INDIA: Building a Modern Arsenal in India

[desiman]

Indian Defence Industry introduces new investment avenues at Electronics Next India 2010


Director General, EME, Lt. General AKS Chandele PVSM, AVSM inaugurated ELECTRONICS NEXT INDIA 2010, Global Marketplace and International Exhibition for EMS, electronic components, production and materials here today. He said “This year’s edition of ELECTRONICS NEXT INDIA puts a spotlight on Defence and Strategic electronics and has launched a series of initiatives to encourage and invite Private firms to work in the field of defence electronics.

Recently the Government of India has pumped up defence spending by 10% to US$ 26.4 billion-the steepest hike since partition of the subcontinent, to fund a highly aggressive mammoth modernisation programme.

India plans to spend an additional US$ 30 billion until 2012 to modernise the military with immediate effect. This along with a change in FDI norms is likely to bring enormous growth opportunities for indigenous strategic electronics manufacturers.

With a view to achieving techno-economic development in Indi an Defence sector, the nation has adopted a two-pronged approach — one relates to creating a climate for the indigenous development of technology in the country, and the other deals with the transfer and adaptation of technology from advanced countries.

ELECTRONICS NEXT INDIA 2010 is a business platform which serves both the needs — development of a technology base in the country, as well as foreign collaborations, involving technology transfer, which are imperative for achieving technical competence in the defence sector.

The recent introduction of “Buy & Make (Indian)” category in Defence Procurement Procedures aims at encouraging the Indian private industry to form Joint Ventures with any foreign manufacturer. We will soon publish the ‘Technology Perspective and Capability Roadmap’, covering a period of 15 years, to share the future needs of our Armed Forces.

“We are glad to be present at this platform and are hopeful that ELECTRONICS NEXT INDIA 2010 wi ll provide the much needed exposure and focus on electronics and technology in modernisation of Indian defence. We hope that the open discussions will quell the doubts of national private firms to work with us on our Indigenisation efforts” says Lt.General AKS Chandele.

For the first time ever in an Electronics Exhibition in India top defence officials are coming together to share the opportunities with Private Companies to serve the needs of Indigenisation and Transfer of technology. Directorate of Indigenisation and Base Workshops will showcase the electronic products and technology commonly used in Indian Defence, and at the same time share the procedures and methodology to be followed by the industry towards continuum of this strategic initiative.

ELECTRONICS NEXT INDIA 2010, being held from 24-26 February 2010 in Hall 6 Pragati Maidan New Delhi, offers the opportunity to companies to interact with the top brass of the Indian Army.

“The opportunities in the Defence industry discussed at ELECTRONICS NEXT INDIA include- Major Modernization/Upgradation of existing electronics equipment– Indigenisation of major assembly and spare parts, Innovation & product improvement, Transfer of technology especially from countries like USA, Israel etc. and Research and Development and Technical support to the field army. The application segments covers indigenization efforts in the field of Radar, Communication Equipment, Missiles, Strategic Weapons, Special Test Measurement, Night Vision devices, Tank Electronics, Locating devices”, added Major General Mehta, Additional Director General, EME.

ELECTRONICS NEXT INDIA 2010 is an endeavour to bring forth the latest innovation and technologies and the capabilities in electronic manufacturing, as well as India’s emergence as one of the most stable electronics industry.

“The exhibition has generated attention globally and has carved a niche amongst major electronics exhibitions in South Asia. Defence is one of the largest consumers of technology and with modernization, the inclusion of electronics in every aspect of defence equipment is imperative. At ELECTRONICS NEXT INDIA we are confident to cater to the growing interest of the private industry to tap the potential in defence electronics and serve the needs of the Indian Defence Industry”, added Rajeev Chawla, Senior Vice President Sales & Marketing, Images Exhibitions, organizers of ELECTRONICS NEXT INDIA 2010.

