The Indian Navy's MH-60R & Naval Dhruv UHM Helicopters

And HAL is back :

HAL may enter as government revisits Navy chopper plan

By Manu Pubby
Last Updated: May 12, 2020, 11.54 PM IST

The Rs 21,000-crore plan to manufacture naval utility helicopters in partnership with a foreign vendor has been in the works for over a year and important decisions on going to the next step of technical evaluation have to be taken shortly.
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New Delhi: The defence ministry is re-evaluating its big ‘Make in India’ plan to manufacture naval utility helicopters. The companies have been asked to explain if the programme has export potential and the Centre is also looking at giving Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) a chance to enter the competition.

The Rs 21,000-crore plan to manufacture naval utility helicopters in partnership with a foreign vendor has been in the works for over a year and important decisions on going to the next step of technical evaluation have to be taken shortly.

Sources said queries have been sent to Indian and foreign companies bidding for the project to understand if there are plans to continue the line beyond the 111 helicopters envisaged to meet exports in both civil and military markets.

The ministry is also assessing if a lesser number of choppers were to be ordered, what the impact would be on technology transfer and cost viability.
There is an apprehension that the project could be cut down in numbers as the ministry is revising all procurement plans due to an anticipated budget cut.

Sources also said the HAL, which has been making a strong pitch for its Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH), could get a chance to enter the competition if it is able to develop compliant prototypes, within a specified period of time.

The state-owned company has been pitching a naval variant of the ALH with folding rotor blades and tail but is yet to develop a prototype.

 
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And HAL is back :

HAL may enter as government revisits Navy chopper plan

By Manu Pubby
Last Updated: May 12, 2020, 11.54 PM IST

The Rs 21,000-crore plan to manufacture naval utility helicopters in partnership with a foreign vendor has been in the works for over a year and important decisions on going to the next step of technical evaluation have to be taken shortly.
View attachment 15830

New Delhi: The defence ministry is re-evaluating its big ‘Make in India’ plan to manufacture naval utility helicopters. The companies have been asked to explain if the programme has export potential and the Centre is also looking at giving Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) a chance to enter the competition.

The Rs 21,000-crore plan to manufacture naval utility helicopters in partnership with a foreign vendor has been in the works for over a year and important decisions on going to the next step of technical evaluation have to be taken shortly.

Sources said queries have been sent to Indian and foreign companies bidding for the project to understand if there are plans to continue the line beyond the 111 helicopters envisaged to meet exports in both civil and military markets.

The ministry is also assessing if a lesser number of choppers were to be ordered, what the impact would be on technology transfer and cost viability.
There is an apprehension that the project could be cut down in numbers as the ministry is revising all procurement plans due to an anticipated budget cut.

Sources also said the HAL, which has been making a strong pitch for its Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH), could get a chance to enter the competition if it is able to develop compliant prototypes, within a specified period of time.

The state-owned company has been pitching a naval variant of the ALH with folding rotor blades and tail but is yet to develop a prototype.

Looks like the Ka-226 is out as PKS predicted. Pls note Eshwin. @Ashwin
 
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So what was the MoU we signed with the Russians in 2017 all about, which never proceeded beyond that in spite of the Russians reminding us time & again?
How is some MoU relevant if they couldn't get into the tender competition? What is this russian reminding? A 300 words paid article?
 
How is some MoU relevant if they couldn't get into the tender competition? What is this russian reminding? A 300 words paid article?
Be that as it may. Looks like this is one of the first imports cum MII to go on the chopping block with the DMII coming in instead.

BTW - how long you reckon HAL will take to modify it's tail & rotors to be foldable ? 2022? @randomradio
 
Be that as it may. Looks like this is one of the first imports cum MII to go on the chopping block with the DMII coming in instead.
No this is not the first make in india. That would be C295. This would be the first tender under Strategic Partnership (SP). Here, the HALs argument is about Dhruv.

What is DMII?
 
No this is not the first make in india. That would be C295. This would be the first tender under Strategic Partnership (SP). Here, the HALs argument is about Dhruv.

What is DMII?
We don't have an alternative to the C-295. Dhruv is at least a partial answer.

Design MII.
 
Sikorsky signs $905 million deal for 24 MH-60R anti-submarine helicopters for Indian navy

By Garrett Reim
15 May 2020


Sikorsky officially signed a contract with the US Navy to provide 24 examples of the MH-60R helicopter to the Indian navy for anti-submarine warfare.

The $905 million deal with New Delhi was anticipated, as it was reportedly cleared by the Indian Ministry of Defence in February. The sale will be handled by the USN via the Foreign Military Sale process. The first helicopter delivery to the Indian Navy is anticipated in spring 2021.

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In the official US government contract notice, the USN is ordering three MH-60Rs, while India is ordering 21 examples.

“The US Navy has allowed us to leverage three aircraft from their inventory of brand new aircraft that have never been introduced into the fleet — in order to provide them to the Indian Navy so they can begin training on a more accelerated basis than might normally be possible,” says Tom Kane, director of Sikorsky naval helicopter programmes.


