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Aero India : India for global partnerships in defence sectors

	February 10, 2003

After decades of depending on technology imports, India has expressed its willingness to forge global partnerships to develop state-of-the-art military aircraft and weapon systems.

Opening the Aero India exhibition in Bangalore last week, Defence Minister George Fernandes urged foreign companies to use India’s hi-tech and cost-effective aviation infrastructure to develop military and civilian aircraft, including jet fighters and multi-role transport aircraft.

India, he noted, had carved out a niche for itself in the aeronautics sector through the development of aircraft like the advanced light helicopter (ALH) and the supersonic light combat aircraft (LCA), which was in final tests before entering serial production.

“Having opened defence production to the private sector, with foreign direct investment up to 26 percent, we are looking forward to creating a defence industrial base capable of producing world class equipment at highly competitive prices,” he said.

Despite a protracted gestation period and problems arising from sanctions by Western countries that held up supplies of engines and components, Indian officials are describing the ALH and LCA programmes as major successes.

The ALH has entered service with the Indian armed forces and the Coast Guard, while two LCA prototypes have gone through several tests. One of these prototypes was flown at high speeds at the Aero India show.

Fernandes noted that state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) - which has made Russian-designed fighters under licence for several decades — was now collaborating with Russian firms to develop 50 and 100-seater aircraft with an eye on “the stupendous growth of civil aviation in the country and South Asia”.

HAL currently has several manufacturing plants across the country, and by using its infrastructure, India and its potential partners could “reduce the overall costs and jointly develop state-of-the-art aviation projects,” Fernandes said.

“Having done this, we could even plan out a strategy of joint marketing. With high degree of skill and relatively lower manpower costs, India provides an excellent opportunity for all buyers and sellers.”

HAL’s efforts to forge international partnerships too have borne fruit in recent months, with the Israel Aircraft Industries announcing a tie-up to put a version of the ALH fitted with Israeli avionics and weapon systems on the global market.

The tie-up was announced at the Aero India show, which attracted 176 companies from 22 countries. A total of 69 military and civil aircraft, including 16 foreign aircraft, were displayed at the show.



Display of advance jet trainers : Competition gets tough

Reporting on the Bangalore air show, our defence correspondent Rezaul H. Laskar says several aviation majors had put on display their most advance jet trainers which India is trying to procure for the IAF.

Test pilots from the Czech Republic, Russia and Britain put the L-159B, MiG-AT and Hawk through gruelling aerobatic displays to demonstrate the capabilities of the jets before an audience of senior Indian Defence Ministry and IAF officials.

Quoting the Defence Minister, Laskar reports that India is close to a decision on buying advanced jet trainers (AJTs) for the IAF.

“The government is on the threshold of coming to a decision (on purchasing the AJTs),” Defence Minister George Fernandes told a news conference after opening the air show, one of Asia’s largest aerospace exhibition.

But Fernandes refused to respond to persistent questions as to a timeframe for deciding on the purchase of the AJTs.

“The matter is scheduled to come up before the cabinet. It is for the cabinet secretariat to decide when it will come up,” Fernandes said.

When it was pointed out that a decision on the issue has been on the threshold several times earlier, Fernandes said: “From the threshold sometimes one gets pushed back and there is a lot of pushing back in this matter.”

The British government has been trying to persuade New Delhi to take an early decision on purchasing 66 Hawk AJTs from BAe to replace Russian-made trainer jets. A British diplomat had even said earlier last week that Britain was hopeful of clinching the deal.

The Hawk is facing competition from the L-159B trainer made by Aero Vodochody, in which BAe’s rival Boeing has a 35 per cent stake, and the MiG-AT that is powered by French engines. Lockheed Martin, a late entrant to the AJT race, too has offered its T-50 trainer jet produced jointly with (South) Korea Aerospace Industries to India.



Major deals with France and Israel

India’s state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) signed two agreements with French aviation major Snecma Group on February 6 for the development and co-production of aircraft engines.

The agreements will see the Turbomeca unit of Snecma Group supplying some 300 engines to power HAL’s home-grown Dhruv advanced light helicopter, which was also displayed at the Bangalore air show.

HAL also tied up with Israel Aircraft Industries for joint marketing of a new version of the Dhruv equipped with Israeli avionics.

“One contract covers the core development and co-production of Ardiden engines (called Shakti in India), the other the supply of TM-333-2B2 engines for application on HAL’s Dhruv helicopter,” a statement issued by Snecma said.

Under the two deals, estimated to be worth $300 million, Turbomeca will sell 300 engines to HAL and jointly produce 300 more.

The TM-333-2B2 engine currently powers the Dhruv and further supplies of this will be used in serial production of the helicopter.

The more powerful Shakti engine to be co-produced by HAL and Turbomeca will be used to power the Dhruv helicopter in future.

HAL and Snecma also signed a memorandum of understanding to set up a joint venture to produce small aero engines for civil aircraft. Besides, the two firms will manufacture turbo chargers for railways in Indian and abroad.

“This lends a new momentum to cooperation between India and France,” said visiting French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, who witnessed the signing of the agreements.

Raffarin said Snecma would soon submit a proposal for supplying an engine for the HJT-36 jet trainer being developed by HAL, while France’s Thal s and Sagem companies had been chosen to produce other components for this aircraft.

HAL chairman N.R. Mohanty said his organisation would make the nose undercarriage and bay doors for Airbus Industrie’s A380 aircraft. He said HAL had sold the first civilian version of the Dhruv to a company in Bombay High offshore region named Azal.

HAL expects its turnover to touch Rs.30 billion this fiscal, up from Rs.27.75 billion last year.

HAL, which is working with Russian companies to develop a multi-role transport aircraft, has also been awarded a $9 million order by a Russian company for supplying sub-assemblies for the Su-30 fighter jets.

Meanwhile, HAL will deliver the first batch of indigenously manufactured Su-30MKI jets to the Indian Air Force (IAF) next year.

“We have started manufacturing the aircraft at our Koraput plant (in Orissa). We will be able to deliver 17 a year,” said HAL chairman N.R. Mohanty. “And we will deliver 140 Su-30MKIs in the next 10 years to the IAF.”

Under a $3.3 billion deal signed by India and Russia, HAL will build the Su-30MKIs using technology provided under licence by Russia’s Sukhoi. This is HAL’s largest manufacturing programme so far.

HAL has manufactured a wide array of Russian-designed fighters, including the MiG-21 and MiG-29, in past decades.

The Su-30MKI will serve as the IAF’s main strike aircraft in the coming years. India had earlier signed two contracts with Russia to purchase 50 Su-30MKIs.

Under the “deep licence” agreement signed with Russia, Sukhoi has provided technology to HAL for manufacturing the powerful Al-31FP engines used in the Su-30MKI, considered one of the world’s most versatile multi-role combat aircraft.

The jet, which was flown during the Aero India aerospace exhibition, is equipped with advanced avionics supplied by Israeli, French and South African companies.

The Su-30MKI is capable of delivering nuclear weapons as well as air-to-air refuelling. HAL is also expected to sign a memorandum of understanding with Israeli Aircraft Industries (IAI) to market its advanced light helicopter (ALH) globally. The agreement will allow the Israeli firm to integrate its avionics on the ALH. HAL has already begun limited production of the ALH and supplied some of the helicopters to the Indian armed forces.