Navy likely to buy Japanese amphibious aircraft US-2

[shree835]

Japanese firm ShinMaywa Industries is eyeing the Indian Navy for the sale of its amphibious search and rescue aircraft, US-2.

At the NAMEXPO-2013 here, Kanji Ishimaru, who heads ShinMaywa’s aircraft division, told ‘Express’ that they were awaiting the RFP (Request For Proposal) from the Indian Navy.

Ishimaru said they have been working out various options, including possible joint ventures, subcontracting and formulating consortium, to deal with the mandatory 30 per cent offset.

“Matters related to pricing, repair, maintenance and overhaul can be worked out only after the RFP is issued. Being an amphibious aircraft which can be used for search and rescue, disaster management and relief operations, the ShinMaywa US-2 will be a force multiplier for the Indian Navy,” he said. The aircraft, with its amphibious nature, can give access to isolated islands without a runway, pointed out Yasuo Kawanishi, general manager, business development, aircraft division, ShinMaywa.

Access to much further places than helicopters, high speed and ultra-low speed flight by the boundary layer control system are some key features. Realising its potential during his recent visit to Japan, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had made a decision along with his Japanese counterpart “on setting up a joint working group to explore modality for cooperation on the US-2 amphibian aircraft”.

It was in 2011 that the RFI (Request For Information) was sought, said Ishimaru. “There are a lot of things to be worked out. Once the RFP is issued, we will get only three months to sort out matters, including the final pricing, how many aircraft would be required and so on.

Currently, ShinMaywa delivers US-2 to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) at $100 million. However pricing for the Indian version could be finalised based on the final requirements only,” Ishimaru said.

Dealing with the 30 per cent mandatory offset would be another major issue to be worked out.

Though RFI has been issued for nine US-2 aircraft, the numbers would be finalised at the time of RFP only. Apart from the Indian Navy, the Air Force and Coast Guard have also expressed interest in US-2, he added.

http://newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/Navy-likely-to-buy-Japanese-amphibious-aircraft-US-2/2013/09/25/article1802194.ece

 

[IND151]

How many US-2s navy wants? 15-20?25-40?


@Capt.Popeye> do you have any idea?

 

[anant_s]

What is the price tag for the machine?
If found suitable, maybe Coast Gaurd can also have some in its fleet.

 

[Capt.Popeye]

How many US-2s navy wants? 15-20?25-40?


@Capt.Popeye> do you have any idea?

Nowhere near those numbers. Maybe 6-9 initially and then maybe a max. of 20.

 

[Tshering22]

What is the price tag for the machine?
If found suitable, maybe Coast Gaurd can also have some in its fleet.

At $ 100 million apiece, we're better off considering our own aerospace venture in the longer term. Maximum 6-9 is my conservative estimate. Japanese products are very expensive.

 

[anant_s]

At $ 100 million apiece, we're better off considering our own aerospace venture in the longer term. Maximum 6-9 is my conservative estimate. Japanese products are very expensive.

$ 100 million a piece
Thats too expensive even for a small fleet of 6-9 birds. Don't know if such costly stuff is affordable at the moment.

 

[Tshering22]

$ 100 million a piece
Thats too expensive even for a small fleet of 6-9 birds. Don't know if such costly stuff is affordable at the moment.

Politicians sign it regardless as it means fat kickbacks.

But even if it were to be that useful, the version that Japanese are offering us won't be of much use other than carrying stuff from point A to point B.

They are uppity about not being able to use this stuff for military recon jobs and stuff. That, will be a problem because after paying such a fat amount out, we will also have to ask Japanese to let us arm the aircraft with sensitive military communication equipment on-board: something along the lines of C-130J and C-17.

That's a deal breaker.

 

[Abingdonboy]

Politicians sign it regardless as it means fat kickbacks.

But even if it were to be that useful, the version that Japanese are offering us won't be of much use other than carrying stuff from point A to point B.

