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India seeks bidders for new chopper deal
NEW DELHI - A month after scrapping a 600-million-dollar deal to buy nearly 200 helicopters, India is now seeking bidders for an even bigger contract worth almost one billion dollars, officials said on Tuesday.New Delhi earlier this month contacted four aviation firms in France, Italy, Russia and the United States, asking about their ability to supply 312 helicopters for the armed forces on an urgent basis, defence officials said. Letters of interest have been sent to Kamov (Russia), Bell (US), Augusta Westland (Italy) and Eurocopter (France) expressing our urgent requirements, a senior defence ministry official said, asking not to be named. State-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), meanwhile, joined the race, stating that as Indias largest aircraft manufacturer, it had the capacity to build light observation helicopters for the army and the air force. India last month scrapped a 600-million-dollar deal for 197 helicopters with Eurocopter, the helicopter unit of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS), after accusing it of deviating from the contract. Eurocopter, the global leader in sales of civil and military helicopters,has denied any wrongdoing and has rejected allegations it used middlemen to clinch the now-dead deal. Earlier this month, the Indian air force added its requirement of 115 helicopters to the 197 units the army wanted, pushing the value of the deal to almost one billion dollars and the number of aircraft to 312. A combined global tender will be issued in a few months time after we receive a response from the four companies, the ministry official said. The new helicopters would replace the vintage fleet of French- and Russian-built light helicopters bought in the 1960s for the million-plus army and the air force.
Posted by: 2008-01-30 |
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