25 Years Back
From Vayu Aerospace Review Issue VI/ 1993
MiG-21bis upgrade
The Indian Air Force requirement for upgrading some 120 of its MiG-21bis fighters has stimulated various proposals from overseas, the main competitors to win this contract being the MiGMAPO organisation teamed with two, alternate, French avionics specialist companies as also the Israeli-Romanian combine. The former designated MiG-21-93, and intended for the third-world retrofit market, combines sophisticated Western avionics with the most advanced Russian weaponry, and intended to counter a modernisation project proposed by Israel Aircraft Industries and Aerostar of Romania and designated the MiG-21-2000.
ALH programme in turbulence
The Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) programme has run into a new set of difficulties. Conceived by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, the project is now subjected to a new set of conditionalities by the French engine manufacturer, Turbomeca. HAL had ordered 65 Turbomeca TM 333B engines for the prototypes and initial production batch. Adding to HAL’s problems, the Indian Air Force, the Army and the Navy want these helicopters to be produced faster. The IAF has asked for 60 helicopters (it had initially ordered 180 but scaled down the demand anticipating higher costs and delays) as a part replacement for the Chetak (Alouette III) and the Russian Mi-8.
Jet Airways stakes with Gulf Air and Kuwait Airways
Gulf Air and Kuwait Airways have now been “officially” cleared to each take a 20 per cent stake in Tailwinds which owns the Indian private airline Jet Airways. Although this scheme was well known as per bazaar gossip for sometime, Jet Airways are now legally connected with the two Middle East carriers, the link being through Naresh Goyal, the Baharain-based NRI who retains the balance (and controlling) 60 per cent of Tailwinds. Jet Airways began services in early May 1993 with four leased Boeing 737-300s, serving 12 destinations from its main Bombay base, connecting Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Baroda, Coimbatore, Cochin, Calicut, Dabolim (Goa), Delhi, Hyderabad, Madras and Mangalore.
Defence Debt is $ 11 billion
India’s defence-related external debt stood at nearly $ 11 billion at the end of March 1993, having come down from $13.6 billion at the conclusion of fiscal year 1990-91. This has been disclosed (for the first time) in an official publication recently released by the Ministry of Finance which provides data relating to the defence debt for the last four years.
Civil Aviation reorganisation
The Government has decided to restructure the Directorate of Civil Aviation by creating certain additional posts, these being an Additional Director-General and four Deputy Director-Generals. At present, there is only one post of Director-General and one Deputy Director-General. The restructuring and strengthening of the civil aviation is being done in anticipation of increased work-load. The appointment of a regular Director-General, Civil Aviation, will be made only after the rules of recruitment for the new posts are formally approved.
Indigeneous aircraft carrier design on anvil
According to the CNS Admiral L Ramdas, the Rs 1,000 crore project to build an aircraft carrier for replacement of the ageing INS Vikrant will soon be formally launched. Also, indigenous production of submarines, as replacement for the obsolescent Foxtrots, should be taken up during the next Five Year Plan. About the same size as the Vikrant, a proven design was available and he added that the Vikrant would be maintained in an operational condition until its replacement was commissioned. The Navy’s doctrine is based around one carrier operating on each seaboard, and so it would eventually would have three aircraft-carriers.
Domestic construction would be more economical than buying a vessel from abroad and the Admiral did not consider Rs.1000 crores to be a colossal amount, pointing out that a modern destroyer cost about Rs.600 crores. With the Navy already holding aviation assets worth Rs.7,000 crores, the expenditure on a new carrier “was not excessive.”
El Al, the national carrier of Israel will, from 9 December, fly to India connecting Tel Aviv with Bombay. This follows a bi-lateral agreement signed last year between the Indian and the Israeli Governments, which gives landing rights to El Al in India and for Air India in Israel. The Israeli carrier’s foray into this country will herald a number of firsts, especially in the area of passenger security checks. The airline will have its own security staff at Bombay’s Sahar International Airport, who will operate independently from the present set-up.
PAF F-16s “In Suspense”
Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has referred to the vexed status of the 71 additional F-16 fighters ordered for the PAF but not being made available to Pakistan under the Pressler Amendment, has stated that “we would soon decide how we can ensure the defence of the country in a better way”. The “suitability and purchase” of alternate aircraft for the PAF was under study, including that for more F-7Ps.