Indian Airforce goes for the A330MRTT

[Mavke]

hellow all,

what a nice surprise :

Russia is set to lose a billion dollar (Rs 48,000 crore) defence deal for midair refuellers, signalling a break in its over 50-year-old monopoly as India’s preferred military supplier.

The former communist giant has clearly lost favour with the Indian military, as the air force has decided not to field any more Russian Ilyushin-78 refuellers to keep fighter jets airborne for considerably longer periods by tanking them up during flight.

After operating Il-78 tankers for almost six years, the Indian Air Force has said the Russian platform does not meet its requirements and it wants to deploy the Airbus A330 multi-role tanker transport (MRTT) offered by European aerospace corporation EADS.

The Il-78 and Airbus 330 MRTT were competing for the $1 billion global tender floated three years ago by the defence ministry for six midair refuellers to extend the operating radiuses of Indian fighter jets.

In an exclusive interview to HT, IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major said, “We have finished all evaluations and selected the A330 MRTT. The deal will come up for final approval by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) very soon. The Russian platform did not meet certain requirements.” The A330 MRTT is a military derivative of the Airbus A330 airliner.

Cracks in the India-Russia defence relationship have existed for some time now. Some of the irritants include Russia seeking mid-course price revisions in contracts for Sukhoi-30 fighters and aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov, a problem of steady supply of spares, poor vendor support after the disintegration of the Soviet Union and transfer of technology issues.

The air chief, who retires on May 31 on turning 62, said, “After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Russia has changed the whole pattern of doing defence business. Now we are faced with issues concerning spares, vendor support and built-in delays in the structure of their centralised military corporations.”

Two years ago, Navy chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta had publicly said that India needed to take a relook at its military relationship with Russia, much to the government’s discomfort. The armed forces maintain that Russian equipment comes cheap but entails huge maintenance costs.

The A330 MRTT has won several tanker competitions with contracts signed by the governments of United Kingdom, Australia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The first A330 MRTT would be delivered to the IAF within three years of signing of the deal while the remaining five would be inducted 15 months after that.

source : Hindustan Times


mavke

[regi]

I hope for Airbus that the Indians will not find second hand parts on their new airplanes - as with the Russian jets.

[Desert Rat]

As long as there's a JAR form one on the parts, what can prevent you to install it on your A/C???

[regi]

well, ask the Algerians and the Indians who refused the so called new airplanes.
It were not even some components, it turned out that even older airframes were rebuild and sold as new airplanes.

[RC20]

Supposedly they are going for the C17 as well

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/unc ... 04806.html

[casandara]

What is the procedure in becoming a lawyer for the Air Force? Well I am 17 and I have always wanted to be a lawyer in the Air Force, and I am planning on going through the Air Force ROTC program and becoming an officer...However, I am wondering is there a way to go directly from the ROTC program into the Air Force JAG corp?
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[regi]

Hm, the Russians are even considering to buy a helicopter carrier from France and to build after wards several other carriers in Russia.
It seems that the Russian military doesn't believe in its own product anymore.

[jezzicaz789]

Supposedly they are going for the C17 as well

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/unc ... 04806.html

Such a very amazing link!
Thanks you for the post.

[Advisor]

This move could also be seen as warming up to the west.

Russians have been oflate giving Indians their trash, so maybe this move is attempted to spend tax payers money in a more legitimate manner.

[regi]

Okay, but with my posting about the new Sukhoi T-50 we read that this is a joint development with the Russians.
It is a bit of topic because this goes about the fighters, and not about the original subject for the refueling tankers.
But the article in the Thai Indian Post seems to forget that this new stealth plane was coming.

http://english.pravda.ru/russia/economi ... neration-0

[Advisor]

The new Sukhoi is with collaboration with HAL hence some interest can be seen. But with the attitude of Indian politicians, the deal must see the light of the day.

Offtopic....some BAE talks were also doing the rounds.

[Ozzie1969]

And don't forget the projected military cargo aircraft that Russia and India are developing jointly :

http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-new ... 91771.aspx