New Delhi, Indicative of India's growing clout on the global stage, a staggering 100 civilian and military aircraft, including frontline F-16 and F-18 combat jets, will feature in the sixth edition of the Aero India international aerospace and defence exhibition at Bangalore Feb 7-11, 2007 that has attracted 450 exhibitors from 40 countries.

This apart, air force chiefs of 30 countries including the US, Britain, Germany, Australia, the Ukraine and South Africa will participate in an aerospace seminar being hosted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) as part of its platinum jubilee celebrations.

Of the military aircraft on display, eight foreign manufacturers will showcase 34 machines and Indian companies another 22, Secretary (Defence Production) K.P. Singh told reporters here Wednesday.

"The aim of the show is two-fold. It will give Indian manufacturers an opportunity to showcase their products to a global audience and give foreign manufacturers a platform aimed at the domestic civilian and military market," he added.

"The best of what is available in the world will be on view," Singh said, pointing out that international participation had increased 45 percent and that of domestic companies by 40 percent over the last edition of the show in 2005.

Not surprisingly, the US will have a major presence at the show - backed by the Department of Defence. Apart from the Boeing F-18, also on view will be Lockheed Martin's F-16, the Hercules C130J and the Orion P3 maritime reconnaissance aircraft. The two companies are making an aggressive pitch to the IAF for all four aircraft.

Singh, however, dodged a pointed question on whether the MRCA tender would be floated during the Bangalore show.

Among other US aircraft on display will be the Bell-407 helicopter that has also been offered to the IAF. Besides, Russia will showcase its MiG-29M that it hopes to sell to the Indian Navy for deployment on its newly acquired aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya that is currently being refitted in a Russian shipyard.

From the Indian side, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will display a variety of aircraft, including the indigenously designed Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA), the Dhruv advanced light helicopter and the intermediate jet trainer (IJT), apart from the locally manufactured versions of the Jaguar and MiG-27 fighters.

Held at the Yelahanka air force base adjacent to Bangalore, the Aero India show has undergone a transformation since the first edition in 1996. Five new hangars of 1,320 sq. metres each have been added this year to take the total available exhibition space to a massive 250,000 sq metres.

There will also be 49 chalets - dedicated space that 26 foreign and 23 Indian companies have reserved for displaying their products. This is an increase of 24 from the 2005 show.

Also for the first time, Aero India organiser Department of Defence Production has roped in the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) to ensure more meaningful participation by domestic companies. FICCI, in turn, has brought in Farnborough International Ltd. as the event manager for the show.