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SP's Aviation - ISSUE No 7-2025

Issue Features

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  FOREIGN AFFAIRS | BRICS 2025
  Shaping of BRICS: An Emerging Alternative Global Reality
  By Manish Kumar Jha

  Despite the challenges and lack of consensus on some issues, the BRICS 2025 Summit in Brazil, with the Rio de Janeiro Declaration, concluded with greater strength and resolve—it is here to stay

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  MILITARY | EXPERT-SPEAK
  Defending Indian Skies
  By Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhari (Retd), Former Chief of the Air Staff, Indian Air Force

  During Operation Sindoor, Pakistan launched multiple attacks on India’s military installations and airfields, using missiles, rockets and drones. However, Pakistan’s every single projectile was intercepted by Indian Armed Forces and brought down before it could reach the intended target.

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  OEM | EMBRAER DEFENSE & SECURITY
  C-390 Millennium and Beyond: Embraer’s Commitment to India’s Defence Vision
  

  Embraer Defense & Security supports India’s long-term vision for defence modernisation, innovation and strategic alliances

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  EXCLUSIVE

  INTERVIEW | EMBRAER PRESIDENT & CEO
  “The Goal Is to Collaborate More Towards Becoming a Long-Term Trusted Partner, Fulfilling India’s Aerospace Ambitions”
  

  Francisco Gomes Neto, President & CEO, oversees all businesses - defence, commercial aviation, business aviation, services & support, urban air mobility and engineering of Embraer. He talks to Jayant Baranwal, Editor-in-Chief, at the occasion of opening an office in New Delhi and the company’s investment in India’s developing aerospace ecosystem

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  BUSINESS AVIATION | NGINES
  Pearl Engine Family — Powering the Leading Business Jets
  By Rohit Goel

  Power, Efficiency, and Innovation is how the Rolls-Royce Pearl Engine Series deliver the ultimate propulsion systems for modern business jets

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  SPACE | MISSION AX-4
  Axiom-4: Perfect Pacific Ocean Splashdown
  By Manish Kumar Jha

  India caps landmark space mission, ISRO to step up next — Gaganyaan & space station

• BUSINESS AVIATION | ANALYSIS
  Unlocking Growth
  By Sanjay Julka, CEO Technical, Club One Air

  Proposing Alternative Tax Revenue Solution to Help Grow India’s Business Aviation Sector

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  SHOW REPORT | PAS 2025
  Innovation, Deals, and Sustainable Skies
  By SP’s Special Correspondent

  From major commercial deals to cutting-edge defence, digital security, and space ventures, Paris Air Show 2025 displayed the unfolding of Aviation’s next chapter and shifting focus of global aerospace

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  A Word from Editor-in-Chief
  By Jayant Baranwal, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

  Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s participation in the Axiom-4 mission marks a historic return for India to human spaceflight after over four decades. The success of this mission not only boosts India’s global stature in space exploration but also lays a strong foundation for ISRO’s upcoming Gaganyaan mission and long-term plans for an Indian space station.

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  HALL OF FAME
  Mil Mi-8: The Most Produced Helicopter in History
  By Joseph Noronha

  When the Mi-8 was first displayed at the 1965 Paris Air Show, it created a sensation. Western analysts had long considered Soviet technology inferior to that of the West, but the comments about the Mi-8 were mainly positive.

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  NEWS DIGEST
  Boeing Names Stephen Parker as CEO of Defense, Space & Security
  

  Boeing announced Stephen (Steve) Parker as President and Chief Executive Officer of its Defense, Space & Security (BDS) business, effective immediately. Parker has served as interim leader of the Boeing business unit since September 2024.

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  NEWS DIGEST
  Embraer Celebrates Delivery of the Third KC-390 and Maiden Flight of the A-29N
  

  Embraer and Portuguese Air Force (FAP) celebrated the delivery of the third KC-390 Millennium aircraft to the FAP and the launch of the A-29N flight test campaign, which included a historic joint flight of both aircraft.

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  NEWS DIGEST
  Apache for Indian Army
  

  Milestone moment for Indian Army as the first batch of Apache helicopters for Army Aviation arrive in India. These state-of-the-art platforms will bolster the operational capabilities of the Indian Army significantly.

• NEWS DIGEST: MILITARY
  Defence Minister at Controllers’ Conference 2025
  

  Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addressed the Controllers’ Conference of the Defence Accounts Department (DAD) in New Delhi on July 7, 2025, emphasising the department’s critical role in strengthening the operational readiness...

• NEWS DIGEST: MILITARY
  Successful Flight-Test of Astra BVRAAM
  

  Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) & Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully conducted the flight-test of indigenous Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air missile (BVRAAM) ‘Astra’ equipped with indigenous Radio Frequency...

• NEWS DIGEST: MILITARY
  GA-ASI Adds Saab AEW Capability to MQ-9B
  

  General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) is partnering with Saab to develop Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) capability for its line of MQ-9B Remotely Piloted Aircraft, which includes the SkyGuardian^® and...

• NEWS DIGEST: CIVIL
  D328eco® Test Aircraft Rolls Out
  

  Deutsche Aircraft has proudly unveiled the first D328eco test aircraft (TAC 1) at their headquarters, a transformative moment for sustainable regional aviation.

• NEWS DIGEST: CIVIL
  ZeroAvia to Build Manufacturing Hub in Scotland
  

  ZeroAvia announced that it will build a major manufacturing facility for production of its hydrogen-electric powertrains at the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland, close to Glasgow Airport in Renfrewshire.

• NEWS DIGEST: CIVIL
  UNI Air Signs Order for 19 ATR 72-600s
  

  ATR announced that UNI Air, a group company of EVA Air, has placed a firm order for 19 ATR 72-600s, along with three additional purchase rights.

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  NEWS DIGEST: CIVIL
  Airavat and Fly Sirius Unite Under New Brand
  

  Dubai’s Airavat and India’s Fly Sirius, renowned for their bespoke private jet charter services, announced their rebranding to Transworld Jets.

• NEWS DIGEST: CIVIL
  Boeing and Qatar Airways Announce Historic Order
  

  Qatar Airways and Boeing announced the carrier will purchase up to 210 widebody jets, which sets new records as the largest widebody order for Boeing, including the largest order for 787 Dreamliners and Qatar Airways...

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  NEWS DIGEST: CIVIL
  Seventh Helicopter & Small Aircraft Summit Held in Pune
  

  The Ministry of Civil Aviation, in collaboration with the State Government of Maharashtra, Pawan Hans and FICCI, organised the 7th Helicopter & Small Aircraft Summit in Pune.

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  NEWS DIGEST: CIVIL
  SAS Places Record Order for 55 Embraer Aircraft
  

  Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) has entered into an agreement to acquire 45 Embraer E195-E2 aircraft, with purchase rights for an additional 10 aircraft — the largest SAS jet order direct from a manufacturer since 1996.

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  NEWS DIGEST: CIVIL
  Plans to Explore Hydrogen eVTOL Propulsion
  

  ZeroAvia and Horizon Aircraft announced plans to work together on developing regional hydrogen-electric VTOL air travel.

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  NEWS DIGEST
  Appointments
  

  Air Marshal S. Sivakumar assumed the appointment of Air Officer-in-Charge Administration (AOA); Sales Sirector for Multi-Role Aircraft, Deutsche Aircraft; CEO of MTU Aero Engines AG.