US firm offers VVIP choppers to India

[feathers]

Just eight ageing helicopters for VVIPs, Air Force warns government | NDTV.com

The government has just eight choppers to fly VVIPs like the President and the Prime Minister and all are over 30 years old.

The Indian Air Force has sounded alarm bells on the state and number of VVIP helicopters after the government cancelled the 3,600-crore AgustaWestland helicopter deal last month. The eight Mi-8 helicopters for VVIP use will outlive their utility by the end of this year, say sources.

Air Force has reportedly asked the Defence Ministry and the Prime Minister's office to decide quickly on buying more choppers from Russia that are mostly for rescue and combat missions but can be issued to transport VVIPs.

India had signed a deal for 12 VVIP choppers in 2010, but scrapped it in January following allegations that middlemen based in Europe bribed top Indian officials, including former Air chief SP Tyagi, to push the deal.

Three AgustaWestland helicopters delivered to the air force last year have been mothballed and stored away since the cancellation of the contract does not allow any warranty or product support from the company.

India has already paid Rs. 1,150 crore to AgustaWestland but has recovered about Rs. 250 crore from the bank guarantees that were furnished by the company at the time of signing the contract. The rest of the money is stuck in litigation after the company secured a stay from an Italian court.

Even then it could at best be an ad hoc arrangement since Mi17s do not meet the stringent specifications that exist for VVIP helicopters under which Agusta choppers were bought.

 

[feathers]

Forr VVIP less than 15 ..but the Army Needs to replace the vintage Cheetak and Cheetah's So they need 197 of Light utility helicopters

India had signed a deal for 12 VVIP choppers in 2010, but scrapped it in January following allegations that middlemen based in Europe bribed top Indian officials, including former Air chief SP Tyagi, to push the deal.

Three AgustaWestland helicopters delivered to the air force last year have been mothballed and stored away since the cancellation of the contract does not allow any warranty or product support from the company.

Russian have got the contract to supply VVIP helicopters .

 

[natarajan]

even pappu,vadra are using such helicopters

 

[feathers]

even pappu,vadra are using such helicopters

Any source ?

 

[natarajan]

I have seen in news pappu getting out of iaf helis and vadra has rpg protection too

 

[tarunraju]

We should be happy we're being offered V22 Osprey, whether in VIP config or not. I'd love to have HAL engineers get their hands on a V22.

 

[feathers]

We should be happy we're being offered V22 Osprey, whether in VIP config or not. I'd love to have HAL engineers get their hands on a V22.

Do you think that GoI will get even V22 Osprey helicopters and order 2 to 3 more VVIP from USA separate from the 9 VVIP helicopters which are going to get from Russians ?

 

[arnabmit]

The President Gets a Personal Osprey He's Not Allowed to Use

 

[Jagdish58]

I think priority should be given for LUH helicopters to be able to replace Chetak & Cheetah , MMRCA , Howitzers , Project P75-I

VVIP our babus can ferry on MI-17V5 , National security and National interest should come above all

 

[feathers]

I think priority should be given for LUH helicopters to be able to replace Chetak & Cheetah , MMRCA , Howitzers , Project P75-I

VVIP our babus can ferry on MI-17V5 , National security and National interest should come above all

Here its about President of Republic of India, Prime Minister of Republic of India and other most important representatives of Indian Nation.

 

[Ray]

What is the requirement for special helicopters?

Any helicopter can be retrofitted (so to say) to the luxury that is desired as it is done for the Air India planes that take the VIP abroad along with their families and media teams,

 

[Jagdish58]

Here its about President of Republic of India, Prime Minister of Republic of India and other most important representatives of Indian Nation.

Agreed are the Soldiers & Pilots not important??

For me they are above President , Prime Minister or any other politicians

Again opinions might differ:thumb:

 

[feathers]

What is the requirement for special helicopters?

Any helicopter can be retrofitted (so to say) to the luxury that is desired as it is done for the Air India planes that take the VIP abroad along with their families and media teams,

Helicopters are good option compare to traveling in Air India special flights as their consumed less fuel, even easy to land and prepare for flying in lesser time.

 

[feathers]

Agreed are the Soldiers & Pilots not important??

For me they are above President , Prime Minister or any other politicians

Again opinions might differ:thumb:

President of India is the Supreme Commander in Chief of the Indian Armed Forces . Ministry of Defense coordinating with all the agencies in which Government works with the Indian armed forces for the national security. National Security Council, Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Home Affairs all work with Ministry of Defense. Prime Minister, Defense Minister, Home Minister, Foreign Minister all are the highest official of the Nation who are elected by the citizens .

 

[tarunraju]

Agreed are the Soldiers & Pilots not important??

For me they are above President , Prime Minister or any other politicians

That mindset towards the armed forces is a recipe for Pakistanization. For me the Republic is supreme, the President is a symbol of the majesty of that Republic. The armed forces are an important component of the Republic.

 

[feathers]

That mindset towards the armed forces is a recipe for Pakistanization. For me the Republic is supreme, the President is a symbol of the majesty of that Republic. The armed forces are an important component of the Republic.

