India to lease naval helicopters in the interim
The Indian Navy's Chetak utility helicopters are well overdue for replacement. (Gordon Arthur)
With roadblocks in its Naval Utility Helicopter programme, India's Navy sees leasing as a potential stop-gap solution.
The Indian Navy’s (IN) Naval Utility Helicopter (NUH) programme is years old but it has made little discernible progress. However, the project took another fork in the road when an RfI was released on 23 April to lease 24 utility helicopters.
Directed at OEMs, leasing firms and government export agencies, the RfI noted that the leasing period is for an initial five years, and will include the helicopters as well as maintenance support, performance-based logistics, ground support equipment and crew training.
This effort is one of the first after the MoD approved the leasing model by modifying the Defence Acquisition
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
More from Air Warfare
-
![Paris Air Show 2025: Airbus and France sign framework agreement for VSR-700]()
Paris Air Show 2025: Airbus and France sign framework agreement for VSR-700
The framework agreement is for the future acquisition of the system under the French Navy’s SDAM programme. The agreement also paves the way for cooperation with other nations via government-to-government agreements.
-
![Paris Air Show 2025: Milkor and Hanwha partner to integrate the latter’s SAR payload into the Milkor 380]()
Paris Air Show 2025: Milkor and Hanwha partner to integrate the latter’s SAR payload into the Milkor 380
Hanwha Systems and Milkor announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Paris Air Show to integrate the Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) system into the Milkor 380 drone.
-
![Paris Air Show 2025: A400M production moved forward as development plans outlined]()
Paris Air Show 2025: A400M production moved forward as development plans outlined
It is more than a decade since the Airbus A400M tactical lift aircraft entered service. More than 130 aircraft are in service around the world with nine countries, while another order has been made by Indonesia. The company is now looking to lower operational costs and increase the number of potential missions.
-
![Expanded focus – unleashing the potential of commercial SATCOM for defence]()
Expanded focus – unleashing the potential of commercial SATCOM for defence
In conversation... Intelsat's Ray Lindenmayer talks to Shephard's Gerrard Cowan about the new capabilities advanced commercial SATCOM technologies can provide for military customers, and how industry and government can best work together to achieve maximum effect in orbit.
-
![Paris Air Show 2025: Boeing confirms “very early infancy” C-17 Globemaster III production restart discussions as European market opportunity looms]()
Paris Air Show 2025: Boeing confirms “very early infancy” C-17 Globemaster III production restart discussions as European market opportunity looms
The discussion of the C-17 comes off the back of Boeing’s focus on a growing European demand for defence equipment amid a growing threat on the continent.
