Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Indian Army Light Helicopter program in limbo
The Indian Army was forced to restart a 2007 competition to field 197 Light Utility Helicopters after the initial selection was overturned. Till now, there has been no progress on the new tender.
Summer trials of the shortlisted helicopters were supposed to start in June or July but those plans have been postponed to April or May next year.
Labels: Indian Army Light Helicopter
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Saturday, November 15, 2008
Bell Helicopter quits India's Light Helicopter contest
Bell Helicopter has decided not to participate in India's Light Helicopter contest as the company was not able to meet the country's stringent offset requirements.
"We conducted a study and decided not to bid as we cannot commit to the 50 per cent offsets clause," a Bell official said.
Labels: Indian Army Light Helicopter
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Tuesday, November 04, 2008
5 firms shortlisted from Indian light helicopter contest
Here is the list of helicopters that have been shortlisted for India's light helicopter contest.
They are the AS 550 Fennec, Bell 407, Ka-226, A109 Power or the A119 Koala and the MD520N.
Labels: Indian Army Light Helicopter
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Thursday, July 03, 2008
Relative of top Army officer tried to pass off civilian model as military one
India's The Tribune has an exclusive story on how Eurocopter's plan to sell 197 light helicopters to India had failed in the last minute.
An investigation had revealed that a relative of a senior Army official had lobbied hard on behalf of Eurocopter and tried to pass off a civilian model as a military one.
High altitude trials also showed that the helicopter did not meet requirements.
Labels: Indian Army Light Helicopter
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Friday, June 06, 2008
Govt pares order for foreign choppers from 384 to 197
Its back to square one again. The Indian government has decided to make another change to its global tender for light helicopters. It has decided to buy 197 instead of the planned 384 aircraft.
The remaining 187 will be indigenously developed and manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) despite protests from the Air Force and Army.
Labels: Indian Army Light Helicopter
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Friday, April 11, 2008
Govt clears floating of tenders to purchase light choppers
India on Thursday floated its biggest global for 384 light helicopters. 259 helicopters are being purchased for the Army while 125 will go to the Air Force.
Under the contract, 197 helicopters would be brought off the shelf and the remaining would be assembled at HAL.
Labels: Indian Army Light Helicopter
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Saturday, February 23, 2008
HAL to bid for Army helicopters
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited has asked the Indian Army to consider its Light Observation Helicopter for its 197 aircraft requirement.
But the idea faces difficulties as the helicopter is still on the drawing board and there is an urgent requirement to field the new helicopters.
Labels: Indian Army Light Helicopter
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Friday, February 01, 2008
India seeks bidders for new chopper deal: source
India will widen its tender for new helicopters and will seek to have 312 aircraft on an "urgent" basis.
The Indian Air Force added its requirement of 115 helicopters to the 197 helicopters required by the Army.
"Letters of interest have been sent to Kamov (Russia), Bell (US), Augusta Westland (Italy) and Eurocopter (France) expressing our urgent requirements," a senior defence ministry official said, asking not to be named.
Labels: Indian Army Light Helicopter
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Saturday, January 26, 2008
Eurocopter Cautious On Any New Indian Army Tender For Choppers
Apparently the fielding of a Eurocopter AS350 B3 civilian version of the AS550 C3 military helicopter sunk EADS' bid to sell 197 light helicopters to India.
Labels: Indian Army Light Helicopter
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Saturday, December 22, 2007
France admits Indian helicopter deal off and says will re-bid
The French foreign minister has admitted that the plan for Eurocopter to supply 197 helicopters to the Indian army has been canceled.
Bernard Kouchner however stressed that Eurocopter will win out again in the next round of contest.
"The French Fennec helicopters are the best. Fennec is world class and is perfectly adapted to the Indian conditions," he said.
Sources
France admits Indian helicopter deal off and says will re-bid
France confident of being second time lucky in Eurocopter deal
Labels: Indian Army Light Helicopter
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Thursday, December 20, 2007
Eurocopter denies losing 600-mln-dlr India helicopter deal
Eurocopter refused to give up hopes of selling its AS550 helicopters to India by denying that it has lost the contract.
"There is no official statement regarding the cancellation. We have no official information," Eurocopter's senior vice president for Asia sales, Norbert Ducrot, told reporters.
Labels: Indian Army Light Helicopter
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Wednesday, December 19, 2007
EADS protests over shelved India chopper contract: sources
EADS has lodged a protest with the Indian government over the cancellation of a deal to sell 197 helicopters to the country's army, Indian defence sources said Monday.
The plan was canceled last month by the Indian government and a probe is being conducted due to irregularities.
Labels: Indian Army Light Helicopter
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Monday, December 03, 2007
India may scrap 600-mln-dlr Eurocopter deal: official
An Indian official say an investigation has started on the fishy deal to supply 197 light utility helicopters from Eurocopter.
Apparently an officer who was part of the evaluation committee had a brother who headed the company that is Eurocopter's sole distributor in India.
Labels: Indian Army Light Helicopter
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Tuesday, November 27, 2007
India To Rebid Army Utility Helo
India will rebid its light utility helicopter competition after protests from Bell that it was given unfair treatment.
Labels: Indian Army Light Helicopter
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Thursday, October 18, 2007
Germany to Make High-Tech Offers to India in Visit
A visit by German Chancellor Angela Merkel to New Delhi could speed up the process by India to purchase 197 light helicopters from Eurocopter.
