78 Wing trailing edge spar/stub-wing interface 79 Wing/stub-wing shear-tie 80 Centre circumferential frame – machined aluminium 81 Stub-wing (aft) assembly incorporating main landing gear bay and fuselage keel beam – mixed aluminium alloy structure with

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C17 E27 E28 96 Rear flight attendant’s direct vision hatch – shown open 97 Plug type (rear) passenger door/type I emergency exit – 1.8 x 0.64m clearance 98 Rear flight attendant’s folding seats – two off 99 Door safety window – all doors 100 Door external lock/release handle

101 Emergency escape slides (door mounted) – all doors 102 Potable water tank and pump – 110 litres 103 Cabin door stops and guides 104 Waste tank and pump (vacuum type) – 95 litres 105 Rear lavatory – vacuum type 106 Aft pressure bulkhead – built up aluminium alloy 107 Centre fuselage III to rear fuselage interface

Issue 9 • 2012 SP’S AVIATION 25

Civil Regional Aviation 108 Fin leading edge fillet – mixed composite 109 Single-piece swept back three spar cantilevered tailplane (12.08m) with integral (trimming) hinge fittings – machined aluminium alloy stringers and spars with chem-milled skins 110 Fin leading edge (removable) – mixed composite 111 Fin tip – composite 112 Single-piece swept back three spar cantilevered fin – machined aluminium alloy stringers and spars with chem-milled skins 113 Auxiliary power unit (APU) fairing and exhaust muffler 114 APU rear fire wall – stainless steel 115 APU mounting bulkhead/forward fire wall – titanium 116 Tailplane trimming (upper) actuator/fin mounting frame – machined aluminium 117 Fin mounting frames – three off 118 Tailplane tip – composite 119 Removable tailplane leading edge – mixed composite 120 Tailplane/fuselage “sliding plate” aerodynamic interface – composite 121 Flat-sided fuselage frames provide constant surface for “sliding plate” 122 Tailplane mounted actuator fitting 123 Rear fuselage access door 124 Rear fuselage maintenance floor 125 Fuselage keel beam – below stubwing assembly 126 Upward opening forward cargo compartment door (lower stbd side) – 1.10 x 0.9m 127 Upward opening rear cargo compartment door (lower stbd side) – 990 x 870/780mm 128 Wing fence – bleed air anti-iced 129 Cockpit escape rope stowage 130 Head-up display (HUD)/cockpit ceiling panel 131 HUD shield 132 Centre fuselage II section – 6m Air conditioning and anti-icing A1 Forward electronics bay cooling ducting A2 Cockpit (forward) conditioned air ducting A3 Cockpit (upper) conditioned air ducting A4 Cockpit side/window demist conditioned air ducting A5 Cockpit conditioned air ducting A6 Cabin conditioned air risers A7 Environmental control system (ECS) high-pressure ground connector – located in starboard fairing A8 ECS low-pressure ground connector – located in starboard fairing A9 ECS heat exchanger – two off A10 ECS packs – two off A11 ECS mixer unit A12 Gasper riser A13 ECS pack exhaust – both sides A14 Recirculation fans/HEPA filters – two off A15 Bleed air pre-cooler A16 Nacelle intake “RohrSwirl” system – anti-icing A17 ECS bleed air valve A18 Slat anti-icing telescopic tube A19 Slat anti-icing piccolo tube

A20 APU/engine bleed air interconnector A21 Cabin air recirculation vents A22 Centre electronics bay cooling fans A23 Rear electronics bay fans A24 Pressure/emergency relief valve A25 APU bleed air duct Flying controls C1 Pilot’s adjustable rudder pedals and brakes with partial nose wheel steering C2 Nose wheel steering handle C3 Control column with stick shaker C4 Aileron control cable quadrant – both sides C5 Dual system leading edge slat (number 1) – electro mechanical C6 Leading edge slat (number 2) C7 Leading edge slat (number 3) C8 Leading edge slat (number 4) C9 Slate track can – protrudes into wing fuel tank C10 Trailing edge flap/aileron rib box – fixed C11 Flap track (articulated) composite fairing – three per wing C12 Flap track structure – three per wing C13 Flap mechanism and track (fixed) fairing – composite C14 Engine pylon (articulated) fairing – mixed composite/metal construction C15 Slat drive torque tube C16 Slat track C17 Slat harness guide C18 Slat actuator and guide rollers C19 Hinge-mounted composite aileron – hydro-mechanically actuated C20 Aileron hinges – four per aileron C21 Aileron actuator C22 Outboard section single slotted “Fowler” type composite flap (electro-mechanically actuated) – port flaps shown in extended position C23 Multifunction (MF) composite spoilers – three per wing C24 MF spoiler actuator (three off) – electro-hydrualically actuated C25 Flap drive torque tube angle gear box C26 Flap mechanism C27 Inboard section double slotted (partial span for engine exhaust avoidance) “Fowler” type composite flap – electromachanically actuated C28 Flap track C29 Ground spoilers (composite) – two per wing C30 Auxiliary “Fowler” flap track C31 Tailplane trimming (vertical) actuator – dual electro-mechanical C32 Hinge-mounted composite rudder – electro-hydraulically actuated C33 Hinge-mounted composite elevator – electro-hydraulically actuated C34 Rudder hinges Avionics and electrical E1 Lightning discharge strips E2 Honeywell Primus 660 colour weather radar – optional 880 turbulence radar E3 Glideslope antenna – both sides E4 Ram air turbine – stbd side E5 MLS antennas – two off

26 SP’S AVIATION Issue 9 • 2012

E6 Electrically heated glass windshield E7 Ice detectors – both sides E8 Forward electronics/battery bay E9 “Smart” probes – four off E10 TAT probe E11 DME 1 antenna E12 Overhead panel E13 Forward landing/taxi lights E14 Ground power receptacle E15 TCAS antenna E16 Transponder antennas – two off E17 Airstair lights – one per step E18 Marker beacon E19 DME 2 antenna E20 VHF COM 2 antenna E21 TCAS directional antenna E22 Transponder antennas – two off E23 VHF COM 1 antenna E24 Wing inspection light E25 Landing/taxi lights E26 GPS antennas – two off E27 Forward navigation light E28 Anti-collision forward strobe light E29 Emergency (evacuation) lighting system (ELS) – light 3 E30 ELS – light 2 E31 ELS – light 1 E32 Static discharge wicks E33 Rear anti-collision strobe/ navigation lights E34 Centre electronics bay E35 LSS antenna E36 ADF antennas – two off E37 VHF COM 3 antenna E38 Satcom antenna E39 Radio altimeter 1 antennas – two off E40 Radio altimeter 2 antennas – two off E41 MLS antennas – two off E42 Radio altimeter 3 antennas – two off E43 Emergency torch E44 ELT antenna E45 Rear electronics bay E46 HF antenna E47 VOR/LOC antennas E48 VOR/LOC antenna E49 Logo light – both sides E50 Anti-collision beacon E51 HUD projector – Rockwell Collins Flight Dynamics E52 Fold-away HUD combiner Fuel system Total fuel capacity 16,000 litres F1 Single point pressure refuelling/ defuelling (SPR) connector F2 Wing fuel cells – two off F3 Fuel collector tank – centre (rear) stub-wing F4 Fuel vent tanks – two off F5 Gravity filler ports – two off F6 NACA vent scoop F7 Fuel cell access panels F8 SPR distribution lines F9 Fuel vent line F10 Fuel probe F11 Wing fuel tank relief valve F12 Engine feed line Power plant and APU P1 Full authority digital engine control (FADEC) unit P2 General Electric CF34-10E (134.6cm diameter) – rated at 18,500Ib (81.4kN)

P3 Engine forward mount – both sides P4 Engine rear mount – both sides P5 Engine fan containment zone P6 “Cascade” type thrust reverser translating cowl – closed position P7 Thrust reverser actuators – four off P8 Thrust reverser – deployed position P9 Side mounted accessory gear box with electrical generator and hydraulic pump P10 Engine “chevron” exhaust nozzle P11 Exhaust centre body P12 Starboard side-mounted APU oil-cooling inlet – shown on port side for clarity P13 Hamilton Sundstrand APS2300 APU – rated at 40kVA P14 APU air inlet – acoustically treated P15 APU exhaust P16 Engine fire extinguisher bottles – two off P17 APU fire extinguisher bottle Undercarriage and hydraulics U1 Forward retracting hydraulically actuated and electronically steered (± 76°) oleo pneumatic nose landing gear (NLG) – tyres 24 x 7.7 U2 Steering actuators – hydraulically actuated rack and pinion U3 Drag strut and down lock U4 Retraction actuator U5 NLG forward doors (closed while on the ground) – composite U6 NLG rear doors – composite U7 Inboard retracting hydraulically actuated oleo pneumatic twinwheel main landing gear (MLG) with multi disk (carbon-steel) dual channel brake-by-wire system – tyres 14 x 15-19 MLG doors (three-part outboard U8 assembly) – composite U9 Side brace and down lock U10 MLG retraction actuator U11 MLG up-lock U12 MLG tyre bays – open U13 Hydraulic system 1 (port fairing) and system 2 (stbd fairing) U14 Hydraulic system 3 U15 Rudder electro-hydraulic actuators – two off U16 Elevator electro-hydraulic actuators – two per elevator Instrument panel A Emergency oxygen masks B Foot rests C Primary flight display D Lighting panel E Multifunction control display units – MCDU F Guidance panel G Integrated standby instrument system – ISIS H Landing gear lever I Engine start panel J Throttle quadrant K Audio panel L Parking brake lever M Trim panel N Flying controls panel O Flap/slat lever P Cursor control device Q EICAS panel R Multifunction display S Printer

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Civil Regional Aviation Destination south: Vijaywada based Air Costa plans to Acquire Embraer E-170 and start operations by year end

Photograph: Embraer

New Kids on the Block The new regional airlines and those on the horizon are still few and far between.There’s room for many more to improve air connectivity to India’s distant airports.And they could certainly do with some encouragement.

