India’s Mid-Tier Maritime Patrol Aircraft Competitions
Feb 16, 2009 11:16 EST
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India’s growing power is creating growing naval responsibility around the Indian Ocean, from the strategic chokepoint and shipping channel represented by Indonesia’s Straits of Malacca in the east, to anti-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia and basing agreements with Madagascar in the west. Hence the January 2009 deal for 8-16 of Boeing’s 737-derived P-8i Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, which will replace Russian-built TU-142’s as India’s long-range patrol aircraft.
Closer to home, however, India has its own long coastline to patrol, and nations like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan that represent existing or potential trouble spots along its borders. The P-8i will work in those problem areas, but less-expensive and shorter-range aircraft will be needed to supplement their coverage – and to replace India’s aging Britten-Norman Islander and Dornier Do-228 aircraft. UAVs will also play a role, and India’s Israeli-built Searcher and Heron UAVs are already part of the mix. Their role does not exclude small and medium sized manned aircraft, however, which fill their own niches in India’s Navy and its Coast Guard.
In January 2009, the wheels began turning on pair of follow-on buys covering short and medium range manned aircraft for India’s Navy and Coast Guard. In the latest development, a Russian mid-tier competitor has been unveiled at Aero India 2009…
Reports indicate that India’s Ministry of Defence has issued an RFP for 6 medium-range maritime reconnaissance (MRMR) aircraft. They will replace the aging Britten-Norman Islander fleet. That fleet may then be shifted to a training role, handed over to the cost guard, or even gifted to other countries – 2 have already given as a gift to the Myanmar junta.
The Indian coast guard’s requirements also involve 6 aircraft, but they will require less sophisticated equipment. The aircraft will need to have a range of over 500 nautical miles, and an endurance of around 6 hours.
These are easy criteria to meet, and there are a number of contenders. At least 2 of the rumored Navy contenders participated in India’s previous maritime patrol aircraft competition.
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There are rumors that Boeing would offer a modified version of the P-8i for the medium range role as well. A modified P-8i would offer commonality, handle required industrial offsets smoothly, and may include some savings due to a larger order volume, but the platform itself is not cheap. Cost is likely to be the biggest stumbling block for this option.
The other MPA holdover is a maritime patrol version of Dassault’s Falcon 900, which was reportedly submitted by Israel’s IAI Elta. The tri-engined aircraft offers more attractive operating costs than a P-8, and its 4,100-4,500 nautical mile/ 7,600-8,330 km unrefueled range would allow for both long patrols of India’s coastline and deployments across the Indian Ocean. Israel has a good reputation for delivering capable and reliable military equipment, and a MRMR aircraft that can also fill high-end roles may be attractive, but the Falcon 900 will be more expensive than several of the other rumored contenders.
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In a similar vein, Brazil’s Embraer modifies its own ERJ-145 regional jets into sophisticated surveillance platforms. India’s DRDO is already using it as the base for a locally-produced mid-tier AEW&C airspace control plane, and other Embraer versions exist for land and maritime surveillance.
The P-99 MPA/ EMB-145MP has been ordered by Mexico (2), and an armed variant is rumored as a contender for India’s MRMR as well. At 1,876 miles/ 3,019 km, its range is less than the Falcon’s but still more than adequate for the requirement. Embraer, like Canada’s Bombardier, is working to make inroads into India’s civil aviation industry, and those efforts will help position the firm for industrial offset requirements.
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A third jet-powered contender is Antonov’s AN-74MP variant of its unusual AN-72/-74 transports. This aircraft family is immediately recognizable by the two turbofan engines mounted in and over its wings, in a manner reminiscent of Boeing’s YC-14. This arrangement allows take-off on short and/or unimproved runways, while carrying up to 10.5t of cargo. The modernized AN-74MP variant features various cameras, along with the ability to mount guns and unguided rockets or bombs.
The AN-74MP offers India the greatest versatility in troop-carrier, cargo/ disaster relief, and medevac roles. On the flip side, it also offers a narrower customer base for its core aircraft type, and less sophisticated surveillance systems and weapons than other contenders in this field. It was unveiled to the broader aviation public at Aero India 2009.
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The next 3 rumored contenders are both turboprops. They offer more economical low-level flight costs, in exchange for shorter ranges and slower transit time to patrol areas or emergency situations.
EADS subsidiary ATR and Alenia Aeronautica have crated the larger ATR-72, which has been ordered by Turkey and Italy to fulfill maritime patrol requirements. The ATR and its smaller ATR-42 are both regional civil transport aircraft. Alenia’s modifications include sophisticated surveillance gear and, in the case of the ATR-72 ASW, a long Magnetic Anomaly Detector in the back that helps it find submarines, and pylons/launchers for weapons.
