BENGALURU, February 6: Defence Minister A K Antony on Wednesday assured the nation that the armed forc-es’ modernisation programme would not be “slackened” by the recent bud-getary cuts, but the acquisitions would be prioritised to ensure that the most critical requirements are met.

The government has effected a `10,000 crore cut in the defence bud-

Aero India 2013 Show News

Friendship with Indians has

created a bedrock of

security Alon Ushpiz

AMBASSADOR OF iSRAel

Defence and security are

important elements of

our relationshipMichael Steiner

AMBASSADOR OF geRMAny

Russian and Indian

collaboration is a trusted partnership

Alexander KadakinAMBASSADOR OF RUSSiA

defence diplomacy security

DAY 2

Thursday 7, february 2013

w-h-o-o-s-hw-h-o-o-s-hand the sky is no limit

insideinside

to speed up the indigenisation pro-cess, stakehold-ers need to sort out design dif-ferences in initial stages, says rM

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international seMinar on off-sets sparks debate

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vignettes froM the first day's fly-pasts, Magnificent planes, visitors and Much More...

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geopolItIcSPage 6 Page 8 Page 18

get in December 2012, apart from the Rs.19,000 crore cut effected in the an-nual budget of `1,93,407.29 crore in July 2012. “It is a painful question,” Antony told a press conference at the Yelahanka air base on the occasion of the ninth Aero India show, which be-gan here and will go on till Sunday. “But, it is not purposeful. The country is going through difficult days. India

is not an island. The global recession is affecting us too. The whole govern-ment is facing financial problems,” he said, adding that the government was 'consciously tightening the screws' of all departments, including defence.

“We are hopeful we will be doing better next financial year,” Antony noted, pointing out that “for priority areas, we will not cut expenditure.”

The Defence Minister said that in areas where operational readiness was the issue, “we will spend the entire bud-get”. “There will not be any kind of cuts in operational readiness. Some ar-eas of procurement will be postponed to the next financial year,” he added.

Antony also noted that the mod-ernisation of the armed forces will not be 'slackened' because of concerns over the emerging threats as a result of India’s volatile neighbourhood and the geopolitical challenges emanat-ing from the proposed pullout of the American troops from Afghanistan. “National security is of primary im-portance. GDP growth is dependent on peace prevailing in the country. So, modernisation of the armed forces will not be slackened. And when I am talk-ing of modernisation, sky is no limit,” he added.

However, the Defence Minister re-fused to attribute the delay in the sign-ing of the `one lakh-crore Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) deal this fiscal that ends in March to the budgetary cuts. “There is no ques-tion of delay in signing MMRCA deal due to budget cuts. It is our biggest pro-curement, which has been described by you as the mother of all deals,” he said. “We will sign it at the earliest. At

ALL EYES: (Top) Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, Defence Minister A K Antony and Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh photographed at the inauguration of Aero Show 2013 and (below) Dignitaries all set to view the fly past and aerobatics

AERO INDIA 20133 geopolItIcS

sky is no limit...(Continued from Page 1)

the same time, we want to ensure that at every stage, there is no malpractice. We are taking all care,” he added.

At present, the cost negotiation for the contract with French company Dassault Aviation for its Rafale combat planes is in progress, Antony said, noting that they would ensure 'transparency' in the process. Asked about the work share be-tween Dassault Aviation’s Indian JV with Reliance Industries and the public sector Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Antony said the Request for Proposals in the MMRCA will be followed. “What is there in the RFP will be the guideline. We can-not change the RFP or the GSQRs con-ditions in the MMRCA,” he added, when asked about the reports that the French firm had requested the Defence Ministry to allow it to play a bigger role in the con-tract by making it responsible for the pro-

duction of 108 of the 126 Rafale aircraft that India is supposed to buy from it.

As per the RFP for the project, HAL is supposed to be the lead integrator for pro-ducing 108 aircraft that are to be license-produced in India. The first 18 aircraft would be manufactured in France be-fore they are supplied to India. Dassault, which has a Joint Venture with Reliance Industries, had reportedly sought a big-ger role in the production process in the country and sought to be the lead inte-grator.

Asked if the negotiations with Das-sault could get over by the end of sum-mer, he said “after going through six-sev-en layers, it will go to Finance Ministry. If everyone takes proper care to ensure that nothing wrong happens in the process, I am sure we will be able to speed it up. We are trying to speed it up. Regarding trans-parency, there will be no compromise”.

Asked if the Defence Ministry was planning to scrap a deal for buying 197 light helicopters for the Army and the IAF, he said, "This is an Army proposal. That proposal has now been referred to the Defence Acquisition Council, which has all important members of the Minis-

try and military. We will take a collective decision.” Under the project, the Army and the IAF are planning to buy 197 choppers to replace their Cheetah/Chetak chopper fleet. The deal has been marred by delays due to allegations of non-adher-ence to tender conditions by the partici-pating companies.

On the Intermediate Jet Trainer devel-opment programme of the IAF, Antony said the HAL has been asked to speed up the programme and had been given a deadline. He expressed hope that by 2015, the aerospace giant would achieve a breakthrough in the programme and would be ready for induction into the force.

To a question on hiking the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) limit in the de-fence sector from the present 26 per cent to ensure more participation from both

foreign and domestic players, Antony did not dismiss the suggestion. In a cautious response, he said: “Rome was not built in a day. Since we opened up the defence sector 100 per cent in 2001, private sec-tor entry into the defence market has grown more and more now.” He also said that the country’s focus will be indigeni-sation of defence systems and the gov-ernment was 'serious' about it. “I cannot believe there can be zero imports. But we

want to substantially reduce dependence on imports,” he added.

On the offsets policy under which up to 30 per cent of a contracted amount in a deal over `300 crore needed to be ploughed back into Indian defence, aero-space and homeland security sector by the winning foreign vendor, Antony said the Defence Ministry was fine tuning the processes and had in January held a meeting of all stakeholders to ensure there was a collective decision in this re-gard. “We will have a new defence pro-curement policy from the next financial year which will give impetus to speedy indigenisation. We are in the correct path and moving forward,” he said.

The Defence Minister also appealed to the defence public sector undertakings and private sector to hike their spending on Research and Development. “The pri-vate sector is not spending on R&D at all,” he lamented.

In a message to foreign companies that want to enter the Indian defence market, Antony said the days of buyer-seller relations are long gone. “We are no more believing in a relationship of buyer-seller with foreign companies and coun-tries. For every procurement we make, there has to be a technology transfer and it is a must,” he noted.

Antony expressed his happiness over the growth of the Aero India show over the years, with more and more success notched up by the biennial show, consid-ered to be one of Asia’s largest. “Over the years, the number of countries and com-panies, both domestic and foreign, has in-creased and we are finding it difficult to accommodate all of them,” he said.

“Compared to 2011, this time there is a two-third enhancement in the area of the exhibition. In 2011, it was 75,000 sq

metres, in 2013 it is 1,25,000 sq metres. Though the area has expanded, it is not possible to accommodate all, because, this time, both Indian and foreign companies have taken more space in the exhibition,” he added.

He also congratulated the Indian do-mestic defence industry from the public and the private sector for notching up successes in their endeavours in progress-ing towards having an indigenous de-

fence industrial base in the country.Earlier in the day, while inaugurat-

ing the ninth edition of Aero India in the presence of Chief Minister of Karnataka Jagdish Shivappa Shettar, Antony had emphasised on how the air show provided enormous business opportunity not only to India but also to different regional mar-kets of the world. He said that the revised Defence Procurement Policy of 2010 has provided for more public-private partner-ships model to the industry. He appealed to all stakeholders of the defence indus-try to take advantage of this policy initia-tive and develop world-class products and technologies to make India a hub in the entire sub-continent.

Speaking on the occasion, Union Min-ister of Civil Aviation Ajit Singh, who was one of the leading dignitaries present on the occasion, described Aero India as a ‘knowledge platform’. Giving a brief re-port card of Indian aviation, he said that since this is one of the fastest-growing avi-ation sectors in the world, concentrated efforts have to be made by all stakeholders to sustain this momentum.

The inaugral function was also attend-ed by Minister of State for Defence Jitendra Singh, Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh, Chief of Air Staff N A K Browne, Scientific Advisor to Defence Minister and DG, DRDO, Dr V K Saraswat, Defence Sec-retary Shashikant Sharma, Defence Pro-ductions Secretary R K Mathur and FICCI President Naina Lal Kidwai.

A magnificent aerobatic show com-menced after the inaugural function when visitors were thrilled to see the slow but graceful flight displays of 1930s vintage Tiger Moth aircraft, which made its flight appearance after a gap of 22 years. Then the much awaited LCA Te-jas showed some breath-taking loops and vertical charlies in the skies of Yelhanka, which was followed by aerobatic displays of Flying Bulls of Czech Republic.

Incidentally, Antony has announced that the 10th Aero India will be held at Bengaluru from February 18-22, 2015.

— Geopolitics Bureau

BENGALURU, February 6: Israel said it shares a wide array of security challenges with India and the intimacy between the two countries was showcased in its Aero India pavilion where the main attraction was the Iron Dome missile defence system.

“One of the highlights of this year’s aero show, presented for the first time in India, is the 'Iron Dome' system. This is an indigenous developed, game-changing – first of its type — missile interceptionsystem.

It recently performed with notable distinction, protecting over half of Israel's population from a barrage of over 1500 rockets and missiles,” Israel’s Ambassador to India Alon Ushpiz said at the inaugura-

tion of his country pavilion at the show.The Iron Dome was used by the Israeli

armed forces recently during the attacks by the Palestinian insurgents during the recent skirmishes between the two sides.Ushpiz urged the visitors to also not miss the latest radars, UAVs, missiles, commu-nications and intelligence equipment and highly sophisticated protection systems.

“This Pavilion is a symbol of the level of intimacy and cooperation that we have reached with India. Israel and India share a wide array of security challenges,” he said. The cooperation in these fields has been an integral part of the growing mul-tifaceted relationship between our two countries, the Ambassador said.

He said the friendship and chemistry between Israelis and Indians creates a partnership that is a source of pride and indeed bedrock of security, stability and tranquility for both our nations.

isRael oFFeRs its UmBRella

SHOWCASING STEELY RESOLVE: Israeli ven-dors showcase their products to Indian customers at Aero India 2013

AERO INDIA 20134 geopolItIcS

GKN AEROSPACE’S display at Aero India is focussed on developments across two of the company’s businesses: fuel sys-tems and emergency flotation systems. On display is a rotationally moulded fuel tank supplied for land vehicles alongside

a model of the AW101 helicopter fitted with a GKN Aerospace emergency flota-tion system.

Manufacturing both in the US and the UK, GKN Aerospace supplies full turnkey packages from fuel storage to engine feed, as well as flexible fuel bladders, crashwor-thy and self-sealing systems plus rotation-ally moulded tanks and range extender tanks incorporating explosive suppressant and anti-slosh technology. Process and

GKN Aerospace puts fuel system sealers on display

materials developments mean even stron-ger, lighter systems are now exploiting all the available space on the platform to maximise fuel load and airframe endur-ance, whilst minimising weight.

For the military market, GKN Aero-space’s fuel system technology offers the most rapid self-sealing on the market, providing 7.62mm to 20mm round pro-tection to all types of fuel containment systems. This ballistically tolerant tech-nology is typically integrated at the de-sign phase of a vehicle but can also be ret-ro-fitted or externally fitted to ensure fuel supply is maintained throughout front line operations — and has been proved effective in service.

The emergency flotation system for the AW101 aircraft, recently procured by India, is on display on a scaled aircraft model. GKN Aerospace is an authority on the specification, design, manufacture and qualification of complete emergency flotation systems, designed to FAR/JAR 27 and 29. The company also continues to develop new materials and fabrication techniques to meet vital requirements for lighter weight equipment with extended performance and reliability — offering improved safety for crew and passengers.

SEALED: GKN Aerospace supplies complete fuel systems, flexible fuel blad-ders, crashworthy and self-sealing sys-tems, rotationally moulded tanks and range extender tanks with explosive sup-pressant and anti-slosh technology.

Tata Advanced Material signs MoU with Strongfield

UNDER THE terms of the MOU, TAML (Tata Ad-vanced Materials Limited) which is engaged in the design, manufacture and supply of composite prod-ucts for aerospace, armour, defence, transportation and infrastructure sectors and UK based STL (Strongfield Technologies Limited) a specialist manufacturer and supplier of high-tech components and equip-ment for Defence and Space applications and provides Engineering, design and consultancy support will jointly explore the potential business co-operation areas in various segments of the Pilotless Target Aircraft activi-ties as well as other aerospace and de-fence activities.

Strongfield Technologies Limited intends to involve India’s Defence In-dustry in relation with the offset re-quirements of Indian Governmental acquisition programme, namely Pi-lotless Target Aircraft. STL is willing to develop a strong relationship with TAML which will contribute to better answer its worldwide requirements.

Paul Rogers, Director of Outsourc-ing, STL said, ‘STL is honoured to col-laborate with TAML for indigenous composite production of components and structures for its defence projects.

STL evaluated TAML facilities in 2012, and was happy to see the high standards of quality and capability showcased.’

Philip Dunne MP, Minister for De-fence Equipment, Support and Tech-nology with responsibility for defence procurement and defence exports said, ‘I am very pleased to be present to wit-ness this important MoU between Tata Advanced Materials Limited and Strong-field Technologies Limited for the tender to supply to Indian defence aerial tar-gets. This is a tangible example of the significance of AeroIndia in articulating successive Collaborations between UK and India.’

TIE-up: Philip Dunne (second from left) and Strongfield Technolgies representatives with Tata Advanced Material officials at the Aero India pavilion after the signing of the MoU

Samtel Avionics & Defence Systems (SA) is a

key Indian player in high-technology products

for avionics and military applications in both

domestic and international markets. SA caters

to the entire value chain from design, develop-

ment, manufacture, testing, qualification, repair

& maintenance and obsolescence management

of avionics products and equipment for military

as well as commercial platforms. The company

operates in the domains of Displays, Built-to-

Print for Avionics LRUs and Opto-electronics.

Hall E 2.4

Multifunction Displays and Smart MFDs: With the productionisation of

Colour MFDs for Su-30 MKI Block-III & Block-IV production aircraft at

Samtel’s DGAQA qualified manufacturing facilities, the Samtel HAL

JV has achieved the unique distinction of being the first public-private

partnership in defence avionics space in India to have a primary cockpit

display qualified and productionised for induction on a fighter aircraft.

Samtel booth will have the 5”x5” MFDs and its variants on display along

with 6”x6” MFDs. Also showcased will be the next-generation large-size

Smart MFDs in sizes 9”x12” and 6”x8” for future star platforms.

Multifunction Indicators — 3ATI & 4ATI: The 3ATI and 4ATI Display Unit features a high-resolution AMLCD and ARINC 429 and discrete interface. The unit is designed to replace existing electro-mechanical instruments, allowing a single part no. to display Attitude, Airspeed, and Altitude. The 3ATI & 4ATI Display Unit consumes little power, is low in weight and high in reliability.

Rugged Displays: To cater to the vast and growing require-ment for indigenous rugged displays for land, naval and airborne requirements for our defence forces, Samtel is ready with its vast range of Rugged Displays. RSD series of ruggedised AMLCD displays specifically crafted to cope with adverse and demanding environmental conditions at the same time maintaining extremely high levels of performance.

AERO INDIA 20136 geopolitics

voicesvoices

Rockwell Collins is working with strate-gic partners to bring high quality and high value solutions to its customers in India. Leveraging the 'best of breed' products from across its enterprise and customising in the country, the next generation integrated flight decks and software defined radios can help defence forces achieve their missions.

