Eurocopter?s AS550 C3 Fennec helicopter made its Indian public debut at Aero India 2011 exhibition in Bangalore, showcasing it for India?s acquisition of new rotary-wing aircraft in reconnaissance and surveillance missions. The helicopter recently completed field trials with full mission equipment for the Indian Armed Forces? reconnaissance and surveillance applications, demonstrating its capabilities as the successor to the country?s existing fleet of Indian-produced Cheetah and Chetak helicopters ? both based on Eurocopter rotary-wing aircraft. Excerpts of the interview with Rainer Farid, vice-president sales, Asia Pacific, Eurocopter.
How is the AS550 C3 Fennec best positioned to meet the Indian RSH requirements?
Fennec is a reference helicopter for extremely hot/desert operations and, since 2005, it has demonstrated the capability of landing on the Mount Everest. It is also a military-certified and combat proven helicopter and the most powerful version in the Fennec family. Its exceptional performances have made it a worthy replacement for the Cheetah for work at high altitudes and in hot weather. The increased power and proven reliability features make it a front runner. Eurocopter has a manufacturing capacity of more than 300 Fennec/Ecureuil helicopters a year.
When do you expect the final decision to come out on the 197 RSH (Reconnaissance and Surveillance Helicopter) deal?
The Field Evaluations in India and at OEM premises have been concluded in December 2010. The Fennec has demonstrated extremely good results and is fully compliant with the very demanding RFP quality requirements. The IAF are in urgent need of a new machine to replace the aging Cheetah/Chetaks which are still being supported by Eurocopter in collaboration with HAL. We hope that the MoD would take a final decision by the middle of this year.
What other RFPs do you plan to participate in?
We are also looking forward to the RFP for the requirements of the Indian Navy and Coast Guard. So far, an RFI has been issued and we believe that the AS565 Naval Panther, the military version of the highly successful Dauphin, is the perfect answer to India?s requirements.
The Eurocopter AS565 Naval Panther is the military version of the Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin medium-weight multi-purpose twin-engine helicopter. The Dauphin is already India?s most preferred helicopter especially for oil&gas missions through a 30 helicopter fleet operated by Pawan Hans Helicopter. The military variant Panther is also a globally successful helicopter for Navy and Coast Guard requirements. It is used for a wide range of military roles, including combat assault, fire support, anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, search and rescue, offshore patrolling, counter-terrorism and MEDEVAC. Also, we believe that once the helicopters are delivered, it is very important for the right MRO support to be readily available to maintain the fleet over their life-cycle.
What aspect of your business would you focus on more at this show and why?
Aero India is an airshow that is primarily focused on defense aviation. Hence we are here to showcase our military experience, expertise and technology to all stakeholders including the IAF, the Indian ministry of defence as well as existing and potential business partners. This edition of Aero India not only gave us a chance to showcase our products, it has also given us a chance to interact with others in the region.