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table of contents
vol 18 ISSUE 9 • September • 2015
Cover IMAGE: IAF is celebrating its 83rd anniversary on October 8, 2015. Cover image by: SP’s Design Indian Air Forces’ new Aerobatic Team: The Indian Air Force celebrates its 83rd anniversary on October 8, 2015. The new Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT) comprising four BAE Hawk aircraft will make its maiden appearance on the Air Force Day Parade.
FIRST 6 Water on Mars! Viewpoint 8 China
China’s Strategic Expansion
SPACE 10 GSLV
Feather in Cap: India’s Space Voyage
Exclusive 12 Interview
Gustavo de Aristegui, Ambassador of Spain to India
Civil 15 Regional Aviation
Southern Comfort
22 Infrastructure
Infrastructure for ATF?
Business Aviation 18 Air Charter
Fraught with Challenges
IAF Special 24 Message
Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, IAF Chief
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26 CAS Interview
Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha
30 Fighters
Rafale: So Near, So Far
32 Helicopters
More Force to The Force
38 Transport
Reaching Everywhere Every Time
40 Trainer Aircraft
Trainers in IAF
43 Interview
lead story
The Future
35 Force Multipliers
page 24
obham: Expanding Global Footprint C Through M&A
regular Departments 4 A Word from Editor-in-Chief 44 Hall of Fame Willa Brown (1906-92) 46 News Digest
IAF DAY SPECIAL The IAF is undergoing a major transformation, upgrading and inducting new aircraft, including fighters, trainers, transport aircraft, helicopters, aerial tankers, etc.
Applied for NEXT ISSUE
48 Last Word
NBAA Special
Need Autonomy
ISSUE 9 • 2015
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table of contents Keeping up with the Path of Partnership...We are the Official Media Partner of India Aviation in 2016.
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Southern Comfort
Publisher And Editor-in-Chief Jayant Baranwal senior Editor Air Marshal B.K. Pandey (Retd) Assistant Group editor R. Chandrakanth Senior Technical Group Editor Lt General Naresh Chand (Retd) Contributors India Group Captain A.K. Sachdev (Retd) Group Captain Joseph Noronha (Retd) Europe Alan Peaford USA & Canada LeRoy Cook Chairman & Managing Director Jayant Baranwal
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Infrastructure for ATF?
Planning & Business Development Executive Vice President: Rohit Goel ADMIN & COORDINATION Bharti Sharma design Holistic Directions: Jayant Baranwal Creative Director: Anoop Kamath Designers: Vimlesh Kumar Yadav, Sonu Singh Bisht Designer (3D animation): Kunal Verma Research Assistant: Graphics Survi Massey DIRECTOR: SALES & MARKETING Neetu Dhulia SALES & MARKETING General Manager Sales: Rajeev Chugh
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ISSUE 9 • 2015
Owned, published and printed by Jayant Baranwal, printed at Kala Jyothi Process Pvt Ltd and published at A-133, Arjun Nagar (Opposite Defence Colony), New Delhi 110003, India. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, photocopying, recording, electronic, or otherwise without prior written permission of the Publishers.
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A word from editor-in-chief
“We are looking forward to building up our combat fleet of aircraft to 42 squadrons by the end of the current plan, by 2027 and I think this is possible, this is viable, there are a lot of options available with us.” — AIR CHIEF MARSHAL ARUP RAHA
A
As the Indian Air Force (IAF) celebrates its 83rd anniversary, we look back with an overwhelming sense of pride at the role this glorious organisation has played both in war and peace especially after independence. On this solemn occasion, we salute the air warriors and gratefully acknowledge the sacrifices they have made for the nation. The message on this occasion from Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, Chief of the Air Staff and Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee, would inspire one and all indeed! Over the last more than eight decades, the IAF has grown in size and strength to become the fourth largest in the world and has evolved into a formidable aerospace power always ready to meet with the challenges to national security. Whenever there has been a calamity at home or abroad, the IAF has always stepped in to undertaken disaster relief operations or has evacuated citizens of India as well as those of other nations stranded in the midst of conflict. In both war and peace, the IAF has unequivocally demonstrated the capability of providing swift response in crisis situations. The year 2015 also happens to be the year during which the IAF is commemorating the 50th anniversary of the war with Pakistan in 1965, an experience that can aptly be described as ‘baptism by fire’ for the IAF. We pay homage to those who laid down their lives in the war. While the IAF is now reasonably well equipped insofar as the transport and rotary-wing fleets are concerned, there is the need for introspection in respect of the combat fleet which does need attention. Hopefully, the contract for the 36 Rafale jets would be concluded soon. Also, steps need be taken soon to build up the strength of the fighter aircraft fleet to 42 squadrons. Another important area that needs attention is the regime of force multipliers especially by way of flight refuelling aircraft, unmanned aerial systems and aerial surveillance platforms that the IAF needs urgently to achieve a quantum leap in its operational capability. Given the evolving geopolitical scenario in the region and the deteriorating security situation especially with China becoming increasingly belligerent in Tibet and in the South China Sea, the nation cannot afford to be complacent in this regard. We at SP Guide Publications regard it as an exclusive privilege as also a matter of honour to dedicate this issue of SP’s Aviation to the IAF. In this issue of SP’s Aviation, several veterans of the IAF have shared with us their thoughts, ideas and views on the various aspects of this glorious service that are of critical importance.
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In this Special Issue, we also have an exclusive interview with the Ambassador of Spain in India, Gustavo de Aristegui who has praised the IAF for its disaster relief work in Nepal. Besides, he has spoken at length on how the two countries can work together in the realm of defence and civil aviation. Specifically, he mentions how India has to become ‘aviation-friendly’. Efforts are on in this direction and we see a proactive government. The South has taken a lead when it comes to regional aviation with three airliners already making waves. In the regional aviation article, R. Chandrakanth analyses how Air Costa, Air Pegasus and Trujet are connecting southern destinations and that it should be replicated in other regions too. The Indian airline industry may see positive developments as action is in hand to facilitate import of aviation turbine fuel directly by the Indian carriers. However, as for the air charter business, which is a major part of business aviation, the government should take decisive steps to improve infrastructure, nurture healthy competition, rationalise taxes/airport charges and introduce such other liberal policies to boost growth in this sector. A detailed analysis of these issues by Chandrakanth has been included in this issue. Also, while we welcome the new Chairman of Air India, Ashwani Lohani, an officer from the Indian Railways and has an impressive record of turning around organisations in financial distress; we sincerely hope that he will succeed in turning the national carrier around. All these apart from the regular features in this issue of SP’s Aviation. Welcome aboard and happy landings!
Jayant Baranwal Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
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ON THIS DAY WE’RE PROUD TO BE A FORCE BEHIND THE INDIAN AIR FORCE. HAPPY AIR FORCE DAY.
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FIRST
water on mars! NASA confirms evidence that liquid water flows on today’s Mars
Photographs: Nasa
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New findings from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) provide the strongest evidence yet that liquid water flows intermittently on present-day Mars. Using an imaging spectrometer on MRO, researchers detected signatures of hydrated minerals on slopes where mysterious streaks are seen on the Red Planet. These darkish streaks appear to ebb and flow over time. They darken and appear to flow down steep slopes during warm seasons, and then fade in cooler seasons. They appear in several locations on Mars when temperatures are above minus 23 Celsius, and disappear at colder times. “Our quest on Mars has been to ‘follow the water,’ in our search for life in the universe, and now we have convincing science that validates what we’ve long suspected,” said John Grunsfeld, astronaut and associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. “This is a significant development, as it appears to confirm that water – albeit briny – is flowing today on the surface of Mars.” These downhill flows, known as recurring slope lineae (RSL), often have been described as possibly related to liquid water. The new findings of hydrated salts on the slopes point to what that relationship may be to these dark features. The
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hydrated salts would lower the freezing point of a liquid brine, just as salt on roads here on Earth causes ice and snow to melt more rapidly. Scientists say it’s likely a shallow subsurface flow, with enough water wicking to the surface to explain the darkening. MRO has been examining Mars since 2006 with its six science instruments. “The ability of MRO to observe for multiple Mars years with a payload able to see the fine detail of these features has enabled findings such as these: first identifying the puzzling seasonal streaks and now making a big step towards explaining what they are,” said Rich Zurek, MRO Project Scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California. The new findings are more proof that the mysterious lines the scientists first saw darkening Martian slopes five years ago are, indeed, present-day water. The discovery is the latest of many breakthroughs by NASA’s Mars missions. SP E-mail your comments to: letters@sps-aviation.com
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Viewpoint
China
CHINA’S STRATEGIC EXPANSION
Map: amti.csis.org
I
In the recent years, China has embarked on consolidating her control over the South China Sea, an area over which she claims indisputable sovereignty
Imagery obtained through aerial reconnaissance, released into the public domain by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, indicates activities by the People’s Republic of China to build airfields on Mischief Reef and Subi Reef, islands created artificially by her in the areas of the Spratly Islands that are located West of the Southern coast of the Philippines. Endowed with huge oil and gas reserves, the Spratly Islands are already embroiled in an ongoing territorial dispute amongst a number of nations including China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei. In the recent years, China has embarked on consolidating her control over the South China Sea, an area over which she claims indisputable sovereignty. Her efforts in this direction include a sizeable land reclamation project in the South China Sea as part of which, China has created five artificial islands with full-fledged airfield infrastructure planned to be set up on three of these. When operational, these airfields would be capable of operating most, if not all, the military aircraft that China has on her inventory. Last year, China took the world by surprise when she proclaimed navigational control in the skies over large parts of the South China Sea that lies between her coastline and Japan. China went on to declare the air space over this area as an Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ). In effect, this step by China meant that the South China Sea was Chinese territory and that the air space over it was under Chinese control. Aircraft of other nations, civil or military, would therefore need prior clearance from China’s air defence control agency for operating in or through the ADIZ. Quite understandably, there is growing concern amongst all the nations of the region about China’s drive to militarise the South China Sea to dominate the region. Benigno Aquino, the President of the Philippines, while addressing the Japanese Parliament during his visit to Tokyo in June this year, commented on the aggressive expansionist inclinations of China. He drew a parallel between present-day China to Nazi Germany. He even stated that “the world cannot continue to appease Beijing as it claims
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ever more territory in the South China Sea”. China of course, claims that the new islands would be used for humanitarian, environmental, fishing and other purposes. She brushes aside objections from the US and Australia pointing out that Vietnam and Malaysia have also been engaged in land reclamation in the South China Sea which have not been objected to by the US. Apart from the huge oil and natural gas reserves, owing to its location, the South China Sea is of immense strategic importance not only for the countries in the region, but also for all the leading maritime nations of the world as it is a major shipping corridor through which passes trillions of dollars worth of trade. The nations whose economies are inexorably linked to trade through sea lanes of communication, would naturally like to see that freedom of navigation through the South China Sea is not curtailed in any way. Recent moves by China that are regarded as provocative by most nations, does not inspire any confidence or comfort in this regard. India’s interest goes beyond sea trade to exploration for oil jointly with Vietnam in their exclusive economic zone about which China has serious reservations. China’s actions would be of serious concern to the US as these would have implications for its broader strategy of ‘pivot’ in the Asia-Pacific region. The revelation of Chinese aggressive intent has come practically on the eve of the very first state visit to the US by Xi Jinping, the President of China. A statement issued by the White House says, “President Xi Jinping’s visit will present an opportunity to expand cooperation between the US and China on a range of global, regional and bilateral issues of mutual interest, while also enabling President Obama and President Xi Jinping to address areas of disagreement constructively”. Apart from the allegations by the US against China related to ‘cyber espionage’, President Obama will undoubtedly convey his concerns on China’s increasing assertiveness in the disputed waters of the South China Sea. Response by President Xi Jinping to US concerns will be a clear indicator of things to come. SP —By Air Marshal B.K. Pandey (Retd)
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Space
GSLV
GSLV-D6 being moved from Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad
feather in cap
India’s space voyage Through the successful development of the cryogenic engine, ISRO has not only scripted a new chapter in its history, but has ensured substantial financial gains for the nation BY Air Marshal B.K. Pandey (Retd)
Photograph: isro
o
On August 27, 2015, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) flagged a major milestone in its history through the successful launch of the GSAT-6, a military communications satellite to be inserted into a geostationery orbit. This was the second successful mission of the geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle D6 (GSLV-D6) since the one launched in January 2014. With the third stage powered by a cryogenic engine made in India, the GSLV-D6 carrying the GSAT-6 lifted off the launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at precisely 1652 hours. 17 minutes into the flight, the GSAT-6 entered the geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) soon after which the two solar arrays of the satellite were automatically deployed and the Master Control Facility (MCF) at Hassan in Karnataka took over control of the mission. Over the next few days, the orbit of the GSAT-6 was raised progressively and on the morning of September 6, 2015, the GSAT-6 was successfully positioned in its final orbital slot of 83 degrees East and is collocated with INSAT 4A, GSAT 12, GAAT 10 and IRNSS1C. The GSAT-6 will now be commissioned into service. The GSAT-6 is the 25th communications satellite and the 12th in the GSAT series that has been produced indigenously by ISRO so far. Congratulating the team of scientists of ISRO on the successful launch of the country’s latest communi-
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cation satellite, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described it as “Another day and another phenomenal accomplishment by our scientists!”. Success of this mission followed by appreciation by the Prime Minister will certainly help boost confidence levels of the scientific community in ISRO. The Communication Satellite Weighing 2,117 kg, the GSAT-6 is equipped with an antenna that is six metres in diameter, one of the largest built so far. This huge antenna that incorporates the latest technology is designed to provide communication link through five spot beams in S-band and a national beam in C-band. The GSAT-6 will be able to facilitate totally secure communications amongst the various establishments and units of India’s strategic forces even with small, hand-held devices whether it is for data, video or voice. This would be somewhat akin to having a cell phone tower in space! The user elements of the strategic forces that are widely dispersed or are deployed in remote locations, will thus remain effectively networked round the clock. This quantum jump in the capability to communicate is an indispensable prerequisite for the strategic forces of India to meet with the challenges of the network-centric warfare environment of the
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Space GSLV future. As the life expectancy of the GSAT-6 is only nine years extendable to 12, it will have to be replaced at the appropriate time to sustain the capability of uninterrupted communication. The Launch Vehicle The GSLV is an expendable satellite launch vehicle developed by ISRO in an effort to enhance the capability to launch satellites weighing from two to five tonnes and place them into a geostationary orbit at 36,000 km from Earth’s surface. The aim was also to reduce dependence on the space agencies of foreign nations for the launch of heavy communications satellites. The GSLV is a 49-metre tall, three-stage vehicle with solid, liquid and cryogenic stages respectively. The first stage has a motor that burns solid fuel, the second is fired with liquid fuel and the third stage has the cryogenic engine. The GSLV has an all-up weight of 425 tonnes on lift off. The GSLV has had somewhat of a troubled history of development. Its maiden launch on April 18, 2001, was not successful as the GSLV carrying GSAT-1 failed to reach the correct orbit. Thereafter, up to the most recent launch on August 27 this year, the GSLV was launched on eight more missions of which two met with only partial success and three ended in failure as these could not achieve the desired orbit. Cryogenic Technology A major challenge confronting ISRO in the saga of the development of the GSLV was to master the technology of cryogenic propulsion. A cryogenic engine is considered to be more efficient as it provides higher level of thrust for every kg of propellant burnt. The third stage which is the last stage of the GSLV, requires a cryogenic engine as it is this stage that provides the high thrust required to generate the velocity needed for the injection of the satellite into the desired orbit. The cryogenic engine generates thrust by combustion of a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen. These two elements are required to be stored at extremely low sub-zero temperatures in the GSLV’s fuel tanks to remain in liquid form. This poses a major technological challenge. India’s efforts in the early 1990s to acquire the technology from Glavkosmos Space Agency of the then Soviet Union for the indigenous development of the cryogenic engine by India did not succeed. In the face of objections raised by the United States that pointed out violation of the international Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), Glavkosmos backed out and cancelled the transfer of technology agreement for the development of cryogenic engine by India. However, for the GSLV project, India was able to purchase a few cryogenic engines from the then Soviet Union to get going. Simultaneously, ISRO embarked on an in-house effort to develop this technology. The flawless performance by the indigenous cryogenic engine for the second time has sent a clear signal to the world that despite sanctions imposed, Indian scientists had indeed mastered cryogenic technology. GSLV Operational Although ISRO’s GSLV programme in the initial stages had been plagued with failures, the scientists were not deterred. Through sheer grit and determination, the scientists grappled successfully with the problems and finally after two decades of effort, in 2014, ISRO successfully launched a GSLV-D5 rocket powered by an indigenous cryogenic engine. With
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this success, India joined the elite club as the sixth nation in the world to possess cryogenic technology. The other nations in this elite group are the US, Russia, Japan, France and China. The mission of the GSLV on August 27 this year was the second successful launch of the GSLV with the indigenous cryogenic engine and it was the third time that the power plant has been put to the test. This was also the second successful mission of GSLV during the last five years after the two major disasters in the year 2010. Incidentally, this was the first successful GSLV mission in the tenure of A.S. Kiran Kumar, the newly appointed Chairman of ISRO who assumed office on January 12 this year. The GSLV is now in a position to be declared as ‘Fully Operational’. Handsome Returns Through the successful development of the cryogenic engine, ISRO has not only scripted a new chapter in its history of involvement of its space technology, but has succeeded in ensuring substantial financial gains for the national economy. ISRO was dependent on the European Space Agency Ariane for the launch of heavy communication satellites for which the nation had to shell out humongous sums, as much as $90 million (`600 crore) against the fees charged for the launch. Indigenous capability will reduce the cost by around 66 per cent. The GSLV will not only help meet the nation’s requirement for better and more efficient communications, it will provide ISRO the capability to launch missions deep into space. Apart from these, the GSLV will provide ISRO fresh commercial opportunities in the global satellite launch market. The space agency has already established a good reputation in this area with its highly reliable Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). What is important at this stage is that ISRO must aim to establish reliability of the GSLV beyond any doubt as has been the case with the PSLV. The successful launch of the GSAT-6 and the GSLV earning the ‘Operational’ tag, is likely to pave the way for collaboration in space exploration between ISRO and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the US. As per Kiran Kumar, Chairman of ISRO, a joint project dubbed as NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) is being jointly planned. The project involves co-development of a dual frequency synthetic aperture radar that will use advanced imaging capable of providing an unprecedented detailed view of the Earth. The system will be capable of observation and measurement of some of the Earth’s most complex processes, including ecosystem disturbances, ice-sheet collapse and natural hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes and landslides. Project NISAR is expected to be undertaken in 2020-21.