Ram prasadManaging Director, India, Rockwell Collins

Eurocopter has had five decades of fruitful partnership with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and the In-dian industry for many major aeronau-tical programmes that have benefitted the local economy. We look forward to many more decades of successful collaboration in this thriving market which is poised to be one of the largest military markets in the world.

Rainer FaridVice President of Sales & Customers Relation, South Asia, Eurocopter

General Electric (GE) Aviation is a world-leading provider of jet engines, components and inte-grated systems for commercial and military aircraft. We also have a global service network to support these offerings. GE develops and manufactures the most innova-tive and powerful jet engines and systems for commercial and military aircraft. With an installed base of more than 25,000 military engines, our advanced technologies are known around the world for technical excellence and low cost of ownership.

Commercially, we develop and implement technologies that provide significant economic and environmental benefits to airlines, airports and the communities we serve. Our technological excel-lence, supported by continuing substantial investments in research and development, has been the foundation of growth and helps ensure quality products for our cus-tomers. The aviation sector in India has become highly promising and we are a long-term player with a strong local commitment. We look forward to working with India in a real and tangible way that vitalises the economy and paves the way for progress.

Nalin JainCEO, GE Aviation, South Asia

Defence Minister A K Antony asked all stake-holders to have regular deliberations and solve their problems within the ini-

tial stages of any project or programme for timely delivery of the same to the Services. Speaking at an international seminar on “Challenges in Design to De-ployment of the Aerospace Products” on the eve of the inauguration of Aero India 2013 in Bengaluru, Antony said “our mantra must be jointness in day-to-day working, if we wish to succeed in reduc-ing the content of the imported weapon-ry and increase the indigenous content”.

Defining a ‘successful design’ as one that properly translates the design into an acceptable product, meeting the re-quirements of the end-users, Antony said this is not an easy task and the develop-ment and production agencies face sev-eral challenges along the way.

Minister Antony said Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas was undergoing several flight and ground tests to meet the requirements of the users. The very long gestation period of development in aerospace products introduced elements of additional challenges for all the agen-

RM for early decisions on design issues

cies. Aerospace systems had become highly avionics and software intensive. Such technologies changes have been taking place at a mind-boggling pace. It was imperative to ensure that the user requirements were met and the designs of these requirements were finalised as early as possible. The product, along with the technologies available on the date, should be released with regular updates to take care of the technological

advancements, he said.Turning to investment in Research

and Development, Antony said R&D ef-forts in the country were mostly govern-ment-funded and by government agen-cies. He said the private sector should stepin in a big way not only in R&D but also in production.

“Industries have several opportuni-ties to participate in major defence acqui-sition programmes by making use of our offset policies. If our private industries also invest in R&D, I’m confident that the requirements of our users would be met much earlier than is the case now,” he said.

Antony complimented the Designing and Production agencies for overcoming several challenges and giving the coun-try such products as the Tejas, weap-onised Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv, Akash Missiles, BrahMos, etc.

The seminar was attended among others by the Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne, S A to Raksha Mantri V K Saraswat and the Secretary Defence Production, R K Mathur.

— SitanShu Kar, Bengaluru

CO-OPERATION AbOvE All: Defence Minister A K Antony (centre) with Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne (left) and SA to RM Dr V K Saraswat, at the international seminar on the eve of Aero India 2013.

Israel's partnership with India has matured well

thIrd aero IndIa for aIsats

A few words on Aero India and your country's participation in the eventIsrael's National Pavilion at Aero-In-dia 2013 in Bengaluru will display an exciting array of some of Israel's most innovative aerospace and defence com-panies. The pavilion, one of the largest in Aero-India 2013, is hosted by SI-BAT, Israel's Defence Cooperation Au-thority, a branch of the Ministry of De-fence. The Israeli delegation to the air show is headed by the Director General of the Defence Ministry, my good friend General (Retd.) Udi Shani, a man whose leadership on defence issues is an asset for Israel.

Representing one of the worlds' most advanced air powers, the State of Israel entrusts much of its security to its indigenously grown and developed aerospace and defence systems. Israel's aerospace and defence industries de-velop highly innovative and practical solutions, marked by cutting edge tech-nologies. This is, thanks to ongoing in-vestments in research and development and to the unique talents of a skilled workforce, the majority having gained combat experience during their military service.

Among the systems which will be on display in Bengaluru are some that have been used successfully under highly challenging combat operations, proving the effectiveness and reliabil-ity of Israel's defence systems. One of

the highlights that will be displayed for the first time in India, is the 'Iron Dome' system, the indigenously devel-oped, game-changing — first of its type — missile interception system. The Iron Dome recently performed with notable distinction protecting over half of Is-rael's population from a barrage of over 1500 rockets and missiles. Other high-lights include the latest UAVs, radars, missiles, communications and intelli-gence equipment and highly sophisti-cated protection systems, all manufac-tured by the Israeli defence industries.

Your country's long and fruitful partnership with India is well-known. How do we further deepen this relationship in the field of de-fence and aviation?Israel and India share a wide array of security challenges. The cooperation in these fields between Israel and India has been an integral part of our ever-grow-ing multifaceted relationship. Without going into details, the friendship and chemistry between Israelis and Indi-ans, some of the most brilliant people in the field of defence and security, cre-ates a partnership that is a source of pride and indeed a bedrock of security, stability and tranquility for both of our nations. The Israeli defence industries that will display in Aero-India 2013 are no-doubt the best in the world, and we are extremely proud to showcase them in Bengaluru.

Israel’s Ambassador Alon Ushpiz on defence and security ties

AISATS has been appointed as the official ground handler for Aero India 2013. Following the success in the two earlier editions, Aero India has extended its collabora-tion with AISATS for comprehen-sive ground services at the show’s ninth edition which is expected to see around 52 civil and military aircraft from leading manufactur-ers across the globe.

The mega event will witness aerobatic displays by the Flying Bulls team from the Czech Repub-lic, the Russian Knights team and the Sarang team of the Indian Air Force. Aviation aficionados will also be treated to Medium Multirole Combat Aircrafts (MMCA), such as the French Rafale and Ameri-can F-16. AISATS will be provid-ing on-site equipment and ground handling related services for all the participating aircrafts. Special-ist aircraft ground support services such as Liquid Oxygen Upliftment, Wheel Inflation through Nitrogen, Accumulator Charging will be pro-vided to ensure safety and efficien-cy during pre-flight services.

CEO of AISATS, Willy Ko, said: “We have been associated with Aero India as the preferred ground handling company since 2009. This alliance reiterates our com-mitment to provide quality services for India’s premier aerospace show. We at AISATS are poised to once again extend all necessary ground handling support to make this event a resounding success.”

AERO INDIA 20138 geopolitics

LCA, IJT delays costing the nation With the indigenous light com-

bat aircraft Tejas getting delayed by more than two decades, Defence Minister A

K Antony has pulled up the DRDO for 'delays in delivery' of military projects and asked the premier research agency to speed up its programmes.

"I am happy for your achievements of DRDO but not fully happy. Delay in delivery is a real problem... Try to speed up your process and reduce time for re-search, development and production. De-lays should be avoided," he said at the Aero India international seminar.

He said he was impatient for the Final Operational Clearance (FOC) of the LCA as the DRDO is preparing for its IOC 2 after completing its 2,000 flight trials in last six years.

The LCA project has been delayed by more than 20 years. After the FOC for the aircraft, the aircraft would be ready to be deployed for carrying out opera-tional duties in the Air Force. Antony also expressed his concern over the delay in the Intermediate Jet Trainer (IJT) pro-gramme being developed by HAL. "That (IJT) project is delayed delayed delayed. You must focus on that project and by next conference that should be ready," he said.

IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne also expressed his unhappiness over the delays in development projects saying that "so far our modernisation plans have been restricted due to slip-pages in time lines of many of our proj-ects." The IAF chief also suggested im-position of "financial penalties in case of poor performance of the work centre, either by withholding further payments or recovery of money already spent." To avoid problems in development projects

in future, Browne suggested there should be "dual assessment" and the production and design agencies should be one.

In the LCA project, the design agency is Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) of DRDO while HAL is the produc-tion agency. In his address, the Defence Minister urged both private and public sector to shed their 'miserly attitude' and increase their allocation for research and development in their companies. "I am not satisfied with the investment in R&D in government also. The private sector is very very poor in R&D sector," he said.

Antony said to continue the momen-tum of rising GDP and growing econo-my, the Indian industry will have to match up with global standards and for

that investment in R&D will have to be increased. He warned the Indian indus-try that "era of cheap labour and cheap access to natural resources" is going to be over soon and the only way they could be able to match up with the global industry would be through increased ef-ficiency.

Commenting on a future project to replace 56 Avro aircraft in the IAF, Antony said the Government has tried to give more role to the private sector de-spite HAL being "little unhappy and little angry" over it.

"We are giving more space to the pri-vate industry. Even though HAL is little unhappy and little angry, it has agreed to give chance to Indian private sector for the Avro replacement programme, it is a beginning," he said.

UNWANTED DElAys : (Top) the light combat aircraft Tejas and (below) Intermediate Jet Trainer.

German Ambassador Michael Steiner speaks about defence and security partnerships with India

A few words on Aero India and your country's participation in the event

Aero India is by far the largest air show in Asia and a perfect platform for manufacturers and service providers from the international aerospace and aviation industry as well as potential buyers. Leading German companies are present in Bengaluru. The German Gov-ernment will be represented by Defence State Secretary Stéphane Beemelmans. This clearly shows you how important Aero India 2013 is for German compa-nies and for the German Government.

Your country's long and fruit-ful partnership with India is well known. How do we further deep-en this relationship in the field of defence and aviation?

India and Germany are strategic part-ners since more than a decade. We do have regular intergovernmental consul-tations on cabinet level. The next meet-ing headed by Chancellor Angela Merkel and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh will take place this April in Berlin and tackle the whole range of our bilateral agenda. Needless to say that defence and security matters are an important ele-ment of our relationship given the chal-lenges both countries face.

When it comes to the business level, a growing number of European and Ger-man defence and security companies are turning from exporters to India into in-vestors here. Indo-German joint ventures are a significant trigger for sharing tech-

strengthening Indo-German defence ties

nologies and expertise.

Would it be right to say that our relationship is no more one of buyer and seller, but a more collaborative relationship?

The answer is definitely yes. By in-vesting and partnering with Indian play-ers, German companies engage on a long-term basis in India. The key words are trust, sustainability and mutual ben-efit.

Finally, would you be visiting the air show?

Unfortunately, I was in Germany un-til this very morning (February 6) as I at-tended the Munich Security Conference. But I have already marked Aero India 2015 in my calender.

WORKING TOGETHER: (Left) German Chancellor, Angela Merkel and (Right) the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during the first Indo-German intergovernmental consultations in New Delhi.

a Moth, Peacocks, Bulls and KnightsA look at those daredevils in their magnificent flying machines

THE INAUGURAL event of Aero India 2013 was not all serious busi-ness. Invitees, among who were HSBC country head Naina Lal Kidwai, were thrilled to see world class aerobatics. The display began with three Mi-8 he-licopters flying with the tricolour, IAF ensign and the Aero India flag just before the event. Then came the LCA Tejas flown by Gp Capt S Krishna and

a resurrected Tiger Moth that took to the skies after decades. The primary trainer aircraft for Royal Air Force during the Second World War, the Tiger Moth was the basic trainer in the IAF from 1940.

The other attractions were the Sarang helicopter team flying four HAL Dhruvs. Formed in October 2003, the Peacocks (Sarang means peacock) are regular performers at air shows. Only one of the two he-licopter aerobatics team left in the world, the Sarangs are known for their display skills.

Then came the Flying Bulls. The team of four pilots (a woman and three men), are skilled in formation aerobatics. Their needle-tip precision brought cheers, claps and the usual 'Oohs and aahs!' Formed in 1960, the team has been flying Zlin 50 LX and other aircraft. The team compris-es renowned pilots Radka Machova, 64, Jiri Saller, 60, Jiri Veprek, 53, and Miroslav Krejci, 56, who have together logged more than 35,000 flying hours.

The Russian Knights of the Rus-sian Air Force are scheduled to per-form 10 demonstration flights during Aero India. Formed on April 5, 1991, at the Kubinka Air Base, Russia, with six Sukhoi Su-27s — but today there are four Su-27Ps and two Su-27Ubs — the team is known for its daredev-ilry flying in adverse conditions.

aero india 201310 geopolitics

The Indian Regional Offset Conference organised by the CII saw stalwarts from the domestic and foreign defence organisations sharing their views on various facets of India’s DPP guidelines

Offsets spark off debate

That Government of India’s latest Defence Offset Guidelines as enumerated in 2012 is one of the best of its kind for its com-

prehensive guidelines and clarity was the consensus among the private industries and foreign Original Equipment Manu-facturers (OEM) in a day-long conference co-sponsored by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) and National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) on February 5 at Bengaluru, on the eve of the Aero India 2013.

The conference was marked by the release of a book titled, ‘Emerging Oppor-tunities in Indian Defence Acquisition’ by Air Marshal M Matheswaran. Gurpal Singh, Principal Advisor and Head, De-fence, Aerospace and Security, CII, gave an overview of the Indian defence mar-ket that presents nearly $200 billion op-portunity in the next 10 years, thanks to increasing demand of India’s military modernisation. According to him, this factor would help to scale up the produc-tion as well as uplift the technological and manufacturing base, provided there was proper implementation and moni-toring of offset contracts as enshrined in “Defence Production Policy and Revised Defence Offset Guidelines in 2012”.

Defence offsets provide Indian indus-tries with unique opportunities to ac-quire and build complimentary skills and knowledge from global players and forge long-term relations with OEMs for mu-tual benefit. OEMs that sell their defence products worth ̀ 300 crore have to invest directly and indirectly 30 per cent worth of that sum in Indian strategic industries: defence, space and homeland security. The basic idea here was to strengthen the indigenous defence infrastructure in the country.

However, various representatives from the Indian private sector that are

OFFSET DEBATE: Defence Productions Secretary R K Mathur with panelists and (left) Gurpal Singh and (right) Air Marshal M Matheswaran

keen on joint ventures with the OEMs in carrying out the offset ob-ligations pointed out while partici-pating in the deliberations of the conference that despite the clar-ity in the objectives, the offset re-quirements had some bottlenecks in terms of implementation which explain why there has been very low volume of services. Pritpal Singh Chhina, Head — Aerospace and Defence, Wipro Ltd. regretted that there was no publication to provide the data of the numbers of offset projects being signed and implemented in the country. There was thus a lack of transparency in the offset accounting.

Besides, there was no level-playing field for the private sector and public sec-tor as far as governmental support was

concerned, be it in the process of acquir-ing defence licences, a vital requirement for joint ventures with foreign OEMs, or protection of foreign exchange rate vari-ations. It was in this context that many felt the need of an independent agency for offset evaluation and execution that would coordinate between the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and other ministries in-cluding the Finance Ministry and Minis-try of Home Affairs.

N K Sharma, CEO, OIS Advanced Technologies, said that while India’s Defence Procurement policy (DPP) was evolving and becoming better with the changing times, the government was not doing enough to develop the required infrastructure to attract the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME). He was of the opinion that the government should pro-vide the SMEs tax benefits, soft loans and facilitate their interactions with foreign OEMs, besides promoting quality tech-nology.

