Bangalore: Bollywood actor Shahid Kapoor, who is playing the role of a combat aircraft pilot in his upcoming film ‘Mausam’, was thrilled to fly in a Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter aircraft at the Aero India show here.
“I am very keen to get into F-16 as a co-pilot. I thank IAF and also Lockheed Martin for giving me this opportunity,†Shahid told reporters ahead of his flying venture today.
The 29-year-old actor had to undergo one month’s rigorous training and pass required tests before flying the combat aircraft.
12/02/11 Shahid Kapoor/Indian Express
Posts Tagged 'US'
Shahid Kapoor flies F-16 at Aero India show
Published February 13, 2011 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: Defence, F-16, US
Lockheed denies media reports, says F-22 not joining final day of Aero India 2011
Published February 12, 2011 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: Defence, F-22, Lockheed Martin, US
tealth fighter F-22, the United States fifth-generation aircraft, is not coming to participate in the final day’s air show during Aero India 2011 being held at the Yelahanka Air Force station in Bangalore.
F-22 Raptor’s manufacturer Lockheed Martin has said the fighter aircraft is not coming for the Aero India 2011 that began on Wednesday.
A company spokesperson denied that the F-22 neither be flying nor be showcased as a static display.
“F-22 is not coming to India. At the best of my knowledge it will not be showcased on the last day of Aero India,” said Jack Giese of Lockheed Martin communication team.
According to the report emerging in media two F-22s were set to make its debut during Aero India 2011 in Bangalore. A Chinese news agency quoted an official from the Indian Defense Ministry as confirming that F-22 was likely to appear at the air show. F-22 is not only the US most advanced stealth fighter with the radar cross section of merely a steel marble, also the most advanced stealth fighter in the world.
It entered the US Air Force service in December 2005, and it could carry out the tasks of air- to-air and air-to-ground attacks with the precision-guided weapons.
11/02/11 ANI/Sify
Goodrich Showcases Real-Time Technology at Aero India
Published February 12, 2011 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: Goodrich, US
Bangalore: U.S.-based Goodrich Corporation showcased mission-critical defense technology that brings real-time information to air crews along and field proven safety systems at the 2011 Aero India air show being held in Bangalore, India, which began Feb. 9.
Mission-critical guidance, navigation and stabilization products on display includes the updated Terrain Profile Matching (TERPROM) software, designed to increase flight safety and tactical awareness for both fixed-wing and helicopter platforms, along with Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) based inertial sensors and advanced intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) data collection and dissemination systems.
Goodrich also displayed its F-16 Advanced Concept Ejection Seats II (ACES II) advanced concept ejection seat. Credited with saving more than 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 knots and altitudes up to 60,000 feet.
Complementing the ACES II will be the Common Crash Resistant Troop Seat, designed for installation on multiple helicopter platforms.
11/02/11 Wendell Minnick/DefenseNews
American aggressive at the show
Published February 12, 2011 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: Defence, US
Bangalore: India’s new strategic relationship with the US following the nuclear deal is all too visible at Aero India. The US has had by far the most aggressive presence at the show.
Some 41 US companies are exhibitors, and many of those exhibits are on a significant scale. What’s more, a number of very senior officials from the US government and military participated in the show. Among these were commerce secretary Gary Locke, US ambassador to India Timothy Roemer, assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs Andrew Shapiro, vice admiral Bill Landay, commander of the Pacific air forces Gary North, rear admiral Joseph Rixey and Heidi Grant, deputy under secretary of the air force.
Dinesh Keskar, president of Boeing India, noted the support extended by US officials, and said that India was far more open for defence than China was. Walter Doran, president-Asia of Raytheon, said the show of US commitment was incredible.
12/02/11 Times of India
U.S. most advanced stealth fighter F-22 likely to join final day’s air show in India
Published February 11, 2011 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: Defence, F22, US
Bangalore:Â The U.S. most sophisticated stealth fighter F-22 will arrive here to participate in the final day’s air show, said a U.S. aeronautical official on Friday.
The U.S. will only dispatch one F-22 to fly to India for the air show Aero India 2011 that began on Wednesday, and the F-22 will be only showcased as a static display instead of flying display, said the official, who was participating in the air show as a member of a U.S aeronautical team.
According to the report by the Indian newspaper Indian Express before the air show, two F-22s were set to make its debut during Aero India 2011 in Bangalore. An official from the Indian Defense Ministry confirmed F-22 was likely to appear at the air show.
F-22 is not only the U.S. most advanced stealth fighter with the radar cross section of merely a steel marble, also the most advanced stealth fighter in the world. It entered the U.S. Air Force service in Dec,2005, and it could carry out the tasks of air- to-air and air-to-ground attacks with the precision-guided weapons.
