SP's Aviation July 2010

AviationNews Flies. We Gather Intelligence. Every Month. From India.

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JULY • 2010

AN SP GUIDE PUBLICATION

Alternate Engine Programme

for JSF US Aerospace

Majors II C-27J Spartan

MMRCA Update Special Mission

Aircraft Regional Aviation

Infrastructure Industry:

AESA AN/APG-80

Business Aircraft Financing

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Publication note: Guideline for general identification only. Do not use as insertion order. Material for this insertion is to be examined carefully upon receipt. if it is deficient or does not comply with your requirements,

please contact: Print Production at 248-203-8824.

CLIENT: noRtHRoP GRuMMan DATE: 5/27/10 JOB #: nGc elS 6nGc0 182 AD DESC: MMRca AD #: G0182A Bleed: 220mm x 277mm ECD: S. levit Trim: 210mm x 267mm Art Director: K. Hastings Live: 180mm x 226mm Copywriter: L. screen: 133/mag Print Mgr: t. burland # Colors: 4/c Phone: 248-203-8824 Fonts: itc officina Sans Pubs: SP MilitaRY YeaRbooK - 2010

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Issue 7 • 2010 SP’S AVIATION 1

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SP's Aviation 07 of 10 final.indd 1 7/16/10 12:58:42 PM

FIRST

8 Unmanned Refuel

TECH WATCH

9 – Another Feather on the Cap

– Unblinking Eye

MILITARY

14 Industry US Aerospace Majors

17 MMRCA In Progress

25 Industry India may Need 50-100

Airlifters: Alenia

32 Special Mission Aircraft On Unusual Missions

CIVIL

28 Infrastructure T3 The New Terminology

OWN YOUR WINGSThe number of top-of-the-rich.

Indians who can acquire a private plane is skyrocketing. Financing by companies like

Cessna, Embraer, etc has become a key enabler in buying or

leasing an aircraft

Cover Image: The Indian economy is growing and so is the number

of high net worth individuals. The slashed price tags of the business jets is tickling their urge to buy.

Cover image: Anoop Kamath

•

36 Regional Aviation Make it Viable and

Profitable

INDUSTRY

38 Homeland Security ‘It is Portable and

Back Packable’

40 OEM The Proven Best

SHOW REPORT

42 Snapshots A Glimpse of ILA Berlin

HALL OF FAME

43 James H. Doolittle

REGULAR DEPARTMENTS

6 A Word from Editor

7 NewsWithViews

- Mars Space Odyssey

10 InFocus Scuffle over Second Engine

11 Forum

What’s the Alternative?

44 NewsDigest

48 LastWord VIP Syndrome

TABLE of CONTENTSISSUE 7 • 2010

AviationSP’s

News Flies. We Gather Intelligence. Every Month. From India.

AN SP GUIDE PUBLICATION

NEXT ISSUE: Current and Future -

Military Aero Engines

Cessna Finance Corporation (CFC) claims that it provides a turnkey, one-stop approach to potential aircraft owners (seen here is Citation CJ 2)

Cover Story

20

2 SP’S AVIATION Issue 7 • 2010 www.spsaviation.net

PUBLISHER AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Jayant Baranwal

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Subir Ghosh

ASSISTANT GROUP EDITOR

R. Chandrakanth

SENIOR VISITING EDITOR

Air Marshal (Retd) V.K. Bhatia

SENIOR TECHNICAL GROUP EDITORS

Air Marshal (Retd) B.K. Pandey

Lt General (Retd) Naresh Chand

COPY EDITOR

Sucheta Das Mohapatra

ASSISTANT CORRESPONDENT

Abhay Singh Thapa

ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR

Abhishek Singh

CONTRIBUTORS

INDIA

Air Marshal (Retd) N. Menon

Group Captain (Retd) A.K. Sachdev

Group Captain (Retd) Joseph Noronha

EUROPE

Alan Peaford, Phil Nasskau,

Rob Coppinger

USA & CANADA

Sushant Deb, LeRoy Cook, Lon Nordeen,

Anil R. Pustam (West Indies)

CHAIRMAN & MANAGING DIRECTOR

Jayant Baranwal

ADMIN & COORDINATION

Bharti Sharma

Survi Massey

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32 Role of Special Mission Aircraft

42 Snapshots of ILA Berlin 2010

25 C-27J Spartan

PLUS...

MASTER IN STRATEGY

Design and product ion of e lectron ic defence systems by ELETTRONICA S.p.A.

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SP's Aviation 07 of 10 final.indd 1 7/16/10 12:58:42 PM

A Word from Editor


With the price tags for some private jets taking a dip by as much as 35-40 per cent

from what they were in 2008, buyers are beginning to scout around for purchases. A rupee

that is also stronger against the US dollar now, is making

things easier.

In the last issue we had just glided over the news of the T3 launch. But the sheer magnitude of the terminal is such that it takes time for even the awe to sink in. This time out the need is to be elaborate, for what you might have been reading in the general news media would have been cur-

sory and meant for, needless to say, for people who don’t belong to the industry. SP’s Aviation always tries to fill up these information gaps, and so we have for you an elabo-rate article on the latest pride of India. Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport has not only signalled the landing of India on the world aviation map, it is also a clear indicator of India’s capabilities in creating world class infrastructure. And all this happened a little over three years that work started on this integrated terminal. Being counted among the world’s best gives one a differ-ent sense of pride altogether. Kudos to Delhi International Airport Limited, the joint venture company comprising the GMR Group, Airports Authority of India, Fraport, and Ma-laysian Airport Holdings.

The air of excitement pervading the business aircraft market, as the article presenting the big picture on the sub-ject says, is almost palpable. The shape of the economy looks much better than what it was two years ago. This has been reflecting directly on the aviation industry. With the price tags for some private jets taking a dip by as much as 35-40 per cent from what they were in 2008, buyers are beginning to scout around for purchases. A rupee that is also stronger against the US dollar now, is making things easier. Things are only in the take-off stage now; business aviation will do so when infrastructure—airports, parking spaces, private terminals, maintenance facilities—caters to this sector. A lot of people are waiting and watching.

Not everything, however, is comfortable on our home turf. Elsewhere in this issue we look at regional aviation and how smaller towns are getting left behind in this race for communi-cation and development. We have handled the subject earlier, but ‘Make it Viable and Profitable’ takes a hardnosed look at the subject. The article points out, “the gap between the high

rate of growth of airlines and the tardy pace of development of aviation infrastructure continued to widen impinging on the boom in the airline industry. There is an imperative need to accelerate the pace of development of aviation infrastructure in order that the full capacity of aviation industry is exploited.” We have our T3, but a lot more is needed too.

Three days after the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inaugurated T3 (on July 3), the first two-seat, fly-by-wire, trainer version of the naval light combat aircraft (LCA) Te-jas rolled-out marking a milestone achievement in the de-velopment programme undertaken by HAL and ADA. The Indian Navy had also played a significant role in the project through close monitoring and support. We also bring you a report on the event.

Await your comments and look forward to offering you even more exaustive inputs on the issues that concern the aviation industry.

Jayant Baranwal

Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

New

sWithViews


The ground-based experiment would perhaps be the longest duration simulation ever conducted in the his-tory of space exploration. The Mars500 Mission, as it is called, would duplicate the actual journey to Mars in

a spacecraft using its imitation interplanetary space vehicle, lander and Martian surface. The critics of Mars500 have ridi-culed the entire mission as a joke, suggesting that the experi-ment amounts to little more than sitting inside a giant tin can in a hangar with no sun, no fresh water and no ‘creature com-forts’ for an astoundingly intermi-nable 500 plus days. But neither the organisers nor the coura-geous voluntary crew think of the arduous mission in any other but the most serious terms.

Mars500 has been designed to recreate the conditions of a spacecraft hurtling through the solar system from Earth to Mars & back (one-way distance of 34 million miles) which could take between 18 months and two years. The crew will spend 250 days performing flight tasks and experiments—with half of them spending 30 days on the planet and others remaining in orbit. Getting home will take a further 240 days; with the entire round trip lasting 520 days. The crew of six volunteers, selected out of more than 6,000 applicants from 40 countries, comprises three Russians, two Europeans and one Chinese aged between 26 and 38 years. The oldest, Alexei Sitev is a Russian engineer and com-mander of the mission and the youngest is Wang Yue, a profes-sional astronaut from China. The others include two Russians Sukhrob Kamolov and Alexander Smoleevsky, a surgeon and a physiologist respectively; a French engineer Romain Charles and an engineer of Italian-Colombian origin Diego Urbina.

The 550 sq m complex consists of four distinct modules. The Habitable Module provides the main living area for the crew. The cylindrical 3.6m X 20m module has six 6 sq m each, individual compartments, a kitchen cum dining room, a living room, the main control room, a toilet and two bedrooms. The cylindrical 3.2m X 11.9m Medical Module houses two medi-

cal berths and equipment for routine medical examinations and telemedical, laboratory and diagnostic investigations. The Mars Landing Module will be used during the 30-day Mars or-biting phase. It will accommodate up to three crew-members and will be equipped with a control and data collection system, a video control and communication system, gas analysis sys-tem, air-conditioning & ventilation system, sewage system & water supply, etc. The largest Storage Module is divided into four compartments: a refrigerated compartment for food stor-

age and another for non-perish-able food, an experimental green-house and another containing a bathroom, sauna and a gym.

The complex has been rigged up to facilitate investigations of human factors of such a grueling mission. Mars500 is an extreme test of human endurance as the ‘Spacecraft hatch’ will remain closed until November 2011 and the crew must manage using the food and equipment stored in the facility. Staying for 520 days in-side the metallic containers would be extremely hard.

During the mission, the crew members will experience many of the conditions likely to be en-countered by astronauts on a real space flight, except for radiation and weightlessness. They will lose sight of the planet Earth. Even their radio contact with ‘earth’ will take 40 minutes for a two-way conversation. The crew will have their ups and downs during the long mission, but these very

likely psychological changes are a key part of the entire ex-periment. Manned missions to Mars spearheaded by countries like the US, the European Union, Russia and Japan, etc are fast gaining the necessary priorities in their respective space exploration endeavours. While technology will certainly evolve to ensure mankind’s tryst with Mars by 2030-35, it is only the human conditioning, training and indoctrination which could ensure its success. To achieve the ultimate aim therefore, Mars500 mission is an inescapable necessity—part and parcel of serious preparations for the Mars Space Odyssey. SP

—Air Marshal (Retd) V.K. Bhatia

MARS SPACE ODYSSEYOn June 3, the first full-length simulated mission to Mars started at 13:49 hrs local time (11:49 hrs GMT), when the six-men crew entered their ‘spacecraft’ and the hatch was closed. The mood was somber and determined in the Mars500 facility at the Institute of Biomedical Problems located in Moscow, as the crew talked to the press and then walked into the module that will be their home for the next 520 days. The hatch will remain closed until November 2011 and the crew must manage using the food and equipment stored in the facility. The organisers of the programme include the European and Russian Space Agencies.

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The Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded a $33 million (Rs 154 crore) contract to Northrop Grumman Corporation to demonstrate aerial refueling of a National Aero-nautics and Space Administration (NASA Global

Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) by a sister ship. The programme will be designated KQ-X.

Northrop Grumman will retrofit two of the high altitude long endurance (HALE) UAVs, one aircraft pumping fuel into the other in flight through a hose-and-drogue refueling system. The aerial refueling engagement will be completely autonomous.

Carl Johnson, vice president, Advanced Concepts for Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems said, “Demonstrat-ing the refueling of one UAV by another is a historic mile-stone. It adds aerial refueling to the list of capabilities that can be accomplished autonomously by Global Hawks, it opens the door to greatly expanded operational utility for UAVs and it promises to increase the safety and reliability of aerial refueling between manned aircraft by reducing pi-lot workload.”

Not only will the aerial refueling be autonomous, but since Global Hawks are HALE UAVs, it will also take place at a much higher altitude than has been previously demon-strated with manned aircraft. It will also be the first time that HALE UAVs would have flown in formation.

“The importance of aerial refueling is clear in the way military aviation depends on it today,” said Jim McCormick, the DARPA programme manager for KQ-X. “This demon-stration will go a long way towards making those same advantages a reality for the next generation of unmanned aircraft,” he added.

The engineering work will be accomplished at the Northrop Grumman Unmanned Systems Development Cen-tre in Rancho Bernardo, California. Pilots from NASA, NOAA and Northrop Grumman will fly the Global Hawks from the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California. SP

—SP’s Aviation News Desk

E-mail your comments to:[email protected]

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Unmanned RefuelNorthrop Grumman to demonstrate aerial refuelling Two Global Hawk UAVs


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A new hybrid airship weapons sys-tem, larger than the length of a football field will take to the skies

in 18 months to provide an unblink-ing, persistent eye for more than three weeks at a time to aid US Army troops in Afghanistan.

Northrop Grumman Corporation has announced that it has been awarded a $517 million (Rs 2,417 crore) agree-ment to develop up to three long endur-ance multi-intelligence vehicle (LEMV) systems for the US Army. The company has designed a system with plug-and-play capability to readily integrate into the Army’s existing common ground station command centres and ground troops in forward operating bases—the main objective to provide the US warf-

ighters with persistent ISR capability to increase awareness of the ever chang-ing battlefield.

Under the agreement, awarded by the US Army Space and Missile De-fence Command/Army Forces Strate-gic Command, Northrop Grumman will design, develop and test a long-dura-tion hybrid airship system within an 18-month timeframe and then trans-port the asset to the Middle East for military assessment.

LEMV will sustain altitudes of 20,000 feet for a three-week period and it will operate within national and in-ternational airspace. It will be forward-located to support extended geostation-ary operations from austere operating locations using beyond-line-of-sight

command and control.Northrop Grumman has teamed up

with Hybrid Air Vehicles Ltd of the Unit-ed Kingdom using its HAV304 platform, Warwick Mills, ILC Dover, AAI Cor-poration, SAIC and a team of technol-ogy leaders from 18 US states to build LEMV. Northrop Grumman will provide system integration expertise and flight and ground control operations to safely take off and land the unmanned vehicle for worldwide operations. SP


Boeing has successfully flown its ScanEagle Com-pressed Carriage (SECC) unmanned airborne sys-tem (UAS) at a testing facility in eastern Oregon. The

75-minute flight evaluated the aircraft’s airworthiness and flight characteristics in a simulated intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) mission.

The SECC powered by a six-horsepower, heavy-fuel engine was launched from a ground vehicle, flew an autonomous flight plan at various altitudes and provided streaming video from its electro-optical/infrared sensor package to a nearby ground station. The SECC was recovered using the same run-way-independent SkyHook recovery system used by the Sca-nEagle and Integrator unmanned airborne systems. The SECC system will complete additional tests in the coming months.

“This is a big step towards adding another aircraft with additional capabilities to Boeing’s UAS stable,” said Ron Per-kins, Director, Boeing Phantom Works’ Advanced Unmanned Airborne Systems. “The vehicle’s 132-inch wingspan and fold-ing aero surfaces allow it to be carried on an aircraft pylon or in a container, giving the warfighter the choice of operating it from air, underwater, ground or surface platforms,” he added.

The SECC is a long-endurance, autonomous UAS designed to provide ISR, targeting and battle-damage assessment. SP


Another Feather on the CapBoeing’s ScanEagle compressed carriage test flied successfully

Unblinking EyeNorthrop Grumman awarded contract for US Army Airship



For more information and video, visit: www.spsaviation.netPH

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InFocus MODERNISATION


Amid continuing Congressional support and Presi-dential veto threats, the battle over the second engine for the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) F-35 Lightning II continues to rage unabated. As more and more players from the Capitol Hill and the

industry get ensnared into the web of debate, each side is accusing the other of a disinformation war about their en-gine’s cost, performance, and even the relevance to be on the scene. It is now five years in the running that Pentagon’s continuing decision of not pursuing with the F-136 alternate engine development programme is being turned on its head with the Congress keeping the programme alive by adding money each year.

To redux, several engines were studied in the initial phases of what became the JSF programme. However, when it came to building the concept of a demonstrator aircraft, prudence demanded that the competing teams be direct-ed to use the only suitable engine then available—Pratt & Whitney’s F119. While this led to both Boeing and Lockheed Martin proposing JSF designs powered by F119 derivatives, the Pentagon in their calculations had planned for competi-tive engine procurement from the outset and funded work on the F-136 in parallel with development of the F-35 and F135 (derived from F-119 fitted on the USAF’s F-22 Raptor air-dominance fighter). The plan was to complete develop-ment of the F-35 with the Pratt & Whitney (P&W) F-135 as its power plant, as the F-16 had with the F-100, and then introduce competition with the General Electric/Rolls-Royce (GE/R-R) F136 engine. Accordingly, all initial F-35s were to be powered by the P&W F-135 engines, but after 2010, the engine contracts were planned to be competitively tendered from Lot 6 onwards.

In keeping with the above philosophy, while P&W took the lead in the F135 engine development, the GE/R-R com-bine also started receiving funds from 1996 onwards to start the development of their F136 engine. The GE/R-R Fighter Engine team was formally created in July 2002 (a 60:40 joint venture), with the responsibility for developing the F136 ‘in-terchangeable’ engine for the JSF. The F136 development programme commenced with complete earnestness and by July 2004, the F-136 had begun full engine runs at the GE’s Evendale, Ohio facility. In August 2005, the US Department of Defence (DOD) awarded the GE/R-R team a $2.4 billion (Rs 11,200 crore) contract for the system development and demonstration (SDD) phase of the F136 initiative, scheduled to run until 2013.