 

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India Prepares Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Agni-V


With three successful tests of the Agni-III long-range ballistic missile in their favor today, India is considered ready for larger endeavors, to be willing to manufacture the intercontinental version of the weapon, with nuclear capability. This release is a step in the manufacture of Agni-V, assured the director of the Center for Research and Development for Defense (DRDO), VK Saraswat, quoted Monday by the daily The Hindu, in allusion to the test of Agni-III launched yesterday on an island in the Bay of Bengal.
According to the diary, the DRDO scientists believe that the success achieved with the intermediate range missile, capable of carrying a nuclear warhead of 1.5 tons, demonstrates the maturity of the deterrent program in this South Asian country.
Given that India is committed to not be the first to use nuclear weapons in armed conflicts, a strong response capability is then expected, in turn, said, W. Selvamurthy, another director of the DRDO.
Unlike the Agni-III, which can hit a target located three thousand kilometers away, the Agni-V will take several nuclear warheads to almost twice that distance.
Although both are propelled by solid fuel, the first missile is two-parts, while the second will have a third, and having the ability to fight anti-missile systems.
The range of the Agni ballistic missile (Fire in Sanskrit) developed by the Indian Ministry of Defense includes version I, between 700 and 800 km range and version II, which can reach up to 1,500 kilometers.
There will be no version IV, since, with the production of Agni-V India enters directly into a select group of countries with intercontinental ballistic missiles, built by the United States, Russia, China and France.

 

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Ukraine To Execute Indian Air Forces’s AN-32 Upgrade

The AN-32 cargo aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) will be upgraded by Ukraine under a deal signed between the two countries. The current upgradation of the AN-32 cargo aircraft is part of the mass modernization drive for 105 AN-32 cargo aircraft with the IAF.

Under the deal, the Ukraine firm Spetstekhnoexport, a subsidiary of Ukrspetsexport state company, will modernise the 105 AN-32 cargo aircraft of the Indian Air Force. Antonov Aircraft Company, headquartered at Kiev, will give the 20-tonne-capacity aircraft a full upgrade of on-board communications and navigation systems.

According to Indian Defence Ministry sources, the contract is being given without bidding or competition to the Ukrainian company Antonov Aircraft Company as Original Equipment Manufacturers. The fleet of the AN –32 cargo aircraft was procured in the 1980s from Ukraine during the erstwhile USSR era. According to a spokesperson from the Ukraine Embassy in New Delhi, Ukraine reserves the right to not only produce the Antonov series of transport aircraft but also to service them.

As for the upgrade of the AN-32 cargo aircraft, it will be done in two phases, with the first lot being upgraded in Ukraine and the second lot being upgraded in India by 2013. A total number of 100 AN -32 cargo aircraft will be upgraded by the Ukrainian company. The upgrade of the AN-32 will improve the avionics systems, increase the engine life, the range of the aircraft and its payload from 6.7 tonnes to 7.5 tonnes so that the aircraft is operational with the IAF for another 2 decades. Some of the AN-32 aircraft will also be upgraded with systems to enable them to carry out maritime patrol functions as well.

Currently, Indian military relies heavily on the AN-32 transport aircraft and the IL-76 transport aircraft for lifting of troops, carrying cargo and supplies to harsh high altitude regions and other logistic assignments.

 

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DRDO Develops New Sub Machine Gun

India’s state-owned Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), has recently revealed that it has developed an indigenous advanced sub machine gun (SMG) whose ammunition can pierce bullet-proof jackets. The SMG is the third element of the 5.56 mm INSAS (Indian Small Arms System) family that DRDO has developed.

During the recently concluded Def Expo 2010 in New Delhi, DRDO officials said that the SMG is envisaged for anti-terror combats. The SMG can be used against militants. The SMG incorporates a laser sight and has an effective range of 200 metres. The SMG can be used as a single and multiple shot weapon firing 700 rounds per minute in rapid
fire mode.DRDO claims that the SMG field trials are currently underway and should be completed latest by mid 2010.

The SMG is the third in the INSAS family which the DRDO has created with the other two being an assault rifle and a carbine variant. DRDO came up with a 5.56 mm calibre Modern Sub-Machine Carbine (MSMC) in October last year developed by DRDO’s Pune-based Armaments Research and Development Establishment (ARDE). MSMC is a lightweight compact semi-automatic gun with a small barrel and fires rapidly and is suitable for close quarter combats.

