{"id":57113,"date":"2017-11-07T14:25:08","date_gmt":"2017-11-07T14:25:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2017\/11\/07\/indian-defense-industry-lambastes-policy-approach-to-3b-helicopter-program\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T00:07:57","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T00:07:57","slug":"indian-defense-industry-lambastes-policy-approach-to-3b-helicopter-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2017\/11\/07\/indian-defense-industry-lambastes-policy-approach-to-3b-helicopter-program\/","title":{"rendered":"Indian defense industry lambastes policy approach to $3B helicopter program"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

NEW DELHI \u2015 India has formally approved the acquisition of 111 naval utility helicopters for $3.39 billion to be domestically manufactured under the Strategic Partners policy, but the local private defense industry feels the program is infeasible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Defense Acquisition Council, the government\u2019s defense procurement body, last week granted an acceptance of necessity for the program under which 16 helicopters will be procured from foreign companies and the remaining 95 will be produced by local private companies, possibly though a joint venture and technology transfer from the foreign company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In July, the Ministry of Defence floated a request for information to both domestic and foreign original equipment manufactures for the naval utility helicopter program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Foreign OEMs \u2015 including Airbus Helicopters of France, Russian Helicopters of Russia, and the United States\u2019 Lockheed Martin and Bell Helicopter \u2015 responded with information on capabilities, technology transfer, scope of building domestic technology and constructing an ecosystem to build naval utility helicopters in India.<\/p>\n\n\n\t