VVIP helicopters has nothing to do with Pakistanization but its more about Heads of the Nation who are representing the people and armed forces of India. These Helicopters will get pilots from Indian air force and will be maintain by the Indian Air force.

 

[Jagdish58]

That mindset towards the armed forces is a recipe for Pakistanization. For me the Republic is supreme, the President is a symbol of the majesty of that Republic. The armed forces are an important component of the Republic.

I just put my views , Im Indian not Barbarian:thumb:

Eg: Bofors Scandal in 1987 , we are yet to shrug off the money off our back & buy a new gun 27 long years
But VVIP chopper Scandal 2013 , within one year government says comes up with statement

IAF will get new VIP choppers soon: AK Antony

IAF will get new VIP choppers soon: AK Antony

Same Antony says no money for MMRCA If 155mm Gun important to but or VVIP Chopper??

A Pilot fights a case & Govt heaps Insult
Headlines Today exclusive: Govt heaps insults on injured MiG-21 pilot : North, News - India Today

President is Supreme , and who is becoming President in our country?? , Cook in Gandhi's House & dallals of Gandhi Family they cannot be termed as supreme

A donkey can never become King of Forest , Lion is the king

For Me Armed forces and each personnel are Lions and they deserve to be treated with honour and dignity & they should get the best because they are best :thumb::thumb:

 

[jackprince]

What is the requirement for special helicopters?

Any helicopter can be retrofitted (so to say) to the luxury that is desired as it is done for the Air India planes that take the VIP abroad along with their families and media teams,

The Special VVIP feature possibly is it's ability to carry enough self-defense systems - which should be there since they will be carrying our nation's leaders.

 

[Ray]

Helicopters are good option compare to traveling in Air India special flights as their consumed less fuel, even easy to land and prepare for flying in lesser time.

The energy efficiency of different types of transportation ranges from some hundred kilojoule per kilometre for a bicycle to several megajoule for a helicopter.

Efficiency can be expressed in terms of:

distance per vehicle per consumption volume (mile per gallon: mpg us or imp)
distance per vehicle per consumption weight (km per kg)
consumption per unit distance per vehicle (European measure in litre per hundred kilometre: l/100 km or km/litre),
consumption per unit distance per passenger
consumption per unit distance per unit mass of cargo transported.

Passenger airplanes averaged 4.8 l/100 km per passenger (1.4 MJ/passenger-km) (49 passenger-miles per gallon) in 1998

The Sikorsky S-76C++ twin turbine helicopter gets about 1.65 mpg-US (143 L/100 km; 1.98 mpg-imp) at 140 knots (260 km/h; 160 mph) and carries 12 for about 19.8 passenger-miles per gallon (11.9 litres per 100 passenger km).

Wiki

Air India is for long haul and helicopters are for short haul and for areas where a normal aircraft cannot land.

If you recall the last VIP helicopter bid required a high service ceiling. That obviously would need a more powerful turbine and so more costs.

Which VIP would be flying to areas that require landing at such heights that warrant a high service ceiling?

All are not George Fernandez, who alone used to regularly visit Siachen to be with the troops during Christmas!

They sure can do with a helicopter than is modest in engine performance and maybe more glitzy in the interior furniture.

Self defence can be installed in most helicopters without much difference to its all up weight.

 

[feathers]

The energy efficiency of different types of transportation ranges from some hundred kilojoule per kilometre for a bicycle to several megajoule for a helicopter.

Efficiency can be expressed in terms of:

distance per vehicle per consumption volume (mile per gallon: mpg us or imp)
distance per vehicle per consumption weight (km per kg)
consumption per unit distance per vehicle (European measure in litre per hundred kilometre: l/100 km or km/litre),
consumption per unit distance per passenger
consumption per unit distance per unit mass of cargo transported.

Passenger airplanes averaged 4.8 l/100 km per passenger (1.4 MJ/passenger-km) (49 passenger-miles per gallon) in 1998

The Sikorsky S-76C++ twin turbine helicopter gets about 1.65 mpg-US (143 L/100 km; 1.98 mpg-imp) at 140 knots (260 km/h; 160 mph) and carries 12 for about 19.8 passenger-miles per gallon (11.9 litres per 100 passenger km).

Wiki

Air India is for long haul and helicopters are for short haul and for areas where a normal aircraft cannot land.

If you recall the last VIP helicopter bid required a high service ceiling. That obviously would need a more powerful turbine and so more costs.

Which VIP would be flying to areas that require landing at such heights that warrant a high service ceiling?

All are not George Fernandez, who alone used to regularly visit Siachen to be with the troops during Christmas!

They sure can do with a helicopter than is modest in engine performance and maybe more glitzy in the interior furniture.

Self defence can be installed in most helicopters without much difference to its all up weight.

There will be many problems like security, time and inconvenience to the public when passenger planes are used by Head of states to travel within India and i have read that a larger five seat turbine helicopter typically burns about 25 to 30 gallons per hour but i cant find how much 14 seater Saras and 90 seater NCA consume fuel . Existing VVIP helicopters have to be replaced by this year end and have to be replaced.