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First Post
08-07-2025
- Business
- First Post
Ukraine war, sanctions cast shadow on Indo-Russian joint venture for 200 choppers
The Indo-Russian project to build 200 Kamov helicopters in India has hit a standstill due to the Ukraine war, Western sanctions on Russia, and post-pandemic supply chain issues, according to a report. As the joint venture faces delays, India's HAL is shifting its focus to developing its own helicopter models. read more 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.
Time of India
07-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Ukraine war, sanctions cast shadow on Indo-Russian joint venture for 200 choppers
Of the 200 choppers, 135 were meant for Army and 65 for IAF BENGALURU: The Indo-Russian joint venture (JV) to manufacture 200 Kamov helicopters in India has remained in limbo as the Ukraine war, Western sanctions on Russia, and post-Covid supply chain disruptions have hampered its progress. India and Russia signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement in 2015. Subsequently, HAL and Russian Helicopters floated a JV - Indo-Russian Helicopters Limited (IRHL) - to implement the project. "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 told TOI, adding that HAL has been told the status of certification would be shared by the end of this year. He said the Russians even agreed to the 70% indigenisation clause but that they needed time. Of the 200 helicopters, 135 are meant for Army and 65 for IAF. "We've asked them for details. At present, it's in a fluid state. We'll wait for their certification status before taking a call," Sunil added. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 年最紓壓的農場遊戲！無需安裝 東加：島嶼農場 立即播放 Undo Since the JV remains stalled, HAL is shifting focus to its indigenous platforms - light utility helicopter (LUH), light combat helicopter (LCH), and the upcoming Indian multi-role helicopter (IMRH). Sunil said HAL's new helicopter complex in Karnataka's Tumakuru is already producing LUH and will gradually become the centre of future rotary-wing production. "We've built eight LUHs there already. LCH will move there in a phased manner. Eventually, even IMRH, our 12-tonne-class helicopter, will be built there," he said. The Tumakuru facility, once fully operational, is expected to ease pressure off HAL's Bengaluru helicopter division, which will continue producing advanced light helicopter (ALH) Dhruv.
The Hindu
06-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Karnataka govt. has offered help and support for our expansion: HAL CMD
Amid recent reports that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has sought to shift Hindustan Aeronautics Limited's (HAL) Bengaluru operations to his State, the defence PSU has said that the Karnataka government has offered help and support for its expansion in the State. HAL chairman and managing director D.K. Sunil said that the Karnataka government has promised to offer extra land to the PSU. 'I met Minister for Large and Medium Industries M.B. Patil. He promised us that the government is willing to give whatever we need, including extra additional land. We have asked for some additional land in Tumakuru and the government is looking at that favourably. After this particular statement from the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, the Karnataka government is also saying it will give us whatever we want,' Dr. Sunil told The Hindu. HAL has a factory in Tumakuru where the light utility helicopter (LUH) is being built. This factory will also produce Indian multi role helicopter (IMRH) and is expected to undertake maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of helicopters in the future. In May, it was reported in certain sections of the media that Mr. Naidu has been seeking to shift HAL's Bengaluru operations to his State. 'Today every State wants us to set up something. So today if something new is coming, we are definitely looking at all State governments. The Karnataka government is also offering lots of benefits and land. I think Mr. Naidu had said it from his point of view. I don't think there was any intention that HAL will be moved out of Bengaluru. That was a distortion that happened in the media,' Dr. Sunil said. Dr. Sunil added that many governments are also giving incentives like tax concessions, apart from offering land. A bulk of HAL production units is in Bengaluru where the company had its origin. Apart from Bengaluru and Tumakuru, it has facilities in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Odisha, and Kerala.