However, in less than a year after the award of the contract, the US defence budget announced on February

6, 2006, excluded the F136—leaving Pratt & Whitney, the maker of the F135 engine, as the sole provider of engines for the Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighters. This would have put a permanent lid over the F136 programme but for the US Congress, which overturned the DOD request and allocat-ed funds for financial year 2007 later during 2006. Since then, each year, the US Congress has continued to provide funds to keep the ‘alternate’ engine programme alive de-spite the DOD requests to the contrary. The GE/R-R team on its part has ensured that the development of the F-136 remains on track by sticking to the planned schedules to the best possible extent. Minor glitches/delays have been successfully handled and in the current year 2010—the fourth year of its SDD contract with the US government—the fighter engine team has totaled more than 800 hours of testing on pre-SDD and SDD engines—with full reheat thrust having been reached in testing the first production standard engine.

Till date, the GE/R-R has received $3 billion (Rs 14,000 crore) for the F136 and, with more than 70 per cent of the task already accomplished, says another $1 billion (Rs 4,600 crore) is needed to complete the development. When seen under the glare of the overall F-35 programme, the costs possibly reaching a staggering $380 billion (Rs 1,775,800 crore), the $1 billion required to continue with the GE/R-R alternate engine programme would pale into insignificance. If that be so, why is it that the Pentagon has done a volte face from its earlier stand of going in for an alternate engine programme? Isn’t monopoly an anath-ema in today’s world, while competition is universally con-sidered to be at the very heart of ensuring quality product and control in costs?

What appears to be emanating from the concerned US defence establishments is that the alternate engine pro-gramme was just an option which is being revoked to cut down on the already upward spiraling costs of the F-35 pro-gramme. Even if it is conceded that there wasn’t a competi-tion in the true sense of it, it can’t be denied by the establish-ment that there certainly was a strategy to have the second engine and that too for some very compelling reasons. This reversal of thought process would put Pentagon on ground that it may find difficult to defend. SP


Scuffle over SECOND ENGINEBattle over the second engine for the US’ JSF F-35 Lightning II continues unabated

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The very object of the alternate engine programme, the General Electric/Rolls-Royce (GE/R-R) F136, is a massive 40,000 lb (180 kN) thrust class engine, which was to be specifically designed with an aim to be “interchangeable” across the three variants

of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) pro-gramme. The three variants of the JSF are F-35A—conven-tional take-off and landing (CTOL); F-35B–short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) and F-35C – carrier variant (CV). The engine was to compete with Pratt & Whitney (P&W) F135 engine to give the JSF customers an alternative option in terms of selecting the power plant for their respective F-35 fleets. A derivative of the earlier YF120 engine which the GE had developed for the ATF (F-22 Raptor programme but lost to P&W 119 engine), the F136 is an augmented turbofan with a twin spool, counter-rotating, axial flow, low aspect ra-tio compressor and an axial flow, counter rotating turbine.

The P&W F135 engine is a two-shaft engine that has a three-stage fan low pressure (LP) and a six-stage high pressure (HP) compressor. The hot section features an an-nular combustor with a single-stage HP turbine unit and a two-stage LP turbine. The afterburner features a variable converging-diverging nozzle. The conventional and carrier aviation engines, the F135-PW-100 and F135-PW-400, have a maximum thrust of approximately 43,000 lb (191 kN) and a dry thrust of approximately 28,000 lb (125 kN) and power the F-35A (CTOL) and F-35C (CV) versions, respectively. The major difference between the -100 and -400 models is the use of salt-corrosion resistant materials. The STOVL variant, F135-PW-600, delivers the same 43,000 lb (191 kN) of wet

thrust as the other types in its conventional configuration to power F-35B version of the JSF.

All the P&W 135 versions, i.e. -100, -400 and -600 are already installed in the F-35A, F-35C and F-35B models of the JSF, actively involved in flight testing. But that was to be expected as P&W had clear lead over GE/R-R. But the F136 is not too far behind with most of the development milestones having been achieved including the difficult STOVL configura-tion. Interestingly, in their respective STOVL version both en-gines are dependent on a revolutionary, high-tech and intri-cate LiftSystem designed and developed by none other than the Roll-Royce. In the STOVL configuration, the P&W F135 engine produces 18,000 lb (80.1 kN) of lift thrust. Combined with thrust from the LiftFan (20,000 lb/89.0 kN) and two roll posts (1,950 lb/8.67 kN each), the Rolls-Royce LiftSystem pro-duces a total of 41,900 lb (186 kN) of thrust, almost the same vertical lifting force for slow speed flight as the same engine produces at maximum afterburner, without the extreme fuel use or exhaust heat as wet thrust. The STOVL version of the F136 is being developed for a similar combination of thrust (s) configuration as for the P&W 135 engine.

It is ironical that while the engine majors, Pratt & Whit-ney on one hand and the General Electric and Rolls-Royce combine on the other, are engaged in a fierce verbal war, they are also intricately linked with each other in the en-gines’ programmes for the JSF F-35. Both are extolling their own products while berating the other whether it is the cost of development, engine performance, reliability, maintain-ability, or, for that matter, even the scope of further improve-ment/product upgrades, etc. But what is the reality and why

What’s the Alternative?

The reliability and life-cycle costs are the real factors which would determine whether the alternate

engine programme is allowed to run or not

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is the Pentagon against the F136 at this later stage of its development programme?

The Pentagon planners’ biggest fears are triggered by the already escalating per unit cost of the F-35 and its ad-verse impact on the numbers of aircraft that the USAF, USN and the US Marines would be able to afford while staying within approved budgets. This appears to have led Penta-gon to cut funding for the F136 programme— perceived at this stage to be an unnecessary duplication to P&W engine (F135) already installed in the three versions of the aircraft and working satisfactorily. But doesn’t this run contrary to the Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act of 2009 which became a law to mandate competition through the entire life of major defence programmes to cut down cost overruns and delays in major weapon programmes?

The JSF is the largest weapon procurement programme in history—a multi-role fighter aircraft replacing numerous models, with potential production for the US Air Force, Navy, Marines and international customers to reach 3,500-4,000 aircraft in the next 30 years with the US alone going in for about 2,500 fighters. This is the reason that despite what is being hammered out by the P&W propaganda machine and endorsed by the Federal government, the competing GE/R-R F136 continues to receive bipartisan Congressional support, in tune with the requirements of the Weapon Systems Acqui-sition Reform Act. Countering the P&W rhetoric, the compet-ing GE/R-R advance their case by stating that F136 develop-ment is now more than 70 per cent complete and poised for a more than 30-year competition with Pratt & Whitney. In support, the GE/R-R Fighter Engine Team recently offered the US Defence Department a unique fixed-price package encompassing initial F136 production engines in the years leading to head-to-head competition. The competing engine maker alleges that changing course mid-stream would hand a $100 billion (Rs 4,67,000 crore) monopoly to P&W.

In projecting their case, the GE/R-R combine emphasise that the F136 engine is on budget, and consistently receives top reviews from the Joint Programme Office for programme execution, including budget performance. On the develop-ment costs front, different sets of figures are being bandied about by different players but an impartial and independent analysis would reveal that if the STOVL-related impacts were to be factored out of the P&W programme (the Rolls-Royce ‘LiftSystem’ being common to both but avoided by GE/R-R), both engines would cost about the same to develop. The real competition would come in to play between the two over pro-duction prices and life-cycle costs.

On the technical front, the GE/R-R Team takes the argu-ment over alternate engine further by stressing that F136 was specifically designed for the JSF with built-in growth potential (unlike the P&W 135 which is a derivative of the F119 originally designed for the F-22 Raptor). Designed later, the F136 has a larger core than the F135. The F136 pumps more air, while the F135 runs hotter. But for now they produce approximately the same thrust because that is governed by the area of the exhaust nozzle, which (devel-oped by P&W) is common to both. If a need for more thrust emerges with later block of F-35, GE/R-R will be able to take advantage of F136’s larger core and greater airflow. P&W on the other hand, will have to run the F135’s smaller core at even higher temperatures which is certainly a disadvan-

tage as it shortens engine life. The argument against a larger core pumping more air is that it makes the engine (and air-craft) heavier. In any case, at this stage, the argument is purely academic. Further, it must also be remembered that extra thrust will not help the STOVL F-35B unless the lift fan is also uprated—not an easy task.

On the operational front, there is a strong sentiment in fa-vour of the alternate engine. As the JSF programme matures, the F-35 will become the mainstay of not only the USAF but also of USN and the US Marines. Without a competing and interchangeable JSF engine, an engine problem could cause a fleet-wide JSF grounding, plummeting US fighter power to a near zero operational capability—an unthinkable scenario indeed. This would specially hurt the USAF as it plans to replace many different models of its strike fighters with the sole multi-role F-35 aircraft.

In the final analysis, the reliability and lifecycle costs are the real factors which would determine whether the alter-nate engine programme is allowed to run or not. Here, his-

tory seems to be on the side of the com-peting F136 engine. It is well-known that in the F-16 procure-ment programme of somewhat similar magnitude as the planned F-35 pro-gramme, the P7W F100 engine’s safety record and main-tenance costs were rather uninspiring before the US govern-ment funded the GE F110 alternate engine as a head-to-head competitor. By intro-ducing competition in the F-16 engine programme, it were not only the safety records which were

improved considerably but it also brought about a stunning 21 per cent overall cost savings. On the JSF front, this could equate to a staggering sum of more than $20 billion over the life of the programme.

A former US Under Secretary of Defence and a leading ad-vocate for Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act, Jacques Gansler said it best when he wrote that a single-source en-gine contract for the JSF was a “bad acquisition policy and bad public policy.” Despite the overwhelming historic evi-dence and the fact that the alternate engine needs only $1 billion infusion for completing the development programme, why has the US Department of Defence decided that it pre-fers a single-source contractor for the JSF engine? Gansler adds, “The theory seems to be that over time, increased vol-ume for one manufacturer yields lower cost and better qual-ity.” History has revealed more than once that this is simply not the case. The Pentagon perhaps has the answers. SP


As the JSF programme matures, the F-35 will become the mainstay of not only the USAF but also of USN and the US Marines

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MILITARY INDUSTRY

The Second World War laid the foundation of the US Aerospace industry whose wartime ac-complishments are regarded as the most out-standing and laudable. However, with the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union, demand for weapon systems dimin-

ished and it led to several mergers and acquisitions leav-ing only a few major players in the global market. While Boeing Defence, Space & Security and Lockheed Martin dominate both the domestic and international markets, the other leading players are Northrop Grumman, Gen-eral Dynamics, Raytheon, Honeywell, GE Aviation, Textron Corporation and Rockwell Collins.

LOCKHEED MARTINWith its headquarters in Maryland, Lockheed Martin was formed in March 1995 by the merger of two of the world’s premier technology companies, Lockheed Corporation and Martin Marietta. Soon after, the company also forged a stra-tegic union with Loral’s defence electronics and systems integration divisions. With a workforce of around 140,000 as per data of 2009, Lockheed Martin is an advanced tech-nology company with global presence and is specialised in aerospace, defence and security. It enjoys a pre-eminent po-sition in the world in the field of design, manufacture and support of military aircraft. The company’s aim is to provide the necessary capability in the regime of aeronautics for the armed forces of the US and its allies to conduct military air operations in any part of the world.

Today, Lockheed Martin is the world’s largest defence contractor with bulk of its revenues being generated through orders placed by the US government and foreign military customers. In 2008, only 15 per cent of the revenue accrued from international trade.

Since its inception, Lockheed Martin has been engaged in constant research and development of high-performance com-bat, air mobility and reconnaissance aircraft. Lockheed Mar-tin’s Skunk Works, well known for innovations, has in the last six decades, been credited with advanced research and the suc-cessful development of a number of cutting-edge technologies. The company’s expertise as ‘systems integrator’ significantly enhances value, capability and attributes of its products.

Combat aircraft Lockheed Martin has produced some of the most versatile multi-role combat aircraft in the world in response to the demands of aerial combat scenarios of the future. Developed in the mid-seventies, over the last 36 years, the F-16 has evolved into a fourth generation fighter. Today, it continues to be fielded as a frontline aircraft in many air forces in the world and with the offer of the F-16 IN Super Viper, is one of

By Air Marshal (Retd) B.K. Pandey, Bengaluru

While Boeing and Lockheed dominate American aerospace industry, the other leading players

include Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, Raytheon, Honeywell, GE Aviation, Textron

Corporation and Rockwill Collins. Browse through the second instalment of the article.

AEROSPACE MAJORS

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the contenders for the contract for 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft for the IAF.

Another unique aircraft developed in the seventies by the Lockheed Skunk Works is the F-117 Nighthawk that pio-neered the concept and design for ‘stealth’. Lockheed Martin was also a partner in the development and manufacture of the successor of the F-117, the F-22 Raptor—the only oper-ational fifth generation aircraft in the world today. In 2001, Lockheed Martin won a $200 billion (Rs 900,000 crore) con-tract to develop and manufacture the fifth generation F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter. The initial order for 3,000 is the largest order for combat aircraft since the F-16 Fight-ing Falcon. Capable of short as well as vertical takeoff and landing, the F-35 amalgamates new technologies that would provide unprecedented levels of lethality and survivability.

Transport aircraftFor five decades, Lockheed Martin has been engaged in the design, development and manufacture of some of the most capable military transport aircraft in the world both for tac-tical and strategic roles. The most widely used aircraft have been the C-130 Hercules for tactical air transport operations and the C-5 Galaxy and later the C-5M Super Galaxy, a sig-nificantly upgraded version, for strategic airlift operations. The IAF is to receive in the near future, six of the C-130J modified for special operations. This is likely to be followed by orders for more.

Reconnaissance aircraftApart from the P-3C Orion, long range maritime patrol air-craft that has been the mainstay for the USN for decades, two other highly successful aircraft for high altitude stra-tegic reconnaissance developed by Lockheed were the U-2 and the SR-71, the latter holding a record for its speed.

Opportunity areas in IndiaWith the recent upswing in the strategic relationship be-tween India and the US, and robust growth in the Indian economy, there is considerable optimism in the company

with regard to long-term business opportunities in ar-eas of military hardware for the Indian armed forces in general. Possible areas of interest to the US aerospace industry would be air-defence radars, weather radars

and C4ISR-related net-centric operations requirements for the Indian Air Force.

NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORPORATION

Early HistoryRanking behind Boeing Defence, Space & Security and Lock-heed Martin Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation today is one of the leading aerospace companies in the US focussed on the defence sector. The origins of the company lie in Avion Corporation established in 1928 by a World War I veteran John Northrop. An infantryman turned aero-space engineer, John Northrop later founded the Northrop Corporation. This company was responsible for designing, developing and manufacturing several aircraft during and after the Second World War. Some of the eminently suc-cessful designs were the B-35, P-61 Night Fighter known as Black Widow, F-5 Freedom Fighter of which over 2,200 were manufactured and the T-38 that constituted the Thunderbirds, the renowned formation aerobatic team of the USAF. The company suffered some setbacks on account of a few controversial and unsuccessful designs such as the Flying Wing Bomber and the B-49, intended to be an improved version of the B-5, the F-20 Tigershark, the ad-vanced tactical fighter (ATF) for the USAF, and the troubled

B-2 stealth bomber. In the early Seventies,

competing for the new light weight combat aircraft for the USAF, Northrop fielding the F-17 Cobra, lost out to the F-16 from General Dynamics. Later, Northrop together with McDonnell Douglas came up

LM FIGHTERS: (TOP TO BOTTOM) FIFTH GENERATION F-35 LIGHTNING II JOINT STRIKE FIGHTER; F-16 HAS EVEOLVED INTO A FOURTH GENERATION FIGHTER AND THE STEALTHY F-117 NIGHTHAWK

MILITARY INDUSTRY


with a redesigned version of the F-17 which came to be known as the F-18 Hornet.

Northrop Acquires Grumman Northrop Grumman came into being in April 1994 during the turmoil in the industry following the end of the cold War, when Northrop Corporation acquired Grumman Cor-poration another well-known producer of military aircraft. An attempt two years later by Lockheed Martin to acquire Northrop Grumman did not succeed reportedly on account of intervention by the US government.

Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation The Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation was created in 1929 by a US Navy engineer-pilot Leroy Grumman. The first successful carrier borne fighter aircraft built in the early thirties by Grumman was the F-4F Wildcat that sported fold-ing wings. During World War II, Grumman built its successor, the F-6F Hellcat as also the amphibious J-4F Widgeon and the TBF Avenger naval attack bomber. At the rate of 500 aircraft per month, by the end of the war, Grumman had produced over 17,000 aircraft, mostly for the US Navy. After the War, the company developed jet engine powered aircraft such as the F-9F Panther used extensively in the Korean War and the F-10F Jaguar which never entered service. Newer jets included the Tiger, Cougar, and Intruder. In 1958, Grumman ventured

into the business jet segment producing and selling 200 Gulfstream I aircraft. However, this part of the business was sold in the late seventies.

