Antony to inaugurate Aero India 2013 on Feb. 6

New Delhi, Feb. 4 : Defence Minister A.K. Antony will inaugurate the ninth edition of Aero India 2013 at Air Force Station Yelahanka, Bengaluru, on February 6.

Aero India, the largest Air Show in Asia and one of the world's most important military aviation exhibitions, is all set to kick start from February 6 to 10.

This biennial air show and aviation exhibition which is organised by the Defence Ministry of India along with the Indian Air Force, Defence Research and Development Organisation, Department of Space and the Union Civil Aviation Ministry, aims at showcasing the range of products and services offered by the Indian Defence Industry in the international market.

It also provides an exposure to Indian armed forces, R&D personnel and young engineers, to the latest technologies and advancements in the Aviation and Aerospace Industries.

The participation in Aero India has grown exponentially by both, Indian and international industry since the first edition in December 1996. This growth has immensely contributed towards modernization of the aviation and aerospace sector of the three wings of the armed forces of India.

While Aero India 2011 saw the participation of exhibitors from 29 countries with more than 600 companies and gross exhibition area of 75,000 Sqm, the ninth edition of this International Aerospace Exhibition is expected to see the participation of over 700 companies and 78 overseas delegations covering an approximate gross exhibition area of 1,25,000 Sqm.

Major participants in this are companies from the United States, Israel, Russia, France, UK, Germany and Belgium, Bulgaria, Italy, Ukraine, Australia, Belarus, Czech Republic, Japan, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Netherlands, Romania, Sweden, UAE and Singapore.

This edition of Aero India would see the participation of the world famous aerobatic team from the Czech Republic popularly known as the 'Flying Bulls' or 'Red Bulls', the Russian Air Force aerobatic team 'Russian Knights' and our favourite Indian Air Force 'Sarang' helicopter aerobatic display team comprising indigenous Dhruv helicopters.

With an aim to reach out to the youth of the country, a youth pavilion dedicated to encouraging participation from undergraduate students from prominent engineering colleges of India has been initiated this year. This novel initiative intends targeting young Indian minds and stimulating them to focus towards development in the field of aviation and technology in general and military aviation in particular.

Improving upon the past air shows, a large number of initiatives have been taken to improve upon the visitor's experience and security this time. Registration for visitors to the air show and sale of tickets is online, wherein a unique ID would be generated on filling the details. The tickets can then be collected from 10 ticket collection centers in the city on production of the unique ID generated. Photo ID is mandatory for entry to the air show. There is no cash sale of tickets for the air show this time. The details can be accessed at www.aeroindia.in .

Layered security would be provided by the state police and specialised security agencies including the DSC, CISF, Para SF and GARUD commandos.

A comprehensive security plan with counter terrorism squads, bomb disposal squad and CCTV surveillance is in place. Likewise, a comprehensive disaster management plan has been put in place and exercised to cater for various contingencies.