Tiger not participating in India's contest, Boeing to offer Apache

Boeing submits bids for $2bln India defence projects

Boeing Co (BA.N) has submitted two proposals to the Indian Air Force, offering the AH-64D Apache and the CH-47F Chinook in a deal potentially worth $2 billion, Boeing's country head and Indian officials said on Friday.India invited bids in May for 22 attack helicopters and at least 15 heavy-lift helicopters as it plans to replace its ageing Soviet-era fleet with modern weapon systems.

"The Apache will be a capable and lethal defender of India's troops and assets, while the Chinook will answer many of the country's military and humanitarian needs," Vivek Lall, vice president and India country head for Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, said on Friday."We have no idea of the timeline and how long will it take as we have just submitted our proposals," Lall told Reuters.

The company has already signed a $2.1 billion contract for supplying eight P-8I warfare planes to the Indian Navy.The Indian government says it will prioritise defence and push forward pending projects to modernise its armed forces especially after the Mumbai attacks in November revealed security loopholes.It is looking to spend more than $30 billion over the next five years to modernise its defence systems.

Eurocopter opts out of race to supply attack helicopters

European aviation major Eurocopter has opted out of the race for supplying 22 attack helicopters to the Indian Air Force, leaving contenders from the United States, Russia and Italy in the fray.Eurocopter has conveyed to the Defence Ministry that its Tiger attack helicopters are undergoing upgrades and would not be able to participate in the field trials, which the IAF is planning to hold in mid-2010, sources told.

The company apprised the Ministry of its decision on October 20 -- the last date for submitting the response to the global tender released in May this year, they added.With the exit of Eurocopter, only Boeing with its AH-64D Apache, Agusta Westland with its AW-149 and Russian helicopter manufacturer Mil are left behind in the race, sources said.

IAF's plans to acquire the combat choppers for replacing and augmenting its fleet of Russian-built attack helicopters have been marred by exits and the tender has already been issued twice.In the first tender issued in June last year, American companies Bell and Boeing had backed out of the race. Boeing was reportedly not comfortable with the 50 per cent offsets commitments required in the tender and Bell did not participate as its choppers were available only through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route.

The tender demanded the choppers to be sold through the Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) route by participating American companies and not through the US government.After the cancellation of the first tender, a fresh Request for Proposal was re-issued in May this year with reduced offset requirements and option of selling the chopper through both FMS and DCS routes, Bell again backed out as its chopper was still under evaluation by the US Marine Corps in July.

Meanwhile, Boeing and Russian Mil have submitted their responses for the 15 heavy-lift chopper tender of the IAF, officials said.Boeing is offering its Chinook tandem-rotor choppers and the Russians are in fray with their world's largest helicopter Mi-26."Boeing believes the Chinook helicopters are the most capable and cost-effective rotorcraft to meet India's transport requirements," Boeing Integrated Defense Systems Vice President and India-head Vivek Lall said after submitting the company's response to RFP.

India had procured a fleet of six Mi-26 choppers in the 80s but only four of them are left now. The IAF plans to use these choppers for ferrying troops and cargo to places where aircraft can not land and for carrying out relief and rescue operations in the case of any emergency.

Posted in: Helicopter,India