Tuesday 14 February 2012

Italy buys its first three F-35s

On Feb. 7, 2012, Gen. Claudio Debertolis, head of the agency that is responsible for the procurement of new armaments, has announced that Italy has already ordered the first three Lockheed Martin F-35s.

Unit price: 80 million USD.

Talking to the lower house’s defense commitee, Debertolis explained that these first planes will cost more than the rest of the fleet since costs are going to decrease as the program, currently in Low Rate Initial Production, continues. The Italian high rank officer is particularly optimistic, as he believes that the unit price will be around 70 million each (Lockheed Martin estimates 65M USD for the F-35A and about 73M USD for the F-35B), less than the 79 million USD currently paid for the Eurofighter Typhoon and much less of the 121 million USD per aircraft anticipated in 2011.

Quite surprising, since unit price is one of the JSF partner’s main concern, but possible, considering also that the Typhoon has just lost India’s mother of all tenders based on price.

Although there’s no official commitment yet, the initial requirement for Italy foresaw 131 examples (69 conventional take-off and landing F-35As and 62 of the short take-off and vertical landing variant F-35Bs). Debertolis confirmed that determining how many aircraft Italy will purchase is not a current task, since it will depend on the Defense Budget Review. Nevertheless, even if the number of aircraft will be much lower than the initial 131, the MoD will work to make sure that the industry will get the expected compensation.

Italy is working on stretching deliveries and slowing purchase “a much easier task than that with the Eurofighter program, since the F-35 procurement is modular therefore delays don’t imply increasing costs” Debertolis said.

Furthermore with the recent Eurofighter defeat in India, Italy is going to stop working on the Typhoon and “divert” part (if not all) of its workforce towards the F-35, being assembled at the Cameri FACO (Final Assembly and Check Out) facility.

Finally, Debertolis has confirmed that Italy will have both A and B variants, with the STOVL (Short Take Off Vertical Landing) ones serving both the Air Force and the Navy, that will use them on the Cavour aircraft carrier.

In spite of the widespread criticism surrounding the program and the global financial crisis it looks like the F-35 has, if not a bright future ahead, at least good chances to survive the austerity measures of the new Monti’s technocratic cabinet

Courtesy: www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=191612247612604&set=pu.128391897267973&type=1&theater

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Brazil jets deal heats up as Boeing freezes bid



Boeing has frozen the price on its bid for a multi-billion-dollar Brazilian air force jet contract, sources close to the deal told Reuters, as the global race to sell military hardware to emerging economic powers becomes more competitive.

Boeing is offering to sell its F-18 fighter to Brazil for the same price per plane as its previous offer during a round of bidding in 2009, the sources said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the bidding process.

The sources declined to divulge the dollar amount of the bid, which includes the cost of the plane as well as some future maintenance and replacement parts. But the offer essentially means that Boeing would assume the cost of inflation over the past two-plus years, while the planes would be more than 12 percent cheaper for Brazil in real terms compared to 2009.

“It’s an unusual move … that shows how much value is being placed upon this contract,” one of the sources said.

Boeing is competing with France’s Dassault and Sweden’s Saab for the Brazil deal, which is expected to be worth more than $4 billion over time. Brazilian Defense Minister Celso Amorim told Reuters in January that he hopes the government will make a decision in the first half of 2012.

Boeing’s offer illustrates how U.S. and European defense firms are aggressively pursuing deals in the developing world as their markets dry up at home due to budget cuts. Companies are also disputing jet contracts in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and South Korea.

Dassault last week entered exclusive talks to sell its Rafale to India, which could lead to the jet’s first foreign order. The deal could make the Rafale a more viable option in the Brazilian bidding process, since an established production line would allow Dassault to offer more stable pricing over time and reduce the risk of cost overruns.

The Brazilian deal will be decided by more than just price. While the F-18 is widely believed to be cheaper than the Rafale, Amorim has said that Brazil will base its choice primarily on how generously the companies offer to share their proprietary technology. Brazil hopes that knowledge will help it build a homegrown defense industry, led by Embraer, which is making a return to its roots by investing in military aircraft.

President Dilma Rousseff also sees the deal as a key decision in Brazil’s strategic alignment during the next few decades, officials have said. The planes will be used to help guard Brazil’s borders, protect its recently discovered offshore oil fields, and project greater power as Latin America’s largest economy continues its climb into the world’s elite.

A spokesman for the Brazilian government did not reply to a request for comment. Boeing spokeswoman Marcia Costley said: “We’re in a competition and can’t comment on the specifics of our offering but what I can say is that Boeing can guarantee a price that has been trending downwards because we have an active production line and can leverage economies of scale.”

