Defence forces to induct 1,000 helicopters by 2020

bengalraider

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for heavy lifting nothing comes close to MI 26 halo
i agree wholeheartedly with Mr Singh on this one and this photo and writeup says why

mi-26 lifting Chinook during operation anaconda in Afghanistan

MH-47E Chinook recovery

In spring 2002 a civilian Mi-26 was leased to recover two U.S. Army MH-47E Chinook helicopters from a mountain in Afghanistan. The Chinooks were being operated by 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment and had been employed in Operation Anaconda, an effort in early March to drive al Qaeda and Taliban fighters out of the Shahi-Kot Valley and surrounding mountains. The Chinooks ended up stranded on the slopes above Sirkhankel at an altitude of 8,500 and 10,300 feet. The Chinook stranded at 10,300 feet was deemed too badly damaged to recover, but the other one at 8,500 feet was repairable. With all fuel, rotors and non-essential equipment removed the Chinook was estimated to weigh 26,500 pounds, too much for the Army's heavy lift helicopter, the Chinook, which could only lift 20,000 at 8,500 feet. An Mi-26 was located through Skylink Aviation in Toronto, which had connections with a Russian company called Sportsflite that operated three civilian versions of the Mi-26 called Heavycopters. One of the aircraft was in Tajikistan doing construction and firefighting work. The aircraft was leased for the recovery of the Chinook for $300,000. The Chinook was snatched with a hook and flown to Kabul, then later to Bagram Air Force Base in Parvan, Afganistan for shipment to Fort Campbell in Kentucky for repairs.[3]

Six months later a second Army CH-47 that had made a hard landing 100 miles north of Bagram at an altitude of 4,000 feet was recovered by another Heavycopter operated by Sportsflite at a cost of $350,000.[4]
 

tarunraju

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I find Chinook the more exciting offer. Although we don't lack heavy-lift capabilities thanks to Mi-26, the utility of being able to lift objects as heavy as howitzers, or even fighter-aircraft, is lacking.



 

ptldM3

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That's photoshopped (sizes of the objects are not proportional), though I won't doubt such a thing to have happened. Empty helis are light.
You're wrong the MI-26 is over 131 feet long, where as the Chinook is about 99 feet long.Furthermore, the Chinook is almost perpendicular to the MI-26. The pic is not fake, a private MI-26 was used to recover two Chinooks. Interesting side note, the MI-26 can lift over 70,000lbs more than the Chinook.

Google MI-26 lifting Chinook, there are plenty of pictures.


F-15 seems like a joke compared to this....... English Russia Plane vs Helicopter

Clearly the buss in the picture is out of place, but the rest of the pic is legit.

Likely the same pics from a different angle compare the size to the PC'd pic http://www.altair.com.pl/start-3561


And just for the heck of it....

Mi-26 lifts Chinook in Afghanistan | Shephard Group

Mi-26 lifts Chinook in Afghanistan - Kobus - Zimbio

MI-26 Recovers Coalition Chinook Helicopter in Afghanistan

Mi-26T resucing Chinook in Afghanistan - Page 3 - Military Photos

The European Heavy Lift Helicopter Program?

Boeing's CH-47 Chinook helicopter - Waging the War against Terrorism [Page 3].
 

AkhandBharat

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Boeing offers Apache and Chinook helicopters to India

Boeing has submitted two procurement proposals to the Indian Air Force (IAF), offering its AH-64D Apache and the CH-47F Chinook for the country's attack and heavy-lift helicopter competitions, it announced on 23 October.

India is seeking 22 attack helicopters and 15 heavy-lift transport helicopters worth approximately USD1.3 billion. The Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has not set a date for when it will announce the winning proposals, nor announced suggested production rates and delivery schedules.

Boeing's offer is the latest development in the IAF's protracted helicopter procurement programmes.

On 6 February 2008 the head of the IAF, Air Chief Marshal F H Major, announced that the air force was to acquire two new squadrons of attack helicopters and a competition was launched shortly afterwards.

In October that year Boeing withdrew from the bidding as the company felt that it was unable to address India's requirements and formulate a proposal in the time allowed by the MoD.

