February 2019

First flight of LCA MK1A in 2022: CMD, HAL

The first flight of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) MK1A will be in 2022 and commercial production would be in three to four years from then. The price bid for the 83 MK1A by the Indian Air Force has not yet been opened and the Defence PSU is looking forward to that contract. HAL is also looking at the export market, primarily to South Asia and African countries. “We have been participating in airshows and some of the countries expressed interest,” the Chairman of HAL, R.Madhavan told a press conference at Aero India.

CSIR-NAL banking on Saras

The Secretary Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Shekar C. Mande, February 21, visited the CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories stall at Aero India 2019 and expressed satisfaction at the development of Saras aircraft for military and civilian purposes and also on the regional transport aircraft (RTA) which it has been talking about for quite some time.

Airbus to set up plant for C295 in India

The President and Managing Director, Airbus India & South Asia, Anand Stanley today announced that Airbus was planning to set up a plant in India for manufacturing the C295 multi-role aircraft as and when the government of India decided. “We are now in commercial talks with the Indian government for replacement of the 56 Avro aircraft with C295.”  The location of the plant will be decided once the contract is signed.

Aero India 2019 - Kalyani Group and Belcan Announce Partnership

Kalyani Group and Belcan, LLC announced partnership to provide highly advanced technological product and service offerings in Defence, Aerospace, and other technical segments in India.  The companies will work together in the design and development of helicopter engines and transmission systems in Defence and Aerospace, as well as collaborate on Advanced Manufacturing practices and Digital Manufacturing & Internet of Things solutions.

Aero India 2019 - Past four years contracts worth billions signed in Aerospace & Defence Sector

With elections round the corner, the Minister of Defence, Nirmala Sitharaman used the platform of the 12th edition of Aero India, which got underway in Bengaluru, to make a point on how in these past four years, the government had made enormous strides in aerospace and defence sectors. In line with tagline of Aero India, ‘The Runway to a billion opportunities’, she indicated how thousands of crores of contracts in defence had been signed between 2014-15 till 2018.