OUTCOME UNCLEAR

Amorim’s recent comments suggest that the Brazilian deal is entering its endgame after more than a decade of intrigue and last-minute surprises.

Rousseff’s predecessor, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, all but declared Dassault the winner late in his presidency but left office without finalizing the deal. Rousseff then appeared to favor Boeing in comments shortly after taking office in January 2011, but recent developments including Dassault’s India talks mean the final decision is now anybody’s guess.

Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo reported this week that the government is leaning toward the Rafale again, though it did not provide a source for the information.

Rousseff is likely to personally lead the decision-making on the contract, Amorim said in January.

The decision may come at a moment when Rousseff will be under unusually heavy pressure to be cost-conscious. The government is expected to freeze about $30 billion in budget spending in the next few weeks, equivalent to just over 3 percent of this year’s budget, in an effort to cool the economy and help contain inflation.

The budget freeze will likely be unpopular among members of Congress who will see their discretionary funds cut. That means that Rousseff will need to appear circumspect on other big purchases – including the jets – in order to avert a backlash.


Courtesy: www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=191616030945559&set=pu.128391897267973&type=1&theater
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Military Acquisitions


India’s big-ticket military acquisitions are expected to aggressively push schedules for the transfer of production to the country’s ambitious aerospace and defense industry. But the technology that India expects to be transferred through co-development work generated by offset agreements is raising concerns among vendors about possible violations of intellectual property rights (IPR).

A revised policy on offsets is expected to be released soon and the industry hopes that this will at last deal with the thorny issue of transfer of technology (TOT), which is no longer mandatory as part bids, as it was in the past. Starting with projects awarded from 2011, TOT can now be offered as offsets.
Industry observers say India’s lack of clarity on dual technology and IPR may result in OEMs finding ways to circumvent the use of advanced technology on the grounds that India does not have safeguards to protect manufacturers that license technology to local partners. The Indian industry has called for a National Technology Audit Agency and an integrated legal framework to be put in place to ensure TOT protects the OEM.

Issues are already surfacing. India’s Aeronautical Development Agency selected 99 GE F414 engines to power the Mk II version of Hindustan Aeronautics’s Light Combat Aircraft for the Indian Air Force. GE Aviation will supply the initial batch of F414-GE-INS6 engines and the rest will be manufactured in India under transfer of technology arrangement.

The contract requires 10 engines to be provided in flyaway condition. The agreement also contains a30-percent offset clause and will tap some of the 24 Indian companies that GE has certified. But with India indicating that it might use the TOT for the engine for its indigenous aircraft under development, OEMs are seeing red. “We can almost be sure there will be no transfer of crystal blades of the F414, something India desperately needs,” said an analyst under condition of anonymity.

Last year, there were more than 50 contracts in India that required offsets worth $10 billion. This will increase proportionately with programs such as the $12-billion-plus contract for 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft contract, the $4 billion Boeing P-8I maritime surveillance aircraft program, Boeing’s Harpoon anti-ship missile and the$4.1 billion deal for 10 Boeing C-17 Globemaster aircraft for the Indian Air Force.Further, contracts for basic jet trainers, light helicopters and towed artillery are close to being signed.

Public-private sector partnerships are expected to play a key role in the future. Clarity on the long-delayed joint venture policy to increase foreign participation from 26 to 49 percent is awaited. The potential of Defense Private Sector Units (DPSUs) as large-scale offset discharge vehicles remains uncertain, especially given the capacity and current orderbook mismatch. A choked orderbook for DPSUs looking to honor delivery timelines and future order absorption capacity is a concern.

“India’s largest defense manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics currently has an orderbook of $18 billion… Its ability to absorb additional orders remains uncertain, given the historical structural issues, even after adjusting for complexity for the order pipeline, currently faced by HAL,” concluded a report by consultancy Aviotech. The comparable order backlogs for other major aerospace firms is around three years for Embraer and around one year for Lockheed Martin.

A letter addressed last year to the India minister of defense by various international associations, including U.S. Aerospace Industries Association and GIFAS of France, recommended increased FDI, wider permission for dual-use technologies and expand the scope of offsets–many of which the MOD has adopted. The letter asks for multipliers in offsets contracts especially in TOT and production-license-based projects and FDI. The letter also calls for “one clear offset authority” outside of the Defense Acquisition Council with decision-making power to “approve contracts in a predictable, efficient and transparent manner.”