The GSLV will not only help meet the nation’s requirement for more efficient communications, it will provide ISRO the capability to launch missions deep into space
The Future The next big challenge before ISRO is to achieve operational status for the GSLV Mk III that will have the capability to launch satellites weighing five tonnes. The GSLV Mk III will be nearly 200 tonnes heavier than the Mk II and will have a more powerful cryogenic engine that has already undergone ground test. Success in this project will enable ISRO to compete in the satellite launch market with the space agencies of the most advanced nations in the world. SP
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EXCLUSIVE SPANISH AMBASSADOR
looking ahead: Jayant Baranwal, Editor-in-Chief of SP’s Aviation with Ambassador of Spain in India, Gustavo de Aristegui
IAF is Exceptional:
Gustavo de Aristegui
Photograph: Sp guide pubns
The Ambassador of Spain in India, Gustavo de Aristegui, in an interaction with Jayant Baranwal, Editor-in-Chief of SP’s Aviation, explains how Spain has in the last about four years deepened ties with India and looks forward to strengthening the relationship based on trust and benefits. He specifically highlights the role of the Indian Air Force (IAF) during the recent crisis following the earthquake in Nepal where the IAF personnel showed exemplary dedication, commitment, camaraderie and humaneness. SP’s Aviation (SP’s): Could you tell us about your experience with the Indian Air Force during the crisis in Nepal after the earthquake? Gustavo de Aristegui (Aristegui): Yes, I have to tell you the story about the Indian Air Force which is beautifuI. I spoke to the Indian Air Force Chief several times for several reasons to help us with the VVIP government jet that was flying in with our foreign minister so that we could fly that jet and take our nationals out. We took back with the minister something like 50 people. We took out of Nepal in a different jet about 85 people. I was at the airport everyday and I saw the operations of Indian Air Force with my own eyes and I saw the professionalism, dedication of the men and women in uniform serving in those days. I was in absolute admiration of them of what I saw. I have a beautiful picture over there at the airport of Kathmandu with Air Vice Marshal Ukarjit Singh speaking with me. He was one
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of our interlocutors in the Nepal crisis almost every day. He is a fine gentlemen and a fine officer...really one of those great guys that you meet, and a real leader and you could see the respect of the pilots and staff. They flew rescue missions to look for Spaniards and other nationalities. We gave them the GPS codes and since they were mountaineers it was difficult finding them, but they helped us with our rescue team. You can see our military emergency unit in orange uniforms in the background (points at a photograph on the wall at his office) that were flown up to Lantang valley and flown out of Lantang valley. It was a real experience to have had the opportunity of sharing chai (tea) with my good friends of the Indian Air Force. There was lot of camaraderie. We gave Ukarjit Singh the flag which is the unit flag of the Spanish military emergency unit. It is called the ‘backpack flag’. It was used originally in the 16th and 17th century
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EXCLUSIVE SPANISH AMBASSADOR by Spanish soldiers. It became a common symbol of Spain’s armed forces and later went into disuse and was brought into use again in the early 20th century. We gave it to Air Vice Marshal at Kathmandu. It was very much an air operation that we ran over there those days. My support for the Spanish armed forces, in general and the projects that we are focusing on in India and because of our missions in Nepal, the Spanish Government gave me the highest Air Force decoration of the country about three weeks ago. It was a beautiful and emotional thing when I saw that the cabinet decided to give me the highest air force decoration in Spain. So I was very proud to have been part of the operations as the head of it. I already had a great deal of respect for the Indian armed forces and the IAF and I can tell you have one of the finest in the world and that your officers are true gentlemen, with feelings, with great deal of solidarity, courage, camaraderie really something that you can really feel proud of. They are exceptional. SP’s: We are very proud of our armed forces. Our soldiers and pilots are like the coconut...rough and rugged from the outside and soft from the inside. Aristegui: That is a good metaphor. I can tell you about the operation and the bigger picture as I saw it happening. The military operation of rescue and support to Nepal in the first hours after the tragedy was absolutely brilliant and I was really amazed to see all the action happening on the tarmac and the Indian C-17s, IL-76s, helicopters, Mi-17s, flying in and out of dangerous situations. You can have a perfect day in Kathmandu, absolutely crystal clear one moment and the next moment it could be horrible weather. You have to fly over those peaks and get into Lantang valley and all the valleys that the IAF flew, they had bad turbulences, bad storm of hale, low visibility and that was not an exception, it happened almost every day. That is what these people were facing every single day that they flew missions up there. And I was really impressed by their professionalism, their devotion, their patriotism and their solidarity. SP’s: Could you tell us about your views on India’s aggressive ‘Make in India’ initiative? Aristegui: We are in very much favour of ‘Make in India’ and we have told our interlocutors many times that. We have gone through similar phases in Spain. In yesteryears, we used to buy hardware from other countries, United States among others, we used to build somebody else’s designs, today we do the whole thing on our own. We want to be a partner with India in the defence industry and this why we had a visit of our Defence Minister in March and we have an upcoming visit of the Minister of State for Defence in end September. It is not only about transferring technology and building together in India, it is about developing technology together. We are very clear about this and we want this to be fulfilling partnership, based on trust, mutual respect and mutual beneficial conditions. Take the C295 which is 100 per cent Spanish. It is the L1 option of the IAF for the Avro replacement. It is best of the class and 21 air forces around the world have it and no other aircraft of this sort has that record. SP’s: So, you agree with ‘Make in India”? Aristegui: We are in favour of ‘Make in India’ and anxious to make in India in the aviation field. We are already there in renewable energy, sanitation or water treatment, etc.
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SP’s: How do you view your MRTT being offered to IAF? Aristegui: The MRTT is a phenomenal machine! It is 47 per cent Spanish project because all the refuelling technology especially the boom is Spanish. The design is accurate to the millimetre and it is unbeatable. It has won every tender to date. SP’s: Do you foresee any joint development with Indian authorities and Spanish authorities of programmes like A400 in future? Aristegui: I would like to see that in the future. It is very early. The A400 is the best aircraft ever built. It is a landmark, no matter what people may think happened in the civil, it was a disgraceful accident that happened and it was a software problem, but the plane is extraordinary. It is a turboprop that files as a commercial jet. It is the fastest turboprop. It is a 40-tonner plane, by the way the C295 is 9-tonner. It has extraordinary capacity and it is the biggest of the class. It has extraordinary capacity and can fly in high temperatures, it is an extraordinary plane. I am sure it is going to become a product on the wish list of the Indian Air Force because they want the best and it is only logical that they want the best. In its category it is more than two times than the C130—faster, better, more reliable and more fuel-efficient. What else can you ask from the plane? It is the state-of-the-art. It has a cockpit of a 380 and it cannot get better than that. SP’s: What do you think of the recent record-breaking order of IndiGo of 250 Airbus A320neo aircraft making a total of 530 A320 aircraft within a limited span of time? Aristegui: I know it is difficult business and that the volatility of the markets, the volatility of the price of fuel and oil is affecting the profitability and the stability of the business. It is obvious. But in this environment it is very amazing to see such brilliant executives as most Indian airlines have. In many aspects they have created trends...for example, in negotiation. IndiGo is not just about buying planes at a reasonable price, negotiating well with the manufacturers of aircraft or manufacturers of engines. It is about financial engineering, it is about their management, it is about their structure cost, it is about their personnel management, their human resources and it is really quite amazing. I can tell you that I have flown in all Indian carriers, absolutely all of them and I like all of them. SP’s: What are the reasons for you to like them? Aristegui: Everyone has specificity. For example, IndiGo is very efficient and very much on time and its personnel are warm. I like the formula of GoAir with these two front rows and an empty seat in the middle. I like it a lot. GoAir is really one of my favourites. I like the new SpiceJet. I have a great deal of respect for Ajay Singh, the CEO of SpiceJet. During the Nepal crisis we had over 700 Spaniards stranded in Nepal. We ended up evacuating 350 and the vast majority of them through Delhi, mostly on commercial flights. We had a concentration of about 300 Spaniards on the night of April 26 in the facilities of San Jose, a Spanish company that is refurbishing and enlarging the airport of Kathmandu. We were not getting permission to land our government jet in Kathmandu and the Indian Foreign Minister Mrs. Sushma Swaraj who was hosting the Spanish Foreign Minister that night gave me the contact of Ajay Singh. They were operating normally from Kathmandu and they were operating with commendable spirit of service. We were able to take out 40 Spaniards and on other SpiceJet flights also several dozen Spanish nationals were evacuated and it was thanks to his generosity and his humane vision of the crisis. SP
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Civil
Regional Aviation
Southern Comfort
taking the lead: Air costa paved the path of business from southern part of india
Presently, India has 14 scheduled operators including one cargo operator and three regional operators, all the three from South India BY R. Chandrakanth
Photograph: Embraer
I
In June 2014, the NDA Government which was just one month old then approved applications by six airlines, three of them regional. Of these, the first one to take-off was Hyderabadbased Turbo Megha. Subsequently, Air Pegasus became the second regional airline to get off the block, after Vijayawada-based Air Costa that had commenced operations in late 2013. In all, three regional airlines are in operation and all these are from South India, connecting largely the Southern towns and also some upcountry destinations. The government had approved applications by six airlines – Air One Aviation Pvt Ltd, Zexus Air and Premier Air— which wanted to become national airlines and Turbo Megha, Air Carnival and Zav Airways under the regional airlines category. Premier Air and Air Carnival are again South India-based companies intending to plunge into airline business. These applications were pending for a long time and now even after the Ministry’s nod some of them are yet to take-off. Considering India’s geographical area and economics of flying short haul, there is enormous opportunity for regional airlines to move in with a proper route network plan and come good. Focus on Regional Network From the time, Ashok Gajapathy Raju has taken charge as the Minister of Civil Aviation, he has been insisting on developing
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regional connectivity and recently when SP’s Aviation interacted with him during the Paris International Airshow, he reiterated the government’s resolve of focusing on regional aviation. A slew of incentives including tax reliefs have been offered to regional airlines, but it remains to be seen how many are going to take up the challenge. And South India has taken the lead. A number of Tier-II and Tier-III cities have started getting frequent air connectivity. These are Hubli, Belgavi, Mysore and Mangalore in Karnataka; Vijayawada, Rajahmundry, Tirupati, Kadapa and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh; Salem, Coimbatore, Madurai and Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu. Besides, Air Costa also connects to some cities in North India. Presently, India has 14 scheduled operators including one cargo operator and three regional operators, all the three from South India. Vijayawada-based Air Costa has been on the rise. In a little over a year since it launched operations, it declared profits at a time when most airlines, barring of course low-cost carrier IndiGo, were floundering. South One Up on North What are the reasons that the South is doing better than the North. One of the reasons is that the two enterprises Air Pegasus and Turbo Megha which now flies under the brand name Trujet, are airline companies as offshoots of aviation business, both having been
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Civil Regional Aviation in ground handling and other allied aviation activities. However, Air Costa promoters are from infrastructure and real estate background. The other reason, according to Umesh of Turbo Megha, is that there are a number of underserved and unserved markets in India. These markets have potential and are points which can be connected easily to one of the city hubs be it Chennai, Bengaluru or Hyderabad, international airports which are flourishing with significant growth in both domestic and international traffic. Aviation Friendly Policies Another factor which has boosted regional aviation is the friendly policies of the state governments in South India. Andhra Pradesh has tax incentives on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) for regional airlines. The state government has stated that it will provide incentives to airlines to enhance intra- and inter-state air connectivity These are underwriting specific number of airline seats or certain percentage of the capacity of the aircraft as assessed by the government, providing an airline seat subsidy for airlines operating to specified airports in the state on specified routes based on traffic levels through competitive bidding and lower VAT on ATF at airports in the state. Presently, VAT on ATF in the state is one per cent. Air Costa and Turbo Megha are benefiting from these friendly policies. Air Costa, belonging to the Vijayawada group LEPL Projects, got its air operator’s permit on September 18, 2013, valid for five years. Air Costa has gone in for Brazilian aircraft,the Embraer jets. It has four in its fleet, two ERJ-170100LR (67 seater) and two ERJ-190-100 STD (112 seater). At the 2014 Singapore Air Show it ordered 50 E-Jets, the deliveries of which are to begin in 2017.
Trujet Eyeing Unserved Markets The latest entrant is Turbo Megha Airways from Hyderabad under the brand name Trujet. The airline is backed by Turbo Aviation, an established ground-services company in Hyderabad. It is promoted by Vankayalapati Umesh and Telugu actor Ram Charan Tej. The regional airline received its operator’s licence on July 7, 2015, with validity for one year. It has one ATR 72 aircraft with seating capacity of 72. It is planning to acquire more aircraft and is connecting Hyderabad to Tirupati, Rajahmundry, Chennai and Aurangabad as of now. Trujet Managing Director Umesh is pinning hopes on the ‘underserved and/or unserved’ markets in India. In the last ten years of aviation growth, airlines, he avers, have just scratched the surface, considering the country’s geography and economic momentum from not just the mega cities but also from smaller towns. The airline has identified 18 cities including Vijayawada, Tirupati, Rajahmundry, Visakhapatnam, Coimbatore, Salem, Kadapa, Mangalore, Hubli and Belgaum in the initial phase of its operations. The company plans to deploy ATR and also Embraer ERJ-145 aircraft (50 seater) to capture the nascent market.
Air Costa Flies Millionth Passenger In June 2015, Air Costa hit a milestone when it flew its millionth passenger from Bengaluru to Hyderabad. Celebrating this milestone, the airline offered a flat discount of `1,000 on economy and economy plus class tickets over the fiveday celebratory period. The airline currently operates 32 daily flights and connects nine cities – Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Tirupati, Coimbatore, Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada.