Bell Helicopters pulled out at about the same time as the AH-1Z Cobra it was offering was only available for export through the US Government's Foreign Military Sales programme. The MoD had previously stated that it did not want to purchase its helicopters through FMS but by direct sale from the manufacturer.

In March of this year the competition was cancelled as, according to the MoD, the companies bidding were unable to meet some of the IAF's key requirements.
 

tarunraju

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Eurocopter Explains Reason behind Quitting Indian Attack Chopper Contest

EADS subsidiary Eurocopter has withdrawn its EC 665 Tiger HAD combat platform from the Indian attack helicopter programme, the company confirmed to Jane's on 26 October.

An Indian-based Eurocopter spokeswoman said that the company had decided not to offer the aircraft because it is currently being upgraded. She added that Eurocopter informed the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) of its decision on 20 October, the deadline for submitting bids.

Source



^ a German Eurocopter Tiger

If someone beat me to this, merge. :thank_you2:
 

Sridhar

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Eurocopter opts out of IAF's $2 billion chopper tender
24 October 2009


New Delhi: With Boeing Co confirming its participation in the tender for the supply of 22 attack and 15 heavy-lift helicopters to the Indian Air Force the surprising announcement is Eurocopter opting out of the race. Sources indicate that the Eurocopter's product, the Tigre ARH, may not be ready in time to participate in field trials next year as it is undergoing an upgrade.
Mi-28N Havoc attack helicopterGlobal manufacturers, such as Russia's Kamov and Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant, Italy's AgustaWestland, a unit of Finmeccanica SpA, Textron Inc.'s Bell Helicopter, Eurocopter, the helicopter manufacturing unit of European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co and Sikorsky Aircraft have expressed interest in the deal.
Sikorsky Aircraft plans to bid for heavy-lift helicopters,
The IAF's attempt to boost its fleet of older Mi-35 attack helicopters has consistently run into problems with American companies, both Boeing and Bell Helicopters, earlier pulling out on a technicality. Both companies pulled out of the original tender as the Indian Air Force wanted to buy directly from the manufacturer, but the US wanted it to be a government-to-government deal.

Also, they are reportedly unhappy with the 50 per cent offset requirements that are apparently required in the tender.
European companies, in turn, have hinted that the tender is skewed in favour of US companies.
The tender is being issued for a second time after scrapping an earlier tender in May 2008.
Boeing and Russian Mil have bid for both the 15 heavy-lift helicopter project as well as the attack helicopters. The Chinooks manufactured by Boeing will have to contend with the Russian Mi-26 heavy-transport helicopters.
Boeing has offered the AH-64D Longbow Apache as its candidate for the attack helicopter while Mil has put up the Mi-28N Havoc as its attack chopper candidate.
The IAF already operates one squadron of Mi-26, which have been used to support Army's high-altitude deployments in the Ladakh region.
The IAF's global tender is part of an overall plan of the armed forces to induct as many as 800 helicopters over the coming decade at an estimated cost of over Rs20,000 crore.

domain-b.com : Eurocopter opts out of IAF's $2 billion chopper tender
 

sandeepdg

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We need more of attack choppers, 22 seems like a small number. The Ka-50 is very good but i think its not as advanced as the AH-64D Longbow, it would be a very good addition to the IA plus it has a very lethal firepower.
 

Sridhar

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Three Russian Ka-226 choppers in high-altitude India trials

