It is authentically reported that India is going ahead with the calling of fresh tender for the purchase of Rotary Wing Ari craft. As a result, the Indian Army would acquire about 197 modern machines and it is also possible for the Air Force and Navy to acquire a few of them though the number is not indicated.
It may be recalled that the deal which was earlier clinched by a French Consortium estimated at a value of U.S.$600 million was canceled by India. The protests from France on this count is ignored. Andby going ahead with the process of a fresh tender, neither the statement of the French Foreign Minister,Mr.Bernard Kouchner that he was not satisfied with the collapse of the deal, nor the visit of the French President Sarkozy seem to be having a bearing in preventing such a decision..
The Army Authorities are in the need of these aircrafts which would replace the French origin Cheetas and Chetaks which are in use for over 40 years. They are used for dropping supplies to soldiers manning posts at very high altitudes and also for reconnaissance purposes. However, the evaluation process is so detailed that it would take a minimum of two years or even three years before one is chosen. First there would be a paper evaluation of the models offered and this would be followed by winter and summer trials.
A monitoring panel consisting of a very senior army officer of the rank of a Deputy Chief of Army Staff, an Additional Secretary from the Ministry of Defence and a Representative from the Army Aviation has been formed to oversee the entire evaluation process. All the aircrafts are not expected to be bought; a significant portion of it, may be one-third , is expected to be built indigenously under a transfer of technology agreement at the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL).
It is also reliably learnt that the Eurocopter, (a division of the France-Italian-German-European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company which won the earlier bid), Bell Helicopter, Italy’s Bugusta and Russian-based Kazan Helicopter and Kemor have all responded to the Global Request for Information.(RFI)
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