FlyEasy, Waiting in the Wings Another regional airline based out of Bengaluru – FlyEasy promoted by ABC Aviation and Training, has made an application with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for air operator’s permit and is expected to get it end of year or early 2016. FlyEasy has started hiring pilots for the demonstration phase which takes into account the flight safety parameters that carriers have to follow. Unconfirmed reports are that the airline has plans of going national. The Chief Executive Officer, Finn Thaulow, a Norwegian, has stated that the airline will focus initially on routes that are new or presently underserved with Embraer E-190 aircraft. It plans to connect Varanasi, Ranchi, Indore and Bhubaneswar. Yet another airline, Air Carnival has applied for the permit. Air Carnival is planning to have its operating base in Coimbatore with plans of providing point-to-point connectivity in South India. The airline plans to operate ATR 72-500.
Air Pegasus Links Three States Unlike Air Costa which is operating Embraer Jets, the other new regional entrant Air Pegasus has deployed ATR turboprop aircraft. Bengaluru-based Air Pegasus has been promoted by Decor Aviation founded by Shyson Thomas. Decor Aviation is one of the largest ground-handling service providers in South India, having presence at all major airports including in key cities such as Bengaluru, Chennai, Cochin and Thiruvananthapuram. Air Pegasus got its air operator’s permit on March 24, 2015 with validity of one year. The airline has two ATR 72 aircraft with seating capacity of 66. It is connecting destinations such as Hubli, Kadapa, Madurai, Mangalore, Thiruvananthapuram from Bengaluru and Chennai. Air Pegasus has an advantage due to the Government of India policy which has done away with communication, route navigation, flight landing and parking charges for this category of aircraft. Airports can earn only user development fee and passenger service fee from ATR operations and this certainly is expected to boost smaller flights.
Hoping for a Ripple Effect There is a lot of activity in the aviation sector in the South and it is hoped that it will have a ripple effect. Up North, Zav airways has got the green signal from the Ministry to operate services in the East and North-eastern regions. Zav Airways plans to start scheduled air services from its base in Kolkata to Eastern and North-eastern cities such as Aizawl, Bhubaneswar, Ranchi and Patna with L-410 turbojet, a twin-engine short-range aircraft, manufactured by Czech aircraft manufacturer LET. There have been media reports of Religare and KRC Aviation wanting to float regional airlines in North India. There is room for more, except that they should get their revenue models right. Presently, less than three per cent of India’s population have the capacity to fly, compared to figures in developed countries. The government has to create the right ecosystem to get the aviation sector in general and the regional aviation in particular going.The Minister of Civil Aviation appears to be “on the right track”... or should we say “on the runway”! SP
Another factor which has boosted regional aviation is the friendly policies of the state governments in South India
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B R E IT L IN G . C O M
Business Aviation
Air Charter
Cessna citation CJ2
Fraught with Challenges The government should take decisive steps to improve infrastructure, nurture healthy competition, rationalise taxes and airport charges and such other liberal policies to boost growth in this sector
Photograph: Cessna
BY R. Chandrakanth
P
Private charter travel was a concept very sparingly used in India till a few decades ago. Most of it was spoken of in connection with the super rich of the country like the Tatas, Birlas and a few others, some of whom have their own private jets. Or one saw the Indian film industry use small planes and helicopters either as part of the scene or to transport film crew to distant locales. And then there is the breed of politicians who have used charter service not just for electioneering but also for routine visits to their constituencies. Over the years, the sector opened up to a broader section of Indian demographics—companies, high net-worth individuals and others started seeing the benefits of charter travel, either for work,for leisure or for pilgrimage. The growth of the private jet market in India has been closely linked to the charter business. The private jet market has started showing signs of slow recovery after the major economic deba-
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cle in 2008-10. And now with India becoming a manufacturing hub and increasing economic momentum, the demand for private jets has also been witnessing an upward trend, though not commensurate with the potential. One of the drivers for the upward trend has been the growing number of high net-worth individuals who value time and privacy while travelling. According to a Forbes report, there are over 45 billionaires in India and a healthy number of millionaires. India’s ever-growing middle class has been estimated to be somewhere around 250 million and their aspirations are always rising. New Growth Centres Another factor that is generating interest in aviation is the transformation of Tier-II and Tier-III cities which are expanding exponentially. It is not just the mega cities such as Delhi, Chen-
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Business Aviation Air Charter nai, Mumbai and Bengaluru that are attracting investments, the Tier-II and Tier-III cities are coming on the radar, reflecting India’s international business interests expanding beyond the metropolis. Today, customers looking for chartered services come from different fields and with varying requirements. It could be an iron ore mining baron, an executive of an oil company, diamond traders, politicians, film and media companies, event management companies or medical evacuation who have been requisitioning services of air charter companies. Today, the world over, there is increased awareness regarding value of time and also the compulsion to keep up with the fast pace of life. Indian executives are no exception. The growing demand for connectivity to smaller cities and remote areas is also fuelling the growth of charter operators. The choice of customers with regard to the aircraft is varied, giving rise to different categories of acquisitions by air charter companies, depending on their business model. According to media reports, the highest charter demand is for Cessna Citation CJ2 aircraft followed by jets such as the Citation XL, Hawker 800, King Air B200; Gulfstream G200; Phenom 100, Phenom 300; Falcon, etc, which have been extensively used by tourists and executive air travel requirement. Large cabin long range jets like Gulfstream
G550 and Dassault Falcon 2000 LX have been favoured by multinational corporations for international travel. All this translates into a rosy picture for the private operators. Many players are entering the market. The number of non-scheduled operators, many of them charter, is 126 as of September 1, 2015. There are a total of 356 aircraft including fixed-and rotary-wing and also hot air balloons in the list of non-scheduled operator’s permits (NSOPs) of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Hurdles to Cross All this data looks very promising, but not without hurdles. Infrastructure issues like airports not having separate terminals for charters except Delhi and Mumbai continue to bog down the sector. Issues of availability of skilled manpower especially first pilots or commanders and highly volatility in fuel prices have had negative impact on charter operations. Then there is bureaucratic red tape as well as high airport charges that are not commensurate with the business. The sector has not catapulted to the next level as undue delays in air-
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Business Aviation Air Charter
Gulfstream G550
Photograph: Gulfstream
craft acquisition have stymied the growth to a certain extent. For instance, charter firms are finding it difficult to get hangar space and parking lots with privately operated airports, such as the ones in Mumbai and Delhi that give preference to scheduled airline operators that pay more. Unlike in other nations, India does not have dedicated landing space and repair units for small aircraft operators. Countries like Singapore and Indonesia, the US, UK and France have satellite airports catering to small aircraft operators. There is no dedicated facility of heliports for helicopters. Therefore, all are operating out of Delhi airport. Business jets have to wait till civil airplanes land or takeoff. Helicopters have to wait on the ground for at least 30 to 40 minutes against ten minutes at an airport dedicated for rotary-wing operations. High Import Duties Aircraft that fall in the private category including charter operators, have to pay import duties adding up to 19.6 per cent, including a 2.5 per cent basic customs duty. In comparison, airline operators only pay a customs duty of 2.5 per cent and are exempted from duty components like a countervailing duty and a special additional duty imposed on private airplane operators There have been several instances of charter companies running from pillar to post to get the NSOP from DGCA. And the DGCAs Air Operator Certificate Manual, a 267-page rulebook also called CAP 3100, lays down 36 checklists for each operator. Each lists additional compliance tasks and resultant checks. CAP 3100 has translated into long delays in getting permits and huge losses for both, the new entrants and the existing players. The DGCA introduced CAP 3100 to comply with a safety audit by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). According to an NSOP aspirant, CAP3100 has also led to a massive increase in operating costs. It requires an NSOP to create 11 compulsory posts. Hiring of this scale makes operations unaffordable for a small operator with one or two aircraft. However. the government is inclined to solve problems faced by charter operators. The DGCA has amended its proposal to bar jet operators from commercial flying if they do not have
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a three aircraft fleet. It has come up with a new rule reducing the minimum requirement of planes to one. This has also been done to increase air connectivity. Chetan Khurana, Charter Sales Manager at Chapman Freeborn India, believes that charter aviation has a bright future in India provided the government pitches in and takes serious steps to safeguard its future growth. The operators should be allowed high rate of utilisation of available fleet which would reduce costs. The government should take decisive steps to improve infrastructure, nurture healthy competition, rationalise taxes and airport charges and adopt such other liberal policies to boost the growth of this sector. Taj Air, the air charter company owned by the Tata Group, wants to expand its operations and add one more aircraft to its fleet of three, but has been forced to do a rethink. “The present aviation scenario is restricting growth of our charter business,” Atiesh Mishra, Director of Operations, Taj Air, has been quoted in the media. “In fact, we want to ramp up our operations in business aviation. But thanks to infrastructure constraints and high taxation, many corporate houses are limiting their operations. There is no space to expand aircraft fleet in Mumbai airport. Airports at Ahmedabad and Delhi have similar stories.” Private Jets Up for Sale At least 15 to 20 planes owned by business houses, charter services and individuals are up for sale, as the high cost of operations and lack of adequate infrastructure make the general aviation sector a tough market to crack. Apart from charter operators, some companies that own private jets are also choosing to give them up for a variety of reasons. “I know that several companies are selling their planes. These companies are keeping the sale process confidential as it is embarrassing for them,” Bharat Malkani, Chairman of Max Aerospace and Aviation Ltd, told the media. Despite all these hurdles, Bombardier in its forecast has anticipated that the private jet market will double in size in the next five years, stating that India’s fleet will increase from just 125 private jets in 2012 to 1,415 in 2032. SP
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Civil
Infrastructure
Infrastructure for ATF? Under the proposed special purpose vehicle it is mandated to set up fuel farms to be operated on the lines of an open access model across major airports
illustration: Sp guide pubns
BY R. Chandrakanth
F
For some years now, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has been mulling over the idea of setting up common infrastructure for supplying aviation turbine fuel (ATF) across all major airports as to facilitate direct import of ATF by airlines and also to improve facilities at airports. Several meetings have been held with officials from the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas and the oil companies. However, a breakthrough is yet to happen. Recently, the AAI held a round of consultations with senior officials from the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Indian Oil
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Corporation (IOC), Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL). The proposal, once implemented, would help airlines realise their plans to import jet fuel directly. The authority is contemplating to set up a special purpose vehicle (SPV) along with state-owned oil marketing companies to develop common infrastructure to import and store ATF. One of the benefits of such a common facility would be that it would substantially lower user charges up to ten per cent.
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Civil Infrastructure Special Purpose Vehicle The proposed SPV would have the mandate to set up fuel farms to be operated on the lines of an open access model across major airports. The open access model is claimed to be a one-of-itskind initiatives in India. It is currently under implementation at the Delhi and Hyderabad international airports. Under this arrangement, common storage facilities are set up for utilisation by any oil marketing company (OMC) in lieu of a predetermined fee. Any oil company can supply fuel to airlines according to a mutually decided agreement, resulting in increased competition and thereby enhanced service and competitive pricing. The airlines in turn, have a choice of fuel suppliers to source from. According to reports, the SPV would be an equity-led facility and IOC has reportedly asked for 37.5 per cent equity; AAI 25 per cent and BPCL and HPCL 20.25 per cent each. But AAI is not in agreement with this arrangement and is seeking higher stake as it would be providing land for setting up common infrastructure and that land was the costliest element. AAI has sought a 50 per cent stake. Amber Dubey, Partner and India Head of Aerospace and Defence at global consultancy KPMG, has been quoted in the media saying, “The government should completely unbundle the ownership of the ATF transmission infrastructure and the ATF flowing therein. Unbundling of transmission infrastructure and distribution in power sector led to greater efficiency, accountability and quality of service. Open access to ATF transmission infrastructure will enhance competition between ATF producers and importers and bring down costs. This is already happening at the few airports where open access for ATF had been enabled. ATF is the single largest cost item for airlines and every thousand rupees saved adds at least four hundred rupees to the airlines’ troubled bottom line.”
directly; but due to lack of infrastructure for storage the airlines could not bring this to levels desired. SpiceJet Shelves Pilot Project SpiceJet was the first to plunge into direct import of ATF with a pilot project in Kochi. It had signed an agreement with Reliance Industries Ltd for technical support including fuel testing, quality control services, etc, at its coastal terminal. SpiceJet was hoping to import 15 per cent of its fuel requirement but then the logistics of it subsequently made the airline shelve the project. Under the pilot project, the imported ATF was being stored and tested for quality at a private tank at the Kochi port. Subsequently, it was carried in trucks or tankers to a common fuel tank at the Kochi airport. The airline paid rent for the use of storage tanks. A SpiceJet spokesperson had told the media then: “We did a proof of concept last year and then decided to put the idea on hold. Theoretically, importing ATF is a great opportunity to reduce fuel costs; but we do not think that we are still ready for it yet.” IndiGo imports Small Percentage of ATF Profitable low-cost carrier IndiGo is also directly importing ATF into Southern ports for feeding some of its flights. In a recent interview, the IndiGo President and Executive Director Aditya Ghosh said the airline was importing ATF and that it was a very small percentage. Asked whether the share would go up, he had responded by saying: “Well, it depends on what happens with domestic taxes as well. In the domestic market, a lot of airports are gradually bringing their fuel taxes down, whether it is Bagdogra, Vizag, Jaipur or Dimapur. There are several cities in India which are gradually lowering tax on ATF and if that continues to happen, then maybe, we do not need to import fuel. I’m very hopeful on that.” Though ATF prices have come down, fuel costs continue to constitute a high percentage (between 35 and 40 per cent) of operational expenses of an airline in India. Airline profitability depends so much on ATF prices.
Though ATF prices have come down, fuel costs continue to constitute a high percentage of operational expenses of an airline in India
Naresh Chandra Committee Recommendations The Naresh Chandra Committee in its report on civil aviation had cited that the government-owned oil companies enjoyed exclusive privilege over supply (domestic and imported) of ATF and control fuel hydrants and associated infrastructure located at the airports. All the three government-owned oil companies continued to charge the same price. Furthermore, an examination of the fuel price at various points in the supply chain suggests that these companies may be overcharging at the expense of air carriers. The committee was of the firm view that the monopoly of government-owned companies in the supply of ATF is grossly incongruent with the ongoing process of liberalisation in the oil sector. Accordingly, the committee recommended that airlines should be allowed to source ATF from the supplier of their choice. In order to facilitate this process, the committee further suggested that the AAI should offer to buy out the fuel supply hydrants and associated infrastructure of the governmentowned oil companies and provide all oil companies equitable access to such facilities. Alternatively, the government-owned oil companies should be required to provide private oil companies access to these facilities based on a ‘common user/carrier’ principle. In either case, given that abuse of monopoly power cannot be ruled out and fuel supply infrastructure at airports should come under the purview of the proposed Aviation Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA). Based on the Naresh Chandra Committee recommendations, the government in 2012 allowed airlines to import fuel
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ATF Prices Down On September 1, 2015, ATF prices were slashed by a hefty 11.7 per cent. In Delhi, ATF prices were cut by `5,469.12 per kilolitre and it will now cost `40,938.24 per kilolitre. This was the second steepest reduction in ATF prices since January 1, 2015, when the OMCs had lowered prices of fuel by `7,520 per kilolitre. With the latest price cut, ATF prices have halved in percentage from a peak of around `80,000 last year, thanks to the meltdown in international crude oil prices. If airlines import jet fuel directly, they would have to pay only customs and countervailing duty. But the logistical challenges make it economically unviable. To import two things are imperative— tank at a coastal area and pipeline connectivity from the coast to the airport. This is logistically challenging for an airline. Currently, carriers procure fuel from state oil marketing companies who import crude, process it locally and distribute it to airlines across the country. This requires infrastructure such as storage tanks and pipelines, as well as trucks and tankers.The oil companies are geared for this task. If the SPV comes through, then airlines would stand to benefit substantially. The SPV needs a major push from both the Civil Aviation and Petroleum Ministries. SP
ISSUE 9 • 2015
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Special
Message iaf Chief
•
T
his year the Indian Air Force completes 83 years of unparalleled service to the Nation. On this momentous occasion we salute our esteemed Air Veterans for their tenacity, astute leadership and sheer ingenuity that built IAF’s rich legacy, brick by brick and steered its path towards modernisation and transformation. We are immensely indebted to our brave pioneers who endured tremendous hardship during the formative years of the IAF. Over several decades IAF has taken great strides in transforming itself into a formidable force with multispectrum capability. Today, it ranks amongst the most competent and respected Air Forces in the world. The challenges of transformation in terms of creation of appropriate infrastructure, training of air-warriors in absorbing high-end technology and expeditious operationalisation of weapon systems are being met through dedicated hard work and professional competence. With the induction of new generation aircraft, IAF has acquired greater capacity for air-lift and strategic reach which has enabled effective conduct of Out of Area Contingency Operations. Forthcoming inductions such as MMRCA, Attack Helicopters, Heavy Lift Helicopters, Force Enhancers, SAGW and AD radars along with upgrading of airfield infrastructure and communications network will provide unprecedented operational capabilities to the IAF. Our Nation reposes a high degree of trust in IAF’s capabilities to respond promptly and effectively to any contingency. During the major rescue operation ‘Op Maitri’, launched in aid of earthquake devastated Nepal, IAF responded swiftly to meet the challenge.
