Multi Role Helicopters (MRH) to be inducted into Indian Navy

[ace009]

How does NH Industries queries do anything to anybody? They aren't the one's running the programme.

Their objections/ queries can be a nuisance, delaying the process, thereby allowing NHI to repackage their offer.

 

[mahesh]

what does this mean? company is misleading indian navy or the helicopter parts are not up to the standard

 

[Rikbo88]

Their objections/ queries can be a nuisance, delaying the process, thereby allowing NHI to repackage their offer.

Again as I noted in another thread the NH and NFH 90 aircraft have had a dismal track record since being introduced to various countries. The Australians and Germans have had a vareity of issues with these aircraft, as well as other countries where the NH90 has been introduced. For Sweden to buy Blackhawks just shows how bad, even recently, the NH90 is preceived. This is a relatively new aircraft, so one might expect problems once it goes into service. OPEVAL testing never puts the aircraft through the paces like actually fielding it does. It will likely be 3 to 4 years before NHI can work all the aircraft and system integration issues. Funny how NHI does not mention any of that. NHI did a poor job of testing this aircraft before releasing it for actual service and now they are paying the price with a bad reputation that will take it years to overcome. We have not really heard much about the system integration issues this aircraft is experiencing...but that is because NHI is keeping it very secret. No doubt in my mind the user friendliness, configurability, reliability, and over quality of the mission system in the S-70B is still way ahead of where the NFH90 is today...and maybe for the next several years at least. As the Lieutenant Colonel noted above, any delay is good for the NHI since it gives additional time for NHI to get the NH90/NFH90 in a better state. The Indian Navy needs these new birds NOW. The Sea Kings have provided reliable service for many years but they are just about all used up. As other customers will state, once the Indian Navy gets the S-70B it will be the standard by which all other ASW/ASuW aircraft will be judged. It may be older...but it is still king of rotary wing "maritime warfare hill"!!

 

[Poseidon]

Indian Navy to issue world's largest chopper tender.

Navy to issue world's largest chopper tender.
Last Updated: Friday, April 06, 2012, 17:04

New Delhi: In one of the world's largest tenders for multirole helicopters, the Indian Navy is planning to procure more than 75 such choppers at an estimated cost of over USD four billion to meet the demand of its expanding area of operations.

The Navy had recently asked global helicopter vendors to provide details about naval multirole helicopters and is planning to issue a global Request for Proposal (RFP) in this regard very soon.

"The Indian Navy would require more than 75 of these Naval Multirole Helicopters (NMRH) and this would be world's largest tender for multirole helicopters," US defence major Lockheed Martin's vice president for Ship and Aviation Systems George Barton told a news agency here.

The Navy is planning to procure these new NMRH for carrying out anti-submarine warfare, Special Forces' operations and anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare. Barton said the US Navy operates a fleet of over 350 MH-60 variants.

The Indian Navy is already holding a competition for procuring 16 multirole helicopters in which European NH-90 and American Sikorsky S-70 Bravo are in the race.

The Navy at present relies on its fleet of Sea King helicopters which were inducted in two different phases in the 80s.

The Navy would require these multirole choppers in view of its expanding fleet size and expansion in its area of responsibility with the government stating that country's strategic interest ranges from the Gulf of Aden to the Malacca Straits.

The Indian Army and the Air Force have also issued a tender for procuring 197 light utility helicopters but the worth of the choppers in the naval tender is expected to be much more than that as they would be equipped with complex machinery and weapon systems.

PTI

Navy to issue world`s largest chopper tender

 

[plugwater]

This choppers are for LPDs and IACs i think.

I dont know what the hell happened to our program!!

 

[Blackwater]

First they will issue, Then sarkari babus will do shu shu, kuch nahi hona for the next 20 yrs tushu tushu


wah wah irshad ha

 

[agentperry]

at the same time hal multi role medium helicopter is on backburner

 

[Aayush]

4 billion is almost as big as Pak's defence budget =D

 

[LETHALFORCE]

Do we really need to spend this much??

 

[Ray]

Spending can be justified.

What is the operational requirement is the critical issue.

 

[Ray]

Austrian Bundesheer S-70 Blackhawk

The S-70 can perform a wide array of missions, including air cavalry, electronic warfare, and aeromedical evacuation: several versions are even used to transport the President of the United States, which while carrying the President is known as "Marine One". In air assault operations it can move a squad of 11 combat troops and equipment or carry the 105 mm M102 howitzer, thirty rounds of ammunition, and a six-man crew. Alternatively, it can carry 2,600 lb (1,200 kg) of cargo or sling load 9,000 lb (4,100 kg) of cargo. The S-70 is equipped with advanced avionics and electronics, such as the Global Positioning System.

