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US doubts over India fighter partners
18 February 2011A US official expressed doubts about the ability of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), to partner with US companies in delivering a multi-billion dollar jet fighter contract, according to reports.
The Financial Times reported that cables provided by Wikileaks show US ambassador to India Tim Roemer giving a critical assessment of HAL's capabilities following a February 2010 visit to one of their facilities.
"The potential for HAL to successfully partner with US firms on a truly advanced aircraft remains untested and suspect," Roemer wrote.
Roemer reportedly wrote that India's aviation industry was "two to three decades behind the United States and other western nations".
India is currently seeking 126 multirole fighter aircraft as part of a $10bn contract sought by American, European and Russian firms.
The aircraft being considered include the Eurofighter Typhoon, Mig-35, Saab's Gripen, Dassault's Rafale, Lockheed Martin's F-16 and Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet.
Last year it was reported that the competition had been narrowed down to just the Typhoon and Rafale, and a decision is expected this year.
Whichever company wins the contest will have to work with HAL on the production of the aircraft.
Roemer reportedly wrote of a lack of automation and safety provision at the HAL facility, and said US firms would have to take care to "understand the management and technological experience of Indian firms".
The US embassy in India said it could not "confirm the authenticity" of the cable.
HAVE YOUR SAY
18 February 2011
Given the history of Indian defence firms and HAL in particular one can understand the doubts held by this person.
If you look at the history of the 'Tejas' light fighter aircraft which to my knowledge is still not in series production it may give you some idea .
This aircraft was first proposed in the early 1980's as the LCA (light combat aircraft) and has dragged on since then.
The fact that it is now flying at all is due to the fact that the Indians had in the end to buy a US General Electrics engine for the aircraft.
One can understand that building an aircraft industry takes time and you need to build up your skills base,but I suspect that Indian bureaucracy has is a major problem in this respect. There is no doubt that India has the engineers and technicians capable of carrying out these projects but India learned from the British all about civil servants and red tape,and they even improved upon it.
Also when things go wrong they tend to blame everyone but themselves as in the BAE Hawk.
I think any country doing deals with India needs to know the culture and be very wary,else they could end up in a veritable quagmire.
michael - notts
18 February 2011
That`s good, let Indian`s build Eurofighter Typhoon with help of British and Germans.
Vik - Canada
19 February 2011
A UK engineering firm, some two years ago,with cost in mind, sent out to India, some of their components to be welded, after having been "tacked up" in this country, and duly despatched. After return to UK, and despite Indian Quality Control, all the welding was found to be porous, and had to be ground out and redone. I actually saw one of these components as it arrived. I don't think that a US pilot would be too happy flying a fast jet built to this standard.
Mike Hemingway - Wales uk