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Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha pvsm avsm vm adc
Air support provided during the evacuation of Indian Nationals from war-torn Yemen, Search and Rescue operations and continual missions being flown towards Air Maintenance in the North and North-East have earned us accolades from the entire Nation. The IAF will continue to remain exclusive for its exceptional professional standards but totally inclusive when it comes to serving the people of India. Our people are our most valuable assets and in consonance with IAF’s vision “People First Mission Always” we have reviewed our Human Resources Policies to ensure professional growth of our airwarriors. Creation and upgradation of infrastructure for sports and games, living accommodation and auditoriums have provided an impetus to enhanced quality of life and standard of living of our personnel. As we rededicate ourselves, we take the opportunity to honour our martyrs and war veterans. Events towards ‘Commemoration of 1965 War’ were organised throughout the year. My best wishes to SP’s Aviation team for informative and credible reportage on aerospace issues over the past five decades. On behalf of all air-warriors, I compliment SP’s Aviation team for the special issue on Air Force Day and wish them success in their future endeavours. Jai Hind!
Air Chief Marshal Chief of the Air Staff Indian Air Force
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Special
CAS INterview
Scaling New Heights! On the occasion of the 83rd Anniversary of the Indian Air Force (IAF), Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, PVSM, AVSM, VM, ADC, Chief of the Air Staff and Chairman, Chiefs of the Staff Committee, spoke to Jayant Baranwal, Editor-in-Chief, SP’s Aviation SP’s Aviation (SP’s): With India emerging as a regional power, the nation will justifiably aspire for leadership in the region. In this context, what in your view would be the role and responsibilities bestowed upon the IAF? Chief of the Air Staff (CAS): The IAF has been given the role and responsibilities to remain a modern, flexible and professional aerospace power with full spectrum capability to protect and further national interests and objectives. It is the responsibility of the IAF to offer sovereign options to the political leadership and the IAF endeavours to be the first responder to contingencies. The IAF today is moving ahead confidently on its growth path towards acquiring state-of-the-art cutting-edge technologies and we have made very good progress in this regard. The acquisition of modern technology weapons and platforms has greatly enhanced our all-weather operational capability, besides enhancing our strategic reach. The IAF’s strategic footprint and capabilities serve the ends of military diplomacy and nation building. SP’s: In a unipolar world of today, in your view, what course must India adopt to achieve a balance of power in the region vis-à-vis China? CAS: Threat and security assessment is a natural and ongoing process for a country to ensure its national security. We are enhancing our capability to meet various multidimensional threats that
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we may have to address in the future. Our modernisation plan and infrastructure development is in sync with our endeavour to retain a ‘Combat and Capability Edge’. The IAF’s focus is on its capability enhancement and is not country-specific. SP’s: In view of the problems afflicting the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s (HAL) intermediate jet trainer (IJT) programme and the uncertainty of time frame in which the jet trainer could be made available, what are the options before the IAF to replace the ageing Kiran fleet? CAS: We had inducted the Pilatus PC-7 Mk II aircraft for Stage-I flying training of ab-initio pilots. The feedback indicates that the PC-7 Mk II, with its state-of-the-art cockpit displays and avionics, is an excellent basic trainer aircraft which can also undertake several facets of Stage-II or intermediate level training. The Hawk advanced jet trainer (AJT) is already integrated into the IAF’s training pattern. Both these trainer aircraft are supported by effective simulators. Hence, the IAF has initiated the process for conducting a flying training pattern based on two aircraft types: viz PC-7 Mk II and Hawk AJT, to replace the ‘three aircraft – three stages’ programme that had so far been in place. Limited number of flight cadets have already commenced training on this pattern and the numbers will be gradually enhanced with increase in the number of PC-7 Mk II aircraft on the inventory of the IAF.
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CAS Interview SP’s: With Airbus Helicopters joining hands with the Mahindra Group and Russia likely to partner with HAL, both to produce light utility helicopters to replace the Cheetah/ Chetak fleet, what would be the fate of HAL’s plan to develop an indigenous platform? CAS: HAL’s light utility helicopter (LUH) is an indigenous development and is presently at design and development stage with active involvement of the IAF. In the interim, the IAF has recently signed a contract with HAL for the procurement of 10 Cheetal helicopters to make good its immediate shortfall in operational requirement. Arrival of Mahindra Group will increase the competition and the country will stand to benefit from it. SP’s: Can you please provide us with an update on some of the major acquisition programmes which have been in the pipeline – for example, A330 MRTT aerial tanker, Apache and Chinook helicopters as well as Special Mission Aircraft? CAS: The Indian Air Force is continually enhancing its capabilities across the entire spectrum of current and envisaged roles. Towards this, contracts for procurement of heavy-lift helicopters and attack helicopters have already been signed with Boeing and the US Government by the Ministry of Defence. Flight refuelling aircraft, additional C-130 aircraft and AWACS are at an advanced stage of processing. SP’s: Could you please give us your views on the recent reports in the media about the global tender that will be floated for 90 combat aircraft to be manufactured in India under the ‘Make in India’ scheme? CAS: As of now, we are progressing the case for the procurement of 36 Rafale aircraft from France under an Inter-Governmental Agreement. A decision on induction of additional fighter aircraft would be taken by the government.
SP’s: There is a general belief that UCAVs and UAVs will play a major role and will occupy predominant position in military aviation in the future. What is the IAF’s perspective and plans if any in this regard? CAS: The IAF has been closely monitoring the growing role of remotely-piloted aircraft (RPA) in the military domain. We have plans for enhancing the RPA fleet of the IAF over the next few years. This will involve increasing their numbers as well as capabilities. The indigenous medium altitude long endurance (MALE) UAV ‘Rustom II’ is under development by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The future scenarios will be a mix of manned and unmanned platforms capable of responding to the entire spectrum of threats. SP’s: How has IAF benefited from Exercise Indradhanush that was conducted in July this year jointly with the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the UK? Would you like to comment on the reports in the media about the claims of superior performance by both the IAF and RAF? Could this not have been avoided? CAS: IAF undertakes bilateral exercises with various friendly foreign countries like the US, UK, France, Oman, UAE, Singapore and Russia. The overall aim of these exercises is to enhance mutual understanding of different air forces. It exposes IAF aircrew to near real-time scenarios under safe and controlled conditions and presents opportunity for the aircrew to tackle new types of aerial and ground threats in large force engagements. Exercises with friendly foreign countries are carried out in a controlled and simulated environment with mutually agreed Rules of Engagement. Since the actual capability of the participating aircraft is not used fully, such international exercises do not reveal the actual wartime performance of various aircraft. Classic wins/losses in such exer-
Photograph: airbus defence and space
SP’s: How do you perceive the future of ‘Make in India’ programme especially as HAL has failed to meet with SQRs laid down by the IAF for the light combat aircraft (LCA) that has taken 32 years to get IOC? CAS: The ‘Make in India’ thrust is not organisation-specific. It envisages a comprehensive and synergised national effort involving the private as well as the public sector, towards achieving a high level of self-reliance in all fields of aircraft manufacturing. There is a need to build up our manufacturing
capacities and also to undertake intensive skill development of the workforce to enable it to handle the latest technologies and best practices. The opportunities available in defence manufacturing, especially in the aviation sector, are multifarious and the future is certainly bright for the growth of indigenous defence and more specifically, the aerospace industry.
at advanced stage of processing: A330 MRTT in Indian coloUrs
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CAS Interview
enroute india: attack helicopter apache (on left) and chinook heavy-lift in action
cises with friendly foreign air forces cannot be quantified. Conduct of such exercises with professional air forces of the world establishes interoperability, exposure to best practices in air operations and mutual respect for professionalism amongst air warriors.
Photographs: US Army, UK Mod
SP’s: Can you provide an update on the case of appointment of a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)? CAS: The creation of CDS is an incremental process and has been supported by the three Services and other agencies. As per recommendations of the Naresh Chandra Task Force, the Chairman COSC would be one of the three Service Chiefs appointed by the government and would be the single-point contact between the government and the three Services. He would thus be the fourth four-star officer who would also be responsible for the various Tri-Service Operational Commands. The Service Chiefs will continue to exercise operational control and staff functions over their respective Services and have direct access to the Raksha Mantri. The proposed set up will allow HQ IDS under the Chairman COSC to function as an effective advisory system to the government on matters of policy, joint acquisitions, joint capability building and training. The issue is pending with the government. SP’s: What are the areas in which IAF is collaborating with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in the regime of manned space flights in the future? CAS: At present, IAF is actively involved with ISRO for the requirements of space. The prospect of manned space flight would be considered at the appropriate time. SP’s: What are the measures being taken towards boosting of the morale of the ‘Man behind the Machine’ in the IAF? CAS: The IAF vision states: ‘People First, Mission Always’. Peo-
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ple are the most important assets of the IAF and therefore the professional growth of all air warriors and their morale are vital KRAs (key result areas) of all our Commanders. Towards that, we have ensured transparent implementation of policy giving adequate and equal opportunity to all for professional growth. There is a merit-based system in place to select personnel for challenging appointments and promotions. We have regular interaction for personal requirements of any individual in need through choice posting, which meets both organisational and individual requirements, subject to service exigencies. Also, collocation posting requests by serving married couples are viewed favourably as far as possible and within the constraints of administrative and operational feasibility. There are various open forums, online and otherwise, that have been instituted where air warriors can approach senior leadership to address various HR and administrative issues. Suitable grievance redressal mechanisms have also been put in place. Great emphasis is being laid on enhancing the standard of living and quality of life by providing better educational facilities for children, accommodation, sports infrastructure, secured clean and green environment, modern shopping complexes, entertainment facilities, etc. Women officers of the IAF have proven to be a force to reckon with and have stood shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts. We are indeed very proud of them. The policy on employment of women in combat roles would normally be based on Tri-Service recommendations taking into consideration unique service conditions. We have made progress on the employment of women officers since their induction in 1992 in all branches including the Flying Branch. The IAF operational environment is suited for induction of women in fighter flying. This would be a progressive step to fulfil the aspirations of young women of India. SP
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@SafranIndia
Special
Fighters
Rafale:
So Near, So Far
Photograph: dassault aviation
Inordinate delay in the finalisation of the deal for 36 Rafale jets could well undermine the efforts of the IAF to modernise its combat fleet
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BY Air Marshal B.K. Pandey (Retd)
In the beginning of the last decade, the Indian Air Force (IAF) was confronted with a serious dilemma over the impact on its operational potential as a sizeable part of its fleet of combat aircraft was going to be overtaken by obsolescence in not too distant a future. What was of concern was that there was no ready solution in sight to replace the fleets that were heading for retirement from service. Bulk of the fleets of MiG-21 and the MiG-27 family of fighter aircraft were approaching the end of their total technical life after which these would have to be phased out. Also, the Indian aerospace industry in the public sector was maintaining remarkable consistency in missing deadlines in respect of the indigenously designed and developed light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk I which was meant to be a replacement for the MiG-21 fleet. Case for MMRCA In the year 2000, the IAF initiated a case for the procurement of 126 light-weight combat platforms weighing around 15 tonnes. These were intended to be employed primarily in the air
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defence role and were required to possess limited strike capability. A request for information for this platform which was designated as multi-role combat aircraft (MRCA) was issued in 2001. However, the initial proposal was soon modified at Air Headquarters (Air HQ) and the Staff Qualitative Requirements were revised to increase the upper limit of weight to 25 tonnes. The required platform was defined as medium multirole combat aircraft (MMRCA). However, it took six years of interaction between Air HQ and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for the request for proposal (RFP) for the MMRCA to be finally issued in August 2007. After an elaborate technical and flight evaluation of the six contenders who had responded to the RFP, as also taking into account the commercial bids submitted by the two vendors shortlisted, on January 31, 2012, the Rafale from the French aerospace major Dassault Aviation was declared as the preferred platform with the Eurofighter Typhoon as the second option. The plan was for the selected original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to deliver the first 18 aircraft in a flyaway con-
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Fighters dition and build in India the remaining 108 in collaboration with the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) supposedly with transfer of technology. As per the RFP, HAL was designated as the Indian partner and the lead integrator. However, the contract negotiations remained deadlocked over disagreements on several issues between the two parties concerned, the primary bone of contention being reluctance on the part of Dassault Aviation to accept responsibility with regard to quality and delivery schedule of the aircraft manufactured by HAL. Even after nearly eight years of effort by the IAF and Dassault Aviation, the contract for the MMRCA could not be finalised as the negotiations had hit a seemingly insurmountable roadblock.
also of the fourth-generation urgently. In fact, the proposal for the MMRCA had a provision to even go up to a total acquisition of 200 aircraft equivalent of 9.5 squadrons. But as all this regrettably has turned out to be only a shattered dream. At this point in time, the negotiations for 36 Rafale jets if successful, will provide the vitally needed oxygen for the IAF’s combat fleet.
Breaking the Logjam In the meantime in April this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was able to find a way to break the logjam when on a formal visit to France, he personally engineered a $4.3-billion deal directly with the Government of France for the purchase of 36 Rafale jets in a flyaway condition. Soon after this came the announcement by the MoD that the tender for 126 Rafale MMRCA was cancelled. The trauma the IAF suffered on account of the failed tender for 126 aircraft was only partially alleviated by the government-to-government deal for 36 aircraft. Against the projected requirement for six squadrons of the Rafale MMRCA, the IAF may now have to settle for just two squadrons and that too if the fresh round of negotiations are successful. Reports appearing in the media do not justify any optimism in this regard as yet.
Fishing in Troubled Waters Currently, contract negotiations with Dassault Aviation for the supply of 36 Rafale jets is underway and is expected to be concluded by the end of this year. Reportedly, there have been disagreements between the two parties on two major issues. Firstly, the MoD is insistent on an offset obligation of 50 per cent of the value of the contract. Secondly, the IAF requires that the platform be modified to carry Indian and Israeli avionics as well as weapon systems. While Dassault Aviation would probably accept offset obligation limited to 30 per cent, both these requirements especially that to customise the platform for the IAF would however imply substantial cost escalation that could be to the tune of 100 per cent. This is expected to enhance the value of the contract to $9 billion, in effect doubling the price. Both these requirements will also entail delay in the commencement of delivery of the aircraft thus impeding efforts of the IAF to improve its operational potential, though marginally, in a respectable time frame.
