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RNI NUMBER: DELENG/2008/24199

Environment
PAGE 28
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 Aviation
SP’s An SP Guide Publication

Table of Contents News Flies. We Gather Intelligence. Every Month. From India.

Issue 9 • 2010

38 OEM
Customised Solutions

Civil
24 Regional Aviation
Making the Right Move

32 Business Aviation
 Reducing Noise & Greenhouse
Gas Emissions

34 Business Aviation
 ‘With each new aircraft, we
work to decrease noise and
lower emissions’

36 Business Aviation
 Towards Carbon-neutral Growth

28
With advanced aerodynamics and efficient engines, Hawker
400XP, offers a blend of range, speed, load-carrying capabilities Business Aviation
along with fuel efficiency and low burn value 37 OEM
Selling Corporate Aircraft

First Cover Story Hall of fame

8 – Take to the air via iPad 39 Louise Thaden
– Aerobatics in the Air
Go green, keep
Regular Departments
the sky clean
Tecknow It is only a question of time 3 A Word from Editor
10 – On Combat Operations when some tangible steps
– Project Firefly
would be taken to conform to 6 NewsWithViews
internationally acceptable
standards on aviation – Electric Airliners
Military emissions – IAF-HAL Tussle
•
15 OEM 11 InFocus

Aviation
SP’s  FMS vs Open Tender
Mbda offers Stockpile
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to Users  Perspective
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 Defence
Acquisitions
Make it Easy

 Regional

16 Industry
Aviation
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40
Majors - IV
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NewsDigest
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 US Aerospace Majors
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Business Aviation &
44 LastWord
RNI NUMBER: DELENG/2008/24199

19 OEM ENVIRONMENT Bureaucratic Jumble

PAGE 24

I nnovative, Comprehensive Cover Image:

& Systematic Approach… Business aviation industry is affected by renewed Next Issue:
trepidation over environment issues.
20 Technology Cover Illustration: Anoop Kamath
Indian Air Force
Special
C4ISR the Buzzword

Issue 9 • 2010    SP’S AVIATION   1

 Table of Contents

PLUS... Publisher And Editor-in-Chief design & LAYOUT

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Sales Manager: Rajiv Ranjan
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Web Developer: Ugrashen Vishwakarma

16 US Aerospace
Senior Technical Group EditorS
Majors Air Marshal (Retd) B.K. Pandey © SP Guide Publications, 2010
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Inland: Rs 900 • Foreign: US$ 240
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India rajeev.chugh@spguidepublications.com
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20 C4ISR:
A Perspective
Group Captain (Retd) A.K. Sachdev
Group Captain (Retd) Joseph Noronha
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24 Making the
Right Move
Owned, published and printed by
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2    SP’S AVIATION    Issue 9 • 2010 www.spsaviation.net

A Word from Editor
There have been several
initiatives by the business
aviation community to contain
pollution.The specific targets
set for themselves—achieving
carbon-neutral growth by 2020
and improving fuel efficiency
by 2 per cent every year—are
highly commendable.

G
lobal warming, as we all are aware, is staring in foreign military sales (FMS) are safe routes. So in this issue,
our face. While there have been several initia- we have a healthy debate on FMS vs Open Tender.
tives by various industry sectors to contain the Continuing with military aviation, an article by Air
effects of pollution, more needs to be done, irre- Marshal (Retd) V.K. Bhatia on C4ISR highlights how the
spective of who is causing it. And the business Indian Air Force is in tune with such developments.
aviation community has shown this steward- From the OEM perspective, we have Raytheon giving
ship, though business jets are contributing less than 2 per insights into their key capabilities including homeland se-
cent of the total aviation emissions. The specific targets— curity solutions, while Wallop indicates the advantages of
achieving carbon-neutral growth by 2020 and improving combustible ordnance and countermeasure products.
fuel efficiency by 2 per cent every year until 2020—they We round off the issue with Last Word by Air Marshal
have set for themselves, are highly commendable. (Retd) B.K. Pandey, on the “bureaucratic jumble” on the
In this issue of SP’s Aviation, we are looking at the issue proposal for a second international airport for Mumbai at
of business aviation and environment and also the con- Navi Mumbai. It is over three years since the government
certed efforts made by the major OEMs and the industry gave approval for a Greenfield airport project and nothing
as a whole. From the response of these players, we can much has happened. We are only hearing about the tussle
surmise that substantial investments are being made in between the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Ministry of
R&D and this augurs well for not just the business jet in- Environment and Forests.
dustry but for everyone else. The cover story by A.K. Sa- While it is our endeavour to provide exhaustive cover-
chdev has touched upon the relevant issues on the same. age on issues that matter in both military and civil avia-
Moving away from business jets to regional aviation, tion, we as usual look forward to your feedback.
we find that India will have around 500 airports, if all
goes well. Certainly such infrastructural developments
will require a comprehensive regional airline policy as
the 2007 policy failed on several counts. We read reports
that many entrepreneurs are getting into aviation busi-
ness, including wanting to start regional airlines. Several
state governments have experienced mixed success in
roping in private players for many of the smaller airports.
If there has to be connect between the airports and the
airline operators, we need to get started on infrastruc-
tural works forthwith. The coverage by Joseph Noronha
deliberates on these issues.
On the military front, we have a case for rationalisation
of the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP). A report by
KPMG consultants and CII has revealed that only 15 per cent
of India’s defence equipment is state-of-the-art and at least
half of the defence equipment is obsolete. And we are talk- Jayant Baranwal
ing of “fire power”. If we need to equip our military with the Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
best, it is believed that direct government to government or

Issue 9 • 2010    SP’S AVIATION   3

 www.spsaviation.net
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GREEN
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CLEAN
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With a robust regime being put into place in North America and
Europe, it is only a question of time when the heat will be felt
by India and some tangible steps would have to be taken
to conform to internationally acceptable and enforceable
standards and norms on aviation emissions

B
arring a few feeble notes of By Group Captain (Retd) ones to medium size, light and very light ICAO proposal for aviation sectoral management of targets aviation aims to achieve these objectives through expected
disagreement, the general A.K. Sachdeva aircraft (say very light jets and turbo- and monitoring of GHG emissions in a post-Kyoto Agree- advances in three areas—technology, infrastructure, and
consensus is that reces- props). The total number of business air- ment. To this end, the business aviation community commit- operational improvements and alternative fuels. As far as
sion is over. Economies are craft being used all over the world could ted to the following specific targets: technology is concerned, the focus is on improved efficien-
showing signs of return to be upward by 55,000, according to one • Carbon-neutral growth by 2020. cy—aircraft must be as light as possible and use as little fuel
good health, jobs are be- estimate. Of these, roughly half that fig- • An improvement in fuel efficiency of an average of 2 as possible in order to transport a payload as far as possible.
coming easier to come by, and the term ure would be jets, the rest being made per cent per year until 2020. Business aircraft manufacturers have to lead the way in the
“green shoots” is being used more and up of turbo-jets, turbo-props and piston- • A reduction in its total CO2 emissions by 50 per cent use of innovative technologies that allow for more efficient
more frequently to indicate signs of eco- engine aircraft. However, the average an- by 2050 relative to 2005. operations. Manufacturers are firmly committed to continue
nomic recovery. An interesting development related to the nual utilisation of business aircraft is around 400-500 hours Business aircraft are usually flown on point-to-point on this path. The collective promise of the business aircraft
recovery is the shift from short-term threats (unemploy- in contrast to 3,000 hours for commercial aircraft. Conse- flights for specific purposes and endeavour to fly efficient, di- manufacturing industry is to build business aircraft by 2050
ment, rising costs, shortfalls) to more abstract, long-term quently, the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions produced by rect routes between airports (more often small or secondary which will be 45 per cent more fuel efficient than the ones
and uncertain threats such as global warming and related business aircraft as a percentage of total aviation emissions airports than metros). It could be argued that business avia- built in 2005. Simultaneously, there is a thrust towards im-
environment issues. The civil aviation industry, like any oth- of CO2 is estimated to be only 1 per cent to 2 per cent. Thus tion is more efficient from the environmental point of view proved collaboration with air traffic management (ATM)
er, is affected by both these phenomenon— post-recession it can be seen that although the business aviation aircraft than commercial aviation because the latter flies sched- providers to accelerate
signs of recovery and renewed trepidation over environ- numbers are large, their total contribution to the impact on uled routes, which once scheduled, have to be flown ir- implementation of air
ment issues. environment is proportionately small due to the small size respective of seat occupancy. In contrast, business avia- traffic infrastructure and
Business aviation, as that component of civil aviation of the aircraft and their low utilisation rates. Worldwide, due tion undertakes specific flights to convey a passenger or Regulation procedures modernisa-
that provides efficient, productive and secure business trav- to its peculiar posturing in the overall civil aviation indus- positions to pick him up. Modern navigation equipment, tion; the result would be,
el, need not be seen as a luxury for the affluent business try, business aviation represents a growth area with latest combined with the latest technologies in aircraft and en- will have to hopefully, considerably
man or executive, but instead as a business communication policies by regulatory authorities, better aircraft designs, in-
tool—an air transport option tailored to the specific needs creased shareholder scrutiny and a focussed perspective on
gine design and operational best practice provide for ever
improving fuel efficiency and reduced GHG emissions.
be tightened reduced CO2 emissions.
Along with development
of companies and individuals (in contrast to scheduled air- environmental awareness. Thus, the community, represented by regional/national up in respect and implementation of
line flights). Business aviation operations could be corporate In November 2009, a host of business aviation associa-
(non-commercial operations with professional aircrew op- tions from across the globe unveiled a plan to limit the busi-
business aviation associations, claims an excellent envi-
ronmental record but states that it is resolved to do more.
of aviation operational best practic-
es to reduce fuel usage, it
erating), private (non-commercial operation flown by owner ness aviation industry’s emissions footprint on a document Business aviation manufacturing and operating emissions is hoped that these pro-
of aircraft), fractional (non-commercial, shared ownership Business Aviation Statement on Climate Change. The docu- communities have jointly developed an aggressive pro- grammes will deliver 14
operations) or charter/air taxi type commercial, on-demand ment supported the ICAO Declaration on International Avia- gramme in support of ICAO targets and are committed per cent of the overall
operations. The type of aircraft in use vary from large cabin tion and Climate Change and espoused the acceptance of an to contributing to the overall aviation goals. Business Co2 reductions by 2050.

28 SP’S AVIATION Issue 9 • 2010 www.spsaviation.net Issue 9 • 2010 SP’S AVIATION 29

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ENVIRONMENT
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NewsWithViews

Electric Airliners
On July 30, in a seminar during the AirVenture 2010 air show at Oshkosh, the future of air travel was also brought to the fore. The focus on e-aviation
culminated in the World Symposium of Electric Aircraft and among the many interesting designs discussed was Boeing’s subsonic ultra green air-
craft research (SUGAR) Volt concept—a hybrid engine design to run on jet fuel as well as electricity, which it is claimed, could reduce the fuel burn
by more than 70 per cent. The concept could include hinges in the wing design so that they could be folded when on the ground. The airplane is
designed to fly at Mach 0.79, carrying up to 154 passengers over 3,500 nautical miles.

VIEWS

T
he spotlight of environmental concerns invariably achieve design objectives. The MIT team met NASA’s challeng-
encompass the world of aviation, an industry per- es by developing two designs—the 180-passenger D ‘double
ceived as a major contributor in aggravating the bubble’ series and the bigger 350-passenger H ‘hybrid wing
problems connected with carbon dioxide (CO2) and body’ by introducing major reconfigurations in airframe de-
nitrogen oxide (NOX) emissions – namely, global warming. sign. The engines though conventional have been shifted to the
While the jury is still out on the validity of that allegation, in rear of the fuselage which permits them to take slower moving
air transportation, perception has inexplicably scored over air from the plan’s wake, also known as boundary layer inges-
hard facts – not surprising given the sector’s high visibility tion (BLI), resulting in less fuel burn while producing the same
which fans such illusory and preconceived notions. How- amount of thrust, but the penalty is greater stress on engines.
ever, these misconceptions have also come as a boon in dis- Boeing in its SUGAR Volt concept has gone in for twin-
guise fuelling the entire aviation engine aircraft design with near
industry’s desire for continu- conventional fuselage design but
ously taking on the challenges of notable for its trussed, elongated
reducing greenhouse gases with wings and more radically differ-
the utmost sincerity it deserves. ent electric battery gas turbine
Boeing’s SUGAR Volt concept hybrid propulsion system—a sys-
is the outcome of one such at- tem designed to reduce fuel burn
tempt initiated by the National by a massive 70 per cent and
Aeronautics and Space Admin- total energy use by 55 per cent.
istration (NASA) to develop en- But how will this be achieved? It
vironmental and performance is quite evident that a pure tur-
concepts that will help guide the bojet engine cannot be used with
agency’s aeronautics research this hybrid system. Instead, what
over the next 25 years. Known Boeing appears to have chosen
as N+3 to denote three genera- is the latest advanced turbo-
tions beyond today’s commercial prop/propfan technology which
transport fleet, the research pro- is being used for not only some
gramme is aimed at identifying of the new military transporters
key technologies, such as ad- such as EADS A400M and Rus-
vanced airframe configurations sian/Ukrainian An-70, but also
and propulsion systems that will for repowering the older aircraft
enable greener airplanes to take such as the C-130 Hercules in
flight around 2035. their new model ‘J’ avatars and
NASA selected six US teams the re-engined carrier-borne US
that won contracts in 2008 to Navy’s Hawkeye E-2D airplanes.
undertake conceptual studies for The big difference in the Boeing’s
both subsonic and supersonic SUGAR Volt concept would be
air travel. Four teams—led by that it would use turbine engines
Boeing, GE Aviation, Northrop Grumman and MIT, respec- and electric motors connected to the fans to more efficiently
tively—studied concepts for subsonic commercial aviation. propel the electric airliner. This combination has the poten-
The objective was to develop the concepts and evaluate the tial to shorten take off distances and greatly reduce noise,
potential of quieter commercial airplanes that would burn one of the NASA requirements. After take-off, on flights up to
70 per cent less fuel and emit 75 per cent less NOX than 900 miles, the SUGAR Volt could cruise almost exclusively on
Photograph: Boeing

today’s commercial airplanes. It was apparent that NASA’s
aggressive criteria would require ‘radical’ change in the de-
sign of airframes and propulsion systems.
The two outstanding teams—one led by MIT and the oth-
er by Boeing—appeared to have followed different routes to
battery power. The vast reduction in fuel burn and ‘greening’
of the electrical power grid can greatly reduce emissions of
life cycle CO2 & NOX – all in all, a ‘clear winner’ concept to be
pursued further.  SP
—Air Marshal (Retd) V.K. Bhatia

6    SP’S AVIATION    Issue 9 • 2010 www.spsaviation.net

NewsWithViews

IAF-HAL tussle
Details of a disturbing spat between the IAF and HAL has appeared in a new public document. This possibly for the first time sheds light on the true
quality of the relationship that the two share. A new report by India’s national audit watchdog, the Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG) has thrown
fresh and damning light on how HAL dealt with a flight control phenomenon that has given its chopper division real nightmares over the last few
years—cyclic saturation. The phenomenon caused two crashes of the Dhruv in the last three years. The report reveals that it was this “limitation of
control saturation” that caused Chile to pull out of a near final contract in July 2007.

VIEWS

A
dvanced light helicopter Dhruv, the pride of the concessions, exhibited by the captive customers, namely
Indian aerospace major HAL and the nation, has the armed forces.
in the wake of the report by the Comptroller and On the issue of control saturation, HAL is of the view
Auditor General (CAG) of India available in the that this is not a “design deficiency” but is “a phenom-
public domain, hit the headlines once again. The report enon that can occur during extreme manoeuvres.” Al-
castigates HAL for inadequate response to the problem of though there are precautionary notes in the flight man-
design deficiency/limitation described as “control satura- ual, but neither there is adequate clarity on the nature of
tion” even after it was identified as the reason for a fatal the problem, nor due emphasis on the consequences of
accident in 2007. pilots inadvertently transgressing limits while perform-
The report alludes HAL of “safeguarding its business ing extreme manoeuvres. It is somewhat surprising
interests even at the cost of a that the Indian Air Force had
professional approach to ad- remained oblivious of the
dress a problem that has se- potential hazard when it has a
rious flight safety and opera- well developed capability of test
tional implications.” Is there flying prototypes. HAL claims
also severe indictment for a it is in the process of correcting
plethora of inadequacies af- the problem by incorporating
flicting the Dhruv programme a control saturation warning
as listed in the report? These ­system.
include technical issues such as Undoubtedly, on account of
inordinately high empty weight the CAG report, there is bound
impinging on payload capabil- to be a degree of consternation
ity, premature engine with- in the organisation. However, it
drawals and problems related is not unusual for programmes
to tail rotor blade. The report related to the development of
highlights the lack of progress new aircraft the world over to
in a number of areas such as be afflicted with problems. In
delay in the development of the the case of the ALH Dhruv, the
“armed” version, inability to gravity of the post-CAG report
obtain international safety cer- situation has been aggravated
tifications impeding the compa- by the media, which on the
ny’s efforts to penetrate the in- basis of unfounded rumours,
ternational market, inadequate appears to have perceived the
level of indigenisation even af- departure on long leave of the
ter a decade of the programme, head of the helicopter complex
and despite civil certification, at HAL as “sacking”, a direct
its failure to successfully ex- fallout of the catalogue of prob-
ecute orders received for the lems listed by the highest audit
civil version from the domestic market. agency of the government.
Among the other deficiencies, the report has observed Admittedly, the problems with the ALH Dhruv pro-
failure on the part of the company to complete the re- gramme are complex and cannot be attributed to a single
Photograph: Sp guide pubns

quired technical documentation, slippage in delivery
schedules and inordinately large number of modifica-
tions, reported to be 363, to the 74 machines delivered
to the armed forces as the design is yet to be frozen. The
report attributes the tardy pace in the progress of the
project that is lagging behind by three years to high de-
gree of tolerance in the delivery of machines laden with
individual. Complex problems require elaborate solu-
tions. Precipitate action such as removal of the head of
the department in a government controlled organisation
as perceived by the media, is no solution. It is therefore
neither warranted nor likely. The media may have just
jumped the gun as is often the case.  SP
Air Marshal (Retd) B.K. Pandey

Issue 9 • 2010    SP’S AVIATION   7

First

Take to the air via iPad

F
Tecnam ground school and flight lesson courseware through
interactive, mobile data platforms such as the Apple iPad

T
ecnam North America has maximise training effectiveness.
unveiled its new Tecnam According to company officials,
Flight Center (TFC) pro- immediate, online feedback is
gramme at AirVenture 2010. provided to instructors, enabling
Through Tecnam Flight Cen- them to monitor the progress of
tres, schools gain access to new students through the material
and integrated flight training and identify where course con-
and navigation technology, ease tent may need to be modified
of access to aircraft through pur- and delivered to the students
chase and leasing options and wirelessly. Flight schools can
incentives to move aircraft from also monitor the effectiveness of
the flight line into the hands of instructors and gain a better, re-
students, according to company al-time understanding of which
officials, who note that Tecnam teaching methods are the most
Flight Centres are now being set effective. When students are fin-
up across the country. ished with their ground school
Light sport aircraft and the course material for the day, the
sport pilot licence have successfully enabled older pilots to re- same iPad can then be taken to the TFC training aircraft,
main active in aviation. But longer term, general aviation will slotted into its centre panel and be used for navigational
depend on a younger, mobile, computer savvy generation of purposes, providing airport information, communications
Photograph: Hilton Software

students learning to fly. Keeping this in view, Tecnam is trying frequencies and position reporting on geo-referenced sec-
to address this with not just next-generation glass cockpits in tional charts.  SP
its training aircraft, but also by providing ground school and —SP’s Aviation News Desk
flight lesson courseware via interactive, mobile data platforms
such as the Apple iPad.
Tecnam Flight Centres, in collaboration with MS Aviation
E-mail your comments to:
and Hilton Software, LLC has developed proprietary soft-
letters@spsaviation.net
ware that students and instructors use simultaneously to