Other successful pro-grammes of Grumman were the 313 extremely versatile F-14 Tomcat carrier based swing-wing combat aircraft

that entered service in 1973, the E-2C Hawkeye airborne ear-ly warning platform capable of simultaneous tracking of over 600 targets, the A-6 Intruder attack bomber and the EA-6B Prowler electronic warfare aircraft. In the mid-eighties, Grum-man showcased the advanced technology demonstrator, the X-29, that had wings swept forward. Another success story was the joint surveillance target attack radar system (JSTARS) that was proven in the Gulf War in 1991. Sadly, the ambitious B-2 stealth bomber programme continued to flounder.

Foray into SpaceGrumman’s foray into the space market began with a contract from NASA for the lunar module for the first moon landing. With credibility based on flawless performance of the lunar module, NASA followed up with orders another 11 lunar mod-ules, two mission simulators and wings for the space shuttle.

Spate of Acquisition Known for its strengths as a manufacturer of military air-craft and naval systems, after acquisition of Grumman, the new entity added capabilities in the regimes of defence electronics and systems integration. Perceiving enhanced requirement for intelligence gathering and precision opera-tions in the post-Cold War era, the new company went on an acquisition spree buying off a large number of firms special-ising in communications and intelligence systems, space-based sensors, electronic components manufacturing, un-manned aerial vehicles and shipbuilding for the Navy. With these acquisitions, the company was able to effectively alter its strategy and enhance focus on cutting edge technologies in the defence industry.

The Company TodayWhile Northrop Grumman maintained its capability in the military aircraft segment and consolidated its position as the world’s largest builder of naval ships, it also emerged as a leader in the field of defence electronics. It was able to quite easily extend its business beyond the USAF to the US Navy and successfully battled the prevailing turbulence in the aerospace industry. The new thrust areas of the company are Systems Integration, Defence Electronics and Informa-tion Technology providing to the US Armed Forces bulk of the requirement of airborne radar systems, including the AWACS and Information Technology. It continues to be the largest builder of ships for the Navy. The latest feather in its cap is the Euro Hawk developed jointly with EADS that has recently completed its maiden flight successfully. Northrop Grumman would in all likelihood join hands with EADS if the latter opts to bid for the contract for 197 aerial tankers for the USAF. SP

(To be continued)

LM WARHORSES: (TOP) C-130 HERCULES IS THE MOST WIDELY USED AIRCRAFT FOR TACTICAL AIR TRANSPORT OPERATIONS; P-3C ORION IS A SUCCESSFUL AIRCRAFT FOR MARITIME RECONNAISSANCE


MILITARY MMRCA

One of the most exhaus-tive and arduous flight evaluation trials con-ducted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in its quest for selecting an Medium

Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) which had spilled over into the month of May appear to be finally over. It may be recalled that last year just prior to India’s Parliamenta-ry Elections, the IAF had completed the Herculean task of technical evaluation of the responses to India’s request for proposal (RFP) from the six global bidders and submitted the report to the Defence Ministry. Subsequently, while the

groundwork had commenced, it was evident that the next phase of the pro-curement procedure could be under-taken only after the elections and the formation of the new government at the Centre. Flight Evaluation or ‘field

trials’ is just the fourth of the eight phases of DPP (see ta-ble) but due to the UPA’s return to power for the second term this phase thankfully was not overly delayed.

To flight evaluate all competing aircraft, the IAF had chalked up a comprehensive programme involving tests at three different locations in India: technical and humid con-ditions tests in Bengalure; hot-weather desert trials in Jais-

While assurances from various quarters that the MMRCA would be in service by 2014 might appear somewhat unrealistic, it is

imperative that the deal is finalised expeditiously

In ProgressBy Air Marshal (Retd)

V.K. Bhatia

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almer, Rajasthan and Leh in Ladakh area of Jammu & Kash-mir for the conduct of high-altitude trials where the terrain exceeds 10,000 ft amsl (above mean sea level). In addition, while the single-seat versions of the participating aircraft were planned to be conducted in India, the twin-seat ver-sions as also selected weapons’ trials were to be carried out

in the respective manufactur-ers’ country locations. The bidding aircraft were also planned to be flight evaluated sequentially by the same sets of designated teams in India and abroad. To refresh memories, the six competitors in the fray for India’s Rs 50,000 crore ($10 billion plus) ‘mother of all defence deals’ are the Saab JS-39 Gripen, Eurofighter Typhoon, Rafale from Dassault, Mikoyan MiG-35, Lockheed Martin F-16IN Super Viper and the Boeing F/A-18IN (a ver-sion of the Super Hornet).

In the event, the flight evaluation phase could commence only in August/September 2009. The task was nothing short of daunting but it must go to the credit of the IAF and the participating vendors that the flight testing phase could be completed within a couple of months’ spill over from the original schedule of March/April 2010. So what is next? Is this a good omen for the things to shape up better as far as sticking to the schedule is concerned?

Reportedly, the IAF is once again burning the prover-bial midnight oil to complete the next stage of the coun-

STAGES AS PER DPP ALREADY COMPLETED

1 Formulation of services Qualitative Requirements

2 Solicitation of offers

3 Technical Evaluation

4 Field Trial

STAGES TO GO

5 Staff Evaluations (probably completed by now)

6 Technical Oversight

7 Commercial Evaluation

8 Contract Singing and Management

TOP CONTENDORS: THE RUSSIAN MIKOYAN MIG-35;

LOCKHEED MARTIN’S F-16IN SUPER VIPER AND SAAB’S

GRIPEN NG DEMONSTRATOR

LOCKHEED MARTIN’S F-16IN SUPER VIPERLockheed Martin has offered a customised version of the F-16, the F-16IN Super Viper for the Indian MMRCA con-tract. It will be more advanced than the F-16 Block 52s sold to Pakistan. Based closely on the F-16E/F Block 60 supplied to the UAE, the features on the F-16IN would in-clude conformal fuel tanks, a Northrop Grumman AN-APG-80 AESA radar, a General Electric F110-132A engine with 143 kN full reheat thrust with FADEC, advanced all-colour glass cockpit and helmet mounted cueing system. In addi-tion, Lockheed Martin has offered India to participate in its F-35 Lightning II aircraft in the future, more so, if the F-16 is chosen.

BOEING’S F/A-18E/F SUPER HORNETThe Super Hornet variant being offered to India, the F/A-18IN is based on the F/A-18E/F model flown by the US Navy and currently being built for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Raytheon’s APG-79 AESA radar being offered with the aircraft will have limited transfer of tech-nology, up to the level approved by the US government and meeting India’s RFP requirements. Boeing has proposed

joint manufacture of the jet fighters with Indian partners. In order to satisfy the offset requirements, Boeing has taken a lead by signing long-term partnership agreements with HAL, Tata Industries and Larsen & Toubro, who will play a significant role in production and assembly of the aircraft, if selected.

EUROFIGHTER TYPHOONEurofighter is offering the latest Tranche-3 Typhoon for the Indian requirement, equipped with the Captor-E (CAESAR) AESA radar. EADS has invited India to become a partner in the Eurofighter Typhoon programme, if the Typhoon wins the contract and will be given technological and de-velopment participation in future models of the aircraft. The EADS has further elaborated that if India becomes the fifth partner of the Eurofighter programme, it will be able to manufacture assemblies for the new Eurofighters. The manufacturer has recently offered to include thrust vectoring nozzles (TVNs) with the Eurofighter’s EJ200 en-gines for India. Thrust vectoring will improve operational capabilities and better engine efficiency vis-à-vis fuel burn and will provide increased thrust under certain conditions.

MILITARY MMRCA


try’s labourious Defence Pro-curement Procedure, i.e. staff evaluation, sifting through the immense sets of data it must have collected during the flight evaluation stage. And if it is able to actually complete this highly complex and diffi-cult task within the scheduled timeframe and hand over the report to the Ministry of De-fence (MoD) by June-end, it would indeed be a record of sorts. But would the record-breaking efforts of the IAF help accelerate matters? Over-all, the acquisition process has dragged on to such an extent as to call for rebidding as per the contract rules. On April 28, the MoD was forced to act under its own DPP rules in extending bids by a year, which in turn allows the ven-dors to revise the bids up or down. A year’s delay should normally drive the costs up by 5 to 7 per cent under normal circumstances, but the volatil-ity factor could cause havoc to the vendors’ calculations. In view of the present day global economic uncertainties and the resulting fluctuations in inter-cur-rency relationships, the volatility factor could take ominous proportions. For ex-ample, it is rumoured that the slide down in the value of Euro on the one hand and the fierce competition among

the rival bidders on the other, may have made the European entries, namely the Euro-fighter Typhoon and the Ra-fale, somewhat cheaper than before. However, it needs to be appreciated that in the long run, delays would in-evitably raise the programme costs and prevent in-service induction of the winning air-craft on schedule.

In all probability, the IAF would have lived up to its self-made promise of completing the ‘staff evaluation’ phase by June end and handed over the report to the Technical Over-sight Committee (TOC) for the next phase. It is expected that the TOC would do its bit with the same sense of urgency as the IAF because the remain-ing steps, especially the ‘com-mercial evaluation’ and ‘price negotiations’ are complex pro-cedures that cannot be gone through in a hurry. However, at this stage, it can only be hoped that the final phases are com-

pleted without stagnation in negotiations. All in all, while assurances from various quarters that the MMRCA would be in ser-vice by 2014 might appear somewhat un-realistic, it is imperative that the deal is fi-

nalised expeditiously. The IAF cannot wait interminably for the much needed combat capability transfusion. SP

EJ200 has also been offered as a possible power plant for the indigenous light combat aircraft (LCA) programme.

MIKOYAN MIG-35The Mikoyan MiG-35 is the production version of the latest MiG-29 incorporating mature development of the MiG-29M/M2 and MiG-29K/KUB technology, such as glass cockpit and fly-by-wire, AESA radar and so on. The Rus-sian manufacturer is also offering full transfer of technol-ogy. If continuity was a major factor in aircraft selection, MiG-35 would have a decisive advantage as the IAF al-ready operates 65 MiG-29s and the Navy has ordered 16 MiG-29Ks for its aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya (for-merly Admiral Gorshkov). However, it is quite obvious that the overall outcome of the competition would heavily lean on operational capabilities of each contending aircraft for the final selection.

SAAB GRIPEN NGThe single-engine Saab JAS 39 Gripen has been in the con-tention of the MMRCA competition from the very beginning. The aircraft, both the single and twin-seat versions flew

extensively during the Aero India 2007 air show. Gripen In-ternational is offering the Gripen Next Generation (NG) for the IAF which has increased fuel capacity, more powerful engine, higher payload and upgraded avionics.

DASSAULT RAFALEThe Rafale has the distinct advantage of being logistically and operationally similar to the Mirage 2000, which the IAF already operates and has used with great success dur-ing the Kargil War. The French government has cleared full technology transfer of the Rafale to India, including that of the RBE2-AA Active Electronically Scanned Ar-ray (AESA) radar, which will be integrated with the Ra-fale by 2010. The IAF will have full access to the source codes, which will allow Indian scientists to re-programme any sensitive equipment as and when required. Das-sault has also offered to fit the indigenous Kaveri engine into the Rafale at anytime, if the IAF so desires. On the other hand, there appears to be some concerns about cost issues but these may be overcome by the fact that India and France have recently agreed to “go beyond a buyer-seller relationship”. •

FLYING HIGH: DASSAULT’S RAFALE DOES A LOW LEVEL PASS; F/A-18E/F

SUPER HORNET DOING A MANOEUVRE


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The air of excitement pervading the business air-craft market is almost palpable. After two years of gloom, improving demand means the industry can confidently look forward to a strong show-ing—perhaps as early as the end of the year. What’s more, emerging markets, especially in

Asia, are taking the lead. The wider world may be in deep dread of a double-dip recession, but the Indian economy is cheerfully projected to grow between 8.2 and 9.5 per cent this fiscal. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is making bold statements forecasting double-digit growth by 2012. At the same time, the number of top-of-the-rich-list Indians—the kind that might acquire or at least use a private plane—is skyrocketing. According to the 2010 Merrill Lynch-Capgemini World Wealth Report, the number of high net worth individu-als (HNWIs) in the country with minimum investable assets of $1 million (Rs 4.6 crore) rose to 126,700 in 2009 compared to just 84,000 in 2008. Such customers account for about 10 to 20 per cent of business aircraft sales.

Slashed price tags are also tickling the urge to buy. With quotes for some private jets plummeting by as much as 35-40 per cent from their 2008 peaks, large and small compa-nies are again eager to make purchases. And since prices are almost invariably quoted in the US dollars, a strong ru-pee further sweetens the deal for the Indian buyer. Only one thing is necessary to complete the picture—finance.

JETS AT A PRICEWhen the first Learjet burst on the scene in October 1964, it opened up a new vista of fast, efficient and super-comfortable business aircraft. Since then, there’s been no looking back. India currently has over 500 private aircraft—around half of them fixed-wing—and the other half helicopters. However, according to Gulfstream Aerospace, the country’s share of business jets is less than one per cent—just 123 of the 18,000-strong global fleet. Is it time to rewrite the story?

Six manufacturers dominate the global business jet scene—Bombardier, Cessna, Dassault, Embraer, Gulfstream Aerospace and Hawker Beechcraft. Together they offer a wide variety of over 40 sleek and attractive models to suit every need and budget. They also appear uniformly bullish on their prospects

By Group Captain (Retd) Joseph Noronha, Goa

As most potential owners of private aircraft are not from the aviation industry, buying

or leasing an aircraft is an unfamiliar territory

LUXURY IN AIR: CITATION XLS+ OFFERS COMFORT OF FLYING IN A NEARLY 19-FOOT-LONG STAND-UP CABIN. INSIDE THIS EXCEPTIONALLY QUIET EXPANSE, YOUR SENSES WILL INSIST THAT YOU ARE IN AN AIRCRAFT COSTING MILLIONS MORE!

BUSINESS AVIATION FINANCING

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in the country. For instance, Roger Sperry of Gulfstream Aerospace says, “We are very optimistic about India. We have good business here as India is an expanding market.” Gulf-stream offers mid-size jets like the Gulfstream G150 and leads the large-cabin, long-range segment with aircraft like the G550. Bombardier alone expects to sell at least 250 jets in India over the next 10 years. Its family of business jets stretches from the light Learjet series (the latest Learjet 85 is expected in 2013) to the super-large ultra-long-range global series. Besides, the light Citation CJ2+ and superlight Citation XLS+ Cessna offers the popular Citation X super-midsize model. Embraer will soon have seven corporate jets on offer ranging from the very light Phenom 100 to the super-large Lineage 1000. Hawker Beech-craft listings stretch from the light Premier IA to the super-mid-size Hawker 4000. Business turboprops in the market include the Cessna Caravan series, Hawker Beechcraft King Air 350i, Pilatus PC-12NG, Piper Meridian and Piaggio Avanti II.

But the beautiful jets don’t necessarily come cheap. At the lower end of the spectrum, the Cirrus Vision SF-50 personal jet costs just $1.72 million (approx Rs 8 crore). Even a millionaire can go for one, perhaps with the help of a modest loan. Cess-na’s Mustang offers excellent value for money at $3.1 million (approx Rs 14.5 crore) apiece while Embraer’s Phenom 100 costs around $3.8 million (approx Rs 18 crore). The superlight Cessna Citation XLS+ is quoted at $17.6 million (approx Rs 82 crore). While the Bombardier Challenger 300 super-midsize jet goes for $24.2 million (approx Rs 113 crore), the Hawker 4000 in the same category costs $22 million (Rs 103 crore). However, a company intending to buy a high-end, long-range jet like the Embraer Lineage 1000 or the Dassault Falcon 7X would need to lay hands on almost $50 million (approx Rs 234 crore) with only small change left over; while a Gulfstream G650 (due in 2012) could carry a price tag of over $58 million (approximately 271 crore). Large corporate jetliners like the Boeing BBJ3 cost $69 million (approx Rs 323 crore), and the Airbus A320 Prestige costs a whopping $85 million (approx Rs 397 crore). Where does that kind of money come from?

YOU HAVE A DREAM? WE GIVE IT WINGS!A business aircraft represents a sizeable investment and should bring value that exceeds the cost. Insurance, fuel, maintenance, airport fees, catering, crew and hidden costs can add up to a pretty packet. For customers who foresee a requirement of 100 hours or less of flying per year, jet card or block charter arrangements usually are the most suitable. Above that, fractional ownership—similar to the familiar time sharing plans of tourist resorts—becomes the option of choice. Leasing or buying a jet makes sense only if annual utilisation is above 250 hours of flight time, prefer-ably around 300-350 hours. And once the decision to lease or buy it is taken, finance often holds the key.

Buying a business aircraft is a lot more complicated than leasing one. Only relatively well-heeled customers are likely to decide to purchase such a pricey asset. Apart from the satisfaction of exclusive ownership of the object of desire, the main advantage is that the owner can claim tax benefit and offset other income by depreciating the value of the air-craft, perhaps in as little as five years. But aircraft residual value—which cannot always be accurately predicted—might cloud resale prospects.

