Bangalore. India Strategic will release its February issue and three editions of Show Dailies at the Aero India 2009 beginning here February 11. The publications will showcase the latest developments in India and around the world in Aerospace Technologies.

The 5-day biennial event has attracted around 600 foreign and Indian companies, making the event one of the largest in the world. A highlight of the show will be the participation of aircraft from the six contenders that have offered their fighter aircraft for the 126+ Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (M-MRCA) for the Indian Air Force (IAF) in the $ 10 billion competition.

The Air Show is being held at the air force base (AFB) at Yelahanka, and the IAF is taking extensive measures to make the event secure and pleasant for the participants. Top brass of the Indian Air Force, including Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal F H Major, will grace the occasion.

Infrastructure around the airport has been renewed and strengthened.

Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Eurofighter have already announced that they would hold aerial demonstrations of their F 16, F 18 and Eurofighter combat jets respectively. In addition, Lockheed Martin will bring the Hercules C 130J while Boeing will display the C 17 Globemaster transport aircraft and the Chinook heavy lift helicopter.

The Russians and Swedes, who had brought in their Mig 35 and SAAB Gripen at Aero India 2005, are likely to bring them again.

Italy’s Finmeccanica, which has offered its medium C 27 transporter to the Border Security Force (BSF), is likely to display this aircraft.

Around 100 aircraft from India and abroad, both fighters and civil, and some of them beautiful vintage machines from IAF’s stable, will be on display.

Another highlight this time will be Space Pavilion, showcasing India’s achievements in its moon mission and its cooperation with other countries and entities, including the European EADS, United States NASA, and Russia’s Federal Space Agency.

Israel, which has emerged as a major arms exporter to India, including in aircraft sensors and technologies, will participate in strength. Israeli firms have won major orders from the Indian Navy and Air Force for anti-aircraft missiles while it is also a leading contender for similar equipment from the Indian Army.

Several companies from France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Brazil, Spain, Ukraine and the Netherlands, US, Britain and Russia will participate in this Asia's premier air show, being held by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

An advantage of the event is the opportunity if offers to the Indian and foreign industry to come together to meet the huge demand for modernisation of the country’s defence industry. The Defence Offsets Facilitation Agency (DOFA) of the Minsitry of Defence is playing a key role in the process.

Most of the equipment with the Indian armed forces is of Soviet vintage, which should have been replaced years ago. But somehow, for political reasons, the normal process of replacement and augmentation was disrupted after 1989, and only after Pakistan triggered the Kargil War in 1999, the system geared itself for new acquisitions.

It is not easy, financially and procedurally, and even now, a lot needs to be done.

The Air Show will be preceded by a two-day seminar.

The government has decided to encourage visits of armed forces personnel as well as engineering and technical students to let them see first hand the best of the developments in aerospace industry from around the world.