&w=3840&q=100)
Ukraine war, sanctions cast shadow on Indo-Russian joint venture for 200 choppers
The Indo-Russian joint venture to build 200 Kamov helicopters in India has stalled due to the Ukraine war, Western sanctions on Russia, and supply chain disruptions after the Covid pandemic, The Times of India reported citing officials.
India and Russia signed an agreement for the project in 2015. Later, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Russian Helicopters formed a joint venture called Indo-Russian Helicopters Limited (IRHL) to carry it out.
'The Russians have had their own issues with their war with Ukraine and subsequent sanctions on them. They faced issues securing parts - particularly those previously sourced from Europe. Even the engine was coming from Europe. Now they are testing with their own engine,' HAL CMD DK Sunil said to Times of India, adding that HAL has been told the status of certification would be shared by the end of this year.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Sunil said the Russians had even agreed to the requirement of 70 per cent local manufacturing for the helicopters, but they needed more time. Of the planned 200 helicopters, 135 are for the Army and 65 for the Air Force.
'We've asked them for more details. Right now, things are uncertain. We'll wait to see their certification status before deciding,' Sunil said.
With the joint venture still stalled, HAL is focusing more on its own helicopter projects — the Light Utility Helicopter (LUH), Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), and the upcoming Indian Multi-Role Helicopter (IMRH).
Sunil said HAL's new helicopter complex in Tumakuru, Karnataka, is already producing the LUH and will gradually become the main hub for future helicopter production. 'We've built eight LUHs there so far. The LCH will also move there in phases. Eventually, our 12-tonne IMRH will be built there too,' he said.
Once fully operational, the Tumakuru facility will help reduce the workload on HAL's Bengaluru helicopter division, which will continue making the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
India looks to US for urgent weapons after Operation Sindoor strikes
New Delhi: India's defence conversation with the United States has reached a turning point following Operation Sindoor , particularly in the light of high-end Chinese weaponry at Pakistan's disposal - an inventory which is only going to grow rapidly after the four-day conflict. India has moved fast with its suppliers, of which the US appears to be the most critical, to maintain not just an edge over Pakistan but to develop an effective counter to Chinese military systems. So, nods are awaited from the US on key emergency procurements amid growing urgency to replenish and add new weaponry. The recent conflict with Pakistan, it now emerges, has underlined the criticality of the US as a key future supplier. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Simple Morning Habit for a Flatter Belly After 50! Lulutox Undo Of the nine terror targets engaged on the first day of Operation Sindoor, seven were hit by Excalibur precision-guided munitions fired from M777 155 mm light howitzers. India urgently wants more of these GPS-guided munitions, which can hit targets 40 km away with up to 15-20 metre accuracy. India has also made a case for an emergency off-the-shelf purchase of Javelin anti-tank missiles . This is over and above the larger Javelin deal that has been in negotiations for a while and was also mentioned in the Indo-US joint statement during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US in February. Live Events While much of the attention has been on negotiations around the Indo-US trade deal, hectic diplomacy is underway on the defence front, particularly to shore up supplies in the current security context. India has got positive assurances from Pentagon to the extent that the US will consider providing immediate supplies from its own military inventory. In this backdrop, India may need to be flexible on the purchase of six P8I Maritime Patrolling Aircraft. The US has increased its price by about 50% from its original 2021 offer, citing rise in supply chain costs. With Washington unwilling to relent, New Delhi may either have to cough up extra or consider buying just five. This call could get linked to the alacrity with which the US moves on India's emergency procurement requests. On the broader plane, India would be keen to accelerate some of the important policy shift conversations agreed in February. These relate to aligning arms transfer regulations, especially amending the International Traffic in Arms Regulations working on a Reciprocal Defence Procurement Agreement. Progress on these will put India in a different category, ease the approval process and provide deeper access to the US technology, besides building trust to set up maintenance, spare supplies and in-country repair and overhaul of the US-provided defence systems. What's becoming increasingly clear is that while Russian equipment like S400s continue to perform well, Moscow's dependency on Beijing and, in turn, access to Russian defence industry will require India to build more reliability and depth into the supply chain with the US. The standoff with China on the northern borders revealed utility of the US-made High-Altitude Long Endurance MQ9B Predator drones . The naval versions were on lease with the Navy and the US allowed India to deploy them urgently to carry out surveillance on the China front. This later fast-tracked a long-pending proposal to purchase these UAVs, with India deciding to buy 31 MQ9B Predator drones. Similarly, Operation Sindoor has underlined importance of M777s, Excalibur munitions and other equipment - all pointing to convert trust into reliability. The challenge will be to do so without getting affected by the uncertainty that has come to surround conversations with the Trump administration.