Buying involves much planning and judicious negotia-

LUXURYLINERS: EMBRAER’S LINEAGE1000; GULFSTREAM

G550; EMBRAER PHENOM 100; (OPPOSITE PAGE)

GULFSTREAM G150; CITATION MUSTANG AND

DASSAULT’S FALCON 7X



tions including critical comparison of offer prices. An avia-tion finance consultant is strongly advisable. A contract is signed and initial deposits made, and thereafter the pur-chase agreement is finalised. After satisfactory inspection and balance payments, the customer is ready to take the delivery. However, the procedure of importing an aircraft into India often takes several months. Hanging over the whole process is the need to obtain approvals and com-plete import licensing requirements with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Customs department, etc. Though non-scheduled operator permit (NSOP) holders are exempt from customs charges, aircraft imported for private use attract around 25 per cent duty.

Sounds complicated? Since most potential owners of pri-vate aircraft are not from the aviation industry, buying or leasing an aircraft is an unfamiliar territory. That is why last year the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) announced the launch of CAPA Aircraft Advisory, India’s first profes-sional end-to-end aircraft acquisition service. The advisory is aimed at demystifying the process of selecting and acquir-ing an aircraft for private or general use.

Aircraft manufacturers like Cessna also make the cus-

Financing has become a key enabler in the purchase of a business jet. How an aircraft is to be paid for is often as important a decision as the aircraft itself. The market is broad for both business jets as well as financing but seldom do we find one company that does both well.

Cessna Finance Corporation (CFC), a subsidiary of Textron Financial Corporation, a part of Textron Inc., is a sister concern to Cessna Aircraft Company. Cessna, the manufacturer of the Citation business jet family and CFC work together to provide a turnkey, one-stop ap-proach to aircraft ownership. This approach not only allows the purchaser to benefit from the value of oper-ating a Citation, it also allows CFC’s global expertise in business jet financing to be used to make financial and economic sense.

With offices in London, Sao Paulo, Singapore and in several US locations, CFC currently finances in 74 coun-tries – and counting. Each of its global offices is staffed with a complete range of financing experts managing credit, documentation, administration and sales func-tions. This promises to deliver a highly customised level of customer service that is in tune with both Cessna and your local needs.

CFC financing is competitive globally. Through Janu-ary 2011, rates are fixed for 10 years at 7.65 per cent for Mustang and Caravan financing and 6.75 per cent fixed for 10 years for all other business jets. Amortisa-tion is typically 12 years.

Since all we do is finance Cessna aircraft, we under-stand your needs and work hard to make your financing process fast and seamless while also offering attractive rates and terms. •

Thomas Low,CEO, Cessna Finance Corporation



tomer’s task easier. Cessna has financed several of its Cita-tion sales in the Indian market via its finance captive Cessna Finance Corporation (CFC)—a service unique among busi-ness jet manufacturers. Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) is looking to use its non-banking financial arm—Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services (Mahindra Finance)—to fi-nance sales of aircraft manufactured by the Australian firm Gippsland Aeronautics, which is now part of the Mahindra group. M&M rightly feels that easing finance hassles could make all the difference in boosting aircraft sales. Indian banks are also playing an ever-increasing role in aircraft financing, but they need to build sufficient expertise in the field. Some banks already seem to have burnt their fingers through hefty loans given to the debt-ridden domestic air-lines in better times and are reportedly requesting the RBI to relax the rules so that these advances do not appear as bad loans on their books.

THE ONLY WAY IS UPThe decade ahead is likely to see rapid growth in business aviation. A robust economy and dynamic business culture have resulted in strong wealth creation. More and more globalised Indian companies are discovering the flexibility

and advantages of customised travel, including a signifi-cant boost to executive productivity. Business aviation en-hances personal and corporate security as well. As India’s major airports get even more congested, demand for pri-vate and business aviation especially at smaller airports is bound to grow, creating attractive opportunities for inno-vative aviation enterprises. The government’s commitment to increase the number of operational airports in the coun-try to around 500 by 2020 will largely benefit business and general aircraft in the first instance. It is only after a trail has been blazed that commercial airlines may follow.

Will the impressive potential of business aviation in India be realised? The answer is if only business aviation infra-structure—airports, parking spaces, private terminals, FBOs and maintenance facilities—were not constantly outstripped by demand; if only the certification and registration of busi-ness aircraft could be speeded up; if only issues concerning import duties on private aircraft and essential components could be sorted out; if only flying and landing permits were easier to obtain; and if only sufficient financing sources, spe-cialising in business aviation, were available to encourage diffident customers.

A bright future beckons, if only. SP

Embraer Asia PacificAs the world’s third largest manufacturer of commercial air-craft and the leading manufacturer of commercial aircraft with up to 120 seats, and with a history and legacy span-ning over 40 years, Embraer has built a reputation based on quality products that meet the needs of its customers.

Embraer’s expertise lies in the design, development and manufacture of aircraft flown by airlines as well as by distinguished individuals and corporations.

Together with the creditworthiness of our customers, the solid reputation, quality, strong background and value retention of our products have proven to be valuable as-sets in terms of facilitating access to aviation credit lines by our customers.

While Embraer is not itself a credit provider, Embraer’s customers have generally been able to obtain adequate mar-ket financing not only for commercial aircraft transactions, but also for those of executive jets. And again, although not a credit provider, Embraer is ready to assist its client’s ef-forts to seek third party financiers in the marketplace.

For such purpose, Embraer has a well-known team of aviation finance experts acting globally, who interact with the aviation credit providers on a continuing basis, thus providing aviation financiers with an appropriate level of comfort and willingness to partake in the financing of Em-braer-manufactured aircraft.

It also enables Embraer to provide solid assistance to its customers in terms of seeking financing opportuni-ties and putting together aviation financing operations. It is important to note that many of such credit providers have a strong presence in the aviation financing market and are prepared to offer tailored financing solutions following a usual customer credit assessment and a comprehensive evaluation of the transaction structuring alternatives.

Embraer in IndiaEmbraer has enjoyed a good reception of our aircraft in India, with customers for all our products types, i.e. Com-mercial, Executive and Defense.

For instance, Embraer’s E-Jets (commercial aircraft) have been operating in India for the last few years and Embraer’s executive jets have also been embraced by the business avia-tion community; the Company has customers for our Legacy 450/500, Legacy 600 and Lineage 1000 jets in India.

The Indian Government also has four Legacy 600 air-craft which they use for the transport of authorities, while BSF has a Legacy 600 as do four individual businessmen in the country.

At the same time, Embraer has around 30 orders for the entry-level ultra-light and light Phenom 100 and 300 aircraft respectively in India. These orders have been made by In-vision – who has purchased 18 Phenom 100’s and 2 Phe-nom 300’s for an Air Taxi operation operating only Phenoms – and Aviators who has purchased 2 Phenom 100’s, amongst other clients.

The first of these deliveries will take place in the 3rd quarter of 2010. The other customers are business per-sons who have purchased the aircraft for both business and leisure utilisation. •

Jose Eduardo CostasVice President, Sales & Marketing–Asia Pacific,Embraer Executive Jets


MILITARY INDUSTRY

India’s diverse borders and the growing internal insurgencies seem to have given rise to the need for more number of new-generation medium military

airlifters. While the Indian Air Force (IAF) has released a request for information (RFI) for 16 me-dium military aircraft, the Border Security Force (BSF) has a request for proposal (RFP) for two such aircraft. But senior of-ficials at Alenia Aeronautica and its parent company Finmec-canica believe that the real requirement could be much more. Asserting that the C-27J Spartan is the perfect aircraft for both the military and paramilitary forces in India, the com-pany estimates that the country may require 50-100 medium military airlifters in the near future.

“When we beat against the requirement, we al-ways win. C-27J Spartan is highly cost effective, has extreme operational flexibility and is the only aircraft of its class offer-ing interoperability with heavier airlifters,” claimed Roberto Leva, Country Di-rector-India, Alenia Aero-nautica, while briefing SP Guide Publications on the varied capabilities of the C-27J Spartan at New Del-hi. The company asserted that unlike other military aircraft which were at first built as passenger aircraft, the C-27J Spartan was originally manufactured for the military. Leva said, “C-27J has been designed to be fully autonomous even in remote areas and in volatile regions of the country like Kashmir. Its load mission kits, altitude variation capability, auxiliary pow-er unit, low fuel consumption, real redundancy, and powerful engine to escape easily, ballistic protection, manoeuverability, interoperability because of smaller fuselage and compatibility with Lockheed Martin’s C-130J makes it apt to operate in In-dian conditions.” “The C-27J is also perfect as a civil aircraft

and good for humanitarian support and medical evacuation. It has 36 stretchers with oxygen points,” he added.

C-27J Spartan is a contender for BSF’s requirement for two military aircraft. Trials for the purpose were

done in July last year at Bengaluru and Leh. The company officials, however, believe that apart from the Indian Coast Guard, the National Security Guard and the Indian Navy can also be potential buyers of the C-27J. But the officials, hopeful of good business in India, are unhappy about the lowest bid (L1) factor in defence procurement. “It is difficult to compare our products with others. I believe the best way as can be seen in some countries is to evaluate what is called value for

money. It is not just per-sonal evaluation; value for money can also be determined through cal-culations of the amount spent on transportation. Our aircraft can load 11.5 tonnes. If you calculate how much it costs to move 1 tonne, than it makes more sense. There is an-other aspect—the produc-tivity—the mix of payload speed and range. Our air-craft has bigger payload, goes faster, can transfer more goods in the same timeframe, and has longer range. If you look at pro-ductivity, you can see that the average can be much bigger. The productivity of

C-27J Spartan is better than other aircraft. It has the capabil-ity to move the cargo from one point to the other at a faster speed,” claimed Leva.

On being asked about their views on the proposed hike in foreign direct investment (FDI) from 26 per cent to 49 per cent, Paolo Girasole, Country Head-India, Finmeccanica, said that FDI is a pain in the neck. “A company is an Indian, Italian or US company according to many things and not only the share. I think 26 per cent is a limitation,” he said.

The Finmeccanica Company claims that the medium military airlifter C-27J Spartan on offer to the BSF and IAF is the best and

sees the Coast Guard, NSG and the IN as potential buyers

India may need 50-100 airlifters: Alenia

By Sucheta Das Mohapatra

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The officials claimed that technology and not political re-lations is their strength. “We have the best products and the best technology and that is our strength. We have the best gun, the best helicopter, and whenever we offer a product, we offer the best,” said Girasole.

With regard to transfer of technology (ToT), the officials said that they are open to it. “We recognise the willingness of India to grow its own industrial self-reliance. For example, the 76mm naval gun used worldwide is produced in India with great satisfaction of its manufacturers Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and Oto Melara. We have trans-ferred all the knowhow. There is now a requirement for the 127 mm gun and we are open for the new system—full transfer of technology. I think we are very good at that,” said Girasole. Adding to it, Leva said, “As in Alenia Aeronautica, we have a long and successful offset for transfer of technol-

ogy, we have reached about € 6 billion (Rs 35,100 crore) offset commitment worldwide.

“We have sold everywhere, but Turkey is a big example of transfer of technology of ATR 72. We have established a strong cooperation with the local company. The integration

of the system involved deeply the local company and a significant level of transfer of technology. Turkey is an example of one of the deepest cooperation in transfer of technology as well as offset cooperation.”

On being asked about any offset commitment in UAE, Leva said, Alenia Aeronautica has no offset commitments in UAE. As a part of our big offset commitments, we have Greece with 12 aircraft and we also have offset commit-ment in countries where you have the Eurofighter, for ex-ample the Saudi Arabia.”

“The Italian Government is involved in 20 per cent of our offset commitment. From industrial point of view, Fin-meccanica owns 35 per cent. We acquired all the avionics activities from BAE systems, now a part of Selex Galileo. So now we have a big chunk of industrial partnership in UK. Finmeccanica’s strategy is to make the system sustainable. Now we are in UK and the US too. India is a country of par-amount importance for us. We understand the willingness of the company and we are ready to give,” said Girasole.

DISTINCT FEATURESThe C-27J Spartan offers unique qualities not found in air-craft derived from commercial turboprops. It has been de-signed and tested as a military aircraft using military stan-dards to produce a robust, safe and performing aircraft. The airlifter has internal auxiliary power unit which helps it op-erate from short and rough airstrips in remote areas. Simi-larly, the built-in cargo handling system, the variable altitude landing gear, and the power-steered nose wheel speeds up ground operations and minimises risks in unsecured loca-tions. The airlifter’s simple, versatile and effective design of-fers the largest cargo box in its category and a wide-fuselage cross-section that accommodates military vehicles over 11 tonnes of payload, and 60 troops or 46 paratroops.

The C-27J is easy to operate and affordable to maintain under the most demanding conditions. It is powered with Rolls-Royce AE2100 turboprops; Honeywell glass cockpit and Dowty super efficient six-bladed propellers, and is equipped with full authority digital electronic control. The strong propul-sion system in the airlifter gives it access to a wide range of airfields, enabling landings on short, unprepared strips, as well as hot weather and high-altitude conditions. Its large cross-sec-tion (2.60 m high, 3.33 m wide) and high floor strength (4,900 kg/m load capability) allows heavy and large complete military equipment to be loaded. The airlifter can transport fighter and transport aircraft engines, such as C-130, Eurofighter Typhoon, F-16 and Mirage 2000, directly on their normal engine dollies without further special equipment.

The C-27J Spartan which is a part of the US Joint Cargo Aircraft (JCA) programme was first received by Italy in Octo-ber 2006 and thereafter purchased by countries like Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Morocco, Romania, and Slovakia. SP

C-27J SPARTAN

General/Performance Characteristics

General Characteristics• Crew: 3-pilot,

co-pilot, loadmaster• Capacity: 60 troops

or 46 paratroops or 36 stretchers with 6 medical personnel

• Maximum Payload: 11,500 kg (25,353 lb)

• Length: 22.7 m (74 ft 1/2 in)• Wingspan: 28.7 m (94 ft 2 in)• Height: 9.70 m (31 ft 10 in)• Wing area: 82 m2 (880.6 sq ft)• Empty weight: 17,000 kg (37,479 lb)• Max takeoff weight: 30,500 kg (67,241 lb)• Powerplant: 2 × Rolls-Royce AE2100-D2A turboprop, 3,460

kW (4,640 hp) each• Propellers: 6-bladed Dowty Propeller 391/6-132-F/10, 4.15

m (13 ft 7 in) diameter

Performance• Maximum Cruise speed: 325 KTAS• Maximum service ceiling: 9,144 m (30,000 ft)

RangeWith 11.5 tonnes (max) payload 1,000 nm (1,852 km)With 10 tonnes payload 1,100 nm (2,037 km)With 6 tonees payload 2,301nm (4,262 km)Ferry 3,200 nm (5,926 km)

Radar SystemNorthrop Grumman AN/APN-241 low power colour radar Modes of operation: Monopulse ground mapping with Doppler beam sharpening, weather and turbulence detection, air tar-get detection, windshear detection, beacon mode for drop-zone identification

AvionicsMIL-STD-1553B digital data bus architectureCompatible with emerging future air navigation system (FANS)

Communication 2 ARC-210VHF/UHF radio, 1 VHF/UHF direction finder (DF), digital audio inter-communication (ICS) •

For more information and video, visit: www.spsaviation.net

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SPs_267x210_CURRENCIES_IND.indd 1 10/06/2010 11:25

28 SP’S AVIATION Issue 7 • 2010

CIVIL INFRASTRUCTURE

When the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh dedicated to the nation the Terminal 3 of Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi on July 3, he signalled the landing of India on the world aviation map. The swanky terminal built in a record time of

37 months at a cost of Rs 10,000 crore is not just a milestone for the Indian aviation industry, but a clear indicator of India’s capabilities in creating world class infrastructure.

While the Prime Minister pointed out that the project ex-

Congratulations once again to Delhi International Airport Limited for

making the country proud. The new IGIA terminal is a clear indicator

that India is capable enough to create world class infrastructure.

erminologyT The New3

www.spsaviation.net

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SUPER JUMBO LANDS AT T3: EMIRATES AIRLINES AIRBUS A380, WORLD’S

LARGEST PASSENGER AIRLINER, DOCKED AT T3 AT

3.30 PM ON JULY 15


emplified India’s resolve to bridge and bridge fast enough the infrastructure deficit in the country, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel had a ready re-sponse – 35 non-metro airports would be upgraded in a pub-lic-private partnership model by 2011. The Chennai and Mumbai airport upgradation programmes were on course and these developments were

setting the tone for India’s transformation, he pointed out.Considering the fact that India is soon moving towards the

top five aviation markets in the world, from its present posi-tion of ninth, the new terminal and other airports (Hyderabad and Bengaluru are fine examples of Greenfield airport devel-opments on a global scale) will herald that. It is estimated that India’s aviation sector has the potential to absorb up to US $ 120 billion of investment by the year 2020 and accordingly

MAKING HISTORY: THE PRIME MINISTER, DR MANMOHAN SINGH INAUGURATING THE INTEGRATED T-3 TERMINAL OF THE INDIRA GANDHI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, IN NEW DELHI ON JULY 3, 2010. THE CHAIRPERSON, UPA SONIA GANDHI, MINISTER FOR CIVIL AVIATION, PRAFUL PATEL AND THE CHIEF MINISTER OF DELHI, SHEILA DIKSHIT ARE ALSO SEEN ALONG WITH DR SINGH.


Air India first mover at T3Air India which is the first mover at T3 hopes to develop a formidable

primary hub, from which it will be able to connect ‘India to the World’. Its first flight at T3 landed on July 14 from New York, signifying how the hub is going to facilitate seamless passenger experience.