Further elaborating the evolutionary nature of the offset process, Major Gener-al (Retd.) N S Vidyarthi, Former Techno-logical Manager, Land System, MoD, said that there were pertinent points made by many as to why the minimum bench-mark of `300 crore for offset obligations by the foreign OEMs should not come down and the maximum benchmark of 30 per cent should go up as per the norms of many leading countries buying arms on a large scale.

On the other hand, the global per-spective on the offset regime was fairly positive on the Defence Procurement Pol-icy (DPP) 2012. The policy, per se, won praise for taking the entire procurement regime way forward and believed that it would help assimilate the Indian manu-facturing sector into the global supply chain. As one of the speakers noted: “In-dia was not a transactional market, but a long-term market for most manufactur-ers who look at the country for growth and productivity.”

PJ Hart, Director of International Af-fairs at the Aerospace Industries Associa-tion, raised a few laughs when he spoke of the ‘Herculean effort’ by the Ministry of Defence in the DPP for 2012 that he described as a ‘win for MoD’ and said that with this document both the manu-facturers and the MoD were on the same page. Hart felt that it would do Indian industry, particularly the private sector,

enormous benefit if there could be ‘retroactive application’ of DPP 2012. Hart also felt that the clause for ‘permission to change offset partners’ in exceptional cases was a little vague and the threshold needed to be lowered where such changes could be far easier. “Offset obligations are sometimes fulfilled

over 8-10 years and flexibility to change partners and projects are award-ed all the time abroad.” He wished that the MoD would look at these examples.

Defence Offset Facilitation Agency (DOFA) that has now been replaced by the Defence Offset Monitoring Wing (DOMW) to monitor the implementation and execution of this policy should not make it “DOFA by another name” said Hart and hoped that it would be far away from South Block implying that it must have some independence in thinking and the strength to take independent deci-sions.

John L Williams, President and CEO of William Global Advisors said that one of the critical issues that confronted over-seas companies was the fear of guard-ing their ‘intellectual property’; “they wonder how that can be protected and if there are questions over safeguarding their IPR”, there will be reluctance on their part to be forthcoming. He felt there was a lack of basic understanding on these issues and unless standards were established it would be difficult to have a successful offsets programme.

Mayank Patel, Managing Director of TriPolus from the UK, said that there was really no understanding of the way the offsets regime had progressed in India. “There is over $ 4.7 billion worth of off-set obligations, but how much of offset credits has been accrued no one knows.” He felt that one needed the data in order to comprehend where the real roadblocks were and pave a smooth way forward.

Patel also felt that the SMEs were too small to fit into the supply chain of the likes of Lockheed Martin and Boeing and that it would be best if an Indian com-pany that was doing business with a global vendor could work with a cluster of SMEs and offset credit could be offered for creating a providing a platform for the SMEs.

Amongst the highs for most speak-ers was the period of performance exten-sion, introduction of multipliers and the extension of offset banking period. The negatives were the lack of institutional arrangement to guard IPR and the high threshold to change offset partners.

The conference concluded with De-fence Production Secretary R K Mathur releasing a ‘Directory’ of the MSMEs.

— Our COrrespOndent

Why are our MSMEs unable to take off and align themselves with global suppliers?

There cannot be two opinions that MSMEs bring great benefit to the table. They are nimble, cost efficient and adaptable. One great example of a successful MSME is Dynamatic Technologies. It is the sole global ven-dor to assemble Flap-Track Beams for the Airbus Single Aisle A-320 Family of Aircraft.

However, in the case of India, things are little different and there are plenty of reasons, according to E&Y’s Ankur Gupta. In a brief but riveting presentation, Ankur literally ripped apart the case that MSMEs have a bright future in the present scheme of things. Here is a gist of his argument:• Rawmaterialisanissue.Itisusu-

ally a metal and one has to buy from buyer-nominated suppliers. Usually, you require it in small quantities (25-50 kilos) and it cannot, therefore be sent by con-tainer. As a result it has to be air freight and the costs are prohibi-tive.

• Market access is an issue. Offsetobligations are in crores and for companies to know of the MSMEs, they have to participate in global shows which are expensive. Why even Indian shows like Aero India are now so prohibitive that a com-pany ends up spending upwards of Rs 50 lakh for a decent pres-ence at any show. He is simply in no position to incur these kind of costs.

• Precisionequipmenthasagaintobe imported from Japan, Europe or America and they are hugely expensive.Technology does not come free. Even if an offset part-ner where to transfer technol-ogy, it would expect the partner to manufacture and make some profit for them as well. So there is a cost attached to the technology as well.

• Qualitypersonnelareanother is-sue. India has a huge reservoir of engineers but few of them are specialized in the cutting edge requirements of the aerospace industry. So, they end up taking bright kids from the Industrial Training Institutes and training them and see them being poached just as they are ready.

• Anyprogrammerunsoverseveralyears and no vendor is going to pay his supplier unless he receives money from the government for sales. This could well be four or five years. Can an MSME hope to collaborate and wait for so long a time for his first payment?

• Unlike ISO certification that areused by the auto industry, Aero-space industry certification are far more complex and hugely expen-sive costing upwards of Rs 5 lakhs and regularly renewable. Can MSMEs afford it?

• The Foreign Investment Promo-tion Board does not have a sepa-rate wing for MSMEs and indus-trial licenses cost a huge amount of money.

MSMEs: UNABLE TO FLY HIGH

aero india 201311 geopolitics

Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) is likely to sign an MoU with Dassault. The MoU will help BEL partner Rafale for the integration of the Synthetic Aperture Radars (SAR) and Electronic Warfare (EW) suits. Rafale won the MMRCA bid last year and the final contract is awaiting signature by the two sides.

Insiders state that BEL may also sign collaboration agreements with Elbit Sys-tems Israel, to jointly develop the Compact Multi-purpose Advance Stabilisation System (CoMPASS) used in a wide spectrum of naval applica-tions. The Navy has appar-ently opted for CoMPASS for its costal surveillance proj-ect. Several critical pieces are likely to fall into place as part of this deal—particularly air-borne applications in a trans-fer of technology deal.

For the record it may be mentioned that BEL is focus-sing on Network Centric War-fare (NCW) elements at the show including SCA (Software Communication Architecture)-compliant Software Defined Radio (SDR), in various. BEL’s entire focus is to present itself as an excellent partner who can collaborate effectively and in a time bound manner in a wide variety of projects.

BELto sign a slew of

MoUsCan offsets be effective for growth? T

he declared intentions of the Indian Ministry of Defence are to help India develop with a stronger defence capability

and a stronger domestic defence in-dustry. To leverage its buying powers in developing, strengthening and pro-moting its domestic capabilities, offset provisions were introduced in 2005. Such offset provisions are essentially mechanisms for ploughing back a minimum of 30 per cent of the con-tract value into India.

As global supply chain patterns shift decisively towards non-tradition-al geographies of Asia, India with its comparative advantages in advanced engineering and IT certainly offers a lucrative venue. Presence of a large number of small players with niche technologies that have historically been feeding into government de-fence manufactur-ing like Hindustan Aeronautics Lim-ited (HAL), Bharat Electronics Lim-ited (BEL), Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), etc. form a potentially strong base that can be scaled up with the right support and handholding. The recent trend shows a new emerging interest from various business houses with histori-cal manufacturing skills in IT, auto-mobile, precision-manufacturing that are keenly participating as partners

for offset projects primarily in order to diversify from their traditional busi-nesses and risk mitigation. With rough estimates putting the value of offsets to be around $50 billion, this would be a great opportunity for these companies to garner global learnings and exper-tise along with tangible orders with a potential to become part of the global supply chain.

There will be a learning curve for domestic companies and the Indian government who are not yet fully equipped to understand and meet the needs of foreign companies as well as their partners. The Indian companies will have to learn how to perform bet-ter and global companies will have to exhibit a degree of patience and the art of hand holding while the domestic companies scale this curve. There is a

need for the domestic industry to com-pulsorily focus on core essentials and to successfully partner in the global supply chain of this industry and de-velop robust global commercial rela-

tionships.While the opportunity poten-

tial seems attractive, few regulatory challenges in this participation pose operational hindrances. Companies looking to enter into this sector are faced with various ambiguous sector-specific regulations that are required to be complied with to be qualified as a defence manufacturer. Capping of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to 26 per cent, requirement of an industrial licence, prior approval for exports are some of the hurdles. While these regu-lations would aim to provide a method of checks and balances, but in reality these are limiting the domestic defence industry’s growth. The lack of success in implementation of offset contracts on ground is one example, whereby most offset contracts are running be-

hind schedule. Our research indicates that of the 12 con-tracts signed by the Ministry of Defence:‒ 9 contracts worth $3,000 million have on ground implementation of less than 5 per cent ‒ 2 contracts worth $400 million have on ground implementation of 10 per cent‒ One contract worth $ 44 million has on ground implementation of >25 per cent

This implies the gap between the formulations of policy and its ability on ground implementation.

— neelu Khatri

C-130J

aero india 201312 geopolitics

Legacy-650

Lineage-1000

BrahMos shows its deadly prowess

started on both Indian and the Russian side. “The hypersonic BrahMos is being envisioned to travel at a speed of Mach 5 to 7 Mach. The new missile will be more superior in terms of its devastating capa-bility and would provide an advantage to the Indian armed forces in future war-fare,” officials said.

Once the hypersonic version of the missile is ready, it would give no reac-tion time to enemy and would be the most lethal weapon in the armoury of the armed forces that would require only a few seconds to accomplish their opera-tional tasks.

“BrahMos Aerospace has initiated efforts to build the futuristic missile sys-tem by tying up with leading aerospace institutions of India and Russia. It has inked a MoU with the prestigious Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru and with Russia’s Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI) for carrying out research in high speed aerodynamics technology,” Brah-Mos said.

The land-based and the naval vari-ants, which are already in operational service in the Army and the Navy, would also be exhibited during the show. “The land-attack version of missile on the state-of-the-art Mobile Autonomous Launcher (MAL) will be on display during the aero show. The mobile land-based configura-tion of BRAHMOS has achieved several advancements over the years in the form of Block I, Block II and Block III variants with each having its own distinct poten-tiality to hit and destroy enemy targets,” BrahMos said.

The Army has placed orders worth several thousand crore for procuring four regiments of the BrahMos so far for de-ployment in operational areas along the northern and northeastern borders while the Navy so far the system on eight of its surface warships and will be the main stay of the anti-ship and land attack ar-moury of the force.

Also on display at the show would be the naval version of the missile, which has recently witnessed two successive successful test firings from Indian war-ships. During its test firing from INS Teg — the Navy’s recently commissioned Talwar-class guided missile frigate in

The air-launched version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise mis-sile, which is expected to see its first launch by the end of this

year, and its indigenously-developed components are the main focus of the Indo-Russian Joint Venture firm at the ninth edition of the biennial Aero India.

Under a `6,000 crore project, the BrahMos Aerospace corporation is work-ing to develop a variant of the missile which would be fired from IAF’s front-line Su-30MKI fighter aircraft. “The air-launched version of the missile is a lighter version of the missile but retains its lethality and speed of 2.8 mach. We would be displaying its full-scale model along with the indigenously-built air-borne launcher integrated on the IAF’s Sukhoi-30 fighter jet during the interna-tional event,” BrahMos officials told Geo-politics.

“The BrahMos missiles integrated on the Su-30s will help the IAF achieve the capability to deliver a deadly blow to en-emy formations from stand-off ranges of around 300-km without getting close to them,” they said.

Work on modification of two Su-30MKIs is also going on at the HAL plant in Nashik where they will also be integrated with the aerial launcher devel-oped by the BrahMos. As per plans more than 40 Su-30MKIs of the IAF are to be equipped with the BrahMos air launched missiles of which 200 have been ordered so far by the force.

Also making its debut at the aero show is the underwater launched Brah-Mos. The BrahMos, which is now the main stay of the Navy’s surface warships and is already on eight off them, is now set to emulate the feat in the under-wa-ter inventory of the maritime force. “The sub-sea version of the cruise missile sys-tem is set to add more teeth to the Navy’s underwater weapons delivery capability, thereby increasing its offensive prow-ess manifold. The underwater launched BrahMoss configuration will be on dis-play at Aero India,” officials said.

The most-advanced futuristic version of the missile known as the Hypersonic BrahMos II would also be highlighted at the show for which the work has already

October, the missile performed high-level manoeuvres and destroyed target ship at a distance of 290 kms.

In another successful test firing from INS Ranvijay on January 9, 2013, BRAHMOS, after taking a “double-ma-noeuvre in S-form”, annihilated a desig-nated target ship 290-km away by rip-ping through its hull.

The ship-based configuration of the tactical missile, which is the prime strike weapon for the Indian Navy, has been deployed on several frontline warships. “The naval variant of BrahMos has been successfully test-fired in both vertical and inclined launch configurations from mov-ing warships. The powerful missile can be launched in solo or salvo mode and can completely destroy single or multiple tar-gets within few minutes,” officials said.

The Indian Air Force has also placed an order for procuring the land-attack version of the missile. The missile firm

n The BrahMos with its steep-dive ca-pability can prove to be highly ef-fective against enemy targets located in the shadow of moun-tains. India shares a large mountainous boundary with both China and Pakistan.

n The hypersonic ver-sion of the missile, once it is realised, would be a game-changer as its high speed would give a window of only a few seconds to the enemy to protect itself from the weapon after its launch.

n The submarine launched BrahMos

would give India the capability to take out both ships and targets on

land.

n The sheer kinetic energy of the missile due to its speed makes it more effec-tive for target destruc-tion even with a lesser weigh warhead.

n The air-launched version of the missile would help the IAF to destroy enemy targets deep within its territory without even flying close to them. By the time the missile would hit its target, the air-craft would be on its way back to its base.

ARMED AND READY

ON LAND, ON SEA AND UNDER WATER: BrahMos, now the mainstay of the Navy's surface warships is all set to show off its under-water prowess.

would also release an updated version of its Brahmand World Defence book, which was first launched by Defence Minister A K Antony at the Defence Exhibition (DE-FEXPO-2012).

“Brahmand World Defence Update 2013 is a comprehensive compilation of military database of over 100 countries worldwide. The yearbook has focussed on listing the defence capabilities, new arms acquisitions and military expenditure of a total of 113 countries alongside their political set-ups and economic strength,” officials said.

“It also contains strategic information on 30 important countries, focussing on their geopolitical importance, strategic relations, threat perspective, defence ca-pabilities and latest military acquisition/procurements. The yearbook aims at pro-viding important military information to users, defence establishments and ana-lysts in general,” they added.

Indoor Row

Stands C2.3

& C3.14EMB-145

Phenom-100

Embraer will promote its full portfolio of Com-

mercial Aviation, Executive Aviation and

Defense and Security products and services

Aero India . Five of Embraer’s Legacy jets are

used by the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Border

Security Force (BSF) for the transportation of

VIPS and foreign dignitaries. In addition, Em-

braer Defense and Security has collaborated

with India’s Defense Research & Development

Organisation (DRDO) to create three EMB145

jet platforms for use as Airborne Early Warn-

ing and Control (AEW&C) aircraft, two of which

were delivered last year. Three of the Embraer

Executive Jets aircraft will be on static display:

the entry-level Phenom 100, the long-range

Legacy 650 and the ultra-large Lineage 1000.

aero india 201314 geopolitics

Pratt & Whitney, a unit of Unit-ed Technologies Corp., has delivered the first 10 F117 en-gines to Boeing to power a fleet

of C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force. The Ministry of Defence signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance with the US government in 2011 to acquire 10 C-17s. The first of these C-17 aircraft is now going through a US Air Force flight test programme at Edwards Air Force Base in Palmdale, Ca-lif. The Indian Air Force is scheduled to take delivery of its first five C-17s this year and five in 2014.

