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ACIG Special Reports
AMERICAN EXHIBITORS
American participation was considerably extensive compared to the previous years, attributed to the fact that they have now become major players in the Indian defense industry and services. Though there were no american statics/mockups/display aircraft due to lack of timely decision making about actual participation, ten different companies showcased their products, the largest in India so far, clearly illustrating the extraordinary transformation in Indo-American ties over the past few years. The US pavilion was inaugurated by Ambassador Robert. D. Blackwill on February 5, 2003.
LOCKHEED MARTIN
The display may have been limited but all of the models on display are significant to India. The F-16C Block-50+ variants and the C-130J are being offered outright to the IAF with transfer of technology, the former as a possible MiG-21 replacement. The P-3C is being offered for the indian navy and even though the type has been associated with the latter for quite some time, actual 'official interest' in the type arose only a short while after Aero-India 2003. It is understood that the IN has a requirement of around 8 P-3Cs. Not pictured is the T-50 which is the latest offer for fulfilling the IAF's AJT requirements.Lockheed Martin has also openly invited India to join the JSF programme.
PRATT & WHITNEY
This is the 112 inch fan PW-4000 engine for the Boeing-777. P & W, the $27.9 billion division of United Technologies corporation, considers India as a destination for outsourcing. P&W; claims that the PW-4000 on the Boeing 777 was the first to acheive ETOPS (Extended Twin-engined Operations). The PW-4000 is also the first engine to achieve the 270 min LROPS (Long-range operations) certification
GENERAL ELECTRIC
This is the General Electric GE-F404-F2/J3.The first production and limited series production variants of the LCA will use an upgraded version of the same,due to delays in the GTRE Kaveri engine. This engine shown is *not* a mockup - it is one of the original LCA GE-F404s, borrowed from ADA.
BOEING
Even though their products were mainly aimed at the civilian sector, Boeing was the single largest american participant at Aero-India 2003. Air-India is evaluating the Boeing-777ER (extended range) as well as the Airbus A-340-300. Incidentally, the Boeing 777's main Landing gear uplock box assembly is manufactured and supplied by HAL's Aircraft division, Bangalore, as are the Boeing 767's bulk cargo doors and the Boeing 757's owx doors.
RAYTHEON
Sadly, we could not bring you any significant photos from Raytheon's section but we do have some valuable observations.
The Government of India signed agreement to purchase 12 AN/TPQ-37 Firefinder counter-battery artillery radars will include generators, trailers, comm. equipment, training, logistic services, Quality assurance teams (QAT), spare and repair parts as well as publications and is valued at $142.4 million,including a $38 million modification contract for the increase in quantity. The principal contractor will be the Thales Raytheon systems of El Segundo, California. The actual order is quite large considering that only 107 TPQ-37 radar systems have been delivered in total to eleven different countries. The radars will be manufactured at Raytheon consolidated manufacturing center in Forest, Miss.
The Raytheon exhibit featured the Thales Raytheon AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel, the next generation tactical air defense sensor for the US Army. This surveillance system provides detection and tracking of threat aircraft at several times the range of short range weapons.
Thales Raytheon systems LLC, has been awarded a $45 million firm-fixed price contract to upgrade the TPQ-36A Air surveillance radars of the Royal Norwegian Airforce (RNoAF) which will also add compatibility for the NASAMS-II missile system under development. Enhancements include changes to the power amplifier, signal/data processor,receiver/exciter and antenna motor controller. The upgrade installation for the first two radars will take place in the US while the remaining kits will be delivered to Norway for on-site installation.
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