Indian Air-Force News

Indian Light Combat Helicopter to be On Display At Aero India 2011

The Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) developed by HAL and due for induction into the Indian Air Force by 2012-13, will make its first flight during Aero India from February 9 to 13. Its first test flight was in March last year. The second and third flights were in April and May 2010 and as of now, over 20 test flights have checked various parameters. These have paved the way for testing with weapons.

While the first prototype could fly at the air show, the second prototype, which will be weaponized, is expected to be unveiled too. Two more prototypes are under construction. HAL commenced work on the LCH in 2006. The copter is an attack variant of the HAL Dhruv, which has been inducted into the armed forces. The copter was designed using a successful and proven helicopter as the base platform. HAL has tentative orders to deliver 65 LCHs to the IAF and over 100 to the Army.

HAL will also showcase the mock-up of the Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) which is being developed indigenously and the Multirole Transport Aircraft ( MTA) being done in collaboration with Russia. Two Chetak helicopters are expected to be handed over to a Third World country. While export orders are nothing to write home about, there have been occasional purchases by other countries. Chile signed a contract with HAL for about seven Dhruv ALHs.

Russian New Mobile Short-Range Air Defense System To Unveil At Aero-India 2011


Russian will Unveil a New Mobile short-range air defense system based on the Strelets launcher At the Upcoming India 2011 air show.


"The [Kolomna-based] Engineering Design Bureau will present for the first time details of a new ultra short-range air defense system based on the Strelets launcher for the portable Igla missiles," Russia's Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation said in a statement on Friday.


The Strelets multiple launcher unit was developed for use with the 9M39 Igla (NATO SA-18 "Grouse") and Igla-1 (NATO SA-16 "Gimlet") missiles. It provides an automatic remote launch capability in either single-round or salvo modes when mounted on various launch platforms.


Aero India-2011, which will be held in the southern city of Bangalore on February 9-13, will attract the record number of over 600 manufacturers, vendors and suppliers from 63 countries.

Russia will be represented by 35 companies, including MiG, Sukhoi, Almaz-Antei and Engineering Design Bureau.

Eurocopter AS550 Fennec Is Expected To Be On Static Display At Aero India 2011

Northrop Grumman to Highlight Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR)

Northrop Grumman Corporation is highlighting its industry-leading range of capabilities in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) including airborne early warning and control systems for maritime reconnaissance, fire control radars and unmanned aerial vehicles, at the Aero India 2011 exhibition and air show.

The exhibit will showcase Northrop Grumman's world leading capabilities in airborne early warning and control. Featured will be the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye and the Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) radar. The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye programme couples a newly designed electronically scanned radar with a matching suite of sensors, avionics, processors, software and display's to provide the most technologically advanced command and control capability available worldwide. The AN/APY-9 radar, with a two-generation leap in capability, is the backbone of this aircraft and provides greater flexibility and significantly improved detection and tracking over all terrains. The first E-2D to enter the U.S. Navy fleet was delivered in July 2010 and aircrew training is currently underway. An E-2D Advanced Hawkeye crew work-station will be among the exhibits to demonstrate the benefits of the E-2D for military and civil applications. India is among the very first countries for which the Advanced Hawkeye capability has been released.

Northrop Grumman's airborne surveillance capability will also be highlighted with models of the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance Unmanned Aircraft System (BAMS UAS), the Long Endurance Multi-Intelligence Vehicle (LEMV) and Fire Scout, vertical unmanned aircraft system (VUAS) multi-role UAV on display. The MQ-4C BAMS UAS is based on a maritime derivative of the combat-proven RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft with sensors and is a multi-mission maritime ISR system that will provide a continuous on-station presence while conducting open-ocean and littoral surveillance of targets. Construction of the first BAMS UAS aircraft began in September 2010.

The MQ-8B Fire Scout has been designed to accommodate a variety of sensor payloads and recently deployed for the first time aboard a ship with the U.S. Navy. An at-sea and land-based deployment is planned early this year. The Fire Scout has demonstrated capabilities to operate from the deck of underway ships, from remote fields, and in desert environments. Continuing its industry leading capabilities in unmanned systems, Northrop Grumman is developing up to three LEMV long endurance hybrid airship systems for the US Army. This system is designed to be optionally manned, providing the flexibility to operate with or without a crew onboard, and sustain altitudes of 20,000 feet for a three-week period, to provide persistent ISR capability. Final testing of the first LEMV is planned for the end of 2011.

The MESA surveillance radar is an advanced airborne surveillance sensor and provides national protection, enabling sophisticated air-to-air and maritime coverage and integrated friend-or-foe identification. It is the first of its type with potential capabilities that have yet to be exploited. MESA provides beam-on-demand electronic scan flexibility, revisits in any direction at any time, extends range and special features and adjusts coverage to match threats. A scale model of the array will be available for viewing.

Northrop Grumman's role on the P-8I Indian Navy Maritime Patrol aircraft programme includes early warning self-protection (EWSP) and electronic support measures (ESM) systems. The EWSP detects and defeats RF and infrared-guided missile threats and the ESM provides passive radar signals collection and location capability. The Embedded GPS/Inertial Navigation System (EGI) provides navigation data for the aircraft. The company's industry-leading Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) programmes will also be featured with a full-scale model of the corporation's AN/APG-80 fire control radar for the F-16IN Super Viper multi-role fighter aircraft. The AN/APG-80 shares common architecture with the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter's AN/APG-81 radar and is the only AESA fire control radar in India's Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) competition with operational experience.

Northrop Grumman's STARLite, a small, lightweight wide area surveillance radar used for supporting tactical operations, will be highlighted. STARLite features synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and ground moving target indicator (GMTI) capabilities for unmanned and manned aerial vehicle applications. Also featured, will be Northrop Grumman's Multi Spectral EW simulation products. These products are used for simulating complex EW environments that cover the entire spectrum of conflict from radio frequency to infrared.