They are uppity about not being able to use this stuff for military recon jobs and stuff. That, will be a problem because after paying such a fat amount out, we will also have to ask Japanese to let us arm the aircraft with sensitive military communication equipment on-board: something along the lines of C-130J and C-17.

That's a deal breaker.

I'm sorry but what BS. Making out there is something wrong with this deal before it has even been signed??!! UTTER BS.



The need for an amphibian is legitimate for the IN and ICG and the US-2 is the best such plane on the marketplace.



Have a little read:

Homeleand Warriors




The IN will probably only get 6-12 of these birds. The ICG though needs a fleet of 10-15+ though really in the long-term as the plans are to hand over almost all SAR roles to the ICG in the next 2 decades.

 

[帅的一匹]

100 millions for an amphibious aircraft, that's the price could buy one F35. Only milk cow will buy it.

 

[noname1]

At $ 100 million apiece, we're better off considering our own aerospace venture in the longer term. Maximum 6-9 is my conservative estimate. Japanese products are very expensive.

India buys 70 percent of its military equipment from foreign sources, India tried to build its on fighter jet the HAL Tejas, now they have a 30 year out of date jet that they have to buy engines from the USA to operate.

 

[janon]

100 millions for an amphibious aircraft, that's the price could buy one F35. Only milk cow will buy it.

Japan has already bought it.

And yes, large transport aircrafts ALWAYS cost a lot more than small fighter jets. And if they have to be amphibious...

India buys 70 percent of its military equipment from foreign sources, India tried to build its on fighter jet the HAL Tejas, now they have a 30 year out of date jet that they have to buy engines from the USA to operate.

Do you know what the thread is about?

(And by the way, Tejas is not outdated for any country barring the USA. And even China gets all its engines from Russia, including the ones they sell to Pakistan as JF-17.)

 

[Iggy]

@Abingdonboy I initially have some doubts about the use of this air crafts but your link was very helpful. Thanks mate!!

 

[Abingdonboy]

100 millions for an amphibious aircraft, that's the price could buy one F35. Only milk cow will buy it.

So what? A very silly thing to say really. How arbitrary is that measure? 1 F-35 or you could say 2.5% of a Nimitz Class CVN.


A military is much more than fighter jets buddy, and you get what you pay for. You need to have the best possible support systems in place. Just look at the C-17, $200+ million USD.

@Abingdonboy I initially have some doubts about the use of this air crafts but your link was very helpful. Thanks mate!!

No problem bro, glad i could help!

 

[noname1]

Japan has already bought it.

And yes, large transport aircrafts ALWAYS cost a lot more than small fighter jets. And if they have to be amphibious...



Do you know what the thread is about?

(And by the way, Tejas is not outdated for any country barring the USA. And even China gets all its engines from Russia, including the ones they sell to Pakistan as JF-17.)

Tejas is on par with F16 that was first built in 1974.

 

[janon]

Tejas is on par with F16 that was first built in 1974.

Which is more than enough to take care of our adversaries.

And BTW, no it is not. Many of its technologies did not exist in the early F-16s, only the later F-16C/D/E/F models, block 50 or later have them. For example, quad redundant fly by wire. Or an AESA, which mk2 will have. Or an integrated EW suite. Or all weather day/night capability. Or glass cockpit. Or HUD/HMD. Or BVR capability. Or multimode radar. None of these existed in the F-16s of the 70s or 80s. Tejas has many technologies that were developed post 2000.

Also, Tejas is supposed to be the lower end of our fleet, with the cutting edge being Rafales and MKIs, later FGFAs. And tejas is a light fighter, while F-16 is a medium fighter, which is why it participated in India's MRCA contest. (And lost to Rafale.)

Now please take any further discussion to the tejas thread, because this is off topic. And I suggest you learn more before you discuss, like hpw many iterations the F-16 has had, how different the early models are from the latter ones and so on, before you do these amateurish comparisons.