Aerobatics in the Air

Rockwell Collins and DARPA demonstrate UAV aerobatics on a
fixed trajectory

R
ockwell Collins has demonstrated the first unmanned
aerial vehicle (UAV) to fly aerobatics with position
tracking, as part of its ongoing damage tolerance re-
search contract with the Defense Advanced Research Proj-
ects Agency (DARPA).
The all-attitude control technology supplies UAVs with
damage tolerance and the ability to fight through evasive
manoeuvres and counter threats such as missiles. Dave
Vos, Senior Director of Rockwell Collins Control Technolo-
gies and Unmanned Aircraft Systems said, “This technol-
ogy will also enable UAVs to fly at low altitude in urban
environments and even in confined places such as inside
buildings and caves,” he added.
Vos further said that the technology is now set to be
ported to an operational UAV. He indicated that while oth-
ers have flown aerobatics of autonomous UAVs, the most
recent DARPA test was the first UAV to fly aerobatics with
position tracking with a fixed aerobatic trajectory in space.
This demonstration is part of the third phase of a dam-
age tolerance contract awarded to Rockwell Collins.  SP
—SP’s Aviation News Desk
For more information and video, visit:
www.spsaviation.net

8    SP’S AVIATION    Issue 9 • 2010 www.spsaviation.net

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Lockheed Martin’s F-16IN Super Viper is a unique new fighter sharing a heritage with the world’s only
fifth generation fighters. This ultimate fourth generation fighter has been tailored exclusively to meet
or exceed all of India’s Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) requirements. The F-16IN is the
right choice for the Indian Air Force (IAF) and is ready for integration into India’s infrastructure and
operations now. Evolutionary technologies make the F-16IN the most advanced fourth generation fighter
in the world today.
TecKnow
On Combat Operations
T
Insitu fields enhanced Nighttime Imagery on its NightEagle
I
nsitu, a wholly owned independent subsidiary of Boeing,
has announced that the NightEagle unmanned aircraft
system (UAS) is now fully integrated into combat opera-
tions. It has successfully completed fielding of an upgraded
mid-wave infrared (MWIR) imager payload.
Insitu responded to an urgent, mission-critical request to
field the advanced MWIR imager, which provides even great-
er nighttime vision for the warfighter. The new sensors were
rapidly fielded through an in-theater upgrade kit implement-
ed by Insitu deployed operations representatives who provide
global operations and maintenance of Insitu UAS 24 hours a
day, all days of the week throughout the year.
The upgradation was implemented into the customer’s
existing in-theatre NightEagle fleet and flew successfully
S
ikorsky Innovations has unveiled Project Firefly, an all-
electric helicopter technology demonstrator at the Exper-
imental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture exhibition.
The firefly technology demonstration aircraft at EAA
is part of the world symposium on electric aircraft. The
demonstrator is one of the main attractions in the Aviation
Photographs: Insitu & Sikorsky
Learning Centre along with other state-of-the-art commer-
The features of the Firefly include:
•  All-electric drive system
•  Safe and efficient high-density energy storage system
• Automated monitoring and alert technologies
•  Next generation cockpit displays
10    SP’S AVIATION    Issue 9 • 2010
within a few days before the required date. The new config-
uration consists of upgrades to ground support equipment
and new software. The implementation includes specialised
in-field training.
NightEagle’s MWIR payload assures continued intelli-
gence, surveillance and reconnaissance coverage when dust
and rain blind other infrared sensors. With more continuous
zoom and a wider range of articulation and field-of-regard,
the second generation MWIR imager payload helps keep
eyes on target.  SP
E-mail your comments to:
letters@spsaviation.net
Project Firefly
… Sikorsky’s electric helicopter
demonstrator flight is anticipated
later this year
cially available and prototype electric aircraft.
Chris Van Buiten, Director of Sikorsky Innovations
briefed about the demonstrator during the EAA.
In building the demonstrator, the Innovations team re-
placed the legacy propulsion system of an S-300CTM heli-
copter with a high-efficiency, electric motor and digital con-
troller from the US Hybrid, coupled with a lithium ion energy
storage system from Gaia. Integrated sensors provide real-
time aircraft health information to the pilot through a panel
integrated interactive LCD monitor. Eagle Aviation Technol-
ogies, LLC, executed the custom airframe modifications and
assembly of the demonstrator aircraft.
According to the company, through the electrical conver-
sion, propulsion efficiency of the aircraft has been increased
roughly by 300 per cent from baseline. Electric propulsion
also inherently simplifies the complexity of the propulsion
system by reducing the quantity of moving parts and in-
creasing reliability while reducing the direct operating costs.
The demonstrator will feature a 190-HP electric mo-
tor, a motor controller, a battery system and cockpit con-
trols. The first flight is anticipated later this year, upon
completion of ground tests and safety of flight reviews in
accordance with Sikorsky standard practice for all air-
craft programmes.  SP
E-mail your comments to:
letters@spsaviation.net
www.spsaviation.net
 modernisation
InFocus
FMS vs Open Tender
How does the open tender route compare with the foreign military
sales or government-to-government route for acquiring
defence equipment?
I
t appears that India’s ambitious medium multi-role
combat aircraft (MMRCA) programme has moved up to
the next rung of the defence procurement ladder—the
‘technical oversight’ stage. It may be recalled that after
completing the arduous task of flight evaluation of all
contending aircraft by May end, the Indian Air Force (IAF)
was feverishly trying to complete the staff evaluation phase
as early as possible. But with as many as six global aerospace
majors in the fray with their frontline fighters—F-18/A-IN Su-
per Hornet and F-16IN Super Viper from the US companies,
Boeing and Lockheed Martin respectively; the Eurofighter
Typhoon and Dassult’s Rafale from
Europe; Swedish Saab JS-39 Gripen
and Mikoyan MiG-35 from the Rus-
sian Federation—for the prestigious
`50,000 crore ($10 billion plus)
MMRCA deal, the IAF must have had
to sift through a mountain of data
collected during the comprehensive
flight trials. It would have been ask-
ing for the impossible for the IAF to
complete the task in a month’s time,
incidentally set by none other than
the IAF itself. The fact that the IAF
was able to accomplish the task of
staff evaluation and probable short
listing in a two-month timeframe, is
nothing but laudable. But how will
it help in accelerating the rest of the
procedure to facilitate expeditious
signing of the contract?
In the next phase, the Techni-
cal Oversight Committee (TOC) is to
provide what may be termed as expert oversight over the
technical evaluation process. Headed by the Defence Sec-
retary, the three-member team consisting of one Service
Officer, one scientist from the Defence Research and Devel-
opment Organisation (DRDO) and one representative of a
Defence Public Sector Undertaking (DPSU) not involved in
the MMRCA acquisition will be tasked to see whether the tri-
als, evaluations of results, compliance to QRs and selection
of vendors were done according to prescribed procedures.
The TOC is also mandated to provide oversight on the ad-
Photograph: lockheed martin
opted trial methodology during trials vis-à-vis trial method-
ology given in the request for proposal (RFP) and the trial
directive. It can easily be seen that there is plenty of room
for individual dissension(s). However, the good news is that
the TOC has to give its ruling within 30 days (non-extend-
able), based on a majority decision and put up the report
to the Defence Secretary. Therefore, if all goes well—with
the acceptance of the staff evaluation report by the Direc-
tor General (Acquisition) and the TOC report by the Defence
Secretary—a stage would be reached to enable the process
of commercial negotiations to commence.
Dogged by further delays since the issuance of the RFP and
victim of its own rules, on April 28, the Ministry of Defence was
forced to act under the provisions of DPP in extending the com-
mercial bids by another year, i.e. till April 2011. While it is likely
that most of the vendors would stick to their original bids, but
even if one of the successful shortlisted vendors decides to ex-
ercise the rebid option, the commencement of the next phase
of opening of the commercial bids and price negotiations could
get delayed by more than six months.
If that happens, the prevailing ‘vola-
tility factor’ in global economy could
On the way: play havoc with the vendors’ calcu-
LOckheed Martin’s
C-130J procured lations. The time vacuum could also
through FMS possibly provide a recipe for some
undesirable practices to creep in. The
‘commercial evaluation’ and ‘price
negotiations’ are complex procedures
that cannot be gone through in a hur-
ry and if all the delays add up, there
is a strong possibility that even 2011
may prove to be elusive as far as sign-
ing of the contract is concerned.
Issuance of request for informa-
tion (RFI) in 2001, signing of the
contract in 2012 and first induction
into service in 2015; the big ques-
tion is can the IAF with already
heavily depleted combat force
levels tolerate such interminable
­
delays in the much needed combat
capability transfusion? The other big question relates to the
abominably tedious and time consuming defence procure-
ment procedure itself, especially as far as the ‘open tender’
route for acquiring the defence equipment for India’s armed
forces is concerned. While the maintenance of highest stan-
dards of transparency, probity and public accountability, as
articulated in the Ministry of Defence manual on Defence
Procurement Procedure for capital acquisition of defence
equipment are not only highly desirable but also must be
strictly adhered to, why is it that the defence planners have
almost sacrificed the main objective i.e. modernisation of
the armed forces within reasonable timeframes? Couldn’t
the two objectives go hand in hand? Then how does the
open tender route compare with the foreign military sales
(FMS) (US terminology) or government-to-government route
for acquiring defence equipment. Turn to Forum for some
thought provoking alternatives.  SP
—Air Marshal (Retd) V.K. Bhatia
Issue 9 • 2010    SP’S AVIATION   11
 Modernisation
Forum

Make it
What is needed is
Easy
rationalisation of defence
procurement procedure
to make it not only more
comprehensive but also simple enroute india:
deal of C-17 Globemaster is

and user-friendly likely to be signed via FMS

D
o we need an international consultancy organ-
isation to remind India’s Defence Ministry the
pathetic state of it’s defence arsenal? Keeping
in view the snail’s pace at which the armed
forces’ capital acquisition and modernisation
programmes are moving forward, it is not sur-
prising. In a recent report, prepared jointly by the global
consultancy firm KPMG and the Confederation of Indian In-
dustry (CII), it is revealed that at present only 15 per cent
of India’s defence equipment is state-of-the-art and at least
half of India’s defence equipment is totally obsolete needing
urgent upgradation. The report is a sad commentary on the
state of affairs and highlights crucial gaps in India’s defence
preparedness, especially so, when the region is roiled by
unprecedented militancy and military rivalries.
During the Cold War, India largely remained aloof from
any military equation with the western world. However,
this was adequately compensated by the strategic partner-
ship with the then Soviet Union. Moscow had a strategic
vision that embraced India as a dependable partner in the
larger matrix of East-West confrontation and therefore gave
India the status of ‘most favoured nation’ in every defence
related area. However, two factors very quickly and drasti-
cally changed this time-tested equation—the collapse of the
Soviet Union in the early 1990s and, coinciding with the
breakup of USSR, the near-bankrupt situation in the Indian
economy. This had the obvious adverse effect on the Indian
armed forces which could not keep pace with the equipment
obsolescence and shortages due to paucity of resources.
However, the new millennium has ushered in an era of
Photograph: Abhishek / Sp guide pubns
five importers of defence equipment in the world.
In pursuit of the government’s twin objectives of timely
procurement of defence equipment and bringing about to-
tal transparency to root out bribery and corruption in de-
fence deals, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) came up with
a unique Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) manual in
2006, which was revised in 2008. It is undergoing further
refinement in 2010. But even though the government has
been vocal about speeding up the procurement process laid
down by the DPP by removing impediments and making
the process transparent, the ground reality is vastly differ-
ent as there is incorrigible mismatch between the planned
and actual timeframes required to complete all stages of the
procurement process. Inclusion of numerous players in de-
cision-making at all stages of selection, testing and negotia-
tions, ostensibly done for the sake of transparency, actually
results in massive delay in time. This arrangement not only
Defence Procurement Procedure
Flow Chart Depiction of the Acquisition Process
Phase Time (Months) Cumulative (Months)
Preparation and Issue of ‘SQR’
Acceptance of Necessity (AON) 1 1 (Clock starts)
Preparation and Issue of RFP 1 2
Response to RFP by Vendors 3 5
Technical Evaluation by TEC 4 9

economic growth with resultant positive effect on India’s Field Evaluation 6 to 12 15 to 21

defence budget. Responding to the emerging security para- Staff Evaluation 1 16 to 22
digms coupled with substantial economic growth rates, In-
Technical Oversight by TOC 1 17 to 23
dia has now decided to shore up its armed forces with new
and diversified capital acquisition and modernisation pro- Commercial Negotiations by CNC 3 to 6 (multi-vendor) 20 to 29
grammes. And even though India’s defence budget remains 6 to 11 (single/resultant 23 to 34*
less than 3 per cent of its GDP (one of the lowest in the world single vendor)
in percentage terms), it has become one of the leading de-
*Note: Some minor variations notwithstanding in DPP 2008, the sum
fence spenders globally. Also because of the underdeveloped
total of time flow charts in both cases practically remain the same.
indigenous defence industry, it is ranked amongst the top

12    SP’S AVIATION    Issue 9 • 2010 www.spsaviation.net

 Modernisation
Forum

reduces objectivity of the process, but in addition creates

space for red tape, making the entire exercise complex and
Direct tions. As the acquisi-
tion was essentially
unpredictable. It also gives room to the agents of the com- government-to- for VVIP travel, it was
peting companies to lobby hard and create undue influence
in the corridors of power.
government or finally allowed to go
through. But this deal
The mismatch between the stated and actual timeframes FMS deals are is of no relevance to
to accomplish different phases of the acquisition process
would become clear if one compares the ongoing MMRCA
much safer and the combat effective-
ness of the IAF.
programme with the laid down flow chart (see page 12). have a better Compared with
The flow chart indicates that even in the worst-case sce-
nario, the total time from acceptance of necessity (AON) to
chance for the open tender
route, the govern-
signing of contract must not exceed 34 months—say three timely execution ment-to-government
years. In case of the MMRCA, from AON and issuance of re-
quest for information (RFI) to just the request for proposal than the deals or the foreign mili-
tary sale (FMS) route
(RFP) stage, it took more than six years. It could be argued conducted ,as it is known in the
that in 2001—the year the RFI was first issued—the DPP had US, has fared much
not come into existence. Therefore, activities prior to 2006 through open better in the pro-
when the first edition of the DPP was promulgated should
not be evaluated against the timeframe spelt out in the DPP.
tender curement of defence
equipment by India.
However, even after the issuance of RFP, it has taken more Perhaps this is a leg-
than three years to reach the stage of technical oversight. acy of the Cold War
Keeping in view the pace at which the programme is mov- when most of the
ing, it could easily take another year to year-and-a-half for defence equipment
the MMRCA contract to be finally concluded. Meanwhile, was acquired from
notwithstanding the trickle provided by the Su-30 induction, the erstwhile Soviet Union through straight forward govern-
the IAF must have crossed the threshold of despair as far as ment-to-government transactions, without going through
its depleting combat force levels are concerned. the hassles of competitive bidding process, elaborate field
That the open tender competitive route for defence pro- trials or protracted price negotiations. This practice of direct
curement in the DPP is skewed and has led to inordinate delay government-to-government deal continues even now with
in the procurement of defence equipment is abundantly clear, the Russian Federation. On the other hand, the recent exam-
especially to the affected parties. Interaction with foreign ven- ples of such deals with the West which have been successful
dors and original equipment manufacturers during seminars are the C-130J aircraft for the IAF, Jalashwa and associated
reveals that while they are highly appreciative of the Indian equipment for the Navy and the weapon locating radars for
government’s resolve to have a transparent and impartial the Army. Other major systems which have been/are being
procurement process, they are wary of procedural impedi- contracted through the FMS route comprise C-17 Globemas-
ments, complex decision making process, bureaucratic mind- ter III strategic airlifters for the IAF, P-8I Poseidon multi-role
sets and condescending attitude of the government. They are maritime patrol aircraft for the Navy and the light-weight
also mindful of the time schedules of different phases of the 155mm artillery guns for the Army. All these multi-billion
acquisition process. It is felt that while the government’s own dollar deals are likely to go through without much fuss.
way of working is highly laid back; adequate time is usually The current trends indicate that the direct government-
not available to vendors to submit their technical and com- to-government or FMS deals are much safer and have a bet-
mercial proposals in response to voluminous and complex ter chance for timely execution than the deals conducted
RFPs. The government can waste years vacillating but cannot through open tender. Does it mean that India should totally
agree to the genuine demands of the vendors to properly at- abandon this route for defence acquisitions? Certainly not.
tend to the highly deliberate, labourious and time-consuming There are clear advantages in following this route; such as
task of preparing detailed proposals as required, especially competitive life cycle costs, offsets, transfer of technology,
for complex systems. This has also resulted in some vendors etc, which cannot be lost sight of if India wants to move up
walking out of the competition, much to the chagrin and con- the path of self-sufficiency and attain the status of a global
sternation of the Indian defence establishment. The recent player in the regime of defence production. However, what
withdrawal by Bell and Boeing from India’s tender for 197 is needed is rationalisation of defence procurement proce-
light utility helicopters (LUHs) and the IAF’s tender for 22 dure to make it not only more comprehensive but also sim-
combat helicopters, due to problems with India’s defence pro- ple and user-friendly. Meanwhile, it is sincerely hoped that
curement procedure, are cases in point. The situation actu- the open tender MMRCA deal, which has managed to sur-
ally reached a stage where retendering had to be resorted to vive in spite of many odds, will be concluded soon. Success-
de novo, delaying the vital defence acquisition programmes, ful culmination of the MMRCA programme will be a signal to
impinging seriously on India’s defence preparedness. Except the global defence industry that India has arrived on the big
the VVIP helicopter deal, all others progressed through the ticket defence procurement, through open route. It would
open tender route appear to have fallen by the wayside for also ensure that the IAF is not denied this much needed
one reason or another. The VVIP helicopter deal was also on infusion of combat capability—a shot in the arm it has been
the verge of getting derailed by the Finance Ministry, citing waiting for so long.  SP
exorbitant per unit price as the reason for raising its objec- —Air Marshal (Retd) V.K. Bhatia