22 international destinationsAir India which has partnered with DIAL has set goals of providing unmatched choice of destinations from Delhi. With the commencement of services to Melbourne and Chicago and resumption of services to Seoul, the national car-rier will be serving a total of 22 international destinations from Delhi compris-ing New York, Chicago, Toronto, London, Frankfurt, Paris, Tokyo, Melbourne, Hong Kong, Osaka, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Bangkok, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, Kathmandu and Kabul.

Over one lakh seats per weekOn the domestic front, Air India would be connecting 47 destinations from T3, thus expanding its seats on offer on all its services from 82,000 seats per week to about 1,04,00 seats per week in each direction, an increase of over 25 per cent.

Chairman and Managing Director of Air India, Arvind Jadhav said “T3 is part of Air India’s turnaround plan. It will benefit the airline by increas-ing its revenue by 8-9 per cent in the short-term and 10-15 per cent in the long-term”. •



At the inauguration of the Indira Gandhi International Airport Terminal 3, someone likened the large infrastructure projects such as “airports”

to what Jawaharlal Nehru, the architect of modern India, had called large dams – “temples of modern India”. How true.

With massive investments, Terminal 3 is a landmark infrastructure project, leaving one completely in awe. The sheer expanse of Terminal 3 is mesmerising.

78 aerobridges for quick transfersIt is a 9 level building featuring 78 passenger boarding bridges for embarkations and disembarkations. The famous Changi International Airport at Singapore has 64. These aerobridges have been imported from Shinmaywa, Japan and ThyssenKrupp, Germany. Ready to welcome travellers, the terminal has the most modern technology for check-in process and baggage retrieval.

The common user passenger processing system (CUPPS) and an ad-vanced 5 level in-line baggage handling system with explosive detection technology ensures quicker processing and higher security. The conveyor belt which measures 6,400 m can handle 12,800 bags per hour. Delhi In-ternational Airport Limited (DIAL) has engaged Munich Airport International (MUC), the experts in operational readiness and airport transfer (ORAT) pro-gramme, for trials and transfer of airport operations to T3.

A380 compliantT3 is ready to handle load full of passengers from Airbus A380s as well with its compatible runway, passenger boarding bridges, and superior baggage han-dling system. Emirates, the Dubai-based premier airline has said that it would fly A380 from Dubai to Delhi on July 15 as a one-time gesture. “The fact that we are bringing the A-380 here is a reiteration of the potential that we see in the Indian market and our intent to partner with the nation in its growth,” Emirates’ Senior Vice President Majid al Mualla said.

Travelators – great walkthroughsSpread across a footprint of 5.4 million sq ft, the building has sprawling piers which measure 1.2 km from one end to the other. Sparkling 168 check-in

counters and 95 immigration counters await the passengers and numerous walkalators and escalators will help passengers cruise through the terminal with ease. One of the walkalator being used at T3 is said to be the longest in Asia at 118 metres.

Manufactured by ThyssenKrupp of Germany, T3 will have 89 travela-tors (or automated passenger walkways) in addition to 63 elevators and 31 escalators. Eight of the travelators will be inclined, the first of their kind in India. Given the sheer size of the airport terminal building, such a facility is a delight. The terminal, along with its four boarding piers, will measure around 1.25 km from one end to the other. The travelators will be a boon to passen-gers, who otherwise would have a daunting task of walking to the boarding gates, some of which are more than 500 metres away.

Airport Operations Control Centre (AOCC) – the nerve centreState-of-the-art airport operations cntrol centre (AOCC) has started working for existing terminals and will control the operations of T3 as well. AOCC is the “brain” that controls all airport operations. It is the control centre of all airport operations and ensures collaborative decisionmaking (CDM) between all airport departments in the quickest possible time. The new AOCC boasts of the biggest video wall in Asia. This 10x5 metre wall holds 28 screens that display information inputs from the entire airport through live camera feeds. AOCC is going to play a crucial role in managing any foreseeable disruption in airport operations and handle emergencies effectively.

Safety and securityAbout 3000 security cameras have been installed to keep an eye on every corner of the airport premises. As part of the ORAT Programme, more than 10,000 staff were trained and familiarised with the new facilities and systems at T3. Trained security personnel, passenger support staff and registered taxi operators with biometric cards are being put up to ensure a much safer travel to and from the new airport terminal.

Retail – shop till you dropAlmost 20,000 sq m of retail area offers duty free stores. Passengers are going to get the feel of a huge mall inside the terminal itself. Shoppers are going to have a tough time choosing from a mind boggling variety of prod-ucts by the best of Indian and international brands. Swanky lounges, nap and shower rooms are surely going to add to passenger delight. To satisfy different taste buds, the leaders in food and beverage industry are soon go-ing to offer a variety of wining and dining options at the new terminal. Pizza Hut, Copper Chimney, Costa Coffee, KFC, Flavours, Café Ritazza and the Food Village together with fine dining and well-stocked bars will make the pas-sengers want to wait for their flights more.

The pioneer in airport duty free retailing – Aer Rianta International is setting up duty free shops at Terminal 3. With over 60 years of experience, ARI is acknowledged and respected as one of the world’s leading airport retailing specialists, engaged in modern retail centres at major airports in Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, and the Middle East. Considered among the pioneers of the airport retail business, it started retail operations at Shannon Airport in Ireland way back in 1947. It was also instrumental in setting up the Dubai Duty Free, which is now one of the largest duty free operators in the world.

IGIA’s T3 is not just an airport terminal, but a whole destination in itself. •

Terminal 3: Swanky, User-

friendly and Awe-inspiring

Key features• Common Check-in concourse with 5 level in-line baggage system for

faster processing• 168 Check-in counters and 95 immigration counters for international

passengers• 78 passenger boarding bridges – among the highest for a single ter-

minal in the world• 800 flight information display systems• Extensive retail, food and beverage outlets to suit every taste and

budget• Direct connectivity to city centre via dedicated Metro Express line

– a first in the country• Multi-level car park for more than 4,300 cars directly connected to

the terminal• Separate 2,200 surface car parking • Eight lane approach road to terminal and high speed metro in progress• 100 room transit hotel for passengers


the government has launched a modernisation and capacity expansion programme of major airports which, it is believed, will have a cascading benefit for the Indian economy.

50 MILLION PASSENGERS BY 2015As per market reports, approximately 29.8 million passen-gers travelled to/from India in 2008, a surge of almost 30 per cent from the previous year. The projections are that by 2015, international passengers will touch 50 million and more foreign airlines will make India their hub to emerg-ing markets. With world class infrastructure such as that of Terminal 3, the aviation sector is expected to catapult to a higher altitude. The Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) has indicated that domestic air travel will be between 25 per cent and 30 per cent, and international passenger growth around 15 per cent.

These figures are indeed encouraging and will materi-alise only when airport infrastructure and allied services move up the scale. With over 95 per cent of foreign tourists arriving by air and air cargo accounting for about 35 per cent of the total value of Indian exports, the emphasis, no doubt, is on creating world class airports.

Understanding the importance of infrastructure develop-ment, the Government of India has enunciated a National Civil Aviation Policy which among other things has mandated that airports have to boost international trade and tourism; to pro-vide airport capacity ahead of demand; to ensure total safety and security of aircraft operations, etc.

INTERNATIONAL HUBThe Terminal 3 of Indira Gandhi International Airport an-swers these requirements. Designed by the US architectural firm HOK, the airport is a landmark development, though it may get dwarfed in front of the Dubai International Airport’s

Terminal 3 which is three times its size. The terminal which commenced international opera-

tions on July 14 and domestic operations are scheduled to begin on July 31, is spread over 5.4 million square feet. The magnificent terminal is expected to handle 34 million pas-sengers a year, to go up from the present 25 million. The ter-minal is projected as the next important hub in the Asian re-gion with improved connections to other cities in the world, besides spurring feeder traffic to international destinations.

PRIVATE-PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPThe Chairman of GMR Group (the consortium leaders), G.M.Rao, said, “Terminal 3 symbolises the aspirations of a new and vibrant India. It demonstrates the abilities of our planners, designers, engineers and contractors. And as an engine of growth, it opens immense possibilities for the eco-nomic development of this region.”

Mr. Kiran Kumar Grandhi, Managing Director, Delhi Inter-national Airport Limited (DIAL) and Chairman – GMR Airports, said, “DIAL is taking every step to ensure that the passengers’ experience at T3 and IGIA as a whole is a smooth one and for that we are imparting extensive training to our staff.”

DIAL is a joint venture consortium of GMR Group (54 per cent), Airports Authority of India (26 per cent), Fraport & Eraman Malaysia (10% each). GMR is the lead member of the consortium; Fraport AG is the airport operator, Eraman Malaysia - the retail advisors.

In January 2006, the consortium was awarded the con-cession to operate, manage and develop the IGI Airport fol-lowing an international competitive bidding process. DIAL entered in to an operations, management and development agreement (OMDA) on April 4, 2006 with the AAI. The initial term of the concession is 30 years extendable by a further 30 years. SP



In the dead of a tranquil winter night, none of the Al-Qaeda ter-rorists would have known in their dying moments as to what came tearing from the skies above, smashing into their ve-

hicle, exploding with the force of a pow-erful bomb, rending men and machine to smithereens. The fatal blow came from a US Special Mission aircraft—a heavily modified AC-130 Spectre gunship performing the role of an airborne how-itzer—in a remote village, in support of Allied Special Forces during the ongoing operation, Enduring Freedom, in Afghani-stan. Close air support roles include supporting ground troops, escorting convoys and flying urban operations. The gunship squadrons are part of the Air Force Special Operations Com-mand (AFSOC), a component of United States Special Opera-tions Command (SOCOM).

These aircraft typically operate in the denied areas. In this context, perhaps the oldest US AFSOC mission is delivering and supporting special operators behind enemy lines, a func-tion that began as early as in the Second World War. But that is just one part of the ever widening roles being performed by

the ‘special mission’ aircraft in the ex-ercise of modern day combat and non-combat aerial tasks.

In a wider sense, combat roles could include strategic (special) reconnais-sance, unconventional warfare such as induction/extrication of Special Forces personnel into and out of dedicated combat zones using different techniques

like direct landings/take-offs, para-trooping including with high altitude high opening/high altitude low opening (HAHO/HALO) parachutes, use of gunships as airborne artillery, com-bat search and rescue (CSAR), airborne early warning/and control systems (AEW/AWACS), in-flight refuelling, special maritime patrol, unmanned reconnaissance and attack, psy-chological and information warfare, etc.

Some major non-combat special missions could encom-pass humanitarian assistance including disaster manage-ment, meteorological monitoring, aerial fire-fighting, etc. The US which has maximised the use of different aerial platforms as special mission aircraft for such roles have gone to the ex-tent of defining the air travel tasks of its national leadership as special air missions. The USAF’s VC-25s, a pair of heavily

The US which has maximised the use of different aerial platforms as special mission aircraft for such

roles have gone to the extent of defining the air travel tasks of its national leadership as special air missions

On Unusual Missions

By Air Marshal (Retd) V.K. Bhatia

MILITARY SPECIAL MISSION AIRCRAFTPH

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GLOBAL EXPRESS PICTURE: COPYRIGHT © 2006 RAYTHEON COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. RAYTHEON COMPANY IS THE MISSION SYSTEMS INTEGRATOR FOR ASTOR.

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MILITARY SPECIAL MISSION AIRCRAFT


modified Boeing 747-200B for Presidential air travel, and bearing a Call-sign ‘Air Force One’ when the US President is on board, are the world’s most famous aircraft.

During the Cold War era, the United States played a leading role in developing and deploying ‘spe-cial mission’ aerial platforms to perform a plethora of roles. No military aviation enthusiast can ever forget the US spy planes such as the U-2 for carrying out strategic reconnais-sance over the Soviet territories and when one was brought down by a SAM-II missile, replacing it with the uncatchable and invincible SR-71Black Bird, which at Mach 3+ capability still holds the record of the fastest manned aircraft ever pro-duced. The US also mastered the art of not only developing but also converting large-bodied civil airliners and military cargo aircraft to perform myriad special mission roles. Some examples are.

E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System: The Boe-ing E-3 Sentry is an airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft based on the Boeing 707 that provides all-weather surveillance, command, control and communications to the United States, United Kingdom, France, Saudi Arabia and NATO air defence forces. It is distinguished by the disc-shaped radome above the fuselage.

E-8 Joint STARS - Battle Management and Command and Control Aircraft:Derived from a Boeing 707-300 series commercial airliner, the sophisticated E-8 Joint STARS or joint surveil-lance target attack radar system is a modern US Air Force battle management and command and control aircraft. It was especially built and designed to track ground vehicles and some aircraft. It collects imagery and relays tactical pic-tures to ground and air theatre commanders.

E-4B Advanced Airborne Command Post: The Boeing E-4 Ad-vanced Airborne Command Post is a US Air Force aircraft created to serve as a survival mobile command post for the National Command Authority including the US President, De-fence Secretary and successors. It was developed from Boe-ing 747 and its project name is Night Watch.

This specialised military aircraft is designed to survive an EMP with systems intact and has state-of-the-art direct fire countermeasures. It is capable of operating with a crew of 48 to 112 people, the largest crew of any aircraft in US Air Force history.

E-6 Mercury Airborne Command Post and Communications Centre: The E-6 Mercury is an American military aircraft developed by Boeing. It was specially built to operate as an airborne command post and communi-

cations centre, relaying instructions from the National Com-mand Post. This military aircraft was derived from Boeing 707-320.

KC-135 Stratotanker: The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling military aircraft. It was the US Air Force’s first jet powered refueling tanker. Similar in design to the later and enlarged Boeing 707 airliner, it was initially tasked to refuel strategic bombers, but was used extensively in the Vietnam war and later conflicts such as Desert Storm to ex-tend the range and endurance of both air force and navy tactical fighters and bombers. A number of KC-135A and KC-135B aircraft have been modified to EC-135, RC-135 and OC-135 configurations for use in different roles

KC-767 Military Aerial Refueling and Strategic Transport Aircraft:The KC-767 is a military aerial refueling and strategic trans-port aircraft developed by Boeing from the Boeing 767-200. This aircraft’s role is an air-to-air tanker and was first flown in May 2005. Primary users of the specialised military air-craft are Japanese Air Self-Defence Force and Italian Air Force. It is in the reckoning for the USAF’s aerial tanker replacement programme.

C-130 Hercules in Different Avatars: The USAF has made copi-ous use of the Lockheed Martin’s highly versatile military turboprop C-130 Hercules aircraft for varied special mission roles and especially for its Special Operations Command. The examples are:

MC-130E Combat Talon I and MC-130H Combat Talon II aircraft that infiltrate, resupply and ex-filtrate US and allied Special Operations Force (SOF) units during day and night and in adverse weather.

MC-130P Combat Shadow aircraft, which fly clandestine (low-visibility), low-level, single- or multi-aircraft missions, primarily at night, penetrating politically sensitive or hostile territory to refuel other aircraft. MC-130Ps can also deliver SOF and equipment by airdrop.

AC-130H Spectre Gunship and the AC-130U Spooky Gun-ship aircraft, which conduct close air support, air interdic-tion and force protection operations. The close air support

MISSION POSSIBLE: BOEING E-3 SENTRY; E-8C JOINT

SURVEILLANCE TARGET ATTACK RADAR SYSTEM AIRCRAFT AND

KC-135 STRATOTANKERS

MILITARY SPECIAL MISSION AIRCRAFT


missions include supporting troops in contact, escorting convoys and urban operations. Air interdiction missions are conducted against preplanned targets or targets of opportu-nity. Force protection missions include air base defence and facilities defence.

EC-130 Commando Solo aircraft, which conduct psycho-logical operations and civil affairs broadcasts in AM, FM, and high frequency radio, TV, and military communications bands. The missions are flown at a maximum altitude to ensure optimum broadcast range.

Helicopters: MH-53J/M Pave Low helicopters, which conduct low-level, long-range, undetected penetration into denied areas, at day or night and in adverse weather, for infiltra-tion, ex-filtration, and resupply of SOF.

Tilt Rotor Aircraft: The V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft have been essentially developed for the US Marines and the USAF Special Operations Command. The CV-22s are being used for long-range vertical takeoff and landing, infiltration, ex-filtra-

tion and resupply missions. The Osprey provides increased speed and range, low-altitude adverse-weather penetration compared to rotary-wing aircraft.

Unmanned Aircraft Systems: The US has remained in the lead in the use of unmanned aircraft systems as well, with ever increasing use of these systems in the conduct of asymmetric warfare, especially during the ‘Iraqi Freedom’ and ongoing ‘Enduring Freedom’ operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, re-spectively. Global Hawk has earned a global name for itself in the field of persistent, long-range strategic/tactical surveil-lance in different theatres of operations. Similarly, Predator MQ-1and the recently inducted Reaper MQ-9 are doing yeo-men service not only in the field of aerial reconnaissance but also in the armed role which has come to be known as the dreaded ‘drone attacks’.

