SP's Aviation 8/2024

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INDIA’S

RNI NUMBER: DELENG/2008/24199

78TH INDEPENDENCE DAY

“ON BEHALF OF THE INDIAN AIR FORCE, I ASSURE THE PEOPLE OF INDIA OF OUR CAPABILITY AND COMMITMENT IN MEETING ALL SECURITY CHALLENGES AND DEFENDING THE SOVEREIGNTY AND TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF OUR COUNTRY.” — AIR CHIEF MARSHAL V. R. CHAUDHARI CHIEF OF THE AIR STAFF INDIAN AIR FORCE (In his message for Independence Day Special)

SPECIAL

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SPACE EXPANDING INDIA’S GALACTIC HORIZONS

“THE IMPORTANCE OF TARANG SHAKTI IS THAT WE FLY FOR THE FIRST TIME TOGETHER WITH THE INDIAN AIR FORCE. INDIA (THE BIGGEST DEMOCRACY IN THE WORLD) IS REALLY AN IMPORTANT STRATEGIC PARTNER IN THE REGION FOR US.” — LT GENERAL INGO GERHARTZ CHIEF, GERMAN AIR FORCE (In an Exclusive Interview to SP’s Consulting & Contributing Editor) PAGE 4

MILITARY ROLE OF THE IAF IN NATION BUILDING

CIVIL THE HIGH-FLYING PATH TO A $5 TRILLION ECONOMY

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ALL NEW - SP’S MILITARY YEARBOOK 21-2022 • AN INDISPENSABLE REFERENCE DOCUMENT * MOST UPDATED INDIA’S WHO’S WHO IN DEFENCE, MOST UPDATED ASIA’S WHO’S WHO IN DEFENCE & MUCH MORE....

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SP’S MILITARY YEARBOOK 2021-2022 CONTENTS HEREWITH

PUBLISHER AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jayant Baranwal

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR Neetu Dhulia CONSULTING & CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Manish Kumar Jha

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PRINCIPAL CORRESPONDENT Ayushee Chaudhary CONTRIBUTORS India: Air Marshal Anil Chopra (Retd) Group Captain Joseph Noronha (Retd) Swaati Ketkar CHAIRMAN & MANAGING DIRECTOR Jayant Baranwal PLANNING & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Executive Vice President: Rohit Goel MANAGER – HR & ADMIN Bharti Sharma DEPUTY MANAGER – CIRCULATION Rimpy Nischal

DESIGN Holistic Directions: Jayant Baranwal Sr. Designer: Vimlesh Kumar Yadav, Designer: Sonu S. Bisht GROUP DIRECTOR – SALES & MARKETING Neetu Dhulia DIRECTOR – SALES Rajeev Chugh SP’S WEBSITES Sr Web Developer: Shailendra Prakash Ashish Web Developer: Ugrashen Vishwakarma

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INDIA’S

COVER IMAGE

This special edition of SP’s Aviation, dedicated to India’s Independence Day, underscores the significant contribution of India’s aerospace and defence sector in building India’s economic heft and geostrategic might.

78TH INDEPENDENCE DAY

(Cover Photo: Indian Air Force, Bundeswehr/Jane Schmidt) COVER DESIGN BY: SP’s Team

GROUP RESEARCH ASSOCIATE Survi Massey RESEARCH ASSISTANT Sarthak Baranwal

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VOL 27 ISSUE 8 • 2024

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“ON BEHALF OF THE INDIAN AIR FORCE, I ASSURE THE PEOPLE OF INDIA OF OUR CAPABILITY AND COMMITMENT IN MEETING ALL SECURITY CHALLENGES AND DEFENDING THE SOVEREIGNTY AND TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF OUR COUNTRY.” — AIR CHIEF MARSHAL V. R. CHAUDHARI CHIEF OF THE AIR STAFF INDIAN AIR FORCE (In his message for Independence Day Special)

SPECIAL

“THE IMPORTANCE OF TARANG SHAKTI IS THAT WE FLY FOR THE FIRST TIME TOGETHER WITH THE INDIAN AIR FORCE. INDIA (THE BIGGEST DEMOCRACY IN THE WORLD) IS REALLY AN IMPORTANT STRATEGIC PARTNER IN THE REGION FOR US.” — LT GENERAL INGO GERHARTZ CHIEF, GERMAN AIR FORCE (In an Exclusive Interview to SP’s Consulting & Contributing Editor)

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SPACE EXPANDING INDIA’S GALACTIC HORIZONS

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MILITARY ROLE OF THE IAF IN NATION BUILDING

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INDIA’S INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIAL

INTERVIEW

10 Special Message

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Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhari, Chief of the Air Staff, Indian Air Force

23/08/24 12:49 PM

EXCLUSIVE

Chief of German Air Force

Lt General Ingo Gerhartz, Chief of Luftwaffe

12 Space

Expanding India’s Galactic Horizons

16 Military

Role of the IAF in Nation Building

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INDIA’S

INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIAL

FROM EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

“We didn’t have the time to develop something and then have a capability in 10 or 15 years. We need it now, so that’s why we bought systems.”

— Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz, Chief of Luftwaffe (German Air Force)

Lt General Gerhartz elaborates that Germany is on a supersonic speed to modernise its forces with a defence budget of 2 per cent of GDP plus Euro 100 billion and since developing a capability takes time, they are filling the gaps through immediate acquisition of systems and platforms. In an exclusive and a detailed interview to Manish Jha, the Luftwaffe Chief also talks about Germany’s presence in the Indo-Pacific and building a new era of military cooperation with India.

When the Air Chief of a high-tech country like Germany, makes such a statement, it should be taken very seriously by our policy makers. This is similar to what was voiced by Vice Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal A.P. Singh, during a seminar about a month back where he said that “Atmanirbharta cannot be at the cost of nation’s defence. Nation’s defence comes first and foremost.” As India marks its 78th Independence Day, it is incumbent upon the government to ensure that our Armed Forces have the necessary capability to take on all security challenges and any gaps in the same are filled urgently, even if that means acquiring that capability till the time we achieve ‘Atmanirbharta’ in the same. India’s achievements during the last 77 years have been truly remarkable and nations worldwide seek to collaborate with us, now that India has become a global force. While we celebrate our past, we must remain committed to building a better, stronger and safer future for our nation.

A cornerstone of India’s journey towards self-reliance has been ISRO, whose remarkable achievements have firmly established the country as a formidable global force in space exploration. As Ayushee Chaudhary reports, with upcoming major space programmes, ISRO is poised to further elevate India’s stature on the world stage. These initiatives not only advance scientific discovery but also hold immense potential for economic growth, fostering innovation, creating high-skilled jobs, and opening up new avenues in satellite technology, telecommunications, and space tourism, thereby contributing significantly to the nation’s economy.

While the primary responsibility of the Indian Air Force is defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country, IAF plays a vital and a much more elaborate role in Nation building. Air Marshal Anil Chopra (Retd) details how IAF’s global reach ensures India’s ability to conduct defence diplomacy and humanitarian operations and highlights its crucial role in safeguarding and supporting the nation way beyond the traditional military functions.

In the last 77 years, India’s aviation sector has played a pivotal role in the economic growth of the country through efficient air transportation. Rohit Goel looks at how a thriving commercial aviation sector is driving the Indian economy forward, acting as a catalyst for growth by boosting tourism, trade, employment, and infrastructure development.

The success of the UDAN – the Regional Connectivity Scheme, has revolutionised India’s aviation industry by making air travel more accessible, driving economic growth, enhancing regional connectivity and becoming a key pillar of the nation’s aviation strategy. Ayushee Chaudhary writes on how connecting Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities across the country has resulted in merging the remote parts to the country with the main stream leading to significant social progress and economic prosperity in these regions.

All this and more in this issue of SP’s Aviation. Welcome aboard and we wish a very Happy Independence Day to all our readers!

Owned, published and printed by Jayant Baranwal, printed at Kala Jyothi Process Pvt Ltd and published at A-133, Arjun Nagar (Opposite Defence Colony), New Delhi 110003, India. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, photocopying, recording, electronic, or otherwise without prior written permission of the Publishers.

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NEWS

DIGEST

BOEING BOARD APPOINTS KELLY ORTBERG, PRESIDENT AND CEO Ortberg, 64, brings over 35 Boeing announced that years of aerospace leadership its Board of Directors has to this position. He began his elected Robert K. “Kelly” Ortcareer in 1983 as an Engineer berg as the company’s new at Texas Instruments, and then President and Chief Execujoined Rockwell Collins in 1987. tive Officer, effective August 8, He held increasingly important 2024. Ortberg will also serve on leadership positions at the comBoeing’s Board of Directors. pany prior to becoming its Pres“I’m extremely honored ident and CEO in 2013. After five and humbled to join this iconic KELLY ORTBERG, years leading Rockwell Collins, company,” said Ortberg. “BoePRESIDENT AND CEO he steered the company’s inteing has a tremendous and rich history as a leader and pioneer in our indus- gration with United Technologies and RTX try, and I’m committed to working together until his retirement from RTX in 2021. He has with the more than 1,70,000 dedicated held a number of important leadership posts employees of the company to continue that in industry, including serving on the Board tradition, with safety and quality at the fore- of Directors of RTX. He is the former Chair of front. There is much work to be done, and the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) Board of Governors. SP I’m looking forward to getting started.”

CIVIL AVIATION ALL-NEW GULFSTREAM G400 COMPLETES FIRST FLIGHT

Gulfstream announced the all-new Gulfstream G400 successfully completed its first flight, officially launching the flight test program and further expanding Gulfstream’s ultramodern, high-technology family of next-generation aircraft. The G400 defines a new standard with the highest performance and greatest comfort ever experienced in this segment.

The G400 showcases class-leading performance and efficiency with its combination of Gulfstream’s aerodynamic clean-wing design, advanced Pratt & Whitney Canada PW812GA engines and next-generation avionics. The aircraft can fly 4,200 nautical miles/7,778 kilometres at Mach 0.85 and is equipped with Gulfstream’s award-winning Symmetry Flight Deck and Predictive Landing Performance System to help improve flight safety and pilot situational awareness. The G400 also features the advanced high-speed Gulfstreamdesigned wing and winglet, introduced on the Gulfstream G500 and G600, that greatly enhance efficiency.

The G400 offers customers a choice of three floorplans with seating for up to nine, 11 or 12 passengers and provides the signature Gulfstream Cabin Experience with 100 per cent fresh, never recirculated air purified by a plasma ionization clean air system; the

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lowest cabin altitude in its class; and light from 10 Gulfstream Panoramic Oval Windows.

MILITARY SUCCESSFUL MAIDEN FLIGHT TEST OF LONG RANGE GLIDE BOMB

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has carried out successful maiden flight test of Long Range Glide Bomb (LRGB), GAURAV from Su-30 MKI platform of the Indian Air Force (IAF). GAURAV is an air launched 1,000 kg class glide bomb capable of hitting targets at long distance. After being launched, the glide bomb steer towards the target using highly accurate hybrid navigation scheme with a combination of INS and GPS data. GAURAV has been designed and developed indigenously by the Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad.

BOEING PARTNERS WITH AIESL

Boeing and AIESL have partnered to provide in-country overhaul services of critical components for the Indian Navy’s fleet of 12 Boeing P-8I aircraft. As part of the partnership, the first landing gear overhaul of a P-8I aircraft was recently completed at INS Rajali. This is a first in India and reflects the growth in India’s indigenous capabilities for undertaking complex Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) services. The Boeing P-8I, a multi-role Long Range Maritime

APPOINTMENT

DROR BAR APPOINTED AS IAI VICE PRESIDENT & CEO OF ELTA

Israel Aerospace Industries has appointed Dror Bar as IAI Vice President and CEO of ELTA. ELTA’s Board of Directors, headed by IAI’s CEO Boaz Levy, has unanimously decided to adopt the recommendation of the search committee, headed by IAI Chairman Amir Peretz. The appointment is subject to the approval of the Appointments Review Committee, Israel’s Minister of Defense, and the Minister for Regional Cooperation who heads the Government Companies Authority.

Reconnaissance Anti-Submarine Warfare (LRMR ASW) aircraft, is integral to the Indian Navy’s maritime surveillance missions in the Indian Ocean.

NETHERLANDS TO ACQUIRE NINE EMBRAER C-390 MILLENNIUM

The Dutch Ministry of Defense signed the contract for the acquisition of nine Embraer C-390 Millennium aircraft during a ceremony at the Farnborough Airshow. The contract is a joint purchase, in cooperation with Austria – five aircraft for the Royal Netherlands Air Force and four aircraft for the Austrian Air Force.

With this joint order, both countries aim at increasing their ability to rapidly deploy or evacuate equipment and personnel worldwide, even under difficult operational conditions. The enhanced tactical airlift capacity provided by the C-390 increases operational flexibility and responsiveness, provides logistical support in various missions and operations, and enables a wide range of humanitarian and medical tasks.

The joint purchase will also allow both nations – as well as current and future operators – to cooperate and benefit from synergies in areas like training, logistics and future growth of the platform, together with the other C-390 operators in NATO nations. The C-390 Millennium provides maximum operational readiness enabling interoperability and connectivity in networked environments and multiple domains.l

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INTERVIEW

CHIEF OF GERMAN AIR FORCE

EXCLUSIVE

‘ZEITENWENDE’ — THE TURNING POINT!

PHOTOGRAPH: BUNDESWEHR / JANE SCHMIDT

In an exclusive interaction, Chief of Luftwaffe (German Air Force) Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz speaks with Consulting & Contributing Editor Manish Kumar Jha, in New Delhi on a comprehensive range of issues concerning German forces’ modernisation, NATO’s role, military acquisitions, and Germany’s presence in the Indo-Pacific building a new era of military cooperation with India.