“Pratt & Whitney is delighted to be delivering the first batch of engines that will power the Indian Air Force’s C-17 fleet and we’re pleased to have them join the growing international fleet that flies this premium airlifter,” said Bev Deachin, Vice President, Military Programmes and Customer Support, Pratt & Whitney.

The C-17 Globemas-ter III — the world's pre-mier heavy airlifter — is powered by four F117 engines, each rated at 40,440 pounds of thrust. The C-17 transport, ex-clusively powered by Pratt & Whitney engines, is capable of taking off from a 7,600-foot airfield, carrying a pay-load of 160,600 pounds, and completing a flight of 2,400 nautical miles without refuelling. The F117-PW-100 first en-tered service in 1993 and is a derivative of Pratt & Whitney's PW2040 commer-cial engine. With nearly 10 million hours of proven military service and 50 million

IAF C-17 engines from Pratt & Whitney delivered

hours in commercial use, the F117/PW2040 has consistently proven itself as a world-class dependable engine. Through Pratt & Whitney’s ongoing invest-ment in product improve-ments, the engine continu-ously surpasses established goals of time on wing and support turnaround time.

Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines, space propulsion systems and industrial gas turbines. United Technologies, based in Hartford, Conn., is a diversified compa-ny providing high technology products and services to the global aerospace and building industries.

Boeing underscored the strength of its commitment to expand its partnerships in India to become the aero-

space company of choice in this impor-tant market. Company executives at the Aero India 2013 further empha-sised that local presence, collaboration and integration are key to Boeing’s suc-cess in India, and that the company is uniquely positioned to offer Indian cus-tomers the best in technology, capabil-ity and support.

“We are investing in collaborations and partnerships with Indian industry and academia to jointly harness the full potential of India and Boeing,” said Boeing India President Prat Kumar. “This winning relationship will pro-vide a fantastic opportunity to build a

strong future for India’s aerospace indus-try. India is also an important customer, and we are here to remain responsive to our commercial and defence customers’ requirements. We are definitely here for the long term.”

“The induction of Boeing P-8I and C-17 aircraft and Harpoon missiles in India’s fleet will significantly en-hance the country’s maritime surveil-lance, anti-submarine warfare and air-lift capabilities,” said Dennis Swanson, Vice President, International Business Development, Boeing Defence, Space and Security. “Boeing is focussed on deliver-ing its commitments to India’s Ministry of Defence, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force and looks forward to a closer part-nership in 2013 and beyond.”

“We continue to see strong growth

in India’s commercial aviation market and look forward to meeting that de-mand,” said Dinesh Keskar, Senior Vice President of Asia Pacific and India Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “Our com-plete family of airplanes will help Indian airlines provide reliable, comfortable pas-senger service and fuel-efficient opera-tions.”

Boeing is on track to deliver three P-8I long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine aircraft to the Indian Navy in 2013 and the remaining five by 2015. The Indian Air Force will receive five C-17 Globemaster III airlifters in 2013 and five in 2014. Boeing has pro-posed its AH-64 Apache to become the Indian Air Force’s next attack helicopter, and submitted its CH-47 Chinook for the heavy-lift helicopter competition.

Boeing focuses on india partnerships

While the world’s major defence aviation manufacturers are all set to woo the Indian armed forces, a few top officials from the country’s Central Reserve Police Force will be seen at Aero India. Their aim: order Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). These UAVs have become essential for the forces for Naxal operations in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa and Bihar.

According to a senior CRPF offi-cial, there were certain operational problems that the forces in Naxal operations were facing. “Whenever we want to use the UAVs, we have to depend on the IAF personnel who have never been in the jungles. They don't know the terrain. We have to depend on their expertise. We want to take control of these added advantages," said the officer.

The CRPF officials will be on the lookout for a suitable vendor who can either sell or provide the UAVs on rent. The National Technical Re-search Organisation (NTRO), which operates three UAVs from its base in Hyderabad, reportedly refused the CRPF’s request for help saying that the area of operations was 'too far'. The UAVs with NTRO are operated by IAF personnel on deputation.

crpf to shop for uaVs

aero india 201316 geopolitics

operates aerostats in India. The Army is also looking at acquiring the aerostats in the immediate future, with the Navy also showing an interest. However, the employment philosophy of Army and Air Force on aerostats differ. While the Air Force is looking at enhancing its strategic aerial surveillance capability to include aerial surveillance, air defence control and reporting and electronic/communi-cation intelligence, the Army is purely looking to enhance its long range surveil-lance capability. The primary role would include Battle field Surveillance, Direc-tion of own Artillery fire, Post strike dam-age assessment, Control of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) at extended rang-es, Communication repeaters and Elec-tronic Warfare.

The Air Force is currently operating a limited number of large aerostats (EL/M 2083). These can detect targets upto 100-150 kms. The payload on board in-cludes Advanced Programmable Radar (APR), Electronic Intelligence (ELINT), Communication Intelligence (COMINT), V/UHF radio telephony and Identification Friend or Foe (IFF).

Each of these aerostats is capable of providing three dimensional low-al-titude coverage, which is equal to 30-40 ground based radars. The aerostat has the capability to be integrated with AWACS and ground air defence environ-ment and function as a command and control centre. Depending upon the pay-load the aerostat can be raised to a height of 10000-15000 feet. The system gives a seamless radar coverage of 300 kms plus at low level, along with good communi-cation range and requisite ELINT. The air force is looking at acquiring more such aerostats to add to its inventory.

The Army’s requirement would obvi-ously be a medium sized aerostat which is able to detect targets upto 50-70 kms.

The payload would have a bias towards tactical battle field surveillance. Presently the Army plans to acquire medium cat-egory aerostats which will further aug-ment the existing surveillance resources and enhance its reach considerably. These will be held by the Artillery units already holding surveillance equipment like the UAVs, battle field surveillance radars and weapon locating radars. Inci-dentally as per reports, Pakistan is stated to have acquired six Lockheed Martin L 88 aerostat systems from the USA.

Vulnerabilities/LimitationsThere are however, some vulnerabili-

ties and limitations which at times restrict their employment. Weather, wind speeds, lightening and thunder are some factors which affect its employment. By virtue of its size, it becomes a prime target for the enemy and hence requires protection in terms of its deployment and air defence cover. Because aerostats are not highly pressurised, bullets won’t burst them and they can remain buoyant despite punc-tures.

Despite its vulnerabilities aerostats today are fielded by a number of coun-tries due to its inherent advantages over UAVs and unmanned aircraft. The main plus point is the low life cycle cost and long dwell time. Also the operational need for aerostats has been well estab-lished, especially in the surveillance role and this outweighs all other factors. The USA and NATO forces are effectively us-ing the aerostat in Afghanistan, Iraq and Kosovo. Closer home with air force al-ready holding aerostats and army plan-ning to acquire them, there is an urgent need to address the issue of air space management to facilitate optimum utili-zation of the aerostats.

— Geopolitics Bureau

US ExperienceThe requirement for the tethered

aerostat radar system network was estab-lished in 1984 by the US Customs Ser-vice to help counter illegal drug traffick-ing. Since then the role and employment of aerostats has largely shifted towards military applications. In response to the ongoing threats to the US and NATO troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, the US has deployed a number of small aerostats equipped with ground surveillance sen-sors for force protection, surveillance and safeguarding forward operating bases. One of the aerostat systems deployed is the Rapidly Elevated Aerostat Platform (REAP), which operates at a height of 300 feet and carries day and night vision cameras.

Also deployed are the Rapid Aero-stat Initial Development (RAID) systems in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kosovo. This aerostat is twice the size of REAP and op-erates at 1000 feet. It carries a suite of day/night cameras and radar for battle-field surveillance. There are presently a number of different types of aerostat sys-tems deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq, which relay real time information when connected to the Army Battle Command System.

The biggest problem confronting all major armies of the world is tracking of cruise missiles. In this regard the US Army is presently working on the Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defence Ele-vated Netted Sensor System (JLENS) pro-gramme, for cruise missile defence. The system will have two aerostats with two different types of radars, one for persis-tent surveillance of battle space and sec-ond to precisely track the cruise missile and guide an intercepting weapon.

Aerostats in Indian Armed ForcesPresently only the Air Force holds and

Derived from the Greek words aer (air) and statos (standing) an aerostat is lighter than air object, that can stay stationary

in the air. They are rigid aerodynamic structures filled with helium and air where helium provides the lift component and the air the shape. Aerostats have been used historically for military surveil-lance. They are tethered to the ground by a cable that also provides power. A number of companies are involved in the design and manufacture of aerostats in Europe, Asia and North America. Lead-ing among them are Raytheon, Lockheed Martin and Israel Air Space Industries.

Present-day aerostat systems use a 100-250 feet long helium filled un-manned balloon, equipped with radar and other sensors. The larger of these aerostats are more than twice the size of the familiar advertising balloons. An aerostat is designed to always turn into the wind and stay in the same place. It is empowered and secured by a cable that can keep the aerostat in position at its maximum altitude of 15000 feet. At that altitude a large aerostat can carry a two ton payload. The cable also sup-plies the power, enabling the balloon to stay up for about 30 days at a time, be-fore it is brought down for maintenance of payload. Aerostats are ideal platforms to elevate various payloads for prolonged durations of time. Aerostat systems can be tailored to specific need based require-ments. The selection of the type of aero-stat is dictated by the type of payload re-quired. Hence there can be a small size aerostat with payload capacity of 40-50 kg, operating at an altitude of 1000 feet, a medium size aerostat with payload ca-pacity of 250-300 kg operating at 6000 feet or large aerostat, for multirole appli-cations carrying payload of 1500-2000 kg and operating at 15000 feet.

They may look harmless and inert but are slowly being put to use for a variety of reasons

AEROSTATS move into battle gear

Floating giant: An Israeli-supplied aerostat-based radar for the IAF in operation.

aero india 201317 geopolitics

G eneral Aviation (GA) and non-scheduled services are expected to pick up steadily, primarily driven by a boom-

ing economy and facilitated by business needs to invest in more productive hours every day. One of the major reasons for growth in the business and GA markets in India is the rising revenues of Indian corporates and the increasing number of high-net-worth individuals. Another crucial factor which has spurred the growth of non-scheduled aviation is that commercial flights are mostly limited to metropolitan areas and large cities and not to the smaller cities in the hinterland.

Tier II and Tier III cities in India have shown huge potential for the de-velopment of GA. Home to between two million and four million people each, these cities are local and regional cen-tres for manufacturing, trading and lo-gistics. Technologically advanced turbo-props are ideally suited to routes in the 1,000-kilometre range and are signifi-cantly cheaper to operate than regional jets. Today’s Turboprops have the same accoutrements as the jets - radar, GPS, HUDs. And they even have noise cancel-lation making them about as quiet, even though they have huge props spinning a few feet away from the cabin. Globally, in 2011, the production of turboprop air-craft went up by 42.9 per cent, while the production of jets dropped 8.9 per cent. As far as the US is concerned, the pro-duction of turboprop aircraft went up a massive 76.3 per cent, and the produc-tion of piston engine aircraft decreased by 7.0 per cent with the production of jets remaining unchanged.

The demand for short haul aircrafts could increase manifold in coming years with their capability of reaching des-tinations not served by the scheduled

Turboprops fly to calmer skies

airlines. Globally, from 2009 to 2012, orders have more than doubled. The rea-son appears to be increasing fuel prices, ability to land in smaller airfields and improvement in cabin comfort levels. Recent demand for turboprops has been driven primarily by emerging markets as large developing countries with burgeon-ing middle classes with pent-up demand for travel are ideal customers.

An airline needs a comprehensive network and a large number of destina-tions that it can provide to its custom-ers. One way to supplement the network is to have smaller aircraft flying short distance routes with lower passenger volume. The economics of a turboprop makes sense on short-haul operations, opening routes which were earlier con-sidered unprofitable. Turboprops are the ideal complement to a fleet for airlines operating medium-haul routes, opening up regions which have up to now been little or poorly served. Malaysia Airlines' subsidiary Firefly, has proven to be prof-itable with its fleet of turboprop aircrafts. Garuda Indonesia is set to purchase 50 turboprop aircrafts to remain competitive by having the ability to offer new routes. It is not surprising that Aviation Indus-try Corporation of China (AVIC) held a launching ceremony and mobilisation meeting for the development of a new-generation regional turboprop project this December.

Civil aviation in India is expected to grow and dominate in this decade. However, this would be possible only if airlines manage to connect Tier II cities with the rest of India. Turboprops, with their short takeoff rolls and fuel efficiency in short-haul flights, are a perfect solu-tion for tier II cities. They can ideally op-erate as feeder services to the mainline carriers. On low-density regional routes,

it makes sense to deploy turboprops rath-er than jets, especially in the prevailing situation of high fuel prices. Presently, Jet Airways and Kingfisher fly the ATR-72 /42s turboprop aircrafts to these cities. Air India regional flies about 7 ATR-42s. Newer airline like Spicejet have on order 30 new Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft’s and the airline plans to connect tier II cities like Salem and Raipur with metros like Chennai and Mumbai in the near future.

Turbojets are also excessively used for business aviation to carry 15 or lesser passengers. Business aviation customers in India who would have earlier shopped for a jet are now considering turboprops for their low cost of operation and ease of landing and takeoff from air strips less than 250m long. These aircraft have a tremendous growth potential in India, if the challenges pertaining to lack of han-

gar and parking spaces, lack of mainte-nance facilities and the tedious process of getting clearances are not allowed to be a drag. Further, aviation infrastructure in smaller cities can improve much faster if state governments go an extra mile to hasten land acquisition procedures and expedite necessary clearances. Mahin-dra Aerospace, with their acquisition of two Australian companies — Gippsland Aeronautics, a manufacturer of small aircraft and Aerostaff, an aircraft com-ponent manufacturer — appear to have made a right choice of becoming a player in the turboprop market. Moreover, NAL too has decided that the turbopropvari-ant is a better solution for the Regional Transport Aircraft proposal under the National Civil Aircraft Development (NCAD) programme.

—Rajiv Chib

the next stage: The Bombardier Q-400, a modern turboprop marvel

aero india 201318 geopolitics

Marc Verguin, Deputy Director, Business Development India, Nexter Systems, is looking to take the Company into the next phase with his ambitious plans. He talks about the landing the contract for THL-20 turrets for the Dhruv, the partnership with Larsen and Tourbro and efforts to pitch land defence systems to the Indian Ministry of Defence.

Russian Ambassador Alexander Kadakin on the relationship with India

Provide our readers an overview of your involvement with the Indian Dhruv ALH and LCH programmes and about your lightweight THL20 gun turrets.In 2006, Nexter was awarded for a con-tract for the adaption, the qualification and the delivery of 84 THL-20 for the Dhruv helicopter. The first phase of the programme included the development of the feeding system specific to the ALH, the qualification on the helicopter and the delivery of the first 20 turrets. Up to now, development and qualification works have been achieved and the first 20 turrets have been delivered before No-vember 2011.

Nexter expect to receive the purchase

A few words on Aero India show and your country’s participation in the event.

