India steals limelight at Farnborough air show

[jha]

India steals limelight at Farnborough air show​

Farnborough, July 24 (IANS) Embarked on a spree of defence and commercial aviation deals, India was clearly in the limelight at the Farnborough International Air Show 2010 and the coming months may see increased efforts by foreign firms to woo the country.

Summing up the air show, Mike Alvis, executive vice president of the American defence technology supplier ITT Defense International said at a press conference: “We’re seeing unbelievable demand from India. There’s a lot of willingness to spend on defence.”

Western firms are seeing India as the biggest spender among emerging economies.

The impression is backed by ongoing deals which were talked about at the air show like the C-17 military transport planes and Dreamline 787 passenger craft from Boeing, the Hawk fighter jets from British defence group BAE Systems and military equipment from ITT Corp.

These firms are also keenly awaiting India’s choice of supplier for its Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) deal for the supply of 126 aircraft to augment the Indian Air Force.

Of the six firms short-listed, five are from the US and Europe, the sixth being a Russian firm.

Defence deals are on top of the agenda as British Prime Minister David Cameron visits India next week, more so because of Britain slashing defence spending and looking for increased exports.

British Trade and Industry spokesman Adam Thomas said at the air show: “We see huge opportunities from emerging markets. We have a global market share of close to 20 percent and we have been bringing delegates from as many countries as possible to Farnborough.”

Cameron will have in mind the fact that one of the competitors for the MMRCA deal is the Eurotyphoon fighter, manufactured by EADS, a consortium of which BAE is a partner.

But the immediate British deal relates to the Hawk jets. BAE Systems hopes to sign a deal to supply more Hawk trainer jets to India, building on an established partnership with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL).

BAE is also interested in selling the Type-26 Frigate.

BAE’s group business development director Alan Garwood said his company “is close to sealing” the Hawk deal.

The Americans too seemed enthusiastic about growing defence ties with India at the air show.

An American arms supplier, Vice Admiral Jeffrey Wieringa, who was at the air show, commented on Indo-US ties: “The relationship is at the best and highest level it’s been.”

Christopher Chadwick, president of Boeing military aircraft - which too has a stake in India’s MMRCA deal - said India was interested in buying more than the 10 C-17 planes already planned.

The C-17 Globemaster deal at approximately 3.8 billion pounds is the largest Indo-US deal ever, overtaking the 1.4 billion-pound contract for eight Boeing P-8I long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft inked last year.

Russia, whose Ilyushin Il-76 transporters the C-17s will eventually replace, sought to downplay the impression that its deals with India were drying up.

At a briefing at the Russian stall, Alexander Mikheiev, deputy director of the Russian agency Rosoboronexport announced details of the deal involving the fifth generation Russian fighter, T-50.

“I can confirm that an addendum to the agreement on developing an engine for fifth generation fighter will be signed before the end of the year,” he said.

The Russians indicated the special efforts being taken to retain India’s partnership by diversifying to commercial aviation.

Igor Pshenichny, first deputy executive director for marketing and sales at Russian Helicopters — which is selling four commercial machines to an Indian company — said: “As to the commercial market for us it’s a practically new market.”

“We have several commercial helicopter operators there, but it’s not a big quantity for such a big and huge economically developing country as India. So we are putting additional emphasis on this market now,” he added.

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

which one of india's aircrafts or pilots were on display???

 

[somya]

Customer is the KING.
So simple.

 

[Indiarox]

which one of india's aircrafts or pilots were on display???

We stole the lime light because of our spending spree and 13++ bill per year defense purchase allowance in our budget .

 

[idune]

india as a big customer steal the show???? I am sure all countries selling are delighted to give that pat on indian back.

 

[Ganga]

did India showcase the dhruv or the lch??

 

[d14gtc]

Does thr ne kind f Made in India products on display too.

 

[mjnaushad]

This shows india's money power. All the major arms vendors are trying hard to woo india to get a share of huge indian defense market.
After all, india is not a kind of country which is dependent on foreign aid to purchase weapons.

Customers with money loads of money is king.
The people looking for free samples are not treated with a lot of respect

And there was a thread that Please dont bring poverty and stuff...........


Don't blame us then.....

 

[SpArK]

which one of india's aircrafts or pilots were on display???

This one .

Source:

Indian Air Force Dhruv helicopter display team at Farnborough - Pictures & Photos on FlightGlobal Airspace

 

[mjnaushad]

This one .

Source:

Indian Air Force Dhruv helicopter display team at Farnborough - Pictures & Photos on FlightGlobal Airspace

I just removed some part of your post to make it more sensible.....

 

[SpArK]

I just removed some part of your post to make it more sensible.....

OK, i will edit it too..

 

[blain2]

This shows india's money power. All the major arms vendors are trying hard to woo india to get a share of huge indian defense market.
After all, india is not a kind of country which is dependent on foreign aid to purchase weapons.

Big words from folks who up until now receive aid in one form or the other and were until 10 years ago receiving massive amounts of aid from the world over.