BY : PTI

Russia has brought three of its Kamov-226 light multi-purpose helicopters to join trials in high altitude areas of Jammu and Kashmir for the Indian armed forces’ requirement for 197 such choppers.
“We have brought the Ka-226 helicopters for the high altitude trials that are going on at present. We are competing in the bids against Eurocopter and Agusta Westland,” Rosoboronexport’s deputy director general Victor Komardin said here today.
Ka-226, an upgraded version of the Ka-26 choppers, will be competing in the trials against European chopper manufacturer Eurocopter’s AS-550 and British-Italian major Agusta Westland’s AW119 helicopters for the tenders.
The tenders were floated last year to equip the army with 133 and the IAF with 64 such choppers to replace its ageing 350-helicopter Cheetah and Chetak fleet.
While 197 of these choppers would be bought off the shelf, another 187 would be manufactured within India by the Defence Public Sector Undertaking Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
Komardin also told reporters at the DefExpo here that Russia would deliver the fifth and the last of the Illushin-38 maritime aircraft to the Indian Navy tomorrow.
“The aircraft would arrive in Goa and this would complete the upgrading programme for the IL-38s. With this, we have completed the upgrade of all five of the IL-38s,” he added.
IL-38s are long-range maritime aircraft in the navy’s aviation fleet with a 7,200-km range touching speeds of 650 kmph. The Russians have provided five naval aircraft with a Sea Dragon multi-mission and electronic warfare suite.
Komardin also expressed happiness over induction of the first four of the 16 MiG-29K fighter jets by the Indian Navy. The jets were bought along with the Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier in 2004 for USD 526 million.
The carrier-borne fighter jets would be commissioned at Goa’s INS Hansa, which also has a facility forthe aircraft to operate from the shore.
The navy has already established a shore-based facility for training its pilots in short take-off and arrested landing skills, the configuration in which the Gorshkov is being remodified for India by Russia’s Sevmash Shipyard.


http://idrw.org/?p=550
 

nandu

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Kamov-226 to spearhead Russia’s campaign for US$600 million chopper contract

08 Mar 2009 8ak: Spearheading Russia’s campaign in the ongoing trials for the US$600 million contract for procurement of 197 light utility helicopters (LUH) is the Kamov-226 'Sergei'.
Three Kamov-226 choppers have already arrived in India to participate in trials to be conducted in the high altitude areas of Jammu and Kashmir. The twin engine Kamov-226, powered by Rolls-Royce Allison 250-C20R/2 turboshaft engines, is based on the development of the proven "flying chassis" Ka-26 general purpose helicopter. The Ka-226 has interchangeable mission pods rather than a conventional cabin within the main fuselage.
The main 770-litre capacity fuel tanks provide a flight endurance of 4.24hr. With the 320-litre auxiliary tanks this is increased to 6.45hr. A performance advantage of the helicopter, when working from bases at altitudes high above sea level and in mountainous terrain, is the high dynamic ceiling of 5,000m and static ceiling at 2,000m. The helicopter has an 18,000hr life with a schedule service life of 25 years. The instruments, displays, controls and night vision equipment allow night time flight. The helicopter is equipped with weather reconnaissance radar and thermal imaging systems for night patrol, reconnaissance and search operations. The chopper has a maximum speed of 205 km/hr and cruising speed of 195 km/hr and can carry up to 1,400kg cargo.
As part of the contract, the selected bidder will supply 60 choppers to India in a “fly-away” condition, while the remaining 137 will be assembled by state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). The bidders for the US$600 million contract are Eurocopter, Russian Mil and Kamov, American Sikorsky & Bell and Italian Agusta Westland. The initial tender for procurement of LUHs was cancelled by the government due to alleged irregularities in the process. It is believed that Eurocopter had fielded its civilian variant for field trials whereas another company had offered its military version. However, the RFP for the ongoing trial was once again issued in 2009 and will take another one and half year before any decision is reached by the government pertaining to the procurement of these choppers.
The choppers are the main stay of logistical operations of the three wings of the armed forces. They have multiple utilities ranging from rescue operations, carrying relief material, ferrying soldiers and combat, as seen during the Kargil war, when Mi-17 was deployed. India is also looking to speed up its acquisition of a multi-role helicopter. In addition to this, the IAF has projected a requirement of another 350 Medium-Lift Helicopters.

Source:8ak
 

Anshu Attri

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http://www.brahmand.com/news/HAL-Rosoboronexport-to-supply-choppers-for-IAF/3333/1/14.html

HAL, Rosoboronexport to supply choppers for IAF




NEW DELHI (BNS): The Defence Ministry has signed contracts with India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Russia’s Rosoboronexport and Britain’s Augusta Westland to procure a range of helicopters.

While HAL will provide Advanced Light Helicopters, Rosoboronexport will supply Medium Lift Helicopters. Choppers for VVIP transportation will be procured from Augusta Westland, Defence Minister A K Antony told the Parliament on Monday.