14    SP’S AVIATION    Issue 9 • 2010 www.spsaviation.net

Military   OEM

Mbda offers
Stockpile Management Services
to Users
M
easures to enhance the security and manage- and implementing solutions which all combine towards the
ment of legal stocks of small arms and to reduce mission success of the customer.
‘surplus’ weapons are clearly essential to com-
bat illicit trafficking and prevent and reduce the Benefits of SMS
proliferation of small arms. Many of the weap- • Establishing integrated, predictive maintenance ap-
ons of concern are lost from official stockpiles through theft, proaches, which minimise unscheduled repairs, eliminate
corruption or neglect. Moreover, the existence of large quan- unnecessary maintenance, and employ the most cost-ef-
tities of surplus small arms is a major factor in the excessive fective maintenance health management approaches.
availability and flows of these weapons. • Enhancing material availability by identifying the optimum
A number of national and regional initiatives have been opportunity to perform required maintenance, thereby in-
taken to ensure or promote destruction or other responsible creasing the number of assets in operational status.
disposal of surplus small arms and to ensure the security of • Improving material reliability through the disciplined anal-
officially held weapons. MBDA, the world leader in missiles ysis of failure data to develop modifications that will ensure
technology, has developed the Stockpile Management Servic- that equipment meets target performance standards within
es (SMS) to give its customers abil- an operational context.
ity to know the exact status of their •  Minimising mean downtime
munitions in terms of reliability and by providing real-time mainte-
remaining life. Unlike other missiles Stockpile Management Services consists nance information and accurate
manufacturers MBDA is not only the of an innovative process supported by technical data to technicians and
seller but also provides lifelong main- adequate methodologies and IT tools to logistics experts that will expedite
tenance for its products. give life cost savings of up to 30 per cent, repair and support processes and
Increasing pressure on defence effective SMS allows MBDA to confidently return equipment to operational
budgets within the customer commu- predict significant life extension regard- status (improved supply planning).
nity is seeing a reappraisal of the tra- ing the customer’s missile stock. Im- •  Reducing ownership costs by
ditional ways of managing a weapon eliminating unnecessary main-
proved safety and optimised operational
system’s life cycle. Users more and tenance activities and accurately
availability are other key advantages pro-
more are seeking ways of maximising positioning required assets for an
the life of their missile inventory, in- vided by SMS. effective logistics footprint in sup-
creasing operational availability and, port of war-fighting requirements.
at the same time, achieving through •  Optimising customer resources
life cost savings. MBDA’s SMS initiative has been developed involved in maintenance activities. A better planning of
as a highly effective solution to these growing requirements. maintenance activities will allow personnel to be reas-
signed to core duties particularly if these are more opera-
Methodology tional in nature.
Data loggers, linked to the individual missile in question, pro-
vide core information on the product’s environment such as Programme status
temperature, humidity, vibration, pressure and shock. This The SMS project was started by MBDA’s Customer Sup-
data is then analysed and then processed via life simulation port & Services Directorate (CSS) in 2009 as a direct re-
modelling software. The final picture is of significant help to sponse to the evolving requirements of the international
customers in logistics and operational decision making. customer base.
The use of sensors (data logging) is also a method of en- A business requirement definition carried out by CSS was
hancing the quality of life cycle management. By capturing subsequently supported by a study specifically carried out by
critical data and obtaining greater accuracy in appraising Cranfield University in the UK. Following this, the necessary
different environmental conditions, maintenance policy can IT tools (software and hardware) required to implement the
be based on objective facts rather than guesswork. Addition- process were sourced and evaluated. Other specific studies
ally, all data collected on the history of the munition will be covering reliability, remaining product life and supply chain
helpful for future missile evaluation programmes. logistics brought in expertise from throughout MBDA.
MBDA provides a full consultancy service, working with MBDA will start delivering SMS linked to its PAAMS(E)
the customer, discussing and analysing issues, designing naval air defence system in 2011.  SP

Issue 9 • 2010    SP’S AVIATION   15

 Military   Industry
Aerospace
Majors
Photographs: wikipedia, Raytheon, Lockheed Martin & HONEYWELL
US based companies have led the way for several
innovations and developments in aerospace.
Browse through the third part of the article to
know more about the initiatives of companies like
Raytheon and Honeywell.
16    SP’S AVIATION    Issue 9 • 2010
By Air Marshal (Retd)
B.K. Pandey, Bengaluru
RAYTHEON COMPANY
Established in 1922 as a refrigeration company, Raytheon
soon moved into electronics. During World War II, Raytheon
manufactured radar systems for early warning against aerial
threats and ship-borne radars for detection of submarines.
Known by its present name since 1959, Raytheon Company
is now a global technology and innovation leader. With its
headquarters at Waltham, Massachusetts, 75,000 employees
worldwide, and sales of $25 billion (`1,15,000 crore), it is
a major defence contractor providing state-of-the-art elec-
tronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in
the areas of sensing, C3I systems and in a broad range of
mission support services. Until early 2007, the company also
manufactured corporate and special-mission aircraft.
Soon after the War, Raytheon developed the Lark missile,
the first guided missile that could destroy target aircraft in
flight. The company also developed the air-to-air Sparrow,
ground-to-air Hawk missiles, the Patriot anti-missile system
and the air-to-air Phoenix system.
Defence Electronics
In an effort to establish leadership in the defence electronics
business, Raytheon purchased six companies in the US en-
gaged in this line of business and shed several non-defence
business activities of its own. Currently, the Raytheon com-
pany has six business divisions—Integrated Defence Sys-
tems, Intelligence and Information Systems, Missile Systems,
Network Centric Systems, Raytheon Technical Services, and
Space and Airborne Systems. In recent years, Raytheon has
identified key areas of business namely homeland security,
missile defence, precision engagement, intelligence, surveil-
lance, reconnaissance systems and process improvement.
Raytheon’s electronics and defence systems units produce
air, sea and land launched missiles, airborne radar systems
including active electronically scanned array radar, weapons
sights and targeting systems, communication and battle-man-
agement systems and satellite components electro-optical
sensors and other advanced electronics systems for airborne,
naval and ground-based military applications. Its airborne
radar systems have been fitted on aircraft such as the F-15,
F/A-18, F-22, and the B2 Bomber. In the ground-based-radar
segment, the company has made the large fixed-site radars
such as Pave Paws, BMEWS and the Missile Defence Agency
X-Band Radar and the upgraded early warning radar.
Space
Raytheon is an acknowledged leader in space with well
developed domain knowledge and expertise consolidated
over four decades in the areas of intelligence, surveillance
and reconnaissance at the strategic, operational and tacti-
cal levels, secure communications, weather, water, climate
and environment monitoring, ballistic missile defence and
space-based navigation and early warning.
www.spsaviation.net
Military   Industry
In collaboration with Boeing, Lockheed Martin and
Northrop Grumman respectively, Raytheon is involved in the
development of sensors for satellites such as space track-
ing and surveillance system for the ballistic missile defence
and next-generation satellite communications system. It is
also developing a ground based interceptor consisting of a
booster missile and a Kinetic exo-atmospheric kill vehicle.
Missile Systems
Raytheon is the world leader in design, development and
production of guided missile systems. It has developed success-
ful air-to-surface weapon systems such as the AGM-65 Mav-
erick, AGM-88 HARM and AGM-154 joint standoff weapon.
It has also developed weapon systems such as the AGM-129
advanced cruise missile and the BGM-109 Tomahawk. The air-
to-air missiles include the AIM-7 Sparrow, AIM-9 Sidewinder
and the AIM-120 AMRAAM.
New Projects
GBU-53/B: The US Air Force has selected Raytheon’s GBU-
53/B for the Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) Increment II
Raytheon stars: air-to-air
missile aim-9 sidewinder;
gbu-53/b developed under programme. The SDB II is
SDB-ii programme; THAAD an air-launched, precision-
Radar delivers high
power output & exceptional
strike standoff weapon ca-
beam/waveform agility to pable of hitting the moving
support the long range and fixed targets in adverse
functional requirements of weather conditions. It incor-
the THAAD mission
porates an improved seeker
that features three modes of
operation—millimetre-wave
radar, un-cooled imaging in-
frared and semi-active laser. It will be a versatile weapon
that can be integrated on all combat aircraft including the
fifth generation F-35. The delivery is expected in 2013.
THAAD Radar: Raytheon’s terminal high altitude area defence
(THAAD) radar performed successfully in the integrated flight
test in June this year conducted by the Missile Defence Agency
and Lockheed Martin, the prime contractor. Also known as
the AN/TPY-2, it is a phased array mobile X-band radar, ca-
pable of search, threat detection, classification, discrimination
and precision tracking at extremely long ranges. The radar is
the critical sensor for the THAAD weapon system whose fire
control software has been jointly developed by Raytheon and
Lockheed Martin. THAAD is a key element of the ballistic mis-
sile defence system with ground-based missile defence compo-
nents that can defeat ballistic missiles of short to intermediate
range. THAAD’s combination of high-altitude, long-range ca-
pability and hit-to-kill lethality enables it to effectively negate
the effects of weapons of mass destruction.
V-22 Osprey: The US Navy has awarded Raytheon a five-
year contract for support of the V-22 aircraft, which it has
been doing for nearly three decades now. The tasks include
V-22 avionics systems software, situational awareness soft-
ware and avionics acquisition support for the customer.
Anti-Aircraft Laser: Raytheon unveiled its anti-aircraft
laser in August this year at the Farnborough Air show.
The laser close-in weapon system can either be used on
its own or alongside a gunnery system. The solid-state
fibre laser produces a 50 kilowatt beam effective against
unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), mortar, rockets and
small surface ships. In a test this year, a UAV was shot
down using the laser weapon developed by Raytheon.
HONEYWELL AEROSPACE
Based in Phoenix, Arizona, Honeywell Aerospace is a subsid-
iary of Honeywell International, a leading global provider of
integrated avionics, aero engines, systems and service solu-
tions for aircraft manufacturers, airlines, business and gen-
eral aviation, military, space and airport operations. A major
supplier to the aerospace industry, the company’s products
and services reflect cutting-edge technology and unrivalled
systems integration expertise. Honeywell’s systems are em-
ployed on a variety of aerospace platforms including combat
aircraft, helicopters, space vehicles, tanker aircraft, special
mission aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles.
For a century, Honeywell and its legacy companies have
been at the forefront of the aviation industry and continue
to make history even today. Innovations during World War II
such as cabin pressurisation system developed by Garrett, In-
tegrated C-1 Autopilot by Honeywell, and the Bomb Sight by
Norden made high-altitude bombing more accurate. Sperry
Instruments and Navigational Equipment, Bendix Electron-
ics, carburettors, wheels, and brakes and Grimes lighting sys-
tems were also developed and employed on military aircraft.
These innovations were later introduced with notable success
on civilian aircraft. In the post-War period, Honeywell Aero-
space developed the gas-turbine engine and the ring-laser gy-
roscope. The latter substantially improved the guidance and
navigation systems on aircraft. Sperry, a legacy company of
Honeywell Aerospace, brought computer technology to the
Issue 9 • 2010    SP’S AVIATION   17
Military   Industry

cockpit with electronic flight instru- water. It is easy to maintain and is

ment systems, flight management more durable.
systems and other digital technol-
ogy. Similarly, Bendix introduced Innovations
the first commercial weather radar Today, Honeywell Aerospace con-
system. Honeywell continues to tinues to innovate in the areas of
supply aerospace products includ- air safety with traffic alert and col-
ing electronic guidance systems, lision avoidance systems, enhanced
cockpit instrumentation, lighting, ground proximity warning sys-
and turbine engines. tem developed by AlliedSignal and
other systems that help pilots avoid
Indian Connection hazardous weather. Honeywell
With over 11,000 employees, Hon- Aerospace has created the state-of-
eywell Aerospace has several part- the-art integrated aircraft environ-
nerships in India, including the ment surveillance system for the
licensed manufacture of its turbo- Airbus A380. The advanced flight
prop TPE331 engine by the Hin- management, power distribution,
dustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) pneumatic and landing systems
for the Dornier 228 aircraft. In ad- developed for the A380 will en-
dition, Honeywell is transitioning able operators of the giant airliner
the worldwide manufacture of the achieve higher levels of efficiency
TPE 331-10 model engine to the and performance. Honeywell is
HAL Engines Division in Bangalore. also a leading supplier of products
Manufacture and sourcing of en- and systems for Boeing commercial
Honeywell wonders:
gine parts has already begun with gasoline powered MAV
airplanes and its integrated avion-
orders placed on the HAL factory T-hawk weighs only ics system for the Boeing 777. The
for over 30 engine kits. Honeywell has also 20 lb & speeds up to 130 company is also involved in the F-35 pro-
licensed the TPE331-12 turboprop engine kmph; HTF7500E engine gramme as part of Lockheed Martin team.
is selected to power
manufacturing to HAL for export. Honey- embraer’s legacy
well has significant high-technology content series aircraft Space
on the majority of Indian indigenous pro- Honeywell has been involved in space
grammes including advanced light helicop- technology since Neil Armstrong’s mis-
ter Dhruv, light combat aircraft Tejas, and in- sion to the moon. The US Space Shuttle is
termediate jet trainer. It has also developed equipped with Honeywell’s multifunction
key safety and mechanical systems for defence platforms like electronic display sub-system and the company is involved
the maritime reconnaissance P-8I and the C-130J programme. with the new Orbital Space Plane, Orion and the programme
Over the last five years, Honeywell’s Aerospace busi- for a permanent orbiting scientific laboratory in space.
ness in India has been growing rapidly. To implement Hon-
eywell’s strategy specific to the Indian aerospace and de- Aero Engines
fence market, the company has appointed Pritam Bhavnani With more than 45 years of engine development expertise,
as President of Honeywell Aerospace in India. He was the 65,000 fielded propulsion systems and more than 241 million
Vice President of Customer and Product Support, Honeywell service hours, Honeywell engines have a history of proven per-
Aerospace, Phoenix, Arizona. formance. Honeywell Aerospace’s turbine engine business can
A major project in the offing in India is the F125IN en- be traced back primarily to two companies, Garret AiResearch
gine under consideration for the Indian Air Force (IAF) Jag- founded in 1936 and Lycoming Engines turbine division of
uar fleet. Significantly lighter and more powerful than the Textron. In the mid-1990s, these two companies became part
current engine, it has an advanced dual full-authority digital of Honeywell Aerospace, constituting its aircraft engines divi-
engine control system, modular construction, integrated en- sion that has produced a number of successful turboprop and
gine health monitoring system and best in class thrust-to- turbofan engines for small and medium general aviation busi-
weight ratio designed to give the IAF the best engine with ness aircraft and jet trainer aircraft Alenia Aermacchi M-346.
the lowest acquisition, operating and maintenance costs. Honeywell’s HTF7500E engine, selected to power Em-
Demonstrated successfully in Bangalore in 2007, it is pro- braer’s new Legacy series aircraft has passed its first En-
jected to save the IAF more than `7,000 crore ($1.45 billion) gine-to-Test, an important milestone in the development of
crore in life-cycle costs compared to other upgrade options the programme to assure the required engine maturity for
being considered. The request for proposal is awaited. the aircraft flight test campaign. The Federal Aviation Ad-
Honeywell demonstrated its T-Hawk micro air vehicle ministration has awarded a five-year contract to Honeywell
to paramilitary forces in Chhattisgarh in April 2010. The T- for the development of technology for fuel burn reduction
Hawk features a ducted-fan engine, which allows it to hover and test aviation biofuels for use in Honeywell Gas Turbine
and stare, ideal for surveillance and detection and protects the Engines. For its research, Honeywell will use its TECH7000
T-Hawk from brush, making it optimal for jungle applica- turbofan engine, a turbofan technology demonstrator.  SP
tions, safer for operators and protected from dirt, sand and (To be continued)

18    SP’S AVIATION    Issue 9 • 2010 www.spsaviation.net

 military   OEM
Innovative, Comprehensive
& Systematic approach…
…to predict, deter, detect, identify
and classify, respond and resolve
and enable countries to address
a wide range of current and
emerging threats, and protect
themselves across the entire
homeland security spectrum
Admiral (Retd) Walter F. Doran,
President, Raytheon Asia for
Raytheon International
R
aytheon is a technology and innovation leader
specialising in defence, homeland security and
other government markets throughout the world.
With a history of innovation spanning 88 years,
Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission
systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of
sensing; effects; and command, control, communications
and intelligence systems, as well as a broad range of mis-
sion support services.
Business development vis-à-vis Airborne ISR systems
Raytheon’s footprint is large. Raytheon makes the sensors
and the application software that exploits the sensor data.
Intelligence and information systems is involved with the
ground stations, processing, archiving and dissemination of
the intelligence products that come from our sensors. Our
space systems business area is involved with sensors that
are located in space and our missile systems business is
involved in exploiting the data to locate a target.
At the Space and Airborne Systems, Raytheon’s intel-
ligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems busi-
ness designs, develops, produces and supports a vast ar-
ray of electro-optical/infrared sensors, active electronically
Photograph: Abhishek / Sp guide pubns
scanned array/scanning radars and various integrated sys-
tems solutions to provide customers with actionable in-
formation for strike, persistent surveillance, and special
mission applications. These best-in-class systems perform
detection, identification, tracking, targeting, navigation,
weather and situational awareness tasks from a variety of
airborne platforms including maritime, littoral and overland
patrol aircraft, unmanned aerial systems, and other tacti-
cal, attack and transport rotary and fixed wing aircraft. ISRS
products are deployed by every branch of the Department of
Defence, the Department of Homeland Security, and several
other government, commercial and international customers.
At Raytheon Intelligence and Information Systems, the
company transforms data into knowledge. IIS is a leading pro-
vider of intelligence and information solutions, specialising in
ground processing, unmanned ground systems, cyber security
operations, homeland security and other markets to resolve
the most complex problems for customers worldwide. “Our
integration experience, expertise, and comprehensive under-
standing of customer missions enable IIS to deliver solutions
to markets with unique missions. Our philosophy is simple—
customer success is the foundation on which we operate. Our
customers inspire us to deliver the next generation of intel-
ligence and information solutions. With our solutions, custom-
ers are enabled to make timely and accurate decisions.
Homeland Security
Raytheon utilises an innovative, comprehensive and system-
atic approach—predict, deter, detect, identify and classify,
respond and resolve—to enable countries to address a wide
range of current and emerging threats, and protect themselves
across the entire homeland security spectrum. The company
brings expertise in homeland security and defence technolo-
gies, advanced electronics and IT systems through more than
60 years of global experience in developing and implementing
systems that counter threats and provide adaptable migration
paths to deal with future threat environments. Raytheon offers
a broad range of strategic and consulting services that help
organisations deploy and utilise homeland security technolo-
gies and processes most effectively, maximise the return on
their technology investments, and ensure peak performance
and readiness from their personnel.
Continued on page 40
Issue 9 • 2010    SP’S AVIATION   19
 Military   Technology

C4ISR
the
Buzzword
The ability to collect, process and disseminate
the flow of information leading to increased
mission space awareness and subsequent
dominance constitutes the essence of present-
day air operations, firmly fixed in a classical
extended command, control, communications,
computers, intelligence, surveillance, and
reconnaissance framework

Operation Enduring Freedom: Under a clear moonless night sky, flying over the mountainous
Afghan terrain in a remote location, the droning Hercules AC-130 of the US Air Force quickly dropped
from 2,000 ft to 80 ft above the valley floor— its under-fuselage camera having locked on the as-
signed target whose coordinates had been received from an unmanned Global Hawk, loitering above
at stratospheric altitudes. The silence of the sleepy night was suddenly shattered with the gunship
spewing out its lethal arsenal of 105mm high-explosive rounds, vapourising the fleeting Taliban
target below. But could the Angel of Death—a sobriquet earned by the howitzer gunship because of
the shape that its anti-missile flares take when they are fired—destroy its target in the very first
pass under dark-night flight conditions and over a difficult terrain without a highly elaborate C4ISR
system in place? The Hercules attack was an ideal example of C4ISR supported operation carried
out in a perfect network-centric warfare environment.