11/02/11 Xinhuanet.com
Dogfight over $10b fighter deal
Published February 11, 2011 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: Defence, Eurofighter, Eurofighter. Rafale, f16in, fA 18, France, Gripen, MMRCA, Sweden, US
It’s the biggest fighter jet import order in a long time, and for a long time. It’s the deal the world’s great military-industrial powers have been waiting to clinch — the Indian Air Force’s Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) purchase that could fetch the deal winner over $ 10 billion. And with Air Chief Marshal P.V. Naik saying he expected India to have signed off on the deal by September, the dogfight between the contenders is intensifying.
Signs of that intensification were more than apparent during the Aero India show at the Yelahanka Air Force Station on Thursday, with some of the contenders — Lockheed Martin (F-16IN), Boeing (F/A-18), EADS (Eurofighter Typhoon), the French Dassault (Rafale), SAAB (Gripen) — making light or dismissing outright competitors.
Officials of the European contenders mocked Lockheed Martin’s apparently recent bid to let the F-35 Fifth Generation fighter among the contending Fourth Generation fighters, saying that it was a sign of the F-16IN losing altitude in the contest.
Lockheed Martin officials, in turn, seemed to be dismissing fellow US giant Boeing’s bid to win the contract for its F/A-18 Super Hornet by dangling a ‘roadmap of future development’ of the aircraft that would give it Fifth Generation characteristics and keep the jet relevant for the next several decades.
Asked about concerns over America’s willingness to transfer technology, Mr. Prins said, “The IAF’s request for proposal stipulated technology transfer in five categories in four phases. Our proposal is fully compliant.
11/02/11 Deccan Chroniclehte
Ratan Tata repeats flying feat at 74
Published February 11, 2011 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: Super Hornet, Tata, US
Bangalore: Ratan Tata, Chairman of the Tata Group, was the centre of attraction on the second day of Aero India 2011 by flying in a fighter jet. The 74-year old veteran of the Indian corporate world surprised everybody by flying in a F/A-18 of Boeing, repeating a feat he’d demonstrated in 2007. “It takes a lot more to fly the F-18 as compared to a Falcon,†said Tata after returning to the ground.
The flight, piloted by Mike Wallace, saw Tata experiencing close to 7G — seven times the normal gravity force on the body. A known aviation enthusiast and a regular at the Aero India shows, he made the first dramatic entry in the 2007 edition, having co-piloted both the F-16 and F-18 on successive days.
11/02/11 Business Standard
ITT eyes Indian air traffic management system
Published February 11, 2011 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: Air Traffic Management, ITT, US
US aerospace engineering firm ITT sees big potential for its air traffic manatement (ATM) systems in India’s booming market for civilian air travel.
“The air traffic growth rates in India are very high,” says James Cieplak, senior manager air traffic management international. “There are 25 big airports, and 400 airports in total. The ATM systems in India work well and are up to international norms, but eventually they will adopt next generation standards.”
India’s ATM system relies on radars based at the country’s airports. While radar is effective at tracking aircraft, it is expensive, and eventually needs to be replaced, says Cieplak. ITT’s alternative to this relies on radio stations and satellites to track aircraft, allowing for better accuracy and more frequent updates.
10/02/11 Greg Waldron/Flight Global
Ratan Tata to fly F/A-18 Super Hornet at Aero India
Published February 10, 2011 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: Super Hornet, Tata, US
Bangalore: Tata Group chairman, Ratan Tata, who is a keen aviation enthusiast, is not a man to miss Aero India and will fly in Boeing’s fighter jet F/A-18 Super Hornet on Thursday at the biennial event.
Asia’s biggest air show, Aero India 2011, started on February 9 and will continue till February 13 at Air Force Station, Yelahanka.
The F/A-18 Super Hornet is in the race for supplying 126 Medium-Multirole Combat Aircraft (M-MRCA) to the Indian Air Force under a 10.8 billion dollars deal expected to be signed in the next financial year.
Tata was among the guests during the inauguration ceremony of Aero India 2011. He was quite impressed by India’s own light combat aircraft’s fly-past and manouveres.
Previously, Ratan Tata has flown the fighter plane at the Aero India Air Show in 2009.
10/02/11 ANI/Economic Times
APAC a huge market, says Gulfstream
Published February 10, 2011 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: Business Jets, Gulfstream, US
Chennai/ Bangalore: Luxury business jet manufacturers Gulfstream, today said the demand for business jets in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region is witnessing a huge growth. The company also believes that the economic growth of BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) countries in the global business arena will act as a catalyst for its revenue growth.
“We are seeing a huge demand for business jets in APAC region and our share in this region has also grown,†said Roger Sperry, senior vice-president, international sales, Gulfstream.
According to the US-based company, the share of APAC region to its sales at the end of the year 2009 was around 12 per cent while it was around 7 per cent in 2007.
