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PARAMARIBO – The air force since Friday has three helicopters at its disposal. The three HAL Chetak Helicopters were handed over by Indian ambassador to Suriname Mrs. M. Subashini, to Defense Minister Lamure Latour.

“A memorable moment,” said Latour as he reflected that it took seven years of negotiations to get the helicopters to Suriname and operational. He said that the aircraft will prove valuable in executing control and civil aviation support tasks.

The helicopters were ordered in 2009 with a US$13.5 million price tag; the Indian Government had provided a US$16 million line of credit, but delivery was held up by financial and administrative obstacles.

The helicopters, manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL India) were manufactured, inspected and tested in India, then taken apart and shipped to Suriname. Indian technicians came to Suriname and helped put them back together. They also provided training to the pilots of the Suriname air force.

Current plans call for one Chetak to be based at Paramaribo’s Zorg en Hoop airport, Nickerie’s Majoor Henry Fernandes Airport and Albina Airstrip. Maintenance will be carried out by Indian ground support personnel, 8 of whom have been detached to Suriname.

The HAL Chetak is a license-manufactured version of the 1960s-vintage Aérospatiale SA-316 Alouette III, a durable design especially suited for hot-and-high operations.

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The serviceability rate of multi-role fighter aircraft Sukhoi is likely to improve to 75 per cent by this year end from the current level of 56-57 per cent, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said today.

"We have been trying to improve the serviceability of Sukhois. It has improved by seven per cent in last 8-9 months to reach to 56-57 per cent," he said in Rajya Sabha, exuding hope that it would go up to 75 per cent by the year end.

A total of 35 incidents of engine failures in air or other engine-related problems have occured between January, 2013 and December last year.

To a question, Parrikar said the Russian Original Equipment Manufacturer had introduced a number of measures to contain and eliminate technical issues that have led to engine troubles in flight.

"OEM has offered nine modifications or technological improvements for implementation in the production of new aero engines and during overhaul of engines," he said

Parrikar said the Indian Air Force has also finalised long-term repair agreements with Russian OEMs to improve availability of aircraft for operational use. "25 new engines with modified technology have been procured from Russia," he said.

Replying to another question, Parrikar said two new ordnance factories at Nalanda in Bihar and Korwa in Uttar Pradesh were being set up and a total investment of Rs 1,216 crore has already been made on the two projects.

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New Delhi: Negotiation is taking place for procurement of medium multi-role combat aircraft from Dassault Aviation France but "no final decision" has been taken, the government informed the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.


Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar also said review of existing fleet and induction of new aircraft is a continuous process and such a review is carried out keeping in view the operational requirements of the Air Force.

On whether fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) are in place for the Indian Air Force to have superior air strike capabilities, he replied in a negative.

French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian had last month held talks here with Parrikar to salvage the multi-billion Rafale contract even as a deadlock continues to hold up the deal.

As the two ministers met, the Cost Negotiating Committee (CNC) is understood to have submitted its report to the Ministry of Defence.

Le Drian met with Parrikar during which the French Minister took up the issue of the Rafale fighters manufactured by Dassault Aviation.

India had selected Rafale for the deal in 2012 but the final contract is yet to be signed. While 18 jets are to be bought off the shelf, 108 are supposed to be manufactured here by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

The main issue concerns the pricing, which is basically the production cost in India, and Dassault's reluctance to stand guarantee for the 108 fighters to be built by state-run HAL.

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Subsequent to the Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) of Light Combat Aircraft (Tejas), Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has handed over the First Series Production (SP1) of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) to the Indian Air Force (IAF) on 17.1.2015.

The requirement of fighter aircraft is periodically reviewed and it is ensured that the operational requirements of the IAF are met. The IAF is in the process of inducting additional Su-30 MKI aircraft apart from Light Combat Aircraft (LCA). An Inter-Governmental Agreement has been signed with Russian Federation for design, development, production etc. of a Prospective Multi Role Fighter Aircraft. The procurement of Medium Multi role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) is also under process.

This information was given by Defence Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar in a written reply to Shri Rajkumar Dhoot in Rajya Sabha today.

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Russian-made MiG-29K/KUB fighters will make up the mainstay of the new Vikrant’s CAG, too. During 2009-2011 the MiG corporation has supplied the Indian Navy with the 16 MiG-29K/KUB aircraft under the first contract made in 2004 and in late 2012 began deliveries of 29 fighters more under the second contract signed in 2010. The first four MiGs under this deal were handed over to the customer in late 2012 with seven more followed them in 2013. The next six MiG-29K/KUB fighters were delivered to India last year. Overall, the air arm of the Indian Navy is to receive 45 MiG-29K/KUB fighters under the two deals of which more than 30 have been already delivered. The activation of 303 Sqn (Black Panthers) on MiG-29K/KUB aircraft by the Indian Navy took place in a ceremony at INS Hansa, Goa state, on 1 May 2013.

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Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has conveyed to the French government and defence equipment manufacturer Dassault that conditions on the price and RFP (request for proposal) of the purchase of Rafale multi-medium role combat aircraft were non-negotiable.

In riposte to a question on the long-delayed deal with the French firm for 126 fighter jets -- often called the mother of all deals -- Parrikar on Tuesday said, ”We have conveyed our stand to them (France) very clearly. Simultaneously, they have to tell us whether they can do it or not. We can’t keep on waiting.”

Parrikar’s French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian had visited India last month to attend a meeting with delegates from both sides, including top executives from Dassault, in a last ditch effort to save the deal. However, little progress has been made so far. Earlier, Parrikar had said if the on-going deadlock continued, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) would strengthen the existing Su-30Mki fleet to meet the IAF’s requirements.

Citing cost escalation, Dassault has refused to take ‘full responsibility’ of the 108 fighters to be manufactured in India by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) as per the original tender.

Sources within the MoD privy to the development said the cost of the project had shot up to over $20 billion from the initial $ 12 billion, when the tender was floated in 2007.

The cost negotiation committee set up to finalise the modalities of the deal in February, 2012, has not reached a consensus so far.

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i suppose its more shukhois then