B
ut what exactly is C4ISR;
how has it evolved and
what part does it play in to-
day’s warfare, especially air
operations?
Photograph: Sp guide pubns
By Air Marshal (Retd) of warfare. More and more components
V.K. Bhatia have been added in an evolutionary
manner to this basic feature to assist the
commander(s) in achieving the assigned
missions/objectives. In executing ‘com-

mand and control’ functions in today’s

The Evolution of C4ISR
In the history of organised armed con-
flict—even before the days of Hannibal, Alexander the Great
or Chengiz Khan—vesting command and control (C2) of
assigned forces with a designated commander for achieve-
ment of a specific mission has been a fundamental feature
environment, the commander relies on
information or intelligence from a variety
of sources. First, timeliness and quality of intelligence being
crucial to the commander’s quality of decisions, the ‘I’ (intel-
ligence) gets closely tied with the C2 functions. Next, com-
munications being the conduit through which information or

20    SP’S AVIATION    Issue 9 • 2010 www.spsaviation.net

Military   Technology
intelligence is exchanged, the co-efficient of their effective-
ness gets directly linked to the C2I function, which expands
the equation to C3I. The vast amount of data generated on a
modern battlefield can neither be collated, analysed, synthe-
sised (to generate actionable intelligence) nor can it be dis-
seminated, without adequate data processing support being
integrated in all component parts of the system. Computers
have become ubiquitous enough for another C to merit an
equal status in the C3I paradigm. The resulting C4I has there-
fore come to represent an integrated architecture in which
the quality and effectiveness of a commander’s executive
‘command and control’ function gets directly linked with the
comprehensiveness and quality of intelligence obtained and
disseminated through a variety of communication channels,
and how each aspect is supported and enhanced by automa-
tion provided by computers. The sum total of support element
in the C4I build is thus to sift, sort, integrate and present all
relevant information in an easily digestible format in real
time so as to enable decision-makers at all levels to be com-
pletely ‘aware’ of the ‘situation’. But does it stop here?
Armed forces from different countries have added letters to
this basic acronym i.e., ‘C4I’ to create an alphabet ‘amalgam’
corresponding to their understanding of grouping of military
functions which assist the command and control process. The
British added a STAR to C4I, to indicate inclusion of surveil-
lance, target acquisition and reconnaissance as significant
components. The US military has evolved ‘C4ISR’ to bring sur-
veillance and reconnaissance under the same canvas.
C4ISR in Air Operations
The ability to collect, process and disseminate the flow of in-
formation leading to increased mission space awareness and
subsequent dominance constitutes the essence of present-day
air operations, firmly fixed in a classical extended command,
control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveil-
lance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) framework. As stated ear-
lier, the latest buzzword is to also include ‘target acquisition’
to complete the sensor-shooter loop. Success of such opera-
tions is ensured through shared situational awareness, close
collaboration, coordination of capabilities and the ability to
react quickly to highly dynamic modern airborne threats.
As technology continued to evolve in terms of better sen-
sors and computing power, technologically advanced air forces
the world over redefined the roles, functions and responsibili-
ties of the then existing conventional AD organisation and its
intervening command echelons to encompass all air opera-
tions and not remain confined to AD functions alone. It was but
a natural evolution. For effective AD, air space management
is a precondition and for that a total knowledge of spatial ori-
entation of all friendly air vehicles (fighters, transport aircraft,
surveillance platforms, armed helicopters, UAVs and so on) in
the given air space mandatory. With such data being available,
conduct of all air operations such as mission planning of own
aircraft, storage and dissemination of target data, issue of air
tasking orders to bases, control of support elements (tankers,
UAVs, AWACS), tactical routing to avoid space and time conflict,
search and rescue operations and so on from a single con-
Issue 9 • 2010    SP’S AVIATION   21
Military   Technology
trol centre made logical sense. The AD Control Centres thus
evolved into Air Operations Control Centres, while the interme-
diate node, normally called the AD Direction Centre (ADDC) in
the earlier structure, was either replaced by a Control and Re-
porting Centre (CRC) or eliminated altogether, depending upon
the geographical factors and traffic density.
C4ISR in the Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force (IAF), though ready with an ambitious
modernisation plan is still struggling to make up the defi-
ciencies in its AD network before moving onto the next level
of fully networked and C4ISR supported all encompassing
air operations. As it stands today, existence of vast gaps in
the radar coverage of Indian air space even at medium level
is a well-known fact. At low level, the IAF has been making
do with a handful of indigenous Indra 1 and 2, Russian ST-
68s, and some P-18 low level surveillance radars detached
from the SAM units. In times of tension, they move forward
from their home locations to watch a narrow band of ter-
ritory along the international border. Even in this narrow,
linear belt, gaps remain—both due to paucity of numbers
as well as difficulty of deployment in the very challenging
environment. Networking is minimal and relies solely on
voice communication. The quality of communications is
even less flattering. Legacy HF and cumbersome mobile
troposcatter VHF systems constitute the backbone for
surface-to-surface communications. However, the IAF is
desperately trying to improve the situation with rapid
enhancement in its capabilities through new acquisitions
and modernisation programmes.
Aerostat radars: The IAF seemed to have taken a quantum
leap by selecting the aerostat radars to solve the mind-bog-
gling problem of low-level radar surveillance of the country’s
vast western land border to guard against a perennially bel-
ligerent neighbour. The IAF had earlier acquired two Israeli
aerostats which were deployed in the sensitive Kutch region
of Gujarat and in the Punjab sector. The IAF’s decision to go in
for four additional systems is in tune with its earlier projected
requirements and with judicious deployment it would help in
covering the entire western border from Jammu & Kashmir
in the north to the Gujarat sub-peninsula in the south- south-
west. Indian Navy’s decision to acquire six similar systems
would further enhance IAF’s radar surveillance capabilities
in other areas of interest as well, provided these are properly
integrated in a seamless manner into the IAF’s AD network.
AWACS: In May last year, the IAF received its first airborne
warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft from Israel. Built
with Phalcon radar on an IL-76 platform, it is said to be one
of the world’s most advanced systems. The phased array ra-
dar (which does away with the need for a mechanically ro-
tating antenna), can detect low flying aircraft, cruise missiles
and UAVs hundreds of kilometres away by day and night and
under all weather conditions. In addition to the radar, the air-
craft also carries a phased array IFF and a host of electronic
and communications, support and intelligence equipment. So
pleased has been the IAF with its performance that within a
year of its induction, a repeat order has been made for two
additional systems. However, it is evident that the IAF would
need to continue to build on the currently planned acquisitions
to achieve the required capabilities in this area. In this context,
a judicious mix of the Phalcon-mounted AWACS and the indig-
22    SP’S AVIATION    Issue 9 • 2010
enous system mounted on a much cheaper Embraer EMB-145
platform would perhaps provide an optimum solution.
Additional hardware: The IAF is also acquiring a wide vari-
ety of radars and surface-to-air weapons to equip itself with
a more respectable capability of AD at all altitudes. These
include 30 Rohini medium level radars being acquired in-
digenously from Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL), 19 new low
level transportable radar (LLTRs) and Spyder surface-to-air
missile from Israel. India has also signed a JV to produce
MR-SAM in India with Israel which has emerged as India’s
principal supplier of high-tech weaponry.
IACCS: The IAF also plans to put in place five integrated air
command and control systems (IACCS) through indigenous
route which when fully developed are expected to put all sen-
sor platforms (both airborne as well as surface facilities) and
weapon systems on a common grid, interlinking its five opera-
tional commands in a fully networked architecture. The crux
of a system like the IACCS lies in creating a stable operational
situational picture (OSP) from the inputs of varying quality and
reliability received from a host of sensors. The technique, called
multi-sensor tracking (MST), requires a multi-disciplinary de-
sign support of scientists and statisticians, backed by experts
in real-time systems. The OSP has to be available at all control
nodes upward of the ADDC right up to the National Command
Post, albeit with more data getting included at each higher
rung. The MST module has also to be supported by a host of
online and offline application software modules for faster de-
cision making, air space management, optimisation of radar
sites, mission planning, conflict resolution, weapon allocation,
control and simulation. The system architecture also needs to
have flexibility to accept sensor data from airborne platforms
like the AWACS, fighter aircraft equipped with high perfor-
mance long range radars (NO-11 on Su-30MKI, for example
or the AESA radars of the MMRCA when acquired), aerostats
and UAVs with synthetic aperture radar payload. In addition,
it should incorporate hardware and software interfaces for up-
loading/downloading of data and video on data links of differ-
ent standards. Finally, although not part of the IACCS, to make
the system operational, a strong multi-spectral communication
backbone is also required.
At the heart of the air force’s communication network is
the Air Force Network (AFNET)—a dedicated IAF fibre-optics
network that offers up to 500 MBPS encrypted, unjammable
bandwidth. This bandwidth should be more than adequate for
IAF’s current and foreseeable requirements of network activity
vis-à-vis air operations, including AD, UAV imagery, high-defi-
nition video streaming, and so on, besides administration and
logistics. A military satellite is expected to be launched next
year, inter alia, to streamline the massive data flow.
Conclusion
The recently inducted AWACS will spearhead the IAF’s net-
work-centric operations around which the other NCW ele-
ments will coalesce. Although some IAF elements have oper-
ated under the AWACS environment in some of the recently
conducted joint international air exercises, however, the IAF
will have to devise its own AWACS strategies—an exercise in
which the IAF is already deeply engaged. Creating and ma-
turing operational capabilities with the AWACS in the true
sense of network-centric warfare will be the ultimate chal-
lenge for the IAF’s leadership.  SP
www.spsaviation.net
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 Civil    Regional Aviation

Making the
Right Move

Embraer 190:
A Suitable choice for
regional service

A comprehensive regional airline policy needs to be formulated

that truly encourages entrepreneurs to float small regional
airlines and take air connectivity to the remote
parts of the country

A
decade from now, if all goes
well, India will have around
500 airports. Among them
will be the refurbished air-
ports, reclaimed airports, pri-
vate airports and perhaps 40
Photographs: embraer, amit & Abhishek / Sp guide pubns
By Joseph Noronha, Goa
prop type of aircraft in Phase I. The air-
port, completely refurbished at a cost of
`60 crore ($12.5 million), was inaugu-
rated on June 15. And yet, none of the
seven scheduled domestic airlines ap-
peared keen to begin services to Mysore,

Greenfield airports. Currently, this enor- privately citing poor traffic prospects.
mous country of 1.2 billion people has to manage with just 127 Kingfisher Airlines seems agreeable but its launch date
airports, barely 82 of them active. However, moves are afoot could be delayed to around October-November this year.
to ensure that every district will have an airport (or at least Meanwhile, Phase II development of the airport, intended
an operational airstrip). Air travellers from even the remotest to enable aircraft of the A-321 jet class to operate, have got
reaches will need to go only a short distance to access one. bogged down for reasons of (what else?) land acquisition.
Make no mistake, even if half of the planned airports actually If charming Mysore, which is Karnataka’s second largest
open for commercial operations by 2020, it has the potential city, is not mouth-watering enough for the airlines, how can
to dramatically transform the aviation scene. But with not a much smaller cities like Hassan and Shimoga ever hope to
single regional airline in operation today (see Off the Beaten enjoy regular air services?
Track, SP’s Aviation, June 2010), would sufficient flights be
forthcoming to make these airports commercially viable? Far and Forgotten
Mysore’s experience is illustrative. The Airports Author- Delhi’s gleaming Terminal 3 has set a new benchmark for
ity of India (AAI) took up the development of Mysore’s old airport infrastructure. But it has also given rise to a feel-
Mandakalli Airport to permit operations of ATR-72 turbo- ing that with so much stress being laid on more lucrative

24    SP’S AVIATION    Issue 9 • 2010 www.spsaviation.net

Civil    Regional Aviation
airports in the metros, airports in Tier-II and Tier-III cities
are being neglected. The Indian government may be some-
what reluctant to allocate sizeable funds to remote airports
because air passenger growth there cannot keep pace with
the large cities. State governments have also experienced
mixed success in roping in private players for many of the
smaller airports. For years, it has been recognised that
the Northeast region is in dire need of air connectivity.
For years, the North-east Council has been trying to pro-
mote the establishment of a dedicated regional airline. But
besides some inadequate non-scheduled services the efforts
are yet to bear fruit.
Experts agree that there’s practically unlimited scope for
air services to expand in India. At present, scheduled carri-
ers have around 260 narrow-body aircraft of 150-200 seat
capacity like the Airbus A320 and the Boeing B737. These
are difficult to fill except on the main routes. Providing air-
connectivity to smaller cities needs regional aircraft of ca-
pacity less than 100, of which the airlines have a combined
total of perhaps 60 planes. Embraer estimates that around
250 low-to-medium-density routes remain unused. Another
133 routes have less than one flight a day since the major
airlines do not consider such routes profitable. These routes
can be viable only for small regional airlines with right-
sized aircraft enjoying suitable concessions and incentives.
Regionally Rewarding
Just two decades ago, when regional jets began to appear
with increasing frequency, especially in the US and Canada,
they were mainly small aircraft with 50 seats or less. In fact,
regional airlines pioneered low-cost travel long before the
term ‘no-frills’ became fashionable. They served to econom-
ically convey little streams of passengers from small, remote
airports to the nearest hub. At the hub, the streams would
become a river ready to be channelled into large airliners
belonging to the major carriers and transported over great
distances to other major hubs. Regional jets are growing in
size nowadays, with capacities of around 70 to 110 passen-
gers. And the trend seems to be towards even larger aircraft
of up to 150 seats, thus
blurring the distinction
between regional jets and
narrow-body airliners.
The reason is clear. With The regional
oil prices rising, though
still well below the $147
airline policy
(`7,000) per barrel peak introduced
of July 2008, in India, fuel
forms around 40 per cent
by the
or more of an airline’s op- Ministry of
erating cost. Some ana-
lysts are of the view that Civil Aviation
oil prices will rise sharply in August
yet again over the next
couple of decades. Region- 2007 has
al jets are at some disad-
vantage since their per-
proved a
seat fuel burn (and hence dismal failure
operating cost) works out
higher than for the bigger
narrow-body airliners.
However, in India, when remote airfields open for the
first time, strict capacity management will play a crucial
role in achieving high operational efficiency and providing
economically viable air services. Airlines may find it difficult
to fill 150-200 seat planes, at least to begin with. Smaller
aircraft are also appropriate for Category II and Category
III routes—which the major airlines are required to oper-
ate to meet their social sector obligations. A potentially huge
Indian market exists for regional jets with a capacity of up
to 120 seats that are economical to operate. Embraer’s E-
Jets line and Bombardier’s CRJ series are eminently suitable
choices in the quest for high load factors. And Bombardier’s
eagerly awaited next-generation C Series CS100/300 would
raise the bar for fuel-efficient regional jets.
Turbocharged
Turboprops and regional aviation also seem to be made for
each other. Half a century ago, turboprops were a frequent
sight, but the craze to go all-jet sounded their death knell.
The operational savings these fuel-efficient machines of-
fered was ignored as speed became the order of the day. In
the mid-1980s, however, advanced turboprops were intro-
duced and these proved highly successful. Since then, there
has been no looking back. Most of the credit must go to
Bombardier of Canada and ATR, the Italian-French manu-
facturer. The much admired Bombardier Q series and ATR
42/72 took turboprops all over the world. Both have seen
continuing improvements as well, ensuring their stubborn
survival in the face of fierce regional jet competition.
Compared to jets, turboprops typically burn just two-
thirds of the fuel needed to fly one passenger. In fact,
for distances between 500 km and 800 km, turboprops
are faster and more economical than pure jets. They do
not need to climb as high as jets, reach cruise parame-
ters earlier and descend
faster. Turboprop en-
gine technology has pro-
gressed enough to make Inaugurated on June 15:
these aircraft operate at Mysore Airport was
completely refurbished
at a cost of `60 crore
($12.5 million)
Issue 9 • 2010    SP’S AVIATION   25
Civil    Regional Aviation
ATR 42: In service with
Air India for REgional
operations near jet speeds, at consider-
ably lower fuel burn and with
less pollution. Most likely, the
future will bring even bet-
ter performance and comfort.
Amidst many uncertainties, it is fairly certain that costs—
especially of fuel—will continue to rise. So, the next turbo-
prop engine manufacturers are aiming to offer double-dig-
it improvements in fuel burn. Their focus is on ever-light-
er materials to extract more power from lighter engines
burning exotic biofuel blends. Green activists are inclined
to take a more benign view of turboprops since they have a
smaller ecological footprint than pure jets. Could this pres-
age a new turboprop age, at least for regional aircraft?
The future seems bright for 60-90 seat aircraft—current-
ly the ‘sweet spot’ for turboprops. But the next-generation
turboprop is expected to be in the 80-100 seat class. Bom-
bardier is actively considering a stretched Q400, for now
known as the Q400X, which may seat up to 90 passengers.
And ATR plans an all-new 90-seat turboprop. The company
is “very keen” to get started and is looking forward to the
launch in 2011 and entry into service in 2016.
Other entrants are also girding up to challenge the big
two. South Korea proposes to build a 90-seat turboprop
and the Israelis seem interested in developing a small air-
liner, probably a turboprop. India is seriously considering
developing a high-speed turboprop in the 90-110 seat cate-
gory with National Aerospace Laboratories expected to lead
the development project. The Regional Transport Aircraft
(RTA), as it is currently known, is somewhat optimistically
expected to roll out for certification in six to seven years. It
should cater to regional routes between 600 km and 800
km. The new aircraft is projected to have 25 per cent lower
acquisition and operating costs than today’s aircraft, 30 per
cent lower fuel burn and 50 per cent lower maintenance
costs—just what regional airlines require. And with good
short-field performance, it will be especially useful at many
reclaimed airports where land is likely to be a significant
constraint in making longer runways.
26    SP’S AVIATION    Issue 9 • 2010
State Time for a Push
Fully operational air-
governments ports without regu-
have lar air services have
always been a sad
experienced feature of the global
aviation scene. And
mixed success if the Indian govern-
in roping in ment does not make
some well-coordinat-
private players ed moves, many of
the country’s 500 ea-
for many of gerly awaited airports
the smaller are fated to be under-
utilised or even aban-
airports doned as economi-
cally unviable. But
where are the region-
al carriers capable of
providing scheduled
commercial flights?
Three years on,
the regional airline policy introduced by the Ministry of Civil
Aviation in August 2007, has proved a dismal failure. And
regional aviation will continue to be in the doldrums un-
less incentives and concessions are better targeted. Only
regional carriers as defined by the regional airline policy
should attract the separately announced concessions on
fuel, landing and parking charges, now available to any car-
rier operating smaller aircraft. This is a measure the AAI,
which is creating airport infrastructure at considerable cost,
would whole-heartedly support. It rightly contends that only
genuine regional carriers that enhance air connectivity to
remote areas should be benefitted by rebates applicable to
small aircraft.
There’s no time like now to promote the launch of region-
al airlines. After having survived a severe slowdown, India’s
beleaguered airline industry has been enjoying healthy pas-
senger loads and sustainable air fares for almost a year. Amid
hopes of a sustained recovery in the air travel industry, flights
are being added and fleet expansion plans given a fillip. This
fits the pattern of the entire Asia-Pacific region which, in the
first half of 2010, has overtaken Europe and North America
to become the world’s leading aviation market.
But three things are necessary to take the benefits of
aviation to India’s masses that, incidentally, don’t live only
in the metros and major cities. The first is many more and
much better airports. Few can fault the government for lack-
ing determination on this count; it is certainly heading in
the right direction, albeit at an erratic pace. Second, suitable
aircraft of the right capacity are crucial. India’s airlines are
placing aircraft orders by the score, but practically none of
them are for the smaller capacity aircraft that regional avia-
tion needs. While Bombardier, Embraer and ATR offer to
meet every requirement, the indigenous RTA could provide
a vital boost, and deserves all the support it can get. Lastly,
in a move that is long overdue, a comprehensive regional
airline policy needs to be formulated that truly encourages
entrepreneurs to float small regional airlines and take air
connectivity to the remote parts of the country. When will
India’s first successful regional airline emerge?  SP
www.spsaviation.net
 Civil
Civil     Business
BusinessAviation
Aviation
s t o r y

