AgustaWestland questions its elimination from Indian Army’s $600 million contract

AugustaWestand which has been shown the door in the Indian Army’s $600 million deal to purchase 197 light helicopters has questioned the reasons for its elimination. The company has not been invited for the Phase II final trials which are currently going on with two manufacturers, Eurocopter and Kamov from Russia. The company together with its engine partner, Pratt & Whitney Canada has written to the Indian MOD that “the take off, maximum continuous, mechanical and thermal ratings, associated operating limits as well as the engine architecture and the mounting of the engine in the helicopter are the same in the AW119/RSH proposal, the trial helicopter and the final production standard helicopter”. Earlier, elaborating the reasons for its elimination, AgustaWestand had received a communication from the Indian MoD in April this year to the effect that there was a variance in the equipment offered (engine) in the technical proposal to that fielded in the trails and to the equipment which would be in the final production standard, AgustaWestland sources told Defenseworld.net. The sources said that the issue focused on the fact that the offered engine had not finished the certification process and not deemed current production standard. However, all vendors, Eurocopter, Kamov and itself are in the same position – all engines in the competition are non current production standard engines yet to be certified by any authority, the sources claimed. The sources further asserted that the AgustaWestland AW119SP helicopter offered in the Indian competition meets all the RFP technical and mission requirements. For the demanding high altitude mission, AW submitted detailed mission profiles and graphs demonstrating the ability to meet the mission. These graphs were validated by the Customer’s team during extensive high altitude flight testing in Phase 1 of the trials. AgustaWestland could not participate in Phase 2 of the trials (as it was by the told of its elimination) where the exact requirement should have been demonstrated. However, AgustaWestland successfully performed considerable high altitude flying in Phase 1 and by simple extrapolation of the graphs, it is clear that the helicopter can meet the demanding mission; a key requirement for the customer, the sources claimed. One of the key requirements of the RFP was the 2 stretcher configuration. AgustaWestland has successfully demonstrated the 2 stretcher requirement, and that the helicopter can also accommodate two stretchers and 2 medical attendants in the same cabin. Installing the stretchers is a simple 5 minute process that does not require any structural changes or attachments. It claimed that one of the other two helicopters in the race does not meet the two stretcher requirement as only one stretcher can be accommodated, the sources claimed. The 197 helicopter deal has seen Bell Helicopter pulling out from the race earlier and Eurocopter once disqualified after being named the final bidder. The current competition was re-floated two years ago.