Ex-IAF Mi-35s in Afghanistan
Lockheed Martin offer F-16 production in India
We are ready to manufacture F-16 in India and support the ‘Make in India’ initiative,” stated Phil Shaw, chief executive of Lockheed Martin India Private Ltd. However, he did not commit to any time frame or offer any more specifics, presumably because those are to be decided in government-to-government talks.
Lockheed Martin currently manufactures one F-16 a month from its plant in Marietta, Georgia, and has a series of contracts and joint ventures in India with over 1,000 employees. The company has supplied six C-130J Super Hercules aircraft to the IAF, and will begin delivering another six from next year.
IAF to procure 8 aerostat radars
The Indian Air Force has plans to procure up to eight aerostat radar platforms to bolster low-level air and sea surveillance. The procurement process, which has been on hold for the past few years, comes after terrorist strikes in Mumbai and lately, the Punjab. An RFI issued by the Ministry of Defence with a deadline of 24 February seeks a batch of four, six or eight aerostat systems, which can be deployed at an altitude of 15,000 feet and above, have network-centric compatibility so that they can be integrated into the IAF’s Air Command and Control System along with other assets and possess electronic warfare capabilities. The IAF has earlier procured two Aerostats from Israeli firm Rafael at a cost of Rs 338 crore and inducted them into service in 2007 and 2008. ccording to a US military spokesman, the three Mi-35 attack helicopters donated by India to Afghanistan “have made a big difference in the offensive against militants. They do have three Mi-35s from India. They’ll have a fourth one coming in pretty soon that will add to their inventory as well and that’ll make a great difference,” General John Campbell told the House Armed Services Committee during a Congressional hearing on Afghanistan.
HTT-40 prototype rolled out