GreeN
c o v e r

Go

Keep the Sky

Clean
B
arring a few feeble notes By Group Captain (Retd) The total number of business aircraft be-
of disagreement, the gen- A.K. Sachdev, Bengaluru ing used all over the world could be up-
eral consensus is that reces- ward of 55,000, according to one estimate.
sion is over. Economies are Of these roughly half that figure would be
showing signs of returning jets, the rest being made up of turbo-jets,
to good health, jobs are be- turbo-props and piston-engine aircraft.
coming easier to come by, and the term However, the average annual utilisation of
“green shoots” is being used more and business aircraft is around 400-500 hours
more frequently to indicate signs of eco- in contrast to 3,000 hours for commercial
nomic recovery. An interesting development related to the aircraft, consequently, the CO2 emissions produced by busi-
recovery is the shift from short-term threats (unemployment, ness aircraft as a percentage of total aviation emissions of CO2
rising costs, shortfalls) to more abstract, long-term and uncer- is estimated to be only 1 per cent to 2 per cent. Thus it can be
tain threats such as global warming and related environment seen that although the business aviation aircraft numbers are
issues. The civil aviation industry, like any other, is affected large, their total contribution to the impact on environment is
by both these phenomenon— post-recession signs of recovery proportionately small due to the small size of the aircraft and
and renewed trepidation over environment issues. their low utilisation rates. Worldwide, due to its peculiar pos-
Business aviation, as that component of civil aviation that turing in the overall civil aviation industry, business aviation
Photographs: Gulfstream & DASSAULT aviation

provides efficient, productive and secure business travel, need represents a growth area with latest policies by regulatory au-
not be seen as a luxury for the affluent business man or ex- thorities, better aircraft designs, increased shareholder scru-
ecutive, but instead as a business communication tool—an air tiny and a focussed perspective on environmental awareness.
transport option tailored to the specific needs of companies In November 2009, a host of business aviation associa-
and individuals (in contrast to scheduled airline flights). Busi- tions from across the globe unveiled a plan to limit the busi-
ness aviation operations could be corporate (non-commercial ness aviation industry’s emissions footprint on a document
operations, with professional aircrew operating), private (non- entitled Business Aviation Statement on Climate Change. The
commercial operation flown by owner of aircraft), fractional document supported the International Civil Aviation Organisa-
(non-commercial, shared ownership operations) or charter/ tion (ICAO) Declaration on International Aviation and Climate
air taxi type commercial, on-demand operations. The type of Change and espoused the acceptance of an ICAO proposal for
aircraft in use vary from large cabin ones to medium size, light aviation sectoral management of targets and monitoring of
and very light aircraft (say very light jets and turbo-props). greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in a post-Kyoto Agreement.

28    SP’S AVIATION    Issue 9 • 2010 www.spsaviation.net

Civil    Business Aviation

With a robust regime being put into place in North America and
Europe, it is only a question of time when the heat will be felt
by India and some tangible steps would have to be taken
to conform to internationally acceptable and enforceable
standards and norms on aviation emissions

To this end, the business aviation community committed to based measures. As far as technology is concerned, the focus
the following specific targets: is on improved efficiency—aircraft must be as light as possible
• Carbon-neutral growth by 2020. and use as little fuel as possible in order to transport a payload
• An improvement in fuel efficiency of an average of 2 per as far as possible. Business aircraft manufacturers have to lead
cent per year until 2020. the way in the use of innovative technologies that allow for
• A reduction in its total CO2 emissions by 50 per cent by more efficient operations. Manufacturers are firmly committed
2050 relative to 2005. to continue on this path. The collective promise of the business
Business aircraft are usually flown on point to point flights aircraft which manufacturing industry is to build a business
for specific purposes and endeavour to fly efficient, direct aircraft by 2050 will be 45 per cent more fuel-efficient than
routes between airports (more often small or secondary air- the ones built in 2005. The issue of aircraft noise has been ad-
ports than metro ones). It could be argued that business avia- dressed by ICAO since the 1960s for the aviation industry as a
tion is more efficient from the environmental point of view whole; the first of noise-related standards and recommended
than commercial aviation because the latter flies scheduled practices (SARP) were trundled out in 1971. The international
routes, which once scheduled, have to be flown irrespective business community, represented by International Business
of seat occupancy. In contrast, business aviation undertakes Aviation Council (IBAC),
specific flights to convey a passenger or positions to pick him is assertive that globally
up. Modern navigation equipment, combined with the latest all business aircraft meet
technologies in aircraft and engine design and operational Regulation the SARPs. Indeed, it feels
best practice provide for ever improving fuel efficiency and that business aircraft
reduced GHG emissions. Thus, the community, represented will have to have exploited emerging
by regional/national business aviation associations, claims an
excellent environmental record, but states that it is resolved to
be tightened technologies more than
aviation as a whole in
do more. Business aviation manufacturing and operating com- up in respect noise reduction. This is
munities have jointly developed an aggressive programme in
support of ICAO targets and are committed to contributing to
of aviation applicable to noise reduc-
tion methods applicable
the overall aviation goals. emissions to engine and airframe
Business aviation aims to achieve these objectives through noise. Engine emissions
expected advances in four areas—technology, infrastructure have been addressed very
and operational improvements, alternative fuels and market- labouriously by ICAO and

Issue 9 • 2010    SP’S AVIATION   29

Civil    Business Aviation
it is impossible to imagine an aircraft—business aviation or (NextGen) in the US and Single European Sky ATM Research
otherwise—to be non-compliant with the SARPs related to CO2, (SESAR) within Europe. Along with development and imple-
soot or carbon (C), NOx, CO, and particulates. Four of the major mentation of operational best practices to reduce fuel usage, it
engine manufacturers—Pratt & Whitney, GE, Honeywell and is hoped that these programmes will deliver 14 per cent of the
Rolls-Royce, continue to conduct research into the next gen- overall CO2 reductions by 2050.
eration of improvements for aircraft engines. However, envi- Alternative fuels are another area where business avia-
ronmental concerns are also addressed indirectly through air- tion industry is contributing towards the drive for research,
frame improvements to achieve a competitive advantage over development and deployment of commercially viable, sustain-
other manufacturers and to provide customers with aircraft able alternative aviation fuels. Research in Europe and North
that had more range, improved efficiency, and greater capa- America is expected to develop, certify and commercially im-
bility. This applies to both airliners and to business aircraft. plement such fuels within the next few years. Based on the
The objective is to design aircraft for greater fuel efficiency by developments so far, including test flights, business aviation is
reducing the weight of the aircraft and/or to reduce its drag expected to achieve a CO2 life cycle reduction of 40 per cent in
with improved aerodynamics. New materials, in particular absolute terms from biofuels by 2050. However, the end result
composites, are enabling aircraft manufacturers to make air- would be dependent on the continued flow of funding neces-
craft that are substantially lighter yet retain the strength of sary for meaningful research and development, especially so
the earlier, heavier materials. These lighter materials help to in North America.
reduce fuel consumption significantly, which in turn reduces Market-based measures are another attractive option to
emissions. Improved maintenance procedures can provide sig- reduce the impact of aviation on the environment; they could
nificant improvements in efficiency and therefore will decrease take the form of emissions trading, voluntary measures and
the environmental impact. Aircraft engines have very sophisti- levies. Emissions trading schemes (ETS) under Kyoto Protocol
cated electronic devices that measure fuel flow. If the computer are recognised to be a potential means of achieving emissions
detects higher than allowed fuel consumption, the problem is reductions at the lowest possible cost. ETS provide operators
identified and rectified as soon as practicable. This is primar- with the flexibility to reduce their own emissions or to pur-
ily for safety reasons but this practice also contributes to en- chase equivalent reductions from others, if doing so would
vironmental efficiency. Combinations of engine and airframe be less expensive. IBAC agrees that this can be an effective
improvements will deliver the most significant reductions in method of reducing the impact of aviation on the environ-
environmental impact. ment provided that the administrative costs are reasonable
Simultaneously, there is a thrust towards improved col- and would prefer that the money collected be reinvested in
laboration with air traffic management (ATM) providers to R&D to improve aviation technology. The European Business
accelerate implementation of air traffic infrastructure and Aviation Association is currently working with Eurocontrol to
procedures modernisation; the result would be, hopefully, con- develop a better tool for business aviation operators to meet
siderably reduced CO2 emissions. Modern air traffic manage- the European ETS requirements. An increasing number of
ment practices such as performance-based navigation (PBN) operators are voluntarily offsetting their emissions. Execujet
and reduced vertical separation minima (RVSM) have already Aviation Group has aligned with the Swiss-based Myclimate
made significant improvements in fuel efficiency, but there is non-profit organisation, to allow its charter customers to off-
still the potential for further reductions in fuel burn with the set the CO2 generated when they fly. NetJets Europe, the larg-
introduction of next generation air traffic management system est business aircraft operator in the region, has developed a
programme designed to make it 100 per cent carbon neutral
by 2012 and provide its fractional owners an opportunity to
Carbon dioxide emissions for private jets offset emissions for their flights. For this, they have partnered
Every time an aircraft flies, fuel is submitted into the air in the form of
with EcoSecurities. Original equipment manufacturers such
carbon dioxide. As Piaggio Aero P. 180 Avanti II claims the lowest fuel as Bombardier and Embraer offer their business aviation cus-
burn in the industry its carbon emissions are in turn also the lowest in tomers the option of participating in carbon offset schemes. In
the business aviation. It means more green in your pocket and more a Resolution adopted on December 9, 1996, the ICAO Coun-
green for the planet.
cil strongly recommended that any environmental levies on
aircraft class gallons per hour lbs co2 per hour air transport, which member states may want to introduce,
Gulfstream 400 Heavy 415 8785 should be in the form of charges rather than taxes and that
Falcon 2000 Heavy 330 6985 the funds collected should be applied in the first instance to
Challenger 604 Heavy 285 6033
mitigating the environmental impact of aircraft engine emis-
sions by repairing specific damages.
Citation X Medium 295 6245
North America has a lion’s share of business aviation—in
Hawker 800XP Medium 280 5927 terms of aircraft numbers, as well as volume of traffic. Eu-
Learjet 60XR Medium 230 4869 rope, however, has taken the lead in the area of environmen-
Citation CJ1 Light 120 2540 tal issues related to aviation. The European Union (EU) has a
consensus around the ETS, which would also apply to mem-
Hawker 400XP Light 180 3810
bers of National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), the
Learjet 40XR Light 180 3810 body representing US business aviation interests, and others
Piaggio Aero Light 100 2110 with flights to, from, or within EU states by 2012. Under the
P.180 Avanti II plan, each operator would be assigned to one of the states
Source: Helium Report/www.piaggioaero.com for the programme’s administration. NBAA has created an

30    SP’S AVIATION    Issue 9 • 2010 www.spsaviation.net

Civil    Business Aviation
EU-ETS web resource to explain what the programme means
for NBAA Members flying to the EU, answer common ques-
tions about the plan and outline what NBAA is doing to advo-
cate for the industry. Earlier this year, the scheme (EU-ETS)
has been expanded to include countries like Norway, Iceland
and Liechtenstein. Operators conducting flights to or from
aeronautical facilities in these countries or EU countries and
territories already included in the EU-ETS are required to
monitor and report their aviation emissions for those flights
as part of their compliance with the EU-ETS.
In India, the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has
set itself the following objectives in the overall civil aviation
context—to develop measures that help in reduction of fuel
consumption and to provide necessary guidance to adopt
these fuel reduction measures; to develop measures to im-
prove fuel efficiency and to provide necessary guidance in
adopting these measures; to guide and provide necessary
guidance to the stakeholders in adopting voluntary measures
in reducing carbon footprints; to assess the local air quality
around all domestic and international airports in the country
in order to develop emissions inventory from aviation sector;
to develop a baseline data for CO2 emission around airports
with year 2005 as base year in order to compare the results
after implementing various emissions mitigation techniques;
to develop noise mitigating techniques in order to reduce
noise due to aircraft movements in the vicinity of airport; to
develop noise contours around the airport to define zones
with prescribed noise limits and to develop a threshold noise
levels in the airport vicinity along with the Ministry of Envi-
ronment and Forest/CPCB where the noise limits would be
expected to be higher than normal categories.
Towards the achievement of these laudable objectives, an
environment unit was established on June 5, 2009 with the
stated aim of “striving to help the stakeholders in reducing
the carbon footprints of the organisations through various
feasible and economical measures.” However, it works spo-
radically and does not have much to show by way of achieve-
ment. At the high level meeting on International Aviation and
Climate Change held at Montréal in October 2009, India pre-
sented an information paper. The paper makes no mention
of any plans, strategies or measures that relate specifically to
business aviation. The differential in the approaches (towards
business aviation and environment) of US/EU on the one
hand and India on the other, is stark and evident. However,
this depressing fact needs to be viewed against the backdrop
of no specific targets having been set by India even for avia-
tion emissions as a whole.
With a robust regime being put into place in North Amer-
ica and Europe, it is only a question of time when the heat
will be felt by India and some tangible steps would have to be
taken to conform to internationally acceptable and enforce-
able standards and norms on aviation emissions. The pros-
pects of an environmental policy related to aviation are hazy
(the two concerned ministries have already shown discord
over environment issues, e.g. those related to the proposed
airport at Navi Mumbai). Increasingly, however, regulation
will have to be tightened up in respect of aviation emissions.
Concerned decision-makers would be well advised to keep
evolving emission standards and features in mind while
making purchase decisions on business aircraft intended for
operations in India into the next decade.  SP
DASSAULT FALCON 2000LX
what dassault is doing
D
assault is carefully preparing for the coming of alternate fuels. Dassault’s
objective is to ensure compatibility of their product with synthetic fuels
that will become available as credible alternatives to Jet A1. Activities that
Dassault are currently involved in are:
At the Societal Level
Dassault is participating in national and European ethic committees in order to
ensure a good understanding of business aviation context and requirements by
all the stakeholders (final users, oil producers, food producers, public and military
offices, etc). The objective is to make sure that the global policies for sustainable
growth and energy security include a technically and economically sensible road-
map for business/commercial aviation.
At the Aircraft Level
Engine manufacturers are proactive on the use of alternative fuels for aviation.
Dassault is working closely with them. And, in addition, the company is working
at the aircraft level, in order to check the fuel system as a whole.
Dassault is involved in various national or European programmes to bring the
airframer perspective in the development of alternative fuel for aviation. A four-
year European programme called Alpha-Bird was launched, involving 27 partners,
including Institut Français du Pétrole (French Institute for Oil), European engine
manufacturers (Snecma, Rolls-Royce and oil companies (Shell, Sasol). The objec-
tive is to evaluate the best options for biofuels for aviation and the compatibility
of fuel systems with promising alternative fuels.
Dassault is also involved in the French national programmes called CAER
(Carburants Alternatifs pour l’AERonautique).
Dassault’ roadmap includes extensive tests on a rig to operate a fuel system
with actual alternative fuels by 2012.
Falcon, the Green Factor
Today, some alternatives to fossil fuel exist, but in little quantities. And they are not
“green fuels” yet. First “drop-in” biofuels are expected to be approved by 2012.
Dassault’s vision of sustainable aviation is not limited to the single issue of
being prepared for the coming of alternative fuels. Dassault’s prime strategy still
remains the optimisation of the aircraft and therefore “fuel efficiency”. Falcons are
20 to 60 per cent more fuel efficient than comparable aircraft. Meaning 20 to 60
per cent greener. And the company is steadily working to improve their standards.
Dassault is investigating all aspects of new technologies to develop environmen-
tally friendly aircraft, such as energy management, fuel cells, flight management,
structural design, aerodynamics efficiency and more.  •
Source: Dassault Aviation and Dassault Falcon Jet Corp
Issue 9 • 2010    SP’S AVIATION   31
 Civil    Business Aviation

Reducing Noise &

Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Embraer has researched and studied new technologies for reducing
internal and external noise levels, for greater comfort of passengers,
and to lessen the impact on airports and surroundings

F
or the aeronautics industry, sector and seeks to mitigate the effects of
environmental issues are aviation on the environment.
directly connected to prod- Embraer participates in the develop-
uct performance. Due to ment of public policies related to future
peculiarities inherent to air product regulations in conjunction with
transportation, airplanes governments and representatives of so-
consume a considerable amount of fuel, ciety in general.
so operational efficiency is fundamen- Company technicians participate in
tal to reducing the impact on the envi- the Environmental Protection Commit-
ronment, especially in the emission of tee of the International Civil Aviation Or-
greenhouse gases. ganisation (ICAO). The committee works
The pursuit of better performance is to improve aviation’s performance in
connected to our efforts to provide more terms of noise, greenhouse gas emis-
comprehensive contributions to the envi- sions and air quality.
ronment, by making all aeronautical ac-
tivities more sustainable. Regarding the EMBRAER’S FIRST ETHANOL POWERED
improvement of our aircraft, we put con- AIRCRAFT
tinuous effort into their aerodynamics, in By Jose Eduardo Costas In 2005, Embraer became the first man-
order to reduce drag during flight and as ufacturer to develop and certify a 100
a result improve fuel consumption. per cent biofuel powered aircraft.
The pursuit of better aircraft perfor- This achievement was the result
mance is present in several company of a partnership with the Department
actions, beginning with the engineer- of Aerospace Science and Technology
ing specialisation programme, which (Departamento de Ciência e Tecnologia
has graduated more than 950 engineers Aeroespacial – DCTA), which allowed
since 2001, who are conscious of preventive actions that Embraer to manufacture the Ipanema crop duster with a
should be taken relative to environmental issues. 320 HP ethanol-powered engine.
Embraer has monitored the development of the new gen- Although the Ipanema crop duster has been in produc-
erations of engines in partnership with the manufacturers of tion since 1970 and was one of the first aircraft to be de-
propulsion systems, and we are alert to new technological signed and produced by Embraer, in 2005, its 1,000th mod-
changes that should be implemented in the next few years. el become even more historic because it was also the first
The company has researched and studied new technologies one to be equipped with an ethanol-powered engine which
for reducing internal and external noise levels, for greater uses the same fuel as automobiles (hydrated ethanol).
comfort of passengers, and to lessen the impact on airports Besides producing less pollution, this fuel extends the
and surroundings. useful life of the engine and reduces the aircraft’s operat-
We have invested in the use of lighter materials in order ing cost.
to reduce the structural weight of the aircraft, and we have Since 2005, Embraer has been offering ethanol conver-
Photograph: Embraer

incorporated more electrical systems that are less depen- sion kits for the airplanes powered by aviation gasoline
dant on the power produced by the engines. (AvGas). Currently, around 25 per cent of the Brazilian fleet
The interface of our activities with weather issues is uses ethanol.
especially important for Embraer and the entire aeronau- In 2005 as well, the Ipanema received the Aeronautics
tics industry. We are part of the Air Transport Action Group Industry Award in the General Aviation category, presented
(ATAG), which gathers the main players in the air transport by the renowned British magazine Flight International. That

