$1.5-bn chopper deal may not take off
“After studying the Technical Oversight Committee report, it emerged that the bidders did not meet the specifications of the two forces and (the deal) is expected to be aborted due to inconsistencies,” highly-placed sources told FE. The two options before the IAF were the European Eurocopter and the Russian Kamov.
The deal was scrapped for the first time in 2007 after discrepancies were noted in the process and a new tender was floated. The acquisition of LUHs, which has been delayed for over four years now, is crucial for the Indian Army and the IAF as they aim to replace the ageing fleet of Cheetah/ Chetak choppers procured in the 1970s. Out of the 197 choppers, over 130 will go to the army and the remaining will be operated by the IAF.
Earlier this year, Eurocopter, which is competing with AS 350 Fennec chopper, had written to the army chief to clarify the time frame and speed up the acquisition process.
Eurocopter indicated that the technical evaluation process has taken over 38 months and not come up with a decision yet. The trials of the two helicopters, Eurocopters AS 350 Fennec and Russia’s Kamov 226 Sergei, were completed in December 2010 and the reports were submitted to the defence ministry in 2011.
The second tender was issued in 2008 but this
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