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New
Delhi, 04 April 2005
Aero India in February was a
resounding success at Bangalore and the
international and national media had not made much
of it because the nation and political parties were
more interested in the Budget, results of the
elections in the states of Bihar, Haryana and
Jharkand (this was the last chance for the BJP to
make a dent!).
We therefore record the highlights
of the Aero India 2005. Inquiries for more foreign
training and interest in Indian military hardware
including the Akash had increased and a sampling of
those who attended AERO INDIA and held discussions
with the Defence Minister and other authorities was
now emerging.
Among the 29 foreign delegations
that received the traditional Indian hospitality,
the prominent VIPs who attended were:
(a)
Air Commodore Mark Binskin, Commander Air Combat Group, Royal
Australian Air Force
(b)
Maj Gen T.H.C. Masire, Chief of Staff Air Arm, Botswana
Defence Force.
(c)
Lt Gen Steve Lucas, Speciall Adviser to Chief of Defence,
Canada.
(d)
General Osvaldo Sarabia Vilches, Commander in Chief of the
Air Force, Chile.
(e)
Air Vice Marshal Zhu Xinwen from China.
(f)
Dr. Kwame Addo Kufuor, Minister of Defence, Ghana.
(g)
Maj Gen (Res) Amos Yaron from Israel.
(h)
Hon’ble Salvatore Cicu, Deputy Defence Minister, Italy.
(i)
Col Sultenbakov Kuat Tulaukekovich, Dy Chief of Air Defence
Forces, Kazakistan.
(j)
Gen Datuk Nik Ismail bin Nik Mohamed Chief of Air Force,
Malaysia.
(k)
Mayor Gen FAP Juan Morante Bardelli Vice Minister of Defence,
Peru.
(l)
Air Marshal GD Perera, Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force.
(m)
Lt Gen Victos Renuart, Vice Chief of US
Pacific Air Force and
(n)
Lord Bach, UK Minister of Defence Procurement.
The main highlights of the show
that attracted attention were:
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Air Chief ACM S P Tyagi made a public
announcement that the IAF would soon order from
HAL 20 plus 20 Tejas AJTs with GE 404 engines
worth almost $1b, to be delivered beginning
2008, which was an optimistic date, as the plane
is still to be weaponised and the announcement
led to a lot of speculation in the media. The
first 20 have been ordered and budgeted from the
IAF Budget.
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The IAF was set to acquire 126 fighters from 2008
onwards to replace the MiG 21s worth $3b and the
competition is between the Mirage 2000-5,
SAAB’s Grippen, USA’s F 16 and the MiG 29 M2
–– all have been asked to provide details.
All companies were seen keen to offer
collaborations to HAL and the Russians explained
the commonalities of the offer with the MiG 29Ks
that the Indian Navy was set to acquire and
displayed their latest six motion MiG 29
simulator and the range of missiles that can be
fitted out. Young IAF pilots queued up to test
their skills in BVR combat. However the IAF’s
preferred choice appeared to be the Mirage
2000-5, as the extended inventory is causing the
IAF many challenges, and the experience of the
IAF with two squadrons of Mirage 2000 has been
good and it will be easy to assimilate more,
including training. India was looking seriously
to buy 12 Mirage 2000-V from Qatar. Recently USA
had offered the F 18s and some assembly lines.
If financial terms are good India should
consider it for the technology that comes with
these aircraft. It will help the LCA too.
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Israel had recently become India’s second
largest supplier of military hardware and the
thrust was led by IAI, which had collaboration
with HAL and its subsidiary ELTA. Israel was now
sure of supplying more Searcher and Heron UAVs,
Barak AA missile systems with the EL/M 2221 STGR
radar which builds the tactical picture, Derby
BVR missiles, EL/M 2022 and 2032 radars, ‘Head
Up’ displays and EW and communication suites.
The offer of Arrow anti missile system was also
on the table, besides the confirmed order of
three Phalcon AEW systems to be fitted on the IL
76 platforms and AEROSTATS for the Western Air
Command. The first lot of Helium filled early
warning Aerostats had arrived in India and IAI/ELTA
and Tadiran stalls were impressive with their
latest range of products. Rafael had offered the
Python BVR missile and its new Reccelite multi
purpose pod to the IAF. The IAF already employs
the Litening pod on a variety of their fighters.
Rafael also showed details of the Britening
directed infrared beam device. BVR displayed
details of their ACMI and chaff systems.
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USA parked their PC 3 Orion and CNS Admiral Arun
Prakash was in USA to probe this and look at the
DSRV which the USA had offered. He is also
likely to confirm the offer of USA to provide
submarine rescue facilities for which the IN has
paid the USN $100,000 for the study. In the
interim the Navy is getting 11 Dorniers. The
deployment and operational role of MR/ASW
platforms in peacetime traditionally had very
little effect. The task of multi-national naval
cooperation in the operational theatre should
thus fall on Indian Navy MR/ASW platforms,
monitoring surface and sub-surface vessels in
and around the Indian Ocean, as a way of
providing early warning of possible
confrontation or conflict and distribution of
naval units. Japan also wants to be brought in.