28 SP’S AVIATION Issue 9 • 2012

www.spsaviation.net

Civil Regional Aviation

W

tions in March 2007 during a major ho would disBy Group Captain (Retd) growth phase for Indian aviation; pute the need Joseph Noronha, Goa then, it was hit by steeply rising oil to take the benprices and suspended operations in efits of aviation to November 2009. Nowadays it is betthe remote parts ter known for sleaze. From time to of India? Yet, detime other companies seemed keen to spite government measures and sops launch regional operations but nothdesigned to give regional services a boost, aviation remains firmly a big-city affair—just 30 per ing came of it. Some experts blame the strict norms regardcent of domestic passenger traffic does not pass through the ing fleet size and other stringent preconditions for this sorry six metros. One factor is the shortage of airports. This vast state of affairs.

However, at last there’s hope on the horizon. Last year, the country has to manage with 127 airports (only 87 of them operational) plus six run by private operators. But the other Ministry of Civil Aviation granted NOCs valid for 18 months, to main reason why regional aviation is in the doldrums is the five applicants in order to commence regional services. In the conspicuous absence of dedicated regional operators. It is southern region, there are Freedom Aviation and Air Pegasus; the mainline carriers themselves that operate some flights in the western region, Deccan Charters; and in the northern region, Indus Airways, Karina Airlines and Air Mantra. Will to small airports. And their heart is not in it.

All over the world, regional airlines are the only means these newbies fly or will they join the likes of Jagson Airlines, by which thousands of towns and small cities are connect- Star Aviation, Luan Airways, Skyking, Akash Ganga Airlines ed by air because the major carriers do not consider such and Air Dravida that obtained NOCs but fell by the wayside? routes to be commercially viable. Sometimes regional operators, with their smaller aircraft, are the only ones that Mantra for Success can provide air services to airports with shorter runways It is heartening that at least one of the newcomers recently and rudimentary facilities. In India, land scarcity is a major commenced operations. July saw the launch of Air Mantra— hurdle in the path of airport development and the issue is the first regional airline to start flying in the last five years. set to intensify in the coming years. So there’s no alternative Air Mantra (CEO Sandeep Bhatt) operates daily flights connecting Amritsar and Chandigarh, using two 17-seat Beechto small regional carriers. craft 1900D turboprop aircraft. It may have started small Regional Round-up but does not intend to remain so. In fact it has ambitious The Indian Government’s policy on scheduled regional plans to ramp up operations, gradually expanding its netair transport operations, introduced in August 2007, was work to connect other cities, including Jammu and Dharammeant to encourage start-ups by offering fuel to small air- shala, and buying larger aircraft like the ATR 72-600 and craft at sharply reduced rates and by waiving landing and Bombardier Q400. Its mother company, Religáre Voyages parking charges. However, despite almost Ltd, is an air charter company with a fleet 20 regional hopefuls, with about a dozen of 12 aircraft ranging from five-seat turbogranted initial no-objection certificates props to 17-seat jets.

Ambitious & optimistic: (NOCs), only MDLR Airlines based in GurSome industry experts question the Air Mantra plans to buy gaon actually flew. MDLR launched operatiming of Air Mantra’s launch, because larger aircraft like ATR 72-

Photographs: ATR, Bombardier

600 and Bombardier Q400

Issue 9 • 2012 SP’S AVIATION 29

Civil Regional Aviation

A useful measure would be for the government to subsidise regional operations for some time, say three to five years—it is reportedly mulling the creation of an EASF for the purpose

most airlines in India are struggling, and at least a couple of major ones are threatening to go belly-up. However, Air Mantra seems well placed to prosper since it has been wise enough to start small and convert its own planes in order to test the market. Religáre Voyage’s experience of five years as a non-scheduled carrier should also prove invaluable.

The company has deep pockets, but if this experiment fails, it can always revert to its original air charter business without taking too big a hit.

Air Mantra sensibly sees its role as a feeder airline to the mainline carriers. It is also prudent enough to use small aircraft—currently the only scheduled airline to do so. Although high fuel prices mean that the global trend is towards larger aircraft, this does not apply to India where just 36 airports accept narrow-body jets like the Airbus A320 or Boeing B737. Their number is not likely to increase in a hurry due to land acquisition issues and so the future seems bright for small aircraft, especially turboprops. Another interesting aspect about Air Mantra is that it has chosen Amritsar International Airport as its hub. Parking aircraft at Amritsar overnight would save it from the hassles of finding space at the congested metros and large airports and would keep operating expenses down. Labour costs too would be much lower than at the metros.

Waiting for Wings

Behind the scenes, efforts are on to launch some more regional airlines. In August, Deccan Shuttles commenced intra-state flights in Gujarat using two nine-seat Cessna Grand Caravan 208B aircraft on the Ahmedabad-Surat-Bhavnagar and Ahmedabad-Kandla routes. The owner, Captain G.R. Gopinath (famous for founding India’s first low-fare carrier Air Deccan), would like to scale it up to 18-19 seat aircraft soon. Although Deccan Shuttles is currently operating under non-scheduled norms, Gopinath has already secured a regional airline licence and is probably seeking an opportune moment to go commercial. Another noteworthy aspect is that while most regional airlines clamour for state subsidy, Deccan Shuttles has asked the government to promote the airline rather than subsidise it.

This year, Lingamaneni Estates Private Ltd (LEPL), a Vijayawada-based infrastructure provider, also obtained a NOC to launch regional air services under the brand name Air Costa—the company’s first foray into aviation. Air Costa originally intended to commence operations mid-year from hubs at Hyderabad and Chennai with a fleet of five Bombardier Q400 aircraft and touch several destinations in South India. However, the delivery of these new aircraft was expected to take some time. Hence, the airline seems to have decided in favour of acquiring the Embraer E-170 and expects to launch services by the end of the year.

In Bangalore, there’s some chance of an October launch for Air Pegasus promoted by Shyson Thomas of Decor Aviation. The proposed no-frills airline hopes to become South 30 SP’S AVIATION Issue 9 • 2012

India’s first regional carrier using either Bombardier Q400 or ATR 72-500 turboprops. However, funding seems to be a tough nut to crack. Freedom Aviation, another Bangalore-based hopeful, now seems unlikely to get airborne at all. More positively, RAHI Aviation Inspired Realities (RAir) will soon launch non-scheduled services on the Gulbarga-Hyderabad and Gulbarga-Bangalore routes and plans to float a regional airline early next year.

Karina Airlines, the aviation arm of KRC Group, Noida, also hopes to commence scheduled regional operations by the end of the year. The airline has gained sufficient experience in operating non-scheduled flights for the last three years. Managing Director Namrata Chawla reportedly plans the new venture as a full-service airline targeting business travellers and tourists in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. However, Ghaziabad-based Indus Airways does not appear to be making much headway in its scheduled regional aspirations.

Let Scores of Regional Airlines Bloom!

The present troubles of India’s airlines are unlikely to last much longer and the industry could soon resume sustained double-digit traffic growth. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) estimates that traffic from non-metro airports is growing twice as fast as that from the metros and may hit 45 per cent of the total within just five years. But is India prepared for such growth? The Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) thinks not. It believes that many airports across the country will face capacity constraints sooner rather than later. Other experts estimate that India will need 500-600 regional aircraft over the next 20 years to cater to the projected traffic.

This begs the question: who will operate so many aircraft?

A big advantage of a small airline is that it is easier to launch and easier to wind up. The country is currently witnessing the strange spectacle of two seriously sick carriers— Kingfisher Airlines and Air India—continuing to operate with impunity, because they are deemed to be too big to fail (if they go down, it is said, they may take some public sector banks with them). However, small enterprises rise and fall without creating major upheavals. The new regional airlines and those on the horizon are still few and far between. There’s room for many more to improve air connectivity to India’s distant airports. And they could certainly do with some encouragement.

