tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post635179697549870633..comments2024-03-28T05:22:10.255-07:00Comments on Broadsword by Ajai Shukla - Strategy. Economics. Defence.: MoD expert rejects foreign helicopter, HAL says Dhruv is suitableBroadswordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13076780076240598482noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-25401111756433513802020-01-20T08:15:39.253-08:002020-01-20T08:15:39.253-08:00May we know what in your considered opinion is not...May we know what in your considered opinion is not indigenously made in the dhruv ? or if locally made, we are dependent on foreign tech and do not have a deep license. Assertions like these need to be substantiated. S Madhunoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-63581921912870597282020-01-19T07:11:19.794-08:002020-01-19T07:11:19.794-08:00The naval helicopter saga is ongoing for at least ...The naval helicopter saga is ongoing for at least 5 years. Why did HAL not start development of foldable rotors earlier? Why Navy (customer) has to compromise? Why Dhruv despite being made for 2 decades, does not attract any exports? It looks like a mediocre product that is being pushed on forces. Dujacnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-87790082673314793832020-01-17T01:04:54.074-08:002020-01-17T01:04:54.074-08:00The fact that Dhruv is not an indigenous product i...The fact that Dhruv is not an indigenous product is well known. The helicopter carries assemblies, sub assemblies and systems that are sourced from vaious countries in the world. In 2008 2008), more than 50% of the value of material used in each Dhruv is still from foreign suppliers. HAL has made more than 4,000 aircraft. Almost all are licenced copies, besides the about 150 HF-24 Maruts, India’s only home-made fighter and a failure. HAL has a simple business model: The government buys a foreign plane, adds a co-production deal and gifts it to HAL.<br /><br />And ask the service people that are flying these things . These have been notoriously unreliable . So much so that in 2015 Ecuadorian defence minister Fernando Cordero announced plans to cancel a Rs 200 crore contract seven years after it was signed in 2008 and retire the three remaining ALHs (after four had crashed). If that's not egg on the face then what is?<br /><br />As an aside, did anybody tell you that ‘Marine One’, the Sikorsky S-92 helicopter that the US President flies, has a cabin made in Hyderabad by a Tata company? It’s a direct joint venture, not a result of gifted offsets (As in the case of HAL, or Ordnance Factories or the other (in)competent Defence Public Sector Units. The company is now growing into making cabins for Chinooks and Apaches for the global supply chain. The best in the world are acknowledging the strength of the Indian private sector. It’s just that we aren’t.<br /><br />Points to ponder.<br /> Amannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-40891916520315675772020-01-17T00:18:04.328-08:002020-01-17T00:18:04.328-08:00Unless we come out of the political compulsions an...Unless we come out of the political compulsions and bureaucratic grip of the PSUs India will not become self reliant. The toughest option is to privatise the PSUs with huge incentive if at all possible. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-53531716340254991812020-01-16T18:05:06.821-08:002020-01-16T18:05:06.821-08:00It actually makes sense ! Numerous experts have ar...It actually makes sense ! Numerous experts have argued that ALH Dhruv is suitable for naval work in the light category. If the rotors are not foldable, either HAL can be asked to develop fold-able rotors or only the rotors can be imported or even the tech can be bought. What is the need to import the whole helicopter? <br /><br />And how many types of helicopters are going to fly in India? Has anyone thought about the logistics part with nearly 11-12 type of helicopters in service and oncoming? Instead of focusing upon getting NMRH medium helicopters for ASW and vertical envelopment roles, this excessive focus on importing light helos is troublesome. <br /><br />In addition, Navy can use the NLCA in its training role like US Navy's Goshawk ! It has been sending its naval pilots to train on US Navy's LIFT fighters for carrier aviation. It would be better to have couple of squadrons of NLCA and use them to refine training of its fighter pilots. The data from these NLCA LIFT Trainers will help the future TEDBF fighter's development immensely. <br /><br />Instead of going through these judicious, cost-effective indigenous and immensely rewarding options for future, the Indian Navy is gradually catching the IAF disease of continuous imports ! Already India has an Imported Air Force (IAF). Is there any need for having another imported aviation structure in Navy as well?? Krishnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-34172534772443344232020-01-16T02:55:06.934-08:002020-01-16T02:55:06.934-08:00The country's gain would be somebody else'...The country's gain would be somebody else's loss.cozykodanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17506137390022776646noreply@blogger.com