The ‘Zeitenwende’ speech of German Chancellor to the Bundestag, at the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war, signified the changing times while reversing Germany’s previously cautious defence policy. In this interview, Lt General Ingo Gerhartz, Chief of German Air Force refers to this ‘historic turning point’ as a cornerstone of the ongoing German military modernisation.

With Zeitenwende, Germany aims to restore the glorious legacy of the Luftwaffe for its air power and resurrect its technological prowess with new generation acquisitions like the stealthy fifth generation F-35 and Patriot air defence systems while simultaneously modernising its assets with “supersonic speed”. In a sweeping move, Germany has raised the defence budget by 2 per cent of the GDP with an additional fund of a staggering Euro 100 billion to modernise its ageing assets. On August 15, the US announced the sale of 600 Patriot air defence missiles to Germany, at an estimated cost $5 billion. At the same time, the Eurofighter, as the frontier combat jet, will undergo massive upgradation for electronic warfare purposes.

For the Luftwaffe and German military, it is equally a new era for Indo-German partnerships which also echo a historic bond. The unfolding of the next-generation submarine under P-75(I) with AIP and calls for acquiring next-generation military transport aircraft (A400M) to refuelers (A330 MRTT) puts Germany at the heart of strategic collaboration with India.

Manish Kumar Jha (Manish Jha): Luftwaffe has an impeccable legacy, technologically ahead of the times. Give us an overview of the German Air Force’s capabilities today. We also u ­ nderstand

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LT GENERAL INGO GERHARTZ CHIEF OF LUFTWAFFE (GERMAN AIR FORCE)

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INTERVIEW

CHIEF OF GERMAN AIR FORCE

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PHOTOGRAPH: MANISH KUMAR JHA

there’s a lot of debate within the German parliament for modernising the Luftwaffe in terms of the defence budget and acquiring new assets in the wake of ongoing regional conflict.

Lt General Ingo Gerhartz (Lt General Gerhartz): When I entered service in the Air Force (Luftwaffe), it was mid-80s. All my qualifications, pilot training and other training was at that time and when that period finished, we had the German reunification.

Now, for more than three decades, we had a declining budget line. Since we had low budget numbers, we had a lot of modernisation gaps. When Russia attacked Ukraine, the German Chancellor, made a historic speech in Parliament and announced to give the modernisation of the Armed Forces, Euro 100 billion extra while also increasing the defence budget, eventually to 2 per cent of the GDP.

LUFTWAFFE CHIEF LT GENERAL INGO GERHARTZ AT EXERCISE TARANG SHAKTI IN INDIA

Manish Jha: So, the Euro 100 billion is Manish Jha: You have a huge legacy and aerospace experadded to the top of the Air Force budget?

Lt General Gerhartz: Overall, the budget of the armed forces is tise which is recognised worldwide. Luftwaffe is replacing 2 per cent of the GDP. The Euro 100 billion increase is on top of Tornado. Why not have an indigenous, native programme for that. We don’t have particular Air Force, Army, or Navy budgets. developing an entirely new platform of sixth-generation fightWe all have only one budget so that, as a result, gave us a lot of ers like the UK’s Tempest programme and France’s Rafale?

Similarly, India is also embarking on an AMCA programme options for modernisation.

For example, we need a new helicopter. Someone asked besides Tejas Mk2. me recently, as a high-tech nation, why are we buying from the Lt General Gerhartz: We do both. On one hand, which I just US. We didn’t have the time. We could have easily developed, tried to explain, we didn’t have the time to develop something for example, with Airbus, a new helicopter. But in recent times, and then have a capability in 10 or 15 years. We need it now, in the last decades, we didn’t have the money. We were only so that’s why we bought systems (F-35). But also, systems focused on mission support like Afghanistan, but we were not like the Eurofighter (Typhoon) are a European programme, so focused on defending our country. This changes now. It’s what in parallel, we are doing something like developing the sixth we call, this speech from the German Chancellor in 2022, turn- generation as well. Like the UK’s Tempest, we call it FCASing point in history —Zeitenwende -- the German expression - Future Combat Air System. We do it together with France for that. So now we are buying 60 Chinook helicopters. We will and Spain. Belgium has observer status. Who knows who will be one of the biggest transport helicopter nations in the world. join? But that is something we have time for. We don’t need We will also have 53 A400M, A330 tankers and C-130 aircraft. that today. We need it tomorrow, so to speak. And that’s what we are doing by ourselves. So, it was a big signal that those We will be the biggest nation of air transport in Europe!

And then the modernisation of the fighter fleet. One of the 3 FCAS nations-- Germany, France, and Spain-- that we demost important decisions was what is the next fighter? Now ploy around the world, for example, flying in exercise Tarang we are going for the F-35. But, simultaneously, we modernise Shakti, all three nations together. So, this deployment we are the Eurofighter. We will make the Eurofighter fit for electronic doing right now is also an aspect of working together for the warfare purposes, and that was possible only due to this rapid sixth-generation fighter. change in budget.

Manish Jha: I will come back to the Experts point at what we achieved Tarang Shakti which saw the largest in the last two years, and how fast we deployment of the German air force are moving now. For example, take the “So right now, I assets so far, in the Indian subcontinent. case of F-35, from the decision to buy would say, from How significant is this milestone? What the F-35 to the contract was so fast, it are the geostrategic thoughts behind will start flying in Germany in 2027. We an Air Force this, or the military strategy behind this, start the training in 2026, cutting the perspective, in terms especially exercising together on such time in half what the other European a larger scale with India? nations needed for that. of modernisation, Lt General Gerhartz: Two years ago, So right now, I would say, from we are in supersonic we went for the first time in the Indoan Air Force perspective, in terms speed.”

Pacific. One year before that, a German of modernisation, we are in superfrigate was already down here. That sonic speed.

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PHOTOGRAPH: BUNDESWEHR / JANE SCHMIDT

And this is not a partnership against anybody. It’s a signal to ourselves that we can work together. And for me, we talked about it, India is one of the most, if not the most important partners, here in the region. So, it’s quite obvious that the military has to work together.

Manish Jha: Let’s talk about Tarang Shakti. This is a part of the chain of the exercises which you’re doing (Pacific Skies). What is the main thread? What are the learnings which can be used in the real war scenario? Is it about interoperability? Is it about the gaps that we recognise within these partner countries? What are the outcomes?

Lt General Gerhartz: I mean, we have the Indian Air Force, and we have four European nations, the German Air Force, French Air Force, Spanish Air Force, and the Royal Air Force. We all fly different systems and manage to LUFTWAFFE CHIEF LT GENERAL INGO GERHARTZ IS LEADING THE MODERNISATION bring those systems together. Every OF THE GERMAN AIR FORCE system has an advantage and a disadwas in 2021 that we deployed for the first time in the region. vantage. No one system in particular has all the capabilities by And we did it on, I would say, a kind of low scale, but the objec- itself. So now it is our task to bring the different systems totive was to be in Asia within 24 hours, which we proved, from gether so that they have a kind of operational, functional capability. And that is something we already saw two years ago in Germany to Singapore in 22 hours.

I had strong talks with a lot of partners in the Indo-Pacific. Australia, that we can work together with the Indian Air Force, We have to come back to the region. The leaders next wanted to and now we concentrate much more on each other.

In this exercise Tarang Shakti, I flew a mission by myself, go for the exercise in Alaska that was driven solely by the need to demonstrate NATO’s collective defence under Article 5. It was and I was controlled by an Indian Air Force’s AWACS. It was a a powerful signal, timed to coincide with the NATO Summit in highly professional coordination from IAF despite difference in Washington. Germany took the lead in this massive operation, languages. Despite English not being my native language, we involving over 100 fighter aircraft, even though it wasn’t on our talked in English and I could fully understand them. I knew own territory. Then we continued exercises in Japan, Hawaii, what is his tactical idea and he understood what is my tactical The Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC), the biggest naval idea. So, we proved that we can work together. exercise and then in Australia--Pitch Black.

And now this is number five. But I would say the most Manish Jha: Chief, you talked about the P-75(I) programme, important exercise is Tarang Shakti, together with the Indian Air which is a very ambitious project of the Indian Navy. We are Force. I don’t have to tell you that India is the biggest democracy acquiring submarines. So, in a similar line, India has floated in the world. In October, we will have the second intergovern- its own very highly ambitious programmes after Tejas Mk1A to mental talk between India and Germany. Our Chancellor, with Tejas 2 with certain advanced specifications. Further, parallelly, a lot of Ministers, will come to India. So, it’s a really important IAF is also embarking on the futuristic Advanced Medium Comstrategic partner in this region. And so, it’s obvious that that bat Aircraft (AMCA). Do you foresee some sort of collaboration military has to cooperate. So that’s why we fly for the first time with the Air Force, building some sort of military-industrial production in India? How much interested and exercise with the Indian Air Force. the German Air Force could be?

Lt General Gerhartz: Yes, it could be.

Manish Jha: India and Germany do have My objective is that we can work togetha historic relationship. However, in er. You know, I’m not a salesman. I’m terms of our strategic and military col“We didn’t have a military commander, and I can see, laboration, we were slightly left behind. the time to develop for example, A400 transport aircraft. I Is it because the German air asset itself think it’s one of the best, if not the best, is not able to spread into Indo-Pacific or something and then transport aircraft in the world. If India the priority was elsewhere? have a capability opts to say that we want to go for that, Lt General Gerhartz: I don’t agree that in 10 or 15 years. that could be a cooperation. I can fulit is falling behind. I just heard in the mely understand that whatever we do in dia that a submarine deal is in the works, We need it now, so terms of cooperation has to be produced which is a great signal, I am pretty sure. that’s why we bought here in the country because that means While I’m not sure about how we are technology transfer, jobs, skills, and emproducing systems together, we want to systems (F-35).” ployment. I understand that’s part of the show that our military can work ­together.

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CHIEF OF GERMAN AIR FORCE

submarine deal also, that they would have to be produced here in the country, but I’m not really into that.

PHOTOGRAPH: LUFTWAFFE

Manish Jha: What makes A400M one of the best transport aircraft and how suitable is it for India? and possibly, if you could explain the joint production and collaboration with India. Alongside this, could you also highlight the finer aspects and technical superiority?

Lt General Gerhartz: Speed and reach, as the A400M is the fastest propellerdriven transport aircraft. It has a reach.

It has air refuelling capability. We have used it already. So, you can go non-stop and you can cover a long distance. It has a lot of trust. I mean, you have a lot of high-altitude airfields, which is not a problem for that aircraft. We proved it in Kabul where, when we did the first landing, there were people and cars on the runway, and the pilot had to brake really LUFTWAFFE A330 MRTT REFUELLING THE INDIAN SU-30 MKI AIRCRAFT hard. And if you brake hard, you heat the tyres a lot, and he had blown two tyres, and he took off with two blown tyres because the A400M me, as a military commander, what lessons have you learned from the war in Ukraine? And I think, I could talk for hours about has so much thrust. I think it’s a real capable asset. it, but if you just say, come up with the top three lessons learned.

Manish Jha: And then, what about the possibility of producing • Number one is Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IMD). It is the IMD that’s key if you have a battalion of very modern jointly in India? What do we have for the C295 joint production battle tanks, but you cannot secure them from any attacks, with Spain and with Airbus in some sort of mechanism? from cheap drones to whatever cruise missiles or whatever Lt General Gerhartz: It’s an industry decision. It’s a decision is a threat from the air then you will not win. by the government. But you just mentioned the C295, it’s an So IMD, that’s, really, really important. That’s why we deliver Airbus aircraft which is jointly produced here in India. So, I’m fully convinced that might be possible with other programmes to Ukraine, so many missile defence systems. IRIS-T SLM, one of the best systems for that region in the world, and Patriot air and something will come out as well. defence systems are that we have delivered to Ukraine. So IMD Manish Jha: I also heard about the proposition and offer of A330 is the number one.

• Number two is Command and Control. You know, in my MRTT. What is that proposition all about? early days of flying the targeting cycle, that was 48 hours.

Lt General Gerhartz: I don’t know the exact numbers, or how That was a long time ago. Now it is real-time. This is the many aircraft, but I can tell you, we are flying it in a multinaeffect the military commander wants to achieve, and it’s an tional tanker fleet. We have different nations flying right now and asset to its ISR. This has to be all real-time, so command and we will increase to even more aircraft. Most of the flying hours control on a digital level in one network. are bought by Germany. We deployed from Northern Australia to Subang, Malaysia, and then from Subang, Malaysia to Sulu, three • Number three is something which we didn’t see when we went into Mission Support, like Afghanistan, is stockpiles. tankers within what we call a tanker cell within one mile, with 10 We have to increase our stockpiles of fighter aircraft. So, the tankers were flywhatever munition we have. We say in ing visually to each other, with 10 fighter the military, numbers matter, so that’s aircraft being the receivers. That’s a caimportant. IMD, Command and Control pability, and that’s an operational stan“We have Space and increasing the Stockpiles. dard I’ve never seen before in the world.

Manish Jha: Chief, back to the wider concept of warfare, a different sort of warfare is also evolving, say, the asymmetrical sort of warfare as we see with the Russia-Ukraine war. You have seen it first-hand. What is the learning which you want to talk about and share from this war? Military experts also hint at the end of a conventional dogfight or tank-to-tank in the defined battlefield.

Lt General Gerhartz: A lot of people ask

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Command that it is a joint command.

Space is not an Air Force issue or Navy or an Army or Cyber issue, it’s joint as everybody is dependent on space.”

