DTN News - INDIA DEFENSE NEWS: Boeing P-8I Begins Flight Test Program / Boeing P-8I Aircraft For India Successfully Tested

DTN News - INDIA DEFENSE NEWS: Boeing P-8I Begins Flight Test Program /  Boeing P-8I Aircraft For India Successfully Tested

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Boeing
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - July 11, 2012: Boeing's [NYSE: BA] first P-8I aircraft for the Indian Navy began its official flight test program July 7, taking off from Boeing Field in Seattle at 9:15 a.m. and landing three hours and 49 minutes later after demonstrating flying qualities and handling characteristics. The flight went as planned with all test objectives met.

The P-8I is one of eight long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft Boeing is building for India as part of a contract awarded in January 2009. During the coming months, Boeing test pilots will put the P-8I, a Next-Generation 737-800 derivative, through its paces over a U.S. Navy test range west of Neah Bay, Wash., and a joint U.S./Canadian test range in the Strait of Georgia.

"Today's flight is another on-time milestone for the program," said Leland Wight, Boeing P-8I program manager. "We'll start out testing the P-8I's mission system, which includes its sensors and communication systems. The team then will transition to 'stores' tests during which the P-8I will carry inert weapon shapes under its wings to demonstrate that the aircraft is capable of carrying all the weapons the Indian Navy will use during regular missions."

The stores the P-8I will carry will have the identical shape and size of real weapons, including the Harpoon anti-ship missile, depth bombs and torpedoes.

"This is an important milestone for the program and sets the stage for operational testing and weapons certification as we move closer to P-8I aircraft joining the Indian Navy," said Rear Adm. DM Sudan, assistant chief of Naval Staff (Air), Indian Navy.

P-8I flight and weapons testing follows on the heels of similar testing for the U.S. Navy's P-8A Poseidon. P-8I is a variant of the Poseidon.

In order to efficiently design and build the P-8I and the P-8A, the Boeing-led team is using a first-in-industry, in-line production process that draws on the company's Next-Generation 737 production system. Assembly is complete on the second P-8I aircraft and it will make its first flight in the coming weeks.

The P-8I features open system architecture, advanced sensor and display technologies, and a worldwide base of suppliers, parts and support equipment. P-8I aircraft are built by a Boeing-led industry team that includes CFM International, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Spirit AeroSystems, BAE Systems and GE Aviation.

The Boeing-led team is on track to deliver the first aircraft to the Indian Navy in 2013.

Boeing offers India a broad spectrum of defense, space and security solutions that are relevant to India's current and future military and humanitarian needs. Boeing India's corporate office is in New Delhi. For more information, visit www.boeing.co.in.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world's largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $32 billion business with 61,000 employees worldwide. Follow us on Twitter: @BoeingDefense.

Contact:

Chick Ramey
Surveillance & Engagement Communications
Boeing Defense, Space & Security
Office: +1 253-657-5636
Mobile: +1 206-851-4147
charles.b.ramey@boeing.com

Amrita Dhindsa
India Communications
Boeing Defense, Space & Security
+91 96546-06067
amrita.dhindsa@boeing.com

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Boeing
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DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Asia's Military Spending To Surpass Europe's For First Time

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Asia's Military Spending To Surpass Europe's For First Time
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Yifei Zhang - IBT
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 26, 2012: 2012 will be a historic moment in the shift of global power from the West to the East. According to expert estimates and figures on military spending, in 2012 Asia's spending on defense will eclipse Europe's for the first time in the modern era.

The International Institute for Strategic Studies, a UK-based think tank focusing on global military and political research and analysis, released its influential "Military Balance 2012" report back in early March.

The report claims that since 2008, financial crises in the West have led to major reductions in defense spending in Europe. Drawdowns in Afghanistan and Iraq will likely contribute to decreasing numbers in the future. Meanwhile, Asia's continued economic growth, and efforts to modernize and build military forces there, have reinforced higher spending. In the IISS calculations, Europe does not include Russia, and Asia does not include the Middle East, but does include Australasia.

