SP's Aviation 5 of 08
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Indian Air Force’s MMRCA RFP: Responses pour in Pg 11 • Boeing pitches heavy duty C-17s Pg 26 • EBACE show review: Mercury rising Pg 32 • Cessna sighted down south Pg 30 SP’s AN SP GUIDE PUBLICATION News Flies. We Gather Intelligence. Every Month. From India. Aviationwww.spsaviation.net ISSUE 5 • 2008 Business Aviation RNI NUMBER: DELENG/2008/24199 EnthrallsIndia NCOC C-130J F-16 with Sniper Targeting Pod P-3 MH-60R PAC-3 BETWEEN PARTNERSHIPS PROMISED AND PARTNERSHIPS ACHIE V ED, THERE IS ONE IMPORTANT WORD: HOW. In a world that continues to change dramatically, governments increasingly seek to accomplish their most vital goals by working with advanced technology companies from around the globe. Building and sustaining partnerships that achieve their objectives is a matter of how. And it is the how that makes all the difference. lockheedmartin.com/how 300-54698_HOW_part_Ind_SPA.indd 1 4/18/08 2:41:54 PM -5 Bleed Trim Hot Taking the time to understand your needs In today’s hectic world, Honeywell recognizes the benefits of taking the time to fully understand our customers needs. Let’s share a cup of tea together, get to know each other and find ways to work as a team. Working as a team ensures success For more information visit our website at www.honeywell.com or call: North America – Tel: 1-800-421-2133 • Europe – Tel: +44 (0)1935 475181 • South East Asia – Tel: +61 3 9330 1511 © 2008 Honeywell International Inc. All rights reserved. Table of Contents Regular Departments SP’s AN SP GUIDE PUBLICATION 4 A Word from Editor News Flies. We Gather Intelligence. Every Month. From India. 8 NewsWithViews - Laser-Guided Lethality AviationISSUE 5 • 2008 - A Perfect 10 Military - Whispers of Discontent 28 UPGRADES 11 InFocus HIGH COSTS OF INDECISION - Responses Pour in Q&A 13 Forum - Debilitating Pace 14 MMRCA DEAL 40 NewsDigest BALANCING ACT Civil 44 LastWord - Price of Procrastination 21 BUSINESS AVIATION ON A ROLL, UPHILL 23 FLIGHT SAFETY 16 ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������������������������������������������ Cover Photo: ���� ������������������������ SAFETY AT STAKE The Elite Class: India is home to A Falcon 2000LX in fl ight. �������������������������������������������������������������������������������� ��������������������������������������������������� 30 BUSINESS AVIATION 53 billionaires and 1,00,000 millionaires. India is emerging as a major ���������������������������������������������� �������������������� CESSNA SIGHTED The high spending power has engineered hub for business aviation a shift away from just owning a business with key players lining up Cover Story aircraft to having a custom built one. with their wares. 16 BUSINESS AVIATION (Seen above is the recently introduced BusinBusinessess AviationAviation Gulfstream G150. Photo Credit: Gulfstream) NDIA NTHRALLED I E Photo Credit: Dassault ����������������������������� EnthrallsIndIndiaia Hall of Fame SP's Avn 5 of 08 Cover.indd 1 6/5/08 7:01:09 PM PUBLISHER AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR: Ratan Sonal 38 WRIGHT BROTHERS Jayant Baranwal LAYOUT DESIGNS: Raj Kumar Sharma CORRIGENDUM—Cover Story “Lightning Pace” ASSISTANT EDITOR © SP Guide Publications, 2008 in SP’s Aviation Issue 4, 2008 made the erroneous Arundhati Das ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION observation: “With the remaining F-35 participant Inland: Rs 850 • Foreign: US$ 250 countries planning to acquire another 600 to 700 SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT & COPY EDITOR Email: [email protected] aircraft, the total production fi gure already exceeds Sanjay Kumar 3,200 and may touch 2,035, making it one of the most ADVERTISING DETAILS’ CONTACTS numerous jet fi ghters.” The correct statement is: “With SENIOR VISITING EDITOR [email protected] the remaining F-35 participant countries planning to Air Marshal (Retd) V.K. Bhatia [email protected] acquire another 600 to 700 aircraft, the production [email protected] fi gure till the year 2035 already exceeds 3,200, making SENIOR TECHNICAL GROUP EDITORS SP GUIDE PUBLICATIONS PVT LTD the F-35 one of the most numerous jet fi ghters.” Air Marshal (Retd) B.K. Pandey A-133 Arjun Nagar, (Opposite Defence Colony) Lt General (Retd) Naresh Chand New Delhi 110 003, India. 