Combat Platforms in the IAF Currently, the mainstay of the combat fleet in the IAF is the Su-30MKI fleet, the strength of which at this point in time stands at 10 squadrons. As per the existing orders, another five squadrons are expected to be inducted by 2019 if the rate of production by HAL is sustained, bringing the total to 15. Unfortunately, the Su-30MKI fleet is plagued with serious maintenance issues on account of which the fleet serviceability is pitifully low. The MiG-29, Mirage 2000 and the Jaguar altogether constitute 12 squadrons in the IAF. These are essentially third generation aircraft and are currently undergoing upgrade on completion of which, these will continue in service at the most till around 2030. The MiG-21 and MiG-27 fleets will be retired from service by 2020 and even if retained in service thereafter, these platforms will not be fit to be employed as frontline combat platforms. Effectively therefore, in the early next decade, the IAF will be down to 27 combat squadrons which will be just 64 per cent of the newly authorised strength of 42 squadrons up from the existing level of 39.5. As per assessments, the IAF would need a force level of 45 combat squadrons to fight a war concurrently on two fronts. The IAF will indeed be confronted with a difficult situation especially with the growing belligerence of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) located in Tibet and a hostile posture by Pakistan on the Western borders. The oft quoted philosophy of “We will fight with what we have” may not be relevant for the IAF in a confrontation with the PLAAF and the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) either individually or with both simultaneously. It should be abundantly clear from the above that the IAF needed the 126 fourth-generation Rafale or any other MMRCA
Consequences of Delay Delay in finalisation of deals and award of contracts for military hardware appears to have become endemic in the Indian context. In the case of the 36 Rafale jets, in the last five months since the deal was brokered between the Governments of India and France, negotiations have been frequently hitting roadblocks. However, it is hoped that the negotiations will be completed and the contract signed by the end of this year. Any further delay will have implications for the IAF as Dassault would accord priority to delivery against orders of 24 aircraft each by Egypt and Qatar that has been placed without the burden of offsets or customisation. With a rate of production at 11 aircraft per year, Dassault Aviation can only be in a position to commence delivery against a possible Indian order for 36 aircraft after a minimum of five years after the order is placed. In case of continued uncertainty over the award of contract for 36 Rafale jets, the IAF will once again fall squarely into the Russian lap. The IAF may be compelled to place orders for additional Su-30MKI aircraft as well as speed up the development of the fifth-generation fighter aircraft, a joint effort between HAL and Sukhoi of Russia. In a bipolar world, the IAF was tethered largely to a single source for combat aircraft, i.e. initially to the Soviet Union and then to Russia. However, since the emergence of a unipolar world, the IAF has been desirous of accessing new technologies from the Western markets. As the IAF has been operating first-, second- and third-generation French combat aircraft since the 1950s, it was particularly hopeful of inducting the fourth-generation Rafale. However, endless delay in the finalisation of the Rafale deal could well undermine the efforts of the IAF to modernise its combat fleet. SP
The trauma the IAF suffered on account of the failed tender for 126 Rafale MMRCA was partially alleviated by the deal for 36 aircraft
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Helicopters
ROARING INTO FUTURE: X3 high-speed hybrid helicopter demonstrator by AIRBUS HELICOPTERS
The Future Advances in technology have led to significant improvements in rotorcraft BY Group Captain A.K. Sachdev (Retd)
Photograph: eurocopter
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Any discourse on the future of helicopters necessarily entails despair over serious limitations of forward speed of rotary-wing craft. Speed, agility, manoeuvrability, firepower and self-protection are the prominent desirable attributes of a combat platform. In this context, helicopters have been somewhat of a disappointment to the military inasmuch as their speed limitation overshadows the immense advantage their capability to take-off and land vertically offers. Understandably, fixed-wing combat aircraft with higher speeds and offensive roles have been given more importance than slower, less potent rotary-wing craft. Indeed, the first production helicopter (Sikorsky R-4, 1942) came three decades after the first massproduced fixed-wing aircraft (Wright Model B, 1910). Of course, the potential of rotary-wing flight was recognised early and in the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has had its Langley Research Centre in Hampton since 1917, where it has been carrying out research on helicopters and other vertical flight aircraft for almost a century. Nonetheless, at the outset, it may be postulated that the potential for future developments in helicopter design and development will always take second place to fixed-wing aircraft. While advances in fixed-wing aircraft are dramatically projected as newer, consecutive generations, aviation analysts view progressions on the rotary-wing front as having reached a plateau and argue that future develop-
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ments are unlikely to demonstrate spectacular advances in speed, performance or design. Speed Forward speed remains the biggest bug for helicopter design and, despite fervent efforts to increase speed, it has reached a plateau. The rotor disc represents an insurmountable problem as far as drag reduction is concerned. A rotor system has an inherent aerodynamic challenge which increases with forward speed. The blades in a rotor disc travel at a velocity determined by its length and the speed of rotation when the helicopter is in a hover. However, as the helicopter moves forward, the velocity of the blades relative to the air depends on the velocity of the helicopter as well as the rotor speed. The airspeed of the advancing rotor blade is much higher than that of the helicopter itself; it tends to approach the speed of sound with resultant increased drag and vibration. Also, because the advancing blade has higher velocity than the retreating blade, there is asymmetry of lift between the two. Rotor blades are designed to ‘flap’ – lift and twist in such a way that the advancing blade flaps up and develops a smaller angle of attack. Conversely, the retreating blade flaps down, developing higher angle of attack and generates more lift. At high speeds, the force on the rotors is such that they ‘flap’ excessively and the retreating blade can stall. The for-
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World-Class Cobham has been delivering exceptional solutions to India’s world-class Air Force for several decades.
Innovating technology in Aerial Refuelling, Communications, Surveillance, Life Support, Avionics, Antennas, Radio Test and Weapons Carriage & Release.
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Helicopters ward speed is thus limited and any endeavour to exceed 130 knots involves special materials and technologies. The leaders in the race for faster helicopters are the Sikorsky X2 and the Eurocopter X3. In June 2013, the X3 broke the X2 record for level flight and dive, recording 255 knots and 263 knots respectively. However, both X2 and X3, are technology demonstrators and are not designed as classic helicopters. Their speed records are not recognised by the World Air Sports Federation as yet. Russia is also working on a high speed design to beat the existing record of 249 knots. The prototype based on a Mi-24 airframe is expected to fly by 2020. However, these speed-oriented rotorcraft have limitations in use and affordability. Having despaired of achieving any breakthrough in the basic rotor disc design, military and civil designers are courting other templates referred to as vertical take-off and landing (VTOL).
VTOL The rotor disc helicopter has retained its basic shape since its inception and has several disadvantages such as high vibration levels, loss of power required to run the anti-torque rotor, loss of tail rotor effectiveness, ground resonance, mast bumping, loss of control during negative ‘g’ conditions, power settling, dynamic roll-over, anti-torque rotor failures, the requirement for unusually quick response in case of engine failure and the non-feasibility of an ejection system for the crew. Thus it was realised that there was a need to move away from the original shape retaining the VTOL feature. Developing a hybrid platform with the performance of a fixed-wing aircraft in forward flight has proven to be a difficult task. The engineering challenge consisted of achieving two main goals. The first was to accomplish
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apache & chinook, SIGNED FOR IAF
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Boeing’s AH-64D Apache and the AH-64D Apache Longbow have numerous enhancements, including: Longer-range weapons accuracy and all-weather/night fighting Detection of objects (moving or stationary) without being detected Classification and threat-prioritization of up to 128 targets in less than a minute Integrated sensors, networking, and digital communications for situational awareness, management of the combat arena in real time, and digital transmission of images and target locations to joint operations battlefield commanders
AH-64 Apache - Quick Facts Boeing produced 937 AH-64A Apaches between 1984 and 1997. Some remain in service today, and have: Two high-performance turboshaft engines and maximum cruise speed of 284 kph Laser, infrared, and other systems (including target acquisition designation sight/pilot night vision sensor) to locate, track, and attack targets A combination of laser-guided precision Hellfire missiles, 70mm rockets, and a 30mm automatic cannon with up to 1,200 high-explosive, dual-purpose ammunition rounds
CH-47 Chinook - Quick Facts The Chinook is a multi-role, vertical-lift platform. Its primary mission is transport of troops, artillery, equipment, and fuel. The current CH-47F/MH-47G modernization programs will ensure this tandem rotor helicopter remains in the Army fleet through the 2030s. Chinook is the helicopter of choice for humanitarian disasterrelief operations, in missions such as transportation of relief supplies and mass evacuation of refugees. Chinooks serve the armed forces of 19 countries around the world.
Photographs: UK MOD, www.defensie.nl
ven before Prime Minister Narendra Modi ushered into the meeting room of President Barack Obama in the Headquarters of the United Nations, the officials of the Indian Ministry of Defence put final signatures to the two most significant deals with the US Department of Defense and Boeing, the manufacturers of the two helicopters Chinook and the Apache. Significantly, the $3.1-billion deal was inked at breakneck speed, rarely seen in Indian defence establishment. This was the first big-ticket defence deal signed during the 16 months of the Modi regime. The deal inked on September 28 envisions the supply of 22 Apache attack helicopters and 15 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters.
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Special
Force Multipliers
Embraer 145 Based Aew&CS Aircraft
MORE FORCE TO THE FORCE Since fresh induction of combat aircraft is beset with uncertainty, the IAF is pursuing force multipliers with renewed vigour in order to enhance its combat potential BY Joseph Noronha
Photograph: Sp guide pubns
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According to Wikipedia, “Force multiplication refers to an attribute or a combination of attributes which make a given force more effective than it would be without it.” The Indian Air Force (IAF) must enhance the effectiveness of its combat squadrons, because not only is their 34-strong figure much less than the planned 42, the number is relentlessly reducing. A further drop to 26 squadrons is likely as obsolescent MiG-21 variants and MiG-27ML aircraft are withdrawn from service by 2022. For starters, there’s the deal to acquire 36 Dassault Rafale jets in flyaway condition. Later, Rafale or other medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) may also be manufactured indigenously. Although a couple of squadrons of the Tejas Mk I light combat aircraft (LCA) are likely to be in service within the next few years, the first squadron of the more capable Tejas Mk II may take a decade or more for induction. Meanwhile the futuristic fifth-generation HAL advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA) is expected only much later. Since the Sukhoi/HAL fifth-generation fighter aircraft project is considerably delayed, the IAF may also opt for a reduced number of these stealth jets off-the-shelf. Since all these inductions are beset with uncertainty, the IAF is pursuing force multipliers with renewed vigour in order to enhance its combat potential. These include Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft, Flight Refuelling Aircraft (FRA), Precision Guided Munitions (PGM), Electronic Countermeasures (ECM), Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), stealth technology and military satellites.
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Survival Stratagems IAF strike missions against targets in China or Pakistan are likely to encounter formidable defences in the vicinity of highvalue targets. However, stealth technology can prevent radars and other sensors from detecting and intercepting strike aircraft. This acts as a significant force multiplier. ECM too can significantly degrade the effectiveness of hostile sensors/weapons and frontline jets like the Su-30MKI, Mirage 2000 and Jaguars are well endowed in this respect. Additionally, standoff PGMs make it unnecessary for strike aircraft to get close to the target. PGMs multiply strike effectiveness by ensuring high accuracy despite possible imprecision of distance, height and speed during weapon release. They enable a target to be attacked with fewer or smaller bombs. The IAF has accurate missiles as well as laser-guided bombs, but these specialist weapons may run out within the first few days of conflict. Therefore, at least 50 per cent of the IAF’s weaponry needs to have some form of terminal guidance. A powerful force multiplier soon to be available is the 290-km-range Indo-Russian BrahMos air-launched supersonic cruise missile integrated on the Su-30MKI. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is also taking steps to indigenise next-generation laser guided bombs with standoff ranges of 50 to 100 km, guided by their onboard navigation system.
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Force Multipliers AWACS – Miles High The high-flying long-range AWACS uses radar surveillance and secure communications to function as an airborne control centre for air defence. Onboard systems assess the threat and use secure communications to direct strike aircraft on strike missions and control fighters on interception missions. In May 2009, the IAF inducted the first of its three Phalcon AWACS aircraft. The Israel Aerospace Industries Phalcon system consists of the ELTA ELW-2090 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar mounted on a Russian IL-76 A-50 four-engine jet. It has command, control, communications, computers and intelligence (C4I), a secure data-link and adequate electronic warfare (EW) capability. It can detect, identify and track hundreds of aircraft at any altitude over ranges of several hundred kilometres and respond appropriately. It can also track maritime traffic and ground movements. Although the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approved the purchase of two more Phalcon AWACS aircraft in February 2014, the proposal may be shelved in favour of indigenous options. DRDO is developing a smaller indigenous Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) system using the Embraer EMB145i regional twinjet. This platform will supplement the more capable Phalcon AWACS. The aircraft has an AESA primary radar, IFF and a secure data-link. The IAF is expected to receive its first system later this year and may induct a dozen or more eventually. In March 2015, the DAC also sanctioned $818 million for two modified Airbus A-330 wide-body twinjets as the airborne platform for a larger indigenous AWACS. A suitable radar is being developed that will feature both physical and electronic rotation of the radar waves. The system has an ambitious seven-year schedule till readiness. At least 20 AWACS and AEW&C systems plus about 30 fixed aerostats may be required to adequately cover the country’s borders.
otherwise be unviable or too risky. Their forte is ‘dull, dirty and dangerous’ missions. The US military has a head start in the utilisation of UAVs and the number of its unmanned platforms already exceeds manned aircraft. Other major air forces around the world are acquiring UAVs in large numbers. China too is building a formidable UAV capability. A recent report states that China’s military plans to produce nearly 42,000 land-based and sea-based unmanned weapons and sensor platforms. Although many are probably small, low-capability systems, others like the Xianglong, Yilong, Sky Sabre and Lijian are unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAV) and can carry precision weapons. Lijian and other UAVs under development have stealth features so they will be more difficult to detect and counteract. Pakistan may either acquire enough UAVs for its needs from China or obtain Chinese expertise to produce its own systems. From around the turn of the century, the IAF has operated Israeli Searcher Mk II and Heron UAVs for surveillance and reconnaissance. It is reportedly inducting the Harop UCAV and may acquire ten Heron TP UAVs that can also attack targets on the ground. However, against the IAF’s estimated needs of over 300 UAVs of various types, roles and capability, its current holdings are perhaps a fourth of the number. DRDO has produced the RustomI, an all-weather, medium altitude long endurance (MALE) UAV and is trying to give it rudimentary weapons capability. RustomII, a more advanced version, may be similar to the US General Atomics MQ-1 Predator UCAV. Its first flight is expected this year. DRDO also has ambitious plans to build its Autonomous Unmanned Research Aircraft (AURA), a stealthy flying-wing UCAV armed with laser-guided internal weapons.
