India’s £510-mn chopper decision raises a loud cheer in the UK
12 Mar 2010
New Delhi: The Indian ministry of defence will purchase 12 three-engined AW-101 helicopters from AgustaWestland, a unit of Italian major Finmeccanica, for the Indian Air Force's elite Communication Squadron, which is tasked with the high-profile duty of ferrying the country's president, prime minister and other VVIPs. The Rs3,726-crore (£510 million) deal allows the Communication Squadron to provide more complete and comprehensive services for the country's highest ranked government officials in a security environment which has grown ten times more dangerous than ever before.
Given the fact that deliveries will only commence in three years time the decision has not come a day too soon.
Meanwhile, the Indian decision has raised a loud cheer in the United Kingdom as the choppers will be manufactured at Westland's factory in Yeovil and the decision secures upto 4,000 jobs.
The news of the contract comes as a boost for the struggling programme for the UK Government had said last December that it would scrap a long-term plan to buy up to 70 medium-lift helicopters for the Armed Forces and instead purchase 22 Chinooks from Boeing. The Merlin, as the AW-101 is known in the UK, had been a favourite to win the order.
Its cancellation had raised questions about the future of the Yeovil facility as it now needs export orders to keep the AW-101 production line open.
UK defence analysts said the announcement was good news not just for Westland but for British jobs in general as thousands of suppliers in this country are dependent on the production facility.