The MSMC is best suited for the Special Forces and quick-reaction teams operating against terrorists in urban and semi -urban backdrop. The MSMC has ambidextrous features and soldiers would be able to fire it with one hand also. MSMC is a part of INSAS programme by DRDO which was an attempt to produce small arms indigenously. Prior to developing the MSMC, DRDO was working on an INSAS Carbine but the programme was shelved after the Indian Army issued new requirements for the gun.

 

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India’s Wipro And CAE Of Canada To Make Simulators Jointly

Wipro, the multi-business Indian conglomerate, has entered into an agreement with Canadian major CAE Inc. to jointly address the growing simulation-based training, operations, maintenance and training support services opportunities for India’s defence forces.

The collaboration between Wipro and CAE Inc. will make provisions for training systems, integration and simulation -based solutions for areas such as war gaming, C4ISR and a range of defence platforms which will soon be deployed by India’s defence forces.

Wipro and CAE Inc. will also work together to help original equipment manufacturers meet offset obligations in India that are required by the Indian Defence Ministry. CAE India Private Limited, part of the CAE Inc. group, is also working with Wipro and both these firms have their offices in Bangalore.

Wipro provides comprehensive Information technology (IT) solutions and services, including systems integration, Information Systems outsourcing, package implementation, software application development and maintenance, and research and development services to corporations globally. Wipro is a leader in providing IT solutions and services for the corporate segment in India offering system integration, network integration, software solutions and IT services.

The Canadian major CAE Group’s principal activities are to design and produce commercial flight simulators, visual systems and training systems. The Group operates through four segments namely Simulation Products/Civil, Simulation Products/Military, Training and Services/Civil and Training and Services/Military. CAE has manufacturing operations and training facilities in 20 countries on five continents. CAE has sold over 900 simulators and training devices to more than 100 airlines, aircraft manufacturers and training centres.

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DRDO Plans New Defence Technology Roadmap

The state-owned Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) are currently in the process of chalking out a strategic defence and a self-reliance programme for the Indian defence sector. India will be rolling out an array of technology-based weaponry systems, including laser weapons, to network-centric warfare systems.

At the eve of the 34th DRDO Conference to be held in New Delhi, scientists in DRDO factories are busy developing defence-related technologies. These technologies range from indigenous submarines, missile technologies, unmanned aerial vehicles, nano-technology and the network system with significant communication network to transfer information.

Dr V. K. Saraswat, DRDO chief and Defence Ministry scientific advisor, indicated that India is charting out a road map for the next two decades, where newer technology for low-intensity conflicts will be pursued. From energy capsules with one-year shelf life, to hand-held thermal imagers, night sight for machine guns, anti-mine shoes, demolition devices, suffocating smoke ammunition, chilly grenades and blast protection suits are being worked upon to counter the low-intensity conflicts.

DRDO scientists revealed that future weaponry would be a convergence of nano, bio and information technology, with laser-guided systems and future warfare to be network centric. They added that laser technology will be inducted in all weaponry, including tanks, flying objects and guns, in the next 10 to 15 years. India will strive to create advanced indigenous technology in order to live up to the global standards.

Some of the developments in DRDO include the ‘Rustam”, which is a medium altitude long endurance system of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). DRDO has successfully tested low altitude vehicles named ‘Lakshya’ and ‘Nishant’. In addition, a micro air vehicle project is at an advanced stage for tactical usage and support to infantry and artillery to monitor the battle grounds.

 

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Indian MOD Announces Redefined Procurement Policy

During an important conference held at the DEF Expo 2010 titled ‘Defence Procurement- Movement from Offsets to Buy and Make Indian’, India’s drive towards indigenization in the defence production sector and reduction of imports is being envisaged by amending the Indian defence procurement policy (DPP). The conference also held discussions on issues such as making defence offsets transparent as well as user and investment friendly and creating synergy between foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers and local Indian industry and the Ministry of Defence.

Mr. Shashi Kant Sharma, Director General (Acquisition), Ministry of Defence, said that the DPP was not an end in itself but a vehicle to meet the larger goal of security of the nation. He added that the changes attuned to value addition, focus on critical technologies, a conducive taxation regime and strengthening of the R & D base are expected to be unveiled by September this year.

