India to Assemble Russian Ka-226T Helicopters in India.

[Doctor Death]

Thursday, December 27, 2012 9:20:20 AM (IST)
India to Assemble Russian Helicopters.

Moscow, Dec 27 (IANS/RIA Novosti): Russian Helicopters holding and India's Elcom Systems Pvt. Ltd. have signed an agreement to set up a joint venture to assemble Russian Mil and Kamov helicopters in India, the Russian holding said.

The agreement was signed during Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent visit to India, press secretary Roman Kirillov said.

He offered no timeframe for the joint venture, only saying the first helicopter it will start manufacturing will be the Ka-226T multirole helicopter.

Under a deal signed during Putin's visit to New Delhi, Russia will supply India with combat helicopters and warplanes worth $2.9 billion.

India will buy 42 Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets and 71 Mil Mi-17 helicopters.

The two countries also signed a number of cooperation agreements in the defence and technology sectors during Putin's one-day visit, his first to southeast Asia since his return to the Kremlin in May.

India is now the world's largest arms importer and Russian-made military equipment makes up some 70 percent of India's arms purchases. But Moscow has lost out on a number of deals to Western countries in recent years. Boeing was chosen last month by India over Russia's Mil plant for a major helicopter contract.

India to Assemble Russian Helicopters

 

[zaxcolix]

That is one ugly Helicopter !

Ka 226T is powered with 2 × Turbomeca Arrius 2G1, 335 kW (450 hp) and priced between 2.4 to 2.9 million $

Dhruv is powered with 2 x Shakti turboshafts, 1,032 kW (1,400 shp) and is priced at 7 million $.


This might be a good helicopter for BSF and local police/Coast guard etc..

 

[lilaspr]

Russians are very good in making world class Helicopter at very competitive price tag. India can learn a lot from their expertise.

 

[karan21]

Wait a sec is this related to the Mod's helicopter competition or it is a separate joint venture for the market????

 

[Skull and Bones]

Has it emerged as a winner for Indian 197 LUH ?

 

[Koovie]

That is one ugly Helicopter !

Ka 226T is powered with 2 × Turbomeca Arrius 2G1, 335 kW (450 hp) and priced between 2.4 to 2.9 million $

Dhruv is powered with 2 x Shakti turboshafts, 1,032 kW (1,400 shp) and is priced at 7 million $.


This might be a good helicopter for BSF and local police/Coast guard etc..

This is a LIGHT helicopter intended to replace the Chetahs and Chetak helos.

 

[zaxcolix]

197 LUH has a 50% offset obligation....so this might be in preparation of that. Since Ka 226T is russian the partner would be HAL .

This means product gets more expensive, only screwdriver technology, delivery schedule delay.....

 

[The A-5]

Has it emerged as a winner for Indian 197 LUH ?

I dont think that deal is getting anywhere. Latest news says IA and IAF are ordering additional new-build Cheetahs and Chetaks...probably they want to keep them in service until the HAL-developed single-engine LUH is ready to replace them.

Yes, we could still assemble Ka-226T in India and the possibility that HAL could become an export collaborator here - to sell the Sergei to other countries, is there- it doesn't necessarily mean we are buying them, we also assemble parts of helos like Sikorsky S-92 here, doesn't mean we're buying them, they are exported to Brazil.

 

[SpArK]

 

[sancho]

Wait a sec is this related to the Mod's helicopter competition or it is a separate joint venture for the market????

No, the last official news was, that MoD asked the vendors to extend their comercial offers. This is only a side deal, which might have a relation in case the Kamov helicopter wins. The Russians have to build up new ties, while Eurocopter has already available links to HAL, or Mahindra for example.

 

[Lyrical Mockery]

Indian Central Police Forces need choppers of their own at the earliest.

 

[Tangent]

..can be a good utility helo.... Should explore 3rd market also

 

[Abingdonboy]

This has little baring on the ongoing RSH/LUH prgram IMHO. If it does go ahead then the winner will be the FENNEC AS550 not the KA-226t anyway. Just like Sikorsky,Boeing,Airbus etc Russian aviation companies are taking advantage of the relatively low-costs of production in India and are proobaly looking to utilise lower costs of production tend thus lower unit price to market the KA-226 to other nations.


For India the KA-226 has little prospects wrt the IA,IN,IAF,ICG but maybe, just maybe, a few CAPFs or state police forces may have a look but even these guys are more likely to go for Indian or American/European helos. Depends on how good the Russians can market this ugly duckling.

 

[IndoUS]

Russians trying to to be sneaky/good business men by putting this deal to win the helicopter deal.

 

[sancho]

Depends on how good the Russians can market this ugly duckling.

They can't and that's the point, not even Russian forces buys it, but since the Indian market attracts a lot of interest in Asia, diverting certain parts of the production to India could help, to market it. The production costs in India might not be a real reason, because they would be assembled here, but produced in Russia as it seems, but their Indian partners might take over the maintenance too. We do the same for Flankers and Mig 29s of Bangladesh, or Malaysia.

One of the biggest problems of this helicopter might be the operational costs. Customers wants this class of helicopters, because they are simple and cheap to operate, especially since most of this class has only a single engine. This helicopter instead has 2 engines and coax rotors, which requires more maintenance than conventional once. So basically, you might end up with costs of a Dhruv class helicopter. I highly doubt that it will be selected as L1 in the LUH competition. just like the IL 78 can't be L1 compared to the A330.