Please check your arrogance. If India can get off foreign aid, so can others. The vast majority of your current equipment has been acquired through Russian assistance or soft or forgiven loans. Don't forget the recent past so quickly to score points here.

 

[SpArK]

UK air show underlines geopolitical shift from West


CORRECTED - UK air show underlines geopolitical shift from West | Reuters


By Peter Apps, Political Risk Correspondent

FARNBOROUGH, England, July 22 (Reuters) - If you want to see the shift in geopolitical and military clout from Western powers towards their growing emerging rivals, look no further than the sales stands of this year's Farnborough air show.

With European governments expected to slash defence spending -- and the United States seen probably following suit in the coming decades -- the key focus for Western defence executives and government has been new export destinations.

Asian military officers with Western liaison staff and Middle Eastern government officials wander the halls and static exhibits, ranging from the new European A400M military transport aircraft to drones, artillery pieces and helicopters.

British officials and ministers in particular have been preaching two tales -- the British defence budget is unsustainably large and needs to be cut, but they are looking to exports from the defence and security industry to help growth.

"We see huge opportunities from emerging markets," said UK Trade and Industry spokesman Adam Thomas. "We have a global market share of close to 20 percent and we have been bringing delegates from as many countries as possible to Farnborough."

Defence firms have been putting a brave face on bad news from Europe -- Italy said during the show it was cancelling orders for 25 Eurofighters, surprising some.

Europe-wide coordination on defence still seems occasionally troubled. A dispute has broken out between Britain's Royal Air Force and Franco-German EADS (EAD.PA) on whether or not the A400M will be officially named the "Grizzly".

Instead, defence firms point to buyers especially in the Middle East, where high oil prices, the perceived threat from Iran and ageing aircraft are all seen fuelling demand for fast jets.

"AWASH WITH CASH"

BAE Systems (BAES.L) said Middle Eastern buyers were "awash with money" while others enthused over India -- a growing market that Western firms believe they are wooing away from its traditional Russian suppliers.

As well as its traditional rivalry with Pakistan, some believe India is entering an increasing arms race with China.

Certainly, India seems keen to upgrade its military capabilities to Western standards including working on a $5.8 billion deal with Boeing (BA.N) on C-17 cargo planes.

"We're seeing unbelievable demand from India," said Mike Alvis, executive vice president of ITT Defence International (ITT.N), manufacturing nightvision equipment. "There's a lot of willingness to spend on defence."

Brazil's air force was also being watched closely ahead of a decision on fighter purchases. Other emerging buyers sighted by Reuters included a delegation from the Libyan air force.

While most of the major defence firms are looking to sell their most expensive items, for those looking at the other end of the spectrum Farnborough saw the international debut of the JF-17, a Chinese-Pakistani warplane.

A redesigned and updated version of the 1950s MiG-21, the jet sells for $20 million to poorer countries such as African nations.

Not everyone seems to be buying. Some sales staff complain that military officers from some emerging nations have a tendency to turn up at the well-appointed stands, consume coffee and other handouts and appear reluctant to leave.

Nevertheless, the global demand appears there. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, global defence spending rose 5.9 percent in real terms in 2009, led by increases in the US, China, Brazil and India.



Most analysts see U.S. defence spending -- currently roughly half the global total -- beginning to fall back once troop levels in Afghanistan start to be reduced. Chinese spending is seen growing at near the same rate as 2009's 15 percent level.

China and Russia looked largely absent from Farnborough this year. China is still covered by arms restrictions from Europe and the United States. It did send delegates to a Paris arms fair last month -- but to sell rather than buy.

The presence of so many visitors means firms and government alike are always wary of cyber attacks, hacking and spying at such events -- itself seen as a key growth area.

With China still nowhere close to challenging the United States as a global military power, analysts say it is particularly focusing on asymmetric warfare capabilities, particularly cyber warfare.



"Cyber attacks are changing the nature of war we mean by military power and national security," said Ian Bremmer, president of political risk consultancy Eurasia Group. "That's an area I expect the United States to spend a great deal more on as they are presently behind."

(Additional reporting by Tim Hepher; Editing by Mark Heinrich)


CORRECTED - UK air show underlines geopolitical shift from West | Reuters

 

[!!craft!!]

Big words from folks who up until now receive aid in one form or the other and were until 10 years ago receiving massive amounts of aid from the world over.

Please check your arrogance. If India can get off foreign aid, so can others. The vast majority of your current equipment has been acquired through Russian assistance or soft or forgiven loans. Don't forget the recent past so quickly to score points here.

well sir i totally agree about russian assistance .but can you prove 'soft or forgiven loans'?

 

[Coltsfan]

India steals limelight at Farnborough air show

So, the reason India stole the limelight was that we are going to buy defense hardware stuff???

By that logic next time B'desh can "steal the limelight" too?

Isn't that misplaced euphoria?

It would have been more impressive if we had Indian developed products out for international market. There were 5 Indian firms at the airshow, would be interesting to know how many business opportunities they came across.