Eurocopter's chief executive will accompany Merkel for the visit.
Labels: Indian Army Light Helicopter
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Monday, October 08, 2007
India to buy 197 helicopters
EADS senior vice-president for South Asia, Mr Allain Letanoux, told a group of Indian journalists in Paris that the India Army has selected the AS550 as its next light helicopter.
The Indian Navy may order the aircraft as well.
Labels: Indian Army Light Helicopter
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Thursday, August 30, 2007
Light Helicopter Deal with Eurocopter
Indian Defence Minister A K Antony told Parliament that the plan to buy 197 light helicopters for the Army is still pending.
Labels: Indian Army Light Helicopter
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Monday, July 16, 2007
Re-tender Indian Army chopper order, US urges
The U.S. ambassador to India has approached Indian Defence Minister A K Antony on re-tendering the tender to supply 197 light helicopters to the Indian Army.
This comes after the Bell 407 was knocked out of the competition on technical grounds. Bell said it was disqualified after India claims that the 407's winch had not been certified by the FAA. The company said the certification had been obtained before the trials ended and its plea had fallen on deaf ears.
Labels: Indian Army Light Helicopter
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Thursday, May 24, 2007
Eurocopter set to ink deal with Army
Eurocopter is in final stages of negotiation with the Indian government to supply 197 helicopters for the Army.
60 AS550 helicopters will be manufactured in France while the rest will be produced in India.
Labels: Indian Army Light Helicopter
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Monday, April 09, 2007
Eurocopter wins big Indian Army deal
The latest issue of India Strategic magazine claims that Eurocopter's AS550 C3 Fennec has beat Bell's 407 to supply 197 helicopters for the Indian Army.
HAL sources told India Strategic that Eurocopter will supply 60 helicopters while the remaining 137 will be manufactured by HAL at its Bangalore facility.
Labels: Indian Army Light Helicopter
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Saturday, March 17, 2007
Indian Army's advice on Bell-407, Eurocopter accepted
The Indian Army has completed trials of the Bell-407 and Eurocopter helicopters and the results have been sent to the government.
No winner was announced though.
Labels: Indian Army Light Helicopter
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Friday, November 03, 2006
Bell Helicopter eyeing $700mn army deal
Bell Helicopter is exploring setting up a helicopter pilot training institute and servicing and maintenance facility in India to win the bid to supply 197 helicopters to the Indian Army.
Labels: Indian Army Light Helicopter
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Wednesday, September 27, 2006
HAL may bag orders to make Bell choppers
Hindustan Aeronautics is expected to manufacture about 130 Bell 407 helicopters if its selected by the Indian Army.
Labels: Indian Army Light Helicopter
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Monday, September 18, 2006
US firms set to bag deal for sale of 197 helicopters
Bell is expected to win the competition to supply 197 light helicopters to the Indian Army.
The deal is still subjected to approval by Defence Minister Pranab Mukherhee as well as the Cabinet Committee on Security.
Related Article
Army modernises aviation:to purchase 197 choppers
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Thursday, June 29, 2006
Bell upbeat on Indian Army chopper order
Bell is highly confident that its Bell-407 will be selected by the Indian Army for an order for 197 multi-role helicopters and is willing to assist HAL to develop an attack helicopter as well.
Both the Bell-407 and the Eurocopter AS550 recently underwent trails in the Siachen Glacier and the deserts of Rajasthan, where they will primarily be deployed.
Labels: Indian Army Light Helicopter
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Monday, May 01, 2006
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Cheetah, Chetak to be replaced by upgraded choppers: Vice Chief
The Indian Army will gradually phased out its Cheetah and Chetak helicopters with new license build ones.
Nearly 200 helicopters will be replaced by an American or European design from next year.
Labels: Indian Army Light Helicopter
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Wednesday, November 23, 2005
EADS plans tech transfer to HAL
EADS is trying to sell its AS 555 SN Fennec and Tiger helicopter to the Indian Army.
It plans to break into the Indian market by transferring technology to Hindustan Aeronautics.
Labels: Indian Army Light Helicopter
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Thursday, October 27, 2005
Indian Army on the process of evaluating bells LRH
The Indian Army is evaluating Bell's helicopters for its Light Reconniance Helicopter program.
Labels: Indian Army Light Helicopter
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Monday, September 05, 2005
Army modernises aviation:to purchase 197 choppers
The Indian Army will acquire 197 light helicopters as well as light helicopter gunships in order to expand its aviation wing.
Currently Eurocopter and Bell Textron are completing their second and final round of summer trials in Jammu and Kashmir and Rajasthan for selection.
The Army wants to buy 55 helicopters and the remaining 142-odd be built under licence at HAL.
Labels: Indian Army Light Helicopter
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Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Eurocopter, Bell vie for Indian Army contractEurocopter and Bell Textron will compete in their second and final round of summer trials for the Indian Army contract for 197 light helicopters.
Labels: Indian Army Light Helicopter
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Tuesday, February 15, 2005
Bell links tech transfer to Army orderBell Textron has said it is willing to transfer technology if it is awarded the Indian Army tender for 197 helicopters.
Labels: Indian Army Light Helicopter
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Thursday, December 02, 2004
Bell bid to sell 100 copters to military
Bell Helicopter Textron wants to sell 100 of its 407-model helicopters to the Indian military, a senior official of firm said on Wednesday.
Labels: Indian Army Light Helicopter
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