Bofors strengthen cooperation with India
KARLSKOGA
BAE Systems Bofors has recently signed a joint agreement on defense cooperation with India. This may eventually contribute to a positive development for both the Indian as the Swedish defense industry.
It says BAE Systems Bofors of Communications Christer Henebäck who was present at the visit to India for over a week ago.
Representatives from the Bofors and the Indian government signed a so-called Memorandum of Understanding.
- It means that we now have a legal platform for defense cooperation. A crucial step in the relationship, a necessary step, "says Christer Henebäck.
Increasingly important
That the step taken is also a clear change in the past. In particular, the aim is to develop technical cooperation, exchange of expertise.
- This is increasingly important for India because it wants to build its own defense, saying Henebäck while he stressed that the exchange not only go one way.
- India also has things to contribute, "says Henebäck.
Whether this step may also be relevant to India's planned purchase of a new artillery system remains to be seen. It is difficult to say how much it affects the Bofors advantage.
A prerequisite
Perhaps one can say that the agreement itself is a prerequisite for future business. Without a technology collaboration and an opportunity for India to develop its own production, it would hardly be any business at all.
Bofors howitzers and India have had a relationship since the large Indian order is in the 80s.
Since then, the Bofors howitzer developed with longer tubes and hence longer range. It can also be combined with the GPS-guided Excalibur shell developed in recent years.
India's purchase of new howitzers have been prepared in principle during the 2000s. Despite it is a business, far from being completed.
There are procedures that have been patiently trying to Bofors, which was from the beginning. While the deal is on the very large sums, and if it gets to be a considerable boost for the whole of Karlskoga, Sweden and the region around it.
The sums mentioned previously in this context has been moving around a business at two billion U.S. dollars.
New test-firing
Bofors came thus into the game early and has participated in a total of four test-firing. In the current situation, waiting for participating in yet another.
The procurement of India's new artillery systems have a very special history (see separate article below) and the story continues with some odd features.
- Right now it is completely still. We have waited to be called to a new test-firing and had anticipated that it would be the autumn. Because of inquiries about our competitors, however the deal completely quiet right now, "says Christer Henebäck.
Just like what's up
It is currently being investigated are questions about competitors' business, and before they are complete, is not on.
- The problem is that you can not move forward with just us. You can not have contracts with one supplier. Just like what's up and wait, "says Christer Henebäck.
The competitors are being investigated Israeli Soltam and Singapore Technologies Kinetics. A competitor has previously ruled out for irregularities in the business and it is South African Denel, which disappeared before the last tender round was launched two years ago.
Stir business
As India's investigation into the Bofors competitors do not know Christer Henebäck, not more than that relating to their business.
Israeli Soltam and Bofors has been from the beginning while Singapore Technologies joined the fight on the giant order of two years ago.
They manufacture guns as passed by the first technical evaluation.
If they then pass the tough tests that systems tend to be exposed to as good as Bofors fälthaubitsar and Archer, and to some extent, the Israelis' system remains to be seen when the test firings started.
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