Irish Independent
03-07-2025
- Health
- Irish Independent
Fears Donegal hospital will be downgraded if rejected as location for surgical hub in favour of Sligo
The ongoing debate on Sligo University Hospital (SUH) being selected as the preferred option for a new surgical hub in the North West, with no consideration being given to Letterkenny University Hospital (LUH), was raised on Wednesday in the Dáil. It comes as Minister for State, Deputy Harkin stated on Highland Radio that the location of the surgical hub in Sligo was decided as part of a deal made during negotiations on the Programme for Government to secure support from the Independent TDs. Speaking on Highland Radio, Minister Harkin said, 'One of the things I was insistent on was that we had, what then was in the HSE business plan, described as a surgical hub for Sligo and I still support that.' Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill has said no decision has been made on the location of the surgical hub. HSE West and North West has submitted a business case supporting the implementation of a North West Surgical Hub. Within the business case, a greenfield site owned by the HSE in Sligo has been identified as a potential development location for a hub. However, Consultants and General Practitioners from Donegal have met with the Minister for Health to discuss Letterkenny University Hospital and the positioning of the surgical hub in the North West. The doctors believe that based on geography, population and demographics, day case numbers, staffing numbers and a range of other key metrics, the surgical hub should be at LUH. Speaking in the Dáil, Donegal Deputy Pearse Doherty said if the surgical hub is located in Sligo, LUH is at risk of losing the accident and emergency department and maternity services while the hospital could be downgraded to a model three hospital. 'We have heard from an unprecedented number of doctors, surgeons and consultants in Letterkenny hospital and they have told us that without the surgical hub there, they are at serious risk of losing accident and emergency services and maternity services within a short period. ADVERTISEMENT "That is why they and all the politicians in Donegal have come together and made it very clear that we need to see a surgical hub delivered in Letterkenny. "This would not be to the detriment of Sligo – we believe the north-west region has been left behind for far too long – but there has to be a location in Letterkenny,' said Deputy Doherty. Deputy Doherty called on the government to come clean and questioned if the Department ascertained whether there was any 'secret deal' in respect of the location of the surgical hub. 'That is news to us, the TDs who sat across the table from the Minister for about an hour and a half making the case for the surgical hub because the Minister will eventually be the person who decides on the location. "It is news to us, having sat repeatedly in meetings with the HSE arguing the toss about why the surgical hub should be in Letterkenny. "I am sure it was news to the 160-plus surgeons, consultants and doctors who signed the letter making very reasonable medical arguments for the locations. 'I want the Minister of State to come. That clarity is needed,' said Deputy Doherty. Deputy Pádraig MacLochlainn said the Donegal TDs are not asking for special treatment but are asking that citizens do not have to travel long distances for care that should be provided in their own community. 'We are asking that our emergency services not be allowed to collapse and that we have the necessary number of surgeons and consultants in Letterkenny University Hospital. "If there is to be only one surgical hub for the north-west region, a huge region extending from the top of Donegal down into Roscommon, I imagine, and that hub is not in Letterkenny, it will be a disaster for County Donegal and our services. "Those are not my words but those of the consultants.' Deputy MacLochlainn also raised that the number of permanent surgeons at LUH has reduced from six to three in a short period of time. "We cannot attract the level of surgeons we need. "If the Minister decides the surgical hub for the Northwest is in one place, Sligo, it is just a death knell. "It is extremely serious. I have never seen 171 doctors, consultants and GPs, sign a letter. I do not know anywhere in this State where this has happened. "That is how serious this is. "I will reiterate that we are not playing the game of divide and conquer. "Sligo, the north-west, Donegal and all of us deserve this. "There is an absolute unique case now for a surgical hub in Letterkenny and Sligo to be delivered at exactly the same time to have the quality of services our people deserve, to protect what we have and to protect our emergency services,' said Deputy MacLochlainn. Speaking on behalf of the government, Minister of State at the Department of Education and Youth, Deputy Michael Moynihan said no decision has yet been made on the location of the north-west surgical hub. "The Minister is taking time to consider and understand the situation in Donegal. "This includes engagement with local representatives, doctors and consultants. "I know she was due to meet some of them last night. She remains committed to positively engaging with everyone who is interested in delivering the best healthcare for the people of Donegal.' Deputy Moynihan said the Government is committed to the ongoing development of the hospital and has allocated significant resources to meet the needs of patients there, including an increase in the hospital's budget by 57% over the last five years. "I will take the points the Deputies raised back to the Department and seek clarification for them,' said Deputy Moynihan.
