Aero India 2017: One month for plane carnival; security top priority

By Anantha Krishnan M

Bengaluru, Jan 14: Devotees chasing ‘things with wings’ will descend on Aeronautical Capital of India soon for the ‘11th International Show on Aerospace, Defence, Civil Aviation, Airport Infrastructure and Defence Engineering’ a.k.a. Aero India 2017. 

Exactly one month from today, from February 14 to 18, all roads will lead to Air Force Station (AFS) Yelahanka, which has been hosting all editions of Aero India since 1996. 

While the 10th edition, in 2015, saw a record participation of exhibitors, the organisers say a new benchmark will be set this time. With the extended Christmas and New Year Holidays finally getting over, more foreign companies are expected to make a last-minute pitch in the next 15 days.

“As of now, we have sold out 100 per cent of the space allotted for exhibitors. There will be now another set of booking till the end of January, with the holiday season getting over,” says an official. 

Read full report, here: http://bit.ly/2iuHmkd

Tarmak007 Edit: Wake up, Mr Antony!

With so many scams unearthed during his tenure as India's defence minister, may be it's time for Arakkaparambil Kurian Antony to do some serious thinking. Antony always managed to get away 'very mysteriously' 'despite being haunted by some of the worst-hit scams during his tenure. He has always played to the gallery with statements like: "I will not allow corruption; no guilty person will be spared; I will not tolerate corruption in defence deals." 

May be it's time for India's cleanest politician to realize that he is heading a ministry that's stinking of scams, all the time. His supporters might argue that why should he bear the brunt, when he has done nothing and his hands are clean. After all, he has punished the guilty in all scams and ordered probe(s) whenever he smelt something fishy -- his men would argue!

But, Antony's detractors would sight the latest chopper scam probe as a classic example of a delayed decision. India today needs a vibrant defence minister who can act on time and inspire its forces, they would argue. 

If Antony thinks that he is managing the show perfectly, then may be he must keep this famous saying in mind: "A stitch in time saves nine!"

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HAL waits for new chairman, DoPT for clearances | Chairman-elect R K Tyagi's papers on way to PMO | Announcement anytime now

WAITING IN THE WINGS? Pawan Hans CMD and HAL Chairman-elect R K Tyagi. Photo: Zoom Delhi

By Anantha Krishnan M
Express News Service

Bangalore: Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) is waiting for its 16th chairman R K Tyagi. Currently the CMD of Pawan Hans Helicopters Ltd, Tyagi was short-listed as the lone man eligible for the top post after the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) interview on October 13, 2011. With the three-month interim arrangement of the current officiating chairman ending this month, the focus has again shifted to Delhi. The delay has already given enough teeth to rumour mills and whisper specialists, with some claiming that his papers are stuck at the powers of corridors.

However, during a telecon with Express on Friday, a senior official in the Ministry of Defence confirmed that Tyagi's file have moved to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) 'some time back'. “Every crucial clearances are in place and his papers should have moved to the Cabinet Secretariat, Home Ministry and  finally to the Prime Minister's Office. There are strong chances that things would get cleared any time in the next two weeks,” the official said. 
A Bangalore-based director is said to have vehemently opposed Tyagi's entry and made futile attempts to convince the powers-that-be in Delhi as to why an outsider should not be given the mandate of running HAL. “His views have not gone well the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and he has been communicated indirectly about it,” the official said. The Indian Air Force too had suggested that their man at the helm of affairs would be ideal -- a move which failed to impress Defence Minister A K Antony.
The defence minister was left with no option in October 2011, but to exercise his 'special powers' to appoint  HAL's senior-most director (MiG Complex) P V Deshmukh as the officiating chairman from November 1. His interim appointment came after MoD scuttled the extension dreams of former HAL head A Nayak, who had lobbied hard to hang around cashing in on the succession mess. Deshmukh had no choice but to accept the additional charge, despite handling the sensitive Sukhoi production at Nashik – a major source of revenue for HAL.
"All those who were interviewed by PESB in September\October are still to get their orders. The process generally takes time and we don't see anything unusual in the delay,” the official said. The MoD is yet to issue an appointment letter to T Suvarnaraju as the Director (Design and Development) of HAL, though he is currently being given the acting charge of the post. The PESB has now called for applications for the post of Director (Corporate Planning and Marketing), which fell vacant in October, 2011.
                                  Copyright@The New Indian Express

Swadeshi pride vs software stability? Army keeps DRDO on toes over UAV Nishant induction

 (Above) A rare photo of Nishant captured soon after its release from a mobile launcher. (Below) Indian Army officials inspect unmanned aerial vehicle Nishant during confirmatory trials at Pokhran.
Photo: Ministry of Defence