The Bengaluru aero show, despite its relatively short record, has proved to be one of the main grounds for showcas-ing global achievements in aviation and space spheres. Russian enterprises have traditionally been taking an active part in the event. This year, Russia will be rep-resented by 37 enterprises and ventures from civil and military aircraft industry, with many of them being partners with Indian companies for decades. Among them are such reputed firms as the Suk-hoi Company, RAC 'MiG', Ilyushin Com-pany, Irkut Corporation, Concern 'Almaz Antey' and many others from various Russian regions.

Your country’s long and fruit-ful partnership with India is well known. How do we further deepen this relationship in the field of de-fence and aviation?

Russia and India have been cooperat-ing in the military area for more than five decades now. Such collaboration is an unprecedented example of exception-ally diversified, strong and trusted part-nership fully reflecting the special and privileged strategic nature of relationship between our countries.

Russia, no doubt, is India’s most con-sistent partner, with the Indian share in Russian military exports amounting to 30 per cent. Only in 2001-2010 the con-

order for the next 16 THL-20. Delivery should begin in October 2014 in order to match the needs of the ALH programme.

Where do you see this deal with HAL for the ALH and LCH programmes growing in the future?In 2010, Nexter Systems answered to a RFQ for the LCH with the THL-20 and an appropriate feeding system. This solu-tion maximises the commonalities with the armament of the ALH Dhruv heli-copter and consequently reducing the cost in simplifying logistic support and training for the customer. We have the capability to respond to any solicitation from HAL on this subject. Nexter sees this programme as a real opportunity to

reinforce the partnership with HAL which is already excellent.

How has the last year's deal with Larsen and Toubro for manufacture of artillery guns for the Indian market pro-gressed? What are the timelines for going full steam with this arrangement?Nexter Systems has continued the work started in 2011 with Larsen and Toubro for the customisation and the indigenisation of our towed gun system (TRAJAN®). The dem-onstrator which will be delivered to MoD for evaluation will have a large part of Indian content pro-duced by Larsen & Toubro. Our co-operation will continue to be ready for the serial production as per MoD request.

Your India office plans, are they moving in the right direc-tion? Or are they any change in plans?Our Indian office is going accord-ing to our plan for beginning of 2013. Nexter Systems India Private Limited is actually in final phase of the process and will be fully

tracts signed were worth more than $ 30 billion. More than 20 intergovernmen-tal agreements were sealed. The current portfolio totals to $ 10.5 billion.

The official visit of President Vladimir Putin to India in December, 2012 saw the signing of contracts for increasing the licenced production of Su-30MKI air-craft and additional supply of Mi-17V-5 helicopters. There are projects underway for licenced production of aircraft en-gines of AL-55I series and the third mod-ification of RD-33 series. Serial moderni-sation of MiG-29 is in preparation. The contract for supply of 16 MiG-29K/KUB deck-based aircraft is completed, and the Russian side has proceeded to additional delivery of 29 more fighters.

The joint development of prospec-tive fifth generation multi-purpose fight-er and multi-role transport aircraft has reached the stage of practical implemen-tation. Another project, the production of the unique and, in my eyes, world’s best precision-guided supersonic 'Brah-Mos' cruise missiles is also successful.

In this process, Russia provides India not just the hardware but also the know-how on such broad scale that is incompa-rable with any other country. Numerous projects are in the pipeline pertaining to aeronautic engineering, armoured infan-try vehicles, jet engines, missiles, tanks, warships and other specialised equip-ment. For instance, Russia is ready to offer to India with its long coastline the amphibious multirole aircraft 'Beriev Be-

Time to make a mark

Russia-India partnership reflects the privileged strategic nature of relationship

operational by next months.

Considering the kind of products portfolio Nexter has, what is the as-sessment of your growth prospects in the Indian market?Nexter product is mainly designed for Land Defence Systems to Armies and supplies weapon systems to Air Forces and Navies. Nexter products can answer the need of the Indian Army. It is abso-lutely crucial to understand the indus-trial issues in India and look out for po-tential partners. Our solution combines equipment and systems with a long-term maintenance, repair and overhaul ser-vice offer.

What's your strategy to achieve your growth targets in India?We feel that we can play a role in the defence opportunities that have a great interest to us. As I said, we need to un-derstand the Industrial issues this is what Nexter Systems India Private Lim-ited will focus on in the coming years. This will be very important element for our ToT processes. Our approach is mod-est and respectful we worked very much with perspective of transfer of technol-ogy. We are convinced that we can work with this model. Nexter Systems is the thin layer system integrator and we rely greatly on the competence and profes-sionalism of the supply chain.

As we strongly believe that this mod-el could be transfer very easily to India, we wish to develop a long term partner-ships with Indian Industries and Indian Forces.

What are the capabilities that you will be showcasing during Aero India 2013?Nexter Systems is well known in provid-ing Equipment to Land Defence. Aero India gives us the possibility to show the will and the capacities of Nexter in pro-viding Equipment/Systems to Air Force as well as ammunitions.

200' that has no analogues in the world, as well as surface-effect airborne ships.

Russian producers participate in ten-ders for supply of air defence systems, he-licopters, various armoured vehicles and small arms. We sell to India razor-edge weapons in our disposal, rather than 'ex-port samples' with simplified functional features offered by some other countries.

It is noteworthy that besides military products we are also working on promis-ing areas of cooperation in civil aircraft engineering. At present the process is underway to certify Russian aeronauti-cal products in India, to provide techni-cal maintenance to the earlier supplied equipment, to organise in India licenced production of aircraft and aviation com-ponents, to participate in India-conduct-ed programmes of developing new mod-els of aircraft and many others. Indian air carriers are supplied with Mi-171E and Mi-172 helicopters.

JSC 'Russian Helicopters' and Hindu-stan Aeronautics Limited are examining the prospects of jointly developing new modifications of the Russian Ka-226T helicopter, including its medical, rescue and other versions.

Would it be right to say that our relationship is no more of buyer and seller, but a more collaborative rela-tionship?

Quite so. New trends are already a reality. There are bright prospects for greater cooperation in helicopters. Now

gettIng IntO the gROVe: Nexter has ambitious plans to expand its footprint in india and marc verguin is leading the charge

it is possible not only to jointly operate these machines as done by the Russian-Indian joint venture 'Integrated Helicop-ter Service', but also to jointly modernise them as required and then to market these joint products internationally. This also applies to the BrahMos joint venture.

Our military cooperation steadily shifts towards license transfer for pro-duction of Russian arms in India; R&D of advanced and hi-tech military products with combined efforts of Russian and Indian specialists; modernization of Rus-sia-made weapons now in the Indian Army and creation of new joint ventures.

Finally, would you be visiting the air show?

Certainly. The Russian Embassy and the Ambassador personally always take an active part in holding and, more im-portantly, in preparing the Bengaluru air show. We provide all possible assistance to Russian participants seeking to yield a good harvest at this important event.

Alexander Kadakin Ambassador of Russia

New models on show from Russian Helicopters

aero india 201319 geopolitics

A Rosoboronexport delegation will present the latest export models of Russian aviation and air defence equipment

and discuss the promising areas in mili-tary-technical cooperation between Rus-sia and India and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region at Aero India 2013. The show will provide a new impetus to strong positive military-technical cooper-ation between Russia and India and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

Rosoboronexport will present the Yak-130 combat trainer, Il-78MK-90 tanker, the newest Il-76MD-90A mili-tary transport aircraft, Be-200 multipur-pose amphibian, Mi-35M, Mi-26T2, Ka-31 and Ka-226T helicopters, as well as many other new samples of the Russian aircraft industry, including training aids and airborne weapons.

Russian planes and helicopters have proven to be worthy in the Asia-Pacific

Rosoboronexport moves to boost Indo-Russian defence ties

region. The fact that India’s Republic Day Parade 2012 started with a flyover by the newest Mi-17V-5 military transport heli-copters, which were given the honour of carrying the national flag and the Army, Navy and Air Force flags, was a clear evi-dence of India’s strong confidence in Rus-sian aviation equipment.

Building an antiaircraft and missile defence system, without which it is im-possible to talk about the reliable secu-rity of any state, is very promising for the development of a military-technical dialogue with the countries in the re-gion, particularly with India. With its vast experience in this sphere, Russia will showcase a wide range of reliable systems capable of providing assured protection for military installations, administrative and political centres, and infrastructure components in India — the Antey-2500 ADMS,

Tor-M2E and Buk-M2E SAM systems,

as well as the Pantsir-S1 SPAAAGM system and Igla-S MANPADS.`

Rosoboronexport Deputy Director General Viktor Komardin heading the joint Rostec and Rosoboronexport delega-tion noted that in cooperation with India, Rosoboronexport came from traditional sales pattern to joint development of the latest equipment.

“As of now, the first preliminary de-sign phase of the fifth generation fighter programme has been successfully com-pleted and work on the Multi-role Trans-port Aircraft (MTA) is progressing on schedule. In addition, the BrahMos su-personic missile is to be integrated by the Indian side into a Russian air platform,” said Viktor Komardin.

“It is with Russia that India works jointly on truly exclusive large-scale and mutually beneficial projects. The answer to it is quite simple: no country, except Russia, is willing to give India advanced

military technology.” He also said that in Bengaluru, India and Russia will con-tinue to discuss further the Su-30MKI fighter modernisation programme, which will affect virtually all components of the aircraft. The issues relating to the imple-mentation of offset programmes by the Russian side in broad cooperation with Indian partners, as well as the prospects for further cooperation on the offset ob-ligations in the MTC area will also be raised. One such project is a programme proposed by Rosoboronexport, which is bidding to supply 197 reconnaissance and surveillance helicopters.

The uniqueness of the Russian pro-posal is that owing to its performance the newest Ka-226T multirole helicopter is perfect for carrying out combat mis-sions specified by the customer; more-over, the offset programme proposed by Russia is also very attractive for the Indian industry.

Russian Helicopters, part of state defence holding Oboronprom and a

leading global designer and manufacturer of helicopters, will exhibit

some of its latest models at Aero India 2013 (Hall A, Stand 3.3). The

company plans to showcase new light and medium multirole helicopters

— primarily the Ka-226T and Mi-171A2 — that will be the principal

Russian products for the fast-growing Indian market. Russian Helicop-

ters is a repeat visitor to Aero India, representing the Russian aerospace

industry in Bengaluru since 2009.

The light multirole Ka-226T with its unique coaxial rotor is currently

competing in a major Indian Air Force tender for surveillance and recon-

naissance helicopters, and has excellent chances of success. In Decem-

ber 2012, Russian Helicopters signed an agreement in New Delhi with

India's Elcom Systems to establish a joint venture to assemble Russian

helicopters including the Ka-226T in India.

Another attractive addition to the company's range is the upgraded

civil medium Mi-171A2, the latest version of the Mi-8/17 series, the

world's most popular helicopter. The Mi-171A2 combines the best per-

formance of its legendary predecessors with leading-edge technologies.

Almost 200 Mi-8/17s operate in India, and demand for these helicopters

remains strong. Russian Helicopters recently signed another contract for

Mi-17V-5 helicopters with the Indian Air Force; the contract is expected

to be fulfilled in 2013.

At Aero India 2013, Russian Helicopters and Rosoboronexport will

also showcase the Mi-28NE Night Hunter attack helicopter. This combat

helicopter has outstanding capabilities, being able to operate day and

night and in all weathers, and can fly search-and-destroy operations

against tanks, armoured and unarmoured vehicles, as well as enemy

forces on the battlefield and low-speed air targets.

aero india 201320 geopolitics

An Irkut Corporation spokesman on the projects in hand — the top being the upgrade of the Su-30MKI

Can you shed some light on the Super Sukhoi-30 programme? What are the capabilities of the IAF SU-30s that will be enhanced by the up-grades?

Currently, the talk on upgrading the IAF’s Su-30MKI aircraft is being held and is in the middle of the process. Rus-sian and Indian specialists are negotiat-ing on technical performance of the up-graded Sukhoi Super-30 aircraft. Till all the technical issues are discussed, obvi-ously, it is premature to talk about the new capabilities of the aircraft. However, it’s clear that Su-30MKI will be equipped with advanced avionics, onboard ra-dar with enhanced sighting range hav-ing ability to attack small targets. The fighter will be capable of using Russian and foreign-made weapons as well. All the above features will enable Su-30MKI to be the most advanced fighter of the IAF till the time Su-50 aka FGFA aircraft enter the IAF, being developed by Russia and India jointly.

Can you tell us about the devel-opment of the new UAC/HAL Il-214 Multirole Transport Aircraft?

A project to develop multirole trans-port aircraft on the basis of Il-214 has been realised by the Russian-Indian en-terprise MTAL, co-founded by United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) and Hindu-stan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). Irkut Corpo-ration was involved in the initial stage of the project and UAC and HAL would be

in a better position to address all queries related to the MTA project.

How about the MC-21 project and have all the snags in the aircraft been rectified?

MC-21, a new generation airliner, is the major prospective project of the Russian civil aviation industry. IRKUT Corporation is the prime contractor and integrator for MC-21 airliner. MC-21 is planned to be developed as a short/mid-range commercial airliners. MC-21 programme is fully supported by the gov-ernment and funding for the project is included in the aviation industry devel-opment plan which has been approved by the Russian government in late 2012. According to the Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov, about $400 million has been allocated for the reali-sation of MC-21 project and Sberbank – Russia’s biggest financial institution provided Irkut with an investment loan of $1 bn. MC-21 is expected to compete in the international market with A320N-EO, Boeing 737MAX and Chinese Comac C919.

The MC-21 project includes a host of different suppliers like US air engines manufacturer Pratt & Whit-ney Corp and the French company Zodiac Comp. Is there any possibility of tying up with Indian companies to source parts for it?

In 2012, Irkut has signed an agree-

Upgrading IAF’s Su-30MKI is top priority: Irkut

A cornerstone of Eurocop-ter’s static display is the AS565 MBe Panther na-val helicopter, equipped

with its full armament Acomplement. This proven rotorcraft is proposed for both the Indian Navy’s planned acquisition of utility helicopters and the Indian Coast Guard’s anticipated purchase of ship-based light/medium helicopters. The AS565 MB Panther is a militarised member of Eurocopter’s popular Dauphin family, and has dem-onstrated its abilities in India – as one of this helicopter type’s largest civilian operators is the country’s Pawan Hans Helicopters, with a significant AS365 N3 Dauphin fleet.

“Eurocopter has made major in-vestments in building up its product portfolio, which positions us to offer products that meet India’s mission requirements in bolstering its defence capabilities,” said Eurocopter President & CEO Lutz Bertling. “At the last Aero India event, we showcased the AS550 C3 Fennec, which was presented as the ideal replacement for India’s aging Cheetah and Chetak fleet. This time, we are bringing the combat-proven AS565 MBe Panther with a complete set of armament, which is in service in many military forces around the world.”

The AS565 MBe is a combat and utility helicopter suitable for both ship-borne and shore-based operations, and also serves as a highly capable search and rescue system for both day and night operations. Accompanying the helicopter’s display at Aero India will be a comprehensive armament suite

for use in sea and ground warfare — including an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) torpedo, ASW depth charge, gun and rocket pods, and a 0.5-in. sniper rifle.

For naval missions, the Panther comes with a fully-certified 4-axis digi-tal Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS) incorporating search and rescue modes, which enables search patterns to be flown automatically, along with au-tomatic transitions to/from hover and automatic hover, as well as the ability to adjust the helicopter’s position from the hoist operator’s joystick.

Available for customer flights at Aero India 2013 will be an AS350 B3e from Davangere Sugar — the enhanced ver-sion of the single-engine AS350 B3, with exceptional lifting capability, extended range, fast cruise speed and great endur-ance in hot climates and high altitudes.