This conference at DEF EXPO 2010 was addressed by Mr. Satyajeet Rajan, Joint Secretary (Export), Ministry of Defence (MoD), Mr. K P Singh, former Secretary (Defence Production), Mr. Rahul Chaudhry, CEO-Tata Power SED & Co-Chairman of FICCI Defence Committee among other government and private sector dignitaries.

During the DEF EXPO 2010 seminar, the recent steps in the procurement policy taken bythe Indian government were discussed. India has recently reviewed the Defence Procurement Procedures and some meaningful measures have been taken up. One of the primary examples has been the recent introduction of “Buy and Make (Indian)” category in the defence acquisition process which will enhance participation by the local industry, meeting requirements of advanced defence systems and platforms by getting into tie ups with technology providers and creating more joint ventures. In capital acquisition cases categorised as “Buy and Make (Indian)”, the Request for Proposal will be issued to those Indian industries that have requisite financial and technical capabilities to enter into joint ventures. The local players must be competent enough to absorb technology and undertake indigenous manufacture.

The recently adopted “Buy and Make (Indian)” category in DPP is similar to the “Make” category that already exists. The new procedure entails that the production and development by the Indian industry will be through Transfer of Technology and not through Research and Development. This provides companies an opportunity to pursue tie ups and joint ventures as “Buy Indian”; “Buy and Make Indian”; and “Make” will be the preferred categories with option of “Buy Global” being resorted to only where equipment with requisite Qualitative Requirements are not possible to be procured through these methods in the required time frame.

The recent acquisition reforms in India and the modernization drive of the Indian Armed Forces makes the Indian defence sector a lucrative market with added impetus for joint ventures and technological collaborations. The collaborations in the field of defence research and development and tie-ups in critical technology areas to meet the requirements of armed forces indigenously is needed to help Indian defence sector flourish.

 

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BAE Systems to Pay $10 Million Penalty in Hawk Contract

The state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), which has faced successive obstacles in assembling the “Hawk” Advanced Jet Trainers (AJT) bought from BAE Systems of UK, is now demanding compensation to the tune of $10.5 million from BAE Systems for not fulfilling their contractual obligations.

Under the 2004 contract, BAE Systems’ 24 “Hawk” AJTs were to be delivered directly and 42 were to be assembled at a HAL facility in India. BAE Systems, under the $1.2-billion contract, supplied 24 ready-built Hawk-132 AJTs and transferred the technology for building another 42 in HAL, Bangalore. As per the schedule, the first 15 Hawks should have already been built in Bangalore but only five have been completed.

HAL officials indicated that the entire programme has been plagued by delays due to shortcomings from the BAE Systems. HAL claims that several tools and equipment supplied by the British firm had to be re-designed and there was consistent issues regarding the spare parts. In addition, HAL had also blamed the constant miscommunication between the BAE representatives in India and the UK which affected the workflow of the ‘Hawk” production at the HAL facility in Bangalore.

As of now, HAL has asked BAE to pay around $10.5 million in compensation and the negotiations are under way between the BAE representatives and HAL officials in Bangalore, sources said. HAL claims that the trouble that they had to undergo was “not mandated by contractual conditions”.

As for the delays in the “Hawk’ production in India, the state-owned HAL is having to face the brunt of criticism from the IAF due to the delays in “Hawk” production. HAL has criticised BAE Systems for failing to carry out its contract to transfer technology, design drawings, tools, manufacturing jigs and components essential for manufacturing the “Hawk” trainers in India. BAE Systems, on the other hand, had earlier denied any failure to fulfil its contractual obligations saying it had already supplied the spares 18 months ago and was willing to support HAL in any issue related to “Hawk” trainers.

In October last year, the Indian Air Chief Marshal P.V.Naik had clearly said that if BAE Systems does not agree with the Indian benchmark and its expectation, then India will look for other options for the AJT. In fact, the IAF has issued a new request for information (RFI) to global trainer aircraft manufacturers and is already pursuing the acquisition deal for a fresh batch of AJTs on a fast-track basis. This is a setback for BAE Systems since in the normal course; it would have got a go-ahead signal with its assembly line ready in India.