32    SP’S AVIATION    Issue 9 • 2010 www.spsaviation.net

Civil    Business Aviation
same year, another important international publication, the
Scientific American, considered it to be one of the 50 most
important inventions of the year. In Brazil, the Ipanema was
granted the Melhores da Terra (Best on Earth) Award by the
Gerdau Group.
The Ipanema has since established itself as the first air-
plane in the world to be produced in series with an ethanol-
powered engine.
JOINT RENEWABLE JET FUEL EVALUATION PROJECT
In December 2009, Embraer, together with General Elec-
tric and Amyris signed a memorandum of understanding to
evaluate the technical and sustainability aspects of Amyris’
No CompromiseTM renewable jet fuel.
The programme aims to develop a fuel, produced by
Amyris from sugarcane, via a modern fermentation process.
The initiative is to culminate in a demo flight, by early 2012,
of an Embraer E-Jet using GE engines and belonging to Azul
Linhas Aéreas.
This collaboration combines industry leadership in air-
frame and engine manufacturing, a new and committed
airline, and next-generation jet fuel development and pro-
duction. The goal is to accelerate the introduction of a re-
newable jet fuel that could significantly lower greenhouse
gas (GHG) emissions and provide a long-term sustainable
alternative to petroleum-derived jet fuel.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSCIOUSNESS IN PRACTICE
Units
In 1998, Embraer initiated its selective collection programme,
involving all the sectors in the Company. Since then, several
improvements have been carried out and include qualification
of the collectors, and training of employees.
The collection programme involves the collection and
subsequent recycling of newspapers, magazines, cardboard,
plastic cups, PVC pipes, glass in general, debris from factory
sweeping, metallic parts, aluminium cans, cloths and rags
contaminated with inflammable materials, and even batter-
ies (including cell phone ones) and fluorescent lamps.
The company has placed colour-coded containers in its
facilities in Brazil, for the collection of every kind of residue
generated; these containers can be made of fibres and are
recyclable. This initiative endures till today.
Additionally, Embraer has put in place an Industrial Res-
idue Management system at its units in Brazil.
The generation of solid residues has been the topic of
various arguments and debate in many companies. The re-
quirements for a solution to this problem call for investments,
not only to create areas suitably assigned to receive, sort and
store these residues, but also for their correct disposal.
Embraer’s facilities in Brazil have areas suitable for the
receipt and final destination of residue such as solvents, lu-
bricating oils, batteries, paint remnants and biological slush,
whether by incineration, recovery, recycling or another
method of disposal—always in full compliance with CETESB
(São Paulo State Environmental Sanitation Technology Com-
pany) specifications.
The collection of residues such as paper, cardboard and
plastic is carried out separately from the others, because
some of them undergo recycling.
Products
Due to its clean sheet design and Embraer’s world-class en-
gineering, the Phenom 300 offers many environmental ad-
vantages not previously found in other aircraft in its class.
The Phenom 300 is able to fly the same distance, carry-
ing the same number of passengers and at the same speeds
as existing light jets (for example the Learjet 40, Hawker
400, and CJ4), but producing 10 per cent to 25 per cent less
CO2 emissions.
This is made possible due to a series of decisions that
took place during the design and development of the air-
craft. A few examples of such solutions include the smart
use of composite materials, replacement of traditional
pilot systems by a smart probe and the use of brake-by-
wire technology.
Also, a new generation engine digitally controlled by two
dedicated computers optimises fuel consumption guaran-
teeing lower emissions. A refined aerodynamic design ap-
plied to the fuselage assures low drag and contributes to im-
proved emissions. Lastly, the Phenom 300 surpasses ICAO
Stage 4 Acoustics requirements.
The Legacy 600 too—in both its original and new gen-
eration models (with enhanced avionics)—provides some
peace of mind as it produces an average of 28 per cent less
CO2 than competitors’ older aircraft and 21 per cent less
than current generation jets.
Community
Embraer takes part in committees and advisory boards as
a Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo (FIESP)
representative in Brazil.
These agencies are made up of a collegiate, of an advi-
sory and deliberative nature, on environmental issues:
• CEIVAP—Comitê Estadual Vale Paraíba do Sul (Vale
Paraíba do Sul State Committee).
• CBHP—Comitê Bacia Hidrográfica do Paraíba do Sul
(Paraíba do Sul Drainage Basin Committee).
• COMAM—Conselho Municipal de Meio Ambiente (En-
vironmental City Council).
• Environment management practices.
Because of its constant concern with the environment,
Embraer sets up and documents procedures and plans for
monitoring and measuring, from time to time, the main as-
pects of the company’s operations and activities that may
have a significant impact on the environment, in addition
to other procedures and plans to improve the quality of life
at work and lessen the environmental impact.
Towards this end, Embraer recognises the importance
of ISO14001 environmental certification and actively works
to maintain it in all Embraer national units and obtain it for
the international ones, by significantly investing in the de-
velopment of its environmental, occupational health, safety
and quality integrated management system, internally called
SIG-MASSQ.
Embraer units in Brazil are certified by the ISO 14001
norm and it was the first aeronautical company in the world
to accomplish that goal.  SP
— Mr Costas is Vice President,
Sales & Marketing-Asia Pacific,
Embraer Executive Jets
Issue 9 • 2010    SP’S AVIATION   33
 Civil    Business Aviation
With each new
aircraft, we work to
decrease noise and
lower emissions
Increasingly, aircraft manufacturers have to factor in
environmental features while making a sales pitch for their aircraft
as the aviation community is becoming demanding with regard
to fuel burn, emissions, noise, etc. Gulfstream, a major business jet
manufacturer, has been a good steward of the environment and
it has committed itself to carbon neutral growth by 2020. Jason
Akovenko, Regional Vice President, Asia-Pacific, Gulfstream, spoke to
SP’s Aviation about what the company has outlined with regard
to environment and its business in India.
SP’s Aviation (SP’s): Do Indian operators ask for aircraft
which is environmental-friendly—less noise, less burn of
fuel, etc, or are they just looking at the price factor?
Jason Akovenko: With each new aircraft Gulfstream pro-
vides, it works to improve fuel efficiency, decrease noise and
lower emissions. Operators do not have to choose between
an environmentally friendly aircraft and a cost-effective one.
In fact, those two factors go hand in hand.
SP’s: Unlike Europe or the developed parts of the world, In-
dia is less conscious of the environmental impacts of busi-
ness aviation. Do you have operator manuals to improve
efficiency, reduce environmental impact? Do you have to
educate the Indian buyer more than anywhere else?
Akovenko: In the early 1980s, Gulfstream developed a
unique quiet flying procedure for its customers and promot-
ed that procedure until it became a standard practice for
most pilots. Another document called “The Noise Informa-
tion Manual” provides specific noise-abatement procedures
for a select group of noise-sensitive airports. This document
Photograph: Gulfstream
has recently been revised and continues to be a good source
of information for our customers. In 2008, Gulfstream pro-
moted environmentally conscious flying through a type of
best practice guide called “Performance Procedures for Fuel
and CO2 Conservation”. This document provides practical
steps for the pilot to use in order to reduce fuel burn and
34    SP’S AVIATION    Issue 9 • 2010
hence CO2. It covers all aspects of flight (taxi, climb, cruise,
descent and landing). It also provides tips for planning a
flight that would reduce fuel burn, such as fuel loading as
well as simple ways to reduce unnecessary payload. This
information can also be found on Waypoints, Gulfstream’s
flight operations website.
We work with all of our operators, regardless of their
location, to ensure they can operate their aircraft efficiently,
which not only helps the environment but saves them mon-
ey as well.
SP’s: What are the developments at Gulfstream with
regard to environment, noise abatement, etc?
Akovenko: Gulfstream has a long history of being a good
steward of the environment.
Aero/Propulsion/Systems: Gulfstream takes an integrated
design approach to optimise airplane performance and ef-
ficiency. Gulfstream continues to explore the use of lighter
weight materials, including composite materials in future
products and is utilising high-powered computing to opti-
mise the aerodynamic shape by evaluating literally thou-
sands of designs against performance and efficiency crite-
ria. We also continue to work closely with propulsion system
suppliers to achieve step improvements in fuel efficiency,
noise and emissions that are expected in the next genera-
tion engines. Our systems’ integration and simulation capa-
www.spsaviation.net
Civil    Business Aviation
bility allows us to right-size the airplane systems to reduce • A reduction in total CO2 emissions of 50 per cent by
weight and minimise power extraction requirements from 2050 relative to 2005
the engines.
Gulfstream also leverages the capability inherent in a fly- SP’s: There is so much talk about alternative fuels in
by-wire (FBW) control system by reconfiguring the airplane to aviation. Will it become a reality in the next five years?
a low-drag configuration based on flight condition, and to re- Akovenko: Gulfstream is evaluating alternative fuels. If our
duce critical design loads, thereby reducing structural weight. researchers conclude that they’re safe and effective, we may
Avionic Systems: Gulfstream has invested significantly in the incorporate them into our operating manual.
development of new avionics and functionality to improve
safety and operational capability while also providing im- SP’s: Gulfstream has had long association with India and
proved efficiency. Gulfstream’s Enhanced Flight Vision Sys- India’s business aviation sector is opening up fast. What
tem is an example. This revolutionary product utilises infrared are the drivers in India for business aviation?
technologies to allow pilots see through fog and at night. When Akovenko: When we look at the market in India, we see con-
used during approach and landing, it reduces the probability siderable upward potential. The country has been enjoying
of go-arounds or diversions to other airports thus saving fuel. robust economic growth, which has contributed to wealth
Gulfstream has also recently received FAA approval for creation. This has spurred strong demand for private jets.
required navigation performance special aircraft and air- Additionally, a number of trends support the growth of pri-
crew authorisation required (RNP SAAAR). This feature al- vate aviation in India, including:
lows precision vertical and lateral navigation guidance to • A dynamic business culture
within 0.1 nautical miles and allows improved use of pre- • Increasing global business linkages, including Indian
ferred airspace routes which results in lowered fuel usage. acquisitions abroad
Gulfstream’s PlaneView Flight Deck is capable of send- • Recognition in government and industry that aviation
ing and receiving real-time data, including weather, such as helps foster economic growth
winds aloft and thunderstorm data. Using a sophisticated on-
board flight management system (FMS), the flight crew can SP’s: How many Gulfstream aircraft are there in India at
make strategic decisions to fly at altitudes that optimise fuel present and what is the target, considering reports that
burn for the planned route. Planeview also utilises four large by 2015, India will require 1400 private aircraft? Do you
liquid crystal displays laid out in landscape format. They are have any plans to develop the market? How do you posi-
capable of displaying multiple formats including navigation tion Gulfstream in this competitive market?
maps overlaid with weather radar data. Gulfstream recently Akovenko: Today, India has a private jet fleet of nearly 130
certified its synthetic vision system, synthetic vision-primary aircraft, versus 11,000 in the United States. That provides
flight display, which uses an on-board terrain database to considerable room for growth. There are 17 Gulfstream
display 3-D image of the surrounding terrain. This improves aircraft in the Indian fleet, all of them in the mid- to large-
safety by increasing the pilot’s situational awareness rela- cabin segments, making them among the most capable pri-
tive to surrounding terrain, significant obstacles and runway vate aircraft in India. Companies and individuals will need
location. The safety benefits of Gulfstream’s SV-PFD were to fly farther as business expands among continents, pro-
recognised by industry when it was awarded the Honeywell- viding an incentive to trade up to larger Gulfstream mod-
Bendix Trophy for Aviation Safety in 2008. els or acquire Gulf-
For the future, Gulfstream is actively involved in industry stream aircraft for
developments and plans to develop new systems in line with the first time.
FAA’s NextGen, Europe’s SESAR, India’s GAGAN, etc. As an Gulfstream Over a quarter
example, continuous descent trajectory is the ability to begin
the descent to an airport hundreds of miles away at idle pow-
is evaluating century, Gulfstream
has earned a repu-
er without the standard level-offs of today. Using advanced alternative tation as the pre-
on-board navigation systems and displays, the aircraft can
reach the airport with significantly less fuel burned. fuels. If our ferred provider of
private jets to many
Airframe Noise Research: Gulfstream in cooperation with researchers of the country’s
NASA has taken the lead in researching the main contribu-
tors of airframe noise. Over the past three years, significant conclude that business leaders.
The Indian aviation
investment and progress were made with applications for they’re safe and industry is strong
future development programmes. The momentum of this and vibrant and we
initiative has grown into the development of a research con- effective, we are excited about
sortium that includes government, industry and academic
agencies. At this point, Gulfstream is recognised as an in-
may incorporate the future. Gulf-
stream continues to
dustry leader in airframe noise research with benchmark them into expand its commit-
problems, computational aeroacoustics and noise predic-
tion software development. Gulfstream also supports IBAC’s
our operating ment in the country
by significantly in-
Business Aviation Statement on Climate Change: manual. creasing marketing
• Carbon neutral growth by 2020 and product support
• An improvement in fuel efficiency averaging 2 per cent activities to serve
per year from today until 2020 our customers.  SP

Issue 9 • 2010    SP’S AVIATION   35

 Civil    Business Aviation
Towards
Carbon-neutral Growth
Bombardier is not just defining luxury in business jets
but also working on aircraft development to make
the jets more environmental friendly
D
espite the fact that civil avia-
tion generates less than 2
per cent of the world’s car-
bon dioxide emissions, air-
line manufacturers have
focused attention towards a global vi-
sion for carbon-neutral
growth. Bombardier, a
world leader in aircraft
manufacturing is in the
forefront of such devel-
opment—it is not just de-
fining luxury in business
jets but also working on
aircraft development to
make the jets more envi-
ronmental friendly.
Guy C. Hachey, Presi-
dent and Chief Operat-
ing Officer, Bombardier
Aerospace, said, “We are
duty-bound to build on
the aviation industry’s
significant progress till
date—a 70 per cent im-
provement in aircraft
fuel efficiency over the
past 40 years. In years to come,
our new and more fuel-efficient C-
Series and Learjet 85 aircraft will
help our customers meet more
stringent targets. In terms of eco-
nomic measures to mitigate the
impact of emissions, we are lead-
ing the way with our Carbon Offset
Programme for business aircraft
and Flexjet customers. Optimis-
ing aviation’s infrastructure and
uncovering more efficient ways of
Photographs: Bombardier
operating aircraft are also among
our priorities.”
Giving a further perspective on
that, Nilesh Pattanayak, Managing
Director, South Asia, said, “We’ve
implemented the design for envi-
ronment engineering in new prod-
36    SP’S AVIATION    Issue 9 • 2010
By R. Chandrakanth
Guy C. Hachey
Nilesh Pattanayak
uct development. We also integrated the
use of composites technology with our new
Learjet 85 business jet, made of composite
materials, which is scheduled for entry
into service in 2013. These initiatives aim
at reducing the impact of our products on
the environment.”
“The Learjet 85 is re-
ally a perfect example of
integrating these initia-
tives in product design.
For example, the jet is
powered by two Pratt &
Whitney Canada PW307B
engines, each boasting
6,100 pounds of take-off
thrust at sea level 86°F
(30°C) and low noise lev-
els. It also features an ad-
vanced low NOx emission
combuster with reduced
environmental impact. The
composite structure of the
aircraft also reduces main-
tenance requirements on
the aircraft,” he added.
Indian market
On being asked about the market
for business jets in India, Pat-
tanayak mentioned that this year
the company was forecasting 325
deliveries for India between 2010
and 2019, but that’s for all busi-
ness aircraft manufacturers.
“We currently have over 20
Bombardier business jets based
in India, and we’re committed
to expanding our customer sup-
port network, in order to better
support our customers based in
the region. As the Indian market
is growing fast, the expected de-
liveries in the next few years will
require an expanded network for
the region,” said Pattanayak.  SP
www.spsaviation.net
 Business Aviation   OEM

Selling
Corporate Aircraft
We have every reason to be optimistic for
the future and with a little help from Adam
Smith’s ‘invisible hand’, the markets and
market confidence will return strongly as the
world economy moves forward

I
am sure many of the manufacturers By Trevor Esling new airplane deliveries, with generally a
of business aircraft were pleased to 6-8 quarter lag from the former to the
see 2009 recede into the distance latter. Corporate profits are indeed up in
as 2010 arrived. It was a very dif- some cases now, but confidence is not,
ficult year, characterised by the so buying high-value capital goods like
fallout from the October 2008 Lehman an airplane, in the current climate, is not
Brothers insolvency that sent the world economy into a deep high on a CEO’s list of things to do. That reluctance to buy is
recession. 2010 has been a year when many economies in particularly marked when shareholders are apt to consider
the West have finally begun making their way out of recession this type of spending ‘corporate excess’ rather than as we in
and started to record positive growth. World Bank projections the industry would strongly argue, corporate good sense to
for the growth in world gross domestic product (GDP) are deploy your best assets (your people) in a time-efficient and
reasonably robust. So, does 2010 provide a better climate for safe manner all around the world as business opportunities
the sale of corporate aircraft? Well, its both yes and no. present themselves. Cessna exemplified that approach with
True, the economies of the East—China and India in par- the Rise campaign in the US, which was designed to offset
ticular—are growing strongly (as indeed is Brazil). However, the negative publicity the current US Administration at one
in our markets these areas (with the exception of Brazil) re- point supported, in the ‘anti-business jet’ line it was taking
main relatively small consumers of our products. World trade with the US financial industry.
has made a progressive comeback, and with that has the need So we see a market characterised by a smaller number of
to travel. Airlines, therefore, are enjoying increased demand, new or used transactions than before the recession, aggressive
although yields remain low. The market more generally is price competition, and over-supply of used aircraft exerting a
characterised by difficult pricing, whether it be corporate air- downward pressure on pricing. The aircraft charter business
craft for charter or bulk shipping rates for commodities. Gen- has begun to return to form, but pricing is the key to keeping
eral business confidence is an elusive concept. It is difficult your aircraft flying. All in all, we still find ourselves in difficult
to secure and easily lost. So while 2010 started off hopefully, trading conditions in 2010, but it is a significant improvement
issues like the European sovereign debt crisis, exemplified by over 2009. This time next year and further into 2012, we will
the travails of Greece, Ireland, Spain and Portugal, continue see a gradual but substantial improvement and most indus-
to drain confidence from the markets. One only has to look at try commentators expect to see growth resume in that time-
the world stock markets to see that. Market volatility, while frame. In the meantime, it will prove to be an interesting sell-
it may be good for stockbrokers, is not ing environment for corporate aircraft.
a recipe for solidifying and then grow- We believe in the long-term viability of
ing general confidence in the prospects our industry with the opening up of new
of the world economy. While more sub-
dued now than previously, fear remains The markets markets and the increasing penetration
of new aircraft sales in existing markets.
a greater concern than making money. and market We are bullish for the future, while also
For example, the US private sector is sit-
ting on significant cash reserves but will confidence will recognising that the short-term will be
marked by tougher trading conditions.
not spend them, and in fact a significant return strongly I think we have every reason to be op-
proportion of those funds are located timistic for the future and with a little
offshore out of the reach of the US tax- as the world help from Adam Smith’s ‘invisible hand’,
man (and therefore not being invested economy moves the markets and market confidence will
Photograph: cessna

to stimulate the US consumption and return strongly as the world economy

employment). forward moves forward.  SP
For many years, one of the few good — Mr Esling is
correlations of aircraft demand was Vice President, International Sales,
corporate profitability graphed against Cessna Aircraft Company