A useful measure would be for the government to subsidise regional operations for some time, say three to five years—it is reportedly mulling the creation of an Essential Air Services Fund (EASF) for the purpose. If at least some of the new contenders get off the ground, it should encourage others to shed their inhibitions, making regional aviation’s hopes of success much brighter. And that would be good news for the Indian airline industry as a whole. SP www.spsaviation.net

business aviation Cessna

Green

WAY to Business

Cessna is working with customers, suppliers, industry groups and government authorities in a variety of capacities, from studying fuel alternatives to partnering with engine manufacturers and providing operational guidance for aircraft owners

Photographs: Cessna

C

arbon dioxide emissions facturer to offer flight planning software to

By SP’s from all of aviation represent optimise flight profiles for time, cost, or for Correspondent only about two per cent of total the lowest carbon footprint. Called GreenCO2 emissions from burning fosTrak, the software uses a process known sil fuels, and general aviation is a as cost indexing to minimise total trip cost fraction of this number. Even so, for our Citation business jet operators by while aviation has established an outstandbalancing the costs of direct operation, fuel ing track record in reducing its environburn and carbon emissions. mental impact, Cessna recognises there is much more that Another innovation currently in development is an elecmust be done, as in the aviation industry economic and en- tric propulsion system for the Cessna 172 Skyhawk. Cessna vironmental goals converge: the market demands efficiency. has delivered more than 43,000 of these single-engine pisThe company is focusing on the efficient operation of Cessna ton-powered airplanes, more than any other general aviation aircraft within the company and by aircraft owners and opera- aircraft. The company has teamed with Beyond Aviation (fortors. This process also includes the incorporation of environ- merly Bye Energy), an integrator of clean, alternative energy ment-friendly technologies and features into the product line. technologies for business and general aviation aircraft. The Cessna is working with customers, suppliers, industry groups potential benefits are encouraging for this electric powerplant. and government authorities in a variety of capacities, from Cessna has long been committed to improving the effistudying fuel alternatives to partnering with engine manufac- ciency and reducing the environmental impact of the compaturers and providing operational guidance for aircraft owners. ny’s aircraft and manufacturing operations—it simply makes For example, Cessna was the first general aviation manu- good business sense. But it’s also the right thing to do. SP 32 SP’S AVIATION Issue 9 • 2012

www.spsaviation.net

Military Special Mission

On

Specific

Operation

Sentinel r Mk i: The Royal Air Force uses the Bombardier Global Express for airborne standoff radar programmes

Photograph: Bombardier

The IAF is seeking to induct up to nine special mission aircraft of which two would be for airborne SIGINT and the remaining seven would be configured for multi-mission role, which apart from carrying passengers and cargo, would include COMJAM

W

ith its headThe company is committed to developBy Air Marshal (Retd) ing new products having launched 25 quarters in B.K. Pandey Montréal, Cansuccessful new aircraft programmes in ada, Bombarthe last about two and a half decades dier Aerospace to meet with the diverse and changing is the world’s needs of customers. Over and above third largest civil aircraft manuroutine transportation, tasks for Bomfacturer and leader in the debardier’s aircraft include gathering sign and manufacture of innoinformation over the battlefield, patrolvative aviation products and services for the business, ling oceans or monitoring navigational systems. regional and amphibious aircraft segments of the market.

Since January 1965, when a Learjet 23 aircraft was 34 SP’S AVIATION Issue 9 • 2012

www.spsaviation.net

Military Special Mission quickly reconfigured for a medical evacuation mission, Bombardier has built up for itself the most impressive track record and the widest experience in providing special mission aircraft for governments, the armed forces and specialised commercial operators. Today, Bombardier offers the widest selection of high-performance platforms, from light and ultra long-range jets to turboprop aircraft and amphibians. These include the Global Express XRS and 5000, the Challenger 300, 605 and 800 series, the Learjet 40 XR, 45 XR and 60 XR as also the Q-series of airplanes. These special mission aircraft deliver the right combination of speed, range, payload, endurance, agility and reliability to meet any special mission requirement. In addition, Bombardier aircraft are supported by the company’s world-class technical and maintenance services all over the world.

In 1996, Bombardier Aerospace established the Government and Special Mission Aircraft Department which was later renamed as Specialised Aircraft Solutions (SAS), to produce aircraft and mission systems to address the distinctive requirements of governments and other customers. The mandate for SAS is also to identify trends in current and mission areas in the future.

Today, with the largest fleet of special mission aircraft in corporate aviation, most members of Bombardier’s comprehensive business jet and commercial aircraft family are firmly established in-service with special mission operators.

For future mission concepts, Bombardier continues to develop new specialised aircraft solutions to maintain its leading status in the market. SAS has delivered over 300 aircraft to more than 35 governments worldwide for the following specialised mission applications: • C4ISR • Maritime patrol, search and rescue • Disaster response and medevac • Flight testing, calibration, R&D • Training • Executive transport and logistics support Airborne C4ISR

A mission requiring surveillance, monitoring, intelligence gathering and airborne coordination is classified as a mission under command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR).

Bombardier aircraft are already well established in these roles particularly in the increasingly sophisticated air-toground surveillance environment, both in the overland and maritime domains. Government agencies and military commanders around the globe rely on Bombardier’s proven C4ISR platforms for high-altitude surveillance and domain awareness, maritime patrol, command, control and communications as also tactical and strategic reconnaissance.

Bombardier aircraft employed for C4ISR roles include the wide body Global and Challenger aircraft; the agile Learjet family; and their most recent introduction, the Q-Series turboprop aircraft. These specialised aircraft are being used by a number of agencies. The Royal Air Force uses the Global Express for air borne stand-off radar (ASTOR) programme also referred to as the Sentinel R Mk I, wherein the credentials of the aircraft as a superior C4ISR platform has been validated. The Royal Danish Air Force operates the Challenger 604 and the Korean National Maritime Police

Agency employs the Challenger 604 for the protection of fisheries in the exclusive economic zone.

In the first week of September 2012, Bombardier delivered a Global 6000 aircraft to the US Air Force, the fourth such aircraft to be added to the existing US Air Force inventory with E-11A military designation. This new platform with the battlefield airborne communications node (BACN), will allow disparate battlefield communications systems to share data.

Maritime Patrol, Search and Rescue

The characteristics of flexibility, endurance, range and payload of Bombardier’s platforms render them highly suitable for marine patrol as also search and rescue. Agencies that employ the company’s aircraft for the above mentioned roles are Coast Watch Australia (Q200 and Q300 Series), Swedish Coast Guard (Q300 Series), Japan Coast Guard (Q300 Series), Canadian Coast Guard (Q100 and Q200 Series) and the Department of Homeland Security of the US (Q200).

Disaster Response & Medevac

Bombardier aircraft undertake life-saving missions for a range of operators including air forces and agencies in Australia, Canada, Japan, Switzerland, Sweden, Iceland, Korea, Malaysia and the United States. Bombardier aircraft can operate not only in the traditional sea-going search and rescue (SAR) role, but also in providing capability to civil authorities for disaster relief. Several aircraft/ capabilities options are available to support rescue, recovery and restoration work following hurricanes, flooding or other natural disasters including the Bombardier 415 amphibious aircraft. Additionally, there are emerging requirements for supporting potential weapons of mass destruction events.

Specially modified for in flight medical care, Bombardier aircraft already have a long history of air ambulance and medevac role. The Challenger 604 aircraft has emerged as a preferred aircraft for air ambulance missions. Medevac role and has accumulated close to 30,000 flight hours and 35,000 landings over a twenty year period. Agencies operating Bombardier aircraft for medevac include Quebec Government (CL 601 Challenger), Rega Air Swiss Ambulance (three CL 604 Challengers), Irish Air Corps (Lear 45XR), Canadian Global Air Ambulance (Lear 35A), and Saudi Armed Forces Medical Services (Lear 35).

Flight Testing, Airways Calibration, Research & Development

As a stable and reliable platform for airborne research and development as well as sub-system tests and evaluations, Bombardier aircraft are employed in this role with several aerospace corporations and other centres of excellence for technology development especially to enhance safety in the management of airspace.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) operates a Global 5000 aircraft as an airborne research laboratory for testing a variety of state-of-the-art equipment related to communications and navigation systems. Other customers include industry leaders such as NASA and Northrop Grumman. The FAA operates an all-Bombardier Continued on page 38 Issue 9 • 2012 SP’S AVIATION 35

Military AEW&CS

IAF’s

Eye Sky

IAF’s AEW&CS: The platform will be integrated with mission systems developed by DRDo labs

in the

With the induction of the Embraer 145 AEW&CS aircraft, the IAF has indeed embarked on a new journey. This, when fully operational, will undoubtedly introduce a unique dimension in the air defence capability of the IAF.

Photograph: Embraer

T

he first fully modiintegrator, mounting the 1.6-tonne raBy Air Marshal (Retd) fied Brazilian Embraer dar and electronics on to the airframe B.K. Pandey 145 aircraft landed at ensuring that the aircraft retains the HAL Airport at Bangalore stipulated flight performance and is fit on the night of August for recertification. Several laboratories 22, 2012. This platform of the DRDO are involved in the projwill now be integrated with a misect. The Centre for Airborne Systems sion system developed by various (CABS) is responsible for the overall laboratories of the Indian Defence integration of the aircraft’s electronic Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to serve systems, mission computer, display and data handling. The as airborne early warning and control system (AEW&CS) Defence Electronics Application Laboratory (DEAL) will be for the Indian Air Force (IAF). This was the first of the three responsible for the primary sensors, communication sysaircraft contracted in 2008 for $210 million (`1,155 crore). tems and data link. Defence Avionics Research Establishment The second aircraft is expected to arrive in December this (DARE) will provide a comprehensive self-protection system, year. The decision to place follow-on orders for three more electronic warfare suites and communication systems. The aircraft may be taken based on operational experience.