“We improve it [the policy] every year, with suggestions from industry and vendors…and refine [it] as we go along,” said Pallam Raju, state minister for defense.

Recently, at a public forum, Raju acknowledged that DPSUs lack program management skills. “ [Improving the skills] is a painful process. It will take some time to gather the requisite skills as programs mature gradually,” he said, while adding that the government is committed to encouraging private participation in defense production, with the ministry focused on strengthening and widening the defense industrial base.

“The Indian aerospace industry is exposed to some risk from its limited expertise in materials science,” said Rahul Gangal, Aviotech’s director for defense advisory and investments. For example, capability has not evolved in the composites precursor and fiber segments of aircraft design and production. Keeping this in focus, the new offsets policy is expected to include certain areas where TOT is required in India, including nanotechnology, single crystal blades, titanium honeycomb and investment casting for barrel manufacture.

Courtesy -www.facebook.com/indiandefencefans

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Russia to Increase Number of 5G Fighters in Test Flights




Russia to Increase Number of 5G Fighters in Test Flights
14, 2012
by-RIA NOVOSTI



The number of Russia’s Sukhoi T-50 5th generation fighters involved in test flights will be increased to 14 from three by 2015, Russian Air Force Commander Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin told RIA Novosti on Monday.

“There are three fighters already in tests, another three are expected to be tested in the nearest future. The entire number of aircraft planned for test flights is 14,” Zelin said.

The T-50, developed under the program PAK FA (Future Aviation System for Tactical Air Force) at the Sukhoi aircraft design bureau, made its first public appearance at the MAKS-2011 air show near Moscow on August 17, 2011.

The fighter, which is being developed in partnership with India, made its maiden flight in the Russian Far East in early 2010.

Zelin also said that Russia’s T-50 outstripped its U.S. and Chinese analogues.

“After a comparative analysis of the fighter’s characteristics with the U.S. F-22 Raptor and Chinese J-20 stealth aircraft, we can conclude that PAK FA exceeds the foreign analogues in maximum speed, flight range, maximum takeoff weight and the maximum overload value,” Zelin added.

Russia has been developing its fifth-generation fighter since the 1990s. The country’s top military officials have said the stealth fighter jet, with a range of up to 5,500 kilomeeters, should enter service with the Air Force in 2015.


Courtesy-www.facebook.com/indiandefencefans
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Raytheon Delivers First International Maritime Surveillance Radar to Boeing for Indian’s P-8I aircraft


Raytheon Delivers First International Maritime Surveillance Radar to Boeing for Indian’s P-8I aircraft


by-IDF
February 14, 2012




AMERICAN RADAR VARIANT PICTURE

Raytheon Company has delivered the first international version of its APY-10 surveillance radar to Boeing. The radar will be installed on the P-8I aircraft Boeing is building for the Indian navy.”Our APY-10 radar will provide the Indian navy with proven, low-risk technology built on generations of successful Raytheon maritime radar systems,” said Tim Carey, vice president for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Systems at Raytheon’s Space and Airborne Systems business. “Adaptable and configurable, the APY-10 radar is a premier example of Raytheon’s ability to meet key customer requirements.”

The APY-10 radar delivers accurate and actionable information in all weather, day and night, for anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, and for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.

To meet unique requirements for the Indian navy, Raytheon has added an air-to-air mode, which provides the detection and tracking of airborne targets, allowing customers to detect threats in the air as well as at sea. In addition, an interleaved weather and surface search capability has been added to provide the cockpit with up-to-date weather avoidance information while performing surveillance missions.

With reduced weight and power consumption, the APY-10 radar has improved the average mean time between failure by six times over earlier generation radars. In addition to the new capabilities, the design can accommodate significant future growth. Raytheon is under contract to produce eight APY-10 radars for the Indian navy.

About Raytheon Raytheon Company, with 2011 sales of $25 billion, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 90 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as a broad range of mission support services. With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 71,000 people worldwide



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Tuesday 7 February 2012

Funding's for foreign education



Only the very rich  people will be able to finance their children’s overseas education in full. Higher education in the universities in countries such as the U.S. and the U.K. is so high-priced that those in the middle or even in the higher income brackets in India cannot meet the expenses by themselves. They will have to seek support from scholarship providers.
There are certain institutions in India which offer scholarships to students for their study abroad. But the amounts given are usually inadequate to meet the heavy expenses. Many universities have schemes for providing scholarships to international students. Right at the time of applying for admission, you may indicate to the professor or other admitting authority that you may need financial support for undertaking the study.
Of course, students will be able go for part-time jobs subject to the norms of their university. There will be restrictions in terms of the number of hours of part-time work. In many cases, graduate students may be given teaching assignments in the undergraduate classes. Even after getting fellowships or scholarships, you may have to go for bank loans.