Highlighted too will be the Integrated Battle Management System (iBMS) which provides the next generation of command and control and enhanced situational awareness. Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide.

Embraer to Showcase Civilian, Defense Products at Aero India 2011

The Company will promote its products from the executive, airline, and defense and security business areas during the show.

Embraer will also present the largest Executive Jets display it has ever had at an air show in India. The static display at Aero India 2011 will consist of a Phenom 100, Phenom 300, Lineage 1000, and the latest jet in its suite – the Legacy 650, which was certified in October 2010.

Goodrich to Showcase Advanced Aerospace, Defense Systems

Goodrich Corporation will showcase mission critical defense technology that brings real-time information to air crews and war fighters along with leading field proven safety systems.

Goodrich (booth B19c) will display its F-16 ACES II advanced concept ejection seat. Credited with saving over 600 lives to date, the ACES II are the only ejection seats in the world with active pitch stabilization providing consistent performance capability at airspeeds of zero to 600 KEAS (knots equivalent airspeed) and altitudes of zero to 60,000 feet. Complementing the ACES II® will be the Common Crash Resistant Troop Seat, designed for installation on multiple helicopter platforms.

In addition, Goodrich will be demonstrating mission critical guidance, navigation and stabilization products; including updated TERPROM Terrain software, designed to increase flight safety and tactical awareness for both fixed wing and helicopter platforms, along with MEMS based inertial sensors and advanced ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) data collection and dissemination systems.

Goodrich technical teams will be on hand throughout the show for expert demonstrations and to answer questions on usage and various deployment techniques. Visitors to the booth will get a chance to interact with these innovative products, and even get a chance to test fly some of the latest software applications.

A proud in-country supporter of Aero India 2011, Goodrich has a campus in Bangalore, manufacturing evacuation slides for Airbus, Boeing and Embraer platforms, as well as seating and cargo systems, interior and exterior lighting along with motors, actuation systems and electronic controllers. Goodrich employs over 1,200 individuals in assembly, quality control, MRO and customer service. In addition, the India design center employs over 450 engineers across multiple engineering disciplines.

Goodrich Corporation, a Fortune 500 company, is a global supplier of systems and services to aerospace, defense and homeland security markets. With one of the most strategically diversified portfolios of products in the industry, Goodrich serves a global customer base with significant worldwide manufacturing and service facilities.

Boeing Reveals Massive Presence at Aero India

The Boeing Company will showcase a broad range of aerospace capabilities at the upcoming Aero India 2011 show. Boeing's exhibit in Hall E will feature large-scale models, interactive displays, a P-8I mobile console, and an F/A-18E/F Super Hornet simulator with a next-generation cockpit.

Other defense capabilities to be highlighted include the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, AH-64D Apache, CH-47F Chinook, Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C), ScanEagle, and weapons. The company also will feature commercial airplanes such as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, 777, 747-8 passenger and freighter series, and best-selling Next-Generation 737.

During the show's twice-daily flying demonstrations, Boeing will present the capabilities of its advanced, combat-proven, multirole F/A-18E/F Super Hornet strike fighter -- with a full weapons payload -- and conduct customer orientation flights. Visitors also will see the C-17 Globemaster III military transport and, making its international debut, a representation of the Super Hornet International Roadmap, which will be on static display February 9.

China confirms Aero India participation

A military source has confirmed that a delegation of Chinese journalists and businesspeople will be present during the five-day Aero India show opening Feb. 9 in Bangalore. China, Pakistan and Iran were not among the initial roster of invitees. “China has accepted India’s invitation,” the source says.

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

By Wg Commander T.K. Singha VSM, Indian Air Force PRO,
Ministry of Defense, New Delhi

The 8th edition of Aero India, being held in Bengaluru from February 9 to 13, 2011, is expected to surpass all previous editions of the premiere air show in terms of participation and volume. Organised by the Ministry of Defence and managed by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the Air Show will be inaugurated by the Defence Minister Shri AK Antony on February 9, at Air Force Station Yelahanka, Bengaluru.
675 exhibitors from 45 countries will showcase their aerospace merchandise and products. Despite an eleven-fold increase in gross display area from its debut in 1998, every available inch of space has been taken up by exhibitors, say the organisers. Official delegations from 45 countries are also expected at the airshow.
The show aims at bringing under one roof, exhibitors and other stakeholders from all around the globe to showcase the best in aviation and related technologies and products.
Civil aviation has been introduced in Aero India 2011 along with Aerospace sector and comprises 55 percent participation of the exhibition. Aero India 2011 will showcase the latest international technologies in the field of military and civil aircraft, vital components for aircraft engines, avionics systems and sub-systems, airfield radars in the defence and aerospace sectors.

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

Karnataka Government, which has earmarked over 900 acres of area near the Bengaluru International airport to develop aerospace industries, is participating as an exhibitor for the first time.
The organizers estimate 1,75,000 general visitors, a growth of 29 percent over the last Aero India in 2009. Air Display Viewing Area (ADVA) has been significantly increased to cater to growing number of the public viewers. The air displays will be held twice daily between 1000-1230 hrs and 1430-1700 hrs.

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

Model Tejas Mk2 At Aero India

Undisclosed Image....
The DRDO's curtain-raiser statement for Aero India 2011 suggests that it will be displaying models of the air force and navy TEJAS Mk2. There has been little clarity over the real design changes likely to be incorporated in the Mk.2, so to specifically mention the Mk2 in its list of model displays suggests that there will be something to talk about.

Will it have canard foreplanes?. The aft fuselage will undergo changes to house the GE-F414 turbofan, but that's pretty much all we really know.