Defence Electronics Research Laboratory (DERL) will be inUnder the contract, Embraer will be the overall system volved with “counter-support measures”. Developmental test

36 SP’S AVIATION Issue 9 • 2012

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Military AEW&CS

EMB 145 AEW&C

flight will be carried out in India beginning 2013 and may take a year or so.

EMBRAER

3-D view of the aircraft EMB 145 AEW&C

EMBRAER

Special Features

The twin-engine Embraer 145 jet will be equipped with indigenously developed active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar that has a fixed dorsal antenna where the required target area is scanned with the help of high speed electronic beam. This system is clearly better that the conventional rotating antenna as it has fewer moving parts. Besides, modern generation electronics are lighter and more capable.

The AESA radar has a detection range of 350 km, a 260-degree coverage in azimuth and can track more than 500 targets simultaneously. While the primary radar mounted on the aircraft is the AESA, the secondary surveillance sensor is the identification friend or foe (IFF) system. The AEW&CS will also have electronic support measures (ESM) and communications support measures (CSM) ability. Data links to network the AEW&CS with more than 40 other aircraft and ground-based control systems will also be provided as also satellite communication system (SATCOM). The avionics suite will be linked via a data handling system and will be controlled by mission computers. The self-protection suite (SPS) will have a passive missile approach warning system, a radar warning receiver and countermeasures dispensers.

The SPS will be integrated with the ESM & CSM suites.

The Embraer 145 AEW&C aircraft features upgraded capabilities such as in-flight refuelling system for increased endurance, significantly enhanced electrical power generation and better cooling capacity. The airframe has undergone a comprehensive set of structural changes which will facilitate the installation of a wide range of advanced mission systems that have been developed by the various laboratories of the DRDO. A True Force Multiplier

Photographs: DRDO; 3-D design recreated by sp’s design based on embraer inputs

As a member of Embraer’s ISR family of aircraft and systems, the Embraer 145 AEW&CS platform can prove to be a true force-multiplier covering a range of operational mis-

EMB 145 AEW&C

EMBRAER

22 ft 2 in (6.75 m)

98 ft 0 in (29.87 m)

EMB 145 AEW&C EMB 145 AEW&C

24 ft 9 in (7.55 m)

EMB 145 AEW&C EMB 145 AEW&C

EMB 145 AEW&C EMB 145 AEW&C

68 ft 11 in (21.00 m)

sions related to intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. These could include airspace management, directing own air defence fighter aircraft against intruding enemy aircraft and controlling interception by own aircraft, signals intelligence, surveillance of maritime boundaries as well as of exclusive economic zones (EEZ) and surveillance of land borders. However, in the Indian context, to begin

Celebration time: The first fully modified Embraer 145 landed at bangalore on August 22

Issue 9 • 2012 SP’S AVIATION 37

Military AEW&CS with, the Embraer 145 AEW&CS aircraft will form a part of the air defence system.

The IAF currently operates a fleet of three IL 76 aircraft based Phalcon airborne warning and control systems (AWACS) as a primary component of the air defence system for early detection of intruding enemy aircraft and activation of the air defence weapons. With aerial refuelling capability, the AWACS aircraft of the IAF are able to fly missions of 14 hours or more at high altitude, extending surveillance coverage over large airspace well beyond the national boundaries. However, despite the elaborate ground-based air defence radar network, the few aerostats recently inducted and the limitations in the number of AWACS aircraft that are available to be kept on station, given the extent of land borders against the two not so friendly neighbours, there persists large gaps especially in low level radar cover on account of which the early warning available in respect of intruding enemy aircraft, is not adequate. With their large detection range, the AEW&CS platform could be used to complement ground-based early warning radars significantly enhancing capability of early detection. Operations of the AEW&CS will be integrated and other ground-based radars including aerostats, thus closing the existing gap in cover between ground-based air defence radars and the AWACS.

Participation by DRDO

The AEW&CS aircraft has a large number of mission system components provided by DRDO laboratories, the most critical of these are the AESA radar which is developed by the Electronics and Radar Development Establishment, Bangalore, and the antenna called active antenna array unit (AAAU) developed by CABS. One of the major achievements of this institution of DRDO is the design, development and testing of indigenous AESA radar weighing 1.6 tonnes.

Apart from providing the IAF with a cheaper and more flexible AEW&CS platform, the project has helped develop indigenous capability to design and operationalise airborne surveillance platforms. Collaboration with DRDO in such a complex programme has strengthened the ties between Brazil and India. “The success of this programme is the symbol of cooperation between India and Brazil,” said Dr Christopher, Programme Director AEW&C and Director CABS. A New Capability

With the induction of the Embraer 145 AEW&CS aircraft, the IAF has indeed embarked on a new journey. This new “Eye in the Sky” when fully operational, will undoubtedly introduce a unique dimension in the air defence capability of the IAF. SP

Continued from page 35

On Specific... fleet led by four Challenger aircraft (a Challenger 604 and three Challenger 601 3R jets) and six Learjet 60 aircraft. As a joint organisation with the USAF Combat Flight Inspection detachment, the FAA’s Challenger aircraft have supported allied nations in certifying airfields for military operations, including in Kabul, Baghdad and Uzebekistan. Additionally, another world-renowned civil aviation organisation, Japan’s Civil Aviation Bureau, operates two Global Express ultra longrange jets and one Q300 aircraft for flight inspection missions.

The Government of Malaysia operates a Lear 60, and NAV Canada uses a Challenger CL 601 and Q100 in this role.

an extensive fleet of Learjet 35A (C 21A) aircraft that undertake operational support airlift missions round the clock and across the globe. Other nations that call on Bombardier aircraft for head of state, ministerial, government and senior military brass transportation include Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Czech Republic, Denmark and Malaysia.

As more nations become integrated with longstanding allied organisations, they turn to Bombardier aircraft as a reliable and highly supportable means of transportation. The Government of Germany selected the Global 5000 aircraft as its replacement platform for VIP transportation.

Training

Future Concepts

Bombardier aircraft are currently deployed for training of pilots, flight engineers, navigators and mission system specialists. Training is also carried out for evaluation and mission readiness procedures with a host of government and military operators. Specialised functions extend beyond these areas to include threat simulation, electronic warfare and airborne target presentations to train air defence systems operators on land, at sea and in the air. Bombardier’s experience and comprehensive product line makes it a strong contender for future military flight crew training requirements around the world.

Bombardier continues to expand the capability range of its aircraft to undertake new and emerging specialised missions. Bombardier continues to improve upon its existing and high performing intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft solutions by evaluating upgrades to current systems as required by specific missions. As an example, Bombardier has supported airframe, avionics, and mission system improvements on Q-Series maritime patrol aircraft solely for the benefit of special mission customers.

Requirement for the Indian Air Force

Executive Transport and Logistic Support

Bombardier aircraft offer superior comfort and performance in the transportation of high profile passengers and essential cargo for air forces worldwide. The aircraft can be provided with secure voice communications, satellite communication (SATCOM) and military-specific navigational systems as well as infrared (IR) missile countermeasures systems if required. The United States Air Force alone has 38 SP’S AVIATION Issue 9 • 2012

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is seeking to induct up to nine special mission aircraft of which two would be for airborne signals intelligence (SIGINT) and the remaining seven would be configured for multi-mission role, which apart from carrying passengers and cargo, would include communications jamming (COMJAM), aerial survey, flares dispensing and target towing. Bombardier would be well placed to meet the aspirations of the IAF. SP www.spsaviation.net

Military Interview - boeing defense,space & security Dennis D. Swanson is now the International Business Development Vice President for Boeing Defense, Space and Security in India. In an interview with Air Marshal (Retd) V.K. Bhatia, Editor, SP’s Aviation, Swanson spoke at length about Boeing’s plans to deepen its presence in the country through long-term and strategy partnerships.

Boeing sees great value in partnering with India SP’s Aviation (SP’s): Congratulations on being appointed Vice President of Defense, Space and Security Unit in India. Could you define what would be your role(s) in the new assignment?

Dennis D. Swanson (Swanson): I was put in this position back in April 2011 with the objective of growing and repositioning Boeing’s defence, space and security business in India. As part of my role, I am also responsible for new sales opportunities, ensuring delivery on customer commitments and strengthening engagement with our industry partners.

I do believe that Boeing can provide great value not just within the platforms we can sell but the relationships that we can invest in. This is going to be a time of tremendous growth for the Indian aerospace sector and Boeing is privileged to partner with India for the long term.

SP’s: Could you briefly cover Boeing’s ongoing programmes related to the defence sector in India?

Swanson: Boeing enjoys a long-term relationship with India and has had a presence in the country for 70 years. Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS) started pursuing opportunities six to seven years ago. In that short time, BDS has enjoyed successes with the sale of eight P-8I aircraft to the Indian Navy, 10 C-17 Globemaster aircraft to the Indian Air Force and business jets. We have fielded Boeing’s AH-64 Apache in India’s attack helicopter competition. The CH-47 Chinook is positioned in the heavy-lift helicopter and we believe its ability to carry high payloads in high altitude areas will make it an ideal choice for India.

The Defense, Space & Security portfolio also extends to C4ISR platforms, airborne early warning and control systems, unmanned airborne systems, and services and support.

