Halo Heavy-Lift Helicopter ‘Satisfy All Indian Requirements,’ Says Rosoboronexport

As far the Russian weapons manufacturer Rosoboronexport is concerned the competition is still on to win the Indian helicopter deal. The company has strongly denied rumors the company lost out on heavy-lift helicopters and aerial tankers tenders issued by the Indian Air Force. “Rosoboronexport denies media speculation about Russia’s loss in both tenders as these reports are false,” the company said in a statement. “The results of these tenders have not been announced, and any premature speculation on the subject misleads the public and professionals, both in Russia and in India”. According to media reports, Boeing has clinched the billion dollar deal by beating the Russian upgraded Mi-26T2 Halo heavy-lift helicopter with the Chinook Ch-47F while the Il-78Mk-90 lost to Airbus’s A330 MRTT. Rosoboronexport added that the company deserved to win the tenders because “they not only possess unique characteristics, but also satisfy all Indian requirements, including high cost effectiveness”. A traditional favorite, Russia has been India’s largest arms supplier until Russian companies failed to fulfill several contracts in combination with the competition from the U.S and Europe. In 2011, Russia lost two Indian tenders to supply choppers and most recently lost its bid for the $10 billion Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) tender.