Indian Navy was scouting around for a suitable anti submarine helicopter for quite sometime, as replacement for its Sea King helicopters. However either prices were high or platforms were not meeting the IN requirements.
Now finally a government-to-government deal on India’s terms are going to be signed for the MH-60 choppers, manufactured by Sikorsky-Lockheed Martin, under the US foreign military sales programme.
The US has already notched military sales worth $17 billion to India since 2007. In case USA goes back on this deal for any reason whatsoever, it will be a big commercial, diplomatic and even strategic set back for United States of America itself.
With the US threatening India with Sanctions for India’s acquisition of the Russian S-400 Triumf missile systems and New Delhi going ahead with the Russian deal nonchalantly, Trump and the American Congress have no choice left but to initiate the formal process for this mega defence deal with India.
As a ppenalty for threatening India now the Trump administration will have to sign the deal on Indian terms.
The NDA government on Thursday issued the “letter of request” to the US government for the Rs 13,500 crore acquisition of 24 naval multi-role MH-60 ‘Romeo’ helicopters, armed with torpedoes and missiles for potent anti-submarine warfare capabilities.
The induction of these heavy-duty choppers in the 2020-2024 timeframe will come as a shot in the arm for the Indian Navy, whose warships are virtually bereft of such helicopters because of retirement of Sea King helicopters.
The government-to-government deal for the MH-60 choppers, manufactured by Sikorsky-Lockheed Martin, under the US foreign military sales programme is likely to be inked within a year.
The FMS route is considered much swifter and cleaner than the cumbersome global tender process, which takes several years and is often derailed by allegations of corruption in India.
India has brought most of its weapon systems from the US, like the C-17 Globemaster-III strategic airlifters, C-130J “Super Hercules” planes and M-777 ultralight howitzers, through FMS programme.
Acquisition of new multi-role helicopters has been pending for well over a decade, with the Navy identifying them along with submarines and minesweepers as the top three “critical operational necessities” for it. The 140-warship force has just about a dozen old Sea King and 10 Kamov-28 anti-submarine warfare helicopters.
The preliminary “acceptance of necessity” for the MH-60 choppers and the $1 billion acquisition of the American National Advanced Surface to Air Missile System-II (NASAMS-II), slated for deployment as a missile shield for New Delhi, was accorded by the Nirmala Sitharaman-led Defence Acquisitions Council just before the inaugural “two-plus-two” dialogue between India and the US here on September 6.
The US, of course, is also eyeing more Indian defence deals. Washington, for instance, is aggressively hawking its F/A-18 for the Indian Navy and even trying its level best to sell obsolete F-16 fighter production line for the IAF’s over $20 billion “Make in India” competition.
India and the US are also in advanced talks for 22 armed Predator-B or weaponised Sea Guardian drones. Then, after the first 24 multi-role helicopters, the Navy also has long-term “Make in India” projects for another 123 such choppers.