New Trends: In the recent decades, new trends have emerged whereby copious use of business/ small regional aircraft is

being made to perform special mission roles. There are no straight forward answers to what makes a normal business jet or regional transport aircraft into a good Special Mission aircraft. The suitability of the platform depends on many factors—operational, technical and economical. Operational aspects critical for such missions could be climb rate, oper-ating ceiling, etc, but the real driving factor appears to be less fuel burn and therefore lower operating costs in smaller platforms, made possible by comparative miniaturisation of different sensors used for special mission roles. Since special mission aircraft operate almost continuously, operat-ing costs weigh heavily in selecting the right platform. It is little wonder then that the major producers of business/re-gional aircraft such as Bombardier, Hawker Beechcraft, Gulfstream, Embraer and Saab, etc have adopted their re-spective products for special missions. The Royal Air Force Airborne Stand-off Radar (ASTOR) programme is a shining example of the use of Bombardier’s Global Express which has been heavily modified by Raytheon to carry its Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). Saab on the other hand has created an Erieye 2000 AEW&C aircraft based on the Saab 2000 platform. The Israeli Eitam (Sea Eagle) based on the G550 business jet was recently unveiled by Gulfstream and Israeli Aerospace Industry (IAI). The Brazilian aircraft manufactur-er Embraer has also mated its Emb-99 and Emb-145 with Erieye systems to create cost-effective AEW&C solutions.

The Indian Scenario: The Indian armed forces led by the In-dian Air Force (IAF) have forayed into the area of ‘special air missions’ relatively recently. The IAF made a start by induct-ing the IL-78 Flight Refueller Aircraft about a decade ago which have been gainfully employed not only over the Indian skies but also during the IAF’s participation in numerous in-ternational air exercises including the famous ‘Red Flag’ of the US. The IAF has recently acquired the most coveted and valued AWACS of its own – heavily modified IL-76 with the Israeli Phalcon system. By the end of the year, it would have three such systems and has option for three more.

Another eagerly awaited aircraft is the Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules aircraft, six of which have been or-dered with possible first induction by end-2010/early 2011. C-130Js of the IAF would be specially kitted out for ‘Special Operations Forces’ and would greatly enhance its ‘special air missions’ capabilities. On the unmanned front, the IAF has been operating the Israeli Searcher II and Heron systems very effectively. These systems have since been acquired by the Indian Army and Navy as well.

Deeply committed to meaningful modernisation, the IAF continues to induct special mission aircraft and systems, some-times also referred to as force-multipliers into the service. The Indian Navy has its own programme and is in the process of acquiring state-of-the-art Boeing P8I Poseidon multi-role maritime patrol aircraft (MMPA). A lot of indigenous effort is also being devoted by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to develop manned and unmanned sys-tems for the defence forces. The IAF is specially looking for-ward to a successful outcome of the AEW&C system being de-veloped on an Embraer EMB-145 airframe in keeping up with the global trends of selecting cost-effective smaller platforms for AEW&C application—made possible by miniarurisation of onboard sensors and control systems. SP

ASTOR (AIRBORNE STAND-OFF RADAR) PROGRAM UNDERLINES

THE CREDENTIALS OF THE GLOBAL EXPRESS AS

A SUPERIOR C4ISR PLATFORM


The second wave of resur-gence in Indian aviation which can be traced back to roughly the year 2005 brought a gradual reali-sation that the extent of

benefit that the national economy as also the air traveller would derive from aviation would be directly proportional to the reach of the supporting infrastructure. It was evident from the staggering numbers of aircraft being ordered by airlines, that capacity was not going to be a problem. However, an interrogation mark hovered ominously over the pace of infrastructural de-velopments that was needed to keep up with the frenetic pace of induction of new aircraft by airlines on a high, both old and new. Despite several initiatives by the government towards expanding the base that civil aviation was to serve, the intent has not matched the action and the pace of growth remains stunted for regional airports, all “non-metro” by definition.

During the latter half of 2007, the apprehension on the part of the government that smaller cities and towns would remain largely bereft of benefits of the air travel bonanza that was imminent, led to the promulgation of the policy on regional aviation. The policy recognised the need to promote air con-nectivity between specific regions and to enable more efficient air travel within the region, as well as linking such regions and expand air travel services with Tier II and Tier III cities within the country’s aviation network. For the purpose of this policy, the airports at Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Ben-galuru and Hyderabad were termed as metro airports and the regions were identified as North, South, West, East/ Northeast, coinciding with the Flight Information Regions (FIRs). The air-ports within a region were specified by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for the respective regions.

A scheduled air transport service was described as an air transport ser-vice undertaken between the same two or more places and operated according to a published time table or with flights so regular or frequent that they consti-tute a recognisably systematic series, each flight being open to use by the pub-

lic. In contrast, a scheduled regional air transport service was defined as a scheduled air transport service which operated primarily in a designated region and which on grounds of op-erational and commercial exigencies, was allowed to operate from its designated region to airports in other regions, except the metro airports of other regions. The regional airlines were not permitted to operate on Category I routes (See Box).

The regional airlines of the southern region which has three metros were allowed to operate between the metros within the southern region namely Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad. Scheduled regional airlines did not fall under the purview of route dispersal guidelines and thus were prohibited from trading off their ASKM on Category II, IIA and III routes with scheduled operators. As can be seen, the spirit behind the government’s initiative was to bolster air-line connectivity to the non-metro airports. However, the gap between the high rate of growth of airlines and the tardy pace of development of aviation infrastructure continued to widen impinging on the boom in the airline industry. There is an imperative need to accelerate the pace of development of aviation infrastructure in order that the full capacity of aviation industry is exploited.

Vision 2020, a wishful document produced by the Minis-try of Civil Aviation envisages 500 operational airports with almost every district having one, albeit a small one, by 2020. Thanks to the Second World War, India has a large number

Modernisation of airports is capital intensive and as regional aviation would directly benefit the states within which the airports

are located, state governments should seize the initiative

Make it Viable and Profitable

By A.K. Sachdev, Bengaluru

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of airstrips strewn all over the country. If all these are in-cluded, the total number of airports in the country is 451. However, some of these are unusable and some are fit for use only by very small aircraft. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) puts the number of active “airports” in India at 136; of these, 94 are owned by AAI and the remaining are either under the Ministry of Defence or owned privately or by state governments.

The first phase of development planned by the government involves 35 non-metro airports (see box). The total estimated cost of modernisation is Rs 61.62 billion of which around three fourth is planned for terminal buildings, car parks, cargo and airside facilities and the rest on city side works. City side devel-opment is planned via the PPP route in most of these airports. While the government would have liked to develop all these airports simultaneously, constraints of funding prevented that from happening and the hold back during the recession phase meant a further slowdown of the developmental work. Thus the upgradation and modernisation of the non-metro airports have been staggered in accordance with assessed priorities. Modernisation work has also commenced in some form or the other in 13 other airports.

The infrastructure that is required to support passenger and cargo traffic does not end with the erection of modern terminal buildings. To get scheduled flights to operate there, a whole host of other supporting facilities are required such as air traffic control (ATC), meteorological facilities, trained per-sonnel, crash and fire fighting facilities and security, to name a few. Unfortunately, the news is not good there too. The cur-rent cadre of trained personnel in these areas of specialisation is far from satisfactory. The airport at Bagdogra—a gateway to several tourist locations in the East—has not been able to overcome its security and congestion problems for many months. The trouble is not that CISF authorities are not aware

of the severe short-age of manpower in Bagdogra and the peculiar geography of the airport’s se-curity hold area, but also the over-whelming shortage of CISF manpower across the country. Similar shortages of air traffic con-trollers and meteo-rological personnel have meant that some airports can only function for a limited number of hours every day, thus severely re-stricting their rev-enue generation capability.

For example, the airport at Di-brugarh inaugu-rated recently, is

a typical case of an airport with inadequate infrastructure. While the terminal building is modern and aesthetically pleasing, there are serious shortfalls on the operational side. The runway length is only 6,000 ft restricting operations by larger aircraft such as the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737. No civilian flight is permitted to operate after 4:00 pm due to the total absence of facilities for operations at night. This means that on many foggy days, when poor visibility peri-ods prolong past noon time, flights originating from Delhi cannot reach Dibrugarh within its hours of operation. Thus, while on the one hand, India can proudly boast of the world’s eighth largest airport terminal in the world (T3 in Delhi), the regional airports appear destined to progress ponderously in the years to come.

The new airports being developed by AAI are likely to be passed on to private companies or consortiums for their con-tinued operation as AAI is unlikely to be able to effectively administer all of them. When that happens, the woes of air-lines and air passengers are likely to increase as the experi-ence of privatisation of the metros has shown so far. Unfor-tunately, in this context, the government has shown a lack of foresight in as much as the scope of the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) has been restricted to the larg-er airports (by volume of traffic). This means that currently only five non-metro stations come under the scope of AERA. Even in the future, when a non-metro airport handles traffic volumes to qualify for being placed under AERA regime, its change of status would not be automatic but would require prolonged legislative action. Thus, the infrastructure being developed for regional aviation would largely be out of the regulatory envelope created by the AERA Act.

The Indian Constitution lists aerodromes under Item 29 of the Union List. This implies that the Union Govern-ment exercises legislative and executive powers related to airports. It also means that the primary responsibility for development of airports rests with the Union Government. While the PPP model predominates in the context of metro airports, regional aviation infrastructure is unlikely to pro-vide the passenger traffic volumes needed for reasonable profits sought by private entrpreneurs. Some other models could sustain airports and should thus be considered dur-ing planning infrastructure development. For example the special economic zones (SEZs) set up in the vicinity of new or under-development airports could represent a critical mass capable of sustaining an airport. The concept of an aerotropolis an entire sub-city with houses, factories, of-fices, hotels and leisure facilities, could well make an airport viable and profitable.

Tourism could provide another medium for develop-ment. Witness the case of Bellary in Karnataka which cut down the travel time from Bengaluru (the nearest metro) to Hampi from seven hours to an hour and a half. Some other airports, like Nagpur, Kochi and Hassan, are located ide-ally from a geographic point of view to emerge as dedicated cargo hubs. Modernisation of airports is capital intensive and as regional aviation would directly benefit the states within which the airports are located, it would be advisable for state governments to seize the initiative. Simultaneously, other concessions and special benefits to agencies involved in the development endeavours would further benefit the case for proliferate and profitable regional aviation. SP

Category- IRoutes Connecting DirectlyMumbai – Bengaluru Mumbai – Kolkata Mumbai – Delhi Mumbai – Hyderabad Mumbai – ChennaiMumbai – Thiruvananthapuram Kolkata – DelhiKolkata – Bengaluru Kolkata – ChennaiDelhi – Bengaluru Delhi – HyderabadDelhi – ChennaiNon-metro Airports Under Development in Phase IAgra, Agartala, Agati, Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Aurangabad, Bhopal, Bhu-baneshwar, Chandigarh, Coimbatore, Dehradun, Dimapur, Goa, Guwahati, Indore, Imphal, Jammu, Jaipur, Khajuraho, Lucknow, Madurai, Mangalore, Nagpur, Patna, Port Blair, Pune, Rajkot, Raipur, Ranchi, Trivandrum, Trichy, Udaipur, Vishakhapat-nam, Varanasi, Vadodara.


INDUSTRY HOMELAND SECURITY

SP Guide Publications (SPs): Can you share the technical and performance characteristics of the T-Hawk micro unmanned aerial vehicle in detail?Prabha Gopinath (Gopinath): The T-Hawk Micro Air Vehicle System comprises two micro air vehicles, a ground station and ground support equipment, although alternate configurations are available. It is portable by soldiers, back packable and does not require any special launch or recovery hardware.

The T-Hawk endures flight up to 50 minutes at sea level or 44 minutes at an altitude of 5,500 feet, for any combination of hover and forward-flight manoeuvres. Its service ceiling is 10,000 feet with a maximum forward speed of 40 knots. The T-Hawk supports line-of-sight operations to a range of 10 km, and detects and recognises a man-sized target at a slant range distance of 250 meters by day or 150 meters at night, with a target location error of 50 meters CEP.

E/O and Infrared cameras allow daytime or nighttime operations.

SPs: The T-Hawk MAV appears to have great potential for use by the security forces in homeland security scenarios such as fighting India’s internal Naxal violence. Could you throw some light as to how this vehicle could be gainfully employed by India’s defence/paramilitary forces?Gopinath: T-hawk can be used by the CRPF in the follow-ing ways:

Deterrence: Simply by flying it along their route of manoeu-vre, the T-Hawk gives clear indication that there are sur-veillance assets in use and that observation is under way. Attacks typically begin with the element of surprise either with an IED or an ambush. Using a T-Hawk would be a clear and effective deterrent and can deter the assailants. Deception: A T-Hawk flying a secondary route deceives ter-rorists about the intent or the T-Hawk can be sent down a primary planned route to distract terrorists and allow gov-ernment forces to surround them.Detection: A T-Hawk can be sent in advance of a route to provide awareness of the territory about to be crossed. The T-Hawk would detect any enemy activity because typically

PRITAM BHAVNANI, THE NEWLY APPOINTED PRESIDENT OF HONEYWELL AEROSPACE INDIA SPEAKS ON T-HAWK

We see India as a potential market for T-Hawk, es-pecially in the Northeast. The paramilitary forces in Assam, Chhattisgarh and some other states have ex-pressed their interest in the T-Hawk. We had made a demonstration to showcase the capabilities of the T-Hawk before a group of different organisations at the College of General Warfare in April this year. We

are looking forward to more such demonstrations. •

Prabha Gopinath, Strategic Campaign Director for unmanned aerial systems, Honeywell, spoke at length to SP’s on the

capabilities of T-Hawk micro unmanned aerial vehicle. Read on to find out the distinct characteristics of the UAV.

‘It is portable and back packable’

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assailants are within line-of-sight of common roads if wait-ing to ambush. The T-Hawk would easily spot anybody along the travel route.Inspection: Once the T-Hawk detected indicators of enemy activity, it could be flown closer to confirm the evidence. If human beings were spotted, it could perform detailed in-spection with its 10X zoom camera to confirm that the peo-ple observed were indeed enemies and not innocent civil-ians or tribals. Such early confirmation would give the CRPF time to employ common anti-ambush tactics or even set up a counter ambush. Overwatch: Once the CRPF patrol is in contact with the en-emy, the T-Hawk could provide overwatch while the CRPF units retreated into defensible positions. It would allow them to monitor the attack avenues and would also cover their flanks and rear from attack. In this capacity, it is a powerful force multiplier, since the effect of having a single T-Hawk would be equivalent to having additional companies of CRPF soldiers each oriented along the axes of threat. Relief Column: After an attack, terrorists have been known to set up a secondary ambush to hit the relief columns. If the relief column had T-Hawks, they could be sent ahead to scout out the route, inspect the site of the original attack, give intel-ligence on enemy presence and deployments, and perform the above mentioned five missions for the relief column.

SP’s: What are the various sensors on board which give the T-Hawk the ‘hover and stare’ capability? Gopinath: The hover capability is derived from the fact that the T-Hawk is a VTOL air vehicle. As such, it is able to move forward and then stop and hover anytime, much like a he-licopter. The stare capability is derived from the T-Hawk’s cameras; daytime and infrared cameras that can be used to observe objects/people and perform detailed inspections as needed.

SP’s: Can the vehicle be operationally deployed in day/night all-weather scenarios?Gopinath: Yes. The T-Hawk can fly day or night and has been tested to fly in rain, wind, dust and other typical com-bat conditions.

SP’s: Does the T-Hawk have the capability to see through thick foliage/forested terrain? Please elaborate.Gopinath: The T-Hawk cannot directly see through thick foliage but it can detect thermal signature of activities go-ing on under the foliage such as cooking fires or other warmth, for example. The T-Hawk performs well in mixed jungle areas.

SP’s: How do the vehicle’s sensors detect IEDs buried under the earth’s soil/roads/ tracks, etc? Please explain.Gopinath: We cannot answer due to customer sensitivity; please understand that keeping some information private allows the T-Hawk to better serve Honeywell’s customers.

SP’s: Please explain as to how the vehicle is remote-con-trolled from the ground and how effective its sensors are at its peak operating altitude?Gopinath: The vehicle is fully autonomous and can be pre-pro-grammed with a flight path or can be flown manually as need-

ed. There are communication links on pre-defined frequencies for the command and control and for the video down link.

SP’s: The T-Hawk is reportedly designed to be ‘back-pack’ equipment. Could you explain as to how the ve-hicle is maintained under extreme field conditions?Gopinath: The T-Hawk breaks down into a soldier-portable package or transport into the field. All spares needed for rou-tine maintenance are packaged into the backpack. Normal maintenance is performed at 10-hour intervals and consists primarily of cleaning filters, camera lenses and fuel lines.

SP’s: In the event of the T-Hawk being selected for use by the Indian security forces how soon can the company start supplying the product to the Indian Government?Gopinath: The T-Hawk is in production and several hundred units have been delivered to the US and foreign militaries. Honeywell can deliver units to the Indian military and para-military agencies within 6 months of the receipt of an order or ever sooner. We also have a pool of loaner vehicles for the forces to start developing tactics and procedures well in advance of production shipment. SP

(A detailed coverage of the role of UAVs in homeland security will appear in the next issue of SP’s Aviation.)


SETTING THE AESA STANDARD FOR MMRCALockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman have set the bar high in bringing the Indian Air Force (IAF) the best Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) system in the industry. From a technological standpoint, the AN/APG-80 shares its advanced developmental lineage for hardware and software modes with the F-22’s AN/APG-77 and the F-35’s AN/APG-81. Additionally, the IAF receives the benefit of an opera-tionally proven system.

