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Army chief visits Airbus helicopter facility in France
Dwivedi reached France on January 24 on a four-day official visit that seeks to deepen defence cooperation between the two countries
Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi visited the Marignane helicopter facility of Airbus near Marseille in France and was briefed on cutting-edge aviation technology, defence systems and aerospace engineering, the army said on Wednesday.
“This visit underscores the Indian Army’s commitment to leveraging global aerospace innovations to enhance operational capabilities and strengthen defence preparedness, especially in the rotary wing aviation,” the army wrote on X.
Dwivedi reached France on January 24 on a four-day official visit that seeks to deepen defence cooperation between the two countries --- a key element of overall bilateral strategic relationship --- and explore new avenues of cooperation.
The Marignane facility produces a range of civil and military helicopters, including the H125 that is set to be assembled in India soon. Airbus Helicopters has shortlisted four locations in the country to set up a production line for H125 helicopters in partnership with Tata Adanced Systems Limited (TASL), the fourth such facility in the world and a shot in the arm for the government’s wide-ranging Make-in-India campaign.
The final assessment of sites in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka is underway and an announcement is expected soon on where the single-engine helicopter will be assembled as the two firms target to roll the first H125 out of an Indian facility next year.
The final assembly line (FAL) in India will be the first for a civil helicopter in the private sector and will initially produce 10 H125s a year, with production being ramped up as orders grow. Airbus Helicopters has projected a demand for 500 light helicopters of the H125 class in the country and south Asia during the next 20 years.
The partnership between Airbus Helicopters and TASL to assemble the H125 helicopters in the country was announced in January 2024 during talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron. These helicopters are currently produced only in France, the US