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Intense battle on for missile contract

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Intense battle on for missile contract

Almost every aviation watcher is talking about the imminent multi-billion dollar Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) deal for the Indian Air Force.

But beyond the glare of this spotlight, weapon manufacturers are waging an equally intense battle to clinch the contract to supply the missiles that will be integrated into the eventual winner.

The heat of this competition was very evident at Aero India 2011, with the likes of MBDA and the American firm, Raytheon, aggressively marketing their versatile missile
range.

While MBDA showcased its Meteor, the Beyond Visual Range Air to Air Missile, which could be fitted onto the Eurofighter Typhoon, Grippen or the Rafale aircraft – all competing for the MMRCA deal -- Raytheon was clear that it could deliver missile systems for five of the six platforms competing for the mega deal.

A top Raytheon official’s remark was telling enough: “We are aircraft-independent, combat-proven and reliable.” For the record, the Raytheon range features five missile types, including the Amraan, Paveway, HARM, Maverick and AIM-9X for the F-16. Some of these could also be integrated into Grippen, Eurofighter and Rafale, besides the F/A-18, company officials said.

Israeli missile manufactures are also in the fray. While State-owned aviation major, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), will eventually take a final call once the MMRCA aircraft is known, the missile makers would want to be seen “reliable.”

Nuclear sanctions

With the history of nuclear sanctions, the Americans have apparently not scored high on the reliability front. But Raytheon officials justified its reliability claim, citing the US Government’s readiness to offer even its frontline fighter to India as a sign of a sea change in strategic relationships.

Having its missiles used in real conflict scenes in Afghanistan and Iraq, for instance, Raytheon emphasised on the combat-proven nature of its ware. That was obviously, a direct threat to MBDA’s offer of the METEOR missile.

The METEOR is currently under development by the European missile maker, which has showcased it as a “weapon of the future,” with a capability three to four times stronger than the contemporary weapons. If India eventually goes for an European make MMRCA, the country would be one of the first in the world to get the missile integrated.

“The British, Spanish, Italian, German and all other frontline European Air Forces would have the same capability,” a top MBDA official told Deccan Herald. Yet, the missile is not combat-proven, and the Americans are harping on this factor to hard sell their produce.
Hyderabad-based Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), the premier national missile maker, will also be a decisive factor. Existing partnerships between BDL and the competing foreign missile makers will have to be factored in too.

Intense battle on for missile contract
 
US clears attack chopper, sophisticated radar, missiles for India
New Delhi, Jan 4, IANS:

The US administration has cleared two more missiles and a highly sophisticated combat radar for the Indian Air Force (IAF), as also the anti-tank Hellfire air-to-surface missile and air-to-air Stinger anti-aircraft missile.

The missiles, and the Longbow Fire Control Radar (FCR) which operates them, are part of the weapons package on board the Apache 64D Block III attack helicopter that is under consideration for acquisition by India.

The Apache helicopter is built by Boeing, the Hellfire by Lockheed Martin, the Longbow FCR by Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, and the Stinger by Raytheon, all of them global majors in military industrial technology.

Apache is one of the two combat helicopters that have competed last year for IAF's global tender for 22 combat helicopters to replace and update its inventory of old, Soviet Vintage Mi 35 (basically Mi 24) helicopters. The other helicopter in competition is the Russian Mi 28.

All field and weapon trials for both these helicopters are over and a decision is likely within the first quarter of this year, according to India Strategic defence magazine (..:: India Strategic ::.. Home Page: The authoritative monthly on Defence and Strategic Affairs.).

Russia exports all weapons and combat platforms through its state-run Rosoboronexport, while the US government allows certain military and non-military systems to be acquired from various companies under what is called Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) and sensitive technology items either after clearance or through what is known as the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme.

The IAF proposes to buy the helicopter platforms under DCS from Boeing, and missiles and weapons from the US government and the army, which operates them, under FMS.
Although the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) is yet to announce the selection, the US government notified the Congress on Dec 22, 2010, of the "possible" sale of these helicopters and combat systems as per the mandatory procedural approval. The idea is that in case India does make its choice in favour of the Apache, then the sale can be progressed without any time delay.

The MoD can send a Letter of Request (LoR) and the US government would issue a Letter of Acceptance (LoA) to seal the deal. The US Army, which is using the Apache in combat operations, has facilitated the trials by bringing the helicopter to India and demonstrating its capabilities in hot and high altitude environments as per the IAF Air Staff requirements.

It may be noted that the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has pegged the price of the 22 helicopters at an "estimated $1.4 billion" inclusive of training, support, spares and engines. The actual price may vary, and go up or down depending on what IAF wants and what the numbers are.