Northrop Grumman’s world-leading expertise as a ra-dar provider translates into cost savings for future AN/APG-80 customers. We create all our AESA arrays and the fire control systems to which they belong under one roof, making the most of engineering and manufacturing

economies. The IAF benefits from the maturity of technol-ogy as well as the production techniques we have honed over more than three decades in electronically scanned array technology.

SUPERIOR MISSION CAPABILITYThe F-16IN remains the Ultimate Fourth Generation Fighter for many reasons. The aircraft is highly manoeuverable, and the weapons and avionics systems remain unmatched. The F-16IN’s APG-80 multifunction array radar demonstrated unmatched performance during MMRCA Flight Evaluation Trials in India. With near simultaneous multimode interleav-ing, the AN/APG-80 allows the pilot to focus on mission per-formance without the burden of having to manage multiple

Northrop Grumman is actively pursuing relationships with Indian companies that will satisfy MMRCA transfer of technology requirements for F-16IN with Northrop Grumman’s AESA radar

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radar functions. Pilots may continue air-to-air target track-ing and identification while maintaining situational aware-ness of ground threats. Additionally, the AN/APG-80 creates very high resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar maps which may be used for day/night, all-weather precision strike mis-sions. The APG-80 is the only AESA radar in the MMRCA competition to have demonstrated its performance in India during MMRCA Flight Evaluation Trials.

In the same fashion the performance capabilities of Northrop Grumman’s F-22 radar (AN/APG-77) and F-35 radar (AN/APG-81) were established by customer specifi-cations determined by customer-unique requirements, the F-16IN APG-80 meets and in some cases exceeds the re-quirements set forth for the MMRCA competition. The IAF

will receive the benefits of existing radar modes that have been used operationally for five years in the F-16 Block 60. The customer will also receive the benefits of shared ad-vancements in hardware and software technology with the AN/APG-77 and AN/APG-81.

Northrop Grumman is actively pursuing relationships with Indian companies that will satisfy MMRCA Transfer of Technology requirements. The specific components that qualify as transferrable technology are determined by US law. Defense industry companies follow guidance provid-ed by the United States Department of Defense and Indian Ministry of Defence. We have had very constructive conver-sations with dozens of Indian companies, including BEL, CENTUM, Dynamatics and others, and look forward to the partnerships that will ensue once the F-16IN is selected.

Lockheed Martin has a strong history of building full F-16 production lines in countries outside the US (Korea, Tur-key, Belgium, and the Netherlands). We hope that that will be the case here.

THE BOTTOM LINE ON AESANorthrop Grumman has been delivering production of Electronically Scanned Array radars for 35 years, and is the world leader in this technology. The APG-80 represents the world’s first exportable Active Electronically Scanned Array radar, and the maturity of its extensive mode suite is unmatched. The Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grum-man team is the only MMRCA competitor who can say that APG-80 AESA tactical doctrine has been thoroughly refined over five years of operational use as seasoned F-16 flight instructors have provided Northrop Grumman with invalu-able recommendations for enhancing the APG-80’s already robust tactical performance. These suggestions have helped us to continually refine how best to use the APG-80’s myr-iad capabilities, well beyond the radar’s original technical specifications.

All of which serves to further position the Lockheed Martin F-16IN as the clear choice for the MMRCA pro-gramme. SP

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ILA BerlinJune 8-13, 2010

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JAMES DOOLITTLE WAS A brave and adventurous pilot who later became a top-rank-ing US military commander. He was second only to Charles

Lindbergh in fame—at least in Ameri-ca. Doolittle inspired an entire genera-tion of young people to take to the air. And his daring 1942 raid over Japan probably marked a decisive turning point in World War II.

James (Jimmy) Harold Doo-little was born in Alameda, Cali-fornia on December 14, 1896. In October 1917, he joined the US Signal Corps Reserve as a flying cadet. He soon became a flying instructor. In 1922 he set a new record for a flight across Ameri-ca. Using a De Havilland DH-4 equipped with primitive naviga-tional instruments, he took 21 hours and 19 minutes to fly from Pablo Beach, Florida to San Diego, California, with just one refuelling stop. In 1923, he joined the Mas-sachusetts Institute of Technology where he eventually obtained a PhD in aeronautical engineering. His scientific acumen, combined with flying skill, helped him ap-preciate the importance of new aviation technology.

Perhaps his most significant contribution to aviation was the development of instrument fly-ing. At the beginning of powered flight, pilots flew by motion sense, judging height, speed and direc-tion visually. But Doolittle realised that flying would remain a fair-weather activity unless pilots were able to control and navigate the aircraft regardless of what they could see. In 1929, he became the first pilot to take off, fly and land an aircraft using instruments alone, without a view outside the cockpit. He helped develop and test the later universally used artificial hori-zon and directional gyroscope. He at-tracted wide public attention with this feat of ‘blind’ flying and later received the Harmon Trophy for conducting the experiments. His achievements made safe airline operations possible irre-spective of the weather.

In 1927 Doolittle became the first pilot to fly an outside loop, which avia-tors were otherwise warned against as being potentially deadly. In this ma-

noeuvre, the pilot flies on the outside of the loop, sending the blood rushing to the head due to extreme negative ‘g’. In a Curtiss fighter, he commenced a dive from 10,000 feet, pushing the nose ever forward. He reached 280 miles per hour at the bottom of the dive (upside down) then climbed and com-pleted the loop. He was also the first person to win all three major aviation

racing trophies—the Schneider Trophy in 1925, the Bendix Trophy in 1931, and the Thompson Trophy in 1932.

Doolittle became a civilian for a decade, but the December 1941 Japa-nese attack on Pearl Harbour brought him back into action. He was tasked to plan the first retaliatory air raid on the Japanese homeland. He volunteered to lead the top secret carrier-borne attack of sixteen B-25 medium bombers. Be-cause carrier landings were impossible for the 10 tonne aircraft, this would be

a one-way mission. Instead of return-ing to their launch ship after the raid, the planes would continue west to the Asian mainland and try their fortune at rudimentary landing strips in China.

On April 18, 1942, the bombers successfully took off from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet. They reached Ja-pan and bombed their targets in Tokyo, Kobe, Yokohama, Osaka, and Nagoya.

Fifteen of the aircraft then headed for their recovery airfield in Chi-na, while one crew had to land in Russia due to their bomber’s un-usually high fuel consumption. Of the sixteen B-25s, only one man-aged a safe landing at an airfield. Some crew members were cap-tured by the Japanese and even-tually executed. As did most of the other personnel who participated in the mission, Doolittle’s crew bailed out safely over China when their aircraft ran out of fuel. By then they had been airborne for about 12 hours; it was night time and the weather was stormy.

By World War II standards, the damage done to the Japanese war industry was minor. However, the true impact was psychological. The raid was a shattering blow to Japanese pride and a major morale-boosting victory for the United States. It showed the Japa-nese that their homeland was vul-nerable to air attack, and forced them to withdraw several front-line fighter units from Pacific war zones for homeland defence. The Japanese attempt to close the per-ceived gap in their Pacific defence perimeter probably led to the de-cisive American victory during the Battle of Midway in June 1942.

A firm believer in strategic bombing, Doolittle later com-manded the Eighth Air Force

during its greatest successes: the first American bombing of Berlin, the sus-tained bombing campaigns against Germany’s oil industry and other facili-ties, and finally the virtual destruction of the mighty Luftwaffe. James Doolit-tle died at the age of 96 on September 27, 1993. He is the only person to be awarded both the US Medal of Honour and the Medal of Freedom, the nation’s two highest honours. SP

—Group Captain (Retd) Joseph Noronha, Goa

JAMES H. DOOLITTLE

(1896 - 1993)

Doolittle was the first pilot to fly an outside loop,

which aviators were otherwise warned against

as being potentially deadly

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MILITARYAsia-Pacific

IAF to upgrade Su-30 Fighter Aircraft

IAF is going to upgrade 50 Su-30 MKI combat aircraft with the help of the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) from Russia. Su-30 MKIs have been inducted into the IAF in four phases. The ones to be upgraded are from the first phase and the project is likely to be completed in the next three to four years. Of the 50 aircraft, around five would be sent to the Russian facilities while the remaining would be upgraded in India. Under the modernisation pro-gramme, the aircraft will be upgraded with state-of-the-art avionics and various other capabilities. The airframe of these aircraft would also be strengthened to equip them with air-launched version of the 290 km range BrahMos supersonic cruise missile. The Su-30s were inducted into the IAF in the late 90s and at present six squadrons of the aircraft are in service.

Casualty evacuation by IAF helicopters in CongoOn the night of July 2, a fuel tanker loaded with gasoline overturned in the village of Sange (36 km from the town of Uvira) in South Kivu Prov-ince of Democratic Republic of the Congo. The accident took place in the close prox-imity of various houses and commercial shops; there was an explosion and the ensuing fire caused approximately 230 fatal casualties and more than 190 people injured. On the morning of July 3, IAF helicopters on UN Mission in Congo were tasked to carry out casualty evacuation of the seriously injured patients from Sange village to Bukavu. Two helicopters were tasked for casualty evacuation role while a third was tasked with carrying various senior UN of-

ARIANESPACE

• Argentine satellite operator ARSAT has chosen Arianespace to launch its Arsat-1 satellite. Arianespace has signed the launch Service & Solutions contract with Argentine operator ARSAT (Empresa Argentina de Soluciones Satelitales Sociedad Anonima) to orbit the Arsat-1 satellite by mid-2012. It will offer a wide range of telecom-munications, data transmission, telephone and television services mainly across all of Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay.

BAE SYSTEMS

• A BAE Systems seeker detected and destroyed a unitary target perform-ing the lowest endo-atmospheric intercept to date for the terminal high atitude area defence weapon system flight test programme at the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kauai, Hawaii. The test conducted by the US Missile Defense Agency and Lockheed Martin the THAAD prime contractor and systems integrator, verified the interceptor and other sys-tem components capability to detect and to intercept a unitary short range ballistic missile.

BOEING

• Boeing has announced the completion of the firm configuration for the 787-9 Dreamliner. Boeing accomplished this milestone after years of collaboration with airline customers and partners to determine the optimal configuration for the new stretch version of the Dreamliner. The 787 Dreamliner is an all-new twinjet designed to meet the needs of airlines around the world in providing nonstop service between midsize cit-ies with new levels of efficiency. The delivery of the first 787 is planned for the fourth quarter of 2010.

BOMBARDIER AEROSPACE

• Bombardier Aerospace has an-nounced that Deutsche Lufthansa AG of Germany has placed a firm order for eight CRJ900 NextGen regional jets. The transaction involved the ex-ercise of eight previously announced purchase rights.

COMMUTER AIR TECHNOLOGY

• Commuter Air Technology (CAT),

QuickRoundUp TEJAS NAVY SETS SAIL

The first two-seat, fly-by-wire, trainer version of the naval light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas rolled-out on July 6, marking a milestone achievement in the development programme undertaken by HAL and ADA

The roll-out of the first two-seat, fly-by-wire, trainer version of the naval light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas, designated as the first Naval Prototype (NP-1) and also referred to as the

LCA (Navy), on July 6, 2010, marked an important milestone in the development programme jointly undertaken by the Aeronau-tical Development Agency (ADA) and the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). The Indian Navy has also played a significant role in the project through close monitoring and support.

The momentous event was witnessed by Defence Minister A.K. Antony, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Nirmal Verma, Secretary De-fence Production R.K. Singh and dignitaries from HAL, Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) and other public sector units (PSUs), private industries and educational institutions supporting the project.

Out of the assembly hangar, the NP-1 having overcome major technical challenges, is now ready to undergo systems integration tests followed by ground runs, taxi trials, its maiden flight hopefully by the year end and deployment by 2015 on-board the indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC) currently under construction at the Cochin Shipyard. Expected to fly in 2012, the NP-2 will be the single-seat fighter version that will in due course, replace the Indian Navy’s ageing fleet of Sea Harriers. Both the prototypes, NP-1 and NP-2 will be employed to prove the technologies involved in the develop-ment of a potent combat aircraft to be operated from the IAC the Navy plans to acquire in the future. Designed to carry a wide vari-ety of weapons and equipment like the BVR missile, anti shipping missiles, conventional bombs, guns and electronic countermeasure devices, the Tejas Navy is the only aircraft in the world in the light weight category. With a total requirement of over 50 aircraft, the Indian Navy has placed orders for six so far at a total cost of $180 million (Rs 830 crore), reflecting firm commitment.

Compared with the air force counterpart, the LCA (Navy) is fit-ted with a stronger landing gear with longer struts, arrester hook for quick stop on touchdown and drooping nose for better view for the pilot during landing on a carrier deck. Powered by the GE F404-IN20 engine, the aircraft is designed for ski-jump take off and arrester recovery with landing loads higher than that on the air force version. Sanctioned in 2003 at a cost of Rs 950 crore, the first stages of the programme include design and fabrication of two prototypes along with a shore based test facility (SBTF) at Goa to simulate operations from a carrier deck. While the roll out is being seen as a landmark event, it is understood that ADA is in search of a global aerospace major as a partner to accelerate the pace of the programme and resolve some technical issues.•

—By Air Marshal (Retd) B.K. Pandey, Bengaluru

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ficials to the site. A total of 32 serious burn casualties were airlifted by the three helicop-ters in 13 sorties towards this mission.

Astra missile test-fired for second consecutive dayIndia has test-fired Astra, the indigenously developed beyond visual range (BVR) air-to-air missile at Chandi-pur in hours after carrying out the first night trial of the weapon on July 6.The second consecutive trial comes after the missile was test-fired for the first time for night trial in inclement weather conditions during night. The data gener-ated were being thoroughly examined by the Defence Research and Development Organisation. It is claimed that the single stage, solid-fuelled Astra is more advanced in its category than the contem-porary BVR missiles and is capable of engaging and de-stroying highly manoeuvrable supersonic aerial targets. The 3.8-metre-long missile, which

has a diameter of 178 mm, can carry a warhead contain-ing explosives weighing 15 kg and can be fitted to any fighter aircraft. It is intended for eventual integration with the IAF’s Su-30 MKI, MiG-29, Mirage 2000, Jaguar and the Tejas light combat aircraft. Describing Astra as a futuris-tic missile, the DRDO scien-tists said the weapon could intercept targets at supersonic speed (mach 1.2 to 1.4).

First India C-130J in full colour

The first Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules for India has completed painting at the company’s Marietta, Ga., facility. The aircraft now enters flight test in prepara-tion for delivery at the end of the year. The programme for

India includes six C-130Js, training of aircrew and main-tenance technicians, spare parts, and ground support and test equipment. Also in-cluded is India-unique opera-tional equipment designed to increase Special Operations capabilities.

EADS consultancy for In-dian armed forcesEADS Defence & Security (DS) will supply consultancy services to the Indian armed forces in developing the system architecture of its airborne early warning & control (AEW&C) programme. On June 13, DS was awarded a two-digit-million Euro con-tract by the Indian Defence Research Design Organisation to provide support in the de-velopment of system archi-tecture with particular regard to certification and mission equipment optimisation. .

Americas

Boeing P-8A Poseidon completes 1st In-flight test

Boeing P-8A Poseidon aircraft T2 successfully completed the programme’s first mission systems test flight on June 8 in Seattle. T2 will be used to verify integrated mission systems performance during flights in Seattle and at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md. During the three-hour flight, the joint Boeing and Navy test teams exercised mission computing on all five operator workstations and successfully demonstrated key systems—including acoustics, mission planning, tactical data-link, communications, electronic support measures and flight test instrumenta-tion—for the first time.

The US Navy plans to purchase 117 P-8A anti-sub-marine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveil-lance and reconnaissance aircraft to replace its P-3 fleet. Initial operational ca-pability is planned for 2013.

BAE SYSTEMSBAE Systems has appointed Deepak Parekh, Chairman of the Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC), to its India Advisory Board. Parekh joins two other accomplished leaders from the world of business and diplomacy, Ravi Bhargava and Naresh Chandra, who are in the board since September 2009.

BOEINGBoeing has appointed Kory Mathews as Vice President of F/A-18 and EA-18 programmes within Boeing’s Global Strike Systems division. Mathews succeeds Bob Gower, who has been named vice president, Boeing Military Aircraft, India.

GULFSTREAMGulfstream Aerospace Corporation has appointed Joanne Davis as Director, Government Contracts. She reports to Jim Dempsey, Vice President, Sustaining and Government Programmes.

LOCKHEED MARTINThe Lockheed Martin board of directors has elected Thomas J. Falk, Kimberly-Clark Corporation Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, to its board, with effect from June 25.

RAYTHEONRaytheon Company has appointed Dr Thomas A. Kennedy president of Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems (IDS), ef-fective immediately. Kennedy succeeds Daniel L. Smith, who will retire from the company, effective July 30, 2010.

SAABThe board of the defence and security company Saab has ap-pointed Håkan Buskhe as new President and CEO. Buskhe will take up his position on November 1, 2010.

APPOINTMENTS

an aerospace & defence company, reported delivery of a modified Beechcraft 200 aircraft to General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) two weeks ahead of the proposed delivery schedule. CAT, a company specialising in intel-ligence, surveillance and reconnais-sance (ISR) modifications, training, and special operations support, had been awarded a commercial contract to install a CAT-developed ISR pod on the B200 aircraft by GA-ASI.

