After the global tender for 197 light utility helicopters (LUH) in the three-tonne class to replace the ageing fleet of Cheetah and Chetak helicopters being operated by the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force (IAF) was cancelled for the second time, there has been a somewhat unprecedented spurt in activity in the Indian aerospace industry related to the manufacture of helicopters in the country to meet with the requirement of the Indian armed forces. Media reports in the second week of December this year indicated that during the forthcoming visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Russia on December 24, 2015, the issue of the production of Kamov Ka-226T helicopters by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Goa will be a subject of discussion between him and the Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Dmitry Rogozin, Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, negotiations between New Delhi and Moscow for a joint venture (JV) to execute this large helicopter project is in the final stages and the contract is likely to be inked during the forthcoming visit of the Indian Prime Minister.

Strangely enough, a report in the media in August this year had said that the Russian Government had selected Reliance Defence and Aerospace (RDA), a company owned by Anil Ambani, for a JV to manufacture around 200 Kamov 226T helicopters in India for the Indian Army and the IAF. The order has the potential to go up to 400 machines. The report also stated that under the agreement signed between Reliance Helicopters, Russian Helicopters and Rosoboronexport, Reliance Helicopters will be the lead integrator for licensed production along with transfer of technology. The Reliance Group will hold a majority 51 per cent stake in the JV while the Russian Government will hold 49 per cent. However, if both these reports are true, it would be somewhat incongruous that the Russian original equipment manufacturer (OEM) should enter into agreements to form separate joint ventures in India for the same product.

Earlier this year, there was yet another report in the media that Airbus Helicopters was joining hands with Mahindra Defence, a subsidiary of the Mahindra Group, to produce helicopters in India to meet the requirements of the Indian armed forces for light helicopters in the three-tonne class. Although details of the platform were not stated, in all likelihood it would be the Fennec AS550 C3 which the IAF had selected in 2007 as replacement for the Cheetah and Chetak helicopters. The tender was subsequently cancelled. As nearly a decade has elapsed since the Fennec AS550 C3 was evaluated, the OEM would in all likelihood now offer the latest model of this machine.

Apart from the three JVs for the LUH for the armed forces mentioned above, on its own, HAL has also been embarked on a project to develop a single-engine light helicopter in the three-tonne class for the same market. A mock-up has also been displayed at the Aero India International Airshow at Bengaluru. HAL has apparently been tasked to provide 187 of these machines beyond the 197 platforms that are to be produced through the JVs in India. The maiden flight of the LUH was scheduled for 2015 with production commencing in 2018 and delivery by 2022. But there is slippage in the programme.

It is noteworthy that both the public and private sectors in the Indian aerospace industry, namely HAL and RDA, are getting involved simultaneously to manufacture the Kamov Ka-226 helicopters for the armed forces and are moving on parallel track. At this point in time it is not quite clear as to whether one or both the JVs will finally be tasked for the manufacture of the Ka-226 helicopters. Analysts are of the view that as RDA does not have any experience in the manufacture of rotary-wing platforms which is an infinitely complex process, it may not be prudent to expect them to handle this responsibility with the required degree of professionalism and competence. This would also have serious implications for the operators of the platform in the long run especially from the point of view of lifetime maintenance support. With HAL fielding its own indigenous product and the Airbus-Mahindra JV coming up with the Fennec, the Indian armed forces may eventually end up with four different types of LUH on their inventory.

While the whole exercise appears to be driven by the spirit of the ‘Make in India’ theme, unless there is meticulous planning and proper judgement exercised by the highest levels of the government and the armed forces, the IAF and the Indian Army may find themselves confronted with a chaotic situation having to cope with the complexities of the management and operation of multiple types of the urgently needed replacement for the Cheetah and Chetak fleets.