Thursday, March 3, 2011

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Sikorsky To Make Helicopters In India For Local, Overseas Markets....NSI News Source Info # 1657

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Sikorsky To Make Helicopters In India For Local, Overseas Markets....NSI News Source Info # 1657
**US company looking at manufacturing choppers by 2015-16; will design and make both civilian and military helicopters
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 3, 2011:

US-based Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. plans to design and manufacture civilian and military helicopters in India for the local and Asia-Pacific market in four years, the first time a foreign aircraft company will use the country’s aerospace know-how to make choppers for the overseas market.

“We are looking at manufacturing an indigenous helicopter by 2015-16. We already have the helicopters that are suitable for the Indian climate,” said Arvind Jeet Singh Walia, managing director (India and South Asia) at Sikorsky Aircraft. “We intend developing further technologies to cater to defence requirements for high-altitude and high-performance machines.”

A unit of United Technologies, the U.S. helicopter maker said it was in talks with a string of Indian companies to build Black Hawks.

"We will bring the Black Hawk here with the option to improve the horse power ...," Sikorsky Vice President Steve Estill said, adding that the additional power was being introduced to operate the helicopter between 14,000 and 15,000 feet.

He did not give details of the investment involved in the proposed manufacturing plan.

Sikorsky, a unit of American military contractor United Technologies Corp. and one of the world’s largest helicopter makers, has an existing tie-up with Tata Advanced Systems Ltd, a Tata group company, to make helicopter cabins for the global market.

A boom in India’s civil aviation market, among the fastest growing in the world, and a military upgradation plan that may be worth $100 billion (Rs.4.5 trillion) in the next 10 years, is persuading global aircraft makers to form joint ventures with local companies to take advantage of the business opportunity. India has an offset clause for high-value defence purchases that requires overseas companies to base part of the manufacturing in the country.

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