Aerospace Diary

Neelam Mathews May 2, 2012 With the Tatra-BEML deal under the scanner, the time has come to ask some questions. Who gave Tatra the order and resold at a higher price? Will the government consider blacklisting BEML? If this were to happen, would other defense PSUs shudder? Ofcourse, what about the most obvious candidate- OFB in the case of six companies blacklisted in March? "We need to introspect a bit here and be clear on our policy objectives,"  an official told Aerospace Diary. "We cannot have one rule for government-associated companies and the other for the rest of the world." In March , the Ministry of Defense blacklisted six firms- Singapore Technologies Kinetics Ltd. (STK), Israel Military Industries Ltd. (IMI), Rheinmetall Air Defence (RAD), Zurich, Corporation Defence, Russia (CDR), TS Kisan., New Delhi and  RK Machine Tools Ltd., Ludhiana - from further business dealings with the Ordnance Factory Board, Department of Defense Production, MoD, for ten ...

March 5, 2012 Posted by- Neelam Mathews The Ministry of Defense has decided to debar six firms- Singapore Technologies Kinetics, Israel Military Industries (IMI), Rheinmetall Air Defence (RAD), Zurich, Corporation Defence, Russia (CDR), TS Kisan & Co. Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi and RK Machine Tools Ltd., Ludhiana – from further business dealings with the Ordnance Factory Board, Department of Defense Production, MoD, for ten years.   It is not clear if they can deal with other defense companies. The firms were recommended for blacklisting by the CBI on the basis of evidence collected against them. These firms were issued notice to show cause as to why action against them should not be taken consequent to the filing of the chargesheet in the case related to illegal gratification against former Director General of Ordnance Factories Sudipto Ghosh and others.  

PROGRAMS NEW DELHI — The Indian defense ministry is expected to reissue the request for proposals (RFP) for the third time for 140 wheeled guns within the next two weeks. Retrials will be held for the same guns that participated in earlier rounds to evaluate performance in extreme hot and cold conditions in the harsh desert terrains of Rajasthan and Ladakh. Firing rate and command and control will be assessed. Bidders being named include Kerametal of Slovakia, with its Zuzana gun, and Germany’s Rheinmetall RWG-52. The latest development, however, comes amid ongoing confusion and allegations regarding so-called “blacklisting” of some contenders in the past (Aerospace DAILY, April 2). For instance, Singapore Technologies Kinetics was not invited to participate in the RFP after being named in a report related to an Ordnance Factories Board (OFB) scandal. But Rheinmetall, which was rejected on another tender for being involved in the same OFB report, was called to participate in t...

Programs Aerospace Daily & Defense Report Apr 02 , 2010 , p. 07 Neelam Mathews India’s effort to purchase new towed guns for its army is heating up, with trials likely to begin this summer. “We are still pending dates from the [defense ministry] for the trials,” says a spokesman for Singapore Technologies (ST) Kinetics, which is competing with BAE Systems to make the guns. “Our gun will be ready for the summer trials.” Winter trials were delayed following an accident in which ST Kinetics’ 155mm .52-caliber towed howitzer rammed up against a truck in Singapore in February. “Accidents happen and this was beyond our control,” Patrick Choy, chief marketing officer for ST Kinetics, told Aerospace DAILY. Since the parts for the gun had to be imported from Europe, winter trials will now be held in October. But Choy confirmed the gun would be ready for the summer trials. The Indian government also has been pursuing an effort to buy 12 dozen ultra lightweight (ULW) M777 howitze...

Show Report Defense Technology International Apr 01 , 2010 , p. 44 Neelam Mathews New Delhi India’s defense needs draw industry to Defexpo Printed headline: Buyer’s Market India’s rapidly growing defense programs attracted a number of major global contractors to the biennial Def- expo land and naval exposition here in February. Many were looking to establish or firm up partnerships with local manufacturers to meet the offsets mandated for procurement awards by the defense ministry. Though eager for business, most contractors want the government to relax the cap on ownership levels that has been imposed on joint ventures. The current foreign direct investment (FDI) limit favors Indian companies on a 74-26% basis over foreign OEMs, a level that many contractors say provides no incentive for technology transfer. India’s Defense Procurement Procedure (DPP) mandates a 30% offsets clause for projects valued at more than $65 million. At present, only $43 million worth of offsets ...

Major Programs Update Defense Technology International Feb 01 , 2010 , p. 30 Neelam Mathews Printed headline: India Readies Howitzer Trials As India plans to hold trials for towed howitzers in late February, the push for towed and ultra-light guns is drawing interest from two contenders, Singapore Technologies (ST) Kinetics and BAE Systems. BAE Systems is offering its FH77B05 howitzer to India. Credit: BAE SYSTEMS India wants to procure 400 towed 155-mm. howitzers and 144 ultra-light howitzers. The military is reportedly trying to procure BAE’s M777 ultra-light howitzer through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program, an effort hastened, perhaps, by Pakistan’s acquisition last year of 67 M109 A5 Paladin self-propelled artillery guns from BAE through the U.S. Foreign Military Financing program. Immediate attention is being given to the towed howitzers, which, due to India’s history of re-bids, are undergoing trials for the fifth time. “ST Kinetics’ entry, the iFH2000, a 155-mm./52-calib...