Upgrade of India's Mirage fighter fleet in jeopardy as maintenance contracts lapse

[ashok321]

https://www.defensenews.com/global/...et-in-jeopardy-as-maintenace-contracts-lapse/


NEW DELHI — The upgrade of India’s Mirage 2000-H fleet could face a roadblock, after the maintenance warranty from original equipment manufacturers Dassault Aviation and Thales of France expired with nobody willing to continue footing the bill.

The two companies are demanding an annual maintenance fee of around $15 million from state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, the prime contractor on the upgrade, to extend the tooling & test machinery and equipment warranty that expired last month. HAL is refusing to pay, instead asking Indian Air Force to make the payments; IAF argues however that the annual maintenance fee is part the upgrade contract with HAL.

HAL is currently undertaking upgradation of 47 Mirage fighters independently, under a contract awarded in 2015. Seven aircraft have been delivered to the IAF under that deal. India signed $2.1 billion with Thales and Dassault Aviation in July 2011 for upgradation of 51 Mirage 2000H upgraded to Mirage 2000-5 version. Under this deal, four aircraft were upgraded. Two french companies are also supplying new sub-systems that are being incorporated into modified Mirage 2000-H aircraft.

A separate $900 million agreement was also singed with HAL in 2011 to carryout upgradation of the 47 Mirage aircraft in India. Thales is the lead integrator for the upgrade program, whereas Dassault Aviation is the OEM and weapons support is provided by MBDA of France.

The upgrade program involves installation of new mission computers, pulse doppler radars, advanced navigation and electronic warfare systems, advanced communication systems and identification systems. In addition, cockpits of Mirage 2000-H are incorporated with two lateral displays, advanced head down display systems and glass cockpits.

The modification of electronic warfare units involves installation of new radar warning receiver, missile approach warning receivers, jammers to track multiple threats simultaneously, counter measure dispensing systems and escort jammers for jamming surveillance acquisition radars. The modified aircraft will also be equipped with digital video recorder; data transfer system and real time simulation management system.

The upgrade of Mirage fleet is aimed at enhancement of performance and incorporates new weapons, which will provide an expected increase in total technical life to 40 years from original 25 years. Another IAF official said the cost of upgrade does not include HAL’s man-hour costs to upgrade 47 aircraft, which it would undertake with technical assistance from the French suppliers.

 

[ashok321]

nobody willing to continue footing the bill.

Lolwa.

 

[Sinnerman108]

Thales will not like this
unless compensated somewhere else.

 

[ejaz007]

Not My Bill! Indian Air Force, Company Fight Over Who Pays Jet Upkeep Contract
© AFP 2017/ SEBASTIEN BOZON
MILITARY & INTELLIGENCE
00:47 09.12.2017Get short URL
0 50
India might find itself in trouble trying to maintain and upgrade its aging Dassault Mirage fleet of fighter jets as the two responsible bodies point fingers at each other demanding the other one should pay.

The maintenance warranty for India's Mirage 2000 fighter jets is expired, and nobody wants to pay for renewal of the contract, which might end in the absence of a new contract altogether, Defense News reports.

© AFP 2017/ MANJUNATH KIRAN
Air Force Veteran Suggests India Should Go for More Russian Su-30MKI/Su-35
According to the report, French weapon manufacturers Dassault Aviation and Thales demand an annual payment of $15 million from Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) to extend the warranty for tooling and test machinery and equipment that expired last month. HAL, however, reportedly refused to pay, asking the Indian Air Force to provide money instead. The Air Force responded by pointing out that the annual maintenance fee is part the upgrade contract with HAL.

Hindustan Aeronautics executives have not yet commented on the issue.

Hindustan Aeronautics is currently responsible for upgrading India's 47 Mirage jets under a contract awarded in 2015. The company managed to deliver seven upgraded jets to the Air Force since then, Defense News reports. Another contract, signed in 2011, puts HAL in responsibility of upgrading of another batch of 47 Mirages.

Interestingly, Thales and Dassault are also tasked with upgrading another 51 Mirage jets under a contract signed back in 2011. Despite the longer timeframe, only four jets were delivered to the Air Force. Thales and Dassault also have important roles in HAL's own upgrade programs.

Squeezed between two potential adversaries — China and Pakistan — India seeks to upgrade and simultaneously increase its fleet of planes from 34 squadrons to 42, which means procurement of some 150-160 more planes. However, their fleet of Soviet-era jets are aging and some 13 squadrons are expected to retire by 2027. This debate over responsibility for their Mirages is just one more headache to worry about.

For the most part, the Indian Air Force is equipped with Soviet and Russian aircraft, Cold War familiars like the MiG-21, MiG-27, MiG-29 and newer Su-30MKI. French-built Mirages stand out as one of the few Western-manufactured aircraft alongside the SEPECAT Jaguar, although both are Cold War relics of similar age to their Soviet jets. The IAF only sports one home-grown plane: the HAL Tejas fighter.

https://sputniknews.com/military/201712091059842765-india-hal-air-force-mirage/

 

[Han Patriot]

Not My Bill! Indian Air Force, Company Fight Over Who Pays Jet Upkeep Contract
© AFP 2017/ SEBASTIEN BOZON
MILITARY & INTELLIGENCE
00:47 09.12.2017Get short URL
0 50
India might find itself in trouble trying to maintain and upgrade its aging Dassault Mirage fleet of fighter jets as the two responsible bodies point fingers at each other demanding the other one should pay.