Manish Jha: The space domain has taken centre stage. The Luftwaffe has taken steps to establish the Air and Space Operations Centre. What is the reason for that? How is the Space Command unfolding, and how futuristic this could be?

Lt General Gerhartz: There will be no military operation in the future without space. It is already today. So, whatever you have in space, ISR navigational

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INTERVIEW

CHIEF OF GERMAN AIR FORCE the airspace over the Baltics. So, we have to help each other.

PHOTOGRAPH: LUFTWAFFE AND MANISH JHA

LT GENERAL INGO GERHARTZ IN CONVERSATION WITH MANISH KUMAR JHA

Manish Jha: The Indian Air Force is also strengthening its assets to have atleast 42 squadrons with futuristic programmes including AMCA and Tejas 2.

We see a lot of international collaboration for building next-generation combat jets. Do you look at the possibilities of building together as a strategic partner in the future?

Lt General Gerhartz: The most important thing is that we can work together, that we fly together, that we can operate together. It’s the decision of our governments, how somebody will fill any gaps, what systems somebody will procure.

But it’s about being a trusted partner, and that, for me, is all about the decisions of any government, in terms of modernisation. And as you just mentioned, increasing the squadrons and all, that has to be done on a political level.

means, like GPS or Galileo, a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) on the European side, you have to be sure that you can protect this. You have to be sure that you can protect your ISR satellites, and for that, you have to have a picture of what is happening in space.

Right now, we buy telescopes, we buy radars, so we know exactly what is happening up there.

As you just mentioned, it is felt that we have Space Command under the control of the Air Force, but it is a joint command, and that is important. Space is not an Air Force issue or Navy or an Army or Cyber issue, it’s joint as everybody is dependent on space.

And, especially coming back to missile defence, we just procured the three ballistic missile defence systems from Israel. If you have a capability in space, it can give you an early warning of somebody launching far, far away a ballistic missile. That is important. So, another example of the importance of space.

Manish Jha: Lastly, we often hear about the Eurofighter despite being a capable aircraft, is seen as more of a support system than an attack fighter jet. Are you considering this as your frontline combat aircraft for the future force of the Luftwaffe or coming up with a new platform?

Lt General Gerhartz: I talked about the F-35 which is a really important step for us. It’s the only stealth aircraft now in the West. But if you see the number of F-35, we buy 35 aircraft, and we are operating a lot of Eurofighters. So, we will see.

Right now, we have about 150. We had just decided to buy 20 more. So, the Eurofighter will be the backbone of the German air force for the future. We will modernise this aircraft in the electronic warfare region, with new air-to-air weapons to counter.

It is already, today, a multi-role aircraft. It already has air-to-air counter weapons. And, in the future, we will bring more weapons on the system.

Manish Jha: Let’s talk about NATO amid the ongoing war, the budget being raised, and NATO as a force to reckon with, it requires much more, to do that. How do you assess NATO’s performance, budget allocations and military capabilities, keeping future challenges and conflicts on the horizon?

Lt General Gerhartz: We have a challenge for sure, and we Europeans have to do more for our defence. That’s why we decided that 2 per cent is the minimum (Defence budget), including Germany and a lot of nations are achieving that goal. I’m fully convinced that even in the future, whatever administration we will see in the US, they will say, in NATO, we need this transatlantic link. It’s very important. But we Europeans, have to do more to be able to defend ourselves and that is what we are doing right now.

If you see particularly Germany, I talked about the Euro 100 billion extra on top money together and in parallel with the rise to 2 per cent and I see a lot of other countries like Poland are investing a lot. And yes, we have to invest and we have to share as well.

For example, in parallel, we are now deploying around the world.

We are deployed with our Eurofighter jets to ensure the integrity of

Manish Jha: So, you also participate with Eurofighter in India’s multi-role Fighter programme MRFA? Lt General Gerhartz: I can only say to you, I fly it by myself.

The Eurofighter is one of the most capable systems that I’ve ever flown and I have seen in the world.

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Manish Jha: What is the next upgrade of Eurofighter in terms of capabilities and roles? How do we look at it in line with F-35?

Would it be a stealth or air superiority?

Lt General Gerhartz: It will be much more network-capable.

I think the key in the future is the teaming between manned and unmanned aircraft. Eurofighter will be capable of teaming with unmanned aircraft so that’s one of the main parts.

Manish Jha: Thank you, Chief. SP Manish Kumar Jha is a Consulting & Contributing Editor for SP’s Aviation, SP’s Land Forces and SP’s Naval Forces and a security expert. He writes on national security, military technology, strategic affairs & policies.

ISSUE 8 • 2024

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INDIA’S

SPECIAL MESSAGE

PHOTOGRAPH: INDIAN AIR FORCE

INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIAL

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INDIA’S

INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIAL SPECIAL MESSAGE

I

AIR CHIEF MARSHAL V.R. CHAUDHARI pvsm avsm vm adc

am happy to learn that ‘SP Guide Publications’ is bringing out a special edition of SP’s Aviation on the occasion of the 78th Independence Day of India.

On this historic occasion, we salute the resolute spirit of our brave soldiers and remember with gratitude and pride, the trials and tribulations faced by the courageous and selfless heroes of our freedom struggle.

Over the last nine decades, IAF has stabilised its position as one of the most potent and professional Air Forces in the world. It is on the path to become a leaner, meaner and stronger force with highly focused and multi-skilled personnel to fight tomorrow’s wars. On behalf of the Indian Air Force, I assure the people of India of our capability and commitment in meeting all security challenges and defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our country.

‘SP Guide Publications’ remains a benchmark in military journalism as a source of knowledge for all uniformed personnel. I also convey my compliments to all members of the publication house and wish them continued success in the years to come.

July 10, 2024

AIR CHIEF MARSHAL CHIEF OF THE AIR STAFF INDIAN AIR FORCE

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ISSUE 8 • 2024

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INDIA’S

INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIAL

SPACE

SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH OF SSLV-D3 MISSION BY ISRO. THE SSLV-D3 PLACED EOS-08 PRECISELY INTO THE ORBIT ENABLING OPERATIONAL MISSIONS BY INDIAN INDUSTRY AND NSIL IN THE FUTURE.

EXPANDING INDIA’S GALACTIC HORIZONS India’s space economy is set for significant growth as the nation continues to be a major global player, driven by momentum in the private sector, new industry entrants, substantial investments, and supportive policy initiatives

PHOTOGRAPH: ISRO

By AYUSHEE CHAUDHARY The Indian space sector is undergoing a significant transformation, evolving from being exclusively managed by ISRO to including a growing number of private companies and startups. This shift is driving economic growth, job creation, and technological advancements. In 2022, the Indian space market was valued at approximately $8.4 billion, accounting for about two per cent of the global space market. According to the decadal vision report by Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), this market is poised to expand to $44 billion over the next decade, potentially capturing eight per cent of the global market and significantly boosting India’s economy.

Globally, according to the recent World Economic Forum (WEF) report, the space economy is projected to reach $1.8 trillion by 2035, driven by its transition from a niche industry to one that offers solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Space technologies are now integral to everyday life, impacting various industries. With over $70 billion invested in the sector in 2021 and 2022, space tourism is also on the horizon, led by high net worth individuals, projected to generate $4-6 billion by 2035. This growth is further supported by the increasing cultural interest in space and its potential to

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address global concerns such as climate monitoring, medical advances and improved humanitarian responses.

SCOPE OF THE SPACE ECONOMY The space economy is often thought of as revolving around satellites, launchers, and services like broadcast TV and GPS. These core components, which constitute the “backbone” of the industry, contributed over $330 billion in 2023, making up more than half of the global space economy, according to the WEF report. However, the impact of space technologies extends far beyond these direct applications. They play a pivotal role in enabling businesses across various industries to generate significant revenues—a concept known as the “reach” of the space economy. For instance, without satellite signals and smartphone chips, platforms like Uber couldn’t have scaled globally, connecting drivers and riders across cities. The reach of space technologies is increasingly pervasive, touching everyday life through weather forecasting, parcel tracking, food delivery, e-commerce services, and more. In 2023, this “reach” was valued at approximately $300 billion, effectively representing the other half of the global space economy. When combined, the backbone and reach components could push the global space economy to an estimated $1.8 trillion by 2035,

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INDIA’S

INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIAL SPACE growing at a robust annual rate of nine per cent, nearly double the projected global GDP growth rate.

ENABLERS FOR SPACE ECONOMY GROWTH The rapid expansion of the space economy is fueled by reduced launch costs and ongoing commercial innovation. In the past two decades, satellite launches have increased by 50 per cent, while launch costs have dropped tenfold, making space more accessible and frequent. This has also driven down data costs, essential for global connectivity, a trend set to continue.

As space technologies integrate further into daily life, their impact on industries like supply chain, transport, food and beverage, defence, retail, and digital communications is expected to grow significantly, potentially driving 60 per cent of the global space economy by 2035. These industries will benefit from lower costs and enhanced operations through space-enabled technologies.

The past decade has seen accelerating growth in the space sector, with increasing investments from public, private, and non-space sectors, indicating that space-based applications are reaching a pivotal point. This trend is highlighted by global public sector investments, such as India’s recent achievement of becoming the first country to land near the lunar south pole.

THE INDIAN SPACE ECOSYSTEM’S TRANSFORMATION India’s space sector is undergoing a remarkable transformation.

The reforms initiated in 2020 have catalysed this transformation, opening up the space sector to private players and fostering innovation. Many startups are making global strides, while traditional ISRO vendors are scaling up their capabilities. With the total investment in the sector reaching $125 million in 2023, India is now seen as a burgeoning hub for space business on the global stage. Additionally, the success of ISRO with missions like Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya L1, has further ­established trust

on its technologies, increasing international collaboration and participation. Further, NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), ISRO’s commercial arm, has paved the way for foreign and Indian customers to launch aboard ISRO rockets as well as allowed Indian industries to participate in technology transfers.

“The emerging space sector shows private players have a great role to play and the government has realised this and then brought the space sector reforms and the policy which opens the possibilities for private companies to take up from building rockets to delivering applications. It is encouraging to see entrepreneurship, incubation startups as well as bigger players coming in to take up different roles. More operators and foreign investors are also coming to India, making the space ecosystem more vibrant. With all of this we are hoping that the scale of economy of space activities in India is likely to grow substantially higher,” Dr S. Somanath, Secretary, Department of Space (DoS) and Chairman, ISRO told SP’s Aviation.

In recent years, the Indian government has taken significant steps to strengthen its space ecosystem. In 2019, NSIL was established to commercialise ISRO’s technologies, followed by the creation of IN-SPACe in 2020, which opened the industry to private players, and the Indian Space Association (ISpA) as the apex industry body. The 2023 Indian Space Policy, along with the norms, guidelines, and procedures (NGP) issued by IN-SPACe this year, further facilitated private sector participation in satellite building, launching, ground stations, and remote sensing data. Additionally, the government approved amendments to the FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) policy, allowing 100 per cent FDI in satellite manufacturing without approval and easing rules for launch vehicles. The Indian Finance Minister also announced a 10-billion-rupee venture capital fund recently to expand the space sector, aligning with the government’s vision to grow India’s share in the global commercial space economy to 10 per cent by 2030.

INDIAN SPACE INDUSTRY AS A MULTI-LAYERED MARKETPLACE SPACE

Space Situational Awareness

In-Orbit Economy and Space exploration Launch Vehicle

Demand Generation

Satellite

Data Layer

Awareness

Ground Network

Earth Observation

Acquisition & Aggregation Data Storage Processing & Analysis Navigation

Communication

EARTH Source: ISpA - Decadal Vision Jan 23

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ISSUE 8 • 2024

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INDIA’S

INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIAL SPACE

SPACE ECONOMY Groups

Space Domains

Space-for-Earth

 Earth Observation (EO)

Market Size Estimate, 2022 (USD Bn)

Market Size Estimate, 2033 (USD Bn)

7

32.1

1.3

10.6

0.1

1.3

8.4

44.0

 Communication  Navigation Access-to-Space

 Satellite Manufacturing  Launch Service  Ground Segment

Space-for-Space

 Space situational Awareness  In-orbit economy and Space Exploration

Total Source: ISpA - Decadal Vision Jan 23

IN-SPACe’s decadal vision, aiming for a $44 billion market by 2033 is structured around three key segments: Space-forEarth, Access-to-Space, and Space-for-Space, each with specific growth domains.

The Space-for-Earth segment, projected to reach $32.1 billion, will be the primary driver of downstream growth, supporting socio-economic development through applications in agriculture, healthcare, transport, and education. The Accessto-Space segment, which includes satellite manufacturing and launch services, is set to expand rapidly, potentially contributing $10.6 billion to the market. The future growth of India’s space sector relies on a four-pillar strategy: building platforms, creating an industrial ecosystem, enabling industry participation, and international outreach. This comprehensive approach aims to position India as a global leader in space, ensuring that the country not only meets its domestic needs but also plays a significant role in the global space economy.

THE ROLE OF PRIVATE SECTOR AND START-UPS By allowing private companies to participate in the space sector, the barriers to entry for space activities are lowered, leading to more frequent and affordable launches, technological advancements, cost-effective solutions and the development of new markets that drive growth and expand the range of spacerelated activities.

The private sector’s involvement is vital for India’s ambition to increase its share in the global space economy. With private missions ranging from deep space exploration to satellite data analytics, the space sector is now a hotbed of innovation, attracting significant investment and driving economic growth.

