Brazilian Embraer, DRDO Explore Export Potential of Prying Plane

[sudhir007]

Brazilian Embraer, DRDO Explore Export Potential of Prying Plane -The New Indian Express

BANGALORE : Even as the flight-test and system integration trials of the country’s prying plane, the Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) system gets underway ahead of its expected induction into the Indian Air Force (IAF) next year, a bold export initiative has taken wing.

Sources confirm to Express that the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer has approached the Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS), a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) lab, for the joint development of AEW&C system for exporting it to South American countries.
The AEW&C system is being built on a modified Embraer EMB-145I aircraft with two planes currently undergoing flight trials in India with the third and final one expected to arrive from Brazil in December.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is expected to induct the first eye-in-the-sky platform next year, making it a force multiplier during reconnaissance missions. Sources confirm that both Embraer and DRDO have already signed a non-disclosure agreement to initiate interactions for taking the idea of exporting the prying plane forward.

With an eye on export, the DRDO had exhibited the plane during an air show in Bahrain early this year.

“In Bahrain, a couple of West Asian countries had shown interest in having the AEW&C system from India. We can confirm that special interest have been shown by UAE, Oman and Russia. Embraer is keen that we join hands with them for the joint development of the system for South American countries,” said an official. He said internationally, similar systems will cost between $100-$110 million and put the cost ratio between Embraer and DRDO to the order of 40:60.

He said the DRDO headquarters had prepared a detailed note, incorporating the export potential of the system. He couldn’t confirm whether the prying plane’s export plans figure in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s agenda during his ongoing visit to Brazil for the BRCS Summit.

Security Concerns

When asked about the possible security concerns that could arise while exporting such a highly complex prying plane, the official said despite India being the highest importer of defence equipment, the country was never accused of a ‘security threat’ to those who sold the systems.

“All measures including tailoring the system for import will be done as per the importers’ requirements. This is exactly the manner in which all major defence companies operate. Hence we do not envisage any security issues,” the official said.

To a related query, whether it is mandatory to take the IAF’s nod before exploring the export potential of the plane, the official said the programme has been funded mainly by the DRDO and the IPR is with DRDO.

Game Changer

Often accused of importing items for various projects, the DRDO sees the export potential as a game changer.

“We have built the entire mission system on the aircraft of user’s (IAF) choice. We do not produce such aircraft in India today,” the official said. The export of the prying plane will help India emerge as a visible player for critical systems.

 

[OrionHunter]

DRDO has this funny habit of always 'exploring' export potentials of various weapon systems. But sweet nothing has been done so far! I think the age of exploration is over. What is needed is action!

 

[Roybot]

WTF is a prying plane? Sometimes I feel these journalists use synonyms from MS Word

 

[sudhir007]

They Ist have to complete the project and deliver to IAF after may be they think of exporting.
From the last one yr i have read that it will be induct in September and even in defexpo they assure in will be induct in sept. but now they dnt have pilot to test this plane. funny....

 

[ANPP]

Planes IPO is with DRDO, that's mean project not funded by IAF........woh....I didn't know that.

Cost will be in40-60 ration in favour of DRDO. That's great. I feel this plane will defenitly hit success somewhere because too many countries uses embraer 145, the same plane in there transport n vip fleet. Brasil can be the best lead for this system, as it is there own bird.

Artcle also mention Russia as a possible customer........really. So far they even inducted Bramose according to agreement.......and we are talking about awcs export to them.

 

[That Guy]

DRDO has this funny habit of always 'exploring' export potentials of various weapon systems. But sweet nothing has been done so far! I think the age of exploration is over. What is needed is action!

Give them a break, they're still a relatively new player in the international aerospace defense market. These defense deals aren't easy to get. Western nations, and Russia, only get them because they have decades upon decades of experience, and their brand is recognizable. India, China, Pakistan, and other relatively new players, shouldn't be expected to become instant successes. It'll take a long time for India to build the same reputation as a western defense consortium.

 

[Gessler]

These AEWs can have a big market in Latin America and Middle East. But we should only sell slightly downgraded
versions, should we actually come to the point of selling.

 

[Alphacharlie]

Give them a break, they're still a relatively new player in the international aerospace defense market. These defense deals aren't easy to get. Western nations, and Russia, only get them because they have decades upon decades of experience, and their brand is recognizable. India, China, Pakistan, and other relatively new players, shouldn't be expected to become instant successes. It'll take a long time for India to build the same reputation as a western defense consortium.

Janab -

a) Issue is not of New Player or Old

b) Issue is We never Sold Our products in International Market due to Goverment Polices in Past.

Technology Edge was always There Marketing was Absent.

 

[GR!FF!N]

thats a good news.but as a new player,it'll be hard to export as similar systems of known brands(like Saab)already exists and are popular among various countries.but its a good news nonetheless.towards naysayers,Arms Industry isn't always about hi tech and all.it has a lot to do with proper lobby as well as other behind the curtain facilities that govt agencies like DRDO can't possibly expect to provide.but interests among those countries mean its a good product and possibly can grab some portions of the market.

 

[Abingdonboy]

Brazilian Embraer, DRDO Explore Export Potential of Prying Plane -The New Indian Express

BANGALORE : Even as the flight-test and system integration trials of the country’s prying plane, the Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) system gets underway ahead of its expected induction into the Indian Air Force (IAF) next year, a bold export initiative has taken wing.

Sources confirm to Express that the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer has approached the Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS), a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) lab, for the joint development of AEW&C system for exporting it to South American countries.
The AEW&C system is being built on a modified Embraer EMB-145I aircraft with two planes currently undergoing flight trials in India with the third and final one expected to arrive from Brazil in December.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is expected to induct the first eye-in-the-sky platform next year, making it a force multiplier during reconnaissance missions. Sources confirm that both Embraer and DRDO have already signed a non-disclosure agreement to initiate interactions for taking the idea of exporting the prying plane forward.

