I/2013 Aerospace & Defence Review AERO INDIA 2013 THE AERO INDIA ISSUE VI/2012 CFM I/2013 Aerospace & Defence Review Systemic Change HAL’s Modernisation Plans Looking Ahead 14 Admiral Arun Prakash, former 50 In this exclusive interview 103 An interview with Air Chief CNS writes on what the armed with DrRK Tyagi, Chairman Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt, forces expect from the DRDO, of HAL, various questions Chief of the Pakistan Air Force, with the importance in the Navy’s posed by Vayu are articulated concerning the changing ground scheme of things. Of the future, upon, particularly those on new environment and sensitivities of the Navy expects that all its ships, development projects including the situation. The PAF’s recently AERO INDIA 2013 THE AERO INDIA ISSUE submarines and if possible aircraft the IJT, LCH, LUH, as also the acquired hardware and training and helicopters be developed and FGFA, MTA and MMRCA. The standards are reviewed as also built in India : however there are misunderstanding on continued specific programmes such as IAF Mirage 2000TH at AFS Gwalior areas of concerned which must development of the HTT-40 is the JF-17, UAVs and future (Photo by Angad Singh) be addressed. clarified. requirements. A brief report on the recent International Defence Exhibition and Seminar at Karachi EDITORIAL PANEL (IDEAS 2012) follows. MANAGING EDITOR Vikramjit Singh Chopra 112 China’s growing assertiveness EDITORIAL ADVISOR Lt Gen Kamal Davar examines Admiral Arun Prakash China’s stated aims, defence spending, core interests, defence EDITORIAL PANEL A Change of Tack The Helicopters of HAL 38 The LCA programme has 58 Mr Soundara Rajan, MD HAL modernisation and water Pushpindar Singh generated much debate about Helicopter Complex reviews hegemony with the consequent Air Marshal Brijesh Jayal its outcomes and, 30 years after HAL’s involvement with shaping of India’s response. This Air Cdre. Jasjit Singh its launch, there is acrimony and helicopters since 1962 and looks is followed by a brief report on debate on the manner in which at the new programmes currently the Zhuhai Air Show 2012 by Air Lt. Gen. Kamal Davar Commodore VP Singh who was Gp Capt JC Malik this programme has proceeded. underway and planned. Prof Prodyut Das believes that on the spot. Dr SR Valluri focus should have been on Cdr M Nirmal creating people rather than Monica Arora technology and compares this 122 Special Section on Angad Singh with other major development AERO INDIA 2013 programmes in India (ALH, Arjun Richard Gardner (UK) Ninth edition of the biennial Aero MBT) as also the American F-35 India International Exhibition on Reuben Johnson (USA) programme which increasingly Aerospace, Defence & Civil Aviation Simon Watson (UK) looks difficult to sustain. takes place at Air Force Station Bertrand de Boisset (France) The Jaguar DARIN II Yelahanka (Bangalore) from 6 Dr Nick Evesenkin (Russia) 64 Yogesh Kumar, then Executive to 10 February 2013, organised Tamir Eshel (Israel) Director of ARDC at HAL by the Defence Exhibition and presently Advisor on Organisation of the MoD with ADVERTISING & MARKETING MANAGER the National Civil Aircraft FICCI as partners. Some products Husnal Kaur Development Project with NAL, and services of participating describes at first hand the unique companies are reviewed with BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Jaguar DARIN II programme, several interviews included. Premjit Singh an example of what can be Plus : Air Marshal RK Sharma Plus AESA & Meteor achieved if complex aerospace on ‘Energising India’s Aerospace 44 Even as contractual negotiations programmes have clear Industry’ ; NAL’s regional airliner continue between Dassault and the objectives and are resolutely projects ; LCA’s export potential Indian MoD to close the MMRCA led. This article is followed by by Dr Manoj Joshi. issue, the first Rafale with new Gilding the Lily? in which Phill Thales RBE2 AESA radar has been Camp and Simon Watson write delivered to the DGA. Combined Published by: about continuous upgrades of Also : with this smart radar is the new the IAF’s Jaguars. Admiral DK Joshi, on the Indian THE SOCIETY FOR AEROSPACE STUDIES MBDA Meteor BVR missile which Navy’s Future, The IAF at 80, D-43, Sujan Singh Park, makes the Rafale even more Sharing the Pie in the Sky, New Delhi 110 003 India formidable. This article is by Jean- Fritz of the Future Tactical Nuclear Weapons, Tel: +91 11 24617234 Michel Guhl from Paris. 79 Precision Guided Munitions Security in the Balance, The Fax: +91 11 24628615 (PGMs) are the way to achieve Revised Defence Offset Policy, e-mail: [email protected] dramatic results and the IAF is India & ICBMs, Beyond the BMD, e-mail: [email protected] certainly on the correct track, HPT-32 Grounding, Exercise Green writes Ravi Rikhye. The same Blade 2012, Ramstein Rover 2012. Printed at Aegean Offset Printers author in his article The Shadow of Fear reviews the use of Unmanned The opinions expressed in the articles Aerial Vehicles over South Asia and Regular features : Commentary, Outlook, Viewpoint, published in the Vayu Aerospace and focuses on employment of these Defence Review do not necessarily reflect by Indian Forces including para Opinion, Aviation & Defence in India, the views or policies of The Society for military in anti-Naxal operations. World Aviation & Defence News, Vayu Aerospace Studies. 25 years back, Tale Spin. Visit us at: www.vayuaerospace.in C O M M E N T A R Y with China on an equal footing. What this recent incident shows is Holding onto Russia that our inferiority complex does not lie only across the McMahon t was Vladimir Putin’s visit to India in 2000 that injected Line but extends even to India’s maritime dimension. Isignificant strategic content into the India-Russia relationship This is indeed ironic, for unlike the landward frontier with after a prolonged drift in the 1990s, following collapse of the Soviet China where we find ourselves tactically disadvantaged, the Union and end of the Cold War. Putin has returned to the top job in situation at sea is entirely in our favour; we have an immense Moscow after he ceded the presidency to Dmitry Medvedev four geographical advantage. years ago. His rushed Christmas-eve trip to New Delhi saw the India’s geographical location in the Indian Ocean could signing of a number of agreements that covered additional arms sales provide us with strategic leverage which our political leadership and technological collaboration. Russia will sell 71 additional Mi-17 ought to bear in mind. With the Indian subcontinent positioned helicopters and kits for the assembly of 42 Su-30 fighter aircraft. dominantly astride the vital sea lanes of communication (SLOC)- These deals, worth many billions of dollars, and additional which include China’s new silk route through the Indian Ocean plans to jointly produce helicopters in India, do not mask the - it is not India but China that finds itself on the back foot. difficult challenges confronting Delhi and Moscow, including in India is unable to exploit its advantage on the maritime front the defence sector. The endless delay in transfer of the aircraft simply because our geopolitical attention remains consumed carrier and the huge escalation in the price, have underlined the by the Line of Control and the McMahon Line. Our strategic problems of defence cooperation. The Russian telecom company, compulsions vis-a-vis these land frontiers have led to a landlocked Sistema, has been left in no man’s land after the Supreme Court mindset, blinding us to the geographical reality that India is cancelled the 2G licences. Moscow has been resentful of Delhi’s actually a maritime country. inability to offer redress. India’s nuclear liability legislation has In short, other countries like China have learnt to exploit the complicated Russia’s plans to proceed with the construction of geographical facts far better than us. Moreover, using the sea is two more reactors at Koodankulam in Tamil Nadu. New Delhi has not just a matter of increasing understanding, but above all, a been wary of the talk in Moscow about expanding cooperation with process of building capabilities. That indeed was the essence of Islamabad. Moscow, in turn, has looked askance at India’s warming Joshi’s message on 4 December. The people of India would be relations with Washington and America’s expanding arms sales to reassured to know that ours is the only navy in the Indian Ocean India. Trade between the two countries has grown 30 per cent last region that has the capability to operate aircraft carrier battle year but it remains at the pitiful level of $10 billion, way below groups and nuclear submarines. India’s trade with other major powers and Asian neighbours. Explaining the role of a navy has never been easy, since there Putin’s brief sojourn in New Delhi did not reveal any clues is a vast difference in the way that a navy operates compared on how these problems would be resolved. Nor have the two to an army or air force. Since navies invariably operate in sides come up with a bold plan to boost commercial relations, international waters, which are open highways, they have the which must form the foundation for any sustainable partnership intrinsic advantage of being able to deploy to any part of the globe, into the future. Any realistic assessment of the current uncertain unlike the army or air force which are confined to the nation’s international and regional environment would suggest that borders. Whilst all navies are well aware of their designated role Delhi and Moscow must necessarily hold on to their time-tested and potential, it is the diplomats on both sides of the border who relationship.