NEW DELHI — India is likely to complete construction of its first indigenous aircraft carrier, called the Air Defense Ship, by the end of this year, says Defense Minister A.K. Antony. “Regarding the Air Defense Ship being constructed at Cochin Shipyard Limited, 75% of hull work has been completed and [it] is expected to be launched in December 2011, after which further works will be undertaken prior to commissioning,” Antony says.

With an eye on future sales in the region, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) plans to establish a Dhruv helicopter maintenance center in South America. “HAL is in the process of setting up a regional maintenance center for Dhruv to cover after-sales service, technical and logistic support in the entire Latin American region,” M.M. Pallam Raju, deputy defense minister, told India’s parliament Aug. 8.

A global tender for operating helicopter services in the hilly terrain of an Indian state will soon be floated. The landlocked northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, which has seen a spate of recent helicopter crashes, has decided to invite proposals from airline companies in India and abroad to reintroduce helicopter services, which were suspended in May. The state government will take appropriate measures to ensure that only helicopters with advanced technology and good flying records operate in the state, Chief Minister Jarbom Gamlin says.