Indian Subcontinent

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

Russia to Deliver 5 Mil Mi-171Sh Helicopters to Bangladesh

Russia and Bangladesh have concluded an agreement for the delivery of five Mil Mi-171Sh transport/combat helicopters according to Rosoboronexport's director for special commissions and head of the delegation from Russia, Nikolay Dimidyuk, who said "We have recently signed a contract for delivery of five Mi-171Sh helicopters to Bangladesh.”


The Mi-17 has been ordered by Bangladesh

According to Dimidyuk, “a lot of countries in the Asia-Pacific region” are interested in the multi-role Mi-171Sh, in particular Malaysia and Nepal.

http://www.siberianinsider.com/russi...angladesh.html

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

India Set to Place Significant Order for US Military Helicopters

The Indian Air Force is a step closer to acquiring Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopters and Chinook heavy lift helicopters as the two deals are expected to come up for approval at the first meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council, to be held under the new government later this month.

Sources said price negotiations are in the final stages, and the two contracts will be ready to be placed before the highest decision-making body of the Defence Ministry on July 19 before they are cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Security.


High-tech Apache's may soon form part of India's aerial arsenal

India plans to acquire 22 Apache and 15 Chinook helicopters. Each of the contracts is likely to be worth more than a billion dollars.

Much of the spade work on the contracts was completed around six months ago.

Some key issues, particularly fixing the offset liabilities on aircraft maker Boeing, were finalized in recent weeks.

The Defence Ministry had completed discussions for purchasing 15 CH-43D Chinook helicopters last year, but the final decision could not be made because of the sudden death of a key officer handling the negotiations.

The Chinook helicopters are expected to cost around Rs 7,000 crore.

Both Apaches and Chinooks are a distinct symbol of America's military power. The IAF preferred the two platforms over the traditional Russian options it has been using.

The IAF will get attack helicopters, overcoming resistance from the army which wants to raise its own lethal rotor wing fleet.


Boeing expect to supply their latest variant of the Chinook to India

The government intervened to allow the IAF to acquire the 22 Apaches and any follow-on purchase will be for the army, whose aviation wing is proposed to be significantly strengthened.

The Apaches will replace Russian Mi-25/35 helicopters. The US helicopters were selected over the Russian Mi-28N in 2012. The Russians also lost out to the US in the race to sell heavy lift helicopters. The IAF preferred the Chinook over the Mi-26T2.

The Defence Acquisition Council, headed by the Defence Minister, has not met after the formation of the NDA government. This will be the maiden meeting under Defence Minister Arun Jaitley and a number of proposals are lined up for clearance.

The new government has signalled its intent to speed up decisions to accelerate the defence modernization programme despite constraints imposed by an economic slowdown.

The DAC's meeting will be held days after the presentation of the general budget on July 10.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome...ter-deals.html

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

India Scraps LUH Tender and Opts for Local Co-Production

India's Ministry of Defence have scrapped a tender worth Rs 6,000 crore to procure 197 light utility helicopters from foreign vendors for the armed forces and decided to allow domestic players to manufacture these helicopters.

Scrapping the tender, the Defence Acquisition Council chaired by Defence Minister Arun Jaitley put the acquisition under the “Buy and Make Indian” category, allowing the Indian industry to make the helicopters under a joint venture with a foreign manufacturer.

This is the second defence tender under the new government to be opened to the Indian industry. Last month, the government had opened the process to develop 56 transport aircraft to the domestic private sector.

The scrapping of the tender is significant as former defence minister A K Antony had deferred a decision on it following the VVIP helicopters scam. Investigations into the scam had also revealed alleged kickbacks in the light utility helicopters procurement process.

In January, the Central Bureau of Investigation had registered a case against a Brigadier working with Army Aviation Corps for allegedly fudging trial flight records of these helicopters.

While this decision is likely to spell bad news for two foreign vendors — one European and one Russian — who were in the race to equip the Indian forces with 197 light utility helicopters to replace their aging Cheetah and Chetak helicopters, sources in the Defence Ministry said it is likely to bring in business worth Rs 40,000 crore for the Indian industry.

“The DAC retracted the Request for Proposal for the procurement of 197 LUH and decided that it would be under Buy and Make Indian category. It confirms the policy of the Indian government to encourage Indian industry,” an MoD official said.

While clearing proposals worth Rs 20,000 crore in one go, the Defence Acquisition Council also cleared decks for the procurement of 22 Chinook heavy lift helicopters and 15 Apache attack helicopters for the IAF by approving the offset proposals of the US manufacturer. Jaitley also cleared the proposals for Navy, which include equipping 11 of its ships — four destroyers and seven frigates — with anti-submarine warfare suit at Rs 1,770 crore and a mid-life upgrade for six of its submarines at Rs 4,800 crore.

