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| India-Pakistan | |
| India seeks bidders for new chopper deal | |
| 2008-01-30 | |
| 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 India’s 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.
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| #2 Also could have got wind of that batch of eurocopters the US just picked up. |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2008-01-30 12:39 |
| #1 The problem seems to be that India's procurement process is torn between corruption and a push to clean up the corruption. There are a lot of regulations set up to ensure that the procurement process is bribe-free, but the triggers are set so low, anybody can nix any deal for almost any reason, including suspicion of bribery. I heard of one procurement officer (Colonel NO) who vetoed all procurement contracts that came to him for review, mainly because people got in trouble for approving contracts that later went sour and the scapegoating began. Say "NO", and stay in your job. |
| Posted by: Ptah 2008-01-30 08:43 |