The early conclusion of Airbus A330 MRTT would provide a boost to the IAF’s combat potential
Flying till Eternity The inability of combat aircraft to remain airborne for long used to be a major limitation in their operational employment. For instance, the average duration of a sortie of a MiG-21aircraft without external fuel tanks is under 30 minutes. Therefore, the introduction of flight refuelling capability in 2003 was a major fillip to the IAF’s combat fleet. Strike aircraft can now takeoff with full weapon load and be refuelled one or more times enroute to the target, deliver weapons and return. The IL78MKI FRA platforms, purchased from Uzbekistan, can refuel six to eight aircraft per mission. In view of the force multiplier effect of in-flight refuelling, especially for operations against China, all future aircraft acquisitions will have this capability. Another DAC approved proposal to purchase six twin-engine Airbus A330 multi-role tanker transport (MRTT) aircraft has been under “final negotiations” for about two years. Its early conclusion would provide a boost to the IAF’s combat potential. The MRTT carries 111 tonnes of fuel and 45 tonnes of payload or up to 380 passengers. Its latest version has advanced avionics, a higher maximum takeoff weight, improved aerodynamics and reduced fuel consumption. Multiplication – the Unmanned Way UAVs enjoy well-known advantages over manned aircraft, including lower costs, ease of deployment and greater flexibility. Most importantly, they give commanders exceptional situational awareness and the freedom to engage targets that might
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The Final Frontier Military commanders always endeavour to seize the high ground. In an air power context, that means space. Although India is a capable space power, it is no match for China which already has perhaps 25 military satellites in operation. India has just one, GSAT-7, which was launched in 2013 for use by the Indian Navy. The IAF is eagerly awaiting the long-overdue launch of its own satellite, GSAT-7A, which will enable it to interlink ground radar stations, airbases, and AWACS, thus greatly multiplying its command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR) and network centric warfare (NCW) capabilities. Other planned satellite-based military projects include a multi-object tracking radar (MOTR) and a dedicated defence communications network (DCN) that will provide secure and reliable inter-service communications. The seven-satellite Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) that should be operational early next year, will provide military-grade accuracy to the navigation and targeting capabilities of all Indian military aircraft, thus multiplying their effectiveness. challenges ahead Force multipliers obviously work best in a situation of asymmetry – where one side has certain systems and the adversary either lacks them or has less advanced ones. And any force multiplier can be matched, countered or exceeded. Therefore, with China and Pakistan determined to obtain a range of force multipliers, the IAF’s quest for them acquires added urgency. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) has all types of force multipliers in large numbers and is surging further ahead. The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) too is assured of a steady supply of Chinese systems to meet its needs. SP
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Special
Transport
IL-78mki Approaching to land
Reaching Everywhere Every Time
Photograph: IAF
To exploit the full potential of air power, the IAF’s transport fleet needs to be equipped for all contingencies, strategic as well as tactical, during war and peace
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BY Joseph Noronha
The transport fleet of the Indian Air Force (IAF) has a distinguished history. In October 1947, just weeks after Independence, IAF Dakotas rushed troops to the Kashmir Valley to save it from being overrun by Pakistani forces. Then, on December 11, 1971, at the height of the Bangladesh War, a fleet of transport aircraft dropped a Para Battalion Group at Tangail in Bangladesh. Although it is rare for such a large, lumbering fleet to venture deep inside enemy territory, it succeeded mainly because the IAF had established air supremacy over Bangladesh. Although the IAF has not gone to war since 1971 apart from Kargil in 1999, its transport fleet has been in action a number of times. Its IL-76 and An-32 aircraft were extensively used in the induction and support of the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka from July 1987 to March 1990. In November 1988, IL-76 aircraft transported Indian Army’s para-commandos to Malé in a swift response to appeal for assistance by the Maldivian Government. All in a Day’s Work War or peace, for the transport fleet, it is all the same. In the event of a calamity, rapid and efficient response is necessary,
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usually at short notice. In the devastating earthquake in Nepal on April 25 this year when overworked transport crew were looking forward to a peaceful weekend, the urgent call to action stations was received calmly. Soon a fleet of transport aircraft including the C-17 Globemaster III, C-130J Super Hercules, IL-76, An-32 as also the Mi-17V5 and Mi-17 helicopters, were involved in a rescue effort mounted in conjunction with the Indian Army. When the mammoth humanitarian assistance and disaster relief mission codenamed Operation Maitri, finally wound up on June 4, a total of 2,223 sorties had been flown towards rescue and evacuation of stranded victims, besides transportation and airdrop of relief material. It was a feather in the cap of the fleet. Indeed, practically every major crisis, natural or manmade, sees the involvement of transport aircraft. In April 2015, it was the IAF’s C-17s that were called upon to evacuate Indian nationals and others from conflict-hit Yemen. Mercy missions such as these showcase the IAF’s ability to respond speedily, efficiently and with professionalism. They win plaudits for India and its armed forces. Besides, these are excel-
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Transport lent training for war, when everything is at fever pitch and no excuse is acceptable for an inadequate or botched response. And the shortcomings they reveal, as no planned exercise can, are used by commanders to be better prepared for the next round. However, for maximum effectiveness, the IAF transport fleet must have platforms ranging from strategic heavy lift to light tactical transport aircraft of various types, payload capacity and operational potential and in adequate numbers. In other words, the IAF needs a balanced fleet. But is the transport fleet balanced? Hurrah for Heavy-lift The transport fleet was last modernised in the mid-1980s. IL-76 aircraft inducted from the USSR gave the IAF strategic airlift capability for the first time and proved their worth on many occasions. However, as air forces around the world have discovered, utilisation of transport fleets usually outstrips projections and the IAF is no exception. Overuse and lack of product support from Russia resulted in the pitifully low availability of the IL-76 fleet. Therefore, in 2011, a $4.1-billion deal was signed for the purchase of ten Boeing C-17 Globemaster III strategic airlift aircraft, through the US Government’s foreign military sales (FMS) programme. The C-17’s 74.8-tonne payload capacity is a huge increase over the 43-tonne limit of the IL-76. A fully-loaded C-17 needs a 7,000-foot runway to takeoff and can land on an airstrip of 3,000 feet. With a cruise speed of 450 knots at 28,000 feet, the C-17 flies 2,400 nautical miles without refuelling. Although it is over 20 years old and production ceased earlier this year, currently, it is still the world’s best strategic airlift aircraft. The C-17s equip 81 Skylord Squadron based at Air Force Station Hindon. Since they have served exceedingly well for a range of missions, the IAF has long wanted additional aircraft. However, with a proposal to purchase three more C-17s still pending with the government, it appears that Boeing has only one available. With just 11 C-17s, the IAF may be hard put to meet its commitments in the future. The IL-76 fleet is still a valuable asset as although the normal life of any fleet is 25 years, it is extendable to 40 with midlife upgrade. Accordingly the IAF has sought government approval for a comprehensive upgrade of its 17 IL-76 fleet and its seven IL-78MKI flight refuelling aircraft. An event of major significance in 2008 was the $962 million contract with the US Government to purchase through FMS, six Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules tactical transport aircraft. The world’s most widely used military transporter, the C-130J has been in continuous production since 1957. It is a four-engine turboprop with a payload capacity of 19 tonnes or 92 fully equipped troops. The IAF’s five aircraft (one was lost in March 2014) equip 77 Veiled Vipers squadron based at Hindon. They are the C-130J-30 version, customised for Special Operations, but the IAF also has the option of using them for airlift. Another six aircraft have been contracted for delivery commencing 2017 under a $1.01-billion deal signed in December 2013. These will form a new squadron to be located at Panagarh. Tactical Trouble While the strategic airlift fleet is in relatively satisfactory shape the tactical segment needs watching. The IAF’s 104 twin-turboprop An-32s, inducted between 1984 and 1991, remain the backbone of the transport fleet. A $400-million agreement for upgrade to An-32RE standard was signed in 2009. This would increase their life to 40 years and includes advanced avionics, cockpit modification and noise and vibration reduction plus enhancement of payload capacity from 6.7 to 7.5 tonnes. However, the project has suffered a setback. While the first 35 aircraft
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out of 40 were expeditiously upgraded in Ukraine, the last five are a year overdue on account of the conflict in that country. The remaining 64 planes were to be upgraded at the IAF’s No 1 Base Repair Depot at Kanpur by 2017-18; but it is unclear if necessary technical support from Ukraine will be forthcoming. These aircraft need to be upgraded soon to prevent a major gap emerging in the IAF’s tactical transport fleet. However, what has brought cheer to the IAF is the clearance by the Defence Acquisition Council in May 2015 of a proposal to replace the HS-748M Avro twin-turboprop by a modern tactical transporter. The 56 remaining Avros, licence-produced by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), are to be replaced by C295 aircraft, jointly produced by Airbus Defence & Space and Tata Advanced Systems Ltd. The Airbus C295 is a twinturboprop tactical transport aircraft with a rear-ramp and can carry 71 troops or a payload of 9,250 kg. The IAF is slated to receive the improved C295W version with winglets and more powerful engines. For the first time, HAL will not be involved in the production of a military aircraft in India, marking a giant leap for the country’s private aerospace industry. Since the first 16 aircraft will be in flyaway condition, they may join the IAF without much delay. The remaining 40 are to be produced in the country, with indigenous content increasing progressively from 30 to 60 per cent. With the OEM also responsible for lifetime product support and maintenance the IAF can count on high serviceability. However, a contract is yet to be inked. Presuming that all 104 An-32s can ultimately be upgraded, they will be ready for withdrawal from service by 2030. They are to be replaced by a new twinjet – the multi-role transport aircraft (MTA). In September 2010, HAL signed a joint venture agreement with United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) of Russia to develop this high-wing, rear-loading, tactical transport aircraft, a derivative of the Iluyshin IL-214. The MTA with 15- to 20-tonne payload capacity would be suitable mainly for tactical role. The IAF’s initial order is expected to be for just 45 aircraft. Balancing Act The IAF is embarked on transformation into a true strategic force and all segments of its transport fleet must play their part. The induction of the C-17 jets and C-130J turboprops was very welcome, but the tactical echelons must now be addressed on priority because the bulk of IAF routine tasks are undertaken by the An-32 and the Avro fleets. For starters, the C295 deal needs to be inked without delay so that the aircraft can start coming in to shore up the tactical fleet. Since the C295 will be produced by Airbus, one of the world’s top aerospace manufacturers and the Tata Group, one of India’s most respected business conglomerates, its induction is likely to be a smooth affair. This will give the IAF breathing space either to pursue the An-32 upgrade project with renewed vigour or to scrap it and consider suitable alternatives. If completing the An-32 upgrade is unacceptably delayed or abandoned, the IAF could appropriately increase its order for C295 aircraft. In order to harness the full potential and flexibility of air power, the IAF’s transport fleet needs to be equipped for all contingencies, strategic as well as tactical, during war and peace. This is all the more important in view of India’s intention to gradually extend its sphere of influence from the Gulf of Aden to the Strait of Malacca. The transport fleet is usually the first choice in any situation that requires a speedy response. It needs adequate long-range heavy-lift aircraft as well as light tactical transport aircraft to meet any eventuality. SP
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Special
Trainer Aircraft
EXPANDING ENVELOPE: IAF’S Pilatus PC-7 MkII
TRAINERS IN IAF The fleet of trainer aircraft in the IAF that plays a critical role in building strong foundations has been in disarray over the last decade BY Air Marshal B.K. Pandey (Retd)
I Photograph: pilatus
In the initial years of the post-independence history of the nation, the Indian Air Force (IAF) was reasonably well equipped with aircraft for basic training of pilots. However, the fleet of trainer aircraft in the IAF that plays a critical role in building strong foundations, has rather unfortunately been in a state of complete disarray over the last decade. This has impinged seriously on the training of pilots and perhaps the worst affected has been training for the fighter stream. The cascading effect of this malaise is too obvious to be stated. Training Pattern Traditionally the IAF has been following three-stage training for combat pilots designated as under: Stage I. Up to 2009, Stage I training was conducted on a basic trainer aircraft, the last being the Hindustan Piston Trainer (HPT)-32, Deepak designed developed and manufactured by the Indian aerospace major the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). With effect from 2013, Stage I training has been conducted on a turboprop aircraft, the Pilatus PC-7 Mk II. Stage II. Initially conducted on the piston-engine Harvard IVD and the Texan T-6G, in the 1970s, these aircraft were replaced by the Hindustan Jet Trainer (HJT)-16, designed developed and produced by HAL.
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Stage III. After the retirement of the Vampire, the IAF never really had a truly dedicated advanced jet trainer (AJT) till the induction of the Hawk 132 from BAE Systems that commenced in February 2008. The Basic Trainer Imbroglio The normal lifespan of a trainer aircraft referred to as the Total Technical Life, is around 40 years which, subject to availability of product support, may be extended by another five years or so. The IAF took the decision in July 2009 to ground the fleet of HPT-32 aircraft following a series engine failures in flight that resulted not only in loss of aircraft but of precious lives as well. The flaw in the design that led to engine failure lay essentially in the routeing of the pipeline that carried fuel to the engine. Although the problem had been identified with the help of Lycoming, the manufacturer of the engine, despite all good intention and effort by HAL, the problem remained unresolved. The IAF had no option but to take the hard decision to rather prematurely reject the HPT-32 fleet that had another 15 to 20 years of useful life remaining. The premature grounding of the HPT-32 fleet generated serious problems in its wake. The IAF was suddenly left without a basic trainer and HAL had no ready solution to offer.
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Trainer Aircraft accidents. Apart The net result was that Stage I training fell from cost overrun, into complete disarray. The IAF attempted if there is one thing to correct the situation through some ad that HAL has been hoc arrangements which could not effecconsistent about in tively compensate for the absence of a basic this project is misstrainer. While in 2003, on a suggestion by ing of deadlines. the IAF, the HAL had begun to explore the And now it transpires that the stall charpossibility of developing a basic turboprop acteristics of the aircraft are unsatisfactory trainer which was later dubbed as the HTTon account of which spin trials have not yet 40, even after the lapse of six years since been carried out. As reported, the problem the demise of the HPT-32, the HTT-40 is has been traced to certain deficiencies in yet to undertake its maiden flight. From the design of the airframe which need to be corpace at which the project has progressed to “We are already working rected through redesign of the airframe. This far, at this point in time, it would be difficult on a three stages, two may take years as with a redesigned airto predict as to when this momentous event aircraft training system in our training command. frame, the IJT would have to be put through a would be witnessed. The pilatus PC-7 MK-II Basic complete test flight schedule. As to how long In this situation, the IAF had no option trainer is a reasonably this process will take cannot be predicted but to explore options to procure a basic good aircraft with a with any degree of certainty. This discovery trainer aircraft from abroad. The governreasonable flight envelop to substitute the training 16 years after the project was launched, has ment sanctioned procurement of 75 Pilatus that was planned on the thus cast a shadow of uncertainty over the PC-7 Mk II turboprop trainer from SwitzerIntermediate jet Trainer. plans of the IAF for replacement of the Kiran land and tasked the HAL to supply 106 of the PC-7 is going to take on fleet. Non-availability of the Sitara IJT in indigenous HTT-40, the total requirement of not only stage 1 for fighter flying and other time will seriously undermine the training of the IAF being 181. Induction of the Pilatus streams like transport pilots for the fighter stream. commenced in February 2013, in less than and helicopters but stage Having lost all confidence in the ability four years after the grounding of the HPT2 on fighter will also be of HAL to deliver the IJT in any respect32 and is on schedule to be completed by done and is being done as on today on the PC-7. able time frame and as the IAF needs the the end of 2015. On account of the delay in The feedback is extremely IJT urgently to obviate disruption of Stage the HTT-40 programme becoming endemic, encouraging.” II training on account of the depleting Kiran the IAF urged the government to scrap —Air Chief Marshal fleet, it has begun exploring options to prothe programme and authorise purchase of Arup Raha cure an equivalent platform from foreign another 106 Pilatus PC-7 Mk II aircraft. The sources. Consequently, a request for inforgovernment sanctioned the purchase of 38 platforms and insisted on HAL supplying the balance of 68 of mation (RFI) for a lightweight, single-engine, twin-seat trainer their own product. After all, the defence public sector undertak- with a secondary light attack capability, has been issued. Howing must be seen to be delivering for their continued existence ever, unless the Defence Procurement Procedure, which is under to be justified. The Ministry fo Defence has now found a fresh revision, is simplified, the process of induction may take around reason to justify the HTT-40 project – the new thrust on ‘Make five years at the very least. In the meantime, the IAF has advised in India’! The stand-off between the IAF and HAL over the basic HAL to discontinue with the project to build the Sitara. The IAF may also consider adopting a two aircraft three-stage training trainer continues only aggravating the imbroglio. The redeeming feature is that the IAF is extremely pleased for pilots of the fighter stream at least for the interim. with the performance of the Pilatus fleet both in terms of flight line availability of aircraft and its attributes as a basic The Advanced Jet Trainer training platform. In order to facilitate transition from basic jet trainers to high performance combat aircraft, in 1982, the IAF initiated a case for procurement of AJT. The platform identified was the Hawk from The Sitara – A Fading Dream? The IAF has been using the HJT-16 Kiran fleet since the early BAE Systems. However, the process of procurement dragged on 1970s for training in Stage II also referred to as the Intermedi- for over two decades and the contract for 66 Hawk 132 airate Stage. As the Kiran fleet was expected to be phased out lat- craft was signed on March 26, 2004. Induction of the aircraft est by 2010, HAL embarked on the development of its replace- began on February 23, 2008. The first 24 aircraft were supplied ment in 1999. The maiden flight of the new trainer dubbed as directly by BAE Systems in flyaway condition and the remainthe intermediate jet trainer (IJT) was undertaken just four years ing 42 were manufactured under licence by HAL. In July 2010, later on March 7, 2003, a remarkable achievement by any stan- it was revealed that a follow-on order for another 40 aircraft dard. The event was witnessed by the then Prime Minister of for the IAF had been placed on the British original equipment India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee who christened the IJT as ‘Sitara’, manufacturer. These are being produced by HAL under licence. Designed to deliver a seamless transition from basic traina word in Sanskrit meaning ‘Star’. Induction of the Sitara was ing to high performance combat jets, the Hawk 132 is the expected to commence in 2007. Unfortunately, after the initial success, the project has floun- world’s most successful and proven platform as an AJT. It is also dered for a variety of reasons. First was the issue of the Snecma endowed with operational capability, an attribute that would be Turbomeca Larzac engine being underpowered. A Russian of relevance to the IAF in the context of its dwindling fleet of engine from NPO Saturn designated as the AL55I was selected combat jets. The IAF has perhaps the largest fleet of Hawk 132 to replace the Larzac. This itself delayed the project and the date AJT. However, if the aircraft is expected to live up to its global of induction was revised to 2010 and once again to 2015. During reputation in the IAF, HAL will have to seriously focus on qualthe test flight phase, the programme has also been afflicted with ity issue that have been plaguing the fleet in the recent past. SP
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marketing feature Special
UAC: IAF’S reliable partner For many years Russia and even the Soviet Union has been Indian Air Force prime supplier delivering a variety of Sukhoi, MiG, Ilyushin and Antonov aircraft. With the new “Make in India” policy the United Aircraft Corporation of Russia remains IAF prime supplier and reliable partner.