26 SUB-EDITOR Tel: +91 (11) 24644693, 24644763, 24620130 Bipasha Roy Fax: +91 (11) 24647093 Email: [email protected] CONTRIBUTORS India Air Marshal (Retd) P.K. Mehra, POSTAL ADDRESS Air Marshal (Retd) Raghu Rajan, Air Marshal Post Box No 2525 (Retd) N. Menon, Air Marshal (Retd) V. Patney, New Delhi 110 005, India. Group Captain A.K. Sachdev REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE Europe Alan Peaford, Phil Nasskau, Justin BANGALORE, INDIA 32 Wastnage, Rob Coppinger, Andrew Brookes, 534, Jal Vayu Vihar Paul Beaver, Gunter Endres (UK) Kammanhalli Main Road USA & Canada Sushant Deb, Lon Nordeen, Bangalore 560043, India. Anil R. Pustam (West Indies) Tel: +91 (80) 23682534 CHAIRMAN & MANAGING DIRECTOR MOSCOW, RUSSIA Jayant Baranwal LAGUK Co., Ltd., (Yuri Laskin) Owned, published and printed by Jayant Baranwal, printed Krasnokholmskaya, Nab., at Rave India and published at A-133, Arjun Nagar (Opposite 11/15, app. 132, Moscow 115172, Russia. Defence Colony), New Delhi 110 003, India. All rights reserved. Tel: +7 (495) 911 2762 No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a Fax: +7 (495) 912 1260 30 retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, photocopying, recording, electronic, or otherwise without prior written permission of the Publishers. www.spguidepublications.com NEXT ISSUE: Trends in Military Aero Engines 2 SP’S AVIATION Issue 5 • 2008 -5 Bleed Trim Hotter Knowing what it takes for you to win Honeywell understands that success in business, like success in sport, is seldom due to individual actions; it is as a team that we can win. With our breadth of technology, experience and global support, Honeywell brings unique strengths to any team and ensures success. Working as a team ensures success For more information visit our website at www.honeywell.com or call: North America – Tel: 1-800-421-2133 • Europe – Tel: +44 (0)1935 475181 • South East Asia – Tel: +61 3 9330 1511 © 2008 Honeywell International Inc. All rights reserved. A Word from Editor Birth, growth and maturity make for a complete cycle in any development process. So even as business aviation takes India by storm, harsh ground realities demand a closer inspection and a blast from the past reminds us from where it all started. everal notches above the ‘Business Class’ is the fast- news would be the hint of any credence to rumours of certain emerging ‘Elite Class’—a bracket born of the shrink- anomalies that might force a redo of the RFP exercise. Even ing gap between affordability of a business jet and as InFocus and Forum deliberate on the nuances of the deal the purchasing power of a large number of business and the aircraft on offer, SP’s directed a quickfire round at the houses and businessmen. India, home to 53 billion- contestants. Of the six frontrunners, three replied. Stealing a Saires and 1,00,000 millionaires, is enmeshed in the thralls of march, Boeing played host to an entourage of mediapersons the luxury, power and prestige associated with owning a pair and pundits, including self, at a whirlwind tour of its various of wings. The comparison to sports cars is not just on account facilities and operation hubs in the US. A detailed analysis of of sleek looks and speed, there is also the subliminal linkage the C-17 heavy airlift capability transport aircraft in this edi- which renders business jets objects of desire, symbols of status tion is the first in a series of articles on Boeing’s wares. and something you must have if the Jones’s possess one. On a sombre note, the Last Word scans the April 29 episode Capturing the hype and ooh-la-la, Group Captain A.K. when a brand new Hawk, among the fleet of 10 recently ac- Sachdev rightly surmises: “What Internet did to out-of-office quired by the Indian Air Force, crashed at Air Force Station Bi- work, the new class of business jets will do for in-flight work.” dar. India, notes Air Marshal (Retd) B.K. Pandey, is well aware And perhaps the flamboyant Dr Vijay Mallya will bring produc- of the price that has been paid in terms of lives and aircraft lost tion of these glamourous wings to India? News is Dr Mallya’s in the last two decades owing essentially to enigmatic procras- UB Group has initiated talks with France-based EADS Socata, tination in the induction of the Hawk. a leading aircraft manufacturer, to co-develop business jets. Hall of Fame, this time around, presents the pièce de ré- Flipping the coin, Joseph Noronha pragmatically observes that sistance. Quite fittingly so, while the Cover Story captures the Indian business aviation faces daunting challenges, including exciting prospects of the emerging new trends in business woeful infrastructure. aviation, the Hall of Fame reminiscences on the Wright broth- A combination of pragmatism and pace hold the key for ers—the first to demonstrate that sustained flight was possible the smooth transition of the MMRCA deal. Good news is all with heavier-than-air machines. A humbling account of the the six contenders met the revised deadline in submitting indi- pioneers who gave the human race its wings. vidual responses by April 28 to the Request for Proposal. Bad EDITOR-IN-CHIEF JAYANT BARANWAL WITH THE USN Jayant Baranwal F/A-18 AT THE LEMOORE NAVAL AIR STATION, US Publisher & Editor-in-Chief 4 SP’S AVIATION Issue 5 • 2008 -5 Bleed Trim Hottest Delivering technology for your mission success Jaguar thrust transformation Even on the hottest day, Honeywell’s F-125 engines will enable the Jaguar to meet its full mission requirements. Upgrading to this 4th generation engine offers: • 17% to 40% greater thrust across the flight envelope • 600lb weight saving • 5000 hour service interval No other engine can transform the Jaguar’s operational capabilities like the F-125.