China can be kept out then. See our piece on China’s
maritime interests.
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The IAF feels they can exploit C 130Js on offer
to India, better than the Americans with greater
loads to Siachen. US Ambassador David C Mulford
was at the show and USA’s Lt Gen Victos
Renuhart showed great interest when he was shown
around the SU 30 MKI. The IAF pilots and aircrew
showed interest in looking at the F 15Es, having
exercised with the F15Cs at Gawalior. Lockheed
Martin was making a come back in India and
signed a technical agreement with HAL for
support to PC 3 Orions, in anticipation. The
French had offered the Atlantique 2 as the IL38s
and TU 142 of the Indian inventory are aging and
two IL 38s are in Russia for Sea Dragon upgrade.
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The BrahMos Aerospace stall attracted many
foreign visitors as this company was set to
export the naval and land version supersonic
missile jointly with Russia, and had made an
offer to modify the SU 30 MKI to take on a
lighter version of the missile. The Russians
will lead the project design and enhanced funds
were available. The HAL, DRDO and Bharat
Electronics pavilion displayed all their
achievements and the HAL stall had a model of
the armed version of the ALH for the Army. They
also distributed brochures of their proposed
twin-engine tandem seat Combat Aircraft Trainer
(CAT) with transonic speed and were trying to
convince the IAF to fund the project.
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The IAF was making a further pitch to form an
Aerospace Command and to also control civilian
radars for full coverage of the air space, which
was evident at the show and the accompanying
seminar. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
was at hand to depict the rapid strides India
had made in space and IAF looks to
collaborations.
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BAE Systems had a large pavilion and displayed
the Mil MI 172 mock up and other products
looking at the market in India, having bagged
the 66 AJT contract. The Chief of Air Staff and
C-in-C Training Command had sorties in the Hawk
100 as co-pilots.
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The IAF had provided QRs and funded studies on a
Light Combat Helicopter to HAL, but the Indian
Army was keen on having its own integral attack
helicopter fleet to cope with its doctrine, and
the issue was touchy from the inter services
point of view.
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From France, SNECMA and Turbomecca had done well
in India with supplies of engines and had joint
ventures with HAL. CFM that supplies engines for
airliners was at the show and Chairman of SNECMA
Jean Paul Bechat was at hand to take the press
conference. EADS Vice President Christian Duhain
explained the prospects in India with 43 Airbus
320s already contracted and many more in
competition with Boeing also at the show. ATR
from southern France had made good inroads into
the civil aviation market in India with over 12
aircraft already flying and more on order.
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MBDA had a large stall and had offered the MICA
missile to the IAF, Aster to the Navy and the
Army was set to install the Mistral ATGM missile
system on their Armed ALH with GIAT’s 200mm
gun and FZ Belgiums rocket launcher. The Cheetal
(Lama) helicopter had been re-engined with the
TM 333 M2. MBDA signed an MOU with Bharat
Dynamics Ltd for the upgrade of Milan 2 missile
production, having already supplied some 30,000
to the Army.
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India’s strongest strategic partner Russia led
by Rosboronexport displayed a range of missiles,
plane models and hardware but officials admitted
that the competition was becoming more difficult
and emphasized their reliability. Former Air
Chief ACM A Y Tipnis had openly stated in an
article that India must be wary of buying
hardware from USA as their reliability was still
to be tested, and supported Rusian acquisitions
for the time being. This was also played up at
the show. Details of the new light weight BARS
29 radar adapted from the N011 BARS installed in
the SU 30 MKI and proposed for the Mig 29M, was
displayed as an upgrade for the Indian MiG 29s.
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Embraer at the show was upbeat as it was set to
supply the 5 Legacy 135 VIP transport planes to
India in 2005 and signed an MOU with DRDO to
assist in DRDO’s EW and Control aircraft
indigenous programme recently sanctioned, and
the collaboration could lead to supply of three
145 platforms, slated to be a $500 million
programme.
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DRDO’s Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE)
displayed the Kaveri engine, which was
undergoing trails for India’s LCA and facing
rough weather in Russia and India as it had not
performed at high altitudes. DRDO also displayed
the medium range Akaash AA missile with Indira
radar, which was completing trials and will be
offered to the IAF and Army, Nishant UAV and
Lakshya aerial target.
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Flight Refueling indicated that they would be
supplying the fuelling pods for the SU 30MKI for
buddy fuelling. Israel had supplied the system
for the 6 IL 78s the IAF uses supposedly from
experience gained from Sergeant Fletcher of USA.
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QUEST a global engineering provider displayed a
full-scale light weight model of the LCA PV 2
equipped with cockpit internals, lighting, nose
and main landing gear, moveable control surfaces
made in India for Aeronautical Development
Establishment. This would also be displayed at
international shows.
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AMS a joint BAE Finmeccanica company announced it
had signed a marketing agreement with Macmet a
leading Indian simulator supplier to the
services, which had also bagged an order for the
submarine motion control simulator for the ATV
project –– India’s nuclear submarine
programme.
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