In 2022, Skyroot Aerospace became the first private Indian company to launch a rocket, Vikram-S. This year, AgniKul Cosmos launched a single-stage technology demonstrator rocket — Agnibaan SOrTeD (suborbital technological demonstrator), the first launch from a private launchpad and the first using a combination of gas and liquid fuel. Bellatrix Aerospace had successfully launched its Rudra and Arka propulsion systems onboard ISRO’s PSLV C-58 launch vehicle this year; Rudra is the nation’s first High-Performance Green Propulsion system. In July this

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year, Dhruva Space received authorisation from IN-SPACe for Ground Station as a Service (GSaaS). Digantara launched the satellite Pushan-Alpha which will serve as a space weather testbed in a sun-synchronous orbit. GalaxEye signed the agreement to build systems & develop a miniaturised satellite capable of carrying multiple payloads up to 150 kg for the Indian Air Force.

Pixxel recently launched Aurora, its cutting-edge Earth Observation Studio. These are just some examples, there are many other companies like Manastu, SatSure, SkyServe, EtherealX, Azista Aerospace, Piersight, and others that are developing advanced technology to solve problems and raising investments.

“The assertion that a robust domestic economy hinges on substantial private sector participation is undeniably accurate.

India’s space programme, spearheaded by ISRO, has achieved remarkable milestones. However, to truly harness the sector’s potential and become a global space powerhouse, a symbiotic relationship between the government and private enterprise is imperative” said Anirudh Sharma, Founder and CEO of Digantara, a space surveillance and intelligence company.

RISING INVESTMENTS IN INDIA’S SPACE SECTOR India’s space sector is experiencing a significant influx of investment from both domestic and international investors. According to the DPIIT Start-Up India Portal, the number of space startups in India had surged from just one in 2014 to 189 in 2023 (now that number is over 200), with investments in these startups reaching $124.7 million.

A report by Inc42 highlighted that over 150 space tech startups secured more than $285 million in funding between 2014 and 2023 supported by a diverse range of investors. Skyroot has raised more than $66 million in funding so far. This year itself, Dhruva Space raised `123 crore in a Series A funding round, Digantara raised $2 million to close a $12 million Series A funding round, GalaxEye raised $6.5 million while EtherealX raised $5 million. Many of the startups have also significantly expanded their teams, setting up their headquarters and establishing a strong infrastructure for the sector.

“I think a lot of investors are now waking up to the potential of the sector. India enjoys significant cost arbitrage and a very

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INDIA’S

INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIAL SPACE

ASPIRATION FOR INDIAN SPACE ECONOMY

SPACE ECONOMY SIZE ($ BILLION) For Reference: Global nominal GDP growth is forecasted to grow at 5% p.a. over 2023-25

vs global nominal GDP growth, 2023-25

+9% p.a.

9% p.a.

x1.8

Upstream Midstream Downstream 44 (8%)

1,790 +16%

9% p.a.

1035

1,160 630

2023

755

2030

+7% p.a.

x1.4

2035 Reach

44 (8%)

20%

+16%

29%

11

x2.1

Backbone

38% 14%

8.4 (2%)

525

9.4 2.5

635

300 330

+11% p.a.

Export Domestic market

32.1

0.1 1.3

8.4

33

0.3

8.1

7.0 2022

15%

2033

2022

2033

Investment of $22 Bn is envisioned in next 10 years

Source: Future of Space Economy research

Source: IN-SPACe

i­nteresting geopolitical space that allows us to collaborate with pretty much every country in the world. This builds the base for allowing Indian companies to be global enterprises,” said Rahul Seth, Scouting Director & Investor at Antler, a global early-stage VC. The Indian government’s proactive stance, exemplified by the Indian Space Policy 2023, has played a pivotal role in this growth. While more clarity is still sought, the policy encourages full-spectrum participation of Non-Governmental Entities (NGEs) in all space activities, incentivising private sector involvement through a supportive legal and regulatory environment.

“The nexus between the rule of law and a stable secure economy is well documented. Law has the effect of influencing the flow of capital into a sector, by regulating the relationship between the investor, the investee and the state. By ensuring a clear, predictable, fair and non discriminatory regulatory atmosphere, investors will feel empowered to invest into a nascent industry like space” said Ashok G.V., Partner, Factum Law and a space lawyer.

India’s space sector is also expanding through international collaborations and market expansions. With advancements in remote-sensing technologies, optimised use of satellite data, and a focus on indigenous satellites, communication systems, and heavy-lift launch vehicles, Indian startups are well-positioned to capture a larger share of the global space market.

“Going by the figures shared by INSPACe, we expect the sector to grow to 8-10 per cent by 2030. But to achieve that, there are multiple things which have to happen. The success of the leading start-up companies in their expected plans is important, like SkyRoot and AgniKul, being able to get through their orbital launches at the earliest, to become a player in the market. Similarly, the likes of Pixxel, Druva, Digantra, being able to put the number of satellites they want to. The initiative by NSIL for public-private partnership for example for the LVM-3 rocket, is a positive step; and the kind of response companies have shown for this indicates there is a great potential in the market. The investments by venture capitalists have been in the range of $123-126 million in the last two years, which is a positive indicator. Even the government deciding to announce 1,000 crores for venture capitalists indicates a very positive intent” said Lt General A.K. Bhatt (Retd), Director General, ISpA.

THE ORBIT AHEAD India’s space economy holds a bright future, marked by several upcoming missions like Gaganyaan. Areas like reusable launch vehicles, advanced remote sensing, space situational awareness, satellite imagery, data analysis and space tourism are set to drive growth. However, the challenges of sustainability, the capital required, and risk of space ventures still loom.

“High costs, a shortage of skilled talent, and a limited domestic market are some current challenges. The government must take the lead by becoming a major buyer of space-based products and services. At the same time, boosting research and development, investing in training skilled workers, simplifying regulations, and encouraging partnerships between government and private companies are crucial for building a thriving space industry. That said, we are moving in the right direction,” added Sharma.

The surge of space startups in India has been significant.

Established companies are also entering the market, adding to the growth potential of the industry as well as competition.

However, the space industry is inherently a high-risk & capital-intensive venture, raising concerns about the survival of all the current startups. It becomes further crucial that the ones with proven technology and funding succeed, for the industry’s overall development.

“I believe that we are poised to take off. The holy trinity of talent, capital and an enabling ecosystem has emerged. Space technology is one of the very few areas where India has a global right to win; not only are we less expensive, we are just as good or even better than the very best,” added Seth.

As ISRO shifts focus towards deep space research, collaboration and possibly consolidation within the industry are likely to become important in the future. Nevertheless, as India continues to build its space capabilities, the combination of government support, legal frameworks, and a thriving startup ecosystem is setting the stage for the country to emerge as a major player in the global space economy. With significant cost advantages and a favorable geopolitical position, Indian companies are well on their way to becoming global enterprises. SP

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INDIA’S

INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIAL

MILITARY

ENSURING AERIAL SUPPLY CHAIN FOR THE ARMED FORCES: IAF PROVIDES AIR LOGISTICS SUPPORT TO INDIAN ARMY IN THE HIMALAYAS AIRLIFTING WEAPON PLATFORMS, SUPPLIES AND PERSONNEL, THROUGH THE YEAR

ROLE OF THE IAF IN NATION BUILDING IAF’s global reach to ensure India’s ability to conduct defence diplomacy and humanitarian operations, highlight its crucial role in safeguarding and supporting the nation way beyond the traditional military functions

PHOTOGRAPH: PIB

By AIR MARSHAL ANIL CHOPRA (RETD) Indian Air Force (IAF) has come a long way since its inception over 91 years back. The fourth largest air force is not only driven by hard combat power and global reach, but has massive soft power. It fully supports India’s economic growth and global aspirations. IAF is the first mover in all ­Humanitarian

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Aid and Disaster Relief (HADR) efforts within the country and the region and beyond.

AEROSPACE INDUSTRY AREA OF GLOBAL ACTION The aerospace industry accounts for nearly 40 per cent of

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INDIA’S

INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIAL MILITARY

PHOTOGRAPHS: PIB

global military expenditure which is currently around $2.24 trillion. Indian military already is a major global aerospace market. India has a booming commercial aviation market too.

Aviation technologies are always the leading cutting edge, and often game changing, and have deterrent capabilities. These require investments in research and development. Also, obsolescence sets in faster. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), other Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSU) and private industry have seen rising technological and manufacturing capabilities. Aerial technologies have many civil offshoots.

India has clear advantage of higher skills and lower costs of production. The present government’s ‘Atamnirbharta’ push supports the ‘Make in India’. Time is ripe for mastering new technologies and boosting domestic defence production. Artificial intelligence (AI) and Information Technology will support the process. IAF fully supports “Atmanirbharta” in aerospace technologies and production. For India to sit on the global high table, it must master some of these. India must become self-sufficient in defence and aerospace. India must also take-on civil aircraft repairs and overhaul for itself and the region. IAF fully supports this important part of national building.

IAF SUPPORTS INDIAN MILITARY AVIATION PROJECTS LCA ‘Tejas’ is the flagship defence production project of India.

IAF has constantly backed the programme and taken ownership. It has already committed more than 400 LCA Mk1, Mk1A, and Mk2 variants. IAF has not only given operational and technical concessions to its original specifications but also accommodated delays in the project, even at the cost of its own operational capability going down.

IAF is closely interacting with DRDO and HAL on the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). IAF will require over 200 AMCA. The ALH helicopter has been a success because of great handholding by IAF. Today the armed variant ‘Rudra’ and Light Combat Helicopter ‘Prachand’ are already seeing action. The Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) variant is expected shortly. IAF is looking forward to the Indian Multi Role Helicopter (IMRH), of which the design has reportedly been frozen, to one day replace the Mi-17 class.

IAF has been directly involved in the Airbus C295W selection and manufacturing processes. Meanwhile the NAL-HAL Saras continues to be developed slowly, and IAF test crew have been doing the flight testing. IAF is closely involved in the DRDO’s Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) and Flight Refueller Aircraft (FRA) projects. IAF has a great stake in Indian Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), and UCAV projects, and is directly coordinating private sector for its drone requirements.

Similarly, IAF has backed and is beneficiary of India’s radar, and missile projects. It is working with different laboratories and organisations to enhance range, precision, and capability of systems and weapons. Also, development of advanced avionics.

Some areas that need further push are artificial intelligence (AI) supported systems, Stealth technologies, hypersonic flight and weapons, Directed Energy Weapons (DEW), electronic warfare systems and capabilities, Information Warfare (IW), and cyber warfare capability. Ultimately India must have its own aero-engine. It must also have its own airliner. Clearly India needs to spend much more on R&D. HAND-HOLDING PRIVATE INDUSTRY Indian private industry is finally becoming significant in defence.

The Indian conglomerate, Tata is making the Sikorsky S-92 helicopter cabins, aero structures for Lockheed C-130 Hercules,

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(TOP AND ABOVE) PROMOTING ATMANIRBHARTA: IAF HAS CONSISTENTLY BACKED AND SUPPORTED INDIGENOUS MANUFACTURING OF CRITICAL PROJECTS

­ oeing’s CH-47 Chinook helicopters, and for the Pilatus PC-12NG. B They make wings for F-16s. Tatas are the sole global producer of fuselages for AH-64 Apache helicopter delivered by Boeing to its global customers. Tata group is working with GE to manufacture CFM International LEAP engine components in India.

IAF has just inducted the Airbus C295MW transport aircraft. 40 of these will be built by Tata Group in India. Tatas also produce and maintain Akash SAM launchers, command posts and other support vehicles for IAF. TASL is bidding to develop and build UAVs and kamikaze drones.

Dynamatic Technologies makes assemblies of vertical fins for Sukhoi 30 MKI fighters. They are also supplying aero-structures to Airbus for its A320 family of aircraft and the wide-body 330 aircraft. Hyderabad’s VEM technologies manufactures central-fuselage for LCA Tejas. Many Indian MSMEs and startups are in defence production, and their presence was visible in Aero India 2023.

Adani Elbit Advanced Systems India Limited is producing Hermes-900 UAVs in India. Many startups have entered drones and counter drone manufacturing. These include Newspace Research & Technologies, Paras Aerospace, Throttle Aerospace, Redwing Labs, Dhaksha Unmanned Systems, UrbanMatrix Technologies, Thanos Technologies, and Auto Micro UAS, among

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INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIAL MILITARY many others. IAF had launched the ‘Meher Baba’ competition for swarm drones, and has been organising large drone events to promote indigenisation. IAF is working closely with private sector.

PHOTOGRAPHS: ELBIT SYSTEMS, INDIAN AIR FORCE

IAF IN THE LEAD TO HARNESSING SPACE AND NEAR SPACE Space is the ultimate vantage point and future for all action and capabilities, the real force multiplier. Space is the enabler for most ISR, communications, and navigation, and targeting capabilities on earth. Air and space domains have already begun to merge and need to be exploited together.

For the success of any surface or sub-surface campaign, aerospace superiority would be the starting point. India needs to build and secure its assets in space. China has pulled significantly ahead in number of launches, satellites and constellations, space-station, and satellite navigation systems. India has all basic space capabilities. Only the numbers have to increase for better redundancy, and higher revisit for ISR. Also, India must quickly operationalise its satellite navigations system NavIC. IAF is best placed to harness space for its networked operations using the Air Force Net (AFNET) and Integrated Air (Aerospace) Command and Control System (IACCS).

IAF’S GLOBAL AIR REACH Any significant global power must have the capability for “global vigilance and global reach”. IAF has to ensure the country has “freedom from attack and the freedom to attack”. India’s immediate area of regional influence demand ability to cover and dominate the entire Bay of Bengal up to and beyond the Malacca Strait. Have an operational reach till British Indian Ocean territories (Diego Garcia) in northern Indian Ocean. Similarly cover the entire Arabian Sea up to Gulf of Aden and Gulf of Oman. While air-refuelled fighters will undertake such missions, it is the Rapid Mobility Missions of transport fleet that are important for defence diplomacy.