DEFENSE SECURITY COOPERATION AGENCY

• The Defense Security Coopera-tion Agency notified Congress of a possible foreign military sale (FMS) to Oman of logistics support and training for two C-130J-30 aircraft, including associated equipment and parts.

EUROCOPTER

• American Eurocopter has an-nounced that an EC120 helicopter operated by the Baltimore Police Department has become the first EC120 in the world to reach 10,000 flight hours. The Baltimore Police Department’s fleet consists of four EC120s, which they have been operating since 2000. The EC120 is powered by a fuel-efficient Turbomeca ARRIUS 2F engine and is known for its high manoeuvrability, state-of-the-art ergonomic cockpit and low noise signature.

LOCKHEED MARTIN

• The ninth Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter has en-tered flight testing and has become the second test jet to fly with the next-generation avionics package that will populate all operational F-35s. The F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variant, known as AF-3, flew for 42 minutes during its first flight. The F-35’s avionics are the most comprehensive and powerful ever to fly in a fighter.

Norway had placed a contract in November 2007 for four C-130J Super Hercules through the FMS programme. The first was delivered in November 2008 and the fourth has been delivered recently. The new fleet enables Norway to meet its national airlift mission require-ments and missions in support of

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The Indian Navy has also ordered 8 Poseidon P8I as its next generation multi-role maritime patrol aircraft.

Northrop Grumman’s APG-81 performs flawlessly Northrop Grumman Corpo-ration’s new APG-81 ac-tive electronically scanned array (AESA) radar met and exceeded its performance ob-jectives successfully tracking long-range targets as part of the first mission systems test flights of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II BF-4 air-craft During the F-35 flight, the Northrop Grumman APG-81 radar met and exceeded performance expectations, tracking long-range targets at all aspect angles with excel-lent stability. Additionally, the F-35 Lightning II aircraft was equipped with Northrop Grumman’s revolutionary Electro-Optical Distrib-uted Aperture System, which provides passive missile and aircraft threat detection, as well as infrared day and night vision which is projected di-rectly onto the pilot’s helmet visor for a fully spherical view around the aircraft.

Europe

Euro Hawk Unmanned Aircraft first flight

The Euro Hawk unmanned aircraft system (UAS), built by Northrop Grumman Corpora-tion and EADS Defence & Se-curity, has successfully com-pleted its first flight by flying for two hours and climbing to 32,000 feet. “The Euro Hawk marks the first international configuration of the RQ-4 Global Hawk high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) UAS, and strengthens Northrop Grumman’s first trans-Atlan-tic cooperation with Germany and EADS Defence & Securi-ty,” said Duke Dufresne, sector vice president and general manager of the Strike and Surveillance Systems Divi-sion for Northrop Grumman’s

Aerospace Systems sector. Based on the Block 20 Global Hawk, Euro Hawk will be equipped with a new signals intelligence mission system developed by EADS Defence & Security, providing standoff capability to detect electronic and communications emitters.

New Hawk trainer flies past major milestones

A significant achievement has been achieved with the first 500 sorties, and 500 fly-ing hours, completed on the UK Royal Air Force’s (RAF) Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT). The RAF received the first of their 28 Hawk AJTs, also known as the TMk2, in 2009. Significant progress with the aircraft, which is used to train fast jet pilots of the future, has been made to date.Complementing the air-craft, Wing Commander Brian Braid of RAF Valley said, “It has all the familiarity of the world renowned and much loved Hawk series of aircraft, but has the added bonus of being packed with the latest technology and avionics. The Hawk TMk2 is set to revo-lutionise the way the RAF trains its future fast jet pilots under the UK Military Flying Training System.”

CIVIL AVIATIONAsia-Pacific

India’s first full-fidelity heli-copter simulator The Helicopter Academy to Train by Simulation of Flying (HATSOFF), the joint venture owned of Hindustan Aero-nautics Limited (HAL) and CAE, has announced that its Bell 412 full-mission simu-lator has been certified to Level D, the highest qualifica-tion for flight simulators, by India’s Directorate General Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The CAE-built full-mission helicopter simu-

international organisations like the UN and NATO.

NORTHROP GRUMMAN

• Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. has been awarded a $38.3 million not-to-exceed modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract for the procurement of three low-rate initial production vertical takeoff and landing tactical unmanned aerial vehicle units. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., and is expected to be completed in October 2012.

PILATUS AIRCRAFT

• Pilatus Aircraft Ltd has handed over the first of the six PC-12 NG multi-purpose liaison aircraft ordered by the Finnish Air Force during a commemorative ceremony at the company’s headquarters in Stans, Switzerland.

RAAF

• Australian Minister for Defence Senator John Faulkner has announced the arrival of another six F/A-18F Super Hornets at RAAF Base Amberley, Twelve of the RAAF Super Hornets have now been delivered by Boeing.

SIKORSKY

• The first S-70i Black Hawk helicopter has successfully completed its first flight, officially launching an international variant and the newest Sikorsky Aircraft product to follow in the legacy of the Black Hawk helicopter. The new international variant utilises a global supply chain and is the first Black Hawk helicopter ever to be assembled in Europe.

SNECMA

• Royal Jet, the VIP Charter Operator based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, has awarded new engine maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) contract to Snecma (Safran group) for its CFM56-7B engine fleet. Snecma which is the OEM, will provide MRO services for all CFM56-7B engines powering the operator’s Boeing Business Jets. Snecma has worked with Royal Jet for eight years and this long-term contract clearly reflects Royal Jet’s confidence in Snecma.

QuickRoundUp SHOW CALENDAR19–25 JulyFARNBOROUGH INTERNA-TIONAL AIR SHOW (FIA)Farnborough, Hampshire, UKwww.farnborough.com

25–28 July 46TH AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE JOINT PROPULSION CONFERENCE & EXHIBITNashville Convention Cen-ter & Renaissance Hotel, Nashville, TNwww.aiaa.org

26 July–1 AugustEAA AIRVENTURE OSHKOSH 2010Wittman Regional Airport, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USAhttp://www.airventure.org

27–30 July AVIATION OUTLOOK AUSTRALIA 2010Four Seasons Hotel, Sydneyhttp://www.terrapinn.com/2010/aviation

11 AugustSAFETY STANDDOWN LATIN AMERICA 2010Hilton São Paulo Morumbi, São Paulo, Brazilwww.safetystanddown.com

12–14 AugustLATIN AMERICAN BUSINESS AVIATION CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION (LABACE)Congonhas Airport, São Paulo, Brazilwww.abag.org.br

16–20 AugustAVIATION OUTLOOK AFRICA 2010BMW Pavilion Conference Centre, Cape Town, South Africahttp://www.terrapinn.com/2010/aviationza/

24–27 August AUVSI’S UNMANNED SYSTEMS NORTH AMERICA 2010Colorado Convention Center, Denver, CO, USAhttp://www.auvsi.org

6-8 SeptemberINDESEC EXPO 2010Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, Indiawww.indesec-expo.com

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lator at HATSOFF features CAE’s revolutionary roll-on/roll-off cockpit design, which enables cockpits represent-ing various helicopter types to be used in the simulator. The first training programme HATSOFF is for operators of the Bell 412 helicopter. Addi-tional cockpits for the Indian Army/Air Force variant of the HAL-built Dhruv, the civil variant of the Dhruv and the Eurocopter Dauphin will be added to the HATSOFF train-ing centre over the next year.

INDUSTRYEurope

First night flight ever by a solar plane!The Solar Impulse HB-SIA, with André Borschberg at its controls, successfully com-pleted night flight by staying airborne for an incredible 26 hours before landing at 0900 hrs on July 8, to the cheers of a crowd of supporters who came to celebrate the great milestone. This flight is the longest and highest in the history of solar aviation.

Ulan-Ude Aviation plant delivers helicopters

Ulan-Ude aviation plant (UUAP), a part of Russian Helicopters, the Russian helicopter industry hold-ing company, is delivering helicopters to UTair ahead of schedule set in the contract. UUAP delivered two Mi-171 helicopters (in Mi-8AMT ver-sion) to UTair in late June, although they were supposed to be delivered in late 3Q 2010 according to contract. Such changes in schedule are due to UTair requiring more aircraft due to an increase in freight traffic. Despite pro-duction workload (the plant intends to manufacture 75 helicopters in 2010), UUAP has managed to manufacture and deliver the helicopters to the customer ahead of sched-

uled terms without jeopardis-ing the production schedule under other contracts.

ATR and Giugiaro Design partner

Leading regional turboprop manufacturer ATR and world-renowned Italian design house Giugiaro Design unveiled their partnership for the development of the new ATR ‘-600 series’ cabin, named ARMONIA. ATR and Giugiaro Design have worked closely together to create an ultra modern, appealing and comfortable cabin. The name ARMONIA is linked to beauty, harmony, balance and calm, themes apparent in the new design. Giugiaro Design has been involved in many high profile and highly acclaimed car, corporate aircraft, train, ship and motorcycle de-sign projects. The synergic approach established with the ATR engineering team represents an important step forward for both firms. The new ARMONIA cabin marks Giugiaro’s entry into the commercial aviation interior design market, enabling it to use its expertise in creating stylish, practical, ergonomic, efficient and effective designs.

Safran inaugurates new R&D centre at Massy On June 30, Jean-Paul Herteman, Chief Executive Officer of Safran, inaugu-rated Sagem’s new François Husseno facility, the main Research & Development cen-tre for the Safran Electronics division in Massy, near Paris. Also attending the ceremony was Vincent Delahaye, Mayor of Massy. The inauguration was a major milestone in the extensive restructuring and development effort at the Massy plant, which started in 2008 and was supported by an investment of 60 mil-lion euros. It also marks a pivotal step in the develop-ment of Safran Electronics, by bringing together various

teams within this division at a central site.

SPACEAsia-Pacific

ISRO sends five satellites into orbit with its PSLV launchIndia’s space agency ISRO successfully launched its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket on July 12 that also sent five satellites including the advanced high resolution cartography satel-lite Cartosat-2B into orbit. ISRO’s PSLV weighs 230 tonnes, is 44 metres tall and the five satellites together weighed 819 kg. The Carto-sat-2B weighed 694 kg. The other satellites were the Alge-rian remote sensing satellite Alsat-2A (116 kg), two nano satellites (NLS 6.1 AISSAT-1 weighing 6.5 kg built by the University of Toronto, Canada and one kg NLS 6.2 TISAT built by the University of Ap-plied Sciences, Switzerland) and STUDSAT, a pico satel-lite weighing less than one kg, built jointly by students of seven engineering col-leges in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Twenty minutes after blast off, the rocket first released Cartosat-2B followed by Alsat-2A and the three small satellites. With this launch, ISRO also crossed a new milestone in launching third party satellites by send-ing three foreign satellites into orbit, reaching a total of 25 satellite launches.

Israel’s ‘Ofeq 9’ satellite launched On June 22, Israel’s ‘Ofeq 9’, an advanced remote sens-ing satellite, was launched and successfully injected into orbit by means of a ‘Shavit’ satellite launcher. In the next phase, the satellite will undergo several tests for validation of its serviceability and satisfactory performance. Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd developed and produced the satellite in response to an order placed by the IMOD, in cooperation with various other local industrial compa-nies, including: El-Op, IMI, Rafael, Tadiran-Spectralink, Elisra and others. •

QuickRoundUp

SPIRIT AEROSYSTEMS

• Spirit AeroSystems Inc., the world’s largest independent supplier of commercial airplane assemblies and components, has formally opened its new 500,000-square-foot manufactur-ing facility in Kinston, N.C. Employees at the facility will design and manu-facture the composite centre fuselage upper and lower shells (section 15) and front wing spar for the Airbus A350 XWB aircraft using state-of-the-art technology and processes. The ceremony was hosted by Spirit Presi-dent and CEO Jeff Turner, and Airbus President and CEO Tom Enders.

TERMA

• Terma has signed a contract with the Polish Defence for the supply of self-protection equipment for 22 Polish helicopters. In many ways, the contract with a total value of a three-digit million figure (exact value has not been disclosed) is a milestone. To date, this is the largest contract on self-protection equipment which Terma has entered into. Further, it is Terma’s first contract of this kind for one of the new NATO countries.

US

• In a signed memorandum of agree-ment (MOA), US Air Force and Navy officials have partnered to maximise commonality, eliminate redundant effort and increase interoperability between the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance unmanned aircraft systems and the RQ-4 Global Hawk system. The MOA also directs the establishment of a Synergies Working Group to identify synergies in basing, maintenance, aircraft command and control, training, logistics.

UNITED TECHNOLOGIES

• United Technologies Corp., Pratt & Whitney Military Engines has been awarded a $57.5 million modifica-tion to convert a previously awarded advance acquisition contract to an undefinitised contract action. This modification further provides for the procurement of 32 low-rate initial production F-135 propulsion systems: 10 conventional take-off and landing for the Air Force; 16 short take-off and vertical landing for the Marine Corps; four carrier variant for the Navy; one STOVL for UK; and one for the Netherlands.


The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has in the recent past redefined safety norms for opera-tion of civil aircraft carrying VIPs. Issue of the set of fresh directives on the subject by the DGCA comes

after the tragic accident nearly a year ago of a helicopter be-longing to the Government of Andhra Pradesh. The ill-fated aircraft was carrying Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S.R. Reddy and party who perished in the crash. It is a practice to review and modify if necessary the existing rules and regula-tions pertaining to civil aviation after every major accident especially if it involves a VIP. As such, this step by the DGCA, though somewhat belated, should not come as a surprise.

However, despite the fact that VIP flights have always been under reasonably stringent regulatory control, acci-dents resulting in fatality to VIPs in such flights whether on fixed wing aircraft or on helicopters, have been occurring with disconcerting regularity. If accidents have occurred fre-quently in the past with VIPs on board, it is highly unlikely that these would have taken place on account of any defi-ciency in regulatory control.

Once again in this instance, as a sequel to a report con-taining a slew of recommendations by the Tyagi Commit-tee investigating the accident, the DGCA has reiterated the provisions that have more or less existed in one form or another to govern the conduct of flights by a civilian aircraft carrying VIPs. The directives stipulate minimum experience level of the pilot-in-command (PIC) as holding either a valid commercial pilot licence (CPL) or an airline transport pilot licence (ATPL) with at least 3,000 hours of flying experience, of which 2,000 hours should be as a PIC on the type of air-craft to be flown and a minimum of 50 hours of night fly-ing experience. For helicopter pilots, the PIC should possess similar licence with 2,000 hours of flying experience includ-ing 500 hours as PIC on the same type of aircraft and at least 10 hours of night flying experience. PIC for both fixed and rotary wing must also hold valid instrument rating.

Apart from the focus on the qualifications and experi-ence levels of the PIC, the new directives include rules for re-cruitment and training of pilots, crew and engineers. Rules and regulations governing maintenance of aircraft, repairs, mandatory on board equipment for instrument flying and criteria for airworthiness certification have also been enun-ciated. Further, the regulator has placed restrictions on VIP flights when “weather conditions are not conducive to safe operations” and has also stipulated that every VIP flight would be operated with “a multiple crew composition”.

While the DGCA has attempted to cover a wide range of areas to enhance air safety, one critical issue, that of the role of the VIP or his cohorts on board which could seriously im-pinge on air safety, has not been addressed at all. Loosely de-scribed as VIP passenger syndrome, many a flight has end-ed in a tragedy as a result of unwarranted pressure on the

Captain of the aircraft by the VIP on board either directly or in-directly, that steered the hapless soul into an erroneous deci-sion culminating into a disaster. There have been a number of such cases within and out-side the country both in civil and military fly-ing regimes. In a rath-er disgraceful incident in India, a helicopter pilot of the Indian Air Force was ordered to be arrested by the VIP on board when he re-fused to carry an addi-tional passenger that would have resulted in the aircraft exceeding the maximum all-up-weight limit for take-off. Blatant violation of rules and regulations under pressure from VIP passengers and especially those without even rudimentary knowledge or understanding of the nuances of air safety is a frequent occurrence and has ac-quired proportions of a menace that now appears somewhat difficult to eliminate or even regulate.

The most recent case is that of the crash at a Russian airport where an aircraft with the President of Poland Lech Kaczynski on board, was trying to land reportedly in heavy fog disregarding advice from the Air Traffic Control to divert to another airfield where weather conditions for landing were safer. It is understood that the pilot, Arkadiusz Pro-tasiuk, an experienced professional of the Polish Air Force, was aware of the President’s desire to land at the planned destination on account of political compulsions as also of an episode in the past in which a colleague was sacked for not complying with the President’s wishes under similar cir-cumstances. Forced into committing a grave error of judg-ment under intangible pressure from the President, the pilot along with the VIP entourage met with a fiery end.

Unless a foolproof system to provide immunity to the Captain of the aircraft from unwarranted pressure from overbearing VIPs on board is evolved, effect of the fresh di-rectives issued by the DGCA with regard to air safety in op-eration of VIP aircraft may prove to be only cosmetic. SP

— Air Marshal (Retd) B.K. Pandey

LASTWord

VIP Syndrome

Unless a foolproof system to provide

immunity to the captain is

evolved, the DGCA directives with

regard to safety of VIP aircraft may prove to be only

cosmetic

ILLU

STR

ATIO

N: AN

OO

P K

AMAT

H

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SP's Aviation July 2010

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Transcript of SP's Aviation July 2010