Indian Navy to purchase 16 US multi-role choppers for $1 bn

[sancho]

I don't know where this 8 figure has come from mate. The deal is for 16 with an option for 44 more helos

That's not possible, the optional orders are never higher than the initial order and the Sikorsky press release
@Lord Of Gondor posted confirms 16 + 8 too.

 

[Abingdonboy]

That's not possible, the optional orders are never higher than the initial order and the Sikorsky press release
@Lord Of Gondor posted confirms 16 + 8 too.

How strange, I've not heard this 24 unit (16+8) mentioned the entire time this deal has been on, it has always been 60 (16+44).

 

[surya kiran]

How strange, I've not heard this 24 unit (16+8) mentioned the entire time this deal has been on, it has always been 60 (16+44).

India’s Navy has selected Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX), to fulfill the service’s Multi-Role Helicopter requirement for anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare (ASW/ASuW), among other maritime roles. Negotiations will now begin to procure 16 S-70B SEAHAWK® helicopters, with an option for eight additional aircraft, along with a complete logistics support and training program.

Press Releases Details

 

[Agent_47]

How strange, I've not heard this 24 unit (16+8) mentioned the entire time this deal has been on, it has always been 60 (16+44).

You are correct , I also never heard 24 number.


The cut throat competition probably arose on account of the fact that the RFP also stipulated that IN would have the option of placing orders for another 44 helicopters, on completion of the contract for the initial 16. Furthermore it was widely expected throughout 2012 that a follow on tender for another 75 units would be issued that year.
IBNLive :Saurav Jha's Blog :The Indian Navy's helicopter plans and purchases

 

[Neptune]

Congratulations! A highly reliable platform. Pride of TNF Naval Aviation Command

 

[sudhir007]

I dnt understand why IN buying only 16 when the actual need of around 150.
If they order 150 with local assembly it will more cheaper and good for us.

@sancho @anant_s @Abingdonboy @Skull and Bones

 

[mehboobkz]

S-70B SEAHAWK COCKPIT:

 

[Skull and Bones]

I dnt understand why IN buying only 16 when the actual need of around 150.
If they order 150 with local assembly it will more cheaper and good for us.

@sancho @anant_s @Abingdonboy @Skull and Bones

I believe Naval Dhruv can be configured as a gap filler in ASW role.

 

[mehboobkz]

S-70B cabin

The S-70B helicopter features a spacious and comfortable cabin with increased leg space for passengers. The cabin can accommodate four flight crew – pilot, co-pilot, sensor operator and weapon system operator. The cabin is 3.2m long, 1.8m wide and 1.3m high. The cabin area and volume of the MH-60R are 6m² and 8.5m³ respectively.

Navigation suite
The Seahawk's navigation suite includes the AN/APS-124 search radar supplied by Raytheon (formerly Texas Instruments), AN/ARN-118(V) Tacan supplied by Rockwell Collins, AN/APN-127 Doppler radar from Teledyne Ryan, AN/ARA-50 UHF direction finding system from Rockwell Collins and the AN/APR-194 (V) radar altimeter from Honeywell.

"The Seahawk can travel up to 100nm from the host ship and remain on station for several hours."
Anti-submarine warfare
The helicopter is equipped with a Sikorsky sonobuoy launcher on the port side of the cabin, an ARR-84 receiver, an UYS-1 acoustic processing unit and an ARN-146 on top position indicator that indicates the position over a submerged submarine. The towed magnetic anomaly detector is the AN/ASQ-81 (V)2 supplied by Raytheon.

The helicopter carries two mk46 torpedoes or mk50 ALT advanced lightweight torpedoes from Honeywell.

Anti-ship warfare
The Seahawk's anti-ship missile is the AGM-119B Penguin from Kongsberg of Norway. The helicopter also carries the Hellfire air-to-surface missile to engage fast attack craft and small, armed ships. Target acquisition is carried out using the AAS-44 thermal imaging unit with a laser designator.

Countermeasures
The helicopter carries the ALQ-142 electronic support measures system. US Navy Seahawks have also been fitted with AN/ALQ-144 infrared jammers from BAE Systems Information & Electronic Warfare Systems (formerly Sanders), AN/ALE-47 chaff and flare dispensers from Lockheed Martin, AN/AAR-47 missile warners from ATK and the AN/AAS-38 forward-looking infrared from Lockheed Martin.

I dnt understand why IN buying only 16 when the actual need of around 150.
If they order 150 with local assembly it will more cheaper and good for us.

@sancho @anant_s @Abingdonboy @Skull and Bones

150?

Australia has more coastline than India (nearly 4 times more than India) but maintains only 16 such.

 

[anant_s]

I dnt understand why IN buying only 16 when the actual need of around 150.
If they order 150 with local assembly it will more cheaper and good for us.

@sancho @anant_s @Abingdonboy @Skull and Bones

Well for one thing, the cost is one issue and as of now it is quite high. no doubt, it will come down once more pieces are purchased (unit cost wise) as the cost for setting up of maintenance and training facilities will be one time. That said, looks like the order size will increase slowly as the first birds start arriving, something that has a precedence for foreign purchases in India (C130, Pilatus PC 7 etc). As you rightly mentioned, the requirement is pretty large and the number is bound to go up from 16 proposed now.
Hope Dhruva will meet some of those requirements.