Our long-term business strategy is to work closely with our customers on their defence and security requirements, execute flawlessly on our current campaigns and deepen our presence in the country through long-term and strategy partnerships.

SP’s: Could you give an update on the Indian Navy’s P-8I project?

Swanson: The P-8I programme is progressing very well and we are on track to deliver the first aircraft to the Indian Navy in 2013.

In July this year, we witnessed two key milestones of the P-8I programme. The first flight of the second aircraft that India will receive took place in Seattle. The first P-8I aircraft for the Indian Navy began its official flight test programme, which includes mission tests of sensors and communication systems.

The team will transition to ‘stores’ tests during which the P-8I will carry inert weapon shapes under its wings to demonstrate that the aircraft is capable of carrying all the weapons the Indian Navy will use during regular missions.

P-8I flight and weapons testing follows on the heels of similar testing for the US Navy’s P-8A Poseidon. P-8I is a variant of the Poseidon.

In order to efficiently design and build the P-8I and the P-8A, the Boeing-led team is using a first-in-industry, in-line production process that draws on the company’s next-generation 737 production system.

The P-8I features open system architecture, advanced sensor and display technologies, and a worldwide base of suppliers, parts and support equipment. The P-8I aircraft are built by a Boeing-led industry team that includes CFM International, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Spirit AeroSystems, BAE Systems and GE Aviation.

Issue 9 • 2012 SP’S AVIATION 39

Military Interview - boeing defense, space & security We are proud that a series of Indian suppliers such as the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Avantel, Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL), Dynamatic Technologies Limited (DTL) and Tata Advanced Materials Limited (TAML) are contributing to components that will be integrated on P-8 and P-8I. • HAL builds P-8I weapon bay doors, identification friend or foe transponder (IFFT) and tail cones.

• BEL builds data link, identification friend or foe interrogator (IFFI) and finger printing equipment for the P-8I. • Avantel delivers the mobile satellite systems for the P-8I. • ECIL builds speech secrecy systems for the P-8I. • DTL provides P-8I power equipment cabinets and mission equipment cabinets. TAML is a sub-tier supplier to DTL and provides composite materials.

• Tata builds auxiliary power unit (APU) door fairings and radomes.

Boeing was selected to provide eight P-8I long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft to the Indian Navy in January 2009. India is the first international customer for the P-8 and Boeing believes that there are numerous other opportunities for international sales to countries currently operating P-3s or similar maritime patrol aircraft.

On follow-on options, the P-8I’s baseline contract had a provision for four follow-on aircraft. Any additional information regarding contract negotiations for the four additional aircraft will need to come from the Indian Navy at this time.

SP’s: Could you provide first-hand information on IAF’s acquisition programme for 10 C-17 Globemaster III aircraft? Are there any firm indications of a repeat order from the Indian side?

Swanson: Boeing recently announced that it has completed the major join of the C-17 aircraft which involved the integration of the forward, centre and aft fuselages and the wing assembly. On July 31, the embassy, senior Indian Air Force (IAF) and local elected officials drove ceremonial rivets into the first C-17 aircraft for India as they celebrated the achievement of this key programme milestone.

The C-17 programme for the Indian Air Force is on track for the deliveries in 2013 and 2014. The teams are working on aircraft build, sustainment and site activation, training and offset commitments.

India’s Ministry of Defence signed an agreement with the US Government on June 15, 2011, to acquire 10 C-17 airlifters, making India the largest C-17 customer outside the US. On a follow-on order, I would not like to make any comments as it would be more appropriate for our customers to comment.

SP’s: What is the latest on the IAF’s programme to acquire 22 Apache Longbow AH-64D attack helicopters from Boeing?

Swanson: Boeing responded to the RFP by the Indian Air Force for 22 attack helicopters. If India selects the AH-64 Apache, the IAF will receive the latest Block III configuration. This is the configuration that the US Army took delivery of in November 2011. The Block III has the latest technology insertions that make it a lethal attack helicopter. The AH-64 40 SP’S AVIATION Issue 9 • 2012

Apache is the only available combat helicopter with a spectrum of capabilities for virtually any mission requirement. It is uniquely suited to meet the commander’s needs, including reconnaissance, security, peacekeeping operations, and lethal attack—in both land and littoral environments—all without reconfiguration.

Boeing is deferring all questions about the status of the competition and delivery schedules to the Ministry of Defence for comment.

SP’s: Could you give details of the Boeing’s endeavours for creating opportunities/partnerships in India to effectively discharge its responsibilities towards offsets?

Swanson: Boeing has an unmatched reputation for delivering world-class industrial partnership programmes. We have brought benefits valued at more than $42 billion to nearly 40 countries over the past 30 years. We will leverage this success to deliver offset programmes to India that are in line with India’s defence procurement policies and that meet the Indian Government’s goals to strengthen indigenous aerospace and defence capabilities, enhance its selfreliance and national security, and position Indian industry for growth in the global market.

We continue to work with private sector, government sector and industry to expand our partnerships. Boeing sees great value in partnering with India. HAL is currently contracted to manufacture the F/A-18 gun bay door, F/A-18 wire harnesses, P-8I weapons bay doors, P-8I tail cones, and P-8I identification friend or foe transponder (IFFT). Bharat Electronics Limited has delivered the Indian-designed Data Link II for the P-8I, a communications system that will enable exchange of tactical data and messages between the Indian Navy aircraft, ships and shore establishments. BEL has also delivered the identification friend or foe interrogator (IFFI), a battle management system that will enable P-8I aircraft to distinguish friendly aircraft and forces. Finally, BEL is on contract to provide F/A-18 cockpit panels and has already started delivering on that contract.

Boeing has also partnered with BEL to establish the Boeing Analysis & Experimentation Centre (A&E Centre) in February 2010. Based in Bangalore, the centre provides defence experimentation and decision support services to understand the future warfighting needs of the Indian armed forces. The centre is staffed with former Indian military personnel and modelling and simulation engineers from Boeing. The Boeing team works hand-in-hand with BEL personnel, with plans to create a BEL node in the future.

In addition to defence public sector undertakings ­(DPSUs), private industry companies play a large role in Boeing’s industrial strategy. Dynamatic Technologies and Tata Advanced Materials Limited have already delivered P-8I power and mission equipment cabinets and TAML is on contract to provide P-8I auxiliary power unit door fairings. Avantel has delivered the P-8I mobile satellite systems.

Beyond direct work placement, Boeing collaborates with Indian industrial partners on lean manufacturing techniques and Boeing’s programme management and supplier management best practices. Boeing also is looking at ways to partner with several small and medium enterprises throughout India. SP www.spsaviation.net

Civil Industry Industry Finally in India: Air india’s 787 dreamliner landed in new delhi on september 8

traditional welcome: dreamliner gets a water cannon welcome as it halts on the tarmac

High Potential Photographs: Sp Guide Pubns

Upbeat as always about the Indian market, Keskar described India as the “big gorilla”and the “shining star”while releasing the Boeing 2012 India Market Outlook on September 4. He said that India’s commercial aviation fleet is likely to grow by 4.5 times in size in the next 20 years.

B

y the end of 2013, September 8, Air India’s first DreamBy Sucheta Das Mohapatra Boeing will manufacliner arrived in India.

Buoyant as always about the Indian ture ten 787 Dreammarket, Keskar described India as the liners every month, “big gorilla” and the “shining star” while i.e. 120 airplanes releasing the Boeing 2012 India Market a year, declared Dr Outlook on September 4. “India has Dinesh Keskar, President Boeing India. He informed that three 787 Dreamliners are ready for huge potential. We say that every year and it’s not different this delivery to Air India; required clearances have been taken time. By 2021 India’s economy will be the fifth largest in the from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Di- world, and by 2031the fourth largest, and so we are bullish.”

He said that India’s commercial aviation fleet is rectorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA); and 64 pilots of Air India have already been trained on the aircraft. Later on likely to grow by 4.5 times in size in the next 20 years.

Issue 9 • 2012 SP’S AVIATION 41

Civil Industry

moving forward: a close up of the first 787 dreamliner of air india; firmly optimistic: dinesh keskar (inset)

“India’s airlines have experienced rapid traffic and capacity growth since 2001. Despite the challenges, India will continue to have one of the strongest, vibrant aviation markets in the world.”

Stating that India is projected to have the highest passenger traffic growth in the world, Keskar forecasts that India’s airlines will take deliveries of 1,450 airplanes valued at about $175 billion (`9,62,500 crore) in the next two decades.

And globally, with increasing orders from India, China and other emerging markets; the company projects a $4.5 trillion (`2,47,50,000 crore) market for 34,000 airplanes over the next 20 years. “South Asia will experience highest traffic growth in the world at 8.4 per cent.”

Boeing predicts that over 60 million passengers will fly within India this year. In 2012-13, India will take delivery of 1,201 single-aisle aircraft valued at $114 billion (`6,27,000 crore), 234 twin-aisle at $61 billion (`3,35,500 crore) and 15 regional jets valued at $0.5 billion. “Airlines in India are improving their financial performances due to improved yields and improved capacity management, although the slowing GDP growth, high fuel prices and a week rupee would affect growth in near term.” He said that high fuel prices and exchange rates have affected the aviation market and the overall traffic growth has become negative, but it has only “dampened and not decreased”. Domestic services have increased dramatically over the last two decades and liberalisation has had a huge impact on airlines in India and their fleet. “Single42 SP’S AVIATION Issue 9 • 2012

aisle airplanes such as the Next-Generation 737 and the 737 MAX are in big demand from airlines in India.”