The number of Gulfstream aircraft in India region also grew significantly from five in 2001 to 20 in 2010. The company has sold around 139 aircraft in the APAC region till the end of 2010.
“During the financial crisis there was a drop in our sales and revenue. We are witnessing a recovery and the demand has gone up especially in the large-cabin aircraft segment,†Sperry said.
Gulfstream has seen a surge in orders in the previous year and has bagged 200 orders for the new $64.5 million worth G650 aeroplane. Gulfstream also expects to produce 90 large-cabin jets and 15-20 mid-cabin jets in the current year.
10/02/11 Business Standard
Bell Helicopter delivers first 429 into India
Published February 10, 2011 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: Bell, Bell 429, Span Air, US
Bell Helicopter has announced the first delivery of a Bell 429 helicopter to a customer in India. The announcement took place at the biennial Aero India air show where the company has the aircraft on display.
The customer, Span Air, is headquartered in New Delhi and is one of the region’s most prominent air charter operators, offering a mix of jets and Bell helicopters.
The addition of the new Bell 429 to Span Air’s fleet will allow the operator to offer customers superior speed and range, the ability to land in remote areas, along with an expansive and impeccably-appointed cabin.
“In every way, the acquisition of the Bell 429 for operations in India makes excellent business sense,†said Capt. Sudhir Malik, COO, Span Air. “The aircraft’s performance capabilities make it ideal for the challenging operating environment presented by India’s weather and geography.
The 429 is also equipped with all the latest safety features and offers the legendary reliability of Bell helicopters, something we have already experienced with our other Bell aircraft.â€
The Bell 429, the world’s newest and most advanced light twin-engine helicopter, has been designed, built and certified to the most stringent airworthiness standards.
09/02/11 Shephard
Boeing to showcase its advanced Super Hornet fighter at Aero India
Published February 9, 2011 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: Boeing, Defence, Super Hornet, US
Bangalore: US Defence major Boeing will unveil an advanced version of its F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter aircraft here at the biennial Aero India show starting Thursday.
“We are going to display a mock up of the Super Hornet international roadmap aircraft at the air show,” Boeing Defence, Space and Security India head Vivek Lall said here.
The International Super Hornet Roadmap features futuristic enhancements made in the aircraft for international customers and would also allow them to specify their requirements to be equipped in their fighters.
The Super Hornet is in the race for supplying 126 Medium-Multirole Combat Aircraft (M-MRCA) to the Indian Air Force under a USD 11 billion deal expected to be signed by the end of this year.
The unveiling of the International Super Hornet Roadmap aircraft at the Aero India also signifies the importance attached to India by Boeing, Lall said.
The company has been developing the advanced aircraft for the last two years and has plans to provide a next-generation cockpit, a more powerful engine, missile laser warning systems, conformal fuel tanks and enclosed weapons pods.
09/02/11 PTI/Times of India
Air India to get Boeing 787 by fourth quarter of 2011
Published February 9, 2011 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: Air India, B787, Defence, US
Aircraft major Boeing today announced Air India would receive the delivery of its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the firm’s most fuel efficient carrier, in the fourth quarter of 2011.
The Air India delivery would follow the first delivery to Japanese airline Air Nippon Airways, slated for the third quarter of this year, Boeing India President Dinesh Keskar said here. The project to deliver the commercial jets is almost three years behind schedule.
The company would deliver a total of 27 Boeing 787s, a midsized aircraft, to Air India and 10 to Jet Airways.
However, he refused to specify the time frame for the remaining deliveries.
He said Jet Airways will have to wait for the delivery as the airline had placed its orders much after Air India.
“The 787 is a game changer and will give our customers an advantage,†he said on the sidelines of the Aero India 2011.
09/02/11 PTI/The Hindu
Boeing to Deliver Dreamliner to Air India by December
Published February 9, 2011 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: B787, Boeing, US
Bangalore: Boeing Co. said Wednesday it will deliver the first of the 27 Dreamliner aircraft ordered by national carrier Air India in the October-December quarter, a delay of nearly two years from the original schedule of late 2009.
Air India ordered the Dreamliners as part of a $15 billion 111-aircraft order to Boeing and its rival Airbus in 2005. According to the initial delivery schedule, Air India should have received 20 Dreamliners by now and is estimated to have lost 60 billion rupees ($1.32 billion) in revenue due to the delays, an executive at the airline said recently.
Dinesh Keskar, Boeing India’s president, declined to comment on the compensation the U.S. company may have to pay to Air India due to the delay in deliveries.
Boeing had on Jan. 18 said it now plans to deliver its first Dreamliner sometime in the third quarter of this year to Japan’s All Nippon Airways Co. The Dreamliner program is already three years behind schedule, after being pushed back several times due to various technical issues.
