Indian Military

New Delhi — The Indian Navy continues to suffer delays in acquiring multi-role helicopters (MRH) as bids from international manufacturers have expired. The Indian Defence Ministry has indicated that the commercial bids from US firm Sikorsky and British-Italian firm Agusta Westland for the MRH have expired last month.

The Request for Proposal (RFP) for the 16 MRH worth $1 billion was issued in August 2008 and since the commercial bids are valid for two years only, they stand expired. The Indian Defence Ministry now intends to request the firms to revise their offers. While the technical evaluation has been wrapped up, Indian Navy is yet to pursue the Flight Evaluation Trials for the two contenders.

The two contenders for the MRH for the Indian Navy are the US firm Sikorsky’s S-70B Sea Hawk and British-Italian Agusta Westland’s NH-90 helicopters. Once the contract is decided and awarded, the Indian Navy would get the delivery of the MRH within 46 months in three phases and the RFP provides an option of placing follow-on orders for another 44 helicopters.

New Delhi — Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), subsidiary of the Indian major Tata Group, has signed an agreement with the US major Lockheed Martin for the formation of the joint venture firm called Tata Lockheed Martin Aerostructures. The new venture aims to build aero-structures for Lockheed’s C-130 aircraft in India. Lockheed Martin has already received an order for six C130J Super Hercules tactical airlift transport aircraft from India and has supplied one aircraft until now.

The joint venture between these two industry giants will culminate into a facility that will be export-oriented and the products manufactured will form a key aircraft structure that Lockheed Martin will integrate and complete for its global C-130 aircraft customers. This joint venture with Tata Advanced Limited is Lockheed Martin’s first in India and has been established as a strategic element of Lockheed Martin’s global supply chain besides making its presence felt in India.

The joint venture firm Tata Lockheed Martin Aero-structures will have a 74 per cent holding by Tata Advanced Systems while remaining 26 per cent shareholding would be owned by the Lockheed Martin.

NEW DELHI: Augmenting its fleet of multi role helicopters, the Navy is looking to procure more such choppers for carrying out anti-submarine warfare and Special Forces' operations.
In a Request for Information (RFI) issued recently, the Navy has said it intends to procure new Naval Multi Role Helicopters (NMRH) for anti-submarine, anti-surface and Special Commando operations roles.
Interestingly, the Navy has shown its intent to procure these choppers at a time when it is already planning to start the trials for buying 16 MRHs from the two contenders Sikorsky S-70B and European NH-90 next month under a separate tender.
Navy officials told PTI that the earlier tender process will continue and the trials would be carried out as per the original schedule.
In its requirement for the next batch of helicopters, the navy stated that the basic chopper for performing all the specified roles should be same with common airframe, engines, avionics and it should be capable of changing roles with ease.

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The Indian Navy has issued a Request For Information (RFI) for a second batch of Multi-Role Helicopters (MRH), even with the existing tender process for a USD 1 billion order for 16 helicopters still under way.

The RFI reads, “The Ministry of Defence, Government of India, intends to augment the fleet of existing multi role helicopters (ASW/ASUW/Special Ops Commando) with suitable new-build Naval Multi Role Helicopters (NMRH), with comparable performance and ASW, ASuW, SAR, ELINT and Special Operation / Commando operation capabilities. The basic helicopter for all three roles viz ASW, ASuW and Special Operation / Commando should be same with common airframe, engines, avionics etc for ease of maintenance training and Op-logistics issues. Capability should exist in the helicopter for role specific configurations to be achieved with ease.”

The navy shopping around for a second time is being seen as a result of the the increasing requirement for Multi Role Helicopters, keeping in mind the decreasing life of the navy’s Sea King helicopters.

New Delhi — Tata Group, one of the leading Indian corporate entities, has achieved a significant milestone by making the first helicopter cabin in India. Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), a subsidiary of the Tata Group, has launched the debut Sikorsky S-92 helicopter cabin and it will be delivered to US-based Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation by the end of November this year. The launch of the cabin occurred in Adibhatala in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.

Setting an important precedent for the aerospace industry, the launch of the Sikorsky copter cabin was coupled with another major announcement. Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata said that that all its aerospace and defence related investments will be based in the state of Andhra Pradesh and near its capital city of Hyderabad.

Tata Group subsidiary TASL has already set up a new manufacturing facility on 50 acres at the Aerospace and Precision Engineering Special Economic Zone (SEZ) promoted by the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation.

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The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has published a paper in response to the solicitation of views by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), arguing for conditional increase, if at all, in the limits to investment by foreign players in Indian defense industry beyond the current limit of 26 per cent, to 49 per cent. The DIPP, in its discussion paper, was considering hiking FDI limit up to 74 per cent, and even 100 per cent in some cases.

The Indian Ministry of Commerce allowed the participation of the private sector in the defense industry in May 2001, permitting 100 per cent equity with a maximum of 26 per cent of FDI, subject to licensing. Under the Defense Procurement Procedure (DPP) 2008, limit was raised to 49 per cent FDI on a case-by-case basis. But the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) has not, so far, approved the formation of a venture with a 49 per cent FDI component.

FICCI sees little reason to permit FDI above 26 per cent, considering the existing FDI into the Indian defense sector, saying in a statement, “The 26% FDI cap in the defense sector has already attracted top overseas defense OEMs like BAe, EADS, Sikorsky, Lockheed Martin, Electtronica Defence Systems, etc to hugely invest in India’s defense sector.

New Delhi — The Indian private sector giant Tata Group’s latest achievement in the Indian defence business has been the acquisition of a 74 per cent stake in Hyderabad-based HBL Elta Avionics Systems Limited (HELA). This is the first acquisition that Tata Group has made in defence business and the venture has been finalised between its subsidiary Tata Advanced Systems (TAS) and HBL Elta Avionics, a provider of radar, communications, electronic warfare, homeland and surveillance systems solutions to Indian defence forces.

In the venture whose amount is yet undisclosed, TAS will hold 74 per cent in HBL Elta Avionics and the remaining 26 per cent continues to be held by its foreign partner ELTA Systems, a unit of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). This will be the group’s second JV with IAI and it already has a 74:26 partnership to manufacture unmanned aerial vehicles, electronic warfare systems, missiles, radars and homeland security systems.

Tata Group has been focusing on the lucrative defence sector as it was opened for the private sector and has been making its presence felt in the defence business via its subsidiary firms and foreign collaborations.