New Delhi. The Indian Air Force (IAF) is set to get its second Boeing 737-700 Business jet for VIP operations next month, and the last and third within 60 days after that.

Configured to security standards near to those of the US Air Force One that flies the US President, the first aircraft that arrived early August is being test flown for familiarization and systems check by pilots of the elite Communication Squadron based at New Delhi’s Palam airbase. The interiors of the aircraft have been furnished in India as chosen by officers of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and the Special Protection Group (SPG) that guards the Heads of State and Government.

Sources told India Strategic that the delivery of the three aircraft is spaced at intervals of 60 days, and that all the three Boeing 737s would be with the Communication Squadron by the end of this year.

The government is keen, and appropriately, that the Prime Minister and other VVIPs should travel not just in comfort – which also enables them to work normally onboard – but also in secure machines, whether they are aircraft, helicopters or vehicles.

Accordingly, 12 helicopters are also being procured, eight configured for VVIP travel and four for general duties to ferry baggage and escort personnel.

Indications are that the helicopter chosen is the Augusta Westland AW 101 (earlier designated EH 101), the same that has been chosen by the US Government for its President.

The difference however is that for the US President, 23 helicopters will be made under collaborative arrangements by the US military giant Lockheed Martin, while for India, 12 will be partly produced in the UK and partly in Italy but integrated in the UK.

Augusta is an Italian company while Westland belongs to the UK, and has supplied helicopters to India in the past. They now operate as AugustaWestland.

Like the Boeing 737BBJ, the AW helicopter, as and when it comes in about three years, will be fitted with a sophisticated Self Protection Suite (SPS) equipped with flares to counter heat-seeking missiles and chaff to counter radar guided missiles.

In each case, these aircraft and helicopters have no onboard offensive systems but they fly under protective fighter escort and with decoy aircraft. In the US, television stations are barred by law to telecast live any flight of the Presidential aircraft and helicopter, the latter known as Marine One.

The idea is to prevent any terrorists from knowing the movement of the President.

Boeing is supplying the aircraft in green condition, that is, without interiors, from its factory in Seattle. Their structure is slightly modified to the customers’ requirements, and they are first sent to PATS Aircraft in Georgetown, US, for fitting the SPS, onboard internet, advanced navigation aids and satellite connectivity with encryption.

In some cases, the electronic counter-measures are fitted on the winglets, which are aerodynamic structures added at the wingtips to help save fuel also. This saving can be substantial over the years, at around 5 to 7 per cent of the operational cost.

As and when the Prime Minister is on board, he can function as if he is in his own office, and give any directions to various government personnel.

IAF engineers and SPG personnel keep a watch on the aircraft’s assembly abroad, and in India too, the VIP flying machines are guarded by the SPG as well as the IAF’s Garud commandos. The former though has a decisive say.

There were some issues over the Self Protection Suite with the US government, which wanted to ensure that while India could use the latest technologies, they would not be on-passed to any other country or unauthorized person.

Indian officials flew in to Washington before the delivery of the aircraft to give required assurances and sign Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) stipulations like End User Verification Agreement (EUVR) on not sharing the knowledge of these sophisticated systems with anyone.

Notably, alhough Boeing manufactured and sold the BBJ, it had no control over the level and extent of technology allowed to be exported either by itself or any other US company. That is determined by the Departments of Defence and State.

PAT’s Aircraft has fitted the same or similar SPS on board the Boeing 747s – perhaps numbering five – that are used for ferrying the President and the Vice President. Any aircraft that has the President on board is designated Air Force One, and that the Vice President flies in is designated as Air Force Two.

On the US President’s travels abroad, two or three of these aircraft are taken, and not many people know on which aircraft the President is actually in. Nonetheless, the one on which he is on board, has the call sign Air Force One, and the other two are called Air Force One B and Air Force One C.

Often described as the Flying Oval Office, the USAF Air Force One has 4,000 square feet of interior floor space on two decks, and is equipped with a conference/dining room, quarters for the President and the first lady, an office area for senior staff members, another office that converts into a medical facility when necessary, work and rest areas for the presidential staff, media representatives and Air Force crews, two galleys that can provide 100 meals at one sitting and Multi-frequency radios for airto- air, air-to-ground and satellite communications.

In the case of India, economy was a consideration and as the Prime Minister does not travel too often abroad, the choice was restricted to short range Boeing-700 without external tanks, and the aircraft can also be used by the President and other VVIPs if required.

India had signed the agreement for three Boeing 737 BBJs with the US in October 2005 for Rs 997 crores ($ 220 million approx) inclusive of spare engines and SPS counter measures for about Rs 200 crores. A 10-year contract with the Boeing Company was also signed recently to maintain them, and assist in upgrades if and when required.

Routine maintenance though would be carried out by a select group of Indian engineers. The three aircraft have the same CFM 56 engines that have been used for some 6000 Boeing 737s the world over ever since they started flying in 1968. The engines, made by the General Electric (GE) of US and Snecma of France, though have been upgraded periodically, and are also now used on the European Airbus 320 family of aircraft.

Incidentally, all BBJ are configured to individual requirements, and in the case of the three IAF BBJs, they have slightly wider bodies than those flown by the airlines.

An airline Boeing 737 normally carries around 100 passengers. In the case of a BBJ for VIPs, it generally has a main cabin for the Head of State or Government, and 30 other persons. There is also place for extra crew on board.

Besides the executive office for the Prime Minister, the IAF BBJ has a secure communication chamber and seating facilities for about 50 persons.