Besides, the Ministry is also considering proposals to acquire additional Medium Lift Helicopters, Attack Helicopters, Light Utility Helicopters, Heavy Lift Helicopters and Recce and Surveillance Helicopters from various vendors, Antony said.

The choppers are being procured as per the requirements of the Indian Air Force under the Defence Procurement Procedure, 2008.
 

nandu

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AgustaWestland has been awarded a contract by the Indian Air Force for twelve AW101 helicopters

AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, has been awarded a contract with a value of EUR 560 million by the Indian Air Force for the supply of 12 AW101 helicopters for government transport.
The AW101 provides excellent levels of safety for Head of State and government transport duties. Features such as three engines give the aircraft unmatched performance and safety in the event of an engine failure. Over 180 AW101 helicopters have been ordered or are being operated in various countries also including Italy, UK, Denmark, Portugal, Japan and Canada.
The AW101 was selected by the Indian Armed Force thanks to its superior features in terms of performance in hot & high and all-weather capability, cabin space and comfort, dedicated technology and self-protection solutions, safety and low operating costs.
Giuseppe Orsi, CEO, AgustaWestland said 'This significant order by the Indian Air Force to meet its government transport helicopter requirement confirms the correct vision and strategy of AgustaWestland in India. Several years ago we identified India as one of the pillars of our expansion strategy, from both the market and the industrial points of view. Today we have a significant and growing presence in both the military and commercial markets.
'Additionally we now have strong industrial relations with Tata Son, with whom we have established a Joint Venture initially for the production of the AW119 Koala but soon this will become a wider platform for our growth in the region. The particularly good personal relations with Ratan Tata, who recently visited AgustaWestland at Cascina Costa, will further enhance the joint commitment to the expansion of the helicopter industry in India to satisfy various requirements which are estimated to be valued at €5-6 billion in the short to medium term.'
Expressing his satisfaction with the order win, Pier Francesco Guarguaglini, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Finmeccanica, said: 'The contract signed with the Indian Air Force confirms the quality of our products, based on technological excellence, and the effectiveness of our strategy of focusing on expansion into new markets.
'In recent years, AgustaWestland has built on its presence in the Indian commercial helicopter market with the sale of over 30 commercial aircraft and the signing of a shareholder agreement with Tata Sons in February 2010 for the formation of an Indian joint venture to establish a final assembly line for the AW119 helicopter in India.'
AgustaWestland is proud to have been doing business in India for almost 40 years with the delivery, in 1971, of an initial batch of Sea King helicopters to the Indian Navy for anti-submarine warfare.
AgustaWestland continues to provide support, training and upgrade services to the Indian Navy for its fleet of Sea King helicopters. In 2005 AgustaWestland sold its first AW109 Power helicopter to the Government of Rajasthan and since then sales of its civil product range have taken-off with orders being placed for over 30 aircraft including additional AW109 Powers, the new Grand light twin engine helicopter, the AW119Ke single engine and the AW139 medium twin.
Recently orders in the commercial market have been made by AgustaWestland's authorized distributor, Sharp Ocean, for two VIP-configured Grand New light twins and one AW119Ke, marking the entrance of the state-of-the-art Grand New type in the country.
With a growing fleet and order book AgustaWestland has also expanded its service network in India to deliver greater levels of local customer service and support through OSS Air Management Pvt.Ltd and Air Works India Engineering Pvt.Ltd, to service and support AgustaWestland's range of modern high performance commercial helicopters.
Last month AgustaWestland and Tata Sons signed a Shareholders' Agreement for the formation of an Indian joint venture company which will establish in India a final assembly line for the AW119 helicopter.
The AW119 is also the AgustaWestland contender for the Indian Ministry of Defence's Reconnaissance and Surveillance Helicopter (RSH) programme. An AW119 demonstrator is currently conducting a series of demonstrations to the Indian Armed Force's as part of the evaluation process for the Indian Ministry of Defence's RSH programme.
The AW119 has already demonstrated its outstanding capabilities operating at altitudes in excess of 6,000 m in the Himalayas and will carry out further demonstrations in hot environmental conditions in the coming months.
Additional Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard helicopter requirements for light observation, anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare, combat, border and coastal patrol duties allows AgustaWestland to foresee a potential market worth approximately €5-6 billion for over 600 military helicopters in India in the next ten years.