RTÉ News
03-06-2025
- Health
- RTÉ News
Donegal doctors seek meeting over surgical hub decision
More than 170 doctors based in Donegal have sent a joint letter to the Minister for Health demanding an urgent meeting over the HSE's plans to overlook Letterkenny as the location for a planned surgical hub in the north west. Concerned consultants and senior doctors at Letterkenny University Hospital (LUH), as well as GPs across Donegal, sought the meeting with Jennifer Carroll MacNeill to address what they describe as a "critical threat to patient care and health equality in the north west". Regional HSE management has identified a site in Sligo as the sole preferred option for a new surgical hub in the region - a decision Donegal-based clinicians have called "flawed, unjustified, and deeply damaging". Dr Padraig McGuinness, who is a GP based on the Fanad Peninsula, said the decision to overlook LUH "ignores both population need and geographic logic". "Many of our patients would face round trips of five hours or more to access elective surgical care in Sligo. That's unacceptable and dangerous," Dr Mc Guinness said. The clinicians' letter, seen by RTÉ News, said they "are ready to present data showing that LUH is a more appropriate and equitable location". They said if LUH were chosen as the base, "no patient from Donegal, Sligo, or Leitrim would be more than 90 minutes from a surgical hub". The clinicians referenced the Department of Health's aims to ensure equitable access to elective care across the country by developing surgical hubs. They said: "To bypass LUH in this decision would be to disregard this equity objective and perpetuate health inequality on a profound scale". The clinicians letter said the National Cancer Registry Ireland report showed Donegal had the highest deprivation index and a higher incidence and a later presentation of all cancers, with a significantly poorer five-year survival. Consultant in Intensive Care and Anaesthetics at LUH Dr Louise Moran said: "Patients in Donegal already face some of the worst cancer survival rates in the country due to late presentation and access issues. "To bypass Letterkenny again is not only medically indefensible - it's a direct hit on patient safety and regional equality". The clinicians are seeking an urgent meeting with Minister MacNeill as well as an independent review of the HSE's rationale for selecting SUH over LUH and a moratorium on a final decision regarding the hub's location until "an evidence-based comparison is completed". A spokesperson for the minister told RTÉ News she has not received the business case from the HSE for the location of the surgical hub for the north west. The spokesperson said Minister Carroll MacNeill thanked the team at Letterkenny University Hospital for taking the time to speak with her during visit last month and she looks forward to engaging with them again in the coming weeks. What is the HSE surgical hubs strategy? Over the next two years, the HSE plans to open six surgical hubs nationwide to reduce patient waiting times. A surgical hub will consist of four theatres with capacity to deliver 10,000-day case procedures and 18,500 outpatient consultations annually. The first surgical hub officially opened in south Dublin under the governance of St James's Hospital in February. Within the next two years the HSE plans to open five further surgical hubs in north Dublin, Galway, Cork Waterford and Limerick. It is hoped hospitals will have greater capacity for patients who require emergency and complex care when day case procedures are treated in the surgical hubs. The Programme for Government contains a commitment to explore the provision of an additional surgical hub in the north west. In a statement, the HSE West and North West said it has prepared a business case supporting the implementation of a North West Surgical Hub. Within that business case a greenfield site owned by the HSE in Sligo has been identified as a potential development location for a hub. A feasibility and master planning study will also be undertaken if the business case is approved. Last month, consultants at Sligo University Hospital told RTÉ News the hospital's orthopaedic operating theatre was no longer fit for purpose and patient safety was being compromised following leakages which disrupted the provision surgery. After cutting the sod on a planned 42-bed unit at SUH, the Minister for Health said the issued simply had "to be resolved". At the time, HSE Regional Executive Officer Tony Canavan said they had "prepared a proposal to develop a surgical hub for the northwest, based in Sligo". Ambulatory Centre planned for Letterkenny A spokesperson for HSE West and North West said that LUH requires a stand-alone facility which provides a greater level of services. They said an Ambulatory (non-inpatient) Centre is planned for LUH that would include "all the additional surgical capacity being provided by the proposed surgical hubs being created elsewhere, such as theatres and treatment rooms for day surgery treatments". "the Ambulatory Centre would also provide additional functionality and capacity to meet the needs of County Donegal in the form of additional ambulatory cancer capacity as well as additional diagnostic facilities". The HSE said the hospital is currently working with HSE Capital & Estates to develop a business case for this development. They added LUH will be making every effort to secure funding and to progress it "in as expedient a manner as possible". Fear proposal 'being used to deflect' In their letter to the Minister for Health, Donegal-based clinicians said while any investment in LUH is welcome, they felt the ambulatory centre proposal "lacks the ring-fenced funding, defined scope, staffing allocations, and delivery timeline associated with the surgical hub model". They fear the ambulatory care centre proposal was "being used to deflect from the pressing need for LUH to be considered equitably in the current surgical hub decision". LUH Consultant General Surgeon Mr Michael Sugrue said they need real surgical infrastructure was required in Letterkenny - "not vague promises". Mr Sugrue said without adequate surgical resources they cannot attract or retain the consultants needed. "This decision risks the future of general surgery in Donegal and the long-term viability of LUH as a Model 3 hospital," he added. The clinicians' letter to the Minister for Health urged her to await the findings of Mr Michael Sugrue's forthcoming Letterkenny University Hospital Model 3 Clinical Care Report and Plan. They said the report would further support their position including statistics detailed funding disparities between LUH and other hospitals. Calls for equitable access to elective care The clinicians' letter said LUH has the "longest waiting times when compared to other model 3 hospitals". The clinicians previously wrote to the minister on 28 April regarding the future of surgical services at Letterkenny University Hospital. In the letter sent to Minister Carroll MacNeill yesterday, the clinicians said a delegation remains available to meet in Donegal or Dublin. They reiterated call for equitable access to elective care for all. Dr McGuinness said the matter "isn't just about a building or a budget line".
