Indian Defense Industry General News and Updates

[Gautam]

Airbus shortlists four states for copter unit

By Rahul Singh, New Delhi
Jan 18, 2025, 06:38 AM IST

Airbus Helicopters is evaluating four Indian states for a production line of H125 helicopters with TASL, boosting the Make-in-India initiative.

The final assembly line (FAL) in India will be the first for a civil helicopter in the private sector and will initially produce 10 H125s a year. (Rahul Singh/HT Photo)

Airbus Helicopters has shortlisted four locations in the country to set up a production line for H125 helicopters in partnership with Tata Adanced Systems Limited (TASL), the fourth such facility in the world and a shot in the arm for the government’s wide-ranging Make-in-India campaign, people in the industry said on Friday.

The final assessment of sites in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka is underway and an announcement is expected soon on where the single-engine helicopter will be assembled as the two firms target to roll the first H125 out of an Indian facility next year, the people added on condition of anonymity.

The factors that will guide the decision include how attractive the location is to employees, its suitability for industrial activity, and the logistics ecosystem, the people said.

The final assembly line (FAL) in India will be the first for a civil helicopter in the private sector and will initially produce 10 H125s a year, with production being ramped up as orders grow. Airbus Helicopters has projected a demand for 500 light helicopters of the H125 class in the country and south Asia during the next 20 years.

The partnership between Airbus Helicopters and TASL to assemble the H125 helicopters in the country was announced in January 2024 during talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron.

The 2.8-tonne H125 can carry up to six passengers, fly at a maximum altitude of 23,000 feet, has a range of 630km and a top speed of 250kmph. The roles it is suited for include commercial transport, law enforcement, emergency medical services, disaster management, offshore industry and firefighting.

These helicopters are currently produced only in France, the US and Brazil.

At the Indian FAL, TASL will handle major component assemblies, avionics and mission systems, flight controls, hydraulic circuits, fuel system and the engine; with support and guidance from Airbus Helicopters, including the training of Indian personnel in France.

The H125’s engine and gearbox will come from France, the main airframe from Germany, and the tail boom from Spain.

This will be the second FAL to be set up in India by Airbus. It is jointly executing a ₹21,935-crore project with TASL to equip the Indian Air Force (IAF) with 56 C-295 aircraft to modernise its transport fleet. In September 2021, the defence ministry signed the contract with Airbus Defence and Space to strengthen self-reliance in the key sector. The European aircraft maker is delivering 16 planes in flyaway condition, while the rest will be assembled in India at a Tata facility in Gujarat’s Vadodara city.

Last October, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez jointly inaugurated the Tata Aircraft Complex in Vadodara for manufacturing the C-295 transport aircraft, a watershed in the country’s private sector that will produce a military plane for the first time.

Airbus has already delivered several C-295s to the IAF and the last of the 16 flyaway aircraft is expected to join the fleet by August 2025. The first made-in-India C-295 will roll out of the Vadodara facility in September 2026 and the remaining 39 by August 2031. The IAF inducted its first C-295 in September 2023.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/indi...r-states-for-copter-unit-101737139024073.html

 

[Speedster1]

Airbus shortlists four states for copter unit

By Rahul Singh, New Delhi
Jan 18, 2025, 06:38 AM IST

Airbus Helicopters is evaluating four Indian states for a production line of H125 helicopters with TASL, boosting the Make-in-India initiative.
View attachment 39774
The final assembly line (FAL) in India will be the first for a civil helicopter in the private sector and will initially produce 10 H125s a year. (Rahul Singh/HT Photo)

Airbus Helicopters has shortlisted four locations in the country to set up a production line for H125 helicopters in partnership with Tata Adanced Systems Limited (TASL), the fourth such facility in the world and a shot in the arm for the government’s wide-ranging Make-in-India campaign, people in the industry said on Friday.

The final assessment of sites in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka is underway and an announcement is expected soon on where the single-engine helicopter will be assembled as the two firms target to roll the first H125 out of an Indian facility next year, the people added on condition of anonymity.

The factors that will guide the decision include how attractive the location is to employees, its suitability for industrial activity, and the logistics ecosystem, the people said.

The final assembly line (FAL) in India will be the first for a civil helicopter in the private sector and will initially produce 10 H125s a year, with production being ramped up as orders grow. Airbus Helicopters has projected a demand for 500 light helicopters of the H125 class in the country and south Asia during the next 20 years.

