After months on the backburner, India today contracted for 12 AgustaWestland AW-101 VVIP helicopters for executive transport of the President, Prime Minister, visiting heads of state and other leaders. More details tomorrow.
India Signs Up For 12 AW-101 VVIP Choppers
After months on the backburner, India today contracted for 12 AgustaWestland AW-101 VVIP helicopters for executive transport of the President, Prime Minister, visiting heads of state and other leaders. More details tomorrow.
Sad. On one hand, we talk about indigenous products and support DRDO to illogical limits. On the other, the same ministers want the imported helo for their travel! Was any offset agreement signed for this deal?! Can't our minister proudly fly in our smaller but indigenous Dhruv? (It can also seat 8 VIPs and fly as far as AW101.)
Support of DRDO has always been limited vis a vis imports which line the pockets of all concerned.
Sad news indeed and a setback for indegenization.
This is just plain wrong.
The MMRCA has been stuck in the limbo for a decade. The Artillery modernization for 2 decades. And look how little time these bloody vvvvvvips take to buy expensive toys for themselves.
Shame on them.
i do agree that its been cooked very fast but we dont want to loose another important leader as the YSR in a crash, its not the helicopter or the person its the loss of nation's pride that counts and all those who are going to use these beauties! i envy u….
To Anon @446pm
Are you trying to imply that flying in Dhruv is less safe than flying in AW101?
YSR was flying in an imported chopper AND he did not die because of a fault in chopper anyway.
Those people who will fly in these "beauties" of yours are flying with your tax money.
what the f********k is this
how come these ministers in the finance and defence departments clear this ridicluos approval…..
rather spending this money on indegenous program…….these babus r spending money as if INKEY BAAP LOG KA PAISA HAI
The AH-101 (also known as the EH-101) is a three engined chopper. It is much bigger than the dhruv.
The dhruv has a MTOW of 5.5 ton, the AW-101 has a MTOW of 16.5 ton.
It is much more technologically advanced than the Dhruv – which itself is highly advanced. Also because it is triple engined, the Agusta westland chopper is much safer. Add to that there are loads of protective gear loaded onto the chopper from the factory itself.
The Dhruv would be cramped for space as a VIP chopper for India. Imagine for the PM to travel, the entourage along with the secutiry detail, communications and command and control that travels with the PM can't be accomodated with the PM unless the chopper is big enough.
I am listing only a few features. People are welcome to list more.
One negative that I will mention, is that this chopper is very expensive. Even the US president BHO has for the time being stalled the process of the US marines acquiring this chopper for transporting the President (Marine one) because of the cost of the chopper and the economy of the US. President Obama is said to have stated that if cost control should apply to the citizens of the US, then it should apply to him too.
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Old topic, but fun to poke at, not only did your head of state choose one American built helicopter model, they chose TWO! Sikorsky built THREE S92-A VIPs, all three of which are smaller than the agusta. My country thanks yours for the $150million US investment.
Good answers in return of this question with real arguments and telling the whole thing about that.
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