INDIAN ARMED FORCES CHIEFS ON OUR RELENTLESS AND FOCUSED PUBLISHING EFFORTS

SP's Exclusive

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  April 17, 2015
  Airbus-Tata Deal Likely To Be Approved By DAC

  The sole Airbus-Tata bid to replace 56 of the Indian Air Force's HS748 Avro medium transports with Indian-built C295 twin turboprop aircraft is likely to be pushed through by the Defence Ministry shortly...

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  April 17, 2015
  Last Chance For More IAF C-17s

  With Australian Air Force ordering two more C-17s, the number of white-tail platforms (fully built but unsold) drops to five, giving the Indian government one final opportunity to augment its 10-strong fleet of the heavy transport jet.

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  April 17, 2015
  Boeing Extends Validity On Chinook, Apache Bids

  Boeing Defense has extended the validity of its commercial bids on expected deals for 22 AH-64E Apache and 15 CH-47F Chinook helicopters till June 30, the latest in a long string of extensions requested by the government as it attempts to conclude a deal.

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  April 17, 2015
  Parrikar Opens Door To Mini-MRCA

  After the recent turbulence over the MMRCA, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has signalled the possibility of a separate single engine fighter jet platform replacing India's MiG-21s in the event that the LCA Tejas is not up to the task.

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  April 17, 2015
  HJT-16 Life Extension On Cards

  Faced with turbulence in its training regimen, the Indian Air Force may go in for a life extension on its remaining HJT-16 Kiran Stage-II trainer aircraft. With HAL's HJT-36 Sitara intermediate jet trainer failing to surmount design problems, a twin approach has been adopted.

• April 17, 2015
  Army For New Low Level Radars

  The Army is scouting an unspecified number of new Low Level Light Weight Radars Mark-ll for deployment in non-mountainous sectors like desert and plains. The radar needs to be easily transportable and capable of detecting even small, low-RCS entities like UAVs.

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  April 6, 2015
  LCA Tejas

  The LCA Tejas has completed hot and high & winter trials, including cold soak starting tests of its engine and ensuing flight performance. The success of the January 2015 tests allows the flight team to heave a sigh of relief given that there had been trepidation about full load...

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  April 6, 2015
  Third RSH

  After two failed attempts spanning a decade, the Indian military's critical need for new generation light multirole helicopters is finally off on its third big attempt.

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  April 6, 2015
  India, France to get cracking on SR-SAM

  India and France are expected to announce forward movement in the long-delayed SR-SAM 'Maitri' joint weapon programme this month when PM Narendra Modi is in France on his first official visit to the country as Prime Minister.

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  April 6, 2015
  Saab mulls Indian production of IDAS

  Saab, which recently bagged a $78 million follow-on contract from Hindustan Aeronautic Limited (HAL) for serial production of an integrated electronic warfare self-protection system for installation on the Indian Army’s and Air Force’s Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv...

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  April 6, 2015
  Progress-on-LCA-Mk.2-cockpit-config

  The look and feel of the all-glass cockpit that the LCA Tejas Mk.2 will sport is fructifying with the Aeronautical Development Agency announcing that the main display will involve two 6x8 Smart MFDs and one 5x5 smart MFD in centre console...

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  March 9, 2015
  French Rafale on US Navy Super-carrier for Anti-ISIS Ops

  As the M-MRCA negotiations near finality, the French government has one final chance to show off the Rafale's operational capabilities. French Navy Rafale fighters from Squadron 11F of the Marine Nationale have been deployed aboard US Navy super-carrier...

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  March 9, 2015
  First joint parachute drop by US Army, Indian Army Parachute Regiment & NSG

  On February, right in the middle of Aero India 2015, the U.S. Army teamed up with the Indian Army's 2nd Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) for a parachute demonstration from a C-17 Globemaster III.

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  March 7, 2015
  Single-bid Situation for Indian AWACS Project

  While the Defence Ministry mulls over the next step in the crucial Indian Air Force HS748 Avro replacement programme, the DRDO has been presented with a somewhat similar situation on its Airborne Warning & Control System (AWACS) project.

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  March 7, 2015
  HAL Light Utility Helicopter first flight in August

  HAL's Light Utility Helicopter is all set to undertake its first flight from the HAL Airport in Bengaluru in August this year. A mock-up displayed at last month's Aero India show in Bengaluru has attracted interest from several countries...

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  March 7, 2015
  HAL Unveils Engine For Trainers, Biz Jets

  HAL's ambitions of entering the aircraft engine space in a meaningful manner have become clear now. While the development of high performance combat aircraft engines are being left to the DRDO's GTRE and its international partners...

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  March 7, 2015
  MBDA Pitches Co-Development of 5th Gen ATGM

  European missile firm MBDA has pitched the Missile Moyenne Portée (Medium Range Missile) fifth generation anti-tank missile system for co-development and co-production in India.

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  March 7, 2015
  HAL makes big civilian push for Dhruv

  HAL will be ramping up efforts to boost sales of the ALH Dhruv helicopter in the civilian market in India and regionally. Sources say HAL's new chairman T. Suvarnaraju has highlighted sales of the civilian configured Dhruv as a priority area...

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  March 7, 2015
  HAL Unveils Mini-UAV

  HAL unveiled its own build of the Elbit Systems Skylark mini-UAS, announcing that it was close to entering negotiations shortly with the Indian Army and CRPF for supply of the hand-launched drone for over-the-hill surveillance and intelligence gathering.

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  March 7, 2015
  Impressed IAF in talks for more Akash Squadrons

  Highly impressed with the indigenous missile system. the Indian Air Force is in discussions to acquire more squadrons of the Akash SAM system. It is not clear at what stage discussions are or what the number of additional squadrons under discussion are...

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  March 7, 2015
  Dassault-HAL Parleys on to beat deadlock

  With PM Narendra Modi all set to visit France for the first time as prime minister next month, Dassault and HAL have begun negotiations to hammer out a liability sharing arrangement that could break the final hurdle to a contract for 126 Rafale fighters for the Indian Air Force...

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  March 7, 2015
  Russia to partner in AMCA Technologies

  India has approached Russia to partner it on certain critical technologies for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). Top sources tell SP's that the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) has asked Russia for assistance in developing thrust vectoring...

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  March 7, 2015
  HAL turns up heat on HTT-40 Programme

  Dealt a new lease of life after months of friction with the Indian Air Force, HAL's HTT-40 programme has got the necessary boost it needs to move quicker. A first flight of the basic trainer aircraft (BTA) is scheduled for June this year.

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  February 20, 2015
  2015: The Year of ‘Made in India’

  While the lead time in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ campaign is likely to be substantial, the year 2015 is turning out to be potentially golden for what’s already ‘made in India’.

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  February 19, 2015
  India’s Tejas Era Begins

  On display here at Aero India 2015, you couldn’t have missed the static display of the LCA Tejas, India’s light fighter. Unlike the LCA that enthralled Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the inaugural flying...

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  February 19, 2015
  Indo-Brazilian AEW&C to Enter IAF Service

  The quietness of this aircraft belies the enormous interest it has evoked in the regional market already. It’s return to Aero India this year is, therefore, no big surprise.