Aero India 2011 News

Bangalore: Modernising its fleet of helicopters, the Indian Air Force on Thursday said it was looking to acquire more than 230 choppers in the near future.
Air Chief Marshal P V Naik told reporters at Aero India 2011, that the force is in the process of acquiring helicopters of different types and sizes in the next couple of years. “We are acquiring 12 AW 101 VVIP helicopters, trials for 22 attack choppers are completed, 80 MI-17 IV helicopters are being inducted and 50 odd would be added, trials for 12 heavy-lift choppers are also in the final stage and will be completed soon,” he said.
Naik said the field evaluation trials (FETs) for procuring 197 helicopters for the Army and Navy were also over and the report was expected to be submitted in the next couple of weeks. Of the 197, IAF would receive over 55 helicopters. For the attack helicopters, Russian MI-28 and American Apache 64 D Longbow are facing each other. The IAF chief said the trials were over and a report was expected in the next two weeks. Under the LUH programme, the Army has conducted trials of the Russian KA-226 and Eurocopter Fennec, and would send its report to the IAF soon.
11/02/11 Times of India

Bangalore: The eighth version of Aero India 2011, kicked off on Wednesday at the Yelahanka Air Force station in Bangalore in a spectacular show with F/A 18 Superhornet, Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, F 16 and the Gripen — five of the six contenders for India’s US$10-billion Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) deal — putting up a grand display of aerial superpower. Mig 35, the sixth contender, was not seen performing.
This edition of Aero India is important in the backdrop of the 126 MMRCA deal and the top six contenders vying for the deal are flexing their muscles going out of the way to ensure that their product is noticed and marketed well to the Indian decision makers.
“This is the biggest show for us this year — even bigger than Paris or Central Europe shows. It is not always that we bring five of our aircraft at a show,” said Joanna Sjolander, in-country director, Saab Gripen, who have for this edition of the show brought three Gripen aircraft along with two commercial planes that include Saab 2000 and 340.
The case is no different with Eurofighter Typhoon who have a delegation of 10 that includes UK defence equipment minister and high commissioner amongst other officials.
10/02/11 Pranav Kulkarni/Indian Express

Bangalore:  Even by big catch standards, this is a bit of a Godzilla. The Indian Air Force is looking for 126 fighter jets – a deal that could be worth 11.5 billion dollars. For the next four days, aviation companies from around the world will try their best to hit that jackpot.
But that isn’t the only deal worth lusting after at Aero India 2011, which began today at the Yelahanka Air Force Station in Bangalore.
The Indian Air Force is also looking to strike a deal to replace its aging Cheetah helicopters with up to 197 new choppers.
There’s pending business too. The Air Force is acquiring 22 advance attack helicopters, replacing its transport fleet, co-producing a stealth fighter with Russia and producing an indigenous medium combat aircraft with stealth features.
Countries like the US will try to leverage their strategic relationship with India to corner deals, but the government has made it clear that all major defence purchases will depend on the merits of the aircraft under consideration and the costs.
It’s not just military aviation that has drawn 70,000 business visitors. All major civil aviation players see India as a boom story.
09/02/11 NDTV