DSCA has sought congressional approval to clear: A possible sale of 50 T700-GE-701D engines, 12 AN/APG-78 Fire Control Radars, 12 AN/APR-48A Radar Frequency Interferometers, 812 AGM-114L-3 Hellfire Longbow missiles, 542 AGM-114R-3 Hellfire II missiles, 245 Stinger Block I-92H missiles, and 23 Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensors, rockets, training and dummy missiles, 30mm ammunition, transponders, simulators, global positioning system/inertial navigation systems, communication equipment, spare and repair parts; tools and test equipment, support equipment, repair and return support, personnel training and training equipment; publications and technical documentation, U.S. government and contractor engineering and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistics support to be provided in conjunction with a Apache helicopters.

The air-to-air Stinger is a modification of the shoulder-fired Stinger that the US supplied to the Afghan mujahideen to attack Soviet helicopters in the 1980s.

It may be noted that IAF recently concluded a deal for 24 Boeing anti-ship Harpoon AGM-84L Block II missiles for about $170 million. To be delivered in about two years, these missiles are to be carried by IAF's Jaguar maritime squadrons, which have enhanced vigil over the high seas after the Pakistani terrorists' 26/11 attack on Mumbai in 2008.

DSCA issued another notification to Congress Dec 21, 2010, for 21 more Harpoon Block II missiles that are to be carried by the eight Boeing P8-I maritime reconnaissance aircraft that the Indian Navy is buying. An order for four more of these highly sophisticated aircraft is under process.

According to Vivek Lall, Boeing's Vice President in India for Defence, Security and Space, work on the first batch of P8-Is has already begun after the designs were finalized in consultation with Indian Navy experts, and the first of these aircraft should be delivered to the Indian Navy early in January 2013, around the time the US Navy gets them.
The US Navy has ordered 117 of these aircraft for its next generation maritime multi-mission requirements. India is the first international customer.

Lall described the US Navy P8-I as capable of "long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance while simultaneously providing information to those on its authorized network".

US clears attack chopper, sophisticated radar, missiles for India
 
Lockheed In Talks With India To Supply Missile Systems

By Santanu Choudhury

Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

BANGALORE -(Dow Jones)- Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT) is in talks with the Indian government on selling it military equipment, including the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missile systems, as it seeks to benefit from the South Asian nation's efforts to modernize its armed forces.

Lockheed Martin is among several global defense companies that are seeking to sell advance weapon systems, fighter jets and helicopters to India to capture a share of this lucrative market. Lockheed and peer Boeing Co. (BA) have pitched themselves against India's traditional weapons suppliers, Russia, and others such as France and Germany.

The Indian federal government plans to allocate 1.47 trillion rupees ($32.5 billion) for the defense sector in the fiscal year through March 2011, up from INR1.42 trillion last year. The budget has nearly doubled from INR890 billion in the year ended March 2007.

Lockheed Martin is in initial talks with the Indian government to sell the Javelin shoulder fire missile system to the Indian Army, Joe L. Garland, vice president for international business development, in charge of missiles and fire control at Lockheed Martin, told Dow Jones Newswires Tuesday.

"The U.S. government has responded to the letter of request from India for the Javelin [missiles]," Garland said.

He said the potential contract for supplying 8,000 missiles and 300 command launchers could be valued at more than $1 billion.

Javelin was developed and produced for the U.S. Army and Marine Corps by a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and defense contractor Raytheon.

Garland said Lockheed is also in talks with the Indian government to sell its Sniper advanced targeting pods for fixed-wing aircraft. The company said 500 pods are already being used by about a dozen countries and there are pending orders for 850 more.

"All the contracts involve transfer of technology to India and we are willing to work with an Indian company for any contract," Garland said.

The U.S.-based company is also offering its Hellfire Romeo missile and Longbow radar as part of a bid by Boeing to sell 22 Apache AH-64 helicopters to India, Garland said.

Lockheed is among six companies that have been chosen to bid for an estimated $10 billion fighter-jet contract of the Indian Air Force, the largest in the world in the last 15 years.

It has offered the F-16 fighter jet and Chicago-based Boeing has pitched the F/A-18 plane. The other planes that are in the reckoning are Russia's MiG-35, the Saab Gripen, Dassault's(AM.FR) Rafale, and the Eurofighter Typhoon, a joint venture between European Aeronautic Defense & Space Co. NV (EAD.FR), BAE Systems PLC (BA.LN) and Italy's Finmeccanica SpA (FNC.MI).

Orville Prins, Lockheed's vice president, business development, in charge of India, said the company will deliver the remaining five Super Hercules C-130J military transport planes to India this year.

Lockheed is implementing an order for supplying six Super Hercules planes in a deal worth about $1 billion. The company sealed the order in February 2008.

The first plane was delivered to the Indian Air Force late last year and was inducted into the Indian Air Force on Feb. 7.

Lockheed In Talks With India To Supply Missile Systems | Real Time Market News | Dow Jones
 
Lol The yanks really want our money and will sell the best of their tech to India for it. I say India go everything including SH.
 
ya better close down HAL and DRDOsave money and buy weapons from usa atleast they wont fail and will also keep forces happy like a child who get new shiny toy.
 

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