Sky Wars

During the past few weeks, the mass media was used to carry reports of alleged malpractices concerning sales of aircraft, both civilian and ...

During the past few weeks, the mass media was used to carry reports of alleged malpractices concerning sales of aircraft, both civilian and military, by reputed aircraft manufacturers in Europe and America. This was evident, particularly during the recent International Air Show at Le Bourget near Paris where the US8217; ire against France was blatantly demonstrated by the near total absence of US participation, both on the ground and in the air. US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has openly announced his determination that 8216;8216;France should be punished for opposing the war against Iraq8217;8217;.

Around 350 US firms exhibited at the 2001 Air Show but it was a virtual 8216;8216;no-show8217;8217; this year. The few US companies that participated came to Le Bourget more out of fear of losing out to the competition than any faith in the administration 8212; evident in the absence of any senior executives. The Pentagon pointedly insisted that no US military officer above the 0-6 rank US Air Force Colonel/ US Navy Captain would attend the Paris Air Show in any official capacity. There were no US Congressional delegations nor representatives from any branch of the Bush administration present at Paris.

Even official Indian visitors, for instance the Boeing chalet, were kept waiting although they had formal appointments, as was exemplified by the reluctance of Tom Pickering, former US ambassador to India and now senior advisor to Boeing, to meet a DRDO team. Similarly, the other US Aerospace giant, Lockheed Martin, showed their indifference quite blatantly, cancelling press conferences and receptions with mere terse announcements.

It is hardly coincidental that there has been a concerted and concentrated drive to place misinformation, or at best distorted and out-of-time information, in the media even as the US aerospace giants are in imminent danger of losing major contracts. The Airbus Consortium have very steadily overtaken Boeing, their bitter rivals in the air transport industry, and are now poised to sweep the market with their range of advanced technology, super-efficient airliners ranging from the massive A.380 mega airliner to the A.318 regional airliner. In stark contrast, Boeing8217;s 757 and 767 airliners have virtually ceased selling and the proposed 7E7 is still only an idea in the minds of corporate leaders. The Indian Airlines process for induction of 43 Airbus A.319/320/321 airliners has frustrated Boeing as the national carrier will now be a total Airbus customer. What has hurt Boeing more is its loss of the military market, having lost to Lockheed Martin in the Joint Strike Fighter JSF international programme, and now its abortive takeover of the Czech company Aero Vodochody recoiling in its face.

The background is that after the Soviet Union collapsed, and with it the Warsaw Pact, US arms companies have desperately attempted to sell their wares to East European countries joining the NATO. The Czech Air Force, once a large force equipped with advanced Soviet-origin fighters, has shrunk to a fraction of its former strength and, in 1998-99, proposed to re-equip with new generation combat aircraft of western origin. Pushing its case for the F/A-18 fighter, Boeing bought into the ailing Czech Company Aero Vodochody, creating a Joint Venture with CS Czech Airlines in which the Americans owned 90 per cent of equity. In this manner, Boeing confidently hoped to influence the Czech Government8217;s decision-making process. The only Czech aircraft then in development, and awaiting production, was the Aero L-159 ALCA Advanced Light Combat Aircraft, powered by an American Honeywell F-124 engine and Rockwell North American now Boeing avionics. The Czechs had ordered 72 of these to supplement the principal fighter, which Boeing hoped would be the F/A-18, but, to its great distress, the Czechs instead selected the Swedish JAS-39 Gripen multi-role fighter, marketed jointly with BAE Systems.

Similarly, the Hungarian Air Force have selected the Saab Gripen to replace their fleet of MiG-21/23/29s while the Polish Air Force will receive the Lockheed Martin F-16 although they too had initially selected the Gripen. In every case, the Boeing offer of the F/A-18 was rejected and thus the tremendous frustration and pressure to sell at least the L-159 if nothing else. This aircraft8217;s two-seat conversion trainer version L-159B is still under development by Aero Vodochody and just two aircraft have been ordered by the Czech Air Force. Of the 72 single-seater L-159As, the Czech Air Force have received about 60 but only a quarter of these are operational. Very severe maintenance and technical problems have been encountered since its induction two years ago, causing the Czech Air Chief to make his displeasure public. An ignominious fact is that, in early June 2003, even the fledgling Kenyan Air Force cancelled their order for eight L-159s as they were 8216;8216;defective aircraft8217;8217;.

Remarkably, Boeing Ceska majority share holders of Aero Vodochody has put in every effort political, commercial and financial to sell the L-159B to the Indian Air Force since late 2001 ever since the US sanctions were partly lifted post-9/11. Probably, their recourse to acquisitions on 8216;8216;bribery8217;8217; in past deals is a last ditch measure to delay or deny the Indian Air Force the Advanced Jet Trainer they selected many years before, and which would have long been in service with the IAF but for the procrastination of both politicians and bureaucrats.

The writer is a Group Captain