Indian Defence Productions

[Contrarian]

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Bell Looks for Indian Partners
By VIVEK RAGHUVANSHI, NEW DELHI

Bell Helicopter Textron is looking for Indian partners to help tap that country’s helicopter market.

“The market growth potential and the capabilities in India combine to make India an attractive business opportunity,” said a senior Bell Helicopter executive. “In the near term, India will be producing flight-critical components for worldwide distribution. As the market demand grows, and our partnership continues to develop, we see India becoming more and more important in our strategic globalization efforts.”

The executive did not give figures for the estimated market potential, but said the company forecasts the civil helicopter fleet will grow at about 15 percent annually.

Several world helicopter majors are vying for the Indian civil and military market, which is regarded as grossly undertapped, and Bell Helicopter sells about half of the civil helicopters in India.

Bell Helicopter plans to set up a pilot training center and invest about $100 million to create a maintenance, repair and overhaul unit in India, the executive said.

He said that Bell Helicopter and state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL), Bangalore, agreed last October to explore working together on several projects.

“These projects are geared to increase the cooperation between the two companies and could grow into substantial business opportunities in the future.”

Bell’s 407 helicopter is competing to supply the Indian Army with 197 helicopters — 60 U.S.-built, the rest built under license by HAL. The Indian Defense Ministry has field-tested the competitors and expects to announce a decision early this year, an Indian Defence Ministry official said.

Bell also is vying — informally, so far — to supply high-altitude light helicopter gunships to India.

Ministry sources said Bell made an informal offer to jointly manufacture the latest Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter, which is now under development for the U.S. Army.

The official said Eurocopter has made a similar offer. The European firm established commercial links with India in the 1960s; HAL has license-produced Eurocopter’s Cheetah helicopters for the Indian Army.

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[Contrarian]

NDMA to get 12 ALHs

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has placed an order for 12 Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

Talking to reporters during a media visit to HAL’s ALH assembling facility, Chief Test Pilot Wg Cdr Upadhyay said the helicopters will have top-of-the-line medical infrastructure, including ventilators and two stretchers.

He however, pointed out that emergency operations in association with hospitals were not financially feasible for HAL, that runs an ambulance service on Chetan helicopters.

While Chetan’s charter rate is around Rs 55,000 per hour, the ambulance service comes at Rs 25,000.

“After our recent operation that rescued a Japanese woman in Bagalkot, her insurance company made the payment. In India, that’s not the norm and hospitals don’t pay either,” he said.

Stressing on the need to evolve a national policy in this regard, he said talks were on with various hospital managements.
http://deccanherald.com/deccanherald...9362007120.asp

[Contrarian]

Dhruv production to be upped
DH News Service Bangalore:

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will increase the production of Dhruv, it’s multi-role, multi-mission Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH), in a phased manner.


Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will increase the production of Dhruv, it’s multi-role, multi-mission Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH), in a phased manner.

Aircraft Research and Design Centre (ARDC) officials told reporters on Friday that 18 ALH were expected to fly out of the HAL stable in 2007. The targets for 2008 and 2009 were 24 and 33 respectively, they said. Around 65 Dhruvs are already in service with the defence forces, including the Coast Guard.

The weaponised version of Dhruv is tipped for a 2008 launch. Earlier, Chief Test Pilot Wg Cdr Upadhyay said 10 ALH that comprises the 202 Army Aviation Squadron will soon be delivered at Leh. Meanwhile, upgrading of helicopters with Shakti Engine, done by Turbomeca and HAL, is on at the ALH assembly unit. The upgraded copters have Multi Function Displays (MFDs) and have had their cold-weather trial in Leh.

“The ground runs will start by the end of January. The copters are scheduled for a late 2007 certification,� Wg Cdr Upadhyay said.

Cheetals for IAF

Indian Air Force (IAF) has placed an order for 10 Cheetals (former Cheetas, powered with ALH engines), Wg Cdr Upadhyay said. HAL is expected to deliver the helicopters by July, 2008. With the new engine, Cheetals are expected to bring in better fuel efficiency and an extra load capacity of 45 kg. In November 2006, the Cheetal had touched an all-time landing high of 25,500 feet in Saser Kangri in Ladakh.

ARDC EYES BIG

The ARDC is bidding for contracts on composite component assembly for Boeing 787s and A320s, Sounderrajan, AGM, told reporters on Friday. “Since composites involve labour-intensive work, India has great potential in the sector. Talks are also on for deals for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for military operations. The next three to four years could see us closing deals worth $ 10 million,� he said.

At present, ARDC has a design collaboration with Eurocopter. Firm orders with Bell and Elbit have been obtained, while talks are on with Pratt & Whitney and Airbus.
http://deccanherald.com/deccanherald...9262007120.asp

[Contrarian]

Bell evaluating opportunity to co-produce with HAL

Bangalore, Feb 09: Bell Helicopter Textron said its two teams were evaluating an opportunity to co-produce cabin sub-assemblies with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for its light-single engine commercial helicopter model 407.

Demand from both commercial and military markets for model 407 aircraft was growing "tremendously', Robert Fitzpatrick, Senior Vice-President, Marketing and Sales, Bell helicopter, told reporters at the "Aero India 2007" airshow.

Bell Helicopter and HAL had signed an MoU to identify potential and mutually beneficial projects for collaboration, which could range from manufacturing and assembly to production planning, engineering and product support, he said.

Fitzpatrick said Bell was also exploring opportunities with other Indian firms to expand industrial partnerships.

He said Bell was committed to working with an Indian partner to develop rotary wing pilot training and final selection and announcement of the Bell Helicopter certified training facility would be made in the second half of this year.

Bell 407 is in competition with the Eurocopter's 350b3 to replace the Indian Army's ageing fleet of Cheetah, he said.

He said the Bell proposal, submitted in 2005, calls for initial delivery of 60 407 aircraft delivered in the Indian Army's desired configuration and offers technology transfer of 100 per cent of bell design to HAL, besides co-production of 137 aircraft by HAL after technology transfer.

He said Bell 407 performed "extremely well" in the Indian Army's cold and hot weather trials. "It either met or exceeded the Indian Army's requirements."

http://www.bharat-************/NEWS/n...hp?newsid=8176

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Some news about DRDO . That is almost 6 billion dollars savings. Atleast it has provided the best bang for the buck.


Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has spent about 8 - 10 % of its annual budget on fundamental research during the last three years.

DRDO is the development agency whose products, after being made by the production agency, are delivered to the users. Stringent quality systems are in place at several stages before a product is put to use. Based on the operational feedback, matters at times get referred to the development agency. Corrective actions, wherever necessary have been taken up by the DRDO.

The defence expenditure on imports has come down as a result of DRDO's projects. The cumulative value of the DRDO developed products amounts to about Rs. 30,000 crore. This amount can thus be attributed to the reduction in defence expenditure on import.

This information was given by the Defence Minister Shri AK Antony in a written reply to Shri Naveen Jindal in Lok Sabha toda

http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=25991