Wiki

A NH90 of the German Army

According to a 2010 Bild report, German Army experts deem the helicopter to be utterly unusable for the transportation of combat troops. Among other things they complained that the seats are only suitable to carry 110 kg (240 lb) maximum weight—not enough for a fully equipped soldier. Weapons cannot be sufficiently secured during transport. The floor is too weak and can be damaged by dirty combat boots. The helicopter can only land on firm ground, with obstacles not exceeding 16 cm (6.3 in). Troops carrying full equipment cannot board/leave the helicopter, as the access ramp is too weak. Adding a door gun is not possible due to the lack of space. In response to this article, the German Defense Ministry proclaimed that the report in question referred to a prototype version, and not to the production model, the specifications for which were not even finalised at the time of the report. The prototype evaluation and its results were described as a normal procedure in an ongoing design process.

On 20 April 2010, an Australian Defence Force MRH-90 suffered an engine failure near Adelaide. Only one engine was affected and the helicopter was landed safely at RAAF Base Edinburgh. The manufacturer has sent personnel to Australia to investigate the failure. On 18 May the ADF announced that all of the Australian MRH-90 fleet were grounded due to engine issues since the 20 April incident. Flights resumed in July 2010.

In November 2011, the MRH-90 program was placed on the Australian Department of Defence's list of 'Projects of Concern'. As of January 2012, it remains on the list with the 15 MRH-90s that have been delivered, cleared only for testing and initial training. The most serious problem identified by a diagnostic review and also the cause of the mid-2010 groundings, is compressor blade rubbing caused by the bending of a spool in the Rolls-Royce Turbomeca RTM322 engine due to uneven cooling after shutdown. Other problems identified include: failure of transmission oil cooler fans; windscreen cracking; an inertial navigation system that takes too long to align; and the weakness of the cabin floor to withstand the impacts of soldiers' boots - a problem also encountered by the German military.

 

[SADAKHUSH]

My general question to any one who can answer is, who in the MOD determines the operational requirement of our Armed forces? Is it a joint committee of
Bureaucrats and Professional soldiers? Do they also consult private companies to get unbiased opinion?

 

[Adux]

Buy which has been produced the most and has the most assured upgrade plan. Simple logic. unless we are talking about Soviet era items.

 

[bengalraider]

Ideally we should get a mix of choppers with the procurement being divided so we get the best of each type in the numbers required.
i.e i agree that the S-70 and the NH-90 are probably close to the best at what they do but there are a lot of other good options out there let me list a few

The Sikorsky MH-53 is probably one of the best naval/marine heavy lift chopper money can buy today, i believe we should get a few.With a capability to carry upto 55(yes you read that right) fully equipped special ops troops into enemy territory and back this helicopter and older variants have been a staple of NATO marine combat infiltration missions since Vietnam.Also as the pavelows have been retired from the United states military we should be able to get ToT pretty easily.

Sikorsky MH-53 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Also i believe we should not write the Russians off and try and take a look at the KA-60, it is a pretty interesting piece of kit.specifically i believe we should look at the KA-64 Sky HORSE.

General characteristics
Crew: Two
Capacity:
Up to 16 infantry troops or 6 stretchers (Ka-60)
14 passengers (Ka-62)
2,000 kg (4,409 lb) (internal), 2,750 kg (6,062 lb) (external- Ka 60)
Length: 15.60 m[5] (51 ft 2¼ in)
Rotor diameter: 13.50 m (44 ft 3½ in)
Height: 4.60 m (15 ft 1 in)
Disc area: 143.10 m² (1,540.3 sq ft)
Loaded weight: 6,000 kg (13,228 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 6,500 kg (14,330 lb)
Powerplant: 2 × Rybinsk RD-600V turboshafts, 956 kW (1,282 shp) each
Performance
Maximum speed: 300 km/h (162 knots, 185 mph)
Cruise speed: 275 km/h (148 knots, 171 mph)
Range: 615 km (332 nmi, 382mi)
Service ceiling: 5,150 m (16,900 ft)
Rate of climb: 10.4 m/s (2,050 ft/min) at sea level

 

[bengalraider]

Continuing from where i left off the Augusta westland AW-159 also known as the Lynx wildcat is another interesting alternative

[video=youtube_share;6s7EXORMHgU]http://youtu.be/6s7EXORMHgU[/video]

Also the AW101 might also be a competitor to it's siblings.

[video=youtube_share;VJPD9CJ7PRM]http://youtu.be/VJPD9CJ7PRM[/video]

 

[Rahul Singh]

More the HAL delays IMRH the less are chances of it getting inducted in numbers. It's high time HAL expedites IMRH and get it certified somehow before 2018.

 

[pmaitra]

Wow, so many helicopters. Yet, not one of them has coaxial-rotos, not even the Kamov. In the high seas, which helicopter here will give more stability than the existing Kamov-31s?

Any word on the requirements?

 

[bengalraider]

What we need to find out is the dimensions of the shipboard hangars abroad our front line warships, that would give us a clear idea of which chopper stands to gain mileage as the one that will fit easily in our ships!

 

[natarajan]

is one helicopters costs around 250 crores ? or just to fill sonia and co pockets

 

[plugwater]

is one helicopters costs around 250 crores ? or just to fill sonia and co pockets

You don't know anything about anything, do you ?