The dawn of the New Year witnessed change of guard in the IAF with Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, a professional of high repute, taking over baton as Chief of the Air Staff. the first issue of SP’s Aviation looks at some of the major future programmes which create intense excitement within aviation enthusiasts.

At the outset, we at SP Guide Publications wish our readers a very Happy and Prosperous New Year! For us, 2014 is momentous as we move into the Golden Jubilee Year! As we pay tribute to our founder Shri Sukhdeo Prasad Baranwal, we reiterate our commitment to constantly endeavour to enhance the product offering. SP’s Aviation is one of our oldest and niche magazines on matters related to military and civil aviation. In the Golden Jubilee Year we renew our resolve to continue to address the security concerns of the nation.

The year 2013 ended with two important developments in military aviation especially for the Indian Air Force (IAF). The first was finalisation of an order for additional six C-130J Super Hercules aircraft for the IAF that will enhance special operations capability. The second and the most heart-warming event of the year was the grant of initial operational clearance for the indigenous LCA Tejas Mk 1. In a ceremony on December 20, 2013 at Bengaluru, the Tejas was formally cleared for induction into the IAF. The event was of special significance for the Indian aerospace industry as India can now boast of possessing the capability to produce a combat aircraft with the technical and industrial resources available within the country. A report on the event appears in this issue in the regular columns “In Focus”. Also, an analysis on how best the IAF can benefit from this notable achievement of the Indian aerospace industry is also included in “Forum”.

The dawn of the New Year also witnessed change of guard in the IAF with Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha taking over as the Chief of the Air Staff. In a first and exclusive interview with SP’s Aviation, the CAS summarised the major challenge before the IAF being “to remain a contemporary aerospace power which possesses credible response options.” We wish the CAS a successful tenure in his new assignment.

In the domain of civil aviation, the industry added a new feather in its cap with the inauguration of the swankiest Terminal 2 at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai. This state-of-the-art facility has surpassed the global standards. All this and more in this first issue of SP’s Aviation in the Golden Jubilee Year.

We wish our valuable readers a Happy New Year!