Source: SHEPHARD
 

Anshu Attri

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http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Govt-quietly-inks-Rs-3726cr-deal-for-12-VVIP-helicopters/articleshow/5673025.cms

Govt quietly inks Rs 3,726cr deal for 12 VVIP helicopters


NEW DELHI: VVIPs sure like to travel in plush and secure comfort. After getting three desi versions of US President's 'Air Force One', the Indian President and PM will now also get 12 swanky helicopters for VVIP travel on the lines of 'Marine One'.

The defence ministry has quietly inked a Rs 3,726-crore deal to acquire 12 three-engined AW-101 helicopters from AgustaWestland, a unit of Italian major Finmeccanica, for IAF's elite Communication Squadron, which ferries around the President, PM and other VVIPs. "All the 12 helicopters will be delivered in three years or so," said a source.

The ministry as usual remained silent about the deal, leave alone the exact contours of it, despite repeated claims made by defence minister A K Antony of 'total transparency'.

The Cabinet Committee on Security apparently gave the nod for the exorbitant helicopter deal, despite objections from the finance ministry, due to 'security concerns' raised by the Special Protection Group as well as IAF.

The government's VVIP helicopter contract comes after the Rs 727-crore deal for five mid-size Embraer 135BJ Legacy jets in September 2003 and the Rs 937-crore contract for three Boeing Business Jets (BBJs) in October 2005, with advanced self-protection suites to guard against missiles and other threats.

The new helicopters will replace ageing Russian-origin Mi-8s and Mi-17s in the Communication Squadron, just like the Legacy jets have replaced the old HS-748 Avros and the BBJs the two 737-200 aircraft bought in 1983.

While not as hi-tech as Barack Obama's "Marine One", the call sign of the US Marine Corps helicopter which ferries the US President, the Indian AW-101 helicopters will have self-defence systems like missile-approach warners, chaff and flare dispensers and directed infra-red electronic counter-measures to protect the VVIPs on board.

The AW-101 helicopters were pitted against the American Sikorsky's S-92 Superhawks during extensive field trials held in 2008, which the US firm later claimed were unfairly biased against it.
 

sob

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Just look at the speed at which the VVIP Helicopter files were cleared that too overruling the objection of the FM.

In contrast MOD could not move the file on the Airbus refuller over the objections of the FM, even when the IAF wanted it desperately.

The security of the VVIPS is more important than that of the Nation.
 

Rage

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This is dizzgusting. Choppers for 'VVIP's' (whatever the f^ck that means) get cleared before choppers for the Armed Forces. Let the VVIP's ride in donkey-carts.

A gratifying fallout for the contract nonetheless. Who would've thought we'd see the day huh- India saving jobs in the West.


Indian helicopter deal saves 4,000 Westland jobs

March 12, 2010



The jobs of up to 4,000 UK workers were secured yesterday when AgustaWestland revealed that it had won a €560 million (£510 million) contract to supply helicopters to India.

Westland will build 12 AW101s for the Indian Air Force, which will be used for transporting the country’s Prime Minister, President and other VIPs.

The helicopters, called Merlins by the British Armed Forces, will be built at Westland’s factory in Yeovil and the contract is a boost for the struggling programme. The Government said last December that it would scrap a long-term plan to buy up to 70 medium-lift helicopters for the Armed Forces and instead purchase 22 Chinooks from Boeing. The Merlin had been a favourite to win the Ministry of Defence (MoD) order and the cancellation had raised questions over the future of the Yeovil facility.

Westland is building 62 smaller Wildcat helicopters as part of a £1 billion contract with the MoD, but it now needs export orders to keep the AW101 production line open. Defence officials had raised the prospect of it becoming little more than a repair shop for the UK’s existing fleet of helicopters if such orders could not be won.

Howard Wheeldon, strategist at BGC Partners, the broker, said: “This is very good news for British jobs, not just at Westland but thousands of suppliers in this country. And this is potentially only the start of a relationship with India as they could take more 101s.”

