India to buy 384 light helicopters
After canceling an earlier contract for Army helicopters, India is trying it again. This time though they are buying 259 for their Army and another 125 for the Air Force. See an article here. For information on the previous contract action see this. It is expected that Bell, Eurocopter, Augusta and Kamov will bid on the contract. The Indian government had for years relied on Russian and British equipment, but is now turning to America and other nations for their procurements. Based on past other procurements we will see similar aircraft to those that were proposed for the US Army’s Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) program which was won by the Eurocopter EC-145 aircraft.
India’s indigenous helicopter struggling | Defense Procurement News Said,
June 16, 2008 @ 4:46 pm
[...] According to this article the Indian Navy is canceling its procurement of Druhz helicopters. This light aircraft made indigenously by HAL is failing to meet the operational requirements. The Navy will now look to buy a new, most likely foreign aircraft, to meet its needs. The Indian Army and Air Force are also planning to buy new aircraft, and the original plan was to make a joint Indian-Eurocopter aircraft but that deal fell apart due to corruption issues. For more on that see this. [...]
Renewed helicopters for India | Defense Procurement News Said,
July 28, 2008 @ 3:31 pm
[...] to put out an RFP for light helicopters after all the back-and-forth. See an article here. As previously discussed the planned acquisition was canceled, then planned again, and now it will be for a reduced number [...]