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line fighters. The existing proThe Su-30MKI multifuncgram has set up an ambitious tional fighters form up goal to upgrade all of 69 existthe India’s Air Force backbone ing IAF MiG-29s in to MiGto remain in this position for 29UPG configuration. the foreseeable future. The total The Indian Navy is another number of Su-30MKI in service UAC prime customer. In accorwith IAF is to reach an impresdance with the existing consive figure of over 270 aircraft. tract the RAC MiG has to Most of them, in fact 222, could supply the Indian Navy with proudly bare the “Made in 45 MiG-29K/KUB shipborne India” stamp as they are assemfighters. So far, the Navy has bled by the HAL Corporation. received 33 aircraft with the According to the UAC Presirest to follow by two equal dent Yuri Slyusar, to whom batches in 2015 and 2016. our correspondent spoke at According to Yuri Slyusar, the MAKS-2015 exhibition in the Indian pilots training has Zhukovsky “the priority task been completed successfully for the UAC-HAL joint team is and UAC is going to create to keep the serviceability of the an MRO center in India for growing Su-30MKI fleet at the the MiG-29K/KUB after-sales level sufficient to solve all tasks support through the whole and needs of the IAF”. To manlife-time. He also added that age such an ambitious goal a MIGs could be also upgraded joint tri-party workgroup has to meet future requirements. been set up from IAF, HAL and Both IAF and UAC are Russian aviation industry repready to open a new stage of resentatives. The parties are cooperation with FGFA and actively working on developMTA programs. As the UAC ing an advanced and modern President mentioned, “the aftersales support system for works on FGFA preliminary all Russian aircraft in India. (top) Yuri Slyusar, United Aircraft Corporation President; (above) Fifth-Generation Fighter Aircraft design have been completed The Su-30MKI upgrade to and the scope of work for each implement the aircraft’s deep modernization to keep its combat efficiency and superiority in country has been agreed. Currently we are discussing pricing the next decades is imminent. Due to the aircraft’s “open archi- and marketing questions. We hope to agree on a full scale R&D tecture”, Su-30MKI has an enormous development potential in contracts this year”. As for the MTA, the aircraft preliminary the field of onboard equipment and weaponry. The impressive design has been completed. The works are going on within the modernization package can be developed in a relatively short framework of the Russian-Indian JV MTAL registered in Bantimeframe. Russia has outlined the possible variants, now the galore. Yuri Slyusar said that “our goal today is to optimize the decision-making process and to start the R&D. Currently we IAF should determine the scope of work. The IAF is going to increase dramatically its strike potential have formed a joint Coordinating Committee that should expewith BRAHMOS-A supersonic cruise missile aviation version dite all processes and increase the speed of work. This year we implementation aboard the Su-30MKIs. The Russian-Indian hope to sign the R&D contract”. It should be noted that both programs, the FGFA and the Joint venture officially handled BRAHMOS-A to IAF during AeroIndia-2015 this February. The firing exercises are scheduled to MTA are unprecedented by the level of industrial integration be completed by the end of this year, with first aircraft to enter not only for Russia and India, but for the whole world. Both programs are real proof of the two nations strategic partnership IAF service in 2016. The IAF second iron fist is formed up by the MiG-29 front- which is to receive a new breath in XXI century. SP
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Special
interview
EXPANDING GLOBAL FOOTPRINT THROUGH M&A
Robert Mullins
H. Shankar
“We are proud of the fact that our products and technologies form part of almost every aircraft in the Indian Air Force’s inventory.”
Photographs: cobham
Industry
SP’s Aviation spoke to Robert Mullins, Executive Vice President, Strategy, Portfolio & Business Development, Cobham Plc and H. Shankar Managing Director, Cobham India, to know more about the company’s global and India strategies. www.sps-aviation.com
SP’s Aviation (SP’s): As a global enterprise with a presence in over 100 countries, what are Cobham’s strengths and growth strategies for the future? Robert Mullins (Mullins): We intend to grow both organically and through acquisitions to increase our exposure to commercial connectivity markets. Our organic growth is driven by our aerial refuelling programmes and aviation services. Acquisitions like Aeroflex, Axell Wireless and Thrane & Thrane have increased our market positions in commercial wireless and satellite communications. SP’s: Would you say Cobham’s M&A strategy is based on acquiring technology, improving market share or increasing its global footprint? Mullins: Our acquisitions are focused on broadening our product portfolio and improving market share. With the Thrane acquisition, Cobham is now a market leader for maritime satellite communications products. We anticipate growth driven by the upcoming global entry into service of the Inmarsat Global Xpress satellite constellation, as customers upgrade to take advantage of its global coverage and high performance download speeds. Cobham is an approved supplier of SATCOM antennas for the Telenor Thor 7 broadband SATCOM service expected to be launched end 2015. This represents a further growth opportunity for Ka-band SAILOR 800 and 900 antenna types. SP’s: What products/solutions Cobham has for ‘networked-environment’ and what are the developments taking place in to factor in unmanned aerial vehicles in that space? Mullins: Cobham is a supplier to numerous UAV programmes in the US and UK, providing data links, antennas and other sensor-related products for use as part of their payloads. Cobham continues to be interested in the ‘Internet of Things’ concept, and products brought into our portfolio through the Aeroflex and Axell Wireless acquisitions will assist us in extending connectivity solutions. An example of this is Cobham’s investment in automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B) in/out antennas to support improved aircraft communication and positional data. SP’s: What are the latest offerings from Cobham in military communications? Mullins: Cobham continues to provide a number of military communications products and now, with the acquisition of Aeroflex, we
can provide test and measurement solutions to ensure those radios are performing as intended and required. SP’s: Could you explain how strategically important is Asia-Pacific? Mullins: Cobham opened a facility in Singapore which brings together the Cobham Group’s Antenna Systems, AvComm, SATCOM, Tactical Communications & Surveillance (TCS) and Wireless business units. The region contributes significant revenues, making Asia-Pacific one of Cobham’s most important and rapidly expanding markets. Almost every Asia-Pacific country is a possible market for Cobham. For example, South Korea and Australia both recently announced that they would be ordering Airbus A330MRTT aircraft. Cobham supplies the hose and drogue aerial refuelling system used on this aircraft. SP’s: Can you elaborate on your presence in India and the programmes you are participating in? Shankar: We have a reasonably sized team based out of Delhi and Bengaluru and have close working relationships with HAL, BEL and the Indian armed forces. Our products and technologies form part of almost every aircraft in the Indian Air Force’s inventory. We are supporting the LCA programme. We are also participating in most of the programmes originating from HAL. We have a significant presence in some of the recently acquired aircrafts as well as those in the pipeline such as C-130, Pilatus, Apache, Chinook, MRTT, etc. SP’s: What is your strategy for developing the Indian market in the context of the ‘Make in India’ initiative? Shankar: Cobham fully supports the Indian Government’s initiative of building aerospace and defence industry. We are looking at areas where we can work together with Indian companies. The FICV, BMS and TCS are large programmes under the ‘Make in India” category and we are in dialogue with companies in identifying technologies and products that could be inserted into these programmes through local partnerships. We are convinced about Indian aerospace companies’ capabilities in manufacturing and in providing engineering services; India is now a part of our global sourcing strategy. We have an agreement with TASL for manufacture of our refuelling pods structures; these are not specific to India but for our global programmes. SP
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Special
hall of fame
Willa Brown did not achieve anything very spectacular in the air. There were enough pilots, both men and women, doing remarkable things during the 1930s and 1940s. She did become the first female African-American pilot to be licensed in the US and the first African-American officer of either gender in the Civil Air Patrol (CAP). However, her contribution to aviation was far more significant on the ground. Unfazed by the racial prejudice that pervaded the country at the time she became an activist for racial equality and strove to dismantle as many barriers as possible. And though the struggle was long and hard she witnessed amazing transformation, including the eventual racial integration of the US military. Willa Beatrice Brown was born on January 22, 1906, in Glasgow, Kentucky. In the early 1930s, she worked as a maid to pay her bills in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree with the aim of becoming a qualified teacher. However, she was too feisty to settle for a mundane teaching assignment. She began looking for something exciting to do that was not open to blacks and finally chanced upon flying. It was the time when aviators like Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart were regularly in the news, but it was no easy matter for an African American to join flying classes. In 1920, even Bessie Coleman had to go to France to earn her pilot’s licence because no American flight school would accept her. However, Willa Brown was not to be deterred and began to take flying lessons in 1934. In 1935 she gained a master’s certificate in aviation mechanics from the Aeronautical University. She also joined the Challenger Air Pilots Association, one of the first African-American pilot’s organisations and the Chicago Girls Flight Club. Once when she was planning an African-American airshow to be held at Harlem Airport, she immediately realised that the event needed publicity. Rather than wait for some reporter to turn up, she strode into the headquarters of one of Chicago’s leading newspapers and told them about it. Impressed with her poise, sense of purpose and dedication, the editor Enoch Waters became her staunch supporter. He came himself to the airshow and flew with her. As a result, about 300 people attended the event and got to know of talented black pilots of Chicago.
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That was typical of Willa: make things happen my way. Although Willa knew how to fly, obtaining her pilot’s licence was another matter. Finally she turned to an AfricanAmerican, Cornelius Coffey, a certified flight instructor and aviation mechanic. He accepted her for intensive training at one of Chicago’s airports reserved for blacks and she gained her pilot’s licence in June 1938. She thus became the first female African-American to get a pilot’s licence in the US. And later she became
WILLA BROWN (1906-92) Unfazed by the racial prejudice that pervaded the country, Willa Brown became an activist for racial equality and strove to dismantle as many barriers as possible
the first African-American woman to simultaneously hold a commercial pilot’s licence and a mechanic’s licence. She even conducted classes in aircraft mechanics. Perhaps inevitably, Coffey and Brown got married. In 1939, they set up the Coffey School of Aeronautics at Harlem Airport in Chicago. They began with Piper J-3 Cub aircraft but later converted to Waco UPF-7 biplanes. Although their main aim was to train black pilots and aviation mechanics they placed no restriction on gender or race and had many white students too,
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thus preparing the way for the eventual integration of the aviation industry. While Coffey was the Chief Flight Instructor, Willa was its Director and taught aircraft mechanics. However, she continued to fly, training about 200 pilots and concentrating mainly on coaching weaker students in her free time. The couple had a compassionate reputation and saw to it that no student lacked basic needs irrespective of his capacity to pay. In all, the school turned out over 1,000 pilots. This was the first of Willa’s lifelong attempts to dismantle race barriers in aviation including racially integrating the Civilian Pilot Training Program, the CAP and the US military. She and Coffey established CAP Squadron 613 and she held the rank of Lieutenant and Adjutant in the squadron. This made her the first African-American officer of either gender in the CAP. They also helped form the National Airmen’s Association of America in 1939, whose main goal was to get black aviation cadets into the US military. As World War II loomed and the American military realised that whites alone would not be able to fill enough cockpits, the Coffey School was ideally placed to supply AfricanAmerican pilots and flight instructors. Many ex-students joined the all-black 99th Pursuit Squadron, also known as The Tuskegee Airmen, which flew combat missions over Europe during the War. These were the first African-American military aviators in the US armed forces and they brought Willa’s dream of racial equality a step closer. After the War she continued her tireless efforts towards racial justice, with many exhibition flights and public appearances. Her persistence, eloquence and passion for the cause made her a major factor in the eventual integration of the US military by Order of President Harry Truman in 1948. Willa Brown died in Chicago on July 18, 1992, at the age of 86. She is remembered as a strong, confident and good-looking woman. She made full use of her talents and refused to be cowed or disheartened by the open hostility she encountered most of her life. She even ran for the US Congress thrice. Although she did not win, this probably paved the way for Barack Obama to become the first African-American President of the United States of America. SP — Joseph Noronha
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Special
Helicopters
THE FUTURE...continued from page 34 controllable vertical flight using the very same mechanisms required for forward flight. The second was achieving ‘power matching’, i.e. a VTOL design that requires the same power in vertical flight as in forward flight. Numerous approaches to VTOL aircraft have been explored over the years; the prominent ones are tilt-rotors, tilt-props, tilt-wings, deflected-slipstreams, deflected-thrust, thrust augmenters, ducted fans, tilt-ducted rotors and tail sitters. As the name implies, a tilt-rotor aircraft uses tiltable propellers or prop-rotors for lift and propulsion. For vertical flight, the prop-rotors are angled to direct their thrust downwards, providing lift. In this mode, the aircraft is essentially identical to a helicopter. As it gains speed, the prop-rotors are slowly tilted forward through 90 degrees. In this mode the wing provides the lift and the wing’s greater efficiency helps the tilt-rotor achieve high speed like a turboprop aircraft. Bell Helicopter has been dominant in tilt-rotor development with several major designs since the 1950s. Bell is currently partnered with Boeing on the first production tilt-rotor aircraft, the V-22 Osprey. Tilt-rotor prop-rotors require all the fundamental parts of a twin-rotor helicopter. They also have a full set of airplane controls and a tilt mechanism that rotates the lifting rotors. Bell and Boeing are working on larger Quad Tilt Rotor (QTR) military models for possible use by the US Army. The QTR has two sets of fixed wings and four tilting rotors mounted at the tips of the wings. The programme has been nicknamed the V-44 tilt-rotor for the four tilt-rotor version and V-66 tilt-rotor for the six tilt-rotor version. These poly-tiltrotor aircraft have also been called ‘The Flying Freight Train’. These can carry 100 passengers or cargo over 22,700 kg. The Bell V-280 Valor is a tilt-rotor concept being developed by Bell and Lockheed Martin for the US Army. It is different from the V-22 Osprey in that the engines remain in place while the rotors and drive shafts tilt. A driveshaft runs through the straight wing, allowing both prop-rotors to be driven by a single engine in the event of failure of one engine. NASA’s Greased Lightning or GL-10 deserves a mention here. It is a battery-powered, ten-engine remotely-piloted tilt-rotor and the prototype has a ten feet wingspan and can take-off vertically like a helicopter as also fly efficiently in forward flight. It is in the testing phase having undertaken test flights early May 2015. Getting Bigger Besides speed, size has also fascinated the designer and the user. V-12 was the largest helicopter ever flown with a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 105 tonnes. Built in the late 1960s by the Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant, it still holds four world records for payload/altitude combinations. However, only two prototypes were built. The Mil Mi-26, with an MTOW of 56 tonnes is the largest, heaviest and most powerful helicopter to go into series production. While the Mi-26 had a unique design with a single disc having eight rotors, the closest Western heavy-lift helicopter is the CH-53 Super Stallion (33.3 tonnes) followed by CH-47 Chinook (22.7 tonnes). The CH-53 has a seven-rotor single disc and the CH-47 has a tandem rotor system. The foregoing figures have been mentioned to assert that, as far as designer’s skill and operator’s ambition are concerned, big can keep getting bigger. However, the heavier the helicopter, the more restricted is its operational envelope on account of the limitations of ground infrastructure.
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Unmanned Craft The most notable developments in rotary-wing designs are manifest in the Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) regime. The GL-10 mentioned earlier is a small tilt-rotor; but there is a spectacularly successful drone helicopter that has pioneered its way to fame. The K-MAX is a UAS transformed by Lockheed Martin Corporation and Kaman Aerospace Corporation from an existing helicopter model to enable US Marines to deliver supplies by day or night to precise locations without risking lives. The aircraft can fly at higher altitudes with payload larger than any other rotary-wing UAS. It can lift 2,700 kg at sea level and 1,800 kg at 15,000 feet. The K-MAX rendered laudable service in Afghanistan from 2011 onwards and has proven the concept beyond doubt. The future can be expected to see variations of the concept in optionally manned versions as well. Conclusion Due to scarce possibility of increasing speed beyond the current levels except in hybrid/VTOL models, future developments are veering away from the basic rotor-wing design. The future vertical lift (FVL) programme of the US Department of Defense (DOD) adopts a focused approach towards the problem of new types of rotorcraft for US Army beyond 2030. In October 2011, DOD issued the FVL Strategic Plan outlining a joint approach for the next-generation vertical lift aircraft for all military services. FVL concept is to create new rotorcraft that use new technology, materials and designs that are faster, have longer range, better payload, are more reliable, easier to maintain and operate, have lower operating costs and can reduce logistical footprints. FVL is to create a family of systems to replace most army helicopters. A precursor for FVL is the joint multi-role helicopter programme which will provide technology demonstrations planned for 2017.The use of the term ‘Vertical Lift’ instead of helicopter or rotary-wing is an indicator of things to come. With significant advances in carbon composites, lighter weight with increasing strength has become possible. Helicopter manufacturers are eyeing carbon composites although cost factor is inhibiting. New Zealand’s Composite Helicopters International has been developing the KC-518 Adventourer, an all-composite, frameless, six-seat helicopter constructed from Carbon and Kevlar using EvoStrength technology. It is the world’s first helicopter with a monocoque fuselage made entirely from composite materials. As a single piece composite structure, there are no rivets or bolts resulting in substantial resistance to corrosion, fatigue and impact. Advances in technology have led to significant improvements in rotorcraft. The classic helicopter design has mutated into newer types of rotorcraft or hybrid VTOL ones; but the intrinsic limitations have not been eliminated. Nonetheless, the majority of helicopters retain the original tadpolelike shape with a main and tail-rotor. Due to the high costs of alternative designs, these are likely to continue in service for the next three decades. Thus while technology has not been able to generate affordable alternative designs, it has served as a handmaiden for the purpose of providing upgrades to existing models so as to enhance performance, safety, role capability and utilisation for new missions. Thus the future of helicopters appears to be a mix of upgraded existing models and emerging designs. The former appear set to remain the cheaper option for at least another two decades. SP
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News Digest Military QuickRoundUp
Asia-Pacific Russia Selects Reliance Defence & Aerospace to Make Helicopters
Airbus
Further to its announcement of the entry into a memorandum of understanding on June 18, 2015, Wizz Air Holdings Plc, the largest low-cost airline in Central and Eastern Europe, announced that it has signed the purchase agreement with Airbus which, amongst other things, provides for the purchase of 110 A321neo aircraft.
Airbus Helicopters
Hong Kong-based Government Flying Services has ordered seven Airbus Helicopters H175s, becoming the world’s launching customer for this new-generation super-mediumsized rotorcraft in the public services configuration. Airbus Helicopters Inc has announced that Elbit Systems has ordered six new helicopters that will be induct ed into service with the Israel Police. The order is for four Airbus Helicopters H125 AStars and two H145s to support Elbit’s contract to supply helicopters for the Israel Police. Metro Aviation of Shreveport, La has contracted to purchase six EC145e twin-engine helicopters from Airbus Helicopters Inc. Metro is the first North American customer for this new light-weight and lower cost version of the highly successful Airbus Helicopters EC145.
Alenia Aermacchi
The first F-35 assembled in Italy at Finmeccanica – Alenia Aermacchi’s production facilities, has made its maiden flight successfully at Cameri’s Italian Air Force Base. The F-35 is a new-generation multi-role aircraft with stealth characteristics, namely low radar observability, produced within the Joint Strike Fighter international programmme, led by the US company Lockheed Martin.
Boeing
Boeing has delivered the seventh CH-47F Chinook to the Australian Army, three weeks ahead of schedule, supporting modernisation of Australia’s cargo helicopter fleet and eventually replacing their six older CH-47D Chinooks. The seven advanced Chinooks were ordered as part of a US Government foreign military sales agreement with Australia in 2012. The Boeing Company, Washington, is being awarded a $1,48,93,87,310 modification to a previously awarded firmfixed-price contract for the manufacture and delivery of nine for the US Navy full-rate production (FRP) Lot II P-8A aircraft, and four Royal Australian Air Force FRP Lot II P-8A aircraft. Boeing and UK Leisure Airline Jet2.com have finalised an order for 27 Next Generation Boeing 737-800s, valued at approximately $2.6 billion at current list prices. Jet2.com currently operates an all-Boeing fleet of nearly 60 aircraft. However, this is the organisation’s first direct Boeing order.
China
China’s Shenyang J-11BS fighter made its first public flying demonstration during the Air Force public day in Changchun, Jiling province on September 10, 2015. The J-11BS is the two-seat indigenous copy of the Su-27 and is powered by the WS-10 engine.
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Reliance Defence & Aerospace (RDA), a Reliance Group company owned by Anil Ambani, has been selected by the Russian Government for a joint venture (JV) to manufacture 200 units of Kamov-226T helicopters in India. The order for the helicopters is valued at around $1 billion. Under the three-way agreement signed between Reliance Helicopters, Russian Helicopters and Rosoboronexport, the official agency for defence exports of the Russian Defence Ministry. Reliance Helicopters will be the lead integrator for a licensed production arrangement with transfer of technology from Russia. According to two sources privy to the development, Reliance Group will have a majority 51 per cent stake in the JV while the remaining 49 per cent will be held by the Russian Government.
India-Australia Defence Ministers’ Meeting
The Australian Minister of Defence Kevin Andrews was on a four-day visit to India from August 31, 2015. During the visit he held talks with Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar which was followed by delegation level talks. The Ministers affirmed their desire to continue to broaden and deepen the bilateral defence relationship based on the action plan outlined in the Framework for Security Cooperation agreed to by the Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Tony Abbott on November 18, 2014.
HAL Completes Hot & High Altitude Trials of LCH
The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has stated that the hot and highaltitude trials of indigenously designed and developed light combat helicopter (LCH) has been successfully carried out at Leh recently. The seasonal trials including cold weather trials carried out at Leh during February this year
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Show Calendar 6–8 October HELITECH INTERNATIONAL ExCeL London, London, UK www.helitechevents.com 13–15 October MRO EUROPE 2015 ExCeL London, London, UK http://mroeurope.aviationweek.com/ euro15/public/enter.aspx 8–12 November DUBAI AIRSHOW Dubai World Central, Dubai, UAE www.dubaiairshow.aero 17–19 November NBAA BUSINESS AVIATION CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION (NBAA 2015) Las Vegas Convention Center, Henderson Executive Airport, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA www.nbaa.org/events/bace/2015 have also been completed as part of the certification process. The flight trials at Leh have established hover performance and low speed handling characteristics of the helicopter under extreme weather conditions at different altitudes (3,200 to 4,800 m). During the trials, the helicopter and systems performed satisfactorily. LCH has also proven its capability to land and take-off at forward landing base in Siachen. Further development activities are under progress and the weapon firing trials are planned for mid-2016.
Indian Air Force (IAF) Wants to Test-Fly 5th-Gen Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) Russia has been requested by India to allow IAF test pilots to fly FGFA before the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Moscow in December this year. Flight-testing will help decide the future course of action including off-theshelf purchase of 60 to 65 jets to joint production. India’s future requirement of an FGFA which combines stealth, supercruise capability, super-manoeuverbility, data fusion and multi-sensor integration on a single fighter, is critical specially with the dwindling fighter force levels.
Modernisation of Su-30 Aircraft
India has expressed interest in a joint project to modernise its Su-30MKI fleet in collaboration with Russian companies, the Russian state technology corporation Rostec said in a statement on September 11, 2015. According to the statement, the
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News Digest appointments
INDIAN AIR FORCE
With effect from September 1, 2015, changes in the higher echelons of the IAF were as under: • Air Marshal S.B. Deo took over as the Air Officer Commanding-inChief, Western Air Command, IAF. • Air Marshal C. Hari Kumar took over as the Air Officer Commandingin-Chief, Eastern Air Command, IAF. • Air Marshal S.R.K. Nair took over as the Air Officer Commanding-inChief, Training Command, IAF. • Air Marshal S. Harpal Singh assumed office of Senior Air Staff Officer of Headquarters South Western Air Command, IAF
THALES
Thales has announced the appointment of Dr Christoph Hoppe (52) as the new CEO and Chairman of the Management Board for Thales in Deutschland.
TEXTRON SYSTEMS
On August 18, 2015, Textron Systems, a business of Textron Inc,, announced the promotion of Daryl Madden to Senior Vice President and General Manager of its Geospatial Solutions business.
NORTHROP GRUMMAN
Northrop Grumman Corporation announced the appointment of Eric Scholten as Vice President and Controller for the company’s Aerospace Systems sector.
MBDA
Effective on April 1, 2015, Dave Armstrong MBE has been assigned the role of MBDA UK Managing Director and EGD Technical (Executive Group Director).
QuickRoundUp
GE AVIATION
Effective September 8, 2015, Sam Angelella was appointed Vice President of GE Aviation’s Military Customer Programs.
China and Russia
China and Russia are close to finalising an agreement to jointly develop a heavy-lift helicopter next year, according to senior Chinese helicopter designers. The new helicopter’s production will be based in China and it will use the Ukrainemade Lotarev D-136 turboshaft engine at the initial massproduction stage. The first flight is expected around 2020.
AIRBUS HELICOPTERS
Effective September 1, 2015, Airbus Helicopters has appointed Guillaume Steuer as Vice President of Corporate Communications Yves Barillé and is managing all external communications activities for Airbus Helicopters.
Harbin Aircraft Industrial
China’s light attack helicopter, Z-19E, developed by Harbin Aircraft Industrial Corporation, attracted much attention during the third International Helicopter Exposition held in Tianjin from September 9-13, 2015.
BOMBARDIER
On August 17, 2015, Bombardier appointed Company Veteran Lisa ‘Lee’ Boulanger as Vice President of Business Aircraft Customer Support. On September 8, 2015, Bombardier announced the appointment of Nico Buchholz as Senior Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer, Bombardier Inc.
IAI
The Indian Government has approved the purchase of 10 armed UAVs from Israel Aerospace Industries, following a fast-tracking of the programme. The $400-million acquisition will see 10 IAI Heron TP drones join other Israeli designs operated by the Indian Air Force.
Kuwait
Kuwait has signed an agreement with Italy to buy 28 Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft worth €7-8 billion (about $9 billion), the first time the aircraft has won a contract in open competition. It also shows that the Eurofighter partners were right to invest in upgrading the Typhoon, despite foot-dragging by Germany and Spain.
SAFRAN
On July 29, 2015, Jérôme Vitulo joined Safran as Secretary to the Board of Directors. He replaces Charlotte Matringe, who has been named Vice President for Communications at Sagem.
Lockheed Martin
aircraft will be given upgraded avionics and radars, as well as an improved engine. The Su-30MKI will also be equipped with additional weapons.
remote tribal district. The area has been the focus for nearly a decade of a US UCAV campaign to eliminate extremist bases from the Pakistani border region.
Pakistan Carries Out First Ever UAV Strike
Americas
Pakistan’s military has announced that a locally developed unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) has carried out its first missile strike killing at least three ‘highprofile’ militants near the Afghan border. Military spokesman Major-General Asim Bajwa said in a statement the unmanned aircraft named Burraq attacked what he called ‘a terrorist compound’ in the volatile Shawal valley of North Waziristan, a
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Gripen NG Contract with Brazil
Saab has announced the conclusion of a contract with the Brazilian Government for development and production of 36 Gripen NG aircraft. The value of the order is SEK39.3 billion (about $4.7 billion) and is booked by Saab as order intake. Gripen NG deliveries to the Brazilian Air Force will be undertaken from 2019 to 2024.
The first Lockheed Martin’s F-35A Lightning II for Norway was towed out from its main production facility in Fort Worth, on August 19, 2015. The aircraft is currently in the Aircraft Final Finishes, where it will receive its low observable coatings. This will be followed by a series of functional fuel system checks prior to operational ground checks and first flight.
Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce has been selected by Airbus to provide Trent 700 engines and long-term TotalCare engine service support, worth $700 million for five new Beluga XL air transporter aircraft. The aircraft will replace the current Airbus Beluga fleet, which is powered by engines from another provider.
Sukhoi
Indonesia’s Ministry of Defence has decided to replace a squadron or 16 units of F-5 Tiger Air Force aircrafts with Sukhoi Su-35 fighter aircraft from Russia. With this acquisition, Indonesia will have a US fighter aircraft (F-16), Chinese and Russian fighter aircraft.
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Last word
illustration: anoop kamath
Need Autonomy On August 2015, the Appointments Committee of the Cabi- bureaucrats, i.e. of the IAS cadre from the Ministry of Civil Avianet approved the appointment of Ashwani Lohani as Chairman tion who are obliged to take orders from their superiors in the and Managing Director (CMD) of the national carrier Air India. Ministry. They are also acutely aware of the fact that their tenLohani has been appointed as CMD for three years in place ure with the national carrier is limited and that sooner than of Rohit Nandan, an officer of the 1982 batch of the Indian later, they will have to return to serve in a different capacity Administrative Service (IAS). Nandan’s three-year term ended in the Ministry of Civil Aviation or any other Ministry in the last year; but he was granted extension up to September 21, Central Government. As the CMD therefore, they have obviously 2015. Lohani is a mechanical engineer who joined the Indian been under compulsion to tread carefully and toe the line quite Railway Service in 1980. Metamorphosed into a bureaucrat, willingly. As the Government of India is unlikely to transfer the currently, he is holding the post of Managing Director of the national carrier into private hands at least not in the foreseeMadhya Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (MPTDC). able future, the CMD of the airline appointed from amongst the He is credited with having turned this financially ailing organ- bureaucracy, will continue to be in the grip of the bosses in the isation around. Also, earlier on in his career, he turned around civil aviation establishment of the government. In this situation, India Tourism Development Corporation post-disinvestment in it is highly unlikely that the CMD will ever have a free hand in 2001-02. For these achievements, he is generally referred to as taking decisions to be able to really turn the national carrier ‘Mr Turnaround’. The moot point is whether or not, Lohani can around. Instead of serving the interests of the airline, the CMD replicate his achievements in the past in his new assignment as will end up being obliging to the bureaucratic and political leadership in the Ministry of Civil Aviation. As it has happened in the the CMD of the national carrier. While Lohani has an impeccable reputation as “a compe- past, the airline management had been compelled to give up tent and an honest professional who does not bow to politi- routes in the international segment that had high traffic density cal will” and has an impressive track record, the task before to benefit some private carriers and ultimately to the detriment him as the CMD of the ailing national carrier is indeed for- of Air India’s financial well-being. Similarly inordinately large midable and unenviable! His appointment comes at a time orders for aircraft were placed reportedly under instructions when the Ministry of Civil Aviation has been trying to extricate from higher echelons in the establishment. Managing the national carrier and to put it on the track the national carrier from the financial quagmire it has been to profitability will require not wallowing in for the last several only superb managerial skills, decades. Air India has a humonbut other leadership attributes gous debt burden of `40,000 as well. While Ashwini Lohani crore and has consistently been will not be found wanting in incurring losses, having accumanagerial skills as he already mulated an additional financial has a proven track record, he burden of around `30,000 crore. may encounter difficulties in two The airline is surviving on a lifeareas. A major handicap will line from the government by way be his lack of experience and of a `30,000-crore bailout packunderstanding of the regime of age the infusion of which began civil aviation as he has had no in April of 2012. Currently, the exposure to this regimen in the management is embarked on a past. Besides, he may find himplan to turn the airline around by self in a situation where he has 2019 through extensive financial no autonomy in decision making restructuring and better manin running the national carrier agement. and hence may be compelled to Air India has been on a confunction in a manner that may tinuous downslide ever since not be commercially viable or be J.R.D. Tata stepped down as in the best interests of the airthe Chairman in 1978. This is line. attributable primarily to the fact Without a high degree of that an airline, which is a chalautonomy in management, the lenging commercial venture, new CMD may not find it easy was reduced to the status of a to turn the national carrier department of the Central GovThe moot point is whether or not, Ashwani around. SP ernment under the control of Lohani can replicate his achievements in the bureaucracy. Over the last the past in his new assignment as the CMD 37 years, the national carrier —By Air Marshal has generally been headed by of the national carrier B.K. Pandey (Retd)
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E-JETS
Our vision is taking shape. The E-Jets E2 program has moved from concept to reality. We’re far beyond the milestone of first-metal being cut, and are now busy assembling the first E2 prototype for first flight next year. The entire E2 family is on schedule, on target, and on the way to affirming its position as the world’s most preferred family of jets up to 130 seats. Our vision remains clear. And it is taking shape today.
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