Issue 9 • 2010    SP’S AVIATION   37

 Military   OEM
Wallop designs, manufactures
and supplies a wide range of
airborne passive countermeasure
chaff (RF) and Infra Red (IR)
decoys for use in a wide variety
of dispensing systems

Customised
Solutions
W
allop Defence Systems Ltd, Craydown Lane, Hamp-
shire, England is a division of the Esterline Defense
Group with corporate headquarters in the USA.
The parent company, Esterline Technical Corpora-
tion, is a multi-national operation and has a turnover in excess
of $1.5 billion (`7,000 crore) employing more than 8,000 per-
sonnel. Wallop designs and manufactures a range of airborne
devices, defence pyrotechnics and naval countermeasure prod-
ucts for use by armed forces and in search and rescue.
Wallop designs, manufactures and supplies a wide range
of airborne passive countermeasure chaff (RF) and Infra Red
(IR) decoys for use in a wide variety of dispensing systems
from both fixed and rotary-wing aircraft. The decoys are
tailored to platform, meeting the customer’s individual op-
erating requirements. These decoys are used to defeat both
heat-seeking (IR) and radar-guided (RF) missiles. Wallop has
over 50 years of experience in designing/manufacturing a
wide range of IR flares. We can offer traditional magnesium
teflon viton (MTV) flares for use against first generation mis-
siles and advanced dual band spectral flares designed to de-
feat more advanced missiles.
Wallop’s chaff and flares are suitable for use on both Rus-
sian and Western fixed and rotary-wing aircraft including
MiG-29, Su-30, Mi-17, Mi-8, AH-64 Apache, CH-47 Chinook,
Sea King, Lynx, Super Puma, Panther, Cougar, EH-101, C-130,
C-17, CN-295M, C-160, Jaguar, Hawk Mk 132, Tornado, Har-
rier GR-9, Harrier AV-8B, F-16, F/A-18 and Typhoon. Chaff
and flare dispensing systems supported include ALE-40,
ALE-47, ALE-29/39, ALE-29A, Thales Vicon 78 CDMS Series,
SAAB (BOZ and PHIMAT series) M130, ASO-2V, BVP-30-26M
and BVP-50-30 (50mm) APP-50. Cartridges are available in
several formats; square, rectangular and cylindrical. All sizes
and origin of dispensers can be accommodated. The flares
are usually supplied with electric squibs (ignitors) pre-fitted
which can be supplied separately as required.
Advanced chaff cartridges are available. The RR-180 car-
tridge effectively doubles the shots per magazine of ALE-47
Photograph: wallop
Wallop comprehensively supports UK and NATO chaff and
flare trials aimed at enhancing platform protection. Wallop
has supplied a range of chaff and flare cartridges to the Indian
Air Force and to the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, Bangalore in
support of product qualification. The company supports ac-
tivities at various Indian ordnance factories (Pune, Jabalpur)
in the development of both airborne and naval decoys.
In addition to manufacturing airborne countermeasures,
Wallop designs and manufactures decoys for a wide range
of both naval platforms including the KAVACH naval decoy
launcher in service with the Indian Navy. Wallop also sup-
plies chaff payloads to RWM GmbH Germany for use in their
naval decoy system known as MASS. This comprises train-
able decoy launcher dispensing chaff and IR decoys.
Wallop’s naval 102mm Super Barricade decoy counter-
measure system is in active service with the Indian Navy and
many countries worldwide. Wallop’s ammunition for use
with this system includes seduction, confusion and distrac-
tion spin-stabilised chaff rockets configured to meet custom-
er’s operational requirements. Other products manufactured
include the float, smoke and flame sea marker. This buoy-
ant device is designed to be released from helicopters and
fixed wing aircraft to indicate a position in the sea for both
day and night marking. The lambent orange flame and white
smoke has a typical burning time in excess of five minutes.
A recent product developed by Wallop and now entering
service is the 16mm mini-signal. This personal survival hand-
operated device provides eight individual, high intensity flares
up to a height in excess of 90 metres. The mini-signal may be
used as a signalling mode as well as in a search and rescue
role. Wallop manufactures a range of tracking flares for air-
to-air and ground-to-air testing and training. These high-
reliability flares are for use in conjunction with tail-tracked
guided missiles. In addition, target flares are offered for tar-
get enhancement from visible to IR spectra.
Wallop Defence Systems will be exhibiting at INDESEC,
Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, from September 6-8, 2010.

and similar dispensers by firing two separate chaff payloads
from each chaff cartridge. The standard aluminised glass
filaments (chaff) measure 23/25 microns. However, Wallop
is able to supply chaff filaments of nominally 17 microns
diameter significantly increasing the RCS of the chaff cloud.
David Connors, Sales & Marketing Director and David
Radford, Business Development Manager, will be present.
You can write to them at dave.connors@wallopdefence.com
and david.radford@wallopdefence.com respectively. For
further details visit www.wallopdefence.com.  SP

38    SP’S AVIATION    Issue 9 • 2010 www.spsaviation.net

Hall of Fame
C
an a woman pilot enter
an aviation race against men
and hope to win? The answer
would have been an emphat-
ic “No” in the early days of
flight. But in 1936, Louise Thaden, one
of America’s foremost female aviators
of the 1930s, changed all that.
Iris Louise McPhetridge was born in
Bentonville, Arkansas, USA, on Novem-
ber 12, 1905. She had an adven-
turous childhood—hunting and
fishing. Her father fostered her
mechanical skills by teaching her
to repair the family car. At the age
of 14, she signed up for a biplane
trip with a local barnstormer—an
early hint of an abiding passion for
flight. Later, her job with the Trav-
el Air Manufacturing Corporation
offered free pilot’s lessons as a
bonus and she seized the opportu-
nity. She earned her pilot’s certifi-
cate in May 1928. The same year,
she married Herbert von Thaden,
an aeronautical engineer and de-
signer of all-metal aircraft, and
added Thaden to her name. This
was an era of frenzied aviation
record setting—with some marks
being overtaken in months or
even weeks. Louise set the world’s
first official women’s altitude re-
cord of 20,260 feet on December
7, 1928. On April 29, 1929, she set
the women’s endurance record of
22 hours, 3 minutes, 12 seconds.
A month later, she set a new speed
mark of 156 mph, thus becoming
the only woman to hold all three
records simultaneously.
But women’s records were just
women’s records. Female pilots
were not welcome to compete
against men. So for some years, a
separate race called the National
Women’s Air Derby was organ-
ised. In August 1929, the first such
women-only cross-continent race
started from Santa Monica, Cali-
fornia and ended in Cleveland, Ohio.
Thaden entered the 2,800-mile test of
endurance, flying ability and courage.
Tragedy struck early when race con-
testant Marvel Crosson died after she
bailed out from her stricken aircraft
and her parachute did not open. One
newspaper headline read, “Women
have conclusively proven that they
cannot fly.” Louise was undeterred.
She once wrote, “If your time has
come, it is a glorious way to pass over.
The smell of burning oil, the feel of
strength and the power beneath your
hands, so quick has been the transi-
tion between life and death, there still
must linger in your mind’s eye the ev-
erlasting beauty and joy of flight.” The
other pilots decided that the best trib-
ute to Marvel would be to persist. After
eight exhausting days, Louise won the
LOUISE THADEN
(1905 - 1979)
On April 29, 1929, she set
the women’s endurance
record of 22 hours,
3 minutes, 12 seconds.A
month later, she set a new
speed mark of 156 mph,
thus becoming the only
woman to hold all three
records simultaneously.
race, beating such celebrated fliers as
Amelia Earhart and Blanche Noyes.
Is there any limit to human endur-
ance? In 1932, Louise Thaden and
Frances Marsalis set out to prove there
wasn’t. They flew a Curtiss Thrush bi-
plane over New York for 196 hours. The
aircraft was refuelled 78 times during
flight. Food and water were lowered
from another aircraft by means of a
rope. The women made a series of live
radio broadcasts from the biplane and
the event secured national interest.
In 1936, women pilots were finally
permitted to compete in the presti-
gious Bendix Trophy Race, till then
it was an all-male affair. Apart from
the main trophy, race officials offered
a special $2,500 award for the first
aviatrix to finish the race—a sort of
consolation prize. Louise Thaden and
co-pilot Blanche Noyes decided to
enter. They flew a Beech C17R, of
which the back seat had been re-
moved and an extra 56 gallon gas
tank had been installed. Only one
fuel stop was planned. Almost im-
mediately after take off, their ra-
dio quit, forcing them to navigate
by dead reckoning. Bad weather
beset them across the entire con-
tinent. Encountering extremely
high headwinds and turbulence
through the final stretch, they
practically gave up hope of reach-
ing before the 6 p.m. deadline.
Further, they crossed the finish
line from the wrong direction in
front of thousands of cheering
fans. However, they finished the
race first, in a record time of 14
hours and 55 minutes. As win-
ners, they received not only the
first prize but also the women’s
consolation prize. For this feat,
Louise was awarded the presti-
gious Harmon Trophy as the most
outstanding US aviatrix for 1936.
Louise Thaden was always a
keen sponsor of women in avia-
tion. In 1930, together with Ame-
lia Earhart, she established an
international organisation for
women pilots called The Ninety-
Nines, which is prominent in
aviation circles to this day. Lou-
ise served as its treasurer and
vice-president. She died follow-
ing a heart attack on November
9, 1979. She once said, “To a psy-
choanalyst, a woman pilot, par-
ticularly a married one with children,
must prove an interesting as well as an
inexhaustible subject. Torn between
two loves, emotionally confused, the
desire to fly an incurable disease eat-
ing out your life in the slow torture of
frustration—she cannot be a simple,
natural personality.” This was her life
in a nutshell.  SP
—Group Captain (Retd)
Joseph Noronha, Goa
Issue 9 • 2010    SP’S AVIATION   39
news Digest
Military Air Marshal NAK Browne Air Super Hornets... This (road- QuickRoundUp
Officer Commanding-in-Chief, map) will give the IAF flex-
Asia-Pacific Western Air Command visited ibility over the years if they
Leh airbase to oversee the re- want to integrate or insert Aerojet
Procurement of helicopters lief and air bridge operations. new technologies,” Boeing
Defence Minister A.K. Antony His visit included review of Defence, Space and Security • Aerojet has announced that it has
in a written reply in the Lok infrastructure of Leh airbase India head Vivek Lall said in successfully tested an advanced solid
Sabha stated that a contract as well as meeting the station New Delhi. Boeing’s F/A-18 ramjet fuel in an engine ground test.
for the procurement of 12 AW- personnel, who he commend- E/F fighter aircraft is one of The fuel is being developed to pro-
101 helicopters was signed ed for their outstanding work the six contenders in the race vide long-range, high-speed capability
between the Ministry of during the first few hours of for supplying 126 multi-role for the US military and potentially for
Defence and AgustaWestland flood where they restored combat aircraft to the IAF the future USAF/Navy joint dual role
Limited, United Kingdom on full-fledged operations from for the deal. The company air dominance missile.
February 8, 2010. The cost of Leh airbase in record time has recently announced a US
the project is `3,546.17 crore of seven and a half hours. As Navy-funded and Boeing-de- Air India
(about $770 million). Out of a result, a total of 16 flights veloped International Super
these 12 helicopters, eight he- (both IAF and civil) were Hornet roadmap for the next • Flagship carrier Air India said that it
licopters will be configured for undertaken on August 7 and 40 years which plans for wants compensation from Boeing for
VVIP transportation and four 22 flights (both IAF and civil) maturing technologies and delays in the delivery of Dreamliner
helicopters will be the non- on August 8. He also brought inserting them in the aircraft. planes, with media reports saying the
VVIP version. The helicopters a consignment of medical airline is demanding one billion dol-
are being procured to replace aid for the civil administra- Pakistan Air Force trains lars. Boeing officials were unavailable
the ageing Mi-8 helicopters tion personnel as a donation at Nellis for comment, but country head at
which are nearing completion from the IAF. In addition, one It took six days and four stops Boeing Dinesh Keskar said earlier in
of their technical life. A global MI-17 helicopter has been for six Pakistan Air Force the month that state-run Air India was
request for proposal was is- carrying out relief opera- pilots to fly six F-16Bs over eligible for compensation for delays in
sued and a multi-vendor pro- tions from Thoise in Sultan 7,700 miles from Mushaf Air receiving the next-generation plane.
curement procedure followed Chushku in Nubra Valley Base in northern Pakistan to
as per Defence Procurement since August 6 and two more Las Vegas to fly and train in Airbus Military
Procedure 2006. Chetak Helicopters have been Red Flag 10-4 and Green Flag
provided to civil administra- 10-9 exercises at Nellis US Air • A-400 M (Grizzlies) reached 500
IAF for disaster relief tion for aerial reconnaissance Force Base. Approximately, flying hours, comprising almost 150
in Ladakh of affected areas. 100 maintenance, support flights with the three prototypes
and aircrew personnel arrived since the first flight took place on
Super Hornet technology in mid-July and completed December 11, 2009. The aircraft also
advancement feature the intense two-week Red participated in air displays for the
US aviation major Boe- Flag exercise, which concen- first time in public view in the recently
ing has stated that if India trates on large force combat conducted Farnborough Air Show.
selects Super Hornets for 126 employment. The PAF flew 57
multi-role combat aircraft air interdiction sorties in 12 Boeing
deal, it will be allowed to add days. The Red Flag 10-4 had
advanced capabilities in the personnel from 16 different • The Spirit of St. Louis was one of
fighters as per future require- countries including units from the most advanced and aerodynami-
The Indian Air Force (IAF) ments. “India would be able Pakistan, Singapore and Saudi cally streamlined designs of its era
efforts towards rescue and to participate as an Interna- Arabia. Also participating was which was designed by Donald Hall
relief operations for the tional Super Hornet Roadmap a NATO unit from Germany of the aircraft manufacturer Ryan Air-
recent flash flood in Ladakh customer, if desired, and and the US Navy, Marines and lines located in San Diego, California.
were further boosted when could enhance future Indian Air Force units. The Pakistan Since then, California became one
of the premier centers of aerospace
Continued from page 19
design, development and production.
This may be coming to an end if the
production of the only remaining
Sophisticated modeling and simulation ca- active electronically scanned array (AESA) aircraft of significant size i.e. C-17
pabilities enable a customer to test multiple radar system which has achieved significant ceases as the Secretary of Defense
threat and response scenarios simultaneously. milestones including the 200th delivery of the has warned that he would recom-
Global training solutions ensure optimum per- APG-79 F/A-18 AESA radar system and over mend to President Barack Obama
sonnel readiness and preparation for any type 1,50,000 AESA flight hours. Raytheon is sup- to veto a defence bill that included
of threat or attack porting India’s ISR capabilities by delivering funds for additional C-17s. If that
high performing sensor technology solutions happens, then only foreign sales can
Defence and civil projects in India including the RTN APY-10 maritime surveil- keep the production line alive.
Raytheon has had a presence in India for lance radar for the Indian P8-I aircraft. Ray-
more than 50 years, and is active on several theon and Elcome Marine Services of Mumbai Eurocopter
fronts in support of the nation’s priorities in have completed inspection and maintenance
defence, homeland security, communications on two Phalanx Close-in Weapon Systems for • The first flight of the UH-72A Lakota
and airspace management. Raytheon brings the Indian Navy, and Raytheon is modernis- light utility helicopter (LUH) equipped
multiple capabilities to India’s medium multi- ing management of Indian air traffic through with the security and support
role combat aircraft (MMRCA) programme. the GAGAN programme and automation and battalion (S&S Battalion) Mission
In addition to numerous combat systems, surveillance systems for India’s major civilian Equipment Package (MEP) took place
the company is offering its combat-proven airports.  SP at the company’s US Eurocopter facil-

40    SP’S AVIATION    Issue 9 • 2010 www.spsaviation.net

news Digest
Appointments luru and BAE Systems will
provide specialist engineering
QuickRoundUp
Northrop Grumman services, the raw materials
Northrop Grumman Corporation has named and equipment necessary ity in Columbus. The S&S Battalion
Christopher T. Jones as Sector Vice President for airframe production and MEP will greatly expand the Lakota’s
and General Manager of its Technical Services the support package for the use for reconnaissance, command
sector’s Integrated Logistics and Modernisa- Indian Air Force and Indian and control and air movement opera-
tion Division (ILMD). Jones will have overall Navy end-users. tions in support of the US homeland
responsibility for the division, which is organised defence and security missions with
around four business units focused on contrac- Israel’s Iron Dome passes the US Army National Guard.
tor logistics support, systems maintenance and final tests
modernisation, global materials and surveillance operations, In July, the Israeli Ministry of Eurofighter
and international programmes. Defense’s Administration for
the Development of Weapons • Over the past four years, the
Harris Corporation and Technological Infrastruc- Eurofighter Typhoon consortium has
Harris Corporation has named John Heller President of its IT ture (ADWTI), Israeli Air supported the International Aerospace
services business. In his role as president of IT Services, Heller Force’s anti-aircraft forces Summer School and in its fifth year,
will lead all aspects of the business, including partnering with and Rafael Advanced Defense the programme has become bigger
cross-divisional operational leadership, key staff members, Systems Ltd which developed and better than ever, focussing on in-
and customers to shape growth strategies and advance in- the Iron Dome, held a final ternational university students study-
novation in the global delivery of mission-enabling IT transfor- comprehensive series of fully ing aerospace engineering. Elite young
mation, managed solutions and information assurance. operational interception tests students and undergraduates from six
Harris Corporation has named Ted Hengst Corporate Vice in coordination with other nations, i.e. India, Switzerland, Turkey,
President and Chief Information Officer (CIO), reporting to systems already used by the Spain, Germany and the UK, gathered
Howard L. Lance, chairman, president and CEO. In his role IAF and its anti-aircraft force. in England for a week of aerospace
as CIO, Hengst will have responsibility for setting the strate- During the course of these lectures, lessons and analysis followed
gic direction, architecture and governance of Harris’ global tests, the defense system by visits to the aerospace sites of
IT enterprise. discovered a high number Eurofighter Partner Company BAE
of various threats, moni- Systems and British EJ200 engine
Gulfstream tored them, evaluated their manufacturer Rolls Royce.
Gulfstream has promoted its long-time aviation veteran Tarek trajectories, rearranged the
Ragheb to be the Regional Vice President, International Sales. interceptors’ trajectories and Finnish Air Force
Reporting to Larry Flynn, Gulfstream’s Vice President Market- launched the interceptors
ing and Sales, Ragheb, in addition, will continue to oversee which all hit their targets. • The Finnish Defence Forces are pre-
the Gulfstream’s Europe, Africa and the Middle East (EMEA) All of the systems worked paring to spend more than a billion
division and the team of sales professionals he has put in properly in coordination with euros in upgrading its fleet of F-18
place in the past 16 years. the other IAF systems and all Hornet jet fighters. The US-built planes
the threats were destroyed as are at about the halfway point of their
Boeing planned. The Iron Dome sys- effective life-spans. The upgrade is set
Boeing has named Laura J. Peterson Vice tem was designed to protect to extend their usefulness so that new
President for state and local government op- the State of Israel from short- fighters would not be needed before
erations in the Northwest region. In her new range missiles and rockets. 2025. Nevertheless, the Finnish Air
assignment, she will lead the team responsible Forces is looking at other possible jet
for Boeing’s political and government activities Europe fighters in the market like the F-35
in the region, which includes Washington and although the super-modern jet is also
Oregon. Su-34 frontline bombers super expensive.

