Acknowledging how India had emerged as a world power, Obama sought to enhance the partnership on many counts. The takeaways included deals worth $10 billion including selection of GE F414 for the Tejas Mk II programme

November’s highpoint has been the visit of the US President Barack Obama. The three-day visit further strengthened Indo-US alliance and Obama termed it as “one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century”. Acknowledging that India had emerged as a world power, Obama sought to enhance the partnership on many counts. The takeaways from his visit included deals worth $10 billion designed to create 50,000 American jobs; closer cooperation in the areas of security; backing India’s bid for permanent seat in the UN Security Council; removing India’s defence and space-related establishment from the US ‘Entity List’, etc.

From the aviation perspective, the only deal which got formalised during the visit was the SpiceJet purchase of 30 Next-Generation Boeing 737-800 aircraft. All the pre-arrival talk about the US clinching the multi-medium role combat aircraft (MMRCA) deal during the President’s visit, however, did not crystallise. The preliminary agreement between India and the US for 10 C-17 Globemaster III heavy transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force, would result in more strategic sourcing activities by Boeing, Pratt & Whitney and other companies involved in the C-17 Globemaster III programme. This issue’s In Focus and Forum highlight on the new dimensions to the Indo-US relationship post-Obama visit.

In this issue, there are articles on IAF’s Maintenance and Training Commands, highlighting their efforts in keeping the force prim and proper.

The cover story of this issue gives an insight into the journey of GE with Tejas, the light combat aircraft (LCA). Air Marshal (Retd) B.K. Pandey takes us through various developments, post-selection of F414 to power the aircraft. Interestingly, this selection was concretised just before the visit of President Obama to the country. The selection of GE has put an end to the debate and the uncertainty on the progress of the Tejas Mk II programme.

Technology development is something amazing and we have an Australian firm that is developing a heavy lift airship known as the “Skylifter”, a novel dirigible gas balloon system intended for transporting bulky cargo which conventional aircraft and helicopters cannot carry. The Skylifter team is aiming for a payload capacity of up to 150 tonnes, even to remote areas. News with Views also highlights China’s second unmanned lunar probe, Chang’E 2, as part of the first stage of a three-step moon mission, which in the next stage will culminate in a soft-landing on the moon.

In the civil aviation sector, R. Chandrakanth, who has been in the Middle East for about three years, writes on how the Middle Eastern countries are competing to become the region’s aviation hub. In the article on what is driving business jets in the region, there are astounding figures of high net worth individuals and their spending spree.

Giving an overview of the annual meeting of the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), LeRoy Cook from Atlanta states how unlike last year’s gloom-infested NBAA convention, this year was filled with hope and the mood was upbeat, even though sales were still sparse.

We are going through exciting times and we do hope everyone benefits from what is legitimately deserved…