It also accorded extension of the Acceptance of Necessity for the indigenous MBT Arjun Mk-II tank, clearing the Rs 6,600 crore purchase for the Army, a mobile cellular communication system for 3, 4 and 14 Corps at Rs 900 crore and 40 self-propelled guns on the MBT Arjun chassis — provided all of them successfully completes the validation trials.

http://indianexpress.com/article/ind...ndian-players/

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

India Scraps Navy Helicopter Tender

A tender for procuring foreign 56 naval helicopters from at an estimated cost of Rs 9,000 crore was on Tuesday scrapped by India's Ministry of Defence which decided to get them manufactured in India by local players with foreign collaboration.

This is the third helicopter tender to have been scrapped by the government in recent months following the cancellation of a Rs 3600 crore deal with Anglo-Italian firm AgustaWestland as well as the cancellation of a tender for 197 light utility helicopters (see post above).

The tender for procuring 56 Naval Utility Helicopters has been scrapped and a fresh acquisition process will be initiated requiring the aircraft to be made in India. Local manufacturers will be allowed to partner with the foreign vendors, the Ministry of Defence told PTI.

Two contenders were in the race for this Rs 9,000 crore tender including the European Airbus Helicopters and AgustaWestland and they have been intimated about the decision, the sources said.

The Navy had plans of using these choppers for replacing its ageing fleet of Cheetah and Chetak helicopters, which have been in service for over 30-35 years.

The tender was issued two years ago by the Navy for procuring twin-engine choppers and was sent to major chopper makers including US firm Sikorsky, Eurocopter, Kamov and Italy's Agusta Westland.

http://zeenews.india.com/news/india/...484652.html

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

Russia to Supply Mi-35's to Pakistan

Russian envoy to Pakistan, Alexey Dedov, has said that Moscow has approved tha sale of Mi-35 helicopters to Pakisatn.

In an interview with Radio Pakistan, Dedov said that the Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu will visit Islamabad soon. The report further stated that Alexey Dedov said the deal between Pakistan and Russia will help combat terrorism.


Having previously delayed requests by the Pakistani government, Russia will now supply Mi-35 helicopter gunships

While Dedov said the deal has been "politically approved", further negotiations on details of the political-commercial contract are in progress.

The ambassador also said that Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu is to hold talks with his Pakistani counterparts to discuss the sale of additional defence equipment to Pakistan.

Pakistan’s request for Mi-35 helicopters has been on the table since 2009, but Russia had kept the issue pending as the request of Indian government officials.

India has long been Russia’s ‘exclusive military technical cooperation partner’ in the region. However, Moscow has reportedly downgraded this status to ‘preferred partner’ after India diversified its defence procurements and increasingly began relying on Western sources for meeting its hardware requirements and which has prompted Russia's reviewed sales policy towards Pakistan.

The Pakistan government has been saying that it genuinely needed these helicopters for counter-terrorism operations.

http://www.dawn.com/news/1144000/dea...-russian-envoy

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

India to Donate Dhruv's to Nepal

India is going to donate two of its indigenous advanced light helicopter (ALH), generically named HAL Dhruv, to Nepal.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hand over the helicopters during the 18th Saarc Summit to be held in Kathmandu on November 26-27. Sources at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nepal Army and the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu confirmed the Indian assistance but denied to divulge further details.


The Indian government is to donate two HAL Dhruv's to Nepal

The Nepalese government had sought to purchase two Dhruv's from India at subsidised cost during the 11the Bilateral Consultative Group meeting in Kathmandu in July. After long negotiations, the Indian government had agreed to gift two helicopters to Nepal, sources said.

Last year India had provided two Dhruv's to Nepal Army for monitoring of election security during the second Constituent Assembly elections in November last year.

The helicopters were returned to India but later the Nepalese government had requested that the Indian government donate them to the Army. The Dhruv is designed to meet the requirements of both military and civil operators (although it is mainly used by the military) and is manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. Each helicopter costs approximately $6.5 million.

http://www.ekantipur.com/2014/11/15/...er/397704.html

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

First Female Flyer for Bangladesh Air Force

Pilot Officer Tamanna-E-Lutfy has become the first female pilot in the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF).

Tamanna successfully flew a Bell-206L LongRanger helicopter on a solo flight on Thursday 20th November, Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) says.

Two women officers, Tamanna and Flying Officer Naima Huq, are presently undergoing flight training in Basic Conversion Course under Squadron No. 18 at BAF Base Bir Shreshtha Matiur Rahman.


Pilot Officer Tamanna-E-Lutfy completes her first solo in a Bangladesh Air Force Bell 206L LongRangerr at BAF Air Base Bir Sreshto Matiur Rahman on Thursday 20th November

Side-by-side to the introduction of women officers in the armed forces, in recognition of their contribution in the peace keeping missions in the United Nations and tireless hard work and devotion BAF took the decision to employ women pilots in the GD (pilot) Branch.

For the first time in the country, the BAF has created a milestone by introducing women pilots in the risky and challenging profession, the press release adds.
This success will be an inspiration and motivation to the quest of women advancement in the country, it says.

http://www.thedailystar.net/tamanna-...pilot-51430