The Defence Exhibitions Organisation of the MoD have been organising and holding air and defence shows for the past quarter century, being Aero India at Yelahanka (north of Bangalore) and in alternative years, DefExpo which was always held at Pragati Maidan in the heart of New Delhi before it was shifted to southern Goa in 2016 and two years later to the temple town of Kanchipuram, south of Chennai in Tamil Nadu in 2018.
DefExpo 2020 was held at a virgin site in a new development area of Lucknow the capital of Uttar Pradesh, at Vrindavan Yojna, Sector 15, touted on the internet as “the biggest park in Asia, having space for family outing, friends,masti, and gf-bf timepass...most of the area is unreachable from families and you can find love birds performing our old ancient art” (sic)..
Nonetheless, the area was converted to a massive exhibition site with areas dedicated for display and demonstration of weapon systems including AFVs, howitzers and other machines of war. The biggest defence public sector undertaking in the region is Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, whose Accessories Complex is headquartered at Lucknow and on whom much of the responsibility to organise this edition of DefExpo rested – and was successfully executed.
IAF Surya Kiran display team perform at Defexpo (Photo: Deb Rana)
Surya Kiran Team (photo: @Suryakiran_IAF)
Unlike Aero India Shows which are unabashedly about aircraft and their systems, DefExpo’s highlight the land and maritime warfare domains with large presence of companies and personnel from these disciplines. The ‘Air’ dimension is normally missing at DefExpos or in low profile with aerospace companies content to display aircraft models or large posters of their wares.
But not so at DefExpo 2020, which many observers felt was a virtual ‘air show’, with aircraft including helicopters dominating the space (and sounds) over the four day event. To begin with, as DefExpo 2020 was inaugurated on 5 February by the Prime Minister himself, accompanied by the Defence Minister and Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, there were some 40 aircraft taking part in the fly past, formation aerobatic display and other dramatic aerial menuoveres. In fact, there was more ‘air’ over the Vrindavan Yojna in Lucknow than had been over the Rajpath in New Delhi on 26 January 2020!
On the ground were displayed several helicopters including HAL’s Dhruv Mk.IV (Rudra) and the new light utility helicopter (ULH) and the Air Force highlighted its MiG-21M (Type 96) in what was touted as its approach to digitisation. The Indian Air Force had a large (although with modest layouts) hall, promoting careers in the force alongside a mobile trailer from the recruitment wing.
MiG-21M with armament displayed
On the ground were displayed several helicopters including HAL’s Dhruv Mk.IV (Rudra) and the new light utility helicopter (ULH) and the Air Force highlighted its MiG-21M (Type 96) in what was touted as its approach to digitisation. The Indian Air Force had a large (although with modest layouts) hall, promoting careers in the force alongside a mobile trailer from the recruitment wing.
However, the ‘ground’ was not forgotten. At the live demonstration the Army display included various air defence assets including the Tunguska and Schilka air defence systems alongside deployment of howitzers including the DRDO developed Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS). Cheetah helicopters of Army Aviation inducted special forces and ‘held ground’ as All Terrain and Light Strike Vehicles moved in before the heavy armour which included T-90, T-72 and Arjun main battle tanks alongside BMP-II infantry combat vehicles.
(source: Outlook)
When the audience thought that the Army was now dominant, the ‘air’ arrived again in the form of the Tejas LCA Mk.I which carried out an attractive display over the Vrindavan Yojna.
Through the rest of DefExpo 2020, the skies over Lucknow continued to reverberate with sounds of fighters and helicopters, all of them having a considerable percentage of their avionics and accessories built not far, at HAL’s Accessories Complex whose address appropriately is given as ‘Opposite Tejas Marg’.
The Tejas resplendent over Lucknow
Pride of place for HAL-Dornier 228
From the very start, at the Curtain Raiser event on 4 February 2020, eve of DefExpo 2020, HAL’s Dornier 228 light transport aircraft was toast of the event, with the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath announcing that two Dornier 228s have been ‘engaged’ by the UP Government to boost regional air connectivity, with an increasing number of airports set up in the state, including that proposed at Jewar, which is sought to become the biggest international airport in South Asia. The Dornier 228s which will be operated by a private airline will be based at Lucknow and provide scheduled air services between the capital city and Varanasi, Bareilly and Agra amongst others. HAL signed a lease agreement with Turbo Aviation Pvt Ltd who would operate the Dornier 228s under the UDAN scheme.
Mr Sajal Prakash, Chief Executive Officer HAL’s Accessories Complex, Lucknow
HAL-Dornier 228s at HAL Pavilion
Pride of place at HAL’s large and very well laid out pavilion at DefExpo 2020, was given to the full scale mockup of the HAL-Dornier 228 glass cockpit, this ‘new generation’ variant being offered to Indian and International operators with uprated engines and a five blade propeller.
HAL Dornier 228 glass cockpit
On 7 February HAL signed a contract with the Indian Coast Guard for mid-life upgradation of 17 HAL-Dornier 228s, the Service presently operating near 40 such aircraft from several air stations on both the western and eastern sea boards and the A&N Islands. A formation of four Coast Guard Dornier 228s also took part in the fly past during the DefExpo 2020 inauguration.
Meanwhile HAL has signed an MOU with the IIT Kanpur for providing Dornier 228s an extending logistic support to the Institution’s project in the field of ‘cloud seeding’, the versatility of this German-origin, Indian-built light transport aircraft continues to be exploited!