Featured as scale models on the Aero India 2013 exhibit stand of Eurocopter parent company EADS are the AS550 C3 Fennec, offered to fulfill India’s needs for a modern reconnaissance and surveillance

Mission-ready choppers from Eurocopter The capabilities of Eurocopter’s expanded helicopter product line in meeting a full range of India military, governmental and civilian missions will be at the forefront during Aero India 2013.

helicopter (RSH); the new EC175, which demonstrated its unrivalled performance for off-shore oil and gas missions with the no. 1 production helicopter’s first flight; and the performance-enhanced new EC130T2, which shares the tech-nological baseline with the AS350B3e. While the AS350 B3 is one of the most popular light helicopter products in India for utility and aerial work, the EC130 T2 will be ideal for passenger transport and tourism activities.

Eurocopter considers India as a key market, and has a long-established pres-ence in the country. Its relationship with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) during more than five decades has seen hundreds of Eurocopter helicopters built in India under license, along with the production of composite assemblies for AS550/AS350 helicopters as part of Eurocopter’s global supply chain. In 2010, the company became the first he-licopter manufacturer to establish a full-fledged subsidiary with the creation of Eurocopter India.

ment with a number of lead-ing suppliers for MC-21. In par-ticular, Pratt & Whitney is one of them, which provides Pure Power PW1400G engines for MC-21 with low fuel consumption by using latest geared turbofan technology. Compared to the existing aircraft, PW1400G will reduce MC-21 fuel consumption by 13 per cent. MC-21 customers can choose alternative PD-14 engine which is being developed in Russia. Its demonstration passed bench tests in 2012.

The international team of creators for MC-21 includes Zodiac Aerospace Group, an agreement which was signed in 2012. Taking advantage of wider fuselage and using newest interior solutions of MC-21, Irkut is planning to provide passen-gers with the level of comfort which is currently available only on long-haul aircraft.

Realising the Su-30MKI programme Irkut Corporation and HAL gained prof-itable experience of cooperation in field of aviation technique manufacturing. Having Indian airlines willingness to purchase MC-21 aircraft, the mentioned experience could be required to organize production of MC-21 components by Indian manufacturers.

What are you showcasing at Aero India 2013?

A honourable place in the company’s exposition (Pavilion, Stand 3.1) has been given to Su-30MKI multi-role fighters which has become a sort of “icon” of Irkut Corporation. The aircraft was de-veloped by Sukhoi design bureau espe-cially for the Indian Air Force and seri-ally produced at the Irkut aviation plant. Irkut delivers fully assembled Su-30MKI and technological kits for its licensed production by HAL as well. As a tradi-tion Su-30MKI fighters of the Indian Air Force will be presented as static and fly-ing displays.

The company’s stand will represent the model of Yak-130 combat trainer de-veloped by the Yakovlev design bureau, a part of Irkut Corporation. Also Irkut Corporation will exhibit its latest devel-opment in the field of commercial avia-tion- MC-21 short/mid-range commer-cial airliner with a capacity of 150-212 passengers.

The high-performance member of the Ecureuil family, the AS350 is a single-engine helicopter excels in hot conditions and very high altitudes, and broke records.

The EC130 T2 is the latest version of the EC130 has an upgraded gearbox and a new Turbomeca Arriel 2D engine, providing 10 per cent more average power than the engine used in the previous EC130 B4 version.

EADS Hall C, OD-6

aero india 201322 geopolitics

World looking at Samtel for world-class quality at competitive costsSamtel Avionics & Defence Systems' Executive Director Puneet Kaura on his company’s JV with HAL and growth plans for next 10 yearsSamtel's JV with HAL is six years old now. How do you see the JV's per-formance and results in these years and what are the targets for the next five years?After a long journey of development, flight testing and qual-ification, one of the JV's key products — Multifunction Display (MFD) for Su-30 MKI has been qualified and is now in production. Thus, the aim with which the Samtel-HAL JV was set-up — that of addressing the avi-onics requirements of HAL, especially cock-pit displays of all kinds — is now closer to re-alisation. The goal of the Samtel-HAL JV is to indigenise critical primary displays tech-nology in India, and create a Centre of Excellence to produce indigenous displays for all HAL existing and upcoming star platforms and upgrades. It is a matter of great pride for India that now this tech-nology is available here, and it opens up avenues for replicating it on other cockpit displays for HAL’s star platforms. Samtel-HAL JV is looking forward to move ahead on our journey towards induction of in-digenous cockpit displays on all Indian platforms.

Your joint venture with Thales too is over four years. How has this tie-up help Samtel to consolidate its posi-tion in the Avionics market in India?Our JV with Thales is taking shape now with Samtel discussing various oppor-tunities with them in Opto-electronics (Infra Red Search & Track), BTP (Built-to-Print)/BTS (Built-to-Specs) segments, as well as offsets arising out of Thales getting the Mirage 2000 upgrade con-tract, etc. We are moving at a very fast pace to crystallise some of the discussions that we are having with Thales to begin the work on ground. The JV was set up to locally develop, customise, manufac-ture, sell and maintain indigenous Hel-met-Mounted Sight and Display Systems, optronics and modern Avionics Systems for the Indian and export defence mar-kets. Systems aimed at the Indian Forces’

relationship has grown to a close part-nership, and lately Samtel has become an approved supplier and the sole source for Honeywell worldwide for this equipment. Samtel and Honeywell have signed a long term contract for supply of this compo-nent to Honeywell. The production has already begun at Samtel Avionics’ pro-duction facility at Greater Noida, and successful FAI of this product has also been completed. This is the first Samtel product to get TSO (Technical Standard Order) certification for commercial air-craft. TSO is a minimum performance standard for specified materials, parts, and appliances used on civil aircraft; and receiving a TSO authorization is both de-sign and production approval. Currently, Samtel is in discussion with Honeywell for multiple programmes, and expects to get more business from them very soon.

What is your company's overall growth plans for the next 10 years?Today, we are happy to be an integral part of the Indian defence industry. As recent reports suggest, the defence bud-gets worldwide are being slashed and the global aerospace and defence players are rethinking their strategies. Also, the current market scenario points at inter-national companies seeking much more cost-competitive supply partners to ac-commodate their shrinking budgets. The eyes of the entire world are now on coun-tries like India, and partners like Samtel which offer world-class quality at com-petitive costs. Also, with big ticket defence purchases by India on the cards, the glob-al firms are looking at competent players like Samtel Avionics to fulfill their offset obligations. The new Defence Production Policy is also intended to support Indian Industry to build their in-house capabili-ties in order to meet the future defence re-quirements. In order to absorb these offset requirements, we are definitely one of the strongest contenders.

As for our global plans, keeping in mind the fact that most of our major partnerships are with US and UK market leaders, there is immense opportunity in the overseas market. US and UK are the biggest markets for aerospace industry, and we are continuing to expand our footprint in these markets. We are also in advanced stages of discussing JVs/ MoUs/ Contracts with leading players in aero-space & defence industry worldwide.

helicopters and fighters represent the main objective of the JV company, and the activity will quickly expand to include other products. Based in Delhi, it will pro-vide the basis for all future aerospace de-velopment for Thales in India. The JV will

help us bring critical technology to India and will contribute towards the moderni-sation objective of the Indian government for its defence forces.

How much does Samtel spend on R&D to hold on to its technology edge? What are your R&D plans in terms of funds and projects for the future?Being in the high technology equip-ment industry, we

spend a significant percentage on R&D. Our strong capability in this domain has helped us to always remain the first movers in the domestic market with cus-

tomised, innovative and competitive new products and retain our leadership posi-tion in the market. Going forward, as we expand our capabilities and our product range gets more complex, our focus on R&D will be even more intensified to maintain our high standards of delivery.How has your tie-up with Honeywell for cockpits performed? What are its prospects?Samtel and Honeywell came together in 2007 to manufacture equipment for their general aviation range in the US. Since then, in the last five+ years, the

advanced R&d: The Multifunction Display (MFD) 55 for Su-30 MKI is now in production.

INFOTECH GETS SILVER FOR SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE

INFOTECH Enterprises has an-nounced that it received a Silver Performance Excellence Award for 2012 from the Boeing Com-pany. This is an annual award that is presented to suppliers who have achieved superior per-formance. Infotech Enterprises maintained a Silver performance rating for each month of the 12-month performance period. This is the third consecutive year in which Infotech has been rec-ognised with this award.

“It is a proud moment for Infotech Enterprises. The perfor-mance excellence award from Boeing reiterates our leadership in delivering end-to-end global aerospace engineering solutions. It reflects our organization-wide commitment to delight our cus-tomers through continuous im-provement efforts in areas of quality and productivity,” said Krishna Bodanapu, President and COO, Infotech Enterprises.

Commenting on the occasion, Rajendra Velagapudi, Senior Vice President and Head — Aerospace Business Unit, Infotech Enter-prises said, “Our customers in the aerospace manufacturing industry look for partners with proven expertise and a track re-cord of delivering robust and optimized engineering solutions. We are glad that Boeing has ac-knowledged our consistent efforts across the product life cycle.”

Infotech Enterprises partners with Boeing in providing special-ised engineering and design au-tomation solutions across com-mercial and defence programmes including the 747-8 (freighter and passenger), 787-9, 767, 747, F-18 and F-15. Infotech was also awarded the prestigious Supplier of the Year for 2010.

DRDO showcases ‘Made in India’ products DRDO Pavilion at Aero India 2013 is attracting huge attention. It centres around projections of aerospace related R & D advancement made by DRDO Labs and the coordinated efforts of various R & D Work Centres of DRDO. In all, 21 DRDO laboratories are participating and show-casing their technological might in various formats: Indoor and Outdoor Ex-hibition and Static and Flying Displays.

DRDO-ADA Indoor Exhibitions pa-vilion is designed based on the system centric theme with the Technologies clustered around it. There are 14 major system centres, Technologies themes as indicated below:n Combat Aero Systemsn Aircraft Systemsn Avionics and UAV Systemsn Aerial Delivery Systemsn Surveillance Systemsn Certification of Aero Systemsn E W Systemsn Materialsn Missile Systemsn Propulsion Systemsn Explosive Technologies

in the clouds: (Top) DRDO aerostat; (bottom left) Indigenously built Nishant UAV; (bottom right) the IAF's Light Combat Aircraft (LCA).

n Sensor Technologiesn RADAR Systemsn Simulator Systems

Outdoor/Static display includes the following : n LCA Naval variant 1:1 with Arma-

ment mock - ups n Rustom – 1 n NISHANT on Launch Vehiclen Missiles on Launch Vehiclen Akashdeep Aerostat

aero india 201324 geopolitics

Navy too to fly highA

way from the much talked about big-ticket deals of the Indian Air Force (IAF) which had brought global aviation

companies flocking to India, the rapidly-expanding aviation wing of the Indian Navy is where the focus is. Indian Navy’s blue-water aspirations coupled with the mandate to tackle piracy and to secure the 7,516-km long coastline, has result-ed in New Delhi enhancing its spend on naval aviation.

Approximately $10 billion worth of naval aviation deals are in the pipeline that will fructify over the next 3 to 5 years. With rising budgetary allocations being made by the government, indica-tions are that this could be the focus area of the future for aircraft and helicopter manufacturers. This fiscal (ending March 31, 2013), the Indian Defence Budget earmarked an outlay of `5303.29 crore for ‘Aircrafts and Aero engines’, up from `2974 crore in the previous year, a 78 per cent increase.

The Navy is looking at choppers in multi-role capability, a utility chopper to replace the ageing Chetaks and a newer set of reconnaissance planes to replace its Soviet-era fleet besides ramping up its fleet of on-deck fighters for the aircraft carriers.

Newer choppers and planes are need-ed to trawl the airspace between the Per-sian Gulf to India’s west and the Straits of Malacca to the east. Indian Naval Chief Admiral Nirmal Kumar Verma (retired August 31, 2012) had pencilled out In-dia’s area of interest, saying “it is from the Malacca Straits to the Persian Gulf in the west, and to the Cape of Good Hope in the south”. All this needs im-mense air power especially with in-creased possibility of amphibious opera-tions and the need for real time 24x7 reconnaissance. Following the Novem-ber 26, 2008 Mumbai attacks, the Navy was mandated to be overall in charge for security at sea and the anti-piracy opera-tions were added to its task in 2008.

The big purchasesThe biggest will be the plan to have 120 multi-role choppers. This is touted as the world’s biggest single tender for he-licopters valued at nearly `35,000 crore (approximately $ 6.4 Billion). The Navy issued a global Request For Informa-tion (RFI) in this regard some time ago.

European companies Eurocopter and Agusta Westland along with the Ameri-can Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin and the Russian Kamov, could be among the companies eying this deal to expand their India-footprint. Under Indian procure-ment rules framed by the Ministry of De-fence, once the RFI is done, a Request For Proposal (RFP) is issued.

The multi-role choppers are for carry-ing out anti-submarine warfare, special forces’ operations, amphibious assaults and anti-surface combatant warfare. This will be in the 9 to 12.5-tonne

lass and be twin-engined. The Indian Navy is already holding a competition for procuring 16 multirole helicopters in which European NH-90 and American Sikorsky S-70 Bravo are in the race. The process has not moved forward since al-legations have been levelled. At present, the closest the Navy has to this class of

multi-role choppers is the fleet of 10 Sea King helicopters procured in batches from Augusta Westland since 1970.

The other rotary wing tender is a $ one billion tender to procure 56 naval helicopters: these will replace the exist-ing fleet of Chetaks (an India produced variant of the 1960s design of French Alouettes and Lama SA-315). The aim, as per the RFP issued in August 2012, is to look for a “modern airframe design, proven fuel-efficient engines and fully-integrated advanced

avionics”. The RFP was issued to top global aviation majors — ranging from Boeing, Bell and Sikorsky to Kamov, Eurocopter and AgustaWestland. This is planned for induction from 2016 on-wards. New Delhi aims to induct 56 choppers, three simulators, 28 spare en-gines and associated equipment within

eight years of the inking of the contract. These will be twin-engine helicopters, with a 4,500-kg maximum weight and capable of operating from warships and will be equipped with 70mm rock-et launchers, 12.7 mm guns as well as lightweight torpedoes and depth charges, will have night capability radars. The ageing Chetak has only one engine and a limited flying range.

Naval fighters are the other area which will grow. India so far has one air-craft carrier — the INS Viraat — which flies the short vertical take and landing Sea Harrier, a plane which is not pro-duced any more. India is looking at a three-carrier Navy and for this a new set of on-deck fighters are needed. The MiG 29-K fighters for the sea-borne aircraft carrier 44,550 tonne Admiral Gorshkov or the INS Vikramaditya, have been fi-nalised while deliveries are expected to be completed by 2015. The ship will join the fleet at the end of 2013. A total of 45 MiG-29-K have been ordered. The first lot of 16 got at cost of $ 740 million from Russia under a 2004 contract have been delivered while the first four of the second lot of 29 ordered in March 2010, under a new $ 1.5-billion contract have arrived. The remaining 25 will arrive in phases. The MiG-29K is a naval variant of the MiG-29 land-based fighter. It has folding wings, an arrester tail-hook, strength-ened airframe and multirole capability. It can be armed with a wide variety of air-to-air and air-to-surface weaponry.

