NEW DELHI – India has so far spent about 74 billion rupees ($1.2 billion) on its much-delayed Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA Mk-1) program, which is awaiting final operational clearance (FOC). “More than 2,700 flight tests have been completed utilizing 13 Tejas, and all trials are progressing well toward FOC,” new Indian Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar told the upper house of Parliament. “The aircraft build standard documents have been released for series production of the aircraft.”

Bell Helicopter has signed a contract with India’s Dynamatic Technologies to supply helicopter cabin assemblies, a partnership that could generate

NEW DELHI—India’s GSAT-16 telecommunications satellite is on track to be launched on Dec. 4 by Arianespace’s next heavy-lift Ariane 5 mission from French Guiana. “The GSAT-16 telecommunications satellite has been fueled at the spaceport for its launch,” a scientist at the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) informs.