T he Australian Trade Commission is present in strength at Aero India 2009, looking to help Australian vendors get a piece of the action as far as India’s aerospace and defense industries are concerned.
Air Vice Marshal John Kindler elaborated on his country’s presence at the show. “What are we doing here? I’m with the Defense Export Unit. Australia has defense force. We help Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) gain a foothold in other countries in terms of exports. See the Australian Defense Forces is relatively small in size. So exports would help these SMEs sustain themselves and grow, while at the same time fulfilling the needs of the Australian Defense Forces,” said Air Vice Marshal Kindler.
So what do Australian vendors make that would interest India? “Everything,” says Kindler. Australia is a partner in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program and is home to Boeing, British Aerospace, EADS, Northrop Gruman, Thales and Saab. The country also manufactures submarines, frigates, armored vehicles, command and control systems, phased array radars and is involved in the design and manufacture of aircraft structures.
Ken Finlay, also of the Australian Defense Export Unit says, “The Australian participation combines Australian government and industry experience to showcase Australia’s innovative aerospace, defense and security technology solutions and relate these to the needs of global customers.”