Sikorsky declines to say what weapons and subsystems the Indian navy’s MH-60Rs would have. However, the manufacturer says the equipment would enable anti-submarine and anti-ship warfare, as well as special operations, search and rescue, utility, vertical replenishment, and command and control missions.

Previously, the helicopters were to include weapons such as AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System rockets and Mk54 torpedoes and crew served guns, according to a Foreign Military Sales approval notice sent to the US Congress in 2019. The package was also to include multi-mode radars, sonobuoys and multi-spectral targeting systems.

However, that former notice valued the possible deal at $2.6 billion, much higher than the package announced today, so it is not clear what weapons and related equipment would be included in the final sale.

”The initial value of $905 million as announced by the US Navy today is for production of these aircraft. Additional follow-on work is required for unique modifications and systems, which is currently going through the bid and proposal process,” says Kane, noting Sikorsky is still negotiating with the US government. ”Prices can vary depending on specific requirements, unique equipment, length and scale of support, training and logistics packages.”

The main operator of the MH-60R helicopter is the USN, which has 289 examples in its fleet. It plans to fly the aircraft through 2040. The Royal Danish Navy, Royal Australian Navy and Royal Saudi Naval Forces fly the aircraft as well.

The Indian navy is also searching for 111 Naval Utility Helicopters to replace its aging fleet of Hindustan Aeronautics Chetak helicopters. Those new helicopters are intended for search and rescue, casualty evacuation, passenger and cargo transportation and torpedo drop roles.

India wants 95 helicopters out of the 111 Naval Utility Helicopters to be manufactured in country. The local offset would help replace production for the Chetak, a version of the Airbus Alouette III built in India under license.

 
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Sikorsky signs $905 million deal for 24 MH-60R anti-submarine helicopters for Indian navy

By Garrett Reim
15 May 2020


Sikorsky officially signed a contract with the US Navy to provide 24 examples of the MH-60R helicopter to the Indian navy for anti-submarine warfare.

The $905 million deal with New Delhi was anticipated, as it was reportedly cleared by the Indian Ministry of Defence in February. The sale will be handled by the USN via the Foreign Military Sale process. The first helicopter delivery to the Indian Navy is anticipated in spring 2021.

View attachment 15877
In the official US government contract notice, the USN is ordering three MH-60Rs, while India is ordering 21 examples.

“The US Navy has allowed us to leverage three aircraft from their inventory of brand new aircraft that have never been introduced into the fleet — in order to provide them to the Indian Navy so they can begin training on a more accelerated basis than might normally be possible,” says Tom Kane, director of Sikorsky naval helicopter programmes.


Sikorsky declines to say what weapons and subsystems the Indian navy’s MH-60Rs would have. However, the manufacturer says the equipment would enable anti-submarine and anti-ship warfare, as well as special operations, search and rescue, utility, vertical replenishment, and command and control missions.

Previously, the helicopters were to include weapons such as AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System rockets and Mk54 torpedoes and crew served guns, according to a Foreign Military Sales approval notice sent to the US Congress in 2019. The package was also to include multi-mode radars, sonobuoys and multi-spectral targeting systems.

However, that former notice valued the possible deal at $2.6 billion, much higher than the package announced today, so it is not clear what weapons and related equipment would be included in the final sale.

”The initial value of $905 million as announced by the US Navy today is for production of these aircraft. Additional follow-on work is required for unique modifications and systems, which is currently going through the bid and proposal process,” says Kane, noting Sikorsky is still negotiating with the US government. ”Prices can vary depending on specific requirements, unique equipment, length and scale of support, training and logistics packages.”

The main operator of the MH-60R helicopter is the USN, which has 289 examples in its fleet. It plans to fly the aircraft through 2040. The Royal Danish Navy, Royal Australian Navy and Royal Saudi Naval Forces fly the aircraft as well.

The Indian navy is also searching for 111 Naval Utility Helicopters to replace its aging fleet of Hindustan Aeronautics Chetak helicopters. Those new helicopters are intended for search and rescue, casualty evacuation, passenger and cargo transportation and torpedo drop roles.

India wants 95 helicopters out of the 111 Naval Utility Helicopters to be manufactured in country. The local offset would help replace production for the Chetak, a version of the Airbus Alouette III built in India under license.

Interesting to note that the
@USNavy
has agreed to transfer three brand new MH-60R straight from it's own arsenal to the
@indiannavy
.
Says a lot about emerging commonality of assets between both forces !
 
To all Gurus here, is the fuel capacity mentioned in
New Navy version under development.


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To all Gurus/senior members, good day sirs, is the range of the naval version sufficient for the NUH role (As required by IN) with the advertised fuel capacity above, does this fuel include reserves too, if so how much would be reserve volume. Also can the fuel capacity increased further by design, or by carrying drop tanks like fixed wings or modular aux fuel tanks installed inside the crew space for specific missions. Thank you