Agusta deal scrapped, VVIP choppers come a cropper
NEW DELHI: Six months after India ended a deal with AgustaWestland for VVIP helicopters over kickbacks, three choppers that had already been delivered to the IAF have been grounded due to a crisis of spares and after-sales support.
The AgustaWestland VVIP helicopters in the Indian Air Force fleet have turned out to be white elephants.
Three AW-101 choppers inducted into the IAF before India terminated the controversial ` 3,727 crore contract for 12 helicopters this January have been grounded.
The choppers have been hit by a crisis of spares, after-sales support and maintenance problems after the deal fell through following bribery allegations. The UK-based helicopter manufacturer allegedly paid ` 375 crore to middlemen.
“We are waiting for the government’s final decision on what to do with the choppers,” IAF spokesperson Group Captain Gerard Galway told HT. Each AW-101 chopper costs upwards of ` 250 crore.
AgustaWestland could reach out to the new government but a breakthrough seems unlikely as India is speeding up efforts to encash bank guarantees worth more than ` 2,360 crore deposited by the firm to secure the payments already made to it.
With the new government in place, a battery of VVIPs is likely to visit forward areas. But the IAF now faces a dilemma over how it will fly them as its existing VVIP fleet consisting of Russian-made Mi-8 choppers will not be airworthy beyond 2014.
As first reported by HT, the IAF may consider going back to Russia to acquire a new VVIP fleet to replace its ageing Mi-8 choppers.
Choosing Russia as a new vendor will not require tendering, as is nor mally the case with military purchases. The new deal will be considered a “follow-on” order since I ndia has already booked 139 Mi-17 V5 choppers. This variant can be upgraded for VVIP use.