The company which currently leads India’s wide body long-haul international fleet with the 777s and 747s; deems that with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner joining the fleets of Air India and Jet Airways, the leadership will advance further.

“We believe that passengers will continue to prefer more flight choices, lower fares, and direct access to a wider range of destinations and the air carriers in India will continue to offer more flights using more efficient airplanes, rather than using significantly larger airplanes,” said Keskar.

“Air India can deploy the Dreamliners on many routes including the Middle East, Europe, Asia and Australia at a significantly lower operating cost. The 787’s range and capability will help Air India augment and expand its network.”

On being asked by Jayant Baranwal, Editor-in-Chief, SP’s Aviation, whether Boeing is worried about the Air India orders keeping the financial state of the airlines in the mind, he said that concerns are there, but the Dreamliner is the right airplane for Air India and will be a key for change. Besides Air India, Jet Airways too has placed order for ten 787 Dreamliners. “There are not many orders from private airlines for the 787s yet, but Jet Airways has already ordered ten airplanes.” To the query as to how many 787s will roll out in the next five years, Keskar said that he can only say that by the end of next year, the company will manufacture 10 Dreamliners a month. www.spsaviation.net

Civil Industry

maharaja arrives: an eye soothing view of dreamliner landing

Telling further about the 787s, he said that there are 824 orders from 58 countries for the 787s and 19 aircraft have already entered service with four airlines. Since October 2011, the 787 has flown more than 6,000 flights and has carried 1.5 million passengers across the world. “We have received unprecedented customer response.” According to the company, use of composite materials makes the 787s resistant to corrosion and less scheduled maintenance; the nextgeneration engines lower fuel consumption and emissions; advanced aerodynamics gives it Mach 0.85 cruise speed and increases fuel efficiency; and innovative system lowers lifecycle costs and makes it easier to maintain and update.”

Boeing which has aircraft orders from Air India, Spice

Jet and Jet Airways, stated that there has been no issues with regard to payment. “There will be 100 deliveries in the next ten years in India,” said Keskar. Informing about the maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in Nagpur, he said that it is coming out well and will be completed by the end of this year. “The office structure is complete. We are committed to spend $100 million (`550 crore).”

Keskar said that no engine modification is required in Boeing air planes to fly on biofuel and many of the aircraft have flown on it too, but he raised doubts about the practicability of use of biofuels as it is four-five times costlier than air turbine fuel (ATF). “I don’t see it happening soon unless you and I agree to increase the ticket prices.” SP

Dream-liner Comes True

Boeing celebrates delivery of Air India’s first 787 Dreamliner

Photograph: Boeing

O

n September 6, Boeing and Air India celebrated the delivery of the country’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Air India which has placed orders for 27 Dreamliners, is the fifth airline globally to take delivery of a 787 Dreamliner.

“Today is a great day for Air India as the most technologically advanced and fuel-efficient airplane in the world joins our fleet,” said Rohit Nandan, Air India Chairman and Managing Director.

The airplane is equipped with 18 business class seats and 238 economy class seats. “We are pleased to celebrate another historic moment in our nearly seven-decade-long relationship,” said Dinesh Keskar, Senior Vice President of Asia Pacific and India Sales for Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

The aircraft is powered by GEnx-1B engine, which offers up to 15 per cent improved fuel efficiency. Chuck Nugent, General Manager of the GEnx Program at GE Aviation, said, “GE Aviation is excited to have its GEnx-1B engine begin flying with Air India. The GEnx engine is performing exceptionally well since it entered service in October, and we look forward to continuing this success with Air India.”

John Flannery, President & CEO, GE India said, “We are proud that Air India has partnered with GE to bring next generation technologies into the country. GE’s GEnx engine will enable quicker travel time, support cost and fuel efficiencies as well as create a cleaner environment, all of which are important priorities for India.

It is our constant endeavour to deliver solutions to our customers

Historic moment: (From left) Jack Jones, Vice President and General Manager of Boeing South Carolina, Air India Captain A.S. Soman, Dinesh Keskar, and M.L. Franklin, Air India technical team leader, cutting the ceremonial ribbon

that bring business benefits to them and help change lives in a positive manner.” SP

Issue 9 • 2012 SP’S AVIATION 43

Hall of Fame

T

he identity of the first human being to live on earth may be a matter of faith, but the name of the first person to reach the moon is a matter of fact. When Neil Armstrong gingerly stepped onto the moon’s powdery surface on July 20, 1969, the history of the human race was transformed.

The first words he said, “That’s one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind,” have no equal for fame in any compilation of space quotes. Following Armstrong’s death on August 25, 2012, it is fitting to recall how one man embodied an amazing moment for humanity when no goal seemed too great to achieve.

Neil Alden Armstrong was born in Wapakoneta, Ohio, USA, on August 5, 1930. Just 15 when he started flying, he became a licensed pilot on his 16th birthday. Then he joined the US Navy as an aviator and flew 78 combat missions during the Korean War. In September 1951, while making a low bombing run at about 560 kmph, his aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire. As he struggled desperately to regain control, he collided with a pole at a height of about six metres that sliced off almost three feet of the wing. Still, he was able to fly back to friendly territory, before ejecting safely. After the war, be became a research pilot at NASA’s Flight Research Center, flying on many pioneering high-speed aircraft. He had been prone to motion sickness as a child and sometimes experienced nausea during long periods of aerobatics. It did not deter him from flying over 200 different types of aircraft, including gliders, helicopters, jets and rockets.

Armstrong joined the US astronaut corps in 1962 and his first space assignment came in September 1966. As command pilot for the Gemini 8 mission, he performed the first successful docking of two vehicles in space.

The mission nearly ended in disaster when a thruster rocket malfunctioned, sending the spacecraft spinning wildly out of control. However, Armstrong remained unruffled and brought the Gemini home safely. His day of glory was yet to come.

44 SP’S AVIATION Issue 9 • 2012

In 1961, President John Kennedy, alarmed at the spectacular space achievements of the Soviet Union, had committed the US “to achieving the goal, before the decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth”. Considering that

Neil Armstrong (1930-2012)

Like so many other celebrated astronauts, he could have chosen to bask in the heroic afterglow of his stunning achievement.

However, he remained an unassuming and deeply private man—a reluctant hero—to the end. till then the Americans had sent just one astronaut on a 20-minute sub-orbital flight, this seemed a tall order indeed.

Yet, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) worked determinedly and it was in July 1969 (still five months before the deadline) when Mission Commander Neil Armstrong, with Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, blasted off in Apollo 11—destination the moon.

Four days later, the lunar lander module with Armstrong and Aldrin aboard separated from the Columbia

mother ship and commenced its automatic final descent sequence. Just before touchdown, Armstrong noticed that they were heading towards an obstacle. So he took over manual control and attempted to steer the craft towards a safer area. This took longer than expected, and on landing they had just 40 to 50 seconds of fuel burn time left. That’s when he radioed the second-most famous space call ever: “Houston, Tranquillity Base here. The Eagle has landed.” They spent about two-and-a-half hours on the moon’s surface, conducting experiments, taking photographs and collecting rock and soil samples. They also planted the American flag and left behind a plaque: “Here men from the planet earth first set foot upon the moon. We came in peace for all mankind.”

Then the lunar module took off, rendezvoused with Columbia, and docked. The three astronauts returned to earth, soon splashing down safely in the Pacific Ocean.

Later, Armstrong said he had believed there was only a 50 per cent chance of landing on the moon. “I was elated, ecstatic and extremely surprised that we were successful.”

Armstrong, like so many other celebrated astronauts, could have chosen to bask in the heroic afterglow of his stunning achievement.

He could have written a book, sold the movie rights, joined politics, or perhaps even contested as presidential candidate. However, he remained an unassuming and deeply private man—a reluctant hero—to the end. He preferred to credit the 4,00,000 people who had contributed to the Apollo programme. “I wasn’t chosen to be first. I was just chosen to command that flight. Circumstance put me in that particular role,” was a typically humble statement. On his death, his family said: “For those who may ask what they can do to honour Neil, we have a simple request. Honour his example of service, accomplishment and modesty, and the next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the moon smiling down at you, think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink.” SP —Group Captain (Retd) Joseph Noronha, Goa www.spsaviation.net

Digest

news

BY SP’s Special Correspondent India, Russia firm up R&D phase for FGFA

Eurocopter pitches naval Panther for NUH

range finder, glass cockpits with night vision goggle compatibility, a Link II data link that couples the helicopters’ sensors to shipboard mission systems, as well as countermeasures suites with missile/ radar/laser warning receivers and chaff and flare dispensers. • IAF scouts for spatial disorientation simulator

India and Russia have finalised a $10-billion contract that will herald the most crucial phase of the joint fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) project. With three single-seat Sukhoi T-50 prototypes already flying, IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal N.A.K. Browne had an opportunity to inspect the aircraft and receive briefings on progress. India will begin putting together its version of the FGFA, a twin-seat multi-role stealth jet on the lines of the F-22 Raptor, starting late 2013.