By Anantha Krishnan M

Express News Service

Bangalore: The Indian Army is yet to induct the desi Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Nishant even after completing the confirmatory trials in Pokhran and Chandan ranges in February this year. Its makers in Bangalore – the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) – a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) installation, had then gone to the town trumpeting the UAV's success.
“The successful flight trials were conducted by the Army before taking delivery of a set of four Nishant together with ground support equipment (GSE). The performance of the pay load sensors in particular has been better than even the imported UAVs with the Army . It is expected that more of such equipment will soon be purchased (read as eight) by the users," the DRDO had said in an official release issued in February.
While the ADE top brass refused to any share information, sighting the sensitives involved at this stage, sources in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in New Delhi confirmed to The New Indian Express, that post-confirmatory trials, another last set of evaluation was also done by the Indian Army in September this year, at two DRDO labs. “As far as we know, the final tests were for electro-magnetic interference (EMI), electro-magnetic compatibility (EMC) and maintenance evaluation trials (MET),” MoD sources said.
The General Staff Qualitative Requirements (GSQR) for the Nishant project was given to the DRDO by the Indian Army in 1999, soon after the developmental trails were over. While, some quarters blame the Army for changing the GSQRs a number of times, the DRDO too was accused of taking too much time in executing the technology changes.
The four Nishants waiting to be inducted, at a cost of Rs 80 crore, have onboard a forward looking infra red (FLIR) camera which would aid night operations. The upgraded Nishant can spot a tank-size object at a slant range of six-seven km while flying at an altitude of of 1.5 km.
While the DRDO might be pondering over the induction procedures of Army, sources indicate that a decision would be officially announced within two months. The DRDO is pitching hard on Nishant's USPs, including low repair cost and quick software maintenance modes. On its part, the Indian Army is ensuring that they have a UAV loaded with their choice of features – and not one thrust upon them to satisfy the swadeshi pride, but operational efficiencies.
Army had issues with Nishant's video and tracking qualities, which the DRDO now says are all fixed.The Indian Army might place an order for eight more Nishants, including GSE, at a cost of Rs 160 crore, once the much-awaited induction of first four is over.

NISHANT TIMELINES

Sanctioned as a development project: 1991
Development trials: 1999
User evaluation & trials: 2000-2002
Firm Army order for 4 LSPs: 2006
Value of the order: Rs 80 crore
Confirmatory trials: 2010-2011
Post-confirmatory tests: September 2011
Total R&D cost so far: Rs 60 crore
Likely additional orders: 8
(Source: Ministry of Defence)

Copyright@The New Indian Express

Air (oh!) India! Did India’s star product got shunted out to a silly point during air show?

The bribe-taint on the just-concluded Aero India is now getting murkier. This piece of news could give Mr Clean defense minister of India Arakkaparambil Kurian Antony sleepless nights, as it threatens Antony's constant call to embrace and brand home-grown defense products.
Top sources with a leading Bangalore-based Indian company say that their star product did not get the due it ought to have got in the static display area. After the news reports started coming out on the alleged money-for-prime-spot-deal orchestrated by Indian Air Force (IAF) official(s) during the show, sources actively involved with the company’s air show arrangements said that they had suspected some foul play then.
“We are shocked. But we were really annoyed when our products did not get the kind of visibility it merited. Some of us were very suspicious about the allotment of space at the static display area,” sources said.“It was very evident that the preferences were given to foreign companies. One of our best products which came to the show for the first time had to be pushed to an insignificant corner -- almost in the beginning of the chalet area. The best slots were taken away by the chosen ones,” sources said.

When asked why the Company did not bring the matter to the notice of the higher authorities officially, sources said: “We haven’t given any complaints in writing. We did internally raise objections to the kind of treatment we received this time. It was clear that something was amiss. But then considering our position as a company, we couldn’t do much and left the matter at that.”

Journalists no Saints: While the media might have got yet another scam emerging out of Indian defense set-up, this Aero India once again proved that they too are no saints when it came to accepting gifts and goodies. It was a sad picture to see many journos scrambling for the goodies in front of press conference counters. Some journalists were seen struggling to carry home the goods they gathered during the show. While some came with empty bags to stock the cool maals, some ensured that the ever-media-friendly-PR-managers kept their take-ways safe, in some cases when they missed them owing to their ‘pressing engagements.’In the name of Press kits, things have definitely crossed the decency limit. When last heard, a journalist managed to collect 14 different types of pen drives this time!
Shamelsss Babus: If journos always ‘live up’ to their expectations, what’s more rattling is how MoD babus too are increasingly becoming a ‘gifted lot.’ During every show, one could see how MoD babus roam around with their assistants, carrying bags overflowing with gifts. The joke that goes around Bangalore-based defense establishments is that there’s a standing instruction given to all that a certain number of carry bags with gifts must reach the babus without fail.
Gift India 2013? Going by the scams and mad rush for goodies, it is worth to think of a new name for the air show from the next edition. While Aero India has become a very common name, why not call it as Gift India 2013? While it is near impossible to clean-up Journalism and Babudom – a heady cocktail that can take anyone for an endless spin -- what can be done, is, to put in place a code of ethics to Indian and foreign companies while dealing with the press.
Gifts should be banned. Companies should just provide a brochure and a CD with photos\videos, if need be. That’s all and nothing else. It’s a shame if a journalist can’t get his\her own pen and notepad.
Amidst all this mess, Antony informed the Lok Sabha on March 7 that the size of the show in 2011 was much larger compared to the show conducted in the year 2009, on account of participation of civil aviation sector.While it is great to know that Aero India is growing, it is a matter of great concern that this growth is at the cost of suppressing home-grown products, if the latest media revelations are to be believed.
There are some rotten apples in the system bringing bad name to Indian defense establishment and it is definitely unfair to blame the responsibility entirely on Mr Antony. But, it is appalling that the scam chart of MoD is slowly, but steadily getting very active again. And, even Mr Antony might agree with this point! If he does, then he must act.
While various agencies are investigating the bribe episode at the air show, it is left to be seen whether similar incidents occurred even during previous editions of Aero India also. Will one link lead to another? Only time will tell.
Amen.