09/02/11 Santanu Choudhury/Wall Street Journal
US firms to explore tie-ups with DRDO, HAL
Published February 9, 2011 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: Defence, HAL, US
Bangalore: A US business delegation, including firms keen on the defence, space and communication sectors, is here to explore opportunities for tie-ups with institutions like DRDO and ISRO during the AeroIndia international air show beginning Wednesday.
Led by US commerce secretary Gary Locke, the delegation’s efforts come after the US recently removed India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) from the entity list that bans hi-tech exports.
In a clear shift in the economic ties between the two countries after US President Barack Obama’s visit to India last November, 24 companies are in Bangalore to hold discussions with DRDO’s laboratories and defence production unit Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) on trade possibilities in defence, space and communication technologies.
Locke, who arrived here on Tuesday, told reporters that the American business delegation was here “to explore opportunities” with DRDO and HAL.
“The removal of these laboratories and institutions from the entity list, we believe, is a huge symbol of enhanced cooperation between the two countries,” he said while replying to a question in this regard.
09/02/11 IANS/Times of India
Pratt & Whitney to step up component sourcing and form 5 manufacturing JVs
Published February 9, 2011 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: Engine, Pratt & Whitney, US
Bangalore: Aircraft engine maker, Pratt & Whitney, a United Technologies Corp company, plans to step up sourcing of components from India. The company is currently working with 16 Indian engine parts suppliers.
Pratt & Whitney is also holding discussions with five Indian companies to form joint ventures for manufacturing engine parts in India. One of these joint ventures could be announced sometime next week, said Vivek Saxena, country manager, Pratt & Whitney.
The company plans to double the headcount at it’s sourcing office in Bangalore to about 80 people in three years. It’s local sourcing of components and engineering services will increase 10-fold by 2014, to around $150-200 million a year from the current $15 million.
Pratt & Whitney is also exploring partnership opportunities with L&T, the Tata Group and other companies. The company is working with it’s suppliers in India to bring them up to the required quality standards.
Boeing Company and the Indian Air Force reached preliminary agreement on the purchase of 10 C-17 Globemaster III military transport aircraft, and are now in the process of finalizing the details of the sale. The preliminary agreement represents the purchase of approximately 45 engines for Pratt & Whitney.
09/02/11 Anand, James/Machinist
Aero India is jewel in Asian crown: US
Published February 9, 2011 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: US
Bangalore: The United States (US) will be the largest participant at the Aero Show 2011, with more than 200 official and business delegates.
A high-level delegation led by secretary of commerce Gary Locke and US ambassador to India Timothy J Roemer, will be attending the air show where that country is exhibiting a broad cross-section of military aircraft and equipment through static displays and aerial demonstrations.
“The Aero India is one of the jewels of Asia. The US government’s high-level participation at the Aero India this year is an indication of the growing defence relationship between US and India and a sign of India’s growing prominence on the world stage. Aero India is the most recent manifestation of the increasing significant partnership that includes joint military exercise, regional security initiatives and a flourishing military sales relationship,†Roemer said.
The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft, Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules transport aircraft, Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refuelling aircraft, Lockheed Martin F-16 Super Viper and Boeing F/1 Super Hornet are among the aircraft which will be participating in the five-day air show starting on Wednesday.
09/02/11 Hemanth CS/Daily News & Analysis
Hawker Beechcraft to Display Jets, King Air 350i at Aero India 2011
Published February 9, 2011 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: Hawker Beechcraft, US
Wichita: Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC) will feature its flagship business jet, the Hawker 4000, along with a Hawker 900XP and a King Air 350i at Aero India 2011 from Feb. 9-13 at Air Force Station Yelahanka (VOYK) in Bengaluru, India. HBC, along with its regional distributor InterGlobe General Aviation, will participate in the biennial event organized by the Government of India’s Defence Exhibition Organisation in association with the Confederation of Indian Industry.
“Hawker Beechcraft has a long history of selling products into India,†said Dan Keady, HBC vice president, South Asia. “The King Air has been and remains a very good fit for this market. Its great reliability, durability and versatility make it especially well-suited for operations in both the highly developed urban locations of the country and in areas with undeveloped air strips. India’s increasingly important role as a global center for high-tech enterprises also makes it a logical and expanding market for Hawker Beechcraft family of business jets.â€
In 2010, HBC certified the Hawker 4000, King Air 350i and C90GTx in India. Due to the expected growth in the region and to better serve its customers, HBC recently appointed Todd Hattaway as Regional Sales Director. He is co-located with HBC’s Field Service Representative Hugh Waud in New Delhi. Further, HBC will open a bonded warehouse in the country and place an additional Field Service Representative in the region in order to meet customer needs.
07/02/11 AMT Online