On February 27, 2020, 76 Indians and 36 foreign nationals were evacuated from Wuhan (China). The aircraft had also carried medical supplies as symbol of goodwill to China. IAF’s C-17 Globemaster brought back 58 Indians from Iran on March 10, 2020. Two IAF C-17s landed in Turkey with supplies, and Indian Army medical personnel to set up medical facility during 2023 earthquake. The role of the IAF has been distinctive in all kinds of operations because of its efficiency to respond fast along with its inherent characteristics of range, mobility and flexibility. Two IAF C-130J aircraft were positioned in Jeddah to evacuate Indian nationals from Sudan. One of them did a daring night mission, landing on a semi-prepared strip, with no runway lights, using night vision goggles.

The successful evacuation of 1,11,711 Indian citizens from Iraq, Kuwait and Jordan in 1990 by operating 488 flights over a period of 59 days by Air India and IAF was a world record.

Similar missions were carried out from Lebanon in 2006 (Operation Sukoon) and in Libya in 2011. ‘Operation Neer’ was conducted to help Maldives in September 2014 which suffered a major drinking water crisis. IAF deployed three C-17 and three IL-76 flights to airlift 374 tonnes of drinking water to Male in two days. IAF deployed three C-17 aircraft in ‘Operation Rahat’ when civil war broke out in Yemen in 2015, and ferried back Indian nationals from Djibouti. 2,096 were flown out of the warzone in 11 evacuation flights. During the 2015 Nepal earthquake, IAF and Indian Army made 2,223 sorties and rescued 11,200 people. A key element of being a ‘net security provider’ is the ability to launch HADR operations in the region. The world praised India for its “remarkable” response

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(TOP) IAF IS WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR ON MULTIPLE PROGRAMMES; (ABOVE) IAF IS ALWAYS THE FIRST RESPONDER FOR HADR MISSIONS IN INDIA AND ABROAD.

and described the country’s disaster management capabilities as sophisticated and advanced.

IAF AND WITHIN INDIA HADR MISSIONS India is prone to landslides, floods, cyclones, and many other manmade disasters. IAF has always been the first mover and responder. During the recent landslides in Wayanad, Kerala, IAF moved Indian Army and NDRF teams and their equipment to save lives.

India has come a long way since the Bhopal gas leak disaster of 1984, 1999 Orissa Cyclone, 2001 Bhuj Earthquake, December 2004 Tsunami, and Sikkim earthquake of September 2011, both in capability and response. India’s handling of the devastating Uttarakhand flood and Category 5 super cyclone Phailin in Orissa in 2013 also won international praise. The fact that in the 2013 Uttarakhand floods the IAF evacuated 23,892 people, delivered 798 tonnes of relief material and flew 3,536 missions in 65 days at the cost of losing one helicopter and entire crew on-board drives home the successful capabilities of HADR developed and employed by service. In January 2013, IAF helicopters aided Power Grid Corporation of India repair high tension lines, at about 10,000 feet above sea level, in heavily snowbound Banihal area of Jammu and Kashmir. In August 2018, IAF used 24 choppers to rescue 1,000s from flood-ravaged Kerala, flying 288 sorties under ‘Operation Karuna’. IAF carried out many missions to support construction of

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INDIA’S

INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIAL MILITARY INDIAN ARMY AERIAL SUPPLY CHAIN IAF provides air logistics support to Indian Army in the Himalayas airlifting weapon platforms, supplies and personnel, through the year. IAF airlifts close to 30,000 tonnes of stores for Indian Army annually.

DEFENCE DIPLOMACY The military-to-military contacts are at various levels, including senior level visit exchanges, arms sales and purchases, military equipment training, joint military exercises, training staff courses, and exchange of strategic and tactical appreciation literature. Defence wings in the embassies play a huge role in facilitating Defence Diplomacy.

Also, India’s arms assistance to some of the neighbours like Afghanistan, Nepal, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Maldives to build their military capability by donating and transferring equipment, including aircraft, helicopter, radars, naval vessels, is part of the military diplomacy and increasing dependency.

Training foreign military personnel at Indian military academies and training institutions helps build military-to-military links, and often long-term beneficial friendships. Defence diplomacy is not exclusive, and both the foreign and defence policies should work in tandem. IAF’s Exercise “Tarang Shakti” will be a great occasion to further defence diplomacy.

PHOTOGRAPHS: PIB, INDIAN AIR FORCE

(TOP) IAF PLAYS A CRITICAL ROLE IN INDIA’S DEFENCE DIPLOMACY WITH FOREIGN NATIONS; (ABOVE) IAF’S AN-32 LANDS AT LEH WITH INDIGENOUS BIO-JET FUEL PROMOTING SUSTAINABILITY.

the world’s highest rail bridge over Chenab in the Reasi district of the Jammu Division of Jammu and Kashmir.

IAF had deployed 42 transport aircraft for COVID relief tasks including 12 heavy lift and 30 medium lift aircraft. They were used to move personnel and bring in relief materials. They lifted huge empty Oxygen containers to industrial towns for filling and quick turnaround.

The disaster management is all about Readiness, Response, Reduction (Mitigation) and Recovery. IAF aircraft first help locate and assess the gravity through aerial survey, so that action can be directed. Aircraft with specialised surveillance cameras, helicopters with observers, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) with special day and night payloads are ideally suited for this.

IAF has its own emergency response teams co-located with major transport aircraft bases at Hindon, Palam, Bangalore, Guwahati and Chandigarh. It also has Rapid Aero Medical Teams (RAMT) positioned at vantage locations. All IAF bases have coordination with local Indian Army units and the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) battalions, all of which are manned by uniformed para-military personnel.

IAF’s helicopter fleet is constantly on the move, whether it is flood relief, supplying citizens in snow-bound cut-off areas in Himalayas, rescue stranded skiers, or dousing forest fires.

The air operations are speedier, allow flexibility, and are more scientifically executed.

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CLIMATE CHANGE AND SECURITY Climate Change is already a defining challenge for security. A ‘Threat Multiplier’ that can aggravate conflict and geopolitical competition. Adverse climate also makes it harder for military to do its job. If India must safeguard security of 1.4 billion people, it has to look at climate change seriously, and mitigate its affects by adapting to it. Without affecting military capabilities, armed forces will have to become part of the global transition and control own greenhouse emissions. The armed forces are known for managing ecological and environmental issues were well, but climate change is quite different.

High temperatures affect load carriage for IAF aircraft, and also impacts sensitive avionics. Frequent thunderstorms could mean mission re-routing more often and affect operations and fuel consumption. IAF is conscious of both CO2 emissions and waste management at airbases. Climate change is being taught in all IAF training institutions. Indian military prides itself in ecologically and environmentally responsible operations. Most military stations are setting up solar power generation. They are managing waste through scientific ecofriendly means. Indian military is transitioning to non-fossil fuel technology, and looking closely at energy use and savings.

Indian Air Force (IAF) has already begun using bio-fuels.

CONCLUSION IAF makes huge contribution to nation building in many other ways. During elections, IAF moves large number of personnel and materials. IAF carries out dare-devil air shows with its ‘Surya Kiran’, ‘Sarang’, and ‘Akash Ganga’ air display teams to motivate the youth and to lift the morale of Indian public, across the country, through the year. IAF carries out interactions with schools and colleges on aviation, and strategy to increase awareness. IAF organises the Aero India show on behalf of the MoD. Many seminars and interactions are organised with the industry to promote Atmanirbharta.

IAF is firm on its commitment of “People First Mission Always” achieved through systematic approach to build up its strategic, tactical and nation building capabilities. SP

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INDIA’S

INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIAL

CIVIL

IMPROVED AIR LINKS BOLSTER THE TRADE AND TOURISM SECTORS WHICH TRANSLATES TO BILLIONS IN INCREASED REVENUE AND THOUSANDS OF NEW JOBS

THE HIGH-FLYING PATH TO A $5 TRILLION ECONOMY A robust commercial aviation sector is propelling the Indian economy forward by serving as a catalyst for economic growth, driving tourism, trade, employment, and infrastructure development

PHOTOGRAPH: AIR INDIA

By ROHIT GOEL As India sets its sights on becoming a $5 trillion ­economy, commercial aviation emerges as a pivotal player in this ambitious journey. More than a mode of transportation, aviation serves as a catalyst for economic growth, driving tourism, trade, employment, and infrastructure development. Let us look at how India’s aviation sector, with its soaring potential and expanding infrastructure, can help propel the country towards its economic goals.

THE MULTIPLIER EFFECT OF AVIATION The impact of the aviation industry extends far beyond the immediate revenues generated from ticket sales and airport

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operations. This “multiplier effect” is fundamental to understanding its economic significance. For instance, Air India’s recent order of 470 aircraft, the largest in aviation history, not only signals growth within the airline but also promises to stimulate various sectors of the economy, from manufacturing to services.

• Tourism Boom: Enhanced air connectivity can transform India’s tourism landscape. With its rich cultural heritage and diverse landscapes, India attracted over 17 million international tourists in 2019. The introduction of new flights and routes, especially by carriers like IndiGo and Akasa Air, which recently ordered 300 and 72 aircraft

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INDIA’S

INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIAL CIVIL

AIR CONNECTIVITY FORMS THE BACKBONE OF INDIA’S ASPIRATION TO BECOME A GLOBAL MANUFACTURING HUB UNDER THE ‘MAKE IN INDIA’ INITIATIVE

•

PHOTOGRAPH: AIRBUS

•

•

sation of airport infrastructure, including new terminals respectively, aims to increase these numbers significantly. and runways, are key drivers of economic activity. Major Improved air links can bolster the tourism sector, potenairports like Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru are undergotially increasing tourist arrivals by 10-15 per cent annuing significant upgrades to handle increased passenger and ally, which translates to billions in revenue and thousands cargo traffic. Additionally, new greenfield airports are being of new jobs. developed in regions such as Jewar and Navi Mumbai, creTrade and Commerce Take Wing: Aviation is integral to ating construction and allied industry jobs and fostering expediting trade and commerce, reducing transit times, regional economic growth. and improving supply chain efficiency. India’s aspiration to become a global manufacturing and export hub, particularly under the ‘Make in India’ initiative, is supported by INDIA’S AVIATION SECTOR: SOARING HIGH WITH POTENTIAL its growing air cargo capabilities. This growth is evident in India’s aviation sector has witnessed remarkable growth, the rise of dedicated cargo operators and the expansion of driven by rising disposable incomes, government initiatives cargo facilities at major airports, contributing to an increase like UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik), and a burgeoning in India’s export value, especially in middle class. The true potential of the sectors like pharmaceuticals, texindustry, however, remains largely tiles, and electronics. untapped, especially in terms of interEmployment Generation and Skill national connectivity and regional The aviation Development: The aviation industry penetration. industry’s ‘multiplier is a significant job creator, directly • Unlocking Tier II and III Cities: The employing over 6,00,000 people and UDAN scheme has been a game-changer effect’ is fundamental supporting another 1.2 million jobs in enhancing air connectivity to smaller to understanding indirectly. This includes roles across cities, bridging regional disparities and airlines, airports, ground handling, creating new economic opportunities. its economic maintenance, and ancillary services.

The success of regional airlines like Star significance, The sector’s expansion necessitates a Air and Alliance Air, under the RCS, has extending far beyond highly skilled workforce, stimulating opened up previously underserved mardemand for aviation-specific training kets, fostering entrepreneurship and job immediate revenues and education, thereby enhancing creation in these areas. from ticket sales and the nation’s human capital.

• Tourism as an Economic Driver: Infrastructure Development Takes Improved air access to key tourist desairport operations Off: The expansion and modernitinations is crucial for tapping into the

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ISSUE 8 • 2024

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INDIA’S

INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIAL CIVIL upgrades to enhance their capacity and service quality. New global tourism market. For example, the expansion of airgreenfield airports, such as the upcoming Noida Internaports in tourist-heavy regions like Goa, Jaipur, and Kochi tional Airport, are expected to set new benchmarks in airhas made these locations more accessible, attracting a port infrastructure, offering state-of-the-art facilities to paslarger share of international tourists. This influx supports sengers and airlines alike. local economies, creates employment opportunities, and enhances India’s brand image as a premier tourist destina- • MRO Revolution: Establishing a robust Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) ecosystem can position India tion. as a global MRO hub, attracting investments and generating • Trade and Logistics: Fueling Growth: India’s strategic geoemployment. The government’s policy initiatives to reduce graphic location positions it well to become a global cargo GST on MRO services and develop aerospace SEZs are steps hub. The development of dedicated cargo terminals and in the right direction. These measures are expected to save the modernisation of existing ones are critical steps in this foreign exchange and create a sustainable MRO market direction. This infrastructure supports the rapid transport of within the country. high-value, time-sensitive goods, enhancing India’s export competitiveness and attracting businesses that require efficient logistics solutions.

FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT: TAKING FLIGHT • India as a Cargo Hub: With growing air cargo volumes, A thriving aviation sector is a magnet for foreign direct investmajor airlines and airports are expanding their cargo facili- ment (FDI). Creating a conducive investment climate can attract ties. The recent expansion of Delhi Airport’s cargo terminal global airlines, airport operators, and technology providers, and the establishment of a dedicated cargo hub at Bengalu- which are critical for modernising India’s aviation infrastructure ru’s Kempegowda International Airport underscore India’s and services. ambitions in this sector. These developments are expected • Attracting Global Players: Recent FDI inflows into India’s to attract foreign investment, create jobs, and strengthen aviation sector highlight the growing confidence of global the country’s position in the global supply chain. investors. For example, Singapore Airlines’ stake in Vistara • Time-Critical Deliveries: The aviaand AirAsia’s investment in AirAsia tion industry’s speed advantage is India are indicative of this trend. These invaluable for transporting highinvestments bring not only capital but value, time-sensitive goods, such as also advanced technologies and indusThe UDAN scheme pharmaceuticals and electronics. try best practices, which are crucial for By leveraging this strength, India the sector’s modernisation. has been a gamecan enhance its export competi• Technology Transfer: FDI can facilchanger in enhancing tiveness, especially in markets that itate the transfer of advanced techdemand quick turnaround times. nologies and best practices, enhancair connectivity ing the efficiency and competitiveness to smaller cities, of the Indian aviation industry. This JOB CREATION AND SKILL bridging regional includes innovations in aircraft design, DEVELOPMENT: BUILDING HUMAN fuel efficiency, and digital infrastrucCAPITAL disparities and ture, which are critical for sustaining The aviation sector offers diverse creating new economic long-term growth. employment opportunities, ranging from pilots and cabin crew to ground opportunities staff, engineers, and airport manCHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES: A agement professionals. The sector’s BALANCED PERSPECTIVE growth could generate an additional While the potential of the aviation sec1,00,000 jobs in the next five years, tor is immense, challenges such as significantly contributing to India’s employment landscape. high aviation fuel costs, infrastructure bottlenecks, and skill • Investing in Human Capital: Developing a skilled work- shortages need to be addressed proactively. However, governforce is essential for sustaining growth in the aviation sec- ment initiatives like the UDAN scheme, airport privatisation, tor. Initiatives like the National Skill Development Corpora- and a focus on skill development present significant opportunition (NSDC) and partnerships with global aviation training ties for growth. organisations are pivotal in creating a talent pool capable High aviation fuel costs, regulatory bottlenecks, and limof meeting the industry’s evolving demands. Training insti- ited infrastructure in certain areas pose significant challenges. tutes and aviation academies across the country are scal- However, ongoing policy reforms, investment in infrastructure, ing up their programs to meet the increasing demand for and efforts to streamline regulations are aimed at overcoming skilled professionals. these hurdles.

INFRASTRUCTURE: THE LAUNCHPAD FOR GROWTH Developing world-class airports is crucial for enhancing passenger experience, attracting airlines, and boosting tourism.

The Indian government plans to increase the number of operational airports to 200 by 2040, which could lead to a $60 billion investment in airport infrastructure.

• World-Class Airports: Airports such as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai and Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi are undergoing ­significant

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CONCLUSION: SOARING TO NEW HEIGHTS Commercial aviation holds the potential to be a transformative force in India’s economic journey. By focusing on connectivity, trade, job creation, infrastructure development, and attracting foreign investment, India can unlock the full potential of its aviation sector. This approach will not only help achieve the ambitious goal of a $5 trillion economy but also set the stage for sustained economic growth and prosperity. As India continues to build its aviation capabilities, the sky is indeed the limit. SP

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INDIA’S

INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIAL

RCS-UDAN

INDIA’S REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY SCHEME UDAN IS PLAYING A MAJOR ROLE IN ENCOURAGING PRIVATE PLAYERS TO ESTABLISH REGIONAL AIRLINES, WHICH CAN THEN SCALE INTO SIGNIFICANT DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS

STEERING ECONOMIC GROWTH AND SOCIOECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT The UDAN scheme has been a game-changer for India’s aviation industry, democratising air travel, stimulating economic development, and fostering regional connectivity becoming a cornerstone of India’s aviation strategy

PHOTOGRAPH: AIR KERALA

By AYUSHEE CHAUDHARY India’s regional aviation sector is expecting a new addition with the introduction of Air Kerala, a new regional airline that aims to mark a milestone in Kerala’s aviation history and the nation’s aviation trajectory. This latest venture, backed by Dubai-based Malayali entrepreneurs Afi Ahmed and Ayub Kallada, recently received a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), paving the way for

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its o ­ fficial launch in 2025. As the first regional airline originating from Kerala, Air Kerala’s entry signifies not just a business opportunity but a strategic move to address the unique travel needs of the state and its large expatriate community.

Air Kerala, owned by Zett Fly Aviation Private Limited, plans to base its operations in Kochi, leveraging the city’s existing robust air traffic infrastructure. The airline’s initial fleet

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INDIA’S

INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIAL RCS-UDAN will consist of three ATR 72-600 aircraft, focusing on domestic routes that connect Tier II and Tier III cities with major metros in South India. These aircraft are particularly well-suited for regional operations due to their efficiency on shorter routes and lower operating costs. The company’s ambitious roadmap includes expanding its fleet to 20 aircraft and exploring international routes, with Dubai as a prime target, owing to the significant Malayali population residing in the Gulf region.

The airline aims to make air travel more affordable and accessible, particularly during peak travel seasons when demand surges, and ticket prices can become prohibitive. Kerala, with its four major airports—Kannur, Kochi, Kozhikode, and Thiruvananthapuram—already has a well-established aviation network. However, Air Kerala’s strategic focus on serving both domestic and international markets uniquely positions it to tap into the high demand for connectivity, especially between Kerala and the Gulf.

GROWING REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY As Air Kerala prepares to take to the skies in 2025, it does so in a rapidly evolving aviation landscape. The airline’s strategic focus on serving both domestic and international markets, combined with the broader expansion of regional airlines in India, underscores the growing importance of regional aviation in the country’s economic and social development. By linking remote regions to major economic centers, promoting tourism, and stimulating regional growth, the expansion of regional aviation is poised to transform India’s aviation landscape and contribute to the country’s economic and social progress.

Air Kerala’s entry is the latest in a series of developments that highlight the growing importance of regional aviation in India. Earlier this year, FLY91, another regional airline, began its commercial operations, marking a significant expansion in the country’s regional connectivity. Similarly, Star Air, another regional airline, is focusing on expanding its network by adding more routes and aircraft. FlyBig, too, continues to increase its route network, further strengthening India’s regional connectivity. A major player in this space is Alliance Air, a state-owned carrier and a key operator under the government’s UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) scheme. Earlier this year, the Union civil aviation ministry awarded 28 non-operational routes to Alliance Air under the UDAN 5.3 short-bidding round.

The expansion of regional aviation in India, driven by the UDAN scheme, is more than just a boost to the aviation sector. It represents a significant opportunity for socio-economic development across the country. Improved access to air travel facilitates trade, investment, and the movement of people and goods, driving infrastructure development, tourism promotion, and the establishment of new markets. By connecting more routes and adding supportive infrastructure like airports has significantly increased tourist footfall and made it easier for businesses to operate in remote regions, further boosting local economies, and fostering local entrepreneurship and investment.

Moreover, the focus on regional connectivity aligns with the government’s broader goals of promoting local industries and encouraging balanced regional development. The ease of transportation and increased accessibility have the potential to enhance local tourism, expand economic opportunities, and contribute to the overall growth of the national economy.

BOOSTING AIR TRAVEL In a transformative initiative aimed at democratising air travel and enhancing regional connectivity, the Indian government launched the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) in 2017.

Popularly known as UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik), this programme seeks to make air travel affordable and accessible to the common citizen while linking underserved and unserved airports across the country. Over these last couple of years, UDAN has become a cornerstone of India’s aviation landscape, driving economic growth, promoting tourism, and significantly boosting regional connectivity.

The UDAN scheme was designed with the primary objective of bridging the gap between metropolitan cities and tier-2 and tier-3 towns. By operationalising flights on these routes, the government aims to bring smaller cities closer to major economic centers, facilitating the movement of people, goods, and services, and fostering trade and investment opportunities.

UDAN is a demand-driven scheme, wherein airline operators assess the feasibility of operation on a particular route and submit bids under the scheme from time to time. An airport which is included in the awarded routes of UDAN and requires upgradation/development for commencement of UDAN operations, is developed under the ‘Revival of unserved and underserved airports’ scheme. Under the scheme, the airfare for a one-hour journey by a fixed-wing aircraft or a half-hour journey by helicopter over approximately 500 kilometers is capped at `2,500, which is significantly lower.

To operationalise routes under UDAN, aviation companies bid for air routes, with the contract being awarded to the company that requests the lowest subsidy. The airline is then required to reserve a portion of the seats—either half of them, a minimum of nine seats, or a maximum of 40 seats—at the capped fare.

On the basis of five rounds of biddings, 76 airports, including two water aerodromes and nine Helipads in different regions of the country, had been developed and operationalised

by RCS flights at the beginning of this year. The RCS scheme also mandates Regional Connectivity Fund allocation to regions in a manner that promotes balanced growth / regional connectivity in different parts of the country.

As of July 8, 2024, a total of 579 routes have been operationalised under the scheme across various phases. The routes include more than 53 tourism routes and over 48 helicopter routes connecting hilly regions of the nation. According to the data shared by the Ministry, more than 133.86 lakh passengers have benefited from the UDAN flights and over 2.56 lakh flights have operated under the scheme. The UDAN scheme has also encouraged procurement of different types of aircraft in

Improved access to air travel facilitates trade, investment, and the movement of people and goods, driving infrastructure development, tourism promotion, and the establishment of new markets

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INDIA’S

INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIAL RCS-UDAN the country. Presently, three seater Tecnam, nine seater Cessna 208B, 19 seater Twin Otter, 50 seater Embraer 145, 42/72/78 seater ATR and Q-400 as well as bigger aircraft like 189 seater Airbus 320/321 and B737 are in operation for UDAN flights.

This surge in demand has driven a substantial increase in the requirement for new aircraft, ranging from helicopters and seaplanes to larger jets. 13 Airlines have commenced operations under UDAN, including Air Taxi, IndiaOne, Star Air, FlyBig and Fly91. While many of these new airlines are looking at an upward trajectory, some airlines have also shut down due to high maintenance costs, lack of infrastructure like MRO facilities and skilled workforce like trained pilots, etc. Nevertheless, the scheme has played a pivotal role in promoting tourism by connecting key destinations such as Khajuraho, Deoghar, Amritsar, and Kishangarh (Ajmer), thereby stimulating local economic growth and supporting the hospitality industry.

Since its inception, UDAN has achieved remarkable success, completing six years in October 2023. The first UDAN flight, launched on April 27, 2017, connected Shimla to Delhi, setting the stage for a nationwide expansion that has transformed India’s aviation sector. The scheme is a crucial part of the National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP) of 2016, which envisions a ten-year plan for the civil aviation sector. India’s regional aviation landscape has undergone a dramatic transformation, thanks to UDAN. Launched in 2016 by MoCA, UDAN aims to make air travel affordable and accessible while boosting regional connectivity across the country. By connecting tier 1 and tier 2 cities, the scheme is driving economic growth, enhancing trade and commerce, and improving the accessibility of remote regions, making it a cornerstone of India’s economic development.

UDAN (RCS) TILL JULY 31, 2024 Airports*

85

Routes

(Including 13 heliports & 2 water aerodromes)

Up to July 31, 2024

579

Operators

Flights

11

2,76,000 Lakhs

Passengers

Viability Gap Funding

141.90 Lakhs

INR 3,626 Crore

Till July 31, 2024

Till July 31, 2024

Source: Ministry of Civil Aviation

the need for continued investment in airport infrastructure, particularly in remote areas. Operational challenges such as inadequate infrastructure and skilled manpower at smaller airports also pose difficulties for airlines. Additionally, increased air traffic raises environmental concerns, highlighting the need for sustainable aviation practices. While UDAN has provided airlines with opportunities to expand their networks and tap into new markets, it also presents challenges, particularly in operating less profitable routes. The scheme’s Viability Gap Funding (VGF) mechanism helps airlines maintain operational viability on these routes by subsidising a portion of the airfares. However, the long-term BOOSTING TOURISM AND ECONOMIC GROWTH Enhanced connectivity through UDAN has opened up previously sustainability of these routes will depend on airlines gradually inaccessible destinations, particularly in regions like the North- reducing reliance on subsidies as market demand increases.

Looking ahead, the future of regional east. This has led to a surge in tourism, aviation under UDAN is promising. The contributing to local economies and government aims to phase out subsidies creating jobs. For instance, Himachal as routes become self-sustaining and Pradesh saw a 20 per cent increase in The success of UDAN continues to enhance infrastructure and tourist arrivals following the introduction is evident in the operational capabilities at regional airof UDAN flights to Shimla and Kullu, sigports. With continued investment and nificantly benefiting the state’s economy. development and innovation, regional airlines are poised By making air travel more affordable, modernisation of to play an even greater role in India’s the scheme has democratised aviation, economic growth. This enhanced conallowing more people from diverse socioregional airports, nectivity is driving economic growth by economic backgrounds to fly, further with over 75 airports boosting trade, commerce, and tourdriving inclusive growth. operationalised, ism in previously underserved regions.

The development and modernisation of FUTURE PROSPECTS AND fostering local regional airports are creating jobs and CHALLENGES tourism and stimulating local economies, positionDespite its successes, UDAN faces seving regional aviation as a key driver of eral challenges. The sustainability of economic growth India’s overall economic development. SP subsidies is a significant concern, as is REVITALISING REGIONAL AIRPORTS AND CONNECTIVITY The success of UDAN is evident in the development and modernisation of regional airports. The scheme has operationalised over 75 airports. Cities like Agra, Bikaner, and Kanpur, previously underserved, now enjoy enhanced air connectivity, which has fostered local tourism and economic growth. For example, Jharsuguda Airport in Odisha, developed under UDAN, has become a gateway for the region’s industrial belt, significantly boosting local economic activity.