While per capita spending in Europe is still higher, press releases form the institute say that "Asian defense spending is likely to exceed that of Europe, in nominal terms, during 2012." The U.S. accounted for nearly half of all worldwide military spending in 2011, a figure which may be in slight decline over the following years due to defense cutbacks.

IISS says that in real terms, declines in defense spending by 16 out of 28 member states of NATO exceeded 10 percent between 2008 and 2010. Asian spending increased almost 3.2 percent in real terms between 2010 to 2011.

Planned spending on defense, from different countries worldwide, 2011. Graphs from IISS.

Five countries -- China, Japan, India, South Korea, and Australia -- accounted for more than four-fifths of all regional defense spending. A major focus of spending in Asia is geared towards building newer, bigger fleets of warships and aircraft. Further geographic distances, greater territorial distributions of water, and the predominance of air and naval forces in modern warfare are the main factors driving Asian funding for air forces and navies.

Nations such as China and India are developing new and more powerful ballistic and cruise missiles as well as aircraft carriers. All of the five countries above, save Australia, have active space programs aimed at deploying greater systems of satellites for surveillance and communications, as well as plans for building next-generation stealthy super-jets, like the U.S. F-22 Raptor.

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Yifei Zhang - IBT
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DTN News - INDIA DEFENSE NEWS: Indian Navy Gets Ready To Add More Muscle

DTN News - INDIA DEFENSE NEWS: Indian Navy Gets Ready To Add More Muscle

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources TOI

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada / NEW DELHI, India - November 25, 2011: India is all set to formally launch the hunt for over 75 heavy-duty "stealthy'' naval helicopters with potent anti-submarine and anti-warship warfare capabilities, as also customized for amphibious assaults and commando operations against conventional, terror, piracy and other threats.

The Defence Acquisitions Council, chaired by defence minister A K Antony, on Friday discussed the mega naval multi-role helicopter (NMRH) project, which is likely to cost well over $2 billion.

"The global tender for NMRH will be issued soon. The project is likely to get even bigger at a later stage, with more such helicopters being ordered after the first 75. An initial lot will be obtained off-the-shelf from abroad, while the rest will be manufactured in India with the foreign collaborator's help,'' an MoD source said.

The NMRH acquisition will be in addition to the ongoing Rs 2,000 crore procurement of 16 multi-role helicopters, wherein the field trial evaluation report of European NH-90 and American Sikorsky-70B is now being examined by MoD to select the final winner.

Navy is also going in for new carrier-borne fighter jets, maritime patrol aircraft and drones, which together will cost around Rs 85,000 crore. These include 45 Russian MiG-29Ks for $2 billion and 12 American P-8I long-range reconnaissance aircraft for over $3 billion.

With China looming large on the radar screen, India wants to build a powerful three-dimensional Navy to protect its geostrategic interests stretching from Hormuz Strait to Malacca Strait. As part of the over Rs 300,000 crore long-term naval plans, 48 warships are already on order, as first reported by TOI.

"The NMRH, weighing 9-12.5 tonne each, will operate from the flight decks of frigates, destroyers and aircraft carriers. Five global aviation majors indicated their interest to our initial queries,'' said a source.

The new helicopters, with an operational life of over 30 years, will replace the older Sea King helicopters and meet requirements of the expanding Navy. Their "primary roles'' will include anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, special and commando operations, and amphibious assault and troop carriage.

The "secondary roles'', in turn, will include electronic intelligence and anti-piracy, search and rescue, casualty evacuation and external cargo carrying. Navy wants the helicopters to be equipped with advanced avionics and weapons suites - including state-of-the-art-radars, light-weight torpedoes, depth charges, 70mm rockets and 20mm guns -- to "detect, identify, classify and destroy'' aerial, surface and sub-surface threats.

Incidentally, the Indian armed forces are planning the induction of over 900 helicopters over the next 15 years. They include 384 light-utility and observation, 139 medium-lift, 114 light combat, 22 heavy-duty attack, 15 heavy-lift, 12 VVIP, five maritime early-warning and, of course, 186 Dhruv advanced light helicopters.

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*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources TOI

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