The partnership between Airbus Helicopters and TASL to assemble the H125 helicopters in the country was announced in January 2024 during talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron.

The 2.8-tonne H125 can carry up to six passengers, fly at a maximum altitude of 23,000 feet, has a range of 630km and a top speed of 250kmph. The roles it is suited for include commercial transport, law enforcement, emergency medical services, disaster management, offshore industry and firefighting.

These helicopters are currently produced only in France, the US and Brazil.

At the Indian FAL, TASL will handle major component assemblies, avionics and mission systems, flight controls, hydraulic circuits, fuel system and the engine; with support and guidance from Airbus Helicopters, including the training of Indian personnel in France.

The H125’s engine and gearbox will come from France, the main airframe from Germany, and the tail boom from Spain.

This will be the second FAL to be set up in India by Airbus. It is jointly executing a ₹21,935-crore project with TASL to equip the Indian Air Force (IAF) with 56 C-295 aircraft to modernise its transport fleet. In September 2021, the defence ministry signed the contract with Airbus Defence and Space to strengthen self-reliance in the key sector. The European aircraft maker is delivering 16 planes in flyaway condition, while the rest will be assembled in India at a Tata facility in Gujarat’s Vadodara city.

Last October, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez jointly inaugurated the Tata Aircraft Complex in Vadodara for manufacturing the C-295 transport aircraft, a watershed in the country’s private sector that will produce a military plane for the first time.

Airbus has already delivered several C-295s to the IAF and the last of the 16 flyaway aircraft is expected to join the fleet by August 2025. The first made-in-India C-295 will roll out of the Vadodara facility in September 2026 and the remaining 39 by August 2031. The IAF inducted its first C-295 in September 2023.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/indi...r-states-for-copter-unit-101737139024073.html

Make no mistake. Airbus' ultimate goal is bagging military orders in India. The IA is already leasing civilian light helos with LUH facing vibration issues. They probably see a window of opportunity for H125.
Local production will bring down unit costs for their Caracal twin-engine medium helos as well. Apparently, the ICG wanted them.

 

[_Anonymous_]

Airbus shortlists four states for copter unit

By Rahul Singh, New Delhi
Jan 18, 2025, 06:38 AM IST

Airbus Helicopters is evaluating four Indian states for a production line of H125 helicopters with TASL, boosting the Make-in-India initiative.
View attachment 39774
The final assembly line (FAL) in India will be the first for a civil helicopter in the private sector and will initially produce 10 H125s a year. (Rahul Singh/HT Photo)

Airbus Helicopters has shortlisted four locations in the country to set up a production line for H125 helicopters in partnership with Tata Adanced Systems Limited (TASL), the fourth such facility in the world and a shot in the arm for the government’s wide-ranging Make-in-India campaign, people in the industry said on Friday.

The final assessment of sites in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka is underway and an announcement is expected soon on where the single-engine helicopter will be assembled as the two firms target to roll the first H125 out of an Indian facility next year, the people added on condition of anonymity.

The factors that will guide the decision include how attractive the location is to employees, its suitability for industrial activity, and the logistics ecosystem, the people said.

The final assembly line (FAL) in India will be the first for a civil helicopter in the private sector and will initially produce 10 H125s a year, with production being ramped up as orders grow. Airbus Helicopters has projected a demand for 500 light helicopters of the H125 class in the country and south Asia during the next 20 years.

The partnership between Airbus Helicopters and TASL to assemble the H125 helicopters in the country was announced in January 2024 during talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron.

The 2.8-tonne H125 can carry up to six passengers, fly at a maximum altitude of 23,000 feet, has a range of 630km and a top speed of 250kmph. The roles it is suited for include commercial transport, law enforcement, emergency medical services, disaster management, offshore industry and firefighting.

These helicopters are currently produced only in France, the US and Brazil.

At the Indian FAL, TASL will handle major component assemblies, avionics and mission systems, flight controls, hydraulic circuits, fuel system and the engine; with support and guidance from Airbus Helicopters, including the training of Indian personnel in France.

The H125’s engine and gearbox will come from France, the main airframe from Germany, and the tail boom from Spain.

This will be the second FAL to be set up in India by Airbus. It is jointly executing a ₹21,935-crore project with TASL to equip the Indian Air Force (IAF) with 56 C-295 aircraft to modernise its transport fleet. In September 2021, the defence ministry signed the contract with Airbus Defence and Space to strengthen self-reliance in the key sector. The European aircraft maker is delivering 16 planes in flyaway condition, while the rest will be assembled in India at a Tata facility in Gujarat’s Vadodara city.

