As the race for bagging the US$ 10-billion Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft order from India hots up, US aerospace major Lockheed Martin raised its sales pitch on Monday saying its fighter plane, F-16IN, is tailored exclusively to meet the Indian Air Force's requirements.
All the items identified for procurement from domestic defence manufacturers are used in shipbuilding. So far, the defence ministry has notified 127 items where purchase preference is given to local suppliers.
'The US will not want to tangle with China landwards.' 'Nor will the US confront the Chinese navy seawards on India's account.'
India has in the past relied heavily on Russia for arms and transport aircraft, and the US, bearing in mind China's military prowess, aims to improve strategic ties with India following this landmark deal.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar says global aircraft makers will have to get approval from their own governments to transfer technology and build jets in India.
111 light helicopters have to be built indigenously through joint ventures between Indian and foreign firms.
The Indian Air Force has 31 fighter squadrons as against authorised strength of 42 squadrons.
The F-16s are built by Lockheed Martin. Earlier, Lockheed had offered to build "exclusive" F-16 fighters for the Indian Air Force.
Several hundred Indian firms that manufacture or assemble Rs 10,000 crore worth of aerospace components annually for manufacturers like Boeing, Airbus, Lockheed Martin and Bell Helicopters now face disruptions relating to covid-19.
"If India's requirements are beyond any existing fighters, we are prepared to make upgraded F-16s to India's specifications with complete transfer of technology," Mike Kelly, Senior Executive of Lockheed Martin said.
The US Department of Defence has awarded a $284.6 million contract to Lockheed Martin to produce infrared target sight systems for the US Navy and Pakistan, a media report said on Saturday.
Chairing an exclusive roundtable with 42 global CEOs and top executives from across 20 sectors, Modi stressed on continued political stability in India, predictability of policy, and pro-development and pro-growth policies.
Despite military spending is in a decline, the business of war remains a good one.
United States aerospace major Boeing on Thursday said it received approval from the country's government to offer its F-15EX multi-role combat jet to the Indian Air Force.
Will Aero India 2013, the aeronautical jamboree that kicks off in Bangalore on Wednesday, be relatively subdued?
Official sources said talks were underway to wrap up negotiations on procurement of a missile defence system by India from the US for $1.86 billion.
Long term foreign investment necessary for the economy as it more stable.
Along with HAL, Boeing intends to involve the Mahindra Group in building Super Hornets in India.
With a combination of both physical and virtual exhibition, the 13th edition of the biennial international event at Air Force Station Yelahanka will be the world's first hybrid aerospace show.
The defence ministry took the decision to hold the biennial event as scheduled following inputs from major stakeholders including the domestic defence industry and global aerospace majors, official sources said.
The black box of the C-130J transport aircraft that crashed near Gwalior on Friday has suffered damage and the Indian Air Force has sent it to the United States to seek the assistance of its manufacturer Lockheed Martin in decoding the data, officials said on Sunday.
United States Ambassador to India Timothy J Roemer on Saturday said that induction of C-130J 'Super Hercules' aircraft in the Indian Air Force on time is a win-win situation for both the countries.
The Mumbai attack trial in a United States court resumed on Tuesday with co-accused David Headley testifying that Al Qaeda leader Ilyas Kashmiri had a plan to kill CEO of Lockheed Martin in frustration over drone attacks along the Af-Pak border.
The US military industrial complex is pulling out all the stops to secure the $10 billion deal for 126 fighter aircraft for the Indian Air Force and in its latest manifestation has co-opted a top Pentagon official to make a strong pitch for why this sale should be won by US defence manufacturers.
His 35 years of professional experience encompass conceptual design, payload trades, detailed component design, and hardware test for commercial and military satellites. He holds 32 United States patents.
Senior Indian and US government officials, as well as Indian air Force and US Air Force personnel will be on hand for the ceremony on December 16, where the Hercules C-130J-30, the most advanced airlifter ever built, will be handed over a month in advance of the delivery schedule.
Raha said the force has the power to punish its enemy, but a decision on using it in an offensive role will have to be taken by the government.
Top HAL sources say the AMCA, which is being developed as the IAF's next-generation stealth fighter, is slated to be assembled at HAL Nashik.
India has placed order for six of C-130J Hercules, which are said to be the most advanced airlifter ever built.
The 10th edition of the Defence Expo was held in Chennai this year. The event saw more than 25 Indian and global companies participate. Foreign players like Lockheed Martin and SAAB showcased their flagship fighter aircraft and Indian firms like Ashok Leyland, Tata Motors and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. had their own line-up of new products. Take a look.
Six global defence majors, including US giants Lockheed Martin and Boeing, and European consortium EADS, today offered to invest an estimated $2 billion to $3 billion to revitalise India's defence and aerospace industry.Under the proposals, which came days after New Delhi unveiled a new investment-friendly weapons procurement policy, the companies offered to pump in more investments, create defence exports and set up weapon-related joint ventures.
'For Indian firms supplying global majors, coronavirus is both a threat and an opportunity.'
India's desire to upgrade its Air Force will take a step forward in the next couple of months when trials for 126 medium-range, multi-role combat aircraft begin.
India's desire to upgrade its Air Force will take a step forward in the next couple of months when trials for 126 medium-range, multi-role combat aircraft begin.
India's ace shooter and first Olympics gold medalist Abhinav Bindra joined the elite VVIP list of fliers privileged to fly in a fighter jet.
Barely a month after carrying out successful tests of Interceptor missiles, India is in talks with a leading American aerospace firm to apparently seek collaboration to develop a robust ballistic missile defence (BMD) system.
Amongst the most aggressive of India's hopeful new Lockheed Martins is the Rs 1,30,000-crore Tata Group, which has launched a carefully crafted bid to become a major player in India's defence industry.
Prasun Desai is the project's senior engineer and Entry, Descent and Landing lead engineer, Langley Research Centre, Virginia, one of the four agencies working on the Phoenix project. The other three are NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, University of Arizona and Lockheed Martin Space Systems
'Anyone who should be worried about or critical about this new capability of the Indian Air Force, it should be those who want to threaten our territorial integrity'
The elephant in the room will permeate the conversations, predicts Rup Narayan Das.
