INDIAN ARMED FORCES CHIEFS ON OUR RELENTLESS AND FOCUSED PUBLISHING EFFORTS

SP's Exclusive

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  February 24, 2014
  IIT Bombay's 'Chaturpaksha' makes waves

  A mini quad-rotor drone developed and built by a team of students at IIT Bombay is making waves, standing out in a national competition held by the Ministry of Science & Technology. The MICAV 14 competition has the team emerge runners up with their 'Chaturpaksha' drone, which previously bagged third place in the international IMAV...

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  February 24, 2014
  Team Tejas for Mobile Telemetry System

  Racing towards final operational clearance (FOC) by the end of this year for the LCA Tejas Mk.1, the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) is looking for a fully integrated mobile telemetry system (MTS), comprising the entire system...

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  February 10, 2014
  India chooses Litening G4 for combat aircraft fleet

  Israel's Rafael Advanced Systems entered DefExpo 2014 on a high, after reportedly bagging a massive contract for over 150 LITENING targeting pods for the Indian Air Force's combat aircraft fleet. A spokesperson for Rafael wouldn't confirm details but indicated to SP's that the LITENING pod had been chosen by the Indian Air Force...

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  February 10, 2014
  Navy MRH programme in 27 month limbo, and counting

  NH Industries and Sikorsky have extended the validity of their commercial bids in the Indian Navy's multirole helicopter (MRH) competition till March 2014 at the request of the MoD. The Sikorsky S-70B Sea Hawk faces off against the NH Industries NH90.

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  February 8, 2014
  Coast Guard Sea Hunter Aircraft Bid to Kick Off

  Apart from the Indian Navy’s medium range maritime reconnaissance (MRMR) competition, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is officially looking for nine multi-mission maritime aircraft (six initially, with options for three more).

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  February 8, 2014
  Indo-Israeli LR-SAM Naval Test This Year

  Delayed by over four years, but this one is truly better late than never. In what will be a significant boost to the Indian Navy’s quest for a credible air defence system deployable on its frontline vessels and aircraft carriers...

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  January 20, 2014
  IAF to sign missile deal with MBDA shortly

  The Indian Air Force is expected to shortly close a deal with European missile company MBDA for 384 ASRAAM imaging infrared homing air-to-air missile as the new close combat missile for the Jaguar, replacing the now obsolete Matra Magic R550.

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  January 20, 2014
  Chinook & Apache final, but signatures likely in FY14

  Boeing Defense is closely monitoring two major deals with the Indian Air Force that have reached finality in negotiations, though contract signature could slip into the next financial year, possibly under a new government post the national elections.

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  January 20, 2014
  IAF proposes to build Pilatus trainers by itself

  In a dramatic new episode to the 'trainer wars' as they should probably be known now given the weekly intrigue surrounding the IAF-HAL battle over basic trainer aircraft, the Indian Air Force has pitched a proposal to the MoD offering that is ready to license-build Pilatus PC-7 Mk.II propeller trainers at the No.5 Base Repair Depot...

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  January 20, 2014
  World's largest chopper competition delayed

  It has been confirmed that delays have once again cast uncertainty over the Indian Navy's request for propsal (RFP) for the highly anticipated naval multi-role helicopter (NMRH) requirement, envisaging 120 multi-role helicopters for the Navy to be procured through the 'Buy & Make' route of the defence procurement procedure.

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  January 20, 2014
  Flight trials for Indian Coast Guard CSAR chopper set to begin

  Airbus Helicopters is gearing up for flight trials of the EC725 Caracal to meet the Indian Coast Guard's requirement of 14 shore-based combat search and rescue and multirole helicopters.

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  January 20, 2014
  India set to become largest operator of Heron UAS

  With the Indian Cabinet Committee on Security clearing a deal for 15 additional IAI-Malat HERON-I medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial systems (UAS), the MoD is likely to sign a contract with Israel next month, making India the largest operator of the type.

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  January 20, 2014
  Airbus MRTT contract signature afoot

  A long-fought contract award could be in sight for EADS, now in its spanking new avatar Airbus Group, with the Indian Government likely to sign on the dotted like, finally, for six A330 multi-role tanker transports (MRTT) for the Indian Air Force.

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  January 13, 2014
  Five years grounded, Saras revs up to fly again

  The Indian Air Force's premier testing facility, the Aircraft & Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE) has begun ground trials of the PT1N modified and souped-up first prototype.

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  January 13, 2014
  Glimmer of hope for 197 RSH competition

  Indicating possible positive movement in the interminably stalled reconnaissance and surveillance helicopter (RSH) acquisition programme, the two finalist vendors Eurocopter (now Airbus Helicopter) and Kamov have extended the validity of their commercial bids till June 2014.

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  January 8, 2014
  Indian civil aircraft project scouts engines

  The Indian national civil aircraft (NCAD) development programme, looking to field an Indian designed and built airliner by the end of this decade, is now officially scouting for engines for its twin-engine configuration.

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  December 30, 2013

  BREAKING NEWS

  Minister Parrikar 'Deals' A New Mantra

  The Indian Government has finally signed on the dotted line for six more Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules special mission transport aircraft.