Sources
The following are some of the sources for scholarships giving support to students for higher studies. You can get detailed information from the websites, and later get in touch with the organisations for help and assistance.
Ford Foundation - www.fordfound.org/fields/
education/overview
International Financial Aid - www.iefa.org
gates-millennium-scholar.aspx
Sallie Mae (Loans) - www.salliemae.com
Commonwealth Scholarship & Marshall - www.acu.ac.uk
Chevening - www.chevening.com (U.K. scholarship)
corporate.htm
Rotary Foundation - www.rotary.org/foundation/
education/amb_scho
www.international
scholarships.
com
www.international
StudentLoan.





com
www.internationalstudent.
com/
scholarships
http://scholarship-positions.
com
www.educationuk.org – U.K. scholarships
www.australianscholarships.gov.au – Australian scholarship
www.moe.gov.sg/education/scholarships - Singapore scholarships
www.sport-scholarships.com - Sports scholarships
French Government Scholarships (six sites) -
European Union Scholarships - http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/
erasmus_mundus/funding/
scholarships_students_




academics_en.
php
Rhodes Scholarship - www.rhodesscholarships-india.com (Higher studies in Oxford)
Gates Cambridge Scholarship - www.gatesscholar.org (Higher studies in Cambridge)
External scholarships arranged by the Department of Higher Education, Government of India, in China, South Korea, Israel, Japan, Czech Republic, Slovakia, New Zealand, Commonwealth countries, Belgium, Italy, Mexico, Norway, and Turkey - www.education.nic.in
You should remember that investment in appropriate higher education is perhaps the best form of investment. The fine qualifications you acquire can hardly be evaluated in terms of dollars or rupees. The rate of return or yield from investment in tertiary education may not be worked out as in a commercial endeavour, since the enhancement of your personality, social status, prestige, culture, thought processes and quality of life brought about through educational refinement cannot be quantified in terms of money.
Where do you start?
You should have a clear picture of how you should proceed to secure admission in a foreign university. The entire process has to be taken up with the seriousness it deserves. You have to be prompt and punctual in responding to the professors or other admitting authorities overseas. Many of us have a casual approach to the need of doing things on time. Giving some excuse for not doing something in time may result in your rejection.
You should invariably meet all deadlines with promptitude. You will find that professors in the U.S. and many other countries respond to you through e-mail promptly. You should not give room to an excuse such as “I am sorry, I had not opened my mailbox for a week; otherwise I would have answered your query earlier.” Even one response of this kind may be interpreted as lack of your interest in the admission.
You may be trying to secure admission not in one university, but half-a-dozen of them simultaneously. You should maintain separate files or directories for each. There should not be any confusion or mistake through sending a mail to a wrong addressee. The information you give should be accurate and comprehensive. Normally you should not have to send supplementary information.
Provide as much relevant information as possible to the professor or other admitting authorities, enabling them to make a well-informed decision in your favour. In case of doubt, seek advice with regard to the information required by the university. There should not be any occasion when you have to send a correction.









The application material will be almost the same for all the universities in your favoured list. But there may be some differences. That is why you should pay particular attention to each piece of correspondence. Once an e-mail is sent, you cannot take it back. Also, you should ensure that you send your application sufficiently in advance, so that it receives necessary attention before the seats are filled up. The early bird catches the worm.
Your certificates, examination scores, statement of purpose, and the letters of recommendation will paint your picture before the admitting authorities. They may sometimes speak to you over the telephone. As you would know, telephone interviews are quite common these days for job recruitment. That style may be used by certain universities.
Interview
Normally no university would ask you to fly to its centre for taking a face-to-face interview for selection to an undergraduate or graduate programme. However, if you are being considered for a research degree such as Ph.D, you may be called for a face-to-face interview. Also, if you are in the country where the university is located, you may be asked to go for a direct interview.
The object of a pre-admission interview is to check and confirm your claims in the application material you have furnished: ability for grasping complex ideas, ability for analytical thinking, ability for independent work, ability to undergo the programme successfully, knowledge level in the subject of study, suitability for the programme, passion for the subject, ability for application of knowledge in a new situation, ability for innovation, aptitude for research, language skills, commitment and dedication, etc.

Courtesy:www.hindu.com -GUIDANCE PLUS
Funding your foreign education
B.S. WARRIER 
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