Armement : les dix contrats qui font rêver les industriels français en Inde
In India, all French manufacturers are competing for tenders . Detailed review .
Aerospace, land and naval ... Industrial traffic of weapons - Dassault Aviation, Airbus Helicopters, Defence Airbus , DCNS, Nexter ... - Are still on track to win several major contracts in India. But for all these great masters of work , it is first to prepare for a marathon that can take several years - between six and eight years, depending on the bidding - to get a contract. And they must also comply with procurement procedures of New Delhi, which imposes particular a minimum of 30% offset. This guarantees that part of Indian industrial manufacturing equipment , often accompanied by a transfer of technology takes place locally.
It is a long time since the French and foreign industrial arrived in New Delhi in the early 2000s flower rifle hoping to quickly hit the jackpot in India. After the time of the wildest expectations of easy eldorado, they all gradually disillusioned and were caught by the Indian reality . Where today a certain weariness of most foreign manufacturers meet this demanding race slowly. But the needs of India's military equipment are such that no manufacturer has no desire to forfeit even if sometimes ...
The Rafale, "Mother of all deals"
Everything has been said and written about the tender MMRCA (Medium Multi -Role Combat Aircraft ) extraordinary launched in 2007 and named by the Indians "Mother of all deals" (the mother of all contracts ) for the acquisition of 126 Rafale by New Delhi, of which 108 will be produced locally . Estimated by observers at approximately € 18 billion , including weapons and support contract. India chose to enter into exclusive negotiations with Dassault in January 2012. Since the negotiations, which have gone through ups and downs , and continue the relationship between industrial Team Rafale and New Delhi are quite good . But only downside to the Indian pace. Unless exceptional events , the contract should be signed.
One question remains yet unanswered: when will the contract he signed and notified ? Very clever one who can say. In any event, before the general elections (legislative ) provided in May as announced last week the Indian Defence Minister during the show weapons DEFEXPO . Industrial rather aim 2015. Others, such as the Defence Minister , Jean- Yves Le Drian , hope before the end of 2014. Everything depends on the will and the strength of the Indian Air Force (IAF) , a " major player " according to a French industrialist, to achieve these purposes. In any case, the IAF needs the Rafale in a very complex regional geostrategic context and thus would a very dim view of the revival of a new offer that would lose the worst seven years call.
MBDA , finger on the trigger
MBDA fingers crossed . The missile has been waiting more than two years already notification of SR -SAM contract (Short Range Surface to Air Missile ) , a surface to air missile new generation co- developed and co-produced in India with Bharat Dynamics Limited. Since December 2011 exactly . The contract must be approved successively by the Ministry of Defence , then the Finance and finally by the CCS (Cabinet Committee on Security ), chaired by the Prime Minister. CCS also meet Indian Ministers of Defence, Finance , Interior and Foreign Affairs . He is currently in the hands of Indian Bercy .
Besides SR -SAM , MBDA , which has more than thirty campaigns currently underway in India including those concerning MMRCA ( Scalp , Meteor ... ) , including waiting a day to day implementation of the contract ASRAAM , a British air -to-air missile short-range , which will equip the Jaguar force Indian air. An estimated 250 to 300 million euros order. According to our information , the contract was recently approved by the CCS.
Finally, MBDA Mistral competes with its 2 for the sale of ground-air short range ( VSHORAD ) missiles. The acquisition of a first batch of 5,175 missiles , half of production in India is estimated at $ 6 billion . In addition, the missile offers in New Delhi its new tactical missile MMP (mean missile range). MBDA also got last year a contract for a new tranche of Milan, an antitank missile infantry light manufactured under license in India.
Nexter waiting room
The specialist in French armament Nexter Systems which is associated with the Indian group Larsen & Toubro Limited ( L & T) , responded with offers of Trajan at TGS ( Towed Gun System) call for the supply of 1480 towed artillery guns of 155 mm for the army of Indian land. An estimated € 3 billion order. Nexter has been shortlisted in the company of Elbit . Tests of Trajan was completed in late January (winter) after a first series of tests in July. " The process is nominally , they adhere to the schedule so far," says one Nexter . The opening of business envelopes is expected in the last quarter 2014 and notified in 2015/2016 contract.
Nexter is also in competition with L & T for the modernization of 300 pieces of Indian artillery 130 mm M- 46. An estimated 50 to 70 million euros contract. Finally, during the Indian salon DEFEXPO , Nexter has also unveiled its canon Caesar for the first time on an Indian chassis manufactured by Ashok Leyland . The group expects a tender ( Request for proposal ) call for the Mounted Gun System program ( AMS ) to the end of 2014 in order to provide the Indian Army 800 towed artillery guns . The Request for Information (RFI ) was issued in June. "We are going beyond the required 30% offset " says does one Nexter , which emphasizes the strong indigenization of Caesar .
DCNS in the starting blocks in India
DCNS naval group, which in 2005 won a six submarines with a significant transfer of technology through its Indian partner Mazagon Dock, now expects to launch a tender on the second tranche. On the proposal of the General Staff of the Navy, the Defense Acquisition Board has recently decided to launch the project P- 75 I for the supply of four submarines , two will be built respectively in yards Mazagon Dock in Mumbai and Hindustan Shipyard in Visakhapatnam while two others will be made in selected sites of the provider.
But to stick to the ambitions of New Delhi have 24 submarines in 2030 , DCNS and its partner Mazagon Dock would , according to our information , about to propose to the Indian Navy achieving two submarines by Mazagon Dock OTC . Finally, the naval group will submit a bid with Indian industrialist Pipavav in the first half of March as part of a tender launched in November 2013 and on the acquisition of four helicopter carriers (LHD ) .
Airbus Helicopters round in circles
Airbus Helicopters, who responded to a new tender in 2008 as part of the renewal of the Cheetah and Chetak fleet ( RSH - Helicopter Reconnaissance and Surveillance Program ) , waits ... since 2010 the opening of business envelopes by New Delhi to see if it is selected by the Indian army again. Commercial offers have been extended again, this time until June , according to Airbus Helicopters. Without the possibility of updating the two competitors ( Airbus Helicopters on Russian Kamov ) that are seeing their margins melt like snow in the sun .
The contract , which covers 197 reconnaissance helicopters for the armed air and land intended primarily for altitude stationed near the border with China troops, is estimated at € 1.2 billion. Much more if the Indian Army will at the end of the program ( 600 units in total, 3.6 billion euros) . Airbus offers Fennec Helicopters ( AS350 C3 ), the only helicopter had landed on Mount Everest , facing the KA -226 Russian Kamov .
Airbus Helicopters has two other renewal programs of the Indian fleet. In addition to the 197 Fennec , the military version of the Ecureuil , the European manufacturer is a tender launched in August 2012 for the supply of helicopters for the Navy (56 aircraft) under the NUH ( utility helicopters naval program ) whose amount is estimated at over 500 million and another launched in November 2012 on the equipment Coast Guard ( 14 aircraft , at an estimated over 400 million contract). Eurocopter offers the AS565 MB Panther , the military version of the Dauphin, and the NH90 respectively .
Finally, India has selected Airbus Defence to supply six A330 MRTT tanker aircraft to equip its air force . A sale that could exceed one billion dollars. Subsidiary Airbus Group entered into exclusive negotiations with New Delhi ... two years after first seeing a similar contract canceled by the Indian government.