 

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M&M-BAE Systems JV Company Appoints New CEO

Mahindra and Mahindra, the Indian automotive giant and BAE Systems of Britain, the global defence security and aerospace company, have inked an agreement to create a military vehicles-focused joint venture based in India.

Defence Land Systems India, the joint venture between the Indian major Mahindra & Mahindra and BAE Systems of Britain, have announced Deepak Chhibba as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Arne Berglund as his deputy for the new firm.

Defence Land Systems India intends to become a centre of excellence in India that covers not just manufacturing but the development, testing and support of artillery. The joint venture is currently involved in the development of a mine-protected vehicle, specifically designed to meet the needs of the Indian armed and paramilitary forces. This brand new mine protected vehicle is currently named MPVI (Mine Protected Vehicle India). A prototype of MPVI has been produced and will eventually be manufactured at the joint venture facility in Faridabad, near Delhi, using indigenously produced materials.

Defence Land Systems India will also make a foray into future Indian artillery programmes, including the M777 light weight howitzer and the FH77B 155mm howitzers.

Senior Mahindra & Mahindra officials indicated that as a fully operational joint venture, Defence Land Systems India will bring real and lasting value to India’s growing defence industry. Existing projects include Rapid Intervention Vehicles, Axe high-mobility vehicles and the Marksman light armoured vehicle and the Joint Venture Company will focus on manufacturing land systems for security forces.

Guy Griffiths, group managing director (International) at BAE Systems, said that the joint venture aims to address the futuristic needs of the Indian armed forces, the development of innovative technologies and system integration skills, and benefits from the leadership of two world class companies. BAE firmly endorses the Indian government’s decision to procure 70 percent of defence equipment locally as the new joint venture will contribute significantly towards that goal. The initial investment of the parent company will be roughly $21.25 million over a three year period and the company’s equity split will be 74 per cent belonging to Mahindra & Mahindra and 26 per cent for BAE Systems

 

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E-2D Hawkeye: The Navy’s New AWACS - This has also been offered to India

Northrop Grumman’s E-2C Hawkeye is a carrier-capable “mini-AWACS” aircraft, designed to give long-range warning of incoming aerial threats. Secondary roles include strike command and control, land and maritime surveillance, search and rescue, communications relay, and even civil air traffic control during emergencies. E-2C Hawkeyes began replacing previous Hawkeye versions in 1973; they fly from USN and French carriers, from land bases in the militaries of Egypt, Japan, Mexico, Singapore, and Taiwan; and in a drug interdiction role for the US Naval Reserve. Over 200 Hawkeyes have been produced.

The $17.5 billion E-2D Advanced Hawkeye program aims to build 75 new aircraft with significant radar, engine, and electronics upgrades in order to deal with a world of stealthier cruise missiles, saturation attacks, and a growing need for ground surveillance as well as aerial scans. It looks a lot like the last generation E-2C Hawkeye 2000 upgrade on the outside – but inside, and even outside to some extent, it’s a whole new aircraft. DID’s FOCUS articles offer in-depth, updated looks at significant military programs of record. This DID FOCUS Article covers the E-2D program, from the new platform and its capabilities to the budgets, contracts, and companies making it all fly.

The Hawkeye is based on the same airframe as the USA’s C-2 Greyhound cargo aircraft, with the obvious addition of the 24 foot diameter, frisbee-shaped, rotating radome on its back. It carries a crew of 5 – pilot, copilot, and 3 mission system operators.