The on-deck fighters for the under-development 40,000 tonne Indigenous

Aircraft Carrier (IAC) are yet to be final-ised though the naval-variant of the light combat aircraft (LCA) is being touted as one of the contenders. Though this will mean the order will go to defence pub-lic sector undertaking, Hindustan Aero-nautics Limited (HAL), the engine of the LCA, the GE 414, is be from US major General Electric while other avionics and weaponry will be also from foreign ven-dors. Defence Minister A K Antony told Parliament, on May 16, 2007 that the induction of a third aircraft carrier is en-visioned by 2017. Though it may be de-layed, it will mean a fresh lot of fighters.

The reconnaissance planesIndo-Soviet era fleet of the IL-38 Sea Dragons and the Tupolev 142s, will slowly be replaced by a US induction this year. On December 19, 2012 the first Boeing P8-I, a multi-mission plane, was handed over in the US. By June, three will be stationed in India. A total of eight had been contracted in 2009 at a cost $ 2.1 billion. It is a variant of the US Navy’s P-8A Poseidon based on a Boeing 737. New Delhi is looking at 30 planes of this class as it needs to monitor the vi-tal Sea Lanes of Communication (SLoCs) which pass close to India. The P8-Is will be equipped with anti-ship Harpoon mis-siles, Mark 82 depth bombs and Mark 54 anti-submarine torpedoes, making them a fairly potent platform.

— Geopolitics Bureau

FRoM the WateR to the sKies: $ 10 billion worth of naval aviation deals are in the pipeline: (Above) The MiG-29K, and (below) the NH-90 chopper

The Navy is looking at choppers in multi-role capability, a utility chopper to replace the ageing Chetaks and a newer set of reconnaissance planes to replace its Soviet-era fleet be-sides ramping up its fleet of on-deck fighters for the aircraft carriers. Newer choppers and planes are needed to trawl the airspace between the Persian Gulf to India’s west and the

Straits of Malacca to the east.

aero india 201325 geopolitics

These are promising times for doing business in the Indian defence and aerospace sector but given the sector’s complex regulatory framework, it would be well worth the effort for foreign OEMs to adopt a cautious approach.

Cautious approaCh to business

10 tata Companies at aero india shoW

india has emerged as one of the most promising market for the aerospace and defence industry. At present, around 70 per cent of the defence

requirements of the nation are being met through imports. However, the Govern-ment of India has set a challenging tar-get for itself by declaring that at least 70 per cent of the defence needs will be met through indigenous sourcing in the next five years.

The Government of India’s target of sourcing indigenously has resulted in op-portunities for foreign investors to team up with Indian partners and take advan-tage of what seems to be a promising pe-riod for the Indian defence industry. Evi-dence of this is found in the fact that the Department of Industrial Policy & Promo-tion has, so far, issued approximately 178 Letters of Intent/Industrial Licences, with 10 industrial licenses issued in the last year alone to companies for manufactur-ing a wide range of defence equipment on the recommendation of the Ministry of Defence (MoD). Further, 17 joint ven-tures have been formed so far, between Indian private companies and foreign companies.

It is estimated that deals worth ap-proximately $24.60 billion have been signed by the MoD with global integra-tors in the last two years and deals worth approximately $42 billion are in their fi-nal stages. The emerging opportunities in the aerospace and defence sector coupled

ten Tata c o m p a -nies—Tata Advanced

Materials Limited, Tata Advanced Sys-tems Limited, Tata Elxsi Limited, Tata

Industrial Services Limited, Tata Steel (Speciality Steels), Tata Technologies, TAL Manufacturing Solutions Limited, Titan Industries Limited (Precision En-gineering Division) — Tata Consultancy Services and Tata Power (Strategic Elec-tronics Division) are exhibiting their ex-pertise and offerings at Aero India 2013.

The Tata Group offers solutions to the global supply chain of leading Aero-space and Defence OEMs and suppliers in the areas of Engineering to Production, Design to Manufacture, New Design to Manufacture, Design Modification to Manufacturing, Build to Print and Build to Specifications. The Group has cement-ed major relationships with several global aircraft manufacturers and OEMs. Addi-tionally, the Tata companies are also in-dividually accredited with key aerospace certifications.

• Tata Advanced Systems manufac-

with large equipment, modernisation programmes in the pipeline and a projec-tion of an overall spend of over $100 bil-lion over the next 10 years, has attracted interest from foreign original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) that are now com-peting to enter Indian defence and aero-space market.

Although India is one of the largest importers and users of defence products, the government has adopted a high-ly regulated regime for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows in this sector. As per the extant FDI Policy of the Govern-ment of India, FDI in the defence sector is capped at 26 per cent and requires the prior approval of the Government of In-dia. FDI in the defence and the aerospace sector is also subject to an industrial li-cence under the Industrial (Development and Regulation) Act, 1951.

A preliminary overview of the current regime reveals that the FDI limitations in an Indian defence industrial venture and the terms and conditions attached therewith, acts as a deterrent for OEMs from playing a more active role in India. In other words, it appears that the gov-ernment expects the foreign investor to commit and invest its resources to a joint venture in which the foreign investor has little control over the board, strict capac-ity/product constraints and is forced to compete with public sector enterprises that arguably benefit from favourable conditions.

With the announcement of the re-vised defence offset policy issued by the MoD, the Government of India presents greater opportunities for foreign as well as domestic players. The revised offset policy applies to all capital acquisitions by the MoD, categorised as 'Buy (Global)' or 'Buy and Make with Transfer of Tech-nology', where the estimated cost of the acquisition proposal is `3 billion or more. While in the case of 'Buy Global' a uni-form offset of 30 per cent of the estimated cost of the acquisition is the minimum required value of the offset, in 'Buy and Make with Transfer of Technology' ac-quisitions, 30 per cent of the foreign ex-change component will be the minimum value of the offset. Unlike its predecessor, the revised offset policy has clarified that for “Buy Global” category procurements, Indian companies or their joint ventures will be exempt from offset obligations if indigenous content in the product is 50 per cent or more in value.

Defence procurement in India is com-plex and highly regulated. The prospects of satisfying the plethora of legal and procedural requirements can seem like a daunting task to any foreign OEM. As a result, several foreign OEMs reach out to agents/consultants (sometimes referred to as ‘middlemen’) with local expertise and knowledge to assist with the procure-ment process. However, the role of agents and ‘middlemen’ in defence deals, more particularly the legality of their methods, has always been a contentious issue, and has triggered considerable debate. The in-structions issued on agents by the MoD, among others, requires: (a) compulsory registration of agents with the MoD; (b) a foreign supplier to furnish an undertak-ing to the MoD that only the agreed fee or commission would be payable to the agent for rendering specifically defined obligations in the contract; and (c) com-plete disclosure about the professional background of the concerned agent along with copies of all agreements relating to appointment of the agent.

Such requirements stipulated by the MOD have been considered to be harsh, onerous and intrusive and this is evident from the fact that till date not a single agent has registered itself with the MoD. Nonetheless, foreign firms engaging con-sultants, agents or third party intermedi-aries should carry out extensive due dili-gence on their background and observe the agency restrictions stipulated by the

MoD. Further, as per the existing legal framework, it is imperative to establish the interplay between the agent and its role in the procurement of a contract. The test is whether the agent, in its in-teractions with the procuring authority, has in any way “interceded, facilitated, or recommended” the awarding of a con-tract.

It is apparent from the recent defence-related spending and policy revisions by the Government of India that these are promising times for doing business in the Indian defence and aerospace sector. Couple that with a large skilled workforce and local partners with significant exper-tise and experience, and there is ample justification for the recent spurt in FDI in the sector. However, a cautious and well-structured approach along with experi-enced Indian partners and advisors can yield significant results in this burgeon-ing sector.

— Shivpriya NaNda

(The writer is Partner with J Sagar Associates and the views expressed by her in the article are personal.)

n Foreign Original Equipment manu-facturers (OEMs) are competing to enter the Indian defence and aero-space market.

n An overall spend of over $100 bil-lion over the next 10 years in the aerospace and defence sector cou-pled with large equipment, mod-ernisation programmes is in the pipeline.

n Deals worth approximately $24.60 billion have been signed by the MoD with global integrators in the last two years.

n Defence deals worth approximately $42 billion are in their final stages.

n A total of 17 joint ventures have been formed between Indian pri-vate companies and foreign com-panies.

n Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion has issued 178 Let-ters of Intent/Industrial Licences, with 10 industrial licences issued in the last year alone to companies for manufacturing a wide range of defence equipment on the recom-mendation of the Ministry of De-fence (MoD).

ARMED AND READY

PITCHING FOR COOPERATION: (L-R) From our files — Guy Griffiths, Group MD- International, BAE Systems, Anand Mahindra, CEO, Mahindra & Mahindra, Dean McCumiskey, President & CEO, BAE Systems India & M&M's Ashwin Shastri at BAE Systems stand at DefExpo 2012

tures Aero-structures for OEMs such as Lockheed Mar-tin and Sikor-sky. It is also in the process of setting up man-ufacturing fa-cilities for Mis-siles, RADARs, Electro-optics, and Unmanned Aerial Systems.

• TataConsultancyServices provides Consulting, Engi-neering and Engineering IT services to Global A&D majors across the aircraft life cycle through its unique Global Network Delivery Model in areas such as Aero Structures, Aero Systems, Aero Engines, Avionics, Manufacturing Engineering, Service Lifecycle Management, Sourcing So-lutions and Technical Publications. To further bolster TCS's offerings to the Global A&D organisations, TCS offers High Performance Computing infrastructure for Aero dynamics and simulation studies.

• TataTechnologieshasaproventrack

record of engag-ing with aero-space manufac-turers and their supply chains for product de-velopment en-gineering in the area of aero-structures.•Titan Indus-tries is into precision engi-

neering of critical components for

the aero space industry.• Tata Power Strategic Electronics

Division has been a leading private-sector player in the indigenous De-velopment, Supply and Lifecycle support of mission-critical Strategic Defence Systems. The Division has now emerged as a prime contractor to MoD for Defence Production when it secured Orders for Pinaka MBRL and Akash Launchers, Army EW Systems, Air Defence Systems and Modernisation of Airfield Infrastruc-ture.

• NOVAIntegratedSystemsLimitedisa key Tata Group vehicle in the de-

sign development and manufacture of Missile, RADAR, UAVs and Elec-tro-optic systems.

• Tata Industrial Services is an AS9100C certified company providing programme management, supply chain management, quality assur-ance services including supply of products for Aerospace and Defence industry.

• Tata Elxsi provides mission criticalreliable innovations in the field of Aerospace and Defence, for innova-tive design and engineering solutions across product life cycles.

• TataSteel(SpecialitySteels)provideshigh-integrity steels to major com-mercial and military aerospace pro-grammes around the world using bespoke supply chain solutions.

• Tata Advanced Materials is in de-sign and manufacturing of compos-ite components, parts, and sub-as-semblies for defence, aerospace and industrial applications.

The Tata Group has historically been associated with the aerospace in-dustry and has taken several significant initiatives, in the commercial, military and business jet platforms to establish a meaningful presence.

PRIvATE PARTNERsHIP: Assembly facility at Tata Advanced System's factory

aero india 201326 geopolitics

AgustaWestland is set to make a huge impact, says Agusta Westland CEO, Bruno Spagnolini, in the Indian defence in-dustryinthewakeoftheordertosupply12AW101stotransportVIPsandthenewventurecalledIndianRotorcraft.

reaChing for the skies

PITCHING FOR COOPERATION: The AW101 will make its presence felt at Aero India.

high conditions that can be found in India.

India is looking for-ward to indigenise hi-technology compo-nents of defence pro-duction, especially he-licopters. What does AW have to offer to India in this regard? AgustaWestland is con-stantly looking for part-ners and suppliers to as-sist it in meeting its offset obligations in India and is using Aero India to meet many potential partners. We are keen to develop long term rela-tionships with companies who can be-come part of AgustaWestland's world-wide supply chain.

The NH-90 has had some teething troubles in the past during the con-tracts for other countries. How have the problems in the aircraft been worked out? The difficulties were mainly due to the success of the programme, 529 aircraft in many different variants have been sold to 14 nations. The concurrent development of all these different variants caused de-lays but now the programme is progress-ing well with around 120 aircraft now in service.

AgustaWestland is said to be par-ticipating in the Indian Navy's NUH programme. What is the status of

What are the capabilities that you will be showcasing during Aero India 2013?We will be showcasing our extensive range of rotorcraft including the AW109 LUH, AW139, AW101 and NH90 which can fulfill both military and commercial requirements in India. We will also be highlighting our extensive training and support capabilities. Finally we are also attending Aero India to discuss coopera-tion with Indian aerospace and defence companies to develop our relationships with Indian industry.

You recently delivered the first three of the 12 three-engined AW 101 helicopters, when are the rest expected to join the Air Force Fleet? Will these also be used for ferrying VIPs?The first three have recently been de-livered to India and the remaining nine aircraft will be delivered this year. The aircraftwillbeusedforVIPandgovern-ment transport, replacing existing Mil helicopters.

What are the features incorporated in this helicopter that set it apart from choppers in its class?Three key features set the AW101 apart: they are its safety, cabin space and performance. The AW101 has built into its design high levels of redundancy for increased safety, its cabin is the larg-est in its class and the most comfortable due to the low noise and vibration levels and due to its three engine design has excellent performance, even in hot and

negotiations? We are currently respond-ing to the Request For Proposal (RFP). The requirement is for a twin-engine helicopter and we will offer the maritime helicopter from our range which best suits the Na-vy's requirements.

What are the other contracts that you are looking forward to? The Indian Navy and

Coast Guard have several requirements for helicopters which we are pursuing with various helicopters from our product range. With the widest range of maritime helicopters of any manufacture, rang-ing from 3-tonnes right up to 16-tonnes AgustaWestland has products that can meet all of the Navy's and Coast Guard's requirements.

When will we see the flight of the Indian made AW119Ke light helicop-ter that you plan to make at Indian Rotorcraft — the joint venture with Tata?Indian Rotorcraft is scheduled to start assembling AW119 helicopters by early 2014 from the new facility being built in Hyderabad. The facility is being built on a 10-acre site adjacent to the Hyderabad Rajiv Gandhi International Airport and will comprises an 8,000 sq.m. building incorporating a main assembly building,

flight hangar, office accommodation and outside helicopter landing pads. The fa-cility will be capable of producing up to 30 helicopters per year and will be able to accommodate a variety of helicopter types, including the AW101.

How will Indian Rotorcraft contrib-ute to the global supply chain of AW?Indian Rotorcraft will supply AW119 helicopters not just for the Indian mar-ket but for the worldwide market. It is also hoped that Indian Rotorcraft will expand its capabilities in the future undertaking manufacturing, customer support and training activities.

How are you planning to contribute to the training needs of the Indian chopper market?Currently we undertake most of our cus-tomer training at our training academies in Italy, UK and USA where we have the complete range of training aids, includ-ing full flight simulators. We also per-form training on customer's aircraft in India, but as the fleet of AgustaWestland commercial helicopters grows in India we will look to establish local training services. Recently, we have opened a training academy in Kuala Lumpur as part of our strategy to deliver training closer to where our customers operate.

empire Aviation (EA), a new pri-vate aviation specialist and a sister company of Dubai-based

Empire Aviation Group announced the launch of its comprehensive range of business aviation services for private aircraft owners in India, at Aero India 2013. The one-stop shop approach will cover aircraft sales, aircraft manage-ment, flight operations and charter.

Empire Aviation took its first busi-ness jet under management in India in December 2012. The 2012 model Bombardier Challenger 300 is based at HAL Airport in Bengaluru, where EA opened its first office in India recently and where there is already a team of six aviation specialists on the ground. EA is currently in negotiations for a further three managed aircraft and plans to have five aircraft under management in India by mid 2013, with the team doubling in size over the same period.

