Now, race begins for IAF's 22-copter deal

[Srinivas]

Now, race begins for IAF's 22-copter deal

NEW DELHI: Even as the six foreign contenders in the race to bag the lucrative $10.4 billion project to supply 126 multi-role combat aircraft to
IAF jostle with each other, battlelines are also being drawn on the helicopter front now.

IAF wants to buy 22 attack helicopters and 15 heavy-lift helicopters from abroad, under the overall plan of the armed forces to induct as many as 800 `rotary-wing birds' over the coming decade at an estimated cost of over Rs 20,000 crore, as reported by TOI earlier.

While American, Russian and Italian companies submitted their bids for the 22 attack helicopters to the defence ministry this week, European aviation major Eurocopter has surprisingly opted out of the race.

Eurocopter apparently told the defence ministry its Tigre ARH choppers will not be able to participate in IAF field trials planned for mid-2010 since they are undergoing upgrades currently.

Consequently, Boeing's AH-64D Apache Longbow, Agusta Westland's A-129 Mangusta and Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant's Mi-28 Havoc, among others, are left in contention now.

IAF's quest to induct the new attack helicopters to bolster its fleet of existing Mi-35 choppers has been dogged by some controversy or the other over the last couple of years, with the global tender even being cancelled earlier.

American companies Bell and Boeing had then backed out of the race since they were apparently unhappy with the 50% offset requirements laid down in the tender. European companies, in turn, obliquely hint at US companies getting preference over them in the Indian market.

Boeing and Russian Mil, incidentally, have also submitted their bids for the 15 heavy-lift helicopter project. But the multi-mission Chinooks manufactured by Boeing, used for troop movement, logistics support, aerial battlefield recovery and special operations, will have to contend with the Russian Mi-26 heavy-transport helicopters. IAF already operates one squadron of Mi-26s to support Army's high-altitude deployments in the Ladakh region.


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...r-IAFs-22-copter-deal/articleshow/5154013.cms

 

[sudhir007]

Eurocopter opts out of race to supply attack helicopters IDRW.ORG

European aviation major Eurocopter has opted out of the race for supplying 22 attack helicopters to the Indian Air Force, leaving contenders from the United States, Russia and Italy in the fray.Eurocopter has conveyed to the Defence Ministry that its Tiger attack helicopters are undergoing upgrades and would not be able to participate in the field trials, which the IAF is planning to hold in mid-2010, sources told PTI here.
The company apprised the Ministry of its decision on October 20 — the last date for submitting the response to the global tender released in May this year, they added.
With the exit of Eurocopter, only Boeing with its AH-64D Apache, Agusta Westland with its AW-149 and Russian helicopter manufacturer Mil are left behind in the race, sources said.
IAF’s plans to acquire the combat choppers for replacing and augmenting its fleet of Russian-built attack helicopters have been marred by exits and the tender has already been issued twice.
In the first tender issued in June last year, American companies Bell and Boeing had backed out of the race. Boeing was reportedly not comfortable with the 50 per cent offsets commitments required in the tender and Bell did not participate as its choppers were available only through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route.

The tender demanded the choppers to be sold through the Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) route by participating American companies and not through the US government.
After the cancellation of the first tender, a fresh Request for Proposal was re-issued in May this year with reduced offset requirements and option of selling the chopper through both FMS and DCS routes, Bell again backed out as its chopper was still under evaluation by the US Marine Corps in July.
Meanwhile, Boeing and Russian Mil have submitted their responses for the 15 heavy-lift chopper tender of the IAF, officials said.
Boeing is offering its Chinook tandem-rotor choppers and the Russians are in fray with their world’s largest helicopter Mi-26.
“Boeing believes the Chinook helicopters are the most capable and cost-effective rotorcraft to meet India’s transport requirements,” Boeing Integrated Defense Systems Vice President and India-head Vivek Lall said after submitting the company’s response to RFP.
India had procured a fleet of six Mi-26 choppers in the 80s but only four of them are left now. The IAF plans to use these choppers for ferrying troops and cargo to places where aircraft can not land and for carrying out relief and rescue operations in the case of any emergency.

 

[Super Falcon]

no one interested in indian copter deal eurocopter too

 

[Chanakyaa]

no one interested in indian copter deal eurocopter too

Whats This ? Besides Eurocopter, can plz identify - "no one" ?

Can the world be ever deprived of seller and buyers?

EuroCopter cannot send their machine for Trials due to on going upgrades, Not of being "no one interested".

Countries are Dying to capture the Billion Dollar Indian Defence Market.

 

[Srinivas]

Whats This ? Besides Eurocopter, can plz identify - "no one" ?

Can the world be ever deprived of seller and buyers?

EuroCopter cannot send their machine for Trials due to on going upgrades, Not of being "no one interested".

Countries are Dying to capture the Billion Dollar Indian Defence Market.

you are right buddy it seems there is very tough competition in defence market.

 

[sancho]

EuroCopter cannot send their machine for Trials due to on going upgrades, Not of being "no one interested".

Countries are Dying to capture the Billion Dollar Indian Defence Market.

I guess they had only low chances to win this competition, because it's mainly about replacing a heavy attack helicopter, whereas the Tiger is only a light attack helicopter in the class of LCH.
The Apache and the Mi 28 should be frontrunners, btw will the Denel Rooivalk also take part in the competition?

 

[notting hill]

the case of eurocopter is more about frustration... ironically the order of 197 helos was awarded to eurocopter but was rescinded after protests by the american companies ... then when bell and boeing didn't participate in the last tender this european giant again expected to get the order... the whole prcess was withdrawn .. not participating in the said tender in a way underlines the realisation by the company of the clout the americans are starting to have in the indian military establishment.

 

[sancho]

the case of eurocopter is more about frustration... ironically the order of 197 helos was awarded to eurocopter but was rescinded after protests by the american companies ... then when bell and boeing didn't participate in the last tender this european giant again expected to get the order... the whole prcess was withdrawn .. not participating in the said tender in a way underlines the realisation by the company of the clout the americans are starting to have in the indian military establishment.

Bell did participate in the LUH competition and lost, the only reason why the competition was reissued, was HALs entry with the LOH. Now the whole requirement is splitted into one part for indigenous LUH and one part foreign. It is likely that Eurocopter will win the new competition again, because the US companies don't have a comparable helicopter in that class and the history of coops of HAL Eurocopter (former MBB and Aérospatiale) in Dhruv, Cheetah and Chetak.
You mean the attack helicopter competition, that was reissued just to get Bells Super Cobra/Viper and Boeings Apache back in the competition. But as I said, the chances of Tiger to win this competition against US and Russian heavy attack helicopters were pretty low anyway.

Btw, the attack helicopter competition is only for 22 and LCH is ordered for around 65, but why only such small numbers?
Russian AF will have more than 300 Ka 50/52 and Mi 28, US army has more than 700 Apaches and if we take a look at our threat environment with PA and PLA having several thousand tanks, we clearly need more attack helicopters or?