NATIONAL
Boeing places P-8I offset orders over $600 million on Indian companies
December 07, 2009
Vivek Lall, India country head of Boeing Integrated Defense System told that his company has “started to place contracts worth over $600 million with Indian companies,” as part of offset obligations accruing from the P-8I contract. The said contract valued about $2.1 billion, was signed in January 2009, under which the US major will supply eight long range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircrafts to the Indian Navy by 2015. The first plane is expected to be delivered within 48 months from the date of contract signing. The contact involves 30 per cent offsets. Indian companies who have been awarded contracts include Electronics Corporation of India (ECL), Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL).
France faces stiff competition from Israel for IAF Mirage upgradation
December 10, 2009
Reports noted that Israel has shown keen interest in upgradation of Indian Air Force’s (IAF’s) Mirage fighters and offered a price which is 40 per cent less than that of France, the original supplier. A delegation led by General Gabi Ashkenazi, Israel’s defence services chief, has made presentations in this regard to the high officials, including IAF Chief, Air Marshal PV Naik during his recent visit to India. It is reported that Israel Aerospace Industries-led upgrade could cost Rs. 96 crore per plane compared to Rs. 152 core demanded by France’s Dassault Aviation and Thales. It is expected that France could consider its offer prices in the face of competition from Israel.
Eurojet and General Electric submit Tejas Offset proposals
December 12, 2009
Reports noted that European military engine consortium Eurojet and America’s General Electric (GE) have submitted their offset proposals concerning the engine of the Light Combat Aircraft, Tejas. India’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) had issued in July 2009 a Request for Proposal (RFP) to these vendors for supply of 99 engines for the indigenous Tejas. The contact is valued at $750 million. Under the offset policy, global vendors are mandated to provide offsets amounti ng to at least 30 per cent of contract’s value. The offsets can be discharged either though direct purchase of Indian defence goods/services or by investing in Indian defence industrial and/or R&D enterprises. For Tejas, Eurojet’s EJ200 engine is competing with GE’s F-414 engine. Both the companies have reportedly got the approval from their respective authorities to meet the key requirements of India’s MoD.
Nuclear-capable Dhanush test fired Successfully
December 13, 2009
Reports noted that India successfully test fired a nuclear-capable, ballistic missile 'Dhanush'. The missile, with a range of 350 km, and a payload of 500 kg, was fired from a naval ship, INS Subhadra off the Orissa coast at around 11.30 am on November 13. It can hit both sea and shore-based targets. Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Dhanush is a naval version of Prithvi missile. The successful test of the missile comes after a failed first ever night trial of Agni-II missile, conducted on November 23.
INTERNATIONAL
Pakistan gets first AWACS aircraft
December 08, 2009
Pakistan on December 8 inducted the first of the four Saab-2000 Airborne Early Warning & Control (AWACS) aircrafts. The aircraft, procured form Sweden, landed at one of the Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF’s) Main Operating Bases. “ Besides detection of High and Medium altitude flying aircraft, this state-of-the-art system is also capable of detecting low level flying objects over land and sea at extended ranges; the system is capable of picking even the surface targets over the sea” noted an official statement issued by PAF.
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