Paras Dhamecha, Executive Direc-tor at Empire Aviation, commented: “The Indian economy is proving ro-bust and with more Indian companies globalising their operations, we see a healthy future demand for our services,

where we can fill the gap for a profes-sional management company, which can simplify the ownership process and experience for owners. This will also help further stimulate the market for business aviation.”

There were still some challenges facing the development of private avia-tion in India. According to Empire Avi-ation, the current tough regulations on

aircraft importation and ownership are slowing market development, and air-ports were becoming busier and run-ning close to capacity. However, the company was very optimistic about its prospects in the growing market.

“We see part of our initial role as helping company and individu-al owners and aircraft operators in India un-derstand the benefits of working with indepen-dent and experienced professional aircraft managers,” commented Steve Hartley, Execu-tive Director at Empire Aviation. “Most pri-vate aircraft in India are company owned and managed by an in-house operations team,

which is not always very cost effective. Em-

pire Aviation takes an asset manage-ment approach to aircraft ownership and management, which starts with understanding the owner’s needs, and

building a business model around this, ensuring access to all the benefits of the aircraft whilst protecting its value through professional operation, man-agement and maintenance to manu-facturers’ standards.”

Initially established in Bengaluru, Empire Aviation plans to extend its ser-vices to Indian aircraft owners through a network, including additional offices in north and central India.

“We have made good progress in rapidly establishing EA in India,” con-cluded Paras Dhamecha. “The initial response from owners and operators has been very encouraging and we are now moving on to the next phase which is to focus on private operators who require the full management spec-trum including induction of their air-craft in India.”

Formed in 2007, Dubai-based Em-pire Aviation Group, a sister company of Empire Aviation, already operates the largest fleet of business jets in the Middle East with over 20 aircraft un-der management and has brought its extensive experience and capabilities to India through Empire Aviation.

AIDING BUsINEss AvIATION FLYERs: Empire Aviation Directors Steve Hartley and Paras Dhamecha.

empire launChes business aviation serviCes

aero india 201327 geopolitics

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SEMINARS AND PRESS CONFERENCES AT AERO INDIAFebruary 7, 2013 Air Force Station, Yelahanka, Bengaluru

10:00-11:00 Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Press Conference

11:00-14:00 Air Chief Press Conference

11:00-12:00 Lockheed Martin Press Conference

12:00-13:00 Boeing Press Conference

13:30-14:30 Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation

14:30-17:00 Government of Karnataka Press Conference

9:30-10:00 International Seminar on Indian Aerospace Industry

10:00-11:00 Inaugural Session of International Seminar on Indian Aerospace Industry

11:30-13:00 Aerospace Industry: Opportunities for Indian Industry across the segment of large, medium and small enterprises

14:00-15:45 Integrating Indian Offset Partner in Global Supply Chain

stepping into a neW ageSikorsky’sExecutiveVicePresident,IndiaandSouthAsia,AirVice-Marshal(Retd)AJSWalia,isenthusiasticaboutshowcasing his company’s products at Aero India 2013 and shares his opinion on the joint venture with Tata, Trans-fer of Technology, the Defence Procurement Policy and other related issues. Excerpts:

What are the capa-bilities that you will be showcasing during Aero India 2013?Sikorsky will focus on highlighting all the mili-tary and commercial so-lutions that we have in our portfolio including the leading technologies that we are currently de-veloping for the helicop-ter industry. The Foreign Investment promotion Board (FIPB) has given clearance for the Tata-Sikorsky JointVenture(JV) TaraAerospacetoun-dertake ‘additional activities’.

What are the additional activities that the joint venture will explore in terms of development, engineering and manufacturing in India?In November 2012, the FIPB has given clearance for Tara to undertake addi-tional activities related to design, devel-opment, engineering, manufacturing and testing of fixed and rotary-wing military aircraft. As we have been granted the de-fence licence by the Government of India, we intend to enhance the scope of work oftheJVandmoveaheadwiththemanu-facture of more content for the aerospace industry in a phased and timed manner.

How is the partnership with Tata to make helicopter cabins and aircraft components coming along?Sikorsky has two facilities in Hyderabad, in partnership with Tata Group. One is Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) for manufacturing S-92 helicopter cab-insandtheotherisTara,aJVwithTataGroup for manufacturing over 4,000

components which can be used for both fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. Both these facilities are moving as per the road map laid down and are an outstanding reflection of Sikorsky ― Tata group rela-tionship. In fact I would say they high-light Indo–US joint cooperation in aero-space engineering.

The first made in India S-92 cabin was delivered to Sikorsky in October 2011, which has since been integrated with other components.

India has had reservations in the past with regard to Transfer of Tech-nology (ToT) from American compa-nies. What are your views on ToT and industrial cooperation opportu-nities?Sikorsky does see opportunities for indus-trial cooperation in India. Our partnership with the Tata group is an ideal reflection of the industrial cooperation. Sikorsky would be happy to take the discussion forward on ToT, industrial partnership with interested companies including De-fence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSU) to augment and enhance their aerospace manufacturing capabilities.

What is your view on the Indian Defence Procurement Policy (DPP)? What can be done to make it better?Government of India’s DPP lays empha-

sis on self-reliance and on the role of private sec-tor in the development of aerospace industry in India. This policy itself lays the foundation for the development of the aerospace industry in India. Assisting the Gov-ernment’s goal of self-reli-ance is the Defence Offset Policy whereby Original Equipment Manufactur-ers (OEM) have to plough back 30-50 per cent of

the value of the contract into India. I feel the approach of these policies is most comprehensive and in the right direction.

However having said that, there are certain challenges which OEMs have to face while investing time, material and money in India. The process of procurement should be made accountable to the timeline set out by the DPP. More often than not, it is seen that there are huge delays in the process. These de-lays are counterproductive to both OEMs and the Government. Also such delays impact the over-all goal of self-reliance as it would set the industry back by several years.

How are the negotiations for the Multi-Role Helicopter (MRH) helicopter programme of the Indian Navy coming along? The commercial envelopes have not been opened yet for the MRH programme. A decision from the Government of India

is awaited. Some detractors allege that the S-70B for the MRH programme is an old design. What do you have to say to them?Sikorsky as a policy does not talk on is-sues raised by competitors or detractors. We know our product and the S70B is a proven modern and battle-hardened na-val helicopter.

What do you have to offer to India as far as the requirements of police forces are concerned?Sikorsky has a variety of helicopters to offer. The Sikorsky S-70i, a variant of the Blackhawk made exclusively for the in-ternational market could be used by the police forces in India. Additionally we also have the S-92 and S-76D, both be-ing modern and multi-role capable heli-copters.

Tell us about Sikorsky’s research and development (R&D) ventures into new chopper designs and tech-nology. How much do you

think India can con-tribute to the effort?Sikorsky has always led innovations in the heli-copter industry. We are investing in futuristic re-quirements like optionally-piloted helicopter with one pilot or none at all, the X2 technology and more. We strongly feel that India, given its amazing pool of talent, could also add to this effort.

Tell us about how Sikorsky plans to com-bat the decline in de-mand for military chop-pers, especially in the West.

I am not sure if there is any decline in demand

for military helicopters in the west. For Sikorsky, our order book is complete for many years and we have a huge backlog of orders to fulfill.

Sikorsky is projecting double-digit growth in 2014-16. How much of that will be military and how much of it will be generated in India?All I can say at this point is that the

growth of the helicopter industry is very good and stable and India would certain-ly add to the overall global growth.

How are you planning to contribute to the training needs of the Indian chopper market?As we continue to grow, we will certainly explore the option to invest in training infrastructure in India. Sikorsky believes in a being a Global company — Globally spread local company.

NEED FOR sPEED: The Sikorsky X2 technology demonstrator.

REACHING NEw HEIGHTs: The Sikorsky S-92 civil helicopter.

aero india 201328 geopolitics

NUGGETS

nLockheed Martin will show-case its world class technolo-gies, systems and products for

the Aerospace market at Aero India. We are excited to be part of Aero India 2013 and will look forward to meeting several potential custom-ers, suppliers, and industry partners in this growing Aerospace and defence market. Lockheed Martin is honoured to provide the C130JSuperHerculesforIAFSpecialOps.TheC130Jisthemost versatile and successful air mobility aircraft in the world. We feel confident that LMandtheC130Jwillsatisfyevolving requirements for the IAF as well as other defence services in India.

nGulfstream aircraft have earned widespread recogni-tion as the definitive choice

for special missions. Today, more Gulfstream aircraft perform government and military service than any other large-cabin business jet aircraft in the world. More than 30 countries worldwide operate Gulfstreams, includ-ing 23 nations that use Gulf-stream aircraft to transport their heads-of-state.

nFLIR Company, 'the' original thermal imaging company is here and wants to be a long

term partner to the Indian Military and Para Military Forces in helping do their missions better. FLIR - "Use Infrared Everywhere to Save Lives".

nHoneywell has been selected to provide its Primus Epic 2 integrated avionics system for

Embraer SA’s second-gener-ationE-Jets,whichwillenterservice in 2018. The decision is another important milestone in the programme. Earlier this year, Embraer selected Pratt & Whitney as the engine supplier. “Honeywell has been a valued partner of Embraer for many years, so it is with great confidence that we extend our relationship for this important programme,” said Paulo Cesar Siva, President and CEO of Embraer Commercial Aviation. “We believe that the evolution of the Honeywell Primus Epic, including large landscape dis-plays, will provide flexibility for continuous innovation in the

pomp and shoW and

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NUGGETS

a lot of smoke

sHOw OF sHOws: The dignitaries watching the Aerobatics; Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh with Air Chief N A K Browne; US Ambas-sador Nancy Powell in the Lockheed Martin Stall; Antony inside a cockpit; Geoff Hoon of Agus-taWestland; Oron Orial of Rafael; Bjorn Bengtsson of SAAB; HAL Chairman R K Tyagi; Inderjit Sial and Stephen Greene of Textron Systems, Chinese delegates; Antony with BrahMos Chief S. Pillai; R K Mathur; V K Saraswat; Arun Mishra; Alexander Fomin; Viktor Komardin

aero india 201329 geopolitics

flight deck, while offering a mature system and a smooth transition for pilots between the current and futuregenerationofE-Jets.”

The Honeywell Primus Epic 2 integrated avionics system on the secondgenerationofE-Jetswillbean improvement on the exist-ing Primus Epic system, which will assure a high degree of pilot commonality. The five 8x10-inch displays will be replaced by four 13x10-inch large landscape displays with advanced graphics capabilities. Honeywell’s Next Gen-eration Flight Management System (NGFMS), already in develop-ment, will provide enhanced flight planning, navigation and aircraft performance capabilities.

n Arun Mishra, Director General of Civil Aviation handed over the DGCA Licensing certificate for HAL Ozar Airport, Nashik, to Dr R K Tyagi, Chairman, HAL, at a function held at Aero India 2013 on February 6, 2013. This makes HAL Ozar Aerodrome the first aerodrome which undertakes both military and civil flights under the

Defence Category in India to be licensed as per ICAO standards

nHAL signed a Technology Co-oper-ation Initiative with Indian Insti-tute of Technology Madras (IIT Ma-dras), for establishing a Centre for Aerospace Transmission Systems (CATS) at HAL Stall on February 6, 2013. The initiative was signed betweenDrVijayKumara,GeneralManager ( RWRDC) and Dr M S Shanmugam of IIT Madras. The initiative aims to undertake joint research in the field of transmis-sion system for the helicopter and engine programmes of HAL and to evolve required software and de-sign solutions for different types of gears, bearings, lubrication system, vibration monitoring system and production technologies. Speaking on the occasion, P Soundara Ra-jan, Managing Director (Helicopter Complex) said that desiging heli-copters was critical technology and it was high time India possessed the knowledge on gearboxes and transmission systems. “This is our first step towards defence prepared-ness to have our own knowledge base,” he said. Prof Shanmugam of IIT Madras marked the signing of initiative as an important milestone for HAL and IIT Madras. Dr R K Tyagi, Chairman, HAL, lauded the efforts of HAL, Helicopter Complex and IIT Madras for the initiative.

nThe HAL Info DNA Centre, 'Am-rit' was inaugurated by Defence Minister A K Antony. Amrit stands for Analytics on Measures for result improvement and transforma-tion. “The centre with state-of-the-art infrastructure will function as the nodal hub for enabling e-gover-nance and Strategic Business Appli-cations across HAL,” said Dr R. K. Tyagi, Chairman, HAL. The Centre will be maintained by HAL's own security, helpdesk and IT managers who manage the entire DC services 24 X 7 and 365 days a year. Built on highest security standards gov-erned by ISO 270001 norms, the Data Centre will ensure 99.74 per cent uptime of all the systems like servers, networks, power, cooling and physical security.

(Continued from page 28)

aero india 201330 geopolitics

The Dassault Rafale French is a French twin-engine multirole combat aircraft capable of simultaneously undertaking air supremacy, interdiction, reconnais-sance, and airborne nuclear deterrent missions. The Rafale is distinct from other European fighters of its era in that it is almost entirely built by one country, involving most of France's major defence contractors, such as Dassault, Thales and Safran.

The family of Falcon jets currently in production includes the tri-jets—the Falcon 900LX, and the 7X—as well as the twin-engine 2000LX, 2000LXS and Falcon 2000S. Dassault built its reputation for advanced high-performance aircraft in the region with the Indian Air Force which operates 50 Mirage 2000 fighters and, in January 2012, selected the new-generation Rafale for its Medium Multi-Role Aircraft (MMRA) mission.

Hawker Beechcraft is all set to promote its new King Air 350i in the Aero India show, em-phasising on the aircraft and its features and its variants, the company’s CEO Mark Qualls shared some details regarding the aircraft. The King Air turboprop plane can be customised to fulfill a wide variety of long–dis-tance, highly technical missions as it comes with a flexible and technologi-cally advanced cabin in a twin turboprop.

The C-130J Super Hercules is a proven airlifter, with multi-role, multi-mis-sion capability. The aircraft is has been selected by India for its military transport role but it can also perform combat delivery, special missions, aerial refueling, search and rescue, firefighting, weather reconnais-sance, armed ISR, long range maritime patrol or the strategic and last tactical mile and re-supply of ground forces.

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a single-engine fifth-generation fighter aircraft with stealth capability. It can carry out ground attack, reconnais-sance and air defence missions.

HELLFIRE II is a precision-strike missile system which has all the capabilities of all previous HELL-FIRE II variants. It is equipped with Semi-Active Laser (SAL) seekers into a single missile that defeats hard, soft, and enclosed targets.

Dassault Aviation is a leading aerospace company with a

presence in over 70 countries across five continents. Das-

sault Aviation produces the Rafale fighter jet as well as the

complete line of Falcon business jets. The company has as-

sembly and production plants in both France and the United

States and service facilities on multiple continents.

Hall BB2.4

Hall- E,

Exhibit

Booth-1.20

Chalet

No. 40

Hawker

Beechcraft Corporation

(HBC) is an American aerospace

manufacturing company which pro-

duces a wide variety of high-performance

business jets, turboprops, pistons, and

military and special applications.

Lockheed Martin is known for building mili-

tary aircraft and is also a recognised de-

signer, developer and manufacturer of pre-

cision engagement aerospace and defence

systems. The Company's products include

advanced combat, missile, rocket, manned

and unmanned systems. Their focus is to

formulate innovative and low-cost design

and manufacturing strategies.

*Visitors are advised to verify the stall numbers before visiting the respective companies.