India’s premier aerospace and defence exposition, the weeklong Aero India biennial jamboree kicked off in Bangalore on Monday with the inauguration of an international seminar ‘Aerospace Products –Challenges in Design to Deployment’ and a flying rehearsal at the Air Force Station (AFS) Yelahanka.

The Aero India 2013, which is the ninth in the series of International Aerospace Exhibitions, offers defense planners, the armed forces, designers and developers and the aviation industry an ideal opportunity to view the latest advances in technology, and also to interact, exchange ideas and forge collaborations and joint ventures.

Organised by the Department of Defence Production, the show also provides an ideal platform for Indian vendors to showcase products and services being offered by the Indian defence industry in the international market.

While the international seminar is already underway, the five-day air show will be inaugurated by Defence Minister A.K. Antony on Wednesday.

The aero show will have over 600 participating companies and 78 overseas delegations who have been accommodated in an approximate area of 1,25,000 sqm.

The largest overseas participation is from the US followed by Israel and Russia, while the other major participating countries are France, UK, Germany, Belgium, Bulgaria, Italy, Ukraine, Australia, Belarus, Czech Republic, Japan, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Brazil, Canada, the Netherlands, Romania, Sweden, the UAE and Singapore. Over 250,000 visitors are expected to visit the show.

Among the 50-odd aircraft that will take part in the flying and static displays are the IAF’s frontline fighter aircraft, the Su-30MKI, the twin-engined French fighter Rafale, the Hindustan Aeronautics designed and manufactured Advanced Light Helicopter and Light Combat Helicopter, Boeing’s C-17 Globemaster, Lockheed Martins’ single engine fighter the F-16, the Russian Mi-8 helicopter, the Embraer 145 (on which the indigenously AEW&CS is being developed) and the Light Combat Aircraft, Tejas.

The crowds will also be enthralled by the IAF’s Sarang helicopter aerobatics team, the Flying Bulls from the Czech Republic and the Russian Knights-the Russian Air Force’s aerobatic team.

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry is the Event Manager of Aero India 2013, an event which has a budget of over Rs 150 crore.

With a number of big ticket defence deals which were hanging fire for decades – like the medium multi role combat aircraft, the heavy transport aircraft, the attack and heavy lift helicopters – already almost done and dusted, there is a sneaky feeling that this year’s show may not be as exciting as the previous editions.

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