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Race Begins For India`s Copter Deal Saturday, 24 October 2009 - 6:31 PM SL Time |  | |
NEW DELHI: Even as the six foreign contenders in the race to bag the lucrative $10.4 billion project to supply 126 multi-role combat aircraft to Indian Air Force jostle with each other, battlelines are also being drawn on the helicopter front now.
IAF wants to buy 22 attack helicopters and 15 heavy-lift helicopters from abroad, under the overall plan of the armed forces to induct as many as 800 `rotary-wing birds` over the coming decade at an estimated cost of over Rs 20,000 crore, as reported by TOI earlier.
While American, Russian and Italian companies submitted their bids for the 22 attack helicopters to the defence ministry this week, European aviation major Eurocopter has surprisingly opted out of the race.
Eurocopter apparently told the defence ministry its Tigre ARH choppers will not be able to participate in IAF field trials planned for mid-2010 since they are undergoing upgrades currently.
Consequently, Boeing`s AH-64D Apache Longbow, Agusta Westland`s A-129 Mangusta and Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant`s Mi-28 Havoc, among others, are left in contention now.
IAF`s quest to induct the new attack helicopters to bolster its fleet of existing Mi-35 choppers has been dogged by some controversy or the other over the last couple of years, with the global tender even being cancelled earlier.
American companies Bell and Boeing had then backed out of the race since they were apparently unhappy with the 50% offset requirements laid down in the tender. European companies, in turn, obliquely hint at US companies getting preference over them in the Indian market.
Boeing and Russian Mil, incidentally, have also submitted their bids for the 15 heavy-lift helicopter project. But the multi-mission Chinooks manufactured by Boeing, used for troop movement, logistics support, aerial battlefield recovery and special operations, will have to contend with the Russian Mi-26 heavy-transport helicopters. IAF already operates one squadron of Mi-26s to support Army`s high-altitude deployments in the Ladakh region.
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Source(s)
timesofindia.com |
Maninder
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 24 Oct 2009 12:00:07 GMT Report for Abuse
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As we speak, India has started flight trials for fighters.
Flight trials of F-18 Superhornet is being completed. Lockheed's F-16 will follow Superhornet, followed by Eurofighter Typhoon and MiG-35 and MiG-29.
Outside this, Indian Air Force is seeking 50 more sukhoi-30MKI in addition to 240 which are already scheduled to be inducted before 2015. |
deborak
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 24 Oct 2009 12:38:36 GMT Report for Abuse
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Maninder..
Really, Do you think India needs this much attack copters, Jets etc..
Well India is a peaceful country isn't it so? Naxalites are friends of MMS..
:) |
Maninder
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24 Oct 2009 12:59:12 GMT Report for Abuse
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Naxalites are friends of MMS..
The modernization of India's armed forces is not against naxals. The fight against naxals are stricly police and political work, as the government reiterated many times over.
Really, Do you think India needs this much attack copters, Jets etc..
India has the lowest defence expenditure to GDP in the region.
China and Pakistan are far ahead of India in this regard. Even Sri Lanka is ahead of India in terms of % to GDP and budget allocation.
The current defence expenditure is in proportion to the growth of Indian economy. Given the rough neighbourhood that is in, it has to no option but take measures to discourage its neighbours in north getting any wrong ideas! :))
The Indian defence expenditure is purely defensive in nature. There is no other country in the world that has committed to no-first strike nuclear policy.
Having said that I hope that India will never be forced to use these weapons. |
AnuD
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 24 Oct 2009 14:17:11 GMT Report for Abuse
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India that I saw through a TV programs and media information in the west, we here from some Indian people and Sri Lankan and what Maninder says us are very different.
Vimanika shastra [probably recent, AT least Sri Lanka had aircrafts in the ancient times) etc., are from India. but, they want to buy and don t want to develop their own.
Lack of know-how. |
UnitedVRise
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 24 Oct 2009 14:31:20 GMT Report for Abuse
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Maninder,
A reply for the previous post.