HAL, lead integrator on the Indian side, will send teams to Russia to qualify on the most fundamental areas of stealth fighter building, before they begin on the Indian prospective multi-role fighter (PMF). Both countries intend to induct a mix of twin- and single-seat fighters. •

The recently floated naval utility helicopter (NUH) programme is likely to be fought closely, with as many as five choppers that fit the bill and expected to throw their hat in the ring. Eurocopter, currently awaiting a decision on India's reconnaissance and surveillance helicopter (RSH) competition for 197 helicopters for the IAF and Army, will be pitching its AS565 MB Panther for the NUH bid.

The AS565 MB Panther is the military version of Eurocopter’s multi-role, twin-engine Dauphin family—whose largest civilian operator is Pawan Hans Helicopters Ltd. The mission equipment and systems integrated on these rotorcraft include anti-ship missiles, search torpedoes, surveillance and weather radars, electro-­ optical system (EOS) with FLIR & TV sensors associated with laser

Military

had an extensive exchange of views on defence and military exchanges and cooperation between the two countries.

Asia-Pacific India and China agree to expand defence cooperation

General Liang Guanglie, State Councillor and Minister of National Defence of the People's Republic of China, was on an official visit to India from September 2-6, 2012. The two Defence Ministers discussed the regional security situation and international issues of common interest and concern. They also

Americas First successful test for LEMV

Long endurance multi-intelligence vehicle (LEMV) stayed afloat for more than 90 minutes during its first flight trial on August 7. The LEMV, like a blimp, is capable of carrying multiple intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance payloads for more than 21 days at

With training truncated as a result of lack of trainer aircraft and an increasing number of cases of disorientation being reported, the IAF is going in for a fast-track purchase of a motion-based spatial disorientation simulator (SDS) for aircrew. The SDS will be required for demonstration of spatial disorientation, disorientation training in flight situations, flight simulation and night vision training and motion sickness desensitisation.

The IAF has stipulated that the disorientation illusions that

altitudes greater than 22,000 feet. The US Army Space and Missile Defense Command/ Army Forces Strategic Command conducted the first flight test of vehicle. "Murphy Bays" on the LEMV can carry just about any kind of sensor or equipment, and design specifications for the LEMV require the vehicle to provide up to 16 kilowatts of electrical power for those payloads. The LEMV is intended to be used to conduct long-term ISR, and persistent stare-type missions, and can also be used as a communications relay. The football field-sized LEMV can operate at altitudes greater than 22,000 feet above mean sea level, has a 3,600-km radius of action, can carry a 2,750 pound ISR payload for more than 21 days, and boasts a fuel consumption that is more than 10 times less than comparable capabilities.

the SDS should be capable of simulating must include coriolis, somatogyral, oculogyral, graveyard spin, nystagymus, autokinesis, black hole approach, dark take-off, sloped runway, among others specified in the RFP. This will be first simulator that the IAF will acquire specifically for ground training pilots in the grave threat of spatial disorientation. So far, it was included in ab initio and intermediate flight training with instructors. The IAF is looking for a dual cockpit simulator with adjustable pilot seats, duplicated flight controls, a full set of cockpit instruments, two-way communication with voice recording, simulated aircraft noise and vibrations.

According to the RFP, the software must make available realistic representations of ground objects and include various terrains (such as hills, sea, snow, jungles and desert). Simulation of ground objects must include details such as power lines, wind power stations, power plants, houses, trees, rivers, dams, roads, railroads, bridges, ships, oil rigs, lighthouses, etc. • For complete versions log on to: www.spsaviation.net & www.spsmai.com

Civil Aviation Asia-Pacific Honeywell’s first of its kind flight training Honeywell engineers in India have graduated from a private pilot licence programme sponsored by Honeywell Aerospace and Honeywell Technology Solutions, the first initiative of its kind in India’s aerospace industry.

Certified by the Government of India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the graduated engineers are better equipped to understand the challenges that pilots face and can determine product requirements from a pilot’s perspective more easily. It also enables them to speak to aerospace customers in their own technical language, helping Honeywell to continue

Issue 9 • 2012 SP’S AVIATION 45

Digest

news

QuickRoundUp

Show Calendar 10-14 September, 2012 42nd IFATSEA General Assembly 2012 The Ashok Hotel, New Delhi, India www.ifatsea2012.in

AIRBUS • Philippine Airlines has placed a firm order with Airbus covering more than 50 aircraft consisting of single aisle A321s and wide-body A330-300s, the latest high gross weight models, at a cost of $7 billion. The first batch of aircraft is being ordered under a major fleet modernisation programme with deliveries starting in 2013.

11-16 September ILA BERLIN AIR SHOW Berlin ExpoCenter Airort, Berlin www.ila-berlin.de 12-13 September BUSINESS AIRCRAFT ­EUROPE London Biggin Hill Airport, London www.miuevents.com/bae12 25-27 September Military Airlift 2012 America Square Conference Centre, London, UK www.militaryairliftevent.com 25-28 September International Close Air Support 2012 76 Portland Place, London, U.K0 www.closeairsupportevent.com 26-28 September inter airport China 2012 China International Exhibition Centre, Beijing, China www.interairportchina.com 27-29 September JET EXPO Business Aviation Terminal, Vnukovo-3 Airport, Moscow www.2012.jetexpo.ru 1-3 October Military Equipment & Technology Expo Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA, USA www.militaryequipmentexpo.com 9 -14 October JAPAN AEROSPACE INTERNATIONAL 2012 Port Messe Nagoya, Nagoya, Japan www.japanaerospace.jp 22-23 October Police Aviation Prince Hotel & Residence, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia http://www.tangentlink.com/ police-aviation--kuala-lumpurmalaysia--22nd-23rd-october-2012-.html

AIRBUS MILITARY Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited the PSLV launch facility at Sriharikota on the eve of the launch of the PSLV-C21 vehicle on September 8, 2012. The PSLV-C21 is India's 100th space mission.

to deliver technologies that provide value to customers around the world.

IndiGo's four new flights IndiGo is launching four new additional flights from Mumbai. Effective September 10, IndiGo will operate its third daily and direct flight between Mumbai and Ahmadabad, and Mumbai and Goa. Captain Gopinath launches regional airline in Gujarat Captain G.R. Gopinath, the man who gave India air travel on a platter, returned to the aviation business for a third time by launching a regional airline in Gujarat on August 20. The airline, Deccan Shuttle, starts with 12 flights a day between nine cities such as Ahmadabad, Surat, Jamnagar, Bhavnagar and Kandla with five 12-seater Grand Caravans. All these cities are connected to Mumbai by air, but have no services between them.

Industry Asia-Pacific Samtel receives $5.1 million order from Honeywell Samtel Avionics & Defence Systems has announced that it has received an order to manufacture avionics equipment for Honeywell worth $5.1 million. Samtel and Honeywell have signed

46 SP’S AVIATION Issue 9 • 2012

a long-term contract for supply of the component to Honeywell, a continuation of a previous purchase order that Samtel had received from Honeywell in 2010. The production of this equipment is to begin shortly at Samtel Avionics’ new production facility at Greater Noida. With this deal, Samtel has taken a concrete step towards manufacturing advanced avionics equipment for commercial platforms. Multifunction displays manufactured

by Samtel through its JV with HAL are already being inducted on Block III and IV Su-30 MKI aircraft being manufactured by HAL. The deal is also in tandem with the US Government’s thrust to boost trade ties between India and the US. Bharat Electronics and Thales to form JV Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Thales have announced that the Boards of both companies have approved the formation of a joint venture company (JVC), subject to statutory approvals of the Government of India and the French Government. The JVC will be dedicated to the design, development, marketing, supply and support of civilian and select defence radars for Indian and global markets. A memorandum of understanding was signed between BEL and Thales on November 17, 2009.

• Airbus Military has delivered to Vietnam the first of three C212-400 maritime patrol aircraft ordered by the Vietnam Marine Police. With a maximum payload of 2.8 tonnes and the capability of being equipped with an advanced mission system, C212400 has proven itself in operations in austere conditions and extreme weather for long periods of time.

ALENIA AERMACCHI • Alenia Aermacch has presented the first of 12 M-346 advanced trainer aircraft to the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), ordered in 2010 with a contract worth around €250 million (about $311.2 million). Six aircraft have been bought by the Italian Air Force, and 30 by the Israeli Air Force, a contract worth around €500 million.

BAE SYSTEMS • The first Typhoon tranche 3 front fuselage unit has rolled off the production line at BAE System’s Samlesbury site. Under the Tranche 3A contract signed in 2009, a total of 112 aircraft have been ordered for the four European partner nations, with 40 aircraft bound for the Royal Air Force. Deliveries of Tranche 3 aircraft are expected to start in 2013.

BOEING • Boeing has received an $85 million performance-based logistics (PBL) contract for continued support of the US Air Force F-15 mechanically scanned and active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars. The new PBL contract replaces three previous support contracts with one overarching agreement.

