Critical requirements : the NMRH and NUH
As per the Navy’s Maritime Capability Perspective Plan ( MCPP) as guiding document, some 300 new helicopters are to be acquired by the Indian Navy, the majority of them being the long awaited Naval Multi Role Helicopter (NMRH) which is required not only for replacing the phased out Seaking Mk. 42/ 42A in various roles but to meet the increased requirement for ship-borne helicopters of this type. The selected helicopter would be mainstay for the Navy’s anti-submarine, anti- ship warfare and allied tasks, the case for which was first initiated in 2002 and the acceptance of necessity ( AoN) accorded by the Government of India on 13 August 2005 under the ‘buy’ category. To meet its comprehensive requirements, the Indian Navy has projected the need for 147 NMRH, comprising 90 for the antisubmarine warfare task and 33 for ‘Special Operations’, planned to be progressed under the Strategic Partnership model, to meet the requirement during the period 2025-2050.
The three shortlisted helicopters were Sikorsky’s S-70B Seahawk, NH Industry’s NH- 90 and US Navy International Programme Office ( NIPO) MH- 60R, which is a Lockheed Martin programme originally known as “LAMPS Mark III Block II Upgrade’.
The MH-60R was originally known as ‘LAMPS Mark III Block II Upgrade’ when development began in 1993. Two SH-60Bs had been converted by Sikorsky, the first of which made its maiden flight on 22 December 1999. Designated YSH-60R, these were delivered to NAS Patuxent River in 2001 for flight testing. The production variant was redesignated MH- 60R to match its multi-mission capability, using the same airframe as the S-70B but with major upgrades to its cockpit and avionics plus modifications to the tail wheel to ease handing on a ship deck. The MH-60R was formally deployed by the US Navy in 2006.
The first IN's RFP was retracted on 12 January 2007 as all OEMs were considered “non-complaint” at the technical evaluation stage itself, relating to the maximum all up weight (AUW) and endurance for the ASW task. A second RFP was issued on 29 August 2008 which was once again responded to by the same three OEMs, the bid of NIPO however being rejected as this was considered to be a ‘hybrid case’ with respect to the procurement procedure. This was attributed to the takeover of Sikorsky aircraft by Lockheed Martin which impacted on price negotiations as the MoD’s Commercial Negotiation Committee had to deal with new management.
The US Administration reportedly offered the S-70B Seahawk to India under G2G, also regarded as a foreign military sales programme. At the same time, the commercial bid of NHI was returned ‘unopened’ owing to extraneous reasons and the DAC directed that this case now be progressed solely with Sikorsky and price negotiations thereafter commenced, Sikorsky offering its “best and final offer” on 1 June 2016, which expired on 30 September 2016, with the OEM expressing inability to extend the validity of its commercial bid any further. This dilemma was compounded by the CNC then recommending retraction of the RFP itself referring to the higher price compared to the ‘bench marking’.
However, as the requirement to induct the NMRH was considered ‘critical’ the Defence Minister’s approval was sought to progress negotiations for one of the two options, in effect clearing procurement of 24 MH-60R helicopters through the FMS route, these including eight helicopters under the option clause. Several warships commissioned after 1997, including the INS Delhi and Brahmaputra, Shivalik- class, Kolkata- class, Kamorta- class and the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya have been operating without integral air ASW capability which has adverse impact on war fighting potential of the Fleet.
Just 10 days before the long awaited 2+2 India-US strategic dialogue on security, on 25 August 2018 the Defence Ministry’s DAC approved procurement of 24 Lockheed Martin- Sikorsky MH- 60R (‘ Romeo’) multirole helicopters for a reported Rs 13,000 crores from the US under a Government-to-Government contract.
The G-to-G deal for 24 MH-60Rs will give the Indian Navy some relief even as acquisition of the 123 follow on helicopters of this type is to be executed under the ‘strategic partnership model’, with a global tender expected to be floated in 2019. These NMRH are to operate not only from the indigenous aircraft carriers (IAC) but also the present INS Vikramaditya, and various destroyer-types (Delhi- class, Kolkata- class and Visakhapatnam- class) and equip the Marine Commando Flight currently operating Seaking Mk.42Bs and UH-3Hs, the latter on INS Jalashwa, the amphibious transport dock.
Naval Utility Helicopters (NUH)
Equally urgent has been needed to meet the Navy’s requirement for utility helicopters ( NUH) to supplant its present, and obsolescent, single-engined HAL Chetaks (Alouette III) which have been in service for nearly half a century. An excess of 300 units were built by HAL, the company upgrading this light helicopter and continuing low rate production for various air arms in India over several decades. The HAL Chetak continues to serve with all branches of the Indian Armed Forces, including the Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard, the IN having inducted some 80 examples of this versatile light helicopter, including for the MATCH (Medium-Range Anti-Submarine Torpedo-Carrying Helicopter) role.
As earlier recorded, the versatile Chetak has been utilised for SAR duties, communication, light stores transfer at sea, and deployed on board the Navy’s fleet tankers services, survey ship, Nilgiri (Leander)- class frigates as also serving as plane guard on board the aircraft carriers.
The Naval Light Utility Helicopter (NUH) planned as a replacement for the HAL Chetak is proposed to be a light weight, twin- engined, wheeled version. The Government accorded an acceptance of necessity (AoN) for 56 NUH on 6 August 2010 to meet the immediate requirement of the Navy, the RFP then issued to eight OEMs of which Eurocopter (heirs to the original Aerospatiale) and AgustaWestland Helicopters ( AWHL), responded with technical bids opened on 4 March 2013, the evaluation commencing shortly thereafter. However, owing to extraneous reasons the RFP issued on 3 August 2012 was withdrawn on 13 October 2014 as it had become a ‘Single Vendor’ situation.
On 29 August 2014, the Ministry of Defence directed that, in order to balance both the criticality of the requirement as also serving the country’s strategic interest, the RFP for light utility helicopters for the for both the Army and Navy was to be re-initiated and the Navy directed to initiate a new proposal under the ‘Buy and Make ( Indian)’ clause of the prevailing Defence Procure Procedure ( DPP). In early September 2014 the MoD met to determine the way ahead for meeting the requirement of light utility helicopters but considering the Navy’s particular requirement of having a utility helicopter with twin-engines for safety at sea, folding blades to facilitate hanger- storage on board ships and wheeled configuration fir ease of deck operations the Navy was to proceed independently and separately from the requirements of Army and Air Force. HAL's Dhruv ALH, received by the Navy in limited numbers, did not meet the special requirements.
The Navy’s specification for its NUH is that it should be twin-engined, under 5-tonnes AUW have flotation gear, wheeled landing gear with folding blades and able to carry a torpedo. Helicopter types considered include the AS565 MBe Panther, Bell 429, Super Lynx 300, S-76D and Ka-226 while the SPs reportedly include the Tatas, M&M and L&T, although HAL could also participate.
111 numbers of the NUH are required, the case to be progressed under Chapter VII Amendment of DPP 2016 where an Enforced Project Committee, headed by a three-star Admiral and Joint Secretary Rank officer of the MoD would issue the ‘expression of interest’ to selected OEMs and at the same time identify strategic partners (SPs) after which the DAC would clear the next step, hopefully by MarchApril 2019.