 "Integrated helicopter")
The procurement of 111 “naval utility helicopters” (NUH) is the first acquisition to have been cleared by the defence ministry under its new “strategic partner” (SP) model, which seeks to bring the private sector into defence manufacturing.
On Monday, the ministry’s apex procurement body, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), headed by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, accorded the NUH procurement “acceptance of necessity” (AoN) for an estimated Rs 21,738 crore.
According to this “Make in India” sanction, the first 16 helicopters will be supplied by the selected “original equipment manufacturer” (OEM) fully built, while the remaining 95 will be built in India by
