Trump in India: $2 billion helicopter deal cleared; missile shield LoA received

NEW DELHi: In the run-up to President Donald Trump's visit, India has cleared a $2-billion deal to acquire naval multirole helicopters while the US has moved ahead on its offer for a missile shield system to protect the national capital. The deal for 24 advanced MH 60 'Romeo' choppers from the US in a direct government purchase has been a priority for the Navy, given that some of its newer ships don't have a capable integral chopper. Sources said that the contract would be inked around the visit.

The choppers enable warships to locate and take down enemy submarines beyond the limited radius of onboard sensors. The absence of these aircraft had limited the Navy's ability to hunt submarines in the Indian Ocean Region - a big gap in a vital region given the increasing presence of Chinese submarines operating under the garb of antipiracy patrols.

The Navy requires at least 123 of the Naval Multi Role Helicopters (NMRH) and had released a global request for information in August 2017 but the case has not progressed as fast as the Navy would have liked.


Progress has also been made on the sale of the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) to India under a Foreign Military Sales pact. The system is designed to protect the national capital from all incoming air threats and was notified to the US Congress for a possible sale to India, valued at $1.8 billion.

“The LOA has been issued from the US side and we have reached a fairly advanced stage in the consultations for an advanced missile defence system for the protection of the national capital region,” government sources said.