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  December 21, 2013
  Tejas team on top gear for full capability clearance

  With the successful completion of initial operational clearance (IOC), that officially sees the LCA Tejas released for service with the IAF, Team Tejas Mk.1 is now gunning for another, far more important milestone line—final operational clearance...

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  December 21, 2013
  Astra carriage trials successfully in progress

  While the Tejas team gets set to test the Derby BVRAAM as part of the FOC regime, a team in Pune is ticking off performance points on the indigenous Astra indigenous BVRAAM.

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  December 21, 2013
  Finally, Cabinet approves deal for 6 more C-130Js

  More than two years after the Indian Air Force was offered six additional C-130J Super Hercules transports, the Cabinet Committee on Security has finally cleared the deal. A foreign military sales (FMS) contract is likely to be signed shortly with the US Government for the Lockheed Martin-built jet for the Indian Air Force.

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  December 21, 2013
  Army strike formation validates new assault concepts

  The Army's 36 Reorganised Army Plains Division (RAPID), part of the Bhopal-based 21 Strike Corps has successfully validated a slew of new warfighting concepts...

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  November 12, 2013
  AgustaWestland to meet MoD on November 20

  After seeking an opportunity to meet with the MoD and represent its case at a formal meeting for the last nine months, the company has finally been accorded the opportunity on November 20 at South Block.

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  November 12, 2013
  Tender out for Rustom-II's SATCOM Antenna

  With its first flight scheduled for February 2014, the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) has floated a global tender to acquire a SATCOM Airborne Antenna Assembly System (SAAAS) for the Rustom-II medium altitude longe endurance UAV.

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  November 11, 2013
  IAF's 2nd Vintage Legend to fly soon

  With its restored de Havilland Tiger Moth painting the skies yellow for over a year now as part of the ambitious Vintage Flight programme, the Indian Air Force is looking forward to seeing its restored North American T-6 Harvard trainer fly in Indian skies by the end of this year, marking the first phase of an effort that will ultimately see...

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  November 11, 2013
  Indo-French 'Maitri' missile program to take off

  Could there finally be some seriously good news for MBDA in the Indian market? It could go down as one of the longest, most protracted set of negotiations in the history of weapons partnerships, but after over five years in discussions and literally endless parleys over technology and workshare, missile friendship-Maitri-between...

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  November 11, 2013
  LCA back at Jamnagar for weapons trials

  After the Tejas LSP-7 successfully completed several weapons release test points at Jamnagar in July this year, three more limited series airframes (LSP-3, LSP-5 and LSP-8) are now in Jamnagar to bolster the gains made, and notch up more test points...

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  November 11, 2013
  LCA-Navy ready to fly again shortly

  The LCA Navy, which hasn't flown for over a year now, is likely to fly again soon by early next year, top sources tell SP's. After a first flight in April last year, followed by three more development flights, the NP1 naval prototype is said to be ready to take to the air again with significant modifications.

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  November 11, 2013
  IAF prepares for A330 MRTT operations

  The Indian Air Force anticipates a contract award to Airbus Military for the A330 MRTT before the end of the financial year, top sources tell SP's. The contract for six A330 MRTT flight refuelling aircraft, fitted with Israeli hose and drogue refuelling systems (as is standard on the Il-78Ms of the IAF) will come as big relief to the IAF...

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  November 11, 2013
  Russia to offer Skat UCAV tech to India?

  After BAE Systems, EADS, Saab and Dassault, the latest contractor now apparently ready to cooperate with India in UCAV technology is RAC-MiG. The company's discontinued Skat unmanned combat air system demonstrator.

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  November 7, 2013
  IAF to spend $150-billion till 2028

  Strapped into a phase of deep modernisation, underscored by the medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) deal and several other high-value acquisitions, the Indian Air Force is all set to procure equipment and platforms worth $150 billion over the next 15 years, making it one of the world's leading buyers of military hardware.

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  November 7, 2013
  Agni missile family's month out

  The Agni family of strategic ballistic missiles, barring the under trial Agni-V, will be tested in a rapid series of launches starting this month. The in-service Agni-I, Agni-II and Agni-III will be tested as part of an exercise by the Strategic Forces Command, while the Agni-IV, yet to join service, will undergo a development test...

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  November 6, 2013
  Russia open to arming Indian Rafale

  While the Indian Air Force (IAF) sets its highest hopes on the MMRCA contract being signed this financial year amidst receding chances, Russia, maker of one of the five defeated aircraft in the competition, has said it would be willing to integrate Russian weapons on the Rafale if India so desires.

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  November 6, 2013
  Antony to convey FGFA concerns this month

  Concerns over disparities between India's investment in the fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) and its substantive workshare in the programme will be raised by Defence Minister A.K. Antony when he visits Moscow later this month en route...

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  November 6, 2013
  Sikorsky looks to supply S-92 VVIP copter

  Sikorsky, whose S-92 Superhawk lost the Indian Air Force contract for 12 VVIP helicopters to rival AgustaWestland, has revived its pitch to supply its platform to the Indian Air Force, amidst uncertainty over the AW101 supply contract.