TSAMTO, April 29. The Indian Navy has issued an RFI-Request for Information, which provides for the lease of 24 NUH – Naval Utility Helicopters for 5 years.
As reported by Defense.Capital, the deadline for foreign suppliers to respond to the request is June 18. The lease provides for the provision of a full range of maintenance services, including the supply of ground equipment and logistics, as well as training of flight and technical personnel.
Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), authorized leasing companies, or state-sponsored export agencies are eligible to participate in the competition in accordance with the Defense Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020.
The tender or" Request for Proposals " (RFP – Request for Proposals) will be announced in the coming months. It is expected that the world's leading helicopter manufacturers in this segment will take part in the tender. Competing firms may also include the Indian state-owned company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), which offers the Dhruv helicopter.
According to the RFI documents, the Indian navy needs helicopters in the weight category of 5 tons and below. Helicopters must be twin-engine and piloted by two pilots, equipped with a wheeled landing gear, and have the ability to fold the blades.
The proposed platform should be able to perform a number of operations when operating from Indian Navy ships and on shore both during the day and at night. The activities mentioned include search and rescue from ships at sea, medical evacuation, communication with ships and from ships, as well as low-intensity naval operations, which involve the presence of cannon weapons.
The lessor must deliver all 24 helicopters within two years from the date of signing the contract. The training schedule (in terms of time) must correspond to the delivery schedule.
As the publication notes, the issued request for the lease of marine multi-purpose helicopters is a clear indication of the delay in the Indian Navy's plans to purchase 111 NUH-class helicopters, the "request for proposals" for the supply of which was planned to be released in the third quarter of this year. The tender for the purchase of 111 helicopters was stalled due to HAL's attempt to deliver its Dhruv helicopter without participating in the tender procedure. The proposal was rejected by the Defense Procurement Board (DAC) of the Indian Defense Ministry three years ago. Nevertheless, the Ministry of Defense Industry of India continues to put pressure on the Indian government in favor of making a decision on the purchase of Dhruv helicopters.