The Hindu
3 hours ago
- The Hindu
Building resilience: on the 17th Summit of BRICS emerging economies
The 17th Summit of BRICS emerging economies, which ended on Monday, came at a time when the organisation was in the global spotlight. This was the first such meeting that included all the newly inducted members (Egypt, Ethiopia, the UAE, Iran and Indonesia; Saudi Arabia has not joined so far). It also followed the U.S.-Israel attacks on Iran's nuclear programme, and the escalation in Israel's bombardment of Gaza. This was the first summit since the four-day India-Pakistan conflict in May. and also after the G-7 summit in Canada. The BRICS grouping, seen as the next challenger to the global financial order, is in U.S. President Donald Trump's cross-hairs, as he sees it mounting an alternative to the dollar in international trade. In addition, the group has several internal rivalries that have brought its sustainability into question. In April, the BRICS Foreign Ministers' meeting ended without a joint statement, as the African members held up the wording on the expansion of the UN Security Council. Meanwhile, despite India's clarification in March that it is not considering de-dollarisation of trade in any form, and that there is no 'unified BRICS position' on the issue, Brazil's President Lula da Silva doubled down on rhetoric against the U.S., saying that BRICS proves the world 'doesn't need an emperor'. Mr. Trump has since repeated threats that BRICS countries would face an extra 10% tariffs due to the grouping's 'anti-American stance' — an awkward moment for New Delhi as it attempts to conclude a trade agreement with Washington. Despite all the challenges, the Rio declaration underlined the basic cohesion and consensus within BRICS members on a range of issues. In the joint statement, there was strong language against the attacks on Gaza and condemnation of the strikes on Iran, given the risks to nuclear safety. India was able to ensure a paragraph with tough language condemning the Pahalgam terror attack and references to terror financing and 'cross-border movement of terrorists'. India and Brazil won endorsements of the whole grouping on playing a larger role at the UN, 'including the Security Council'. The absence of the Chinese and Russian Presidents allowed more space for the non-P5 countries to promote a common vision for the Global South, adding several important resolutions on energy security, climate change and re-ordering the WTO. The Rio declaration also took a stern view of the U.S.'s moves on tariffs. As India prepares for its leadership of the BRICS grouping next year, that now represents about half the global population, around 40% of the global GDP and a quarter of global trade, it can move forward with this consensus, fulfilling the vision for the grouping's acronym that Mr. Modi recast as 'Building Resilience and Innovation for Cooperation and Sustainability'.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Bhujbal writes to CM, seeks new terminal building at Nashik airport
Nashik: Food and civil supplies minister Chhagan Bhujbal wrote to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, requesting the construction of a new terminal building at the Nashik airport ahead of the Simhastha Kumbh Mela due to an anticipated increase in passenger footfall. The Nashik airport, located roughly 20km from the city, is managed by the defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). In his letter, Bhujbal said HAL officials had sought the construction of a new terminal during a meeting in Jan with airport representatives in Mumbai. Additionally, HAL submitted a proposal last month to build a new terminal with a 10,000 sqmt built-up area, an alternative taxi link runway, and three extra aircraft parking bays, at a total cost of Rs 185 crore through the Maharashtra PWD. "Around 25 crore devotees from across the country are expected to visit Nashik during the Simhastha Kumbh Mela. Hence, there is a need to make effective transport planning, including the air service. Considering the rise in the number of flights and the footfall of the passengers, HAL is already in the process of developing the new runway parallel to the existing one at the cost of Rs 343 crore. Moreover, it has already floated the tender for the purpose. Therefore, state govt needs to build a new terminal building at the Nashik airport at the earliest," the letter quoted Bhujbal. Bhujbal noted that the Prayagraj airport's terminal area expanded from 6,700 to 25,500 sqmt during the recent Maha Kumbh, increasing its passenger handling capacity from 540 to over 1,080 passengers per hour. Parking bays increased from five to 15. During the 46-day Maha Kumbh, approximately 5.6 lakh devotees flew into Prayagraj via 5,229 flights. Taking Prayagraj's Maha Kumbh experience into account, Bhujbal said state govt should construct a new terminal building at Nashik in line with Prayagraj. He further stated the state PWD has experience in building airport terminals and thus the new terminal at the Nashik airport can be developed through the state PWD.
