Conspiracy to derail the deal of 197 military helicopters
As the army desperately waits for new light helicopters, fresh roadblocks have emerged to derail the purchase with anonymous complaints
to the defence ministry linking arms dealers with the proposed contract.
The government wants to buy 197 light utility helicopters mainly for high-altitude operations. Though the process to buy the choppers was set in motion in 2003, not much headway has been made. This time, however, the army and the defence ministry are determined to not let the process derail again.
Russian Kamov Ka-226T.
The competition has narrowed down to the Russian Kamov Ka-226T and Eurocopter AS550C3 Fennec. The trials were completed some months ago, but the pace left a lot to be desired.
The army headquarters recently carried out a review, removing some of the sticking points. Questions were also raised over the evaluation process. It was found that some of the conditions set for performance were challenging. For instance, the helicopters were required to be based above 5,000ft and re-start after 24 hours. The trial reports are learnt to have been sent to the defence ministry.
In parallel developments, anonymous complaints about involvement of some arms dealers have also surfaced. Though these are being attributed to vested interests, it has made senior officials cautious, sources said.
Problems have plagued the contract since the beginning. Eurocopter had almost bagged the deal beating the Bell 407 four years ago. But the contract was scrapped after allegations of irregularities. Fresh bids were invited in 2008.
Sources said unlike the last time when the contract was immediately cancelled at the whiff of corruption allegations, the ministry was now treading cautiously to ensure there was no larger design to malign the process.
There is already an enormous delay. When the bids were invited, it was expected that the delivery of helicopters would be underway by this time. But the deal is still far from being finalised.
The army needs to replace its old Cheetah and Chetak light helicopters. Out of the 197 helicopters that would be bought, 64 are meant for the Indian Air Force (IAF).
The bids were invited from six contenders ranging from Augusta Westland, Bell Helicopter and Eurocopter to Kamov and Sikorsky. The final contest is between the Russian entry and Eurocopter.
Russia was also in the fray for supplying heavy and attack helicopters. It is learnt it lost the race for the attack helicopters meant for the IAF as their performance did not match that of Boeing's Apache Longbow. The government has already extended the light utility helicopter contract by a year.
Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/army-chopper-deal-faces-fresh-roadblocks/1/158984.html
All of these complaints should be thrown in trash, how can one react to a unnamed anonymous latter?
I will write a latter to govt. that manmohan singh chor hai will it be taken seriously?? then why only defense of our country which is already facing serious drawbacks due to years of negligence.
As the army desperately waits for new light helicopters, fresh roadblocks have emerged to derail the purchase with anonymous complaints
to the defence ministry linking arms dealers with the proposed contract.The government wants to buy 197 light utility helicopters mainly for high-altitude operations. Though the process to buy the choppers was set in motion in 2003,
not much headway has been made. This time, however, the army and the defence ministry are determined to not let the process derail again.Russian Kamov Ka-226T.
The competition has narrowed down to the Russian Kamov Ka-226T and Eurocopter AS550C3 Fennec. The trials were completed some months ago, but the pace left a lot to be desired.
The army headquarters recently carried out a review, removing some of the sticking points. Questions were also raised over the evaluation process. It was found that some of the conditions set for performance were challenging. For instance, the helicopters were required to be based above 5,000ft and re-start after 24 hours. The trial reports are learnt to have been sent to the defence ministry.
In parallel developments, anonymous complaints about involvement of some arms dealers have also surfaced. Though these are being attributed to vested interests, it has made senior officials cautious, sources said.
Problems have plagued the contract since the beginning. Eurocopter had almost bagged the deal beating the Bell 407 four years ago. But the contract was scrapped after allegations of irregularities. Fresh bids were invited in 2008.
Sources said unlike the last time when the contract was immediately cancelled at the whiff of corruption allegations, the ministry was now treading cautiously to ensure there was no larger design to malign the process.
There is already an enormous delay. When the bids were invited, it was expected that the delivery of helicopters would be underway by this time. But the deal is still far from being finalised.
The army needs to replace its old Cheetah and Chetak light helicopters. Out of the 197 helicopters that would be bought, 64 are meant for the Indian Air Force (IAF).
The bids were invited from six contenders ranging from Augusta Westland, Bell Helicopter and Eurocopter to Kamov and Sikorsky. The final contest is between the Russian entry and Eurocopter.
Russia was also in the fray for supplying heavy and attack helicopters. It is learnt it lost the race for the attack helicopters meant for the IAF as their performance did not match that of Boeing's Apache Longbow. The government has already extended the light utility helicopter contract by a year.
Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/army-chopper-deal-faces-fresh-roadblocks/1/158984.html
All of these complaints should be thrown in trash, how can one react to a unnamed anonymous latter?
I will write a latter to govt. that manmohan singh chor hai will it be taken seriously?? then why only defense of our country which is already facing serious drawbacks due to years of negligence.