And you are saying the special forces units in BIA were tasked only to handle hijack situations! :)))))))
Another SPECULATION boss. You completely didn't get the point.
Let me explain it again.
Yes there were commandos in the airport, taked to handle hijack situation. By this I don't mean that they are not supposed to fight in a situation like BIA attack. You and I both don't know their role during the attack.
The special forces units in the terminal had enough time to get ready even if they were not standing by. In fact, they had an opportunity to give an elemtn of surprise in the true tradition of their expertise as tigers predictably moved towards terminal
Maninder after the initial attack tigers tried to break into the helicopter/jet hangers and the gun battle raged for 40 minutes (according to Athas). The troops who were stationed to protect the hangers somehow managed to avoid the destruction of the remaining jets and helicopters. You and I both don't know if commandos engaged them there. So don't jump gun and ASSUME they did nothing.
You say they could have blocked tigers from entering the terminal. In such an attack, and when tigers are trying to reach hangers the most important thing will be to protect the remaining jets.
And you are saying the special forces units in BIA were tasked only to handle hijack situations! :)))))))
No I don't mean that. Again you try to divert what I said to suit your argument.
ONLY TO HANDLE:))))
Commandos were not part of the ground security, without knowing what they did, and going by your assumptions you cannot blame them. If you have to please go by what they did, not by ASSUMPTIONS.
It is not a surprise the way tigers went all the way to the terminal. Its a surprise how we managed to save a few jets and helis there given the fact thet we failed to detect them 3 times. Shows how good the security was and vigilant our airforce was that time to protect such a place.
For your last 3 nicely writen lines, I have answered you some time back and you can refer to that answer. It wasn't the fault of the defence forces that they were HUMILIATED all these years. When the whole country focuses on the next election and winning the next election becomes the main priority rather than winning the war. When defeating the rival political party becomes the main task but not defeating the tigers. There's no wonder that a great army was on their knees like that.
But this army had shown what they are capable when they were given the freedom to act like an army, but not like another tool to win elections. |
UnitedVRise
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24 Oct 2009 14:38:06 GMT Report for Abuse
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Maninder,
Whatever it sounds like, I think I got it right! :))))
Well sir, you can think of anything and make yourself happy though its totally opposite of the truth. But it will be the correct way to go point by point and explain in detail why he is not a great tactician. You have failed in that and AMUSED by your own THINKING:))))
Not a logical way to come to a conclusion and doesn't have any base. But hey, if it gives you some pleasure I don't mind:))) |
UnitedVRise
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24 Oct 2009 14:42:56 GMT Report for Abuse
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Maninder,
Does India get these helicopters to give some MESSAGE to Chinese?
I sincerely hope that there will not be any war between these two countries. You are in a very vulnerable position against Chinese Maninder.
I don't mean to sling mud or to say something bad about Indian army. But Chinese are very well equipped to the task if they want to wage a war against you.
A war against China is the last option you have. |
Maninder
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24 Oct 2009 15:10:47 GMT Report for Abuse
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Yes there were commandos in the airport, taked to handle hijack situation. By this I don't mean that they are not supposed to fight in a situation like BIA attack. You and I both don't know their role during the attack.
:)))))))
UnitedVrise, whatever their role was, it didn't really work! :)))
A military base with perimeter defence, regular troops and special forces units in it was attacked and the strategic assets in it were destroyed by a small LTTE team! :))))
ASSUMPTIONS
I am not talking about assumptions, but facts related to BIA and A'Pura.
Heavily guarded military facilities were breached is not an assumption, but hard fact on ground.
The assumptions are that arguments like the troops were inexperienced and 'Special forces units' were detailed only for hijack situations! :))))
A war against China is the last option you have.
War is a last option against every one, not just Chinese!
Roshan,
Why India don't build them or go for a joint venture?
All these deals have a clause that binds the supplier to source 50% of the deal from India.
While they are not joint ventures, it will build domestic base in the coming years.
On the otherhand, India is re-structuring its R&D facilities as well. There are joint ventures on multiple levels with Rssian suppliers. |
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24 Oct 2009 14:36:43 GMT