Westland has built 70 Merlins for the UK and has won orders to supply Portugal and Denmark. The factory is also building AW101 helicopters for Italy and other, unnamed, countries.

The AW101 had been selected to replace the ageing fleet of US presidential helicopters, but the deal was scrapped last year amid rising costs. Westland hopes to rejoin the running for that contract, where it is likely go up against Sikorsky’s S92, the helicopter it was competing against in India.

The Indian deal comes as AgustaWestland strengthens its ties with the country. Last month it signed a partnership with Tata & Sons, which owns Jaguar Land Rover, to build its AW119 helicopter in India.


http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/engineering/article7058976.ece

-x-x-x-x-


Anyone up for doin a little math? What's the conversion vs bona-fide per unit-price comparison look like?
 

Sridhar

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Army turns to HAL for 20 Cheetals in bid to plug chopper gap

BY : LIVE MINT

After years of delays in finalizing a global tender for 197 new helicopters, the Indian Army has recently decided to buy 20 Cheetal helicopters from Bangalore-based military plane maker Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), three people familiar with the matter said.
The army had first floated a global tender for 197 advanced choppers in 2003 to replace its ageing fleet of Cheetahs and Chetaks, also from HAL and in use for at least three decades.
The Cheetal uses the same platform as the Cheetah, even if it has more powerful engines to take troops and weapons to higher altitude regions in the Himalayas and the North-East.
The purchase is the latest of several ad hoc defence deals India has struck in recent years to tide over delays to the army’s modernization plans, often a result of bureaucratic hurdles, cautious decision-making or corruption charges.
“Ad hoc purchases also means you are spending the money allocated for some other aircraft and not necessarily the full funds,” said Deba Ranjan Mohanty, senior fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, a strategic think tank in New Delhi.
Each Cheetal costs about Rs25 crore. The estimated cost for the 197 choppers is nearly $1 billion (Rs4,500 crore).
A spokesman for the Indian Army did not respond to calls or emails sent early March.
The delay in the purchase of the 197 helicopters is because the army had to scrap the contract it had given to France-based Eurocopter SA after allegations of unfair trials by competitor Bell Helicopter, a division of Textron Inc. It floated a second tender in 2008.
“Delays mean using old aircraft on extended life, including training and operations,” said a defence ministry official, one of the three people mentioned earlier. “This will affect operational capabilities.” The official and the two other people familiar with the matter did not want to be identified because of the sensitive nature of the development.
“These ad hoc purchases will affect the modernization plans of the armed forces,” said Mohanty.
Nearly half the weapons in India’s military inventory are obsolete, accounting firm KPMG and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) said in a report in January. The defence ministry has had to surrender 3-9% of its capital budget in the previous seven fiscal years as it couldn’t spend all the money allocated to it for weapon purchases, said the KPMG-CII report. India is expected to spend $100 billion (Rs4.5 trillion) by 2022 on buying new aircraft, helicopters, ships, tanks and missiles, it said.
Its most expensive purchase would be that of 126 jet fighters at an estimated $10 billion. Trials are now on for the fighters.
The development of Tejas, the light combat aircraft planned to replace the ageing MiG-21 fleet, has been delayed by at least five years. The government is also yet to finalize the upgradation of 51 Mirage 2000 fighters.
Last week, during Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s visit to New Delhi, India agreed to buy 42 additional Sukhoi 30 MkI fighters. This is to fill gaps and beef up capacity of the Indian Air Force’s fighter squadrons. The air force is operating at least six squadrons below its sanctioned strength of 39.5 squadrons of 18 planes each.
Recently, India opted to buy 145 lightweight towed howitzer guns from BAE Systems Plc. after it had to scrap an earlier tender, in which the front runner Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd was blacklisted on charges of corruption.
When planned procurement processes get delayed and are “fast-tracked through ad-hoc purchases, it also means the model of open competition is also suffering,” said Ratan Shrivastava, director for aerospace and defence at researcher Frost and Sullivan. “You go in for whatever is available, which may not be an optimum solution.”


http://idrw.org/?p=877
 

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