Monday, 20 June 2011
18:27
The MH-60R has been selected by the Australian Defense Forces for its
naval multi role rotary wing fleet. The order for 24 helicopters, is the first
time the aircraft is being supplied outside the United States
The Indian Navy has
issued a Request For Information (RFI) for a second batch of Multi-Role
Helicopters (MRH), even with the existing tender process for a USD 1 billion
order for 16 helicopters still under way.
The RFI reads, “The
Ministry of Defence, Government of India, intends to augment the fleet of
existing multi role helicopters (ASW/ASUW/Special Ops Commando) with suitable
new-build Naval Multi Role Helicopters (NMRH), with comparable performance and
ASW, ASuW, SAR, ELINT and Special Operation / Commando operation capabilities.
The basic helicopter for all three roles viz ASW, ASuW and Special Operation /
Commando should be same with common airframe, engines, avionics etc for ease of
maintenance training and Op-logistics issues. Capability should exist in the
helicopter for role specific configurations to be achieved with ease.”
The navy shopping
around for a second time is being seen as a result of the the increasing
requirement for Multi Role Helicopters, keeping in mind the decreasing life of
the navy’s Sea King helicopters.
The actual number of aircraft required by the navy this time will only
be known once a Request for Proposal (RFP) is issued after the conclusion of
the RFI process. The navy is looking for two variants, for Special Operations
and Anti Submarine/Surface Warfare.
Need for Helicopters
According to the
report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India
The report said, less
than 40 per cent of ASW helicopters and less than 60 per cent of the commando
and utility helicopters were operationally available to constitute Unit
Establishment (UE) of the respective squadrons of the navy.
The 31 year-old
Kamov-25 ASW helicopters have been doing only a fourth of the Annual Flight
Task hours mandated by the government and have been recommended for phase out.
The report says the
navy’s requirement for around 60 ASW Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH)
‘has not materialized at all due to the inability of HAL to meet the laid down
NSQRs (Naval Staff Qualitative Requirements).’ “The reason cited for the
failure of ASW version was that the weapons and sensors as envisaged in the
NSQRs could be met only by a 10 tonne class helicopter and not by a 5.5 tonne
class of helicopter like ALH,” said the report.
New Consideration:
Life Cycle Cost
Unlike the earlier
tender, the new RFI is also taking Life Cycle Cost into consideration as part
of the assessment process. “All vendors are to suggest the life cycle costing
model, including but not limited to cost of acquiring, operating and
maintaining these helicopters for a life span of thirty years from date of
acceptance (without any commercial quotes at this stage), as a proposal for
adopting while working out the Life cycle costing model for the NMRH for
arriving at L1 vendor decision,” says the RFI.
Looking forward to
responding to the new RFI, Air Vice Marshal AJS Walia, Managing Director of
Sikorsky Helicopters in India
Sikorsky’s S70-B and
Augusta Westland’s NH-90 helicopters are due to face trials in the earlier
tender, which is expected to culminate by the end of this year. The MH-60R
‘Romeo’ offered jointly by Lockheed Martin, Sikorsky and the US Navy was
removed from consideration after the navy and defense ministry acquisition
teams took issue with a perceived lack of clarity on the commitments being made
by the each of the three vendors offering the aircraft.
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