Last October, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez jointly inaugurated the Tata Aircraft Complex in Vadodara for manufacturing the C-295 transport aircraft, a watershed in the country’s private sector that will produce a military plane for the first time.

Airbus has already delivered several C-295s to the IAF and the last of the 16 flyaway aircraft is expected to join the fleet by August 2025. The first made-in-India C-295 will roll out of the Vadodara facility in September 2026 and the remaining 39 by August 2031. The IAF inducted its first C-295 in September 2023.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/indi...r-states-for-copter-unit-101737139024073.html

Make no mistake. Airbus' ultimate goal is bagging military orders in India. The IA is already leasing civilian light helos with LUH facing vibration issues. They probably see a window of opportunity for H125.
Local production will bring down unit costs for their Caracal twin-engine medium helos as well. Apparently, the ICG wanted them.

Why exactly is the GoI supporting moves to create competition to the ALH instead of pushing HAL to go all out in the civilian aerospace market to sell this product at least in India before moving into other markets ?

I'd go one step ahead & ask the reason HAL has been made the punching bag of the GoI thru other arms like the user -the IAF & the babooos - MoD in the recently concluded ACM Subroto Mukherjee lecturers organised by yet another GoI / MoD funded body - CAPS , instead of doing the right thing & restructure HAL followed by conferring it autonomy so that it's equipped to tackle the challenges in the market place like what we're witnessing instead of fighting with one hand tied behind the back & then being subjected to abuse their performance is sub par.

At this rate the GoI is only aiding the emaciation of the ONLY Aerospace production agency the country has thru sheer myopia , lack of foresight & general apathy.

 

[Speedster1]

Why exactly is the GoI supporting moves to create competition to the ALH instead of pushing HAL to go all out in the civilian aerospace market to sell this product at least in India before moving into other markets ?

As long as it's MII, GoI doesn't care. The military would like nothing better than a pvt-sector alternative to DPSUs in general and HAL in particular.
I don't blame them. HAL has dropped the ball on QC/maintenance and made asinine suggestions like making holes in helicopter hangar doors for ALH rotor blades to go through (this was before they developed those segmented blades and folding tail boom).
Problem is foriegn companies getting backdoor entry into projects reserved for local industry (via positive idigenizaton list), leaving no incentive for local R&D/IP creation.

 

[_Anonymous_]

As long as it's MII, GoI doesn't care. The military would like nothing better than a pvt-sector alternative to DPSUs in general and HAL in particular.
I don't blame them. HAL has dropped the ball on QC/maintenance and made asinine suggestions like making holes in helicopter hangar doors for ALH rotor blades to go through (this was before they developed those segmented blades and folding tail boom).
Problem is foriegn companies getting backdoor entry into projects reserved for local industry (via positive idigenizaton list), leaving no incentive for local R&D/IP creation.

It's quite plain the present GoI & MoD have no long term perspective planning irrespective their public posturing on the entire subject of defence which includes the INDIGENOUS defence mfg & R&D ecosystem.

We're being told by the Defence Secretary that local industry doesn't have the industrial depth of bandwidth to absorb all the orders resulting in funds being returned back to the MoD by the services.

This problem is most acute in the IA where before our very eyes foreign countries have imported & inducted items we've been testing it to eternity . Then comes the bombshell of the Strykers which is another story in itself.

In other sectors like drones we've been putting up with Chinese products or in any case sub systems in significant quantity in the final product being re badged as MII thru either ignorance or oversight - deliberate or otherwise.

Frankly I'm extremely disappointed by the Modi administration for their cavalier attitude towards defence exacerbated by a place holder of a Defence Minister .

It's just not a priority item with this government which is extremely surprising given the rapidly deteriorating neighborhood .

Either they've failed to grasp the salience of these developments or they're smug in the belief that we can counter them with the present forces in the condition they're in without major reforms or increased budgetary allocations or even taking a holistic view of things & doing course correction.

In fact the only MAJOR reforms they've undertaken is the theatre ization of the armed forces which to be honest is WiP for the rest of this decade & the next one & the Agniveer which in itself is fairly controversial.

All the other reforms like the DPP & everything flowing out of it apart from being WiP have been underwhelming due to the sheer contradictions in the policies itself subject to frequent changes.

Compared to the UPA era under St Anthony they still look good but then anyone would , for that's such a low bar to begin with .