Month: February 2009

IAF thinks about strikes on non state actors

Air Commodore Arjun Subramanium took the example of the Sri Lankan Air Force destroying the LTTE air wing after it became so bold as to strike at government targets, saying that while air strikes against non state actors may lead to short-term escalation, in the long term they would also lead to de-escalation.

Iran not to allow NATO supplies to Afghanistan

NATO Commander General John Craddock had earlier indicated Iran to have been an option for NATO members to supply their troops and Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer had also called for engagement with Iran in the context of NATO’s deployment in Afghanistan.

Blog: Vendors employing Direct Sales Agents for MMRCA deal?

The USD 12 billion order is so important for arms vendors that at a recent defense seminar in New Delhi, one of the speakers, a representative of a foreign air force was told, first politely, and then rather sharply, to wrap up his speech because it seemed to be more of a sales-pitch for one of the aircraft in contention for the MMRCA deal, than an academic talk on his experiences with aircraft from different generations.

‘Cut down red tape’: Antony

The Defense Minister’s repeated statements on cutting down unnecessary delays in arms procurement seems to be a reflection of a new purpose towards arms procurement by India. Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major has echoed that sense of purpose, expecting the Indian Air Force to be able to spend all monies budgeted for procurement this year.

Aero India 2009: Bigger than ever

The 25 participating countries include UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, India, Italy, Ireland, Israel, Malaysia, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Netherlands and Ukraine. China will be participating at this year’s Air Show for the first time.