 

[Abingdonboy]

I believe Naval Dhruv can be configured as a gap filler in ASW role.

Nope, the IN won't use ALHs for the ASW role merely SAR and other utility tasks.

I dnt understand why IN buying only 16 when the actual need of around 150.
If they order 150 with local assembly it will more cheaper and good for us.

@sancho @anant_s @Abingdonboy @Skull and Bones

The figure the IN has projected for these medium-weight NMRHs is around 130 and rest assured they will be getting them. The remaining units (for orders over and above 24) will most definitely be built inside India and as @Rikbo has stated Sikorsky have agreed to look into this.

 

[Agent_47]

I dnt understand why IN buying only 16 when the actual need of around 150.
If they order 150 with local assembly it will more cheaper and good for us.

@sancho @anant_s @Abingdonboy @Skull and Bones

After finializing the contract there will be a new contract for maximum Indianized version of the S70.which will be 100 plus in numbers and it will be in the line of Turkey T70 contract with making india a maintainance hub Turkey’s TUHP: $3.5b 109 T-70 Helicopters – More
The navy is trying to bring in minimum number of S70 multiroles to fill the gap for the time being.

 

[sancho]

I dnt understand why IN buying only 16 when the actual need of around 150.
If they order 150 with local assembly it will more cheaper and good for us.

The 100+ number is only the speculated requirement of larger helicopters, not of ASW helicopters, nor even of this class of helicopters. This order is specifically for dedicated ASW versions, while the larger order is for naval multi role helicopters, that could be used in the ASW role if necessary, but not in first place. You don't need sonar buoy launcher on every naval helicopter right? So the requirement for dedicated ASW roles is between 16 and 24, while the greater aim for multi role helicopters can be additional S70s, possibly even bigger naval S92 or EC725 (in theory even AW101s). So this initial deal alone doesn't have an importance for the larger deal, since it's mission specific, while the larger order will have higher importance on the industrial advantages (ToT, offsets and Make of India).

 

[Rikbo]

I dnt understand why IN buying only 16 when the actual need of around 150.
If they order 150 with local assembly it will more cheaper and good for us.

@sancho @anant_s @Abingdonboy @Skull and Bones

Initial buy of 16 with an option for 8 more. Even as an advocate of the 70B this makes sense to me. Why:
1. Solves the immediate need to get something fairly quickly to address the failing Sea Kings.
2. Gives India time to gain actual experience with the aircraft and determine if it performs and is a quality product.
3. Allows time for them to prepare and go through the proposal and evaluation process for an in-country manufacturing approach.
No doubt in my mind they will like the 70B and it will become the defacto front runner for the next procurement. The S-70B can easily be "dumbed down" to serve a variety of multirole uses.

S-70B cabin

The S-70B helicopter features a spacious and comfortable cabin with increased leg space for passengers. The cabin can accommodate four flight crew – pilot, co-pilot, sensor operator and weapon system operator. The cabin is 3.2m long, 1.8m wide and 1.3m high. The cabin area and volume of the MH-60R are 6m² and 8.5m³ respectively.

Navigation suite
The Seahawk's navigation suite includes the AN/APS-124 search radar supplied by Raytheon (formerly Texas Instruments), AN/ARN-118(V) Tacan supplied by Rockwell Collins, AN/APN-127 Doppler radar from Teledyne Ryan, AN/ARA-50 UHF direction finding system from Rockwell Collins and the AN/APR-194 (V) radar altimeter from Honeywell.

"The Seahawk can travel up to 100nm from the host ship and remain on station for several hours."
Anti-submarine warfare
The helicopter is equipped with a Sikorsky sonobuoy launcher on the port side of the cabin, an ARR-84 receiver, an UYS-1 acoustic processing unit and an ARN-146 on top position indicator that indicates the position over a submerged submarine. The towed magnetic anomaly detector is the AN/ASQ-81 (V)2 supplied by Raytheon.

The helicopter carries two mk46 torpedoes or mk50 ALT advanced lightweight torpedoes from Honeywell.

Anti-ship warfare
The Seahawk's anti-ship missile is the AGM-119B Penguin from Kongsberg of Norway. The helicopter also carries the Hellfire air-to-surface missile to engage fast attack craft and small, armed ships. Target acquisition is carried out using the AAS-44 thermal imaging unit with a laser designator.

Countermeasures
The helicopter carries the ALQ-142 electronic support measures system. US Navy Seahawks have also been fitted with AN/ALQ-144 infrared jammers from BAE Systems Information & Electronic Warfare Systems (formerly Sanders), AN/ALE-47 chaff and flare dispensers from Lockheed Martin, AN/AAR-47 missile warners from ATK and the AN/AAS-38 forward-looking infrared from Lockheed Martin.



150?

Australia has more coastline than India (nearly 4 times more than India) but maintains only 16 such.

I believe some of the info in this post relates to the MH-60R and some of it is outdated. MH-60R is a completely different aircraft.

 

[1971+]

Wasn't Russia setting up some light helo Kamov factory in India ? I wonder ,what would be their utility .