Joe Parsley - Vice-President India & South Asia, Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems

How do you perceive the growth of Aero India since its inception?

Clearly, the show has grown in parallel with the rising defence requirements of India. Northrop Grumman will always be ready to partner with and meet the needs of Indian industry as well as the defence community.

Northrop Grumman is proposing 737 Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) and AN/ APG-80 Fire Control Radar for the F-16IN. What response could you garner during the show?

We had great interest in both the 737 AEW&C MESA and the AN/APG-80 from industry and potential customers. They are both AESA platforms, and the interest they garnered is a testimony to the longstanding expertise that Northrop Grumman has in providing the best performing AESAs worldwide. That excellence is not just demonstrated with these two platforms, but can be seen in the 5th Generation F-22 and F-35 fighters. We are also glad to point out the level of interest in the 737 AEW&C MESA by potential customers and, at the amount of cost-savings that would be incurred by procuring a platform (the 737) as the P-8I.

Can you give a glimpse of the expertise Northrop Grumman showcased during Aero India 2009?

We had a wide range of capabilities on display at Aero India. Our airborne early warning and control capability was featured with the E-2 Hawkeye and 737 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C), multi-role electronically scanned array (MESA) radar. Also displayed was our AN/APG-80 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar for the F-16IN Super Viper multi-role fighter aircraft. Depending on decision-making, we will likely continue to showcase these including our cutting edge AESA technology in the MESA and APG-80.

Were the company’s homeland security solutions also on display?

The 737 AEW&C MESA provides more than situational awareness for controlling combat missions, but also serves as a mission control centre for joint homeland security operations like natural disasters.

What has been the overall response to your company’s presence at the show?

We have been received well.

Any tieups, joint ventures or MoUs concluded during the show?

Please visit http://www.irconnect.com/noc/press/pages/news_releases.html?d=159100. Northrop Grumman announced that it has selected Bangalorebased Bharat Electronics and Dynamatic Technologies to manufacture components of the F-16 APG-68(V)9 fire control radar as part of a broader initiative to engage Indian industry as strategic business partners.