In what could be a major boost for Make in India in defence, the Indian Navy and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) are looking at developing a new Utility Helicopter (Marine) to meet the warship requirements of the force.
Utility Helicopter (Marine)
The tender for 111 NUH was earlier being processed through the Strategic Partnership (SP) route of the procedure which last week was included by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in the third positive indigenisation list.
In November 2018, Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for procurement of 111 NUH under the SP model, the first deal to be processed under the ambitious model meant to promote domestic private sector participating in defence manufacturing. Subsequently, the Request for Expression of Interest (REoI) to Original Equipment Manufacturers and Strategic Partners were issued in February 2019.
However, the process has since been held up as HAL jumped into the fray proposing wheeled landing gear variant of ALH with adaptations, officials said. A key requirement of the NUH was folding rotors for the helicopter to be able to fit into the ship hanger.
In October 2021, the Navy and HAL carried out a joint study to exploit ALH to maximum potential for naval operations by optimising it to 5.7 tonnes, reducing the empty weight by choice of light weight avionics and mission sensors, higher payload capability up to 600 kg for deck operations, reduced stowage dimensions to meet requirement with foldable two segment blades and modified upper control system and ASIST (Aircraft Ship Integrated Secure and Traverse) traversing interface for ship deck.
Based on the suggestions in the joint study report, the Navy has issued its broad requirements to HAL in January for acquisition of 60 utility helicopters for maritime operations as per Buy-Indian IDDM (Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured) route of Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020. HAL would submit the detailed project report very soon.
The NUH will replace the ageing Chetak fleet in service in urgent need of replacement. In addition to the Chetak, the Navy operates Russian Kamov 28/31s which have been upgraded, shore based ALH Dhruvs and ageing Sea Kings and six Sikorsky UH-3Hs.
The frigates and destroyers have relatively smaller parking spaces and foldable rotors of UH Marine would allow them to be kept easily, sources said. The Navy has more than 150 warships in its fleet and wants them to be equipped with at least one helicopter each and is looking at procuring them through the Make in India route first.
In recent times, the Indian Navy has induced around 16 of these ALH Dhruv Mark 3 choppers along with an equal number of machines for the Indian Coast Guard too. For the Indian Navy also, the HAL has been offering a maritime version of the Dhruv but not much could be done due to the lack of capabilities that have been required by the maritime force for operations.
The Indian Navy warships are deployed all along the Indian Ocean Region and warships are provided with helicopters for reconnaissance and surveillance along with other operations required by the fleet to be carried out.
MH-60 Romeo Helicopters
In the first major helicopter induction in decades, the Navy is set to induct the first batch of three MH-60R Multi-Role Helicopters, 24 of which were contracted from the US, in a Foreign Military Sales deal, this June to meet the urgent requirements of multirole attack and anti-submarine warfare choppers. These are a replacement of the Sea King 42/42A helicopters which have been phased out in the 1990s.
However, a contract to procure six Ka-31 early warning helicopters which was in advanced stages as well as the case for six more P-8I long range maritime patrol aircraft have been deferred by the MoD during the review of all direct import deals.
Navy Commissions Second P-8I Squadron
The Navy commissioned its second P-8I aircraft squadron – Indian Naval Air Squadron 316 – on 29 March at INS Hansa, Goa. INAS 316 has been christened ‘Condors’ after one of the largest flying land birds with a massive wingspan.
INAS 316 has been christened ‘Condors’ after one of the largest flying land birds with a massive wingspan.
INAS 316 will operate the Boeing P-8I aircraft, a multi-role Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance Anti-Submarine Warfare (LRMR ASW) aircraft, that can be equipped with a range of air-to-ship missiles and torpedoes. The aircraft is a potent platform for maritime surveillance and strike, electronic warfare missions, search and rescue, providing targeting data to weapon platforms, providing time-critical surveillance information for Indian Army and IAF, and is also the platform of choice for detecting and neutralising enemy ships and submarines in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The squadron has been specifically commissioned to be the home for the four new P-8I aircraft procured under the Option Clause contract and to ‘Deter, Detect and Destroy’ any threat in the IOR. These aircraft have been operating from Hansa since December 30, 2021, and the squadron is integrated with full-spectrum surface and subsurface naval operations.
The Indian Navy’s first P8I squadron is INSAS 312, the ‘Albatross’. It was in 2016 that the aircraft was inducted into this squadron. It is based at INS Rajali at Arakkonam in Tamil Nadu. However, the first P8I was received by the Indian Navy in 2013 and it took part in the search for the missing Malaysian airliner Flight MH 370 in 2014 in the Indian Ocean region.
India inked a $1 billion deal with the US in 2016 for the four Boeing P-8Is that are part of the second squadron. The contract was a follow-on order to eight P-8I planes bought by India in an earlier deal worth $2.1 billion.
Armed with Harpoon missiles, the P8I can carry out missions across the vast area of the Indian Ocean and help the Indian Navy maintain an effective check on the seas under its influence. The aircraft can also be used for surveillance over the land and has been in operation in Ladakh during the stand-off with China and also on the Indo-Pak border.