Indian Air Force

Air Force didn’t leave after
Red Flag but stayed on for
an additional three weeks in
order to participate in Green
Flag 10-9. Green Flag is an
exercise that focuses on close
air support of ground troops.
BAE secures £500 million
order to support HAL
BAE Systems has secured a
new order, worth over £500
million (`3,636 crore) with
the Hindustan Aeronautics
Limited (HAL), to supply
products and services to
enable a further 57 Hawk
Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT)
aircraft to be built under
licence in India for the Indian
Air Force (40 aircraft) and
Indian Navy (17 aircraft). The
final terms and conditions
for the contract were signed
by Guy Griffiths, Group
Managing Director Interna-
tional, BAE Systems, in the
presence of British Prime
Minister, David Cameron on
his historic visit to India and
BAE Systems’ Chairman Dick
Olver. The aircraft will be
manufactured under licence
at HAL’s facilities in Benga-
The Russian Air Force’s
in-service Su-34s designed
by the Sukhoi Company
have proved their superior
operational capabilities and
flight performance in the
East-2010 military exercises
held in July. In performance
of the operational mission a
non-stop flight was carried
out from the European part
of Russia to the Far East
with in-flight refuelling and
subsequent attack as per the
• Defence Minister A.K. Antony in a
written reply in the Rajya Sabha stated
that there is a proposal to upgrade
the Su-30 MKI aircraft of the Indian Air
Force (IAF) by the Hindustan Aeronautics
Limited with the support of the Russian
Original Equipment Manufacturer. The
current estimated cost is `10,920 crore
(about $2.3 billion) and the aircraft
are likely to be upgraded in a phased
manner from year 2012 onwards.
Defence Minister A.K. Antony
in a written reply in the Lok Sabha
intimated that the Defence Acquisi-
tion Council has accepted a proposal
for the procurement of 42 Sukhoi-30
MKI aircraft from HAL. The proposal
is being further progressed through
the Cabinet Committee on Security.
The estimated cost of the project is

Issue 9 • 2010    SP’S AVIATION   41

news Digest
Show Calendar
6–8 September
INDESEC Expo 2010
Pragati Maidan,
New Delhi, India
www.indesec-expo.com
13–16 September
Airport & Aviation
­Security India 2010
The LaLiT Bharat Hotels Ltd,
New Delhi, India
www.airportsecindia.com/
Event.aspx?id=300184
14–16 September
inter airport China 2010
China International Exhibition
Centre, Beijing, China
www.interairportchina.com
15–17 September
JET EXPO 2010
Crocus Expo International
Exhibition Center, Moscow
www.jetexpo.ru
22–23 September
2010 Annual Interna-
tional Flight Crew
Training Conference
No. 4 Hamilton Place,
­London, UK
www.aerosociety.com/
conference
23–24 September
Light Jets Europe 2010
London Oxford Airport, UK
www.miuevents.com/vlj-e-10
28–29 September
IATA Aviation Health
Conference 2010
Sheraton Skyline Hotel,
Heathrow, London, UK
www.iata.org/events/
aviation-health/Pages/
index.aspx
28–30 September
MRO MILITARY
EUROPE 2010
ExCeL Center, London, UK
www.aviationnow.com/events/
current/meu/index.htm
28–30 September
World Low Cost
Airlines
Sofitel, Heathrow,
London, UK
www.terrapinn.com/2010/
wlac/index.stm
13–14 October
Aero Engine EXPO 2010
Hamburg, Germany
www.aeroengineexpo.com
42    SP’S AVIATION    Issue 9 • 2010
task assigned. It is planned
to increase the operational
capability of the aircraft by
adding new aerial muni-
tions. The Su-34 frontline
bomber will form the core of
Russia’s frontline air strike
capability and is a worthy
successor to the Su-24M all-
weather, day-and night-time
frontline bomber. The Su-34
can effectively attack land-
based, sea- and airborne
targets by day and night in
all weather conditions using
the entire suite of its airborne
munitions, including high-
precision types. In terms of
operational capabilities this is
a fourth generation+ aircraft.
PAK FA to execute a complete
programme of flight trials
The Sukhoi Company has
completed the preliminary
on-land and in-flight activi-
ties which involved all three
engineering prototypes of the
Frontline Aviation Advanced
Airborne Complex (PAK FA)
–the fifth-generation aircraft.
These prototypes were used
for test-bed strength tests,
on-land optimisation of fuel
systems and other work
towards flight trials. The flying
prototype has made 16 flights.
Compared to the previous gen-
eration fighters, the PAK FA
features a number of unique
capabilities, including the
functions of a strike aircraft
and fighter. The fifth-gener-
ation aircraft is fitted with
essentially new avionics inte-
grating the function of an elec-
tronic pilot and with advanced
phased antenna array radar.
This considerably reduces the
pilot fatigue, enabling the pilot
to concentrate on performance
of a tactical mission.
Civil Aviation
Europe
Airbus wins commitments
worth $28 billion
Airbus has announced com-
mitments for 255 aircraft,
valued at around $28 bil-
lion (`1,31,100 crore). The
commitments so far include
firm orders for 133 aircraft
worth more than $13 billion
(`60,800 crore), plus memo-
randum of understanding
(MoU) agreements for a
further 122 aircraft totalling
around $15 billion (`70,200
crore). The firm orders have
come from GECAS for 60
A320s worth around $4.9 bil-
lion; from Air Lease Corpora-
tion for 51 A320 Family air-
craft worth $4.4 billion; from
Aeroflot for 11 A330-300s
worth $2.3 billion; from Ga-
ruda Indonesia for six A330-
200s worth $1.2 billion; and
from Germania for five A319s
worth $372 million.
Industry
Americas
Pratt & Whitney’s fifth
gen propulsion systems
Pratt & Whitney’s fifth gen-
eration family of propulsion
systems have achieved nu-
merous milestones in 2010,
continuing to set the standard
for military jet engine safety,
reliability and performance.
Pratt & Whitney is the
only engine manufacturer
producing and delivering
fifth generation propulsion
capability to the customer,
including the F135 engine
powering the F-35 Light-
ning II and the F119 engine,
powering the F-22 Raptor,
which was showcased at this
year’s Farnborough Air Show.
The F119 has surpassed
3,00,000 hours, providing a
proven, reliable, mature core
for the F135. In addition, the
F135 continues its steady
progress towards completion
of development and test with
successful short-take off and
vertical landing operations.
Europe
Strategic international
partnerships
For an industry long absent
from the international arena,
Russian aircraft manufactur-
ers generated a surprising
amount of interest at Farnbor-
ough this year. Although West-
ern companies like Airbus and
QuickRoundUp
`20,107.40 crore (about $4.4billion)
and the aircraft is planned to be
delivered during 2014-18.
NASA
• Alliant Techsystems and NASA will
test the second fully developed Ares
five-segment solid rocket motor,
known as Development Motor-2 (DM-
2). The five-segment rocket motor is
an upgraded version of the Shuttle’s
4-segment booster and has also been
identified as a key element of NASA’s
future heavy lift launch vehicle. A
total of 53 design objectives will be
measured through more than 760
instruments.
Northrop Grumman
• Northrop Grumman Systems has
been awarded a contract with an esti-
mated value of $77.7 million for the
procurement of 121 AN/AAQ-24(V)
25 Guardian laser transmitter as-
semblies for installation on CH-53D,
CH-53E, and CH-46E helicopters,
including associated technical data.
The Guardian laser transmitter
assembly is a next-generation direct-
able laser-based countermeasures
system for protecting helicopters and
some fixed-wing aircraft from man-
portable air defence systems.
Raytheon
• Raytheon Company’s Missile Systems’
has been awarded a $450.8 million
contract to provide engineering and
manufacturing development phase of
the Small Diameter Bomb Increment
(SDB II) programme. SDB II is a joint
US Air Force and Navy programme. The
SDB II will initially be integrated on the
F-15E, F-35B and F-35C aircraft.
Royal Air Force
• F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter
is set to become the future of air
combat according to the RAF test pilot
putting the groundbreaking aircraft
through its paces. As the UK public got
its first glimpse of the RAF’s stunning
Harrier replacement at Farnborough,
Squadron Leader Steve Long said,
“It is like an iPhone on speed. It is a
quantum leap in terms of technology
and aerodynamics.”
Royal Australian Air Force
• The Royal Australian Air Force, part
of the NATO forces in Afghanistan, will
www.spsaviation.net
news Digest
Boeing dominate the narrow-
body and wide-body category,
Embraer and Bombardier
the regional jet category, and
Bombardier and ATR the tur-
bo-prop category, things are
slowly shifting. With the right
strategic partnerships with
western manufacturers, Rus-
sian aircraft are more likely to
succeed on the international
arena. Currently, the only Rus-
sian manufacturers offering
potential for greater foreign
market interest are Sukhoi
and Irkut. Sukhoi, a new play-
er in the commercial aircraft
market, at present leads the
way in Russian aircraft sales,
with more than 100 orders
and potential orders for the
SuperJet product. Similarly,
Irkut is looking towards enter-
ing the market with the MC-
21, an aircraft comparable to
the Airbus A320 and Boeing
737 families.
Half year analysis from UK
Aerospace Industry
The UK’s AeroSpace, Defence
and Security trade organisa-
tion has published a short
report updating figures on the
performance of the aerospace
sector post the Farnborough
International Air Show. The
figures update the 2010 A|D|S
aerospace survey published
in mind-July and reflect the
encouraging order figures an-
nounced at Farnborough. The
main findings are—aerospace
is bouncing back after a tough
period following the global
recession, the UK industry re-
mained resilient and revenues
rose by 5.4 per cent in 2009,
strong performance at the
2010 Farnborough Interna-
tional Air Show, largest single
order at Farnborough from
General Electric’s leasing com-
pany for 60 aircraft from the
Airbus A320 family, growth
in both civil and defence sec-
tors significant in emerging
economies such as the Middle
East, India, Brazil and China
as also reflected in the 2010
A|D|S aerospace survey.
Eurofighter and Euroradar
to develop AESA Radar
Eurofighter GmbH and Euro-
radar, together with their in-
dustrial partners, have begun
full-scale development of latest
generation active electronically
scanned array (AESA) radar.
The target in-service date for
the new radar is 2015 to meet
the requirements of Eurofight-
er Partner Nations and export
customers.The decision means
that Eurofighter will further
develop the capability of the
Typhoon aircraft to enhance
its radar performance, build-
ing on preliminary develop-
ment and flight testing under-
taken since 2007. Although the
current mechanically scanned
(M-Scan) captor radar is
considered to be best in class,
AESA technology will see the
Typhoon’s radar capabilities
developed even further.
Space
Americas
First AEHF mission
A United Launch Alliance
(ULA) Atlas V rocket success-
fully launched the advanced
extremely high frequency-1
(AEHF-1) satellite for the US
Air Force from the Space
Launch Complex-41. The
AEHF constellation of four
satellites will provide 10 times
greater capacity and channel
data rates six times higher
than that of the existing
Milstar II communications
satellites. AEHF-1 will be
joined by the next two AEHF
satellites to be launched
during the next two years by
ULA. This launch marks the
fifth mission overall and third
Atlas V mission for ULA in
2010. AEHF-1 represents the
latest ‘one-at-a-time’ mis-
sion success which has been
accomplished 43 times since
ULA was formed on
December 1, 2006.
New docking system
technology
Ball Aerospace & Technolo-
gies Corporation, Lockheed
Martin Space Systems Com-
pany and NASA conducted
a successful technology
demonstration of an inven-
tive navigation system that
will make docking operations
safer and easier for space-
craft flying to the Interna-
tional Space Station (ISS). The
demonstration that took place
at the Ball facility in Boulder,
Colorado, showcased the dy-
namic nature of the sensors
by simulating manned and
unmanned docking opera-
tions. This docking naviga-
tion system prototype was
developed collaboratively by
NASA, Ball and Lockheed
Martin and will be tested by
astronauts aboard STS-134
in an unprecedented on-orbit
manoeuvre during the space
shuttle mission to the ISS in
February 2011 as part of the
sensor test for orion relative
navigation risk mitigation
(STORRM) development test
objective (DTO).
Europe
Earth Observation Hub at
the ISIC
Astrium, Europe’s leading
space company, has been
selected by the Science and
Technology Facilities Council
(STFC) to develop an Earth
Observation (EO) Hub at the
new International Space
Innovation Centre (ISIC) in
Harwell, Oxfordshire. The
contract will see Astrium lead
an industrial consortium,
which will be responsible for
the design and integration of
an EO Hub. This will include a
spacecraft operations centre,
with the ability to coordinate
multiple satellites, and a UK
specific capability for payload
data processing. The develop-
ment of the hub will provide
UK with its own ground ca-
pability, a critical first step in
establishing an overall sover-
eign EO capability, and a key
recommendation of the ‘space
innovation growth strategy’.
The strategy was developed
as a joint government, indus-
try and academia initiative
that set out a 20-year vision
for the future growth of the
UK space industry. •
Issue 9 • 2010    SP’S AVIATION   43
QuickRoundUp
continue to utilise Israel Aerospace
Industries’ Heron unmanned aerial
vehicles as part of Australia’s Project
Nankeen, in cooperation with the
Canadian Defence Forces.
Thales
• Thales has announced that it
has been selected by Eurocopter
to produce a second N3 Dauphin
flight simulator for its Dauphin
helicopter. This simulator will be
operational from 2012 at Eurocop-
ter’s South East Asia facility. The
N3 Dauphin flight simulator has
been designed to meet the training
needs of Eurocopter and its civil
and military customers in South-
east Asia.
Turkish Aerospace
• Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI),
a major international F-35 Lightning
II supplier to Northrop Grumman Cor-
poration, has delivered a prototype
of its first major structural element
for the jet’s centre fuselage, which
Northrop Grumman produces for
F-35 industry team leader Lockheed
Martin. Known as a destructive test
article, the prototype all-composite
air inlet duct reflects the growing ma-
turity of TAI’s composite fibre-placed
manufacturing processes.
US DoD
• The US Defense Department is
considered to be the largest single
user of petroleum products in the
world. To help meet a DoD goal to
reduce energy consumption across
the agency, the Defense Advanced
Research Projects Agency is working
on Vulcan, a programme to design,
build and demonstrate a full-scale
constant volume combustion (CVC)
power generation turbine engine.
CVC technologies have the potential
to significantly decrease the fuel
consumption of gas turbine engines.
US Navy
• The US Navy’s new submarine hunt-
ing aircraft programme has received
approval to begin low rate production
after a comprehensive review and
subsequent approval by the US De-
fense Acquisition Board. This approval
brings the Poseidon one step closer
to initial operating capability for the
fleet in 2013. The P-8A will replace
the P-3C.
 Last Word
Bureaucratic Jumble
T
he proposal for a second international airport for the establishment of the Palm Beach Road golf course in Navi
Mumbai designed to handle 50 million passengers Mumbai. Obtaining the necessary court order therefore did
annually, when finally completed, was accorded not prove to be a difficult task and the final amendment of the
in-principle approval by the Union Cabinet in May CRZ notification allowing removal of the mangrove forest for
2007. The first phase with a capacity to handle 10 million the airport project was issued on May 15, 2009.
passengers annually was to be ready by 2012 and the plan The legal dimensions apart, there are a number of issues
was to progressively increase annual passenger handling that continue to agitate environmentalists, social activists and
capacity to 40 million by 2030. Estimates are that by 2030, non-government organisations. A large part of the area where
the total passenger traffic out of the two airports in Mumbai the airport is to be located in marshland which would have
would reach 90 million annually. to be reclaimed and even though
More than three years have the ground level is planned to be
gone by since approval by the raised through extensive filling,
government; but the Greenfield the new airport would continue
airport project remains ground- to be vulnerable to high tide and
ed owing to divergence in the waves that some times are 10
perceptions and priorities of the metres high. Moreover, removal
two Union Ministries involved, of the huge mangroves forests
i.e., the Ministry of Civil Aviation spread over 400 acres would ren-
(MoCA) headed by Praful Patel der the area vulnerable to coast-
and the Ministry of Environ- al erosion. Also, a few hillocks
ment and Forests (MoEF) under would need to be flattened; two
Jairam Ramesh. The Chhatra- rivers diverted which could have
pati Shivaji International Airport an adverse effect on drainage of
(CSIA) at Sahar currently under rain water and the human prob-
upgradation, is expected to reach The travails of the Navi lem of relocating 5,000 families. It
saturation point of 40 million by Mumbai airport witnessed seems lessons from past mistakes
2012. There is no scope for fur- have not been learnt. Diversion of
ther capacity enhancement as so far, fails to inspire the Mithi River while expanding
there is just no land available.
The projections are that driven
confidence in the future of CSIA led to severe flooding of the
airport in 2005 following heavy
by a resurgent economy, the vol- the infrastructure segment of rains forcing a complete shut-
ume of passenger traffic will con-
tinue to grow continuously. The
the Indian aviation industry. down of the facility for 48 hours.
With the legal impediments
traffic at the CSIA is beginning to There is undoubtedly a need out of the way, the site was in-
get unmanageable and Mumbai, spected by the Environment Ap-
the commercial capital of India,
for total systemic correction. praisal Committee (EAC) of the
has already conceded leader- MoEF in December last year.
ship to Delhi in respect of civil Thereafter, report on the public
air traffic. A second international hearings related to the new air-
airport has indeed become an imperative need for Mumbai. port was received from the Maharashtra Pollution Control
To be located 35 km from Santacruz on NH 4B near Pan- Board on June 7, 2010. MoEF is now awaiting the recom-
vel in Navi Mumbai, the site selected for the new airport has mendations of the EAC based on the final report from City
been languishing in controversy from the very beginning. The Industrial Development Corporation, the nodal agency for
site identified lies in an ecologically sensitive coastal area no- developing the airport and Maharashtra Coastal Zone Man-
tified by the government as coastal regulation zone (CRZ) I agement Authority on the Environment Impact Assessment
and CRZ III. In response to a petition by the Bombay Envi- study carried out by IIT Mumbai.
ronmental Action Group (BEAG), in October 2005, the Bom- The Navi Mumbai airport project is clearly bogged down
bay High Court had imposed a total ban on the destruction in a complex bureaucratic labyrinth and has been further
of mangroves and construction activities within 50 metres of complicated by the inflexible positions of the MoCA and the
illustration: Anoop Kamath

this unique gift of nature. As the related government notifi-
cations to regulate construction activities in the CRZs were
in place, appropriate amendments to the notification based
on fresh orders from the Court was necessary before final
environmental clearance given by the MoEF for the new air-
port. Incidentally, the CRZ notifications have been amended
19 times already to cater for various requirements including
MoEF. As the distraught state government has sought inter-
vention by the Prime Minister, hopes of the project being a
reality have been rekindled. But the travails of the Navi Mum-
bai airport, fails to inspire confidence in the future of the in-
frastructure segment of the Indian aviation industry. There is
undoubtedly a need for total systemic correction.  SP
— Air Marshal (Retd) B.K. Pandey

44    SP’S AVIATION    Issue 9 • 2010 www.spsaviation.net

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