The ATR-72 ASW is rumored as a candidate for the Indian Navy’s MRMR, while the smaller ATR-42MP Surveyor, which has been ordered by Italy, Nigeria, and Libya, and has attracted interest from Pakistan, is a rumored candidate for the Coast Guard’s MRMR.
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In May 2011, Saab joined the competition, offering its Saab 2000 MPA turboprop, along with the firm’s phased array maritime radar and RBS-15 anti-ship and land attack missiles. Like many other MRMR competitors (R-99, Falcon, ATR-72), the aircraft is a modified business/ regional transport plane.
In its Maritime Patrol role, the Saab 2000 MPA maintains a cruising speed of 350 knots, and can operate at a maximum range exceeding 2,000 nautical miles, with mission endurance exceeding 9.5 hours. Those figures depend on conditions and flight profiles, of course – the same plane would cover a 200 nm Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) for 5.5 hours at an altitude of only 2,000 ft, or extend patrol times by flying up to 31,000 feet and relying on its radar. Saab is also touting the 2000 MPA’s ability to operate from high altitude airfields, taking off with maximum load and fuel even at very hot temperatures.
Saab also offers an AWACS variant of this aircraft family for airspace command and control, and counts Pakistan among its customers. That’s good, in that it offers proven operational capability in similar conditions. It’s bad because India has historically been reluctant to share platforms with Pakistan – but it has happened (vid. IL-76/78 transports). The RBS-15 Mk.3 is a fine missile, but it may also be a drawback. That depends on India’s reaction to adding yet another anti-ship missile type, on top of its existing stocks of Russian (Klub, BrahMos), French (Exocet), and American (Harpoon) weapons.
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EADS other subsidiary EADS-CASA has carved out a leading role for its maritime surveillance turboprops. The CN-235MP Persuader is in service with a number of countries, including the US Coast Guard, and has just been ordered by South Korea’s Coast Guard. Unsurprisingly, it’s a rumored candidate for India’s Coast Guard MRMR. If so, it’s likely to be a leading candidate, and the affiliation with Airbus gives them good industrial benefits options.
The larger C-295MP has been ordered by Chile, and modified C-295 light transport aircraft already serve in a search and rescue role with a number of countries.
Contracts and Key Events
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May 30/11: Saab has announced that they’ll bid on MRMR with their Saab 2000 platform, equipped with a new phased array maritime search radar and Saab’s RBS-15 anti-ship missiles.
Saab invested in Indian partnerships in its bid for the MMRCA fighter competition. That bid is currently stalled or failed, but the MRMR bid can leverage the work they’ve already done on industrial partners, etc. Defense Update.
March 3/09: Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) in Kanpur, India has supplied the first set of Dornier 228 NG of fuselage, wings and tail to RUAG Aerospace Services GmbH in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany. First delivery of the 10-plane Indian order for short-mid range maritime aircraft is scheduled to take place early in 2010. RUAG release.
Feb 11-15/09: Antonoc ASC announces that its AN-74MP, which it is unveiling at Aero India 2009, is a candidate for this competition:
“At present, this version of the aircraft is being studied by experts of MoD of India within the frame of tender on delivery of 6 aircraft of such a class for Navy and Coast Guard of the country. The new AN-74 is prepared to fulfill with a high efficiency a wide spectrum of military tasks…. A new version of AN-74 differs from its predecessors with a number of considerable improvements. It made possible realization of conception of a radical modernization of the AN-74, developed by ANTONOV specialists in cooperation with the partners including those from France, Germany and Sweden. It includes mounting the glass cockpit, the newest instruments of piloting, navigation and communication. Besides, power plant and APU, aircraft and engine control systems, fuel, hydraulic systems and many others.”
Jan 12/09: Reports surface that India’s Navy and Coast Guard have issued their MRMR solicitations, and rumored candidates are identified in the press.
India Defence adds that “the Navy will also be getting 11 new Dornier short-range aircraft,” but this is not confirmed by other sources yet. It is true that in 1983, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. bought a production license for the Do-228, and the Swiss firm RUAG Aerospace will commence building the Dornier 228 New Generation model at Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany using structural parts supplied by HAL. The main changes in the NG model model are a new 5-blade propeller made of composite material for improved performance, as well as an advanced digital (“glass”) cockpit and avionics.
RUAG will also integrate specialty equipment into existing or future Do-228s, including surveillance and search-and-rescue gear. India Defence | India Express | Aviation Week