The maintenance warranty for India's Mirage 2000 fighter jets is expired, and nobody wants to pay for renewal of the contract, which might end in the absence of a new contract altogether, Defense News reports.

© AFP 2017/ MANJUNATH KIRAN
Air Force Veteran Suggests India Should Go for More Russian Su-30MKI/Su-35
According to the report, French weapon manufacturers Dassault Aviation and Thales demand an annual payment of $15 million from Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) to extend the warranty for tooling and test machinery and equipment that expired last month. HAL, however, reportedly refused to pay, asking the Indian Air Force to provide money instead. The Air Force responded by pointing out that the annual maintenance fee is part the upgrade contract with HAL.

Hindustan Aeronautics executives have not yet commented on the issue.

Hindustan Aeronautics is currently responsible for upgrading India's 47 Mirage jets under a contract awarded in 2015. The company managed to deliver seven upgraded jets to the Air Force since then, Defense News reports. Another contract, signed in 2011, puts HAL in responsibility of upgrading of another batch of 47 Mirages.

Interestingly, Thales and Dassault are also tasked with upgrading another 51 Mirage jets under a contract signed back in 2011. Despite the longer timeframe, only four jets were delivered to the Air Force. Thales and Dassault also have important roles in HAL's own upgrade programs.

Squeezed between two potential adversaries — China and Pakistan — India seeks to upgrade and simultaneously increase its fleet of planes from 34 squadrons to 42, which means procurement of some 150-160 more planes. However, their fleet of Soviet-era jets are aging and some 13 squadrons are expected to retire by 2027. This debate over responsibility for their Mirages is just one more headache to worry about.

For the most part, the Indian Air Force is equipped with Soviet and Russian aircraft, Cold War familiars like the MiG-21, MiG-27, MiG-29 and newer Su-30MKI. French-built Mirages stand out as one of the few Western-manufactured aircraft alongside the SEPECAT Jaguar, although both are Cold War relics of similar age to their Soviet jets. The IAF only sports one home-grown plane: the HAL Tejas fighter.

https://sputniknews.com/military/201712091059842765-india-hal-air-force-mirage/

Why are they even keeping Mirages, just keep SU-30MKI, upgrade them and absorb the technology. This is the problem when you don't have core technology. Except for engines, China upgrades our own planes easily to the latest technology.

 

[Willy wolly]

What else to say about lazy IAF, they just keep getting worse day by day, the maintenance is the last thing that they do before taking off, the planes crash, the men die and the game goes on, tax payers are robbed each year on the name of security and what do we get low maintenance low quality fighters like Su 30 mki the hanger queen, the spare hungry Mig 29's and least bothered govt which wants to stuff Tejas a point defence fighter to fill the role of multirole fighters just wow....

 

[ziaulislam]

so was it 2.1+0.9 billion $ deal?

 

[Han Patriot]

What else to say about lazy IAF, they just keep getting worse day by day, the maintenance is the last thing that they do before taking off, the planes crash, the men die and the game goes on, tax payers are robbed each year on the name of security and what do we get low maintenance low quality fighters like Su 30 mki the hanger queen, the spare hungry Mig 29's and least bothered govt which wants to stuff Tejas a point defence fighter to fill the role of multirole fighters just wow....

SU-30MKI is not bad but the TVC engine has got low lifespan and that's the reason why only Malaysia and India are using this variant. Coupled with the fact that India does not produce most of the spare parts, the planes end up being hangar queens.

 

[Gurjot.S]

SU-30MKI is not bad but the TVC engine has got low lifespan and that's the reason why only Malaysia and India are using this variant. Coupled with the fact that India does not produce most of the spare parts, the planes end up being hangar queens.

Su-30 have service rate of more than 65% in IAF

 

[DarX]

Why are they even keeping Mirages, just keep SU-30MKI, upgrade them and absorb the technology. This is the problem when you don't have core technology. Except for engines, China upgrades our own planes easily to the latest technology.

From what I've read, the SU-30 is much more expensive to maintain and operate than the Mirage 2000. This is because the Sukhoi is a much larger plane with two massive engines. The Mirage 2000, on the other hand, is a very useful jet with much more economical running costs.

 

[Dazzler]

Su-30 have service rate of more than 65% in IAF

Anything less than 70 is considered low.

 

[Gurjot.S]

Anything less than 70 is considered low.

During war time,it can be taken to 80+ easily.

 

[Dazzler]

During war time,it can be taken to 80+ easily.

And how would you achieve that feat?

 

[DarX]

During war time,it can be taken to 80+ easily.

Haha. So why is India waiting for a war to achieve that? If India is so relaxed about it now, don't you think the chances are much higher that they will blunder in maintaining serviceability rates during war time? Sounds like a very unprofessional force. Just like the low achieving students who wait for exams to study, and then fail the exams.