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SP's Aviation - ISSUE No 6-2025

Issue Features

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  FIRSTLY | OPERATIONS
  USAF B-2 Bomber
  

  Under orders from US President Donald J. Trump, dubbed “Operation Midnight Hammer,” seven B-2 Spirit stealth bombers dropped GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) “bunker buster” bombs on nuclear sites in Iran.

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  CIVIL | AIR SAFETY
  A Defining Moment for Aviation Safety in India
  By Swaati Ketkar

  Why the Ahmedabad Air India 787 crash must be a turning point for aviation safety in India

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  CIVIL | AIR SAFETY
  Regulator Gets Tough on Safety Lapses
  By Swaati Ketkar

  DGCA’s crackdown on Air India exposes systemic safety gaps in crew management

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  CIVIL | AIR SAFETY
  Are Safety Norms being Compromised?
  By Swaati Ketkar

  Is India’s Helicopter boom at the cost of lives? Time for a reckoning on SOPs, safety, and accountability

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  BUSINESS AVIATION | BUSINESS JETS
  Where Luxury Meets Strategy at 50,000 Feet
  By Rohit Goel

  Once seen as indulgences of the ultra-wealthy and celebrities, Ultra-Long-Haul Business Jets have become essential tools for CEOs, government delegations, entrepreneurs, and even small enterprises operating across hemispheres

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  BUSINESS AVIATION | FINANCE
  The Financial Flight Plan
  By SP’s Special Correspondent

  A Comprehensive Guide to Business Aircraft Leasing and Financing

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  PHOTO FEATURE | EBACE 2025
  A Reimagined and Evolved Show for European Business Aviation
  By SP’s Special Correspondent

  A bold new era emerges as European Business Aviation seizes new growth opportunities whilst adapting to evolving regulatory environments and geopolitical complexity

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  MILITARY | POLICY
  MoD Initiates Comprehensive Review of DAP 2020, Pushes for Defence Reforms
  By Manish Kumar Jha

  This strategic initiative signals a pivotal moment in India’s defence policy evolution, reinforcing the government’s resolve to fortify national security through systemic reform and innovation

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  A Word from Editor-in-Chief
  By Jayant Baranwal, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

  Passenger safety must be the topmost priority for aircraft manufacturers and a strict, uncompromising standard for all aviation operators. Recent accidents involving both fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft in India highlight the urgent need to strengthen safety protocols, enforce stricter compliance, and cultivate a safety-first mindset across the entire aviation ecosystem without delay.

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  HALL OF FAME
  Max Immelmann (1890 - 1916)
  By Joseph Noronha

  Max Immelmann and Oswald Boelcke engaged in a fluctuating contest to be Germany’s leading ace. On January 12, 1916, both pilots received the “Blue Max” award from Kaiser Wilhelm II.

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  NEWS DIGEST: MILITARY
  Defence Minister Holds Bilateral Meeting with Australian Defence Minister
  

  Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a bilateral meeting with Australian Deputy Prime Minister & Minister for Defence Richard Marles in New Delhi on June 4, 2025.

• NEWS DIGEST: MILITARY
  DRDO Conducts Maiden Flight-Trials of Stratospheric Airship Platform
  

  Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully carried out maiden flight-trials of Stratospheric Airship Platform on May 3, 2025.

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  NEWS DIGEST: MILITARY
  First Centre Fuselage for LCA Tejas Mk 1A Handed Over to HAL
  

  In a significant boost to India’s indigenous defence manufacturing capabilities, the first centre fuselage assembly for the LCA Tejas Mk1A was handed over to HAL by VEM Technologies in Hyderabad on May 30, 2025.

• NEWS DIGEST: MILITARY
  Dassault Aviation Partners with Tata Advanced Systems
  

  Dassault Aviation and Tata Advanced Systems Limited have signed four Production Transfer Agreements to manufacture the Rafale fighter aircraft fuselage in India, marking a significant step forward in strengthening...

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  NEWS DIGEST: MILITARY
  Embraer Deepens Commitment to India with New Subsidiary
  

  Embraer announced a significant reinforcement of its commitment to India with the establishment of a fully owned Indian subsidiary in New Delhi.

• NEWS DIGEST: MILITARY
  Defence Minister Approves AMCA Programme Through Industry Partnership
  

  In a significant push towards enhancing India’s indigenous defence capabilities and fostering a robust domestic aerospace industrial ecosystem, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the AMCA Programme Execution...

• NEWS DIGEST: CIVIL
  Authorized Pilatus Centre Pro Star Opens New Facility
  

  Pro Star Aviation recently opened its new Authorized Pilatus Sales & Service Centre at Gerald R. Ford International Airport (KGRR) in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA.

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  NEWS DIGEST
  Appointments
  

  Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari takes over as VCAS, Indian Air Force; Air Marshal Tejinder Singh takes over as AOC-in-C, Training Command; Air Marshal Jasvir Singh Mann takes over as Senior Air Staff Officer, WAC, Indian Air Force; Boeing names Head of Digital Technology and Chief Information Officer for India.