Swedish defence major Saab, which is set to participate in Aero India 2017, will be competing to supply the Gripen M (Maritime) version of the Sea Gripen aircraft for the Indian Navy and has expressed interest in procurement by the Navy, which sent out a Request for Information (RFI) last month.
The Navy is looking for a carrier-based multi-role fighter aircraft after the naval variant of the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) did not meet its requirements. It is looking to procure 57 aircraft in this role. Saab is also competing with the Lockheed Martin F-16 to supply the Gripen E variant to the Indian Air Force.
“We will participate in the RFI process initiated by the Navy. The naval version of Gripen is already designed for short take-off and landings and also has several important features integrated,” said Jan Widerstrom, chairman and MD of Saab India Technologies, on Monday.
Saab had fielded a Gripen model when India was looking for a Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA). The Indian government finally settled for 36 Dassault Rafale aircraft in a government to government deal instead of the 126 aircraft decided on earlier.
Commenting on the offer being proposed by Saab, Mr. Widerstrom said the company was not looking to shift just a production line to manufacture a few aircraft. “We are offering new capabilities to make and export new future models from India in the future,” he said, pointing out that the company’s research and development facility in Hyderabad had contributed to some of the systems incorporated in the Gripen E aircraft.
The company is also participating in the HAL Request for Proposal (RFP) for procuring radar and electronic warfare systems as well as the VSHORAD air defence system procurement for all defence forces.
HAL ready to bring its best
Basic trainer aircraft HTT-40 and Hawk-i, the first indigenously upgraded Hawk Mk 132, will be among the aircraft that will be showcased by HAL during Aero India 2017, along with the Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) and the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH).
For those looking for interesting static displays, HAL will showcase Jaguar, Mirage 2000, LCH, LUH and HTT-40. The main attraction of the HAL pavilion will be a mock-up of the Indian Multi-Role Helicopter.
“Visitors will get an opportunity to know about advanced Hawk. The static display would be a crowd-puller,” the HAL chairman and managing director T. Suvarna Raju. “HAL is geared up to display the recent advancements in fixed and rotary wing segments,” he said.
In addition, customer demonstration flights will be held for ALH Mk III Dhruv and Mk IV (Rudra), a release said.
IAF’s Surya Kiran set to return
After missing two editions of Aero India, Surya Kiran, the aerobatics team of the Indian Air Force, will be back to dazzle the spectators this time, albeit in a different aircraft.
While their last show in 2011 saw them flying Kiran Mk II, this edition of Aero India will have them flying the advanced jet trainer Hawk Mk 132.
According to sources, instead of the earlier nine aircraft formations, the members will be attempting six or seven aircraft formations, some of which are new. The Surya Kiran Aerobatics Team (SKAT), which is based in the Bidar Air Force Station, has displayed its skills in Hawks in air force events at Delhi, Bidar and Meerut before. Aero India 2017 will be its first display with Hawks in front of a large audience, sources said. “We have tried air display with three to four aircraft before. We will have six to seven this time,” a source said.
The Surya Kiran team stopped performing after the Aero India 2011 as the Kiran Mk II were redeployed for training purposes by the IAF, which was facing severe shortage of trainer aircraft. However, with the shortage of trainers bridged with the deployment of the Pilatus, the team began performing again in late 2015.
Yakovlevs arrive
The United Kingdom-based aerobatic team The Yakovlevs, who fly the Super Yak 52 and the Yak 50 planes, arrived in the city on Sunday morning. “Just arrived at Aero India, a beautiful morning here in Bengaluru,” the team tweeted upon landing in Bengaluru. The team has arrived with four aircraft, which had been shipped earlier from the U.K.
Bulls won’t fly this time
Bengaluru: The Flying Bulls, who captivated audiences with their scintillating performances up in the air during the last three air shows, will not be returning to the Yelahanka Air Base this year.
The team, which has been among the star performers at Aero India in recent years, will be missing this time because of logistical issues. According to a spokesperson, the return of the containers with the planes after the air show last time was “extraordinarily late” and this would have affected the air shows in Europe as well as the maintenance work.
In Aero India 2015, two planes of the aerobatic team had a minor accident, with their wings colliding in the middle of a performance. Both the planes managed to land safely. Following the accident, further performances by the four-member team were cancelled.
No Wingwalkers too
The Breitling Wingwalkers, who amazed everyone with daring displays of flying skills during the last edition of Aero India, will not be returning for the air show this time. The Wingwalkers, the world’s only aerobatic formation wingalking team, have performed in over 2,500 different events an specialise in close-formation fly-pasts as the wingwalkers wave at the crowd. Signature manoeuvres include loops, rolls, stall turns and even inverted flights with the wingwalkers experiencing speeds of up to 241 kmph and G-forces of up to 4 g.
Dress rehearsal
Ahead of the official start to Aero India 2017, the Yelahanka Air Force Station will host a full dress rehearsal for all participants on February 12. The rehearsal will include air display events, static displays and the functioning of other display areas, in order to identify and deal with potential issues.
Traffic plan to be announced soon
The Bengaluru Traffic Police has put in place a traffic plan for controlling the crowds at the Aero India venue and will be announcing the details in a few days. “The plan is ready. We will announce it jointly with the air force authorities,” said Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) R. Hithendra.
In the meantime, the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation on Monday said it would operate all airport services normally along the scheduled routes while the other services would be diverted, as per the instructions issued by the traffic police.
