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Defexpo 2016 Show Daily News
Land, Naval and Internal Homeland Security Systems Exhibition 28 - 31 March 2016 Goa , India |
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Airbus Helicopters at Defexpo 2016
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Airbus Helicopters highlights "Make in India" H125M Fennec helicopter at Defexpo 2016
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The France-based Airbus Helicopters is higlighting a wide range of "Make in India" solutions for the 9th edition of India's Defexpo exhibition. Among others, he H125M Fennec is foreseen for the Indian Army’s and Air Force’s Reconnaissance and Surveillance Helicopter (RSH) need of around 400 units.
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 Airbus' H125M Fennec light multipurpose helicopter scale-model showcased at Defexpo 2016 |
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The RSH tender outlines a requirement for a single-engine, 2-2.5-tonne platform to replace the ageing fleets of Chetak and Cheetah helicopters. According to Airbus, the total RSH requirement for the Indian Air Force and Army is 400, rather than the previously stated 197.
Significant progress has been made by Airbus Helicopters and Mahindra Defence following their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) last July to form a Joint Venture as a part of the 'Make in India' initiative to produce military helicopters in India. Representatives of both companies signed a Statement of Intent on january 2016, in the presence of the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the visiting French President Francois Hollande. The companies are proposing to set-up a final assembly line in India, develop tier-1 and tier-2 suppliers and make extensive transfer of technology, with the intent to ultimately achieve 50% indigenous content. Axial armament accommodated by the helicopter includes a 12.7-mm. machine gun pod, 20-mm. cannon pod, 70-mm. rockets and air-to-ground guided missiles. Fitted with Turbomeca’s powerful Arriel 2D engine with a dual-channel Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) system, the H125M is well suited to perform combat flights. |
