Why India Suspended $520 Million Deal for 10 KA-31 AEW&C Helicopters from Russia

The ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict has disrupted India's plans to procure KA-31 helicopters from Russia for its new indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant.

Despite discussions to purchase 10 KA-31 Airborne Early Warning helicopters, the proposed $520 million deal faces significant uncertainty.

Sources indicate that sanctions imposed on Russia have complicated payment, even as India and Russia explore ways to circumvent them. Furthermore, there are concerns about Russia's ability to deliver the helicopters given its military commitments in Ukraine.

India already possesses 14 KA-31 helicopters and intended to procure 10 more, but doubts have arisen about Russia's capability to fulfill this order. The Indian Navy sought these helicopters to enhance its warships' radar capabilities, providing early warning against surface and low-flying threats within a 200 km radius.

The Russia-Ukraine war has prompted the Indian Army and Navy to assess its impact on India's security and military hardware supply. India has a long-standing dependence on Russia for military equipment, with estimates suggesting a significant portion of its current arsenal originates from Russia.

Furthermore, concerns exist about Russia's ability to deliver the second unit of the S-400 Triumf air defense missile systems to India on time due to the ongoing conflict and sanctions. While some training equipment and simulators have arrived, the first of five S-400s was delivered in December 2021.

 

[sanket]

Ukraine war have impacted all over world for delay in defence mfg & its opportunity for Atmanirbhar

 

[Harsh]

The Defence.in journalists has become an unabashed agent of western trolls about anything and everything Russia. You can safely and smartly disregard anything put out by this entity.

 

[Paul]

What alternate option do we have to replace Ka-31?

 

[NSR]

Go with additional MH-60R Romeos as India already has ordered 24 of them.
Additional orders will not only make maintenance and spare parts acquisitions cost effective.

Perhaps India must ask for a Final Assembly Plant in India with whatever TOTs it can get so India can maintain them and upgrade them as required.

Russia shot itself in its two feet and also head with its 2022 invasion and unraveling completely.

 

[Anant]

Go with additional MH-60R Romeos as India already has ordered 24 of them.
Additional orders will not only make maintenance and spare parts acquisitions cost effective.

Perhaps India must ask for a Final Assembly Plant in India with whatever TOTs it can get so India can maintain them and upgrade them as required.

Russia shot itself in its two feet and also head with its 2022 invasion and unraveling completely.

A final assembly plant in India would require fairly massive orders. That said, with the upsizing of the Navy, we should very seriously be looking at another 36 MH-60Rs.

 

[Anant]

The Defence.in journalists has become an unabashed agent of western trolls about anything and everything Russia. You can safely and smartly disregard anything put out by this entity.

That may be the case, but the fact remains that the Ka-31 deal has been in limbo for a long time. With the war intensifying again, it is safe to assume the deal is dead.

 

[Anant]

What alternate option do we have to replace Ka-31?

None. You'd have to build one. The only substitute-ish are land-based AWACS aircraft, but they have their operational limitations.

 

[NSR]

A final assembly plant in India would require fairly massive orders. That said, with the upsizing of the Navy, we should very seriously be looking at another 36 MH-60Rs.

Indeed very true, Anant.
Each MH-60R in the air scans upto 250+ kms in air and also in sea for submarines for which is very famous in the world.

 

[Sunny]

What alternate option do we have to replace Ka-31?

Merlin helicopter based AEW variant exists which is fairly modern and used by UK on their Carriers.

 

[Instant Karma]

Go with additional MH-60R Romeos as India already has ordered 24 of them.
Additional orders will not only make maintenance and spare parts acquisitions cost effective.

Perhaps India must ask for a Final Assembly Plant in India with whatever TOTs it can get so India can maintain them and upgrade them as required.

Russia shot itself in its two feet and also head with its 2022 invasion and unraveling completely.

Relying on USA for all our defense equipment's is a very dangerous thing.

