Appel d'offres, ravitailleurs, Indian Air Force : A330 MRTT

Airbus Military has released images of its A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) in Indian Air Force colours as the contest to supply the country with six additional tankers approaches a conclusion.
EADS subsidiary Airbus and Russia's United Aircraft (UAC) responded to a tanker request for proposals (RFP) in 2007 and industry sources say a selection is expected by the end of this year. UAC is offering a more advanced version of the Ilyushin Il-78 tanker, of which India already operates 12.

Boeing was not immediately available to comment on whether it is offering its KC-767 to meet the requirement.

Beochien a écrit:
J'ai bien peur que si Boeing ne se présente pas, ce soit aussi mal interprêté que s'il perd !

Beochien a écrit: Y aller avec une offre sous le plancher serait une option pour gagner ...
Ou une offre trés haute, et peut être avec le GEnx2 ? Sans trop d'illusions pour les délais, just flexing muscle ?

Quel est le prochain rêve?

Beochien a écrit: Salut Sévrien
Et ... le CF6, même sur les A330 Ravitailleurs pour l'USAF, ben ça me me rassure guère et ça me hérisse un peu !!

Beochien a écrit: Le GEnx2 ne devrait pas avoir de mal à être mieux en maintenance et en conso non plus !

Beochien a écrit: Et les militaires .... bon, vu les avions qu'ils se payent .... Osprey & B2, F35 Stol & co, ils n'ont pas froid aux yeux pour les nouveautés ! Aux USA du moins !

Beochien a écrit: L'exlusivité P&W / 767 ravitailleurs ???, c'est signé ou de fait ????

Beochien a écrit: J'ai l'impression que le GEnx en phi réduit du 748, devrait se monter sans PB pour la hauteur sur le 767 et / ou le A330 MRTT !

même situation qu'avec un B767 et un GEnx2 ! Disqualifié !

Beochien a écrit:
Il y à qq chose qui me gratte, pour le premier contrat USAF annulé !
Airbus at il livré les 2 ou 3 protos qui faisaient l'objet d'une première tranche !
J'ai eu l'impression que les Airframes ont été fabriqués ? Sont ils chez NG aux USA ??

Beochien a écrit:
Il y à qq chose qui me gratte, pour le premier contrat USAF annulé !
Airbus at il livré les 2 ou 3 protos qui faisaient l'objet d'une première tranche !
J'ai eu l'impression que les Airframes ont été fabriqués ? Sont ils chez NG aux USA ??

Indian Refueler Program May Be Rebid

NEW DELHI - India's purchase program for six midair refuelers may be rebid after questions arose regarding bid cost and competitiveness, Indian Defence Ministry sources said.

"The procurement proposal had been progressed in accordance with the Defence Procurement Procedure-2006 and thereafter referred to the Ministry of Finance, who has expressed certain reservations relating to the competitiveness of the bids and the reasonableness of the price," says a Dec. 14 Defence Ministry release, quoting the official reply of Defence Minister A. K. Antony to India's Parliament.
Though the release does not specify the program is facing serious problems, Defence Ministry sources said that because of objections from the Finance Ministry, the program will be quashed and rebid next year.
Four years ago, a request for proposal was sent to U.S.-based Lockheed Martin and Boeing, EADS and Ilyushin of Tashkent.
Lockheed Martin and Boeing did not respond to the tender, leaving only Ilyushin and EADS in the fray.
Ilyushin's bid was lower than that of EADS but the Air Force favored buying the A330 multirole tanker over the IL-78 of Ilyushin, which it had been using. The matter was referred to the Finance Ministry, which rejected the Air Force request, saying the lowest bidder should be the obvious choice.

IAF refuelling aircraft wait gets longer

The Indian Air Force (IAF) may have to wait longer to get a new fleet of mid-air refueling aircraft with the Finance Ministry questioning the credibility of an ongoing contract that had led to the selection of European Airbus 330 MRTT aircraft.

While the deal has been hanging fire for the past few months after the aircraft was down selected by the IAF, Defence Minister AK Antony on Monday informed Parliament that the Finance Ministry has questioned the high price of the selected aircraft.

“The procurement was referred to the Ministry of Finance which has expressed certain reservations relating to the competitiveness of the bids and the

reasonableness of the price,” Antony informed the Lok Sabha.

As first reported by this newspaper, the procurement had hit a road block in September with the Finance Ministry questioning the selection of the European aircraft that costs almost twice as much as its Russian-built competitor.

MoD cancels contract for mid-air refuelling aircraft

The Indian Air Force (IAF) will have to wait at least five more years to get a new fleet of mid-air refueling aircraft with the Ministry of Defence canceling an ongoing contract that had led to the selection of the European Airbus 330 MRTT aircraft.