The first E-2A was delivered in 1964, the first E-2B upgrade in 1969, and as noted above, the first true “second generation” E-2C Hawkeye was delivered in 1973. In 1992, an E-2C Block II update program added the AN/APS-145 and L-304 radar systems; improved Rolls Royce T56-A-427 engines; JTIDS, Link-4A, -11, and 16 datalinks; GPS capability; and various avionics, and electronics upgrades. It finished in 2001. By 2003, Hawkeyes were proving their worth over Iraq in a new capacity: close air support. Smithsonian Air & Space magazine’s July 2008 issue discusses:

“The Hawkeye, of course, wasn’t designed for close air support, but time and again during the fighting in the Gulf, ground troops advanced so rapidly that they passed beyond radio contact with the units that were supposed to coordinate close air support for them. Early on in Iraq, E-2s were pressed into a stopgap role as airborne communications relays between ground forces and the U.S. Army’s Air Support Operations Center. But because the battleground was so fluid and so many airplanes had to be re-routed so quickly, Hawkeyes were given more latitude to pair warfighters with targets. “If the Hawkeye hadn’t been there, I think the [Air Support Operations Center] would have failed,” says Lieutenant Commander Brent Trickel, an E-2 naval flight officer who served as the Navy’s only officer in the Air Support Operations Center during the first few weeks of the war.”

Technology moves quickly, however, and technology that was cutting edge in 1992 isn’t so cutting edge any more. A subsequent upgrade called the Hawkeye 2000 (HE2K) added the 8-bladed NP2000 propeller, replaced the old computer platform that was inhibiting further modernization with commercial-standard computer component upgrades; and added associated electronics, power, and maintainability modifications, including integrated satellite communications. All of these upgrades pale, however, in comparison to the effectiveness boost offered by adding Co-operative Engagement Capability (CEC). With CEC, the Hawkeye can see everything the ships in its task group can see – and vice-versa, turning the aircraft into a force multiplier to all ships in the group and even enabling ballistic missile defense roles.

Hawkeye 2000 aircraft were first deployed in 2003 aboard USS Nimitz, and additional customers have included Egypt, France, Japan & Taiwan (The UAE submitted a formal request in 2002, but later decided to put its money elsewhere).

The next-generation, E-2D Advanced Hawkeye is planned as a major platform upgrade, rather than the incremental improvements of Hawkeye 2000. Cruise missiles are becoming stealthier, smaller targets are becoming important, and surveillance in coastal areas and overland is as important to the Navy as aerial surveillance.

The most important improvement to the E-2D AHE is the new APY-9 radar, which can detect and track smaller (or stealthier) targets, in larger numbers, and at greater ranges. It has been described as a 2-generation improvement over previous Hawkeye aircraft. Figures discussed to date involve up to 2,000 targets over 6 million cubic miles, on land and sea. The electronically scanned array offers improved in-service time and maintenance, allows simultaneous air/ground scans and extremely fast focusing on multiple targets, and features lower ‘sidelobe’ leakage as well as other improvements. Improved clutter & interference cancellation offers significant improvement in tracking small land and sea targets, as well as better performance against electronic jamming. Additional features allow the radar to flip from 3660 degree scan, to 45 degree focused scan, to full power on one target mode against intermittent or stealthy contacts.

The E-2D actually improves most of the aircraft’s internal equipment. ESM (Electronic Support Measures) and IFF systems offer improved classification of radar contacts at longer ranges. The communications suite is modernized to include dual-band SATCOM (SATellite COMmunications), as well as improved datalinks. Engines are improved. In-flight refueling capability for longer missions on-station is part of the basic aircraft, not an option. Etc.

Like any electronic system, however, the E-2D needs an improved interface in order to take advantage of its full capabilities. New mission computers and tactical workstations use commercial off-the-shelf components, providing more power to integrate incoming information into a coherent picture, and easier future upgrades. More to the point, the onscreen interface features dramatic improvements, including larger displays and advances in the front seats that allow the pilot or copilot to participate as 4th mission system operator once the aircraft is on station. The cockpit itself has also received attention, and has been fully modernized with an “all glass” (i.e. screens, not dials) system and a number of enhancements.

The end result is an aircraft that looks a lot like the E-2C Hawkeye 2000, but can scan larger areas for smaller targets; offers a new dimension in coverage by combining strong aerial, maritime, coastal, and land surveillance; can function as an integral part of missile defense efforts against both cruise and ballistic missiles; and allows operators to make better use of its capabilities.

Advances have also taken place on the manufacturing floor. When Northrop Grumman was awarded the system development and demonstration contract for the Advanced Hawkeye in 2003, the company chose to change its manufacturing approach. Engineers created a virtual design environment that integrated the engineering team in Bethpage, NY with the manufacturing team in St. Augustine, FL. They then began to re-engineer the structure, beginning with single detail parts.

