PDA

View Full Version : Indian air force considers amphibious aircraft buy



buglerbilly
08-05-10, 08:05 PM
DATE:07/05/10

SOURCE:Flight International

Indian air force considers amphibious aircraft buy

By Leithen Francis

India's air force has issued a request for information for amphibious aircraft that it plans to deploy in the Andaman and Nicobar islands, near a disputed maritime border. Recently released, the request seeks the air force's first amphibious aircraft capability.

"We want to see what is out there in the market," the air force says. "We need these aircraft for the Andaman and Nicobar islands," it adds, referring to India's two groups of islands in the Andaman Sea.

The islands are near a disputed maritime border with Bangladesh, which late last year served notice to India and Myanmar to settle a dispute over maritime boundary claims before a UN arbitration tribunal. Bangladesh is keen to settle the dispute because it wants to explore for undersea oil and gas.

Possible contenders for the Indian air force's requirement include the Bombardier 415 and Beriev Be-200, as well as the Dornier Seaplane. The latter company recently appointed India's InterGlobe General Aviation as its local sales agent.

Chunder
08-05-10, 11:55 PM
Question:

What do amphibious aircraft deliver that ships do not, when it comes into considering the extra baggage that amphibs bring in seaborne environments.

The implication is that a specific military reason exists for quick transit capability to those islands, in what presumably amounts to limited effective payload anyway?

Which is great I suppose if you want a token ability? It's rather ambiguous because there is an absolute shitload of difference between a 415 and a BE-200, let alone the Dornier.

Monitoring station perhaps???