With an eye on export, the DRDO had exhibited the plane during an air show in Bahrain early this year.

“In Bahrain, a couple of West Asian countries had shown interest in having the AEW&C system from India. We can confirm that special interest have been shown by UAE, Oman and Russia. Embraer is keen that we join hands with them for the joint development of the system for South American countries,” said an official. He said internationally, similar systems will cost between $100-$110 million and put the cost ratio between Embraer and DRDO to the order of 40:60.

He said the DRDO headquarters had prepared a detailed note, incorporating the export potential of the system. He couldn’t confirm whether the prying plane’s export plans figure in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s agenda during his ongoing visit to Brazil for the BRCS Summit.

Security Concerns

When asked about the possible security concerns that could arise while exporting such a highly complex prying plane, the official said despite India being the highest importer of defence equipment, the country was never accused of a ‘security threat’ to those who sold the systems.

“All measures including tailoring the system for import will be done as per the importers’ requirements. This is exactly the manner in which all major defence companies operate. Hence we do not envisage any security issues,” the official said.

To a related query, whether it is mandatory to take the IAF’s nod before exploring the export potential of the plane, the official said the programme has been funded mainly by the DRDO and the IPR is with DRDO.

Game Changer

Often accused of importing items for various projects, the DRDO sees the export potential as a game changer.

“We have built the entire mission system on the aircraft of user’s (IAF) choice. We do not produce such aircraft in India today,” the official said. The export of the prying plane will help India emerge as a visible player for critical systems.

Intriguing news indeed and to those criticising the DRDO for looking at exports before deliveries commence I'll make two points- this is actually quite typical of manufactures (look at the F-35 program, P-8A etc etc) to be looking at export sales before induction and secondly it was Embraer who had approached the DRDO to look at exports of the system.

I agree that India turning into an exporter of such high-end products is going to be a huge undertaking, established arms producing nations have an extensive infrastructure in place for such exports with whole swathes of people dedicated for this, in the Indian context every sale is ad hoc and a one off. Not to mention the hurdles India will face- established relationships with arms producing nations will be hard to overcome, the lobbies for these nations in the client nations are well entrenched and will pose a challenge for any new entrant like India coming into the picture.

 

[sancho]

Sources confirm to Express that the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer has approached the Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS), a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) lab, for the joint development of AEW&C system for exporting it to South American countries.
The AEW&C system is being built on a modified Embraer EMB-145I aircraft with two planes currently undergoing flight trials in India with the third and final one expected to arrive from Brazil in December.

Congrats to Embraer! They smartly played DRDO by fuelling the ego of the latter, to multiply Embraers export chances. They not only can offer any country their EMB 145 platform now with the Swedish Erieye system, but also with the DRDO system, IN CASE a country would want the Indian system.
At the same time, they already are planing with Saab for bigger and more capable AWACS aircrafts, based on their civil airliners, a missed change that DRDO had aimed on, as the next step of the DRDO AWACS project. But DRDO is simply already in dreaming mode and not aiming on logical planing.

 

[sancho]

Intriguing news indeed and to those criticising the DRDO for looking at exports before deliveries commence I'll make two points- this is actually quite typical of manufactures (look at the F-35 program, P-8A etc etc) to be looking at export sales before induction and secondly it was Embraer who had approached the DRDO to look at exports of the system.

When did Boeing or LM send fully fledged P8s or F35s to air shows, before they were fully developed or at least close to induction? They presented P8s and F35s with models, videos and brochures at Aero India, so why could DRDO not do the same? Why was it necessary to send the only flying platform that we have to an airshow, instead of finishing the development and induction process into IAF?
It's one thing to show mock ups and the future prospects of exports, but not in such a silly way that only is aimed on hyping DRDO as if they had achieved something yet. The article even says that the induction would be done only by next year, which means further delays. So from the point of view of IAF or as Indians, we have to criticize DRDO for finally delivering and not only for promising and dreaming!

Also Embraer according to the article aimed at exports in S. America, where is the gain in presenting the aircraft in Bharain then, especially since it AFAIK wasn't even a joint presentation by DRDO and Embraer?

 

[nik22]

Give them a break, they're still a relatively new player in the international aerospace defense market. These defense deals aren't easy to get. Western nations, and Russia, only get them because they have decades upon decades of experience, and their brand is recognizable. India, China, Pakistan, and other relatively new players, shouldn't be expected to become instant successes. It'll take a long time for India to build the same reputation as a western defense consortium.

Good Points! In addition to above Govt plays a big role.

 

[Abingdonboy]

IN CASE a country would want the Indian system

Well according to the article- Russia, Oman and the UAE are interested sir.

a missed change that DRDO had aimed on, as the next step of the DRDO AWACS project.

How is that a missed chance sancho? The DRDO has its own plans for a larger AWACS that don't involve Embraer but will involve either Boeing or Airbus but that is irrelevant really as the DRDO is not looking to build a new airliner purely AWACS and that doesn't require a aircraft OEM onboard.

Also Embraer according to the article aimed at exports in S. America, where is the gain in presenting the aircraft in Bharain then, especially since it AFAIK wasn't even a joint presentation by DRDO and Embraer?

As you well know, at such international air shows/exhibitions delegations from around the world attend so it is rather irrelevant that it was shown at Baharain as there would have been officials from many nations including Latin America there for sure.

 

[Tshering22]

I pray that DRDO takes this offer. They really have burnout o many chances to go international.

With dilma playing the strong woman of South America, we can have a great chance to cooperate using BRICS as an excuse.