In previous Hawkeye platforms, individual sheet-metal components were the basis for all structural assemblies. For the E-2D, a number of substructures were re-designed as machined components. This eliminates significant numbers of detail parts, improves the production process, and leaves fewer potential points of failure in the finished aircraft.E-2D Advanced Hawkeye: Program


E-2D Rollout

The E-2D program began in 2001, saw the major System Design & Development (SDD) contract issued in 2003, and featured rollout of the first modified aircraft in April 2007. Its first flight is scheduled for summer 2007, and initial operational capability was scheduled for 2011, but may now move to 2012-13. Full Operational Capability is now scheduled for 2022, when a total of 75 aircraft (2 test, 3 pilot production, 70 operational) will have been delivered as the cornerstone of US naval surveillance for the next 25 years.

The first E-2D Advanced Hawkeye development aircraft, known as Delta One, first flew on Aug 3/07. At present, the total program cost has risen 11.2% over the original baseline figure, but the SD&D program is meeting all contract commitments and milestones, and is currently on track for Milestone C in Spring 2009. The next step after Milestone C approval is low-rate initial production of operational aircraft, to join the 2 test aircraft already built and the 3 pilot production aircraft in various stages of manufacture.

The Pentagon’s April 2007 SAR placed the E-2D’s entire program cost, including R&D, production of all aircraft, internal equipment, and equipment required for initial fielding, at $17.487 billion. That works out to $233.1 million per aircraft including amortized costs – in part because the number bought is only 75, and in part because AWACS aircraft of any type are expensive assets thanks to all of the advanced radars, electronics etc. crammed into them.

 

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Gripens Depart Sweden For Trials In India

Two Swedish Air Force JAS-39 Gripen-Ds departed Sweden on Sunday and are on their way to India as we speak for the final round of the field evaluation trials (FET) under the Indian medium multirole combat aircraft (MMRCA) competition. The Gripens begin their trials at the Aircraft Systems & Testing Establishment (ASTE) in Bangalore early this week. The Gripen-Ds are being flown by Saab test pilots and Swedish air force pilots.

"IAF test pilots have already undergone intensive training on the aircraft and the aircraft have already undergone the first stage of trials in Linkoping in November 2009, which included flight performance, logistics capability, weapons systems, advanced sensors and weapons firing," said Gripen India campaign head Eddy de la Motte in response to an e-mail I sent in to Saab.

Asked about whether the Gripen Demo aircraft -- on which the Gripen IN is based (see here) -- would figure in the trials at all, de la Motte said, "The Demo is a development vehicle which the IAF will have complete access to within the current parameters of development. Gripen NG capabilities have been demonstrated during the evaluation trials in November 2009 when the Indian evaluation team was in Sweden."

 

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[jha]

lage raho DESIMAN...

 

[desiman]

lage raho DESIMAN...

Lol thanks, members please contribute to the thread also, im too old now

 

[desiman]

Sikorsky eyes $12 billion worth of contract in Indian defence market



Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., is in talks with Indian companies to manufacture the Black Hawk helicopter , Stephen B. Estill, vice president in charge of strategic partnerships, said on the sidelines of DefExpo 2010.


"We will bring the Black Hawk here with the option to improve the horse power...," Estill said.

"We will bring the concept here, we will team for the development program with local industry, team to develop the prototype here and present that as our tailor-made for India," he said.

Estill said Sikorsky expects to bid for potential defense deals in India valued at $8 billion and $12 billion by 2017-2018.

He said the company has offered its S-70B Seahawk and the MH-60R helicopters for an Indian Navy contract for 16 multi-role helicopters with anti-submarine warfare capability.

Sikorsky has a joint venture with Tata Advanced Systems, a Tata group company, to produce cabins for the S-92 helicopter and aerospace parts at Hyderabad city, in southern India.

Production of the S-92 cabin has started and the first unit is expected to be exported from the facility in November, Estill said. The Hyderabad factory currently has capacity to produce 36 cabins each year.