* Both sides could sign a US $ 2.4 billion deal for procurement of 24 MH-60 Romeo multi-role choppers from the US under a government-to-government agreement.
* India has purchased military hardware worth around $18 billion from U.S in past couple of decades.
* Last year saw India getting first lots of Chinook and Apache choppers for the IAF.
* MH-60 Romeo choppers will help Indian Navy keep China’s forays into the Indian Ocean Region in check.
* The deal will also act as a message to Beijing, more so with both India & U.S keen to restrict China’s growing influence in Indian Ocean Region.
With the possibility of India and the United States signing a 2.4 billion dollar deal for the sale of 24 American-made MH-60 Romeo multi-role helicopters to the Indian Navy during U.S President Donald Trump’s upcoming visit, India could finally be looking at getting some much needed teeth at countering the ever-increasing Chinese influence in the Indian Ocean.
If both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Trump do sign the dotted line during the latter’s maiden India visit, India could potentially be looking at getting the first batch of these choppers—equipped with anti-submarine capabilities—in two years’ time and the entire lot in around 5 years. Both India and the U.S would also look to send Beijing a message through this deal.
China’s ambitions in the Indian Ocean Region are no secret. The dragon has been ramping up its naval presence in IOR over the past many years—often under the garb of hydrographic surveys. There have been occasions when around a dozen Chinese naval vessels have been spotted in the IOR. The presence of Chinese submarines has become a regular feature in the Indian Ocean and around Bay of Bengal.
Faced with an increasingly assertive People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLA-N), the Indian Navy has been looking to procure credible fighting capabilities given the fact that it has limited means as of now—ageing Sea Kings and Kamov-28s– to keep these Chinese vessels under check.
That’s where the MH-60 Romeos could prove to be the game-changer. Armed with Hellfire missiles, torpedoes and rockets, the Romeos are expected to add the much needed firepower the Indian Navy is looking for for its IOR-specific operations. In addition to providing Indian Navy with anti-submarine warfare capabilities, the MH-60Rs will not only give it the edge in anti-surface warfare capabilities but also be of enormous utility in operations relating to search and rescue, transportation and surveillance.
Manufactured by Lockheed Martin, the MH-60Rs are currently being operated by U.S Navy, Royal Danish Navy, Royal Australian Navy and Royal Saudi Naval Forces.
The past two decades has seen India procuring around 18 billion dollars worth of military hardware from the United States.
Last year itself, India received the first batch of four CH-47F (I) Chinook Helicopters for the Indian Air Force. The Chinook is an American helicopter manufactured by Boeing and India inked the $ 3 billion deal in 2015 to procure 15 of these machines. The IAF also inducted eight AH-64E Apache attack helicopters at the Pathankot airbase.
In addition, India has purchased Boeing C-17 Globemaster heavy lift aircraft and Lockheed Martin’s C-130J Super Hercules aircraft from the US in recent years.
Riding on this buoyancy, both sides will be keen to freeze this US 2.4 billion deal during Trump’s visit, given the likelihood of a limited trade deal between both sides not working out anytime soon.