As first reported by The Indian Express, the contract had been put on hold in September last year after the Finance Ministry questioned the need to purchase a new fleet of tankers other than the IL 78s already in service and raised objections to the high price of the European aircraft.

The cancellation of the contract has come as a major blow to European consortium EADS which was very close to bagging the estimated $ 2 billion deal to supply six refueling aircraft for the Air Force.

This is the third major contract in the past few years in which European firms were the frontrunner that have been cancelled at the final stage by the MoD. This is also the second blow to EADS after the army light helicopter deal, in which the consortium’s Eurocopter was the frontrunner, was cancelled in 2007 due to a dubious selection procedure.

Air-to-air refueling aircraft contract for IAF cancelled

In a setback to Indian Air Force's plans to expand its capabilities, the Defence Ministry has cancelled a tender worth around Rs 6,000 crore for procuring six air-to-air refuelling aircraft.

The contract was cancelled after the Finance Ministry had raised objections over the price of the aircraft recommended and chosen by the IAF after an over two-year-long process, Defence Ministry sources said.

The IAF had recommended the Government to buy the Airbus A330 multirole transport tanker aircraft as it believed that the European aircraft was technologically more capable than the Russian IL-78 aircraft in the fray, the sources said.

The price quoted by Airbus for its aircraft was more than what the Russians were asking and as per the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) norms, the Government must buy the cheapest item that satisfies the qualitative requirements of the forces.

Airbus and Ilyushin were the only two contenders in the race.

The IAF already has a fleet of six mid-air refuellers, which are based in Agra and used for increasing the endurance of its fighter aircraft.

Four years ago, the Defence Ministry had sent a request for proposal to America’s Lockheed Martin and Boeing, European EADS and Russian Ilyushin. Lockheed Martin and Boeing did not respond to the tender.

India cancels tanker transport tender

India's Ministry of Defence (MoD) has summarily cancelled the INR48 billion (USD1.06 billion) tender for six multirole tanker transports (MRTTs) for the Indian Air Force (IAF), for which the EADS-built Airbus Military A330 MRTT was the preferred choice.
In 2008 the IAF had recommended the A330 MRTT over the rival Russian Ilyushin Il-78, of which it acquired six in 2004 for INR8 billion.
However, ignoring its evaluation following years of extended trials, the MoD dispatched a cryptic letter to EADS in New Delhi on 4 January withdrawing the tender, which IAF sources indicated was on the 'verge' of closure.
MoD sources said the MRTT requirement would now be retendered, resulting in interminable delays.
"It will now take many more years to shortlist another MRTT unless the MoD insists we acquire the Il-78s against our better judgement," an IAF officer said, declining to be identified.
The terminated tender required Airbus to deliver the first A330 MRTT to the IAF within three years of signing the deal and the remaining five within 15 months thereafter.
EADS officials in Delhi declined to comment on the tender's withdrawal, but defence industry sources said "vested interests" had influenced the federal Cabinet meeting on 29 December 2009 that decided to cancel the acquisition of the badly needed MRTTs.
Military sources said that, despite entreaties not to do so by the IAF, Defence Minister A K Antony agreed to cancel the MRTT purchase after the federal finance ministry raised objections on grounds of the A330's high cost.

India issues RFI for refuelling tankers
By Leithen Francis

India's defence ministry has issued a fresh request for information linked to its possible future purchase of six new in-flight refuelling aircraft, having put the brakes on a previous competition process late in 2009.

New Delhi confirms that it has issued the new request to potential suppliers, but declines to comment further on its requirements or potential procurement schedule.

Boeing says it has received the RFI and plans to participate, but adds that as "to what type we will be offering, that is still subject to internal discussions. The company has just received the RFI, and is studying it to determine India's requirements."

The US manufacturer already has the KC-767 tanker/transport based on its commercial 767 platform, but has also more recently given consideration to perhaps developing a variant of its larger 777 design.

The Indian air force now flies a fleet of Ilyushin Il-78MKI tankers and had received information on an improved version through a previous request for proposals for up to six new aircraft. EADS subsidiary Airbus Military had also supplied information on its Airbus A330-based multirole tanker transport as part of the contest, but the process was abandoned after India's finance ministry raised reservations about an acquisition.

India's military has a large fleet of Russian and Ukrainian-built aircraft, but closer ties with the USA in recent years have seen it place orders for Boeing P-8I maritime patrol aircraft and Lockheed Martin C-130J tactical transports.

New Delhi is already looking to further this co-operation, having submitted a letter of request to the US government in January for a possible purchase of up to 10 Boeing C-17 strategic transports.