CIRRUS AIRCRAFT • Cirrus Aircraft has announced that Cirrus SR20s and SR22s have been selected by Cassidian Aviation Training www.spsaviation.net

Digest

news

Appointments SAAB Saab has announced the appointment of Lars-Olof Lindgren as head of Market Area India from December 1. He was the Ambassador of Sweden to India between 2007 and 2012. Before taking office in the Embassy of Sweden, New Delhi, LarsOlof Lindgren was the State Secretary to the Prime Minister dealing with International Affairs and the European Union.

Singapore Technologies Limited Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd has announced the appointment of Kwa Chong Seng as Independent Director of the company.

Thales Jean-Loïc Galle has been named President and Chief Executive Officer of Thales Alenia Space and Senior Vice President of the Thales group.

MBDA Peter Bols has been appointed as the new Chief Financial Officer of MBDA, replacing Julian Whitehead who has moved to EADS Cassidian.

Thomas Homberg (46) has taken over as Managing Director of MBDA Deutschland GmbH and Executive Group Director Improvement.

Cassidian Bernhard Gerwert has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Cassidian and member of the EADS Executive Committee with immediate effect.

United Technologies (UTC) UTC also announced that Marshall Larsen, formerly Goodrich’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, is slated to join the United Technologies Board of Directors.

Northrop Grumman Northrop Grumman Corporation has announced that it has selected Karen A. Williams, Vice President Contracts, Pricing and Supply Chain.

The company has announced that its board of directors has elected Prabu Natarajan as Corporate Vice President and Treasurer.

Israel Aerospace Industries Sharly Ben-Chetrit has been appointed IAI's Corporate Vice President for Marketing; Yoav Turgeman appointed General Manager of MLM Division; and Opher Doron appointed General Manager of Space Division Gulfstream Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation has appointed Edgar Orsi as the General Manager of Gulfstream Brazil, its recently opened service centre in Sorocaba.

Boeing The Boeing Company has announced that John Wojick has been named the new Vice President of Sales for Commercial Airplanes.

Europe Rosobornexport and Poly Technologies sign contract Rosoboronexport and Chinese company Poly Technologies, Inc. have signed a contract

for delivery of 52 Mi-171E transport helicopters to China in 2012-14. The first eight Mi-171Es are scheduled for delivery in 2012, with the rest slated for 2013 and 2014. Poly Technologies seeks

to acquire helicopters with state-of-the-art technical features and employs very rigorous quality control. At the client's request, the Mi-171Es are equipped with VK-250003 engines, SAFIR 5K/G MI auxiliary power units and enhanced transmission systems that allow them to operate at higher altitudes including in mountainous terrain.

Mi-38 sets altitude record at Helicopter Championships

QuickRoundUp Services for the French Air Force and Navy. A fleet of 13 Cirrus SR20s will be dedicated for training pilots at the French Air Force base of Salon de Provence.

EUROCOPTER • With the help of the French Air Force, which operates it in the combat SAR role, Eurocopter is making a big push to sell its EC725 Caracal to Poland, during the MSPO show being held during the first week of September. EC725 is the latest and most advanced member of Eurocopter’s 11-tonne military product line.

GENERAL ATOMICS

Russian Helicopters has announced that a Mi-38 has set a new world altitude record on the final day of the 14th FAI World Helicopter Championships. The Mi-38, one of the latest Russian models designed for cargo and passenger transportation, climbed to above 8,600 metres, setting a new world record in the E1h class (the FAI category for helicopters weighing 10,000 to 20,000 kg). The multi-role Mi-38 can transport cargo and passengers (including VIPs), and can also be used for search-and-rescue and offshore operations, and as a mobile hospital.

Honeywell gets engine contract from Israel MoD As part of the International Turbine Engine Company LLC, Honeywell has signed a contract to supply its F124GA-200 turbofan engines for the Israel Ministry of Defense’s (IMoD) new 30-strong Alenia Aermacchi M-346 advanced jet trainer fleet. The contract is worth approximately $735 million and includes engine supply and aftermarket support. The purchase of the F124-powered M-346 by the IMoD comes at a time when numerous defence departments including the United States are evaluating new training platforms to simulate the latest fighter aircraft such as the F-22, F-35, Eurofighter, Gripen and Rafale. •

• General Atomics Aeronautical Systems of San Diego has been awarded an $87,338,761 firm fixed price, cost plus fixed fee contract for MQ-9 Reaper FY10/11 retrofit kits and installations for up to 80 aircraft.

HAWKER BEECHCRAFT • Hawker Beechcraft Defense Company (HBDC) has announced that the first four of six Beechcraft T-6C+ military trainers ordered by the Mexican Air Force were delivered in a ceremony this week at Santa Lucia Air Force Base in Reyes Acozac, Mexico.

INDIAN AIR FORCE • Integration of autopilot on Jaguar aircraft of the Indian Air Force is being undertaken in two phases.

Procurement of autopilot for 55 Jaguar aircraft has been completed and commercial discussions for repeat procurement of additional 95 autopilots are under progress.

LOCKHEED MARTIN • A C-130J Super Hercules was delivered to Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, from Lockheed Martin facilities.

Aircraft number 5701 is the 22nd Super Hercules delivered to Dyess, which will become the largest C-130J operator in the world when it receives its 28th C-130J in 2013.

MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES • Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd (MHI) has concluded an agreement with Pratt & Whitney under which it will participate in a project to develop that company's new jet engine, the PurePower PW1200G.

Issue 9 • 2012 SP’S AVIATION 47

Word

Last

Unwarranted

Photograph: Dassault Aviation

Delays I t was over a decade ago that the Indian Air Force (IAF) first projected a requirement of six squadrons (126 aircraft) of light-weight air defence fighters in the 15- to 20-tonne weight category. This requirement was projected essentially to fill the void in its combat fleet anticipated due to the retirement of the air defence version of the MiG-21 aircraft. The proposal gradually metamorphosed into the requirement for 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) of heavier weight i.e. 25 tonnes. Though not officially stated in explicit terms, the IAF indicated its preference for twin-engine and twoseat platform to conform to its newly formulated doctrine.

After a delay of six years, an elaborate 211-page request for proposal (RFP) was issued in 2007. Thereafter, it took a couple of years for the response to the RFP to be collated. What followed was a detailed technical evaluation, gruelling field trials to check compliance with the 660 technical parameters under a variety of operational conditions and locations as also a preliminary commercial evaluation, the entire process lasting for over five years. Finally, end-January this year, the IAF made public its preferred aircraft, the Rafale, fielded by the French aerospace major Dassault. The Rafale was selected by the IAF from amongst six contenders, others being the Eurofighter Typhoon, Boeing F/A18-E/F Super Hornet, Lockheed Martin F16IN Super Viper, Saab Gripen and the Russian MiG-35.

On account of the inordinate delay in the acquisition process attributable to a large extent to the infinitely complex Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) that demands high degree of procedural discipline, competitiveness, transparency and fairness, the value of the contract initially in the region of $10.4 billion (`57,200 crore), has escalated and the revised estimate is nudging at $20 billion (`1,10,000 crore).

As and when the deal finally goes through, it will go down in the history of defence procurement as the largest deal under the “open tender” system not only in India but in the world.

Since end-January 2012, when the selection of the preferred vendor was made public, the acquisition process has moved to the next stage; that of detailed commercial negotiations between the Indian Ministry of Defence and the French aerospace major Dassault. This round of interaction would include computation and verification of data on life cycle costs, finalisation of offset arrangements, transfer of technology and fixation of the final price. After scrutiny by the Ministry of ­Finance, the case will be considered for approval by the Cabinet Committee on Security before the contract is finally inked.

At the time the selection of the Rafale was made public, it was estimated that it would take another four to five months for the contract to be signed. But seven months have gone by and there is no indication that the process is nearing completion or even moving forward. Delay in the finalisation of the 48 SP’S AVIATION Issue 9 • 2012

There is undoubtedly a compelling urgency to finalise the MMRCA deal without further delay to ensure that for the IAF, the Rafale is a reality and that the MMRCA tender does not continue to remain an exercise in chasing a mirage!

contract is undoubtedly frustrating for the IAF as its plans to check the rapidly eroding operational potential through induction of new aircraft are unlikely to materialise in the required time frame. The pace at which the process has progressed so far, the chances of the contract being concluded during the current financial year are beginning to appear rather slim, raising serious doubts about the possibility of induction of the first batch of Rafale aircraft procured from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in a fly-away condition, beginning 2015. Plans for the commencement of manufacture of the aircraft by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited by 2017-18 may therefore not materialise and would have to be pushed back further.

Delay in the decision-making process compounded by absence of credible information on the progress of the last stage in the processing of the tender has been giving rise to speculation amongst other players eliminated from the race earlier on. Arms trade agencies both in the East and the West see the delay as an indication of the possibility that the MMRCA tender may have run into trouble and could well be cancelled paving the way for a fresh tender in which they would happily participate.

While the DPP may have been crafted with the noble and laudable objective of eliminating all possibility of manipulation or misdemeanour in the acquisition of defence hardware, there is an imperative need to balance its rigid framework with the required degree of flexibility to obviate undue delay in the interest of national security. In the instant case, there is undoubtedly a compelling urgency to finalise the MMRCA deal without further delay to ensure that for the IAF, the Rafale is a reality and that the MMRCA tender does not continue to remain an exercise in chasing a mirage! SP — Air Marshal (Retd) B.K. Pandey www.spsaviation.net

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