Aero India takes to the skies

The six edition of India’s signature air show – Aero India 2007 – got off to a spectacular start at the Yelahanka air base on the outskirts of Bangalore yesterday with a scintillating flying display by the Indian Air Force (IAF) teams leaving the avid spectators soaked in the high-decibel action in the skies.

The five-day extravaganza began with a breath-taking display of aerial acrobatics and dare-devilry featuring nine supersonic trainer aircraft, part of IAF’s Surya Kiran team, three Advanced Light Helictopers (ALH) of Sarang Aerobatic team and the supersonic fighter Sukhoi-MK 130.

Aviation aficionados and the general public, armed with binoculars, digital cameras and handy cameras, glued their eyes to skies as the metallic machines as the Yelahanka air base reverberated with their supersonic drones.

Air-to-air refueling by two Mirage 2000 jets, five deep-penetration Jaguar jets, prototypes of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Intermediate Jet Trainer (IJT), besides transport planes Tuplov 142 N were also part of the hour-long flying display.

Unveiled by Defence Minister A K Antony, the five-day-long Aero India 2007 – a bi-annual international defence exposition cum seminar is being attended by forty foreign delegations and air chiefs of 28 nations. More than 500 companies, including 280 global firms major aerospace countries like US, Russia, France, Britain, Germany and Sweden are participating in the showpiece spectacle.

Speaking on the occasion, Antony sought overseas partnerships in India’s quest to match the nation’s increasing economic clout with military might. “India is poised to take a quantum jump, both in terms of economy and military”, Antony said.

The Defence Minister sought “strategic” and “long-term” relationships between Indian defence companies and overseas investors. India was in the process of acquiring fresh capabilities for all the three wings of its armed forces – Army, Navy and Air Force.

Aero India provides an ideal platform to Indian aerospace industry to showcase its capabilities to the global audience, he said. “It is also an excellent forum to explore business opportunities and facilitate joint ventures and collaborations for mutual benefits”, Antony said at the opening of the Aero India 2007.

Projecting India as a global outsourcing destination, offering not only competitive prices, but also a huge pool of skilled manpower, Antony told the foreign companies participating in the event that they could benefit from the large availability of skilled manpower. Also, the Indian defence industry had a lot to offer through its products and platforms, assemblies, sub-assemblies and components that are competitively priced.

He envisioned India’s defence sector becoming globally competitive and the best in business. “At the same time, we want to ensure self-reliance in our defence preparedness”, he added.