T  R  U  T  H,   M A T T E R S

(The opinion expressed through this editorial column on Tarmak007
has nothing to do with the publication[s] the blogger write for.)

Update # 14: Wg Cdr Jetly's wife meets Air Chief's wife

Shalini Jetly, widow of Wg Cdr Vikas Jetly met the wife of Indian Air Force chief seeking justice. Family sources tell Tarmak007 that Shalini Jetly met the chief's wife, who is also the head of Air Force Wives' Welfare Association with the hope that she would get a teaching job at The Air Force School. "The meeting lasted for 30 minutes at the AFWWA office and we pray that something should happen now. We are told that all the papers relating to his dues have been moved finally. It might take some more time,"  family sources said.

Big, bigger & biggest! 675 exhibitors, 45 countries @ Aero India

By Wg Cdr T.K. Singha VSM, Indian Air Force PRO,

Ministry of Defense, New Delhi

The 8th edition of Aero India, being held in Bengaluru from February 9 to 13, 2011, is expected to surpass all previous editions of the premiere air show in terms of participation and volume. Organised by the Ministry of Defence and managed by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the Air Show will be inaugurated by the Defence Minister Shri AK Antony on February 9, at Air Force Station Yelahanka, Bengaluru. 

675 exhibitors from 45 countries will showcase their aerospace merchandise and products.  Despite an eleven-fold increase in gross display area from its debut in 1998, every available inch of space has been taken up by exhibitors, say the organisers. Official delegations from 45 countries are also expected at the airshow. 

The show aims at bringing under one roof, exhibitors and other stakeholders from all around the globe to showcase the best in aviation and related technologies and products. 

Civil aviation has been introduced in Aero India 2011 along with Aerospace sector and comprises 55 percent participation of the exhibition. Aero India 2011 will showcase the latest international technologies in the field of military and civil aircraft, vital components for aircraft engines, avionics systems and sub-systems, airfield radars in the defence and aerospace sectors.  

Country wise participation of top eight countries includes USA, France, Germany, UK, Russia, Italy, Belgium and Israel. A total of 93 domestic and international aircraft will participate in Aero India 2011. The expected number of business visitors is 70,000, double from the last edition.  

Karnataka Government, which has earmarked over 900 acres of area near the Bengaluru International airport to develop aerospace industries, is participating as an exhibitor for the first time.

The organizers estimate 1,75,000 general visitors, a growth of 29 percent over the last Aero India in 2009.  Air Display Viewing Area (ADVA) has been significantly increased to cater to growing number of the public viewers. The air displays will be held twice daily between 1000-1230 hrs and 1430-1700 hrs.

Apart from the daily displays by IAF’s Surya Kiran aerobatic team and Sarang helicopter display team, a major attraction at Aero India 2011, will be the debut by Flying Bulls Aerobatics Team at the air show. With its precise and impressive performances, the team has managed to secure a fixed place in the global aerobatics scene and has an outstanding international reputation.

Welcome to Yelahanka. Your place on Earth, next week!

(Note from blogger: The masthead of Tarmak007 would continue to sport the Justice for Jetly campaign theme, even during the Aero India season. First-time visitors may please read the campaign details by searching previous posts. The blogger and colleagues from the Bangalore Media would step-up the Justice for Jetly campaign during all official press meets to be addressed by the stars from the South Block.)

Best of 2010: Snapshots of Indian defense & aviation in the year gone by (Photos: DPR-DoD-MoD)

 The above photos show the best of IAF in 2010.

  The above photos show the best of Indian Navy in 2010.

   The above photos show the best of Indian Coast Guard in 2010.

   The above photos show the best of DRDO in 2010. The photos below showcase the best pick of Ministry of Defense and its activities in the Year 2010. 

    These photos, released by the Directorate of Public Relations (DPR), Ministry of Defense (MoD), today, give a glimpse of India's achievements in defense and aviation in the Year 2010. Though these photos might have appeared on this blog before, it's still worth taking another look. Tarmak007 thanks the efforts put in by the photography unit of MoD, who has been providing hi-res images to the Media every day. While  saluting their  spirit and great shutter sense, the blog also thanks the contribution of various CorpCom and PR teams under MoD.