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SHOW REPORT

FIA2024

FIA2024 HIGHLIGHTED THE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY’S RELENTLESS DRIVE FOR INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT, UNDERSCORING THE INDUSTRY’S COLLECTIVE DRIVE TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY, AI-BASED SOLUTIONS, ADVANCED AIR MOBILITY, AND GROUNDBREAKING TECHNOLOGIES

DRIVING SUSTAINABLE AND ADVANCED AVIATION TECHNOLOGIES PHOTOGRAPH: AIRBUS

Over seven decades of FIA, the airshow still remains significant, underscoring the industry’s collective drive towards sustainability, AI-based solutions, advanced air mobility, strategic partnerships, significant orders and groundbreaking technologies

By AYUSHEE CHAUDHARY Since its inception, Farnborough has been a stage for historic milestones in the aerospace industry, fostering technological breakthroughs and engineering marvels. On September 7, 2023, the Farnborough International Airshow ­commemorated

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its 75th anniversary, a testament to its enduring legacy as a cornerstone of aviation innovation. The event continues to be a hub for forging partnerships and pursuing goals. This year’s Farnborough International Airshow took place from July 22-26,

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SHOW REPORT

FIA2024

PHOTOGRAPHS: FIAFARNBOROUGH / X, EMBRAER / X, AIRBUS

CAPTIVATING FLYING AND STATIC DISPLAY OF MILITARY SYSTEMS AND TECHNOLOGIES WITH THE LATEST FIGHTER JETS, TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT AND WINGMAN (DRONES)

2024 in Hampshire, UK and focused on six key themes of Space, Defence, Sustainability, Innovation, Future Flight, and Workforce. The Farnborough Airshow 2024 placed a spotlight on sustainable aviation, AI-based solutions, advanced air mobility, and groundbreaking technologies, reflecting the industry’s forward-looking agenda. The Airshow 2024 also showcased a remarkable array of innovations and strategic collaborations, reflecting the aerospace industry’s commitment to sustainability, efficiency, and advanced technology. These announcements highlight a future of enhanced global connectivity, reduced environmental impact, and pioneering advancements in aviation.

Farnborough International Airshow 2024 (FIA2024) attracted over 1,00,000 visitors and 1,500 exhibitors from more than 60 countries. The event saw a 33 per cent increase in visitor numbers and a 57 per cent rise in delegation attendance compared to previous years. Over 390 civil, military, and space delegations participated, highlighting the show’s global significance. The event witnessed commercial aircraft and engine orders around $105.8 billion from major industry players such as Airbus, Boeing, and Embraer. These deals are expected to inject £13 billion into the UK economy. The United Kingdom’s new Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, officially opened FIA2024, drawing the world’s attention to Farnborough. A new feature for 2024 was the UK Government Hub, which offered a platform for political, industry, and international stakeholders to showcase the government’s support for the aerospace, defence, and space sectors.

The 2024 Farnborough International Airshow showcased a dazzling array of aviation feats, aerospace technology and

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­ ircraft capabilities. From cutting-edge military jets to innoa vative commercial airliners, the event featured a variety of impressive displays that captured the attention of enthusiasts and industry professionals alike.

MILITARY At FIA 2024, the US military showcased 13 aircraft from its Air Force, Navy and Army as part of its participation, including B-52, F-15, F-35, F-16M, F-35A, P-8, CH-47F, AH-64E, UH-60V, C-130J and MQ-9. The Royal Air Force’s Lockheed Martin F-35B, a short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) fighter aircraft, performed a dramatic flypast, followed by a landing and subsequent takeoff. The UK’s Joint Aviation Command showcased the CH-47 Chinook helicopter, renowned for its heavy-lift capabilities and versatility across various mission profiles, including military and humanitarian operations. The Royal Danish Air Force’s F-16AM Fighting Falcon, enhanced through the Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) programme to near-Block 52 standards, showcased its agility and combat readiness. As the most prevalent aircraft type within NATO, the F-16’s performance reaffirmed its critical role in allied air forces. The Qatar Emiri Air Force’s F-15QA Advanced Eagle, the most advanced variant of the F-15, displayed its cutting-edge technology and superior performance. This aircraft represents the latest in the evolution of the F-15 series, offering enhanced capabilities for modern air combat scenarios. Textron Aviation’s Beechcraft King Air 260 multi-engine training system made its international debut, set to replace the aging King Air 90-based Beechcraft T-44 Pegasus in the US Navy.

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The Anglo-Italian-Japanese consortium behind the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP) unveiled the latest design iteration of their sixth-generation fighter aircraft. The new models and graphics feature a large, near-delta shaped wing, reminiscent of other advanced fighter projects in Europe and the US Italy’s ELT Group presented a range of electronic defence technologies, with a particular focus on electromagnetic spectrum operations. ELT’s ongoing research and development efforts aim to make electromagnetic spectrum operations interoperable and integrated across all operational domains, extending the company’s defence capabilities to include space and cyberspace. Leonardo announced the launch of the Block 20 iteration of the M-346 training and fighter aircraft. This upgrade promises comprehensive capability enhancements, making the M-346 even more competitive in the market. For the first time, Korea’s Hanwha Aerospace presented its indigenously developed fighter engine at the Farnborough Airshow. The 15,000pound thrust class powerplant is said to be comparable to GE’s F414 engine. Hanwha’s engine is expected to power the KAI KF-21 Boramae indigenous fighter in its Block III version by the mid-2030s.

range of 2,600 nautical miles and a cruising speed of Mach 0.82, the E195-E2 demonstrated its capability to serve various routes efficiently. Making its public debut, Embraer’s E190F freighter, a converted passenger jet, headlined the company’s activities at Farnborough. The E190F addresses the evolving demands of e-commerce and modern trade with its fast delivery capabilities and decentralised operations.

Airbus’s A321XLR, equipped with CFM International LEAP 1A engines, made a significant impression at the show. Having received type certification from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the A321XLR is set to enter service by the end of the summer. The aircraft has already garnered over 500 orders, reflecting its anticipated impact on long-range narrowbody travel.

The T625 Gökbey helicopter from Turkish Aerospace demonstrated its adaptability for a wide range of missions, from military operations to civilian applications, highlighting its potential to meet diverse operational needs.

The ATR 72-600, a regional airliner developed through a joint venture between Airbus and Leonardo, demonstrated its efficiency and reliability. Powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada

PHOTOGRAPHS: EMBRAER, FIAFARNBOROUGH / X

(LEFT) EMBRAER E195-E2 & E175 PRESENTED UPDATES TO ITS E-JETS COMMERCIAL JETS; (RIGHT) AN AIR SUMMIT WAS HELD ON ADVANCING THE FUTURE OF FLIGHT.

Embraer made a strong presence at the Farnborough International Airshow. Embraer Aircraft displayed at Farnborough included the E195-E2, the world’s most efficient and quietest narrowbody, E190F, an E-Jet cargo conversion that is making its debut at the show, C-390 Millennium, a multi-mission military tactical transport and A-29 Super Tucano, a multi-role defence aircraft. Embraer also revealed wide ranging upgrades and performance improvements across its commercial jet product line up. The upgrades on the E195-E2, E190-E2, and E175, including fuel burn and range improvements, avionics and cabin upgrades, were announced at the Farnborough Airshow.

Embraer’s C-390 Millennium military transport aircraft also took to the skies, showcasing its multirole capabilities.

CIVIL/COMMERCIAL Embraer’s E195-E2 airliner graced the skies above Farnborough, powered by two Pratt & Whitney PW1900G Geared Turbofans, each delivering up to 23,000 pounds of thrust. The aircraft offers multiple seating configurations, accommodating up to 146 passengers in a single-class layout. With a maximum

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PW127 turboprops, the aircraft offers a typical seating capacity of 72 passengers, making it a vital asset for regional airlines.

The Diamond Aircraft DART-750, an all-composite aerobatic basic trainer, showcased its capabilities powered by the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A turboprop. With advanced avionics and an all-composite airframe, the DART-750 offers a stateof-the-art training platform for future pilots.

Although Boeing’s commercial airliners were absent from the static and flying displays, the company showcased a crosssection mockup of its new 777X cabin. This display offered visitors a preview of the advanced comfort and technology that passengers can expect in the future.

NEXT-GEN Joby Aviation’s electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi made its first European appearance, offering a vision of urban air mobility. With six tilting rotors for lift and thrust, Joby’s air taxi has accumulated over 33,000 test miles and conducted more than 100 flights with pilots on board, signaling a promising future for urban transportation.

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FIA2024

Supernal’s four-passenger S-A2 eVTOL aircraft made its international debut, showcasing a new mode of public transportation designed to alleviate urban traffic congestion. The engineering team is progressing towards a full-scale technology demonstrator, with the first prototype expected to fly in 2025.

VoltAero exhibited the Cassio 330, a hybrid-electric aircraft designed to provide sustainable regional air transportation. The Cassio 330 represents a significant step towards greener aviation solutions.

Airbus and Diehl Defence presented mockups of their remote carrier designs, featuring advanced aerodynamics, lowobservable shapes, and internal weapon and sensor payload bays. Airbus’s Wingman concept and Diehl’s Feanix model demonstrated the potential for network-enabled, long-range unmanned systems capable of conducting swarming missions.

Digital reality solutions provider Hexagon unveiled its latest automated quality inspection system at this year’s Farnborough Airshow. The newly launched PRESTO XL inspection cell is a significant addition to Hexagon’s modular series of turn-key systems. Designed to meet the rising demand for increased aerospace production, the fully automated PRESTO XL system

STRATEGIC DEALS Airbus: Preliminary deals for 95 aircraft with Saudi budget carrier Flynas and Latin American holding company Abra. Flynas signed for 75 A320neos and 15 A330-900s, while Abra committed to five A350-900s. Additionally, Virgin Atlantic ordered seven more A330neos, VietJet firmed its order for 20 A330neos, Drukair signed for three A320neos and two A321XLRs. Libyan airline Berniq Airways placed a firm order with Airbus for six A320neo family aircraft, aimed at enhancing its regional and international route network. Meanwhile, Japan Airlines (JAL) confirmed its commitment to Airbus with orders for 20 A350900s and 11 A321neos. JAL’s total order for A350s now stands at 52, with 18 already in service. Airbus also celebrated a significant milestone with Cebu Pacific’s purchase of up to 152 A321neo aircraft, marking the largest aircraft order in Philippine aviation history.

Boeing: Korean Air committed to up to 50 widebodies, including 777-9s and 787-10s. National Air Cargo signed for four 777Fs with deliveries scheduled between late 2025 and early 2026, Luxair ordered two firm and two option 737 MAX 10s and Qatar Airways ordered 20 Boeing 777-9s. Macquarie

PHOTOGRAPHS: VOLTAERO, WISK AERO

(LEFT) VOLTAERO EXPANDS ITS MARKET SCOPE TO SOUTHEAST ASIA WITH GLOBAL SKY’S PRE-ORDER FOR 15 CASSIO ELECTRIC-HYBRID AIRCRAFT; (RIGHT) WISK AERO AND SKYPORTS EXPAND PARTNERSHIP.

can be deployed globally on manufacturing lines within just 16 weeks. This system is suitable for inspecting over 50 per cent of major aerostructure components, including fuselage panels, doors, and wing ribs.

UK-based Magnet Schultz made waves at the Farnborough Airshow by unveiling its first EN9100-certified hydrogen power product. The company showcased its state-of-the-art solenoid valve designed for hydrogen gas flow control in aerospace applications. This high-tech proportional solenoid valve adheres to the EN9100 quality management standards set by the International Standards Organisation (ISO 9001), marking a significant milestone in hydrogen power technology for the aerospace sector.

GKN Aerospace revealed the H2FlyGHT initiative, an ambitious project to develop a 2-megawatt (MW) cryogenic hydrogen-electric propulsion system. This cutting-edge system aims to set new standards for the next generation of larger, sustainable aircraft. By leveraging hydrogen-electric technology, GKN Aerospace is paving the way for more environmentally friendly aviation solutions.

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AirFinance purchased 20 Boeing 737-8s, doubling the lessor’s existing 737-8 order book, which it initially acquired from Alafco Aviation Lease and Finance in 2023. Qatar Airways solidified its commitment to Boeing by confirming an additional order of 20 Boeing 777-9 aircraft, expanding its 777X order book to a total of 94 airplanes. The Doha-based airline now has on order 60 of the 777-9 passenger models and 34 of the smaller 777-8 freighters, making Qatar Airways the launch customer for the 777-8F. Additionally, Qatar Airways has placed orders for 12 Boeing 787 Dreamliners and 25 737 MAX jets, further reinforcing its expansive fleet strategy. Additionally, Boeing also secured a strategic partnership with Lufthansa Technik for 787 cabin modifications.

Embraer has signed a pair of contracts with Brazil’s Department of Airspace Control (DECEA) aimed at modernising the country’s air traffic control centers and upgrading strategic solutions for the management of national airspace flow.

The two new contracts, worth $17 million, will be implemented

by Embraer’s Atech subsidiary, which specialises in systems engineering, decision support, and situational awareness technologies. The Paraguayan Air Force confirmed an order for six

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PHOTOGRAPH: HANWHA

Embraer A-29 Super Tucano aircraft, set for delivery starting in 2025. Embraer’s export versions of the Super Tucano cover armed reconnaissance and close air support roles. The Dutch Ministry of defence also signed a contract for nine Embraer C-390 Millennium aircraft as part of a joint purchase with Austria. Five aircraft will go to the Royal Netherlands Air Force and four to the Austrian Air Force.

Turkey’s Freebird Airlines selected Collins Aerospace, a subsidiary of RTX, to provide a software solution for improving operations across its A320 fleet. Freebird Airlines will implement Ascentia, Collins Aerospace’s cloud-based data management and analytics platform, to gain a comprehensive view of aircraft maintenance. This solution will enable the airline to predict and reduce aircraft-on-ground events, ultimately lowering maintenance costs and enhancing the passenger experience.

Jekta Switzerland and Hong Kong’s Seaplane Asia have signed an agreement to add 14 PHA-ZE 100 amphibious aircraft to the Southeast Asian operator’s fleet. This deal highlights the growing demand for versatile and sustainable aircraft in the region.

Taiwanese airline EVA Air has placed an order for GEnx engines to power an additional four Boeing 787-10 aircraft. EVA Air currently operates 15 GEnx-powered Boeing 787s. The GEnx-1B engine, powering two-thirds of all 787 aircraft in service, has amassed over 56 million flight hours since its introduction in 2011 and stands as GE Aerospace’s fastest-selling, high-thrust engine.

Long-time ATR customer Air Tahiti has signed a new purchase agreement for four ATR 72-600 aircraft. Scheduled for delivery between 2025 and 2028, these twin turboprops will support the airline’s planned expansion in flight frequency and capacity.

Air Tahiti, which has been using ATR aircraft for nearly 40 years, currently operates a fleet of 11 aircraft, including nine ATR 72-600s and two ATR 42-600s.

De Havilland Canada (DHC) has signed an agreement with Colombia’s Servicio Aéreo a Territorios Nacionales (Satena) for the purchase of eight DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft. This sale will enhance Colombia’s air connectivity by improving access to remote areas. Majority-owned by the government of Colombia, Satena plays a vital role in providing essential air services to less connected regions.

ADVANCED AIR MOBILITY GKN Aerospace will use German start-up Vaeridion’s all-electric, nine-passenger regional airliner as a testbed for developing new electrical wiring interconnection systems (EWIS) technology.

The company announced the collaboration, along with a similar partnership with electric propulsion system developer H55.

Electra’s nine-passenger hybrid-electric eSTOL (electric short takeoff and landing) aircraft will incorporate Honeywell Aerospace’s flight control computers and electromechanical actuation systems. Honeywell confirmed its role as a programme partner and disclosed an investment from its venture capital business unit in the US startup.

Global Sky has committed to purchasing 15 Cassio hybridelectric aircraft from VoltAero, becoming the launch customer

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for the French startup’s innovative vehicle. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) highlights the Cassio family’s potential for regional air services, freight deliveries, and emergency medical support.

Luxaviation Group’s Sigma Air Mobility is also partnering with VoltAero to introduce a family of hybrid-electric aircraft. During the airshow, VoltAero announced that Sigma will assist in developing use cases and testing the aircraft in various operational environments, with plans for a route demonstration project at an undisclosed location.

Honeywell and Odys Aviation have signed an MoU to codevelop ground control stations for Odys Aviation’s hybrid-electric VTOL aircraft, Laila. The ground control stations, scalable to various VTOL platforms, will allow remote pilots to manage multiple vehicles simultaneously, including beyond-visual-lineof-sight (BVLOS) operations.

HANWHA EXHIBITED ITS ADVANCED AERO-ENGINE

Australian startup airline Wilbur Air has entered into an agreement with Spain’s Crisalion Mobility to operate 100 Integrity eVTOL aircraft. These five-passenger, battery-electric vehicles, capable of flying up to 71 nautical miles, will connect a network of vertiports planned across Australian cities.

German electric aircraft manufacturer Lilium, in collaboration with SEA Milan Airports and Skyports Infrastructure, has initiated a project to establish a network of eVTOL air taxi services in Milan. Saudi Arabian airline Saudia has entered into a binding sales agreement with Lilium for 50 six-passenger eVTOL aircraft, with options for an additional 50 units.

Eve Air Mobility, an Embraer spin-off, has secured additional funding from Space Florida, bringing its latest funding round to $95.6 million. Eve also announced new partnerships with Diehl Aviation and ASE to develop cabin interiors and power distribution systems, respectively.

In a bid to develop a network of eVTOL air taxi services, Wisk Aero has partnered with Skyports Infrastructure to identify potential vertiport locations in Australia’s South East Queensland (SEQ) region.

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FIA2024

STEPS TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY Airbus and Airports Council International (ACI) World will partner in a broad range of initiatives including the promotion of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), hydrogen technologies, advanced air mobility, operational efficiency, and noise mitigation. Boeing has selected Safran Electrical & Power to provide the electrical power generation system for its X-66 flight demonstrator, part of NASA’s Sustainable Flight Demonstrator project. This transonic truss-braced wing concept aircraft is scheduled to begin test flights in 2028. Airbus announced an investment in LanzaJet, a pioneer in sustainable aviation fuel SAF technology. Leading aviation finance company Avolon is exploring financing options for hydrogenpowered commercial aircraft as a part of Airbus’s ZeroE project, aimed at developing the world’s first zero-emission commercial aircraft.

PHOTOGRAPH: FIAFARNBOROUGH / X

SPACE ZONE AT FIA2024.

A consortium including Air France-KLM Group, Associated Energy Group, BNP Paribas, Mitsubishi HC Capital Inc., and Qantas Airways, has co-invested $200 million in a SAF financing fund to accelerate the production of SAF. GKN Aerospace is investing £4 million ($5.2 million) to advance Airbus’s Sustainable Wing Solutions (SusWingS) research and technology programme.

Dutch regional aircraft developer Maeve announced a collaboration with Pratt & Whitney Canada on designing the M80 hybrid-electric 80-seater regional aircraft. With a range of up to 1,200 nautical miles, the M80 represents a significant leap forward in sustainable regional aviation.

INNOVATIVE AEROSPACE ADVANCEMENTS • Lockheed Martin and Lufthansa Technik have signed an MoU to enhance sustainment and logistics management for international clients.

• FDH Aero has signed a cooperation agreement with Sacheon City, Korea. This partnership aims to nurture and promote the country’s burgeoning space sector.

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L3Harris has announced new deals with Japanese and Indian airlines. Their Reality7e Boeing 787-9 full flight simulator received approval from the Japanese Civil Aviation Bureau. Additionally, L3Harris has partnered with Air India to supply SRVIVR25 voice and data recorders for its Boeing 737-8 fleet.

• Pratt & Whitney has partnered with SR Technics to commence MRO services for the PW1100G Geared Turbofan engine at SR Technics’ Zurich facility.

• Avolon placed a substantial order, valued at over $5 billion, for 310 new engines to power 155 Airbus A320neo-family aircraft, splitting the order between Pratt & Whitney GTF engines and CFM International’s LEAP-1A engines.

• Boom Supersonic announced progress with its Overture aircraft, revealing a partnership with StandardAero to test and assemble the Symphony engines and unveiling the aircraft’s Honeywell Anthem avionics suite.

• Pratt & Whitney announced that Sky Airline selected the GTF engine to power its A321XLR aircraft, marking Sky Airline’s first partnership with Pratt & Whitney.

• Jekta chose ZeroAvia’s fuel cell power generation system for its planned PHA-ZE 100 hydrogen-electric amphibious aircraft, with a full-scale prototype expected by 2027 and EASA type certification by 2029.

• United Airlines selected Honeywell Aerospace Technologies to provide advanced avionics for its 737 MAX fleet, including 3D weather radar and enhanced traffic avoidance systems.

• Boeing signed an MoU with the Ukrainian Antonov Company to explore potential collaborations in the defence sector. This partnership will focus on training, logistical support, and overhaul for the ScanEagle UAV, enhancing the capabilities of both companies in the surveillance and reconnaissance domain.

• ITP Aero and Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) have renewed their collaboration, with ITP continuing to provide maintenance, repair, and overhaul services for the PW800 engine’s mid-turbine frame (MTF) and low-pressure compressor (LPC) modules until 2028.

• GE Aerospace and Kratos Turbine Technologies (KTT) have signed an MoU to develop a family of small, affordable turbofan engines. This partnership aims to cater to the growing market for unmanned air vehicles, including collaborative combat aircraft, loitering munitions, and cruise missiles.

From groundbreaking agreements to support environmental goals to strategic defence collaborations, the FIA 2024 showcased the aerospace industry’s commitment to a greener future and cutting-edge developments.

The 2024 Farnborough International Airshow again demonstrated its pivotal role in showcasing a wide array of cuttingedge advancements and fostering strategic partnerships within the aerospace industry. This year’s event also witnessed some notable announcements, with a focus on sustainability and technological advancements. As the aerospace sector continues to evolve, events like Farnborough provide a crucial platform for unveiling the future of aviation and aerospace technology. SP •

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INDIA’S

INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIAL

LAST WORD

REWRITE THE RULE BOOK The success of the Bhartiya Vayuyan Vidheyak Bill 2024 hinges on the Ministry of Civil Aviation's ability to translate its vision into reality through efficient administration and regulation.

PHOTOGRAPH: SANSAD TV

A new “Bhartiya Vayuyan Vidheyak 2024” was introduced in the Lok Sabha by Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu during the monsoon session of the Parliament. While presenting the Bill, the Minister highlighted that the Aircraft Act, originally established in 1934, has undergone numerous amendments over the years, often in a piecemeal manner. This patchwork of changes has led to confusion within the Act, necessitating a comprehensive overhaul. The Bhartiya Vayuyan Vidheyak aims to clear up this confusion and provide a modernised legal framework for the aviation sector.

The Aircraft Act of 1934 was a product of its time, tailored for an era when aviation was still in its infancy. It was a framework designed for propeller planes, not the jet-powered giants that dominate the skies today. Over the decades, the Act has been amended in a fragmented manner, resulting in a convoluted and often contradictory regulatory regime.

The Bhartiya Vayuyan Vidheyak Bill seeks to address this by providing a comprehensive and modern regulatory framework. It aims to create a clear, consistent, and efficient legal environment that promotes innovation, competition, and safety. The Bill recognises the increasing complexity of the aviation sector, incorporating provisions for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), air taxis, and other emerging technologies. By aligning Indian aviation regulations with international standards, the Bill also promises to facilitate seamless global operations for Indian carriers.

FOSTERING A DOMESTIC AVIATION INDUSTRY India has long aspired to become a global aerospace manufacturing hub. However, the lack of a supportive regulatory environment has hindered the growth of the domestic aviation industry.

The Bhartiya Vayuyan Vidheyak Bill aims to change this by creating incentives for domestic aircraft manufacturing. The Bill is expected to provide a clear roadmap for aircraft design, development, production, and certification. It may also include provisions for the preferential procurement of domestically manufactured aircraft by government agencies and public sector undertakings.

By reducing bureaucratic hurdles and offering financial incentives, the Bill seeks to encourage investments in research and development, skill development, and infrastructure. This, in turn, is expected to create employment opportunities, boost exports, and reduce India's reliance on foreign aircraft manufacturers.

The current system of multiple approvals, clearances, and permits has often led to delays, increased costs, and frustration

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By ROHIT GOEL

within the aviation industry. The Bhartiya Vayuyan Vidheyak Bill aims to streamline these processes and reduce bureaucratic red tape. One of the key changes is the transfer of responsibility for issuing crucial certificates from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

The Bill is expected to delegate more decision-making authority to the DGCA, empowering it to expedite approvals and clearances.

Additionally, the Bill may introduce technology-driven solutions, such as online portals and digital signatures, to reduce paperwork and improve efficiency. This streamlined process is anticipated to speed up approvals and minimise bureaucratic hurdles.

ENHANCING AVIATION SAFETY AND SECURITY Aviation safety is of paramount importance, and the Bhartiya Vayuyan Vidheyak Bill places a strong emphasis on this aspect.

The Bill is expected to incorporate stringent safety standards, including robust aircraft maintenance requirements, crew training, and emergency response protocols. It may also provide for enhanced security measures at airports and on board aircraft, such as the use of advanced technologies for passenger screening and threat detection. Furthermore, the Bill is likely to grant the government broader powers to regulate activities that could potentially pose a risk to aviation safety, such as construction near airports. By prioritising safety, the Bill aims to build public confidence in the aviation sector and protect the lives of passengers and crew.

THE ROAD AHEAD The Bhartiya Vayuyan Vidheyak Bill 2024 represents a significant step forward in India's aviation journey. However, its success will hinge on effective implementation and continuous refinement. The aviation industry is dynamic, and the regulatory framework must be agile enough to adapt to emerging challenges and opportunities. It is essential to involve industry stakeholders in the implementation process to ensure that the Bill meets the needs of the sector. Regular reviews and updates will be necessary to keep the regulatory framework aligned with industry best practices and global standards.

The Bhartiya Vayuyan Vidheyak Bill has the potential to transform India's aviation sector into a global aviation powerhouse. By creating a conducive environment for growth, innovation, and safety, the Bill can contribute significantly to the country's economic development and social progress. SP

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C-390 MILLENNIUM

UNBEATABLE COMBINATION

MISSION-READY WITH THE PORTUGUESE AIR FORCE We’re delighted to announce the Portuguese Air Force now joins the Brazilian Air Force as a C-390 Millennium operator.

Two aircraft are already in service with 506 Squadron, located at Beja Air Base, with three more aircraft to be added in the future. A growing number of countries are choosing the C-390 Millennium (including Hungary, Netherlands, Austria, Czech Republic and South Korea) attracted by its unbeatable combination of technology, speed, performance and multi-mission capabilities. Hungary will take delivery of their first C-390 Millennium in 2024 – another milestone for an incredible aircraft that has already achieved 10,000 flight hours with the Brazilian Air Force.

#C390UnbeatableCombination embraerds.com