 

[Deepak Hegde]

A final assembly plant in India would require fairly massive orders. That said, with the upsizing of the Navy, we should very seriously be looking at another 36 MH-60Rs.

We should have gone in for multi year contracts for the MH-60R's (locking in the base price), long back. That's the only viable option today for the Ka-31's today.

 

[NSR]

Relying on USA for all our defense equipment's is a very dangerous thing.

Sad and I agree.
But We have no other choice but to go with it until our HAL comes up with an indigenous helicopters for those maritime ISR .

 

[Instant Karma]

Sad and I agree.
But We have no other choice but to go with it until our HAL comes up with an indigenous helicopters for those maritime ISR .

Apart from the helicopters, a lot of subsystems need to be developed.

 

[GMR]

None. You'd have to build one. The only substitute-ish are land-based AWACS aircraft, but they have their operational limitations.

Long term solution may be to equip our 2nd AC with EMALS to operate fixed wing AWACS.. and on heli carriers also which IN is planning.

 

[Anant]

We should have gone in for multi year contracts for the MH-60R's (locking in the base price), long back. That's the only viable option today for the Ka-31's today.

Um, the MH-60 and Ka-31 aren't interchangeable. The Ka-31 is an AWACS helicopter while the MH-60 is an ASW helicopter.

 

[Anant]

Indeed very true, Anant.
Each MH-60R in the air scans upto 250+ kms in air and also in sea for submarines for which is very famous in the world.

Oh, and Sir, it had escaped my mind back then, but thanks to Sh. Deepak Hegde's comment, we should also remember that the MH-60 and Ka-31 aren't interchangeable. The former is an ASW helicopter, whole the latter is an AWACS chopper. Granted, the MH-60 can give some level of airborne scanning, but this will be a sup-optimal use of the helicopter, and will pose operational constraints.

 

[Anant]

Long term solution may be to equip our 2nd AC with EMALS to operate fixed wing AWACS.. and on heli carriers also which IN is planning.

Might not be practical, Sir. IAC-II, as of now, is planned to be a modified Vikrant. If you want to put in an EMALS that can launch AWACS, there are a number of challenges:

1. The entire design of the ship would have to be changed. Elevators may have to be moved, and a lot of internal rearrangement would be needed.

2. We don't have a working EMALS set that is large enough as of yet. That is still several years away. Moreover, purchasing an EMALS set from the US is considered to be too expensive given the late-2010s offer of EMALS + AAG for over a billion USD.

3. We don't have a fixed wing AWACS either. To do so, we'd have to buy a few E-2s from the Americans.

4. The limited size of our carriers also means AWACS such as the E-2 may not be feasible. We'd need significantly larger hangars, larger elevators, and more deck space for such aircraft, which may not be practical here.

 

[Anant]

Merlin helicopter based AEW variant exists which is fairly modern and used by UK on their Carriers.

I had forgotten about these. These are pretty good choppers from what I have heard as well.

 

[GMR]

Might not be practical, Sir. IAC-II, as of now, is planned to be a modified Vikrant. If you want to put in an EMALS that can launch AWACS, there are a number of challenges:

1. The entire design of the ship would have to be changed. Elevators may have to be moved, and a lot of internal rearrangement would be needed.

2. We don't have a working EMALS set that is large enough as of yet. That is still several years away. Moreover, purchasing an EMALS set from the US is considered to be too expensive given the late-2010s offer of EMALS + AAG for over a billion USD.

3. We don't have a fixed wing AWACS either. To do so, we'd have to buy a few E-2s from the Americans.

4. The limited size of our carriers also means AWACS such as the E-2 may not be feasible. We'd need significantly larger hangars, larger elevators, and more deck space for such aircraft, which may not be practical here.

Agree👍. But we have some advantages also, like we can start the designing keeping emal in mind, DRDO is working on the development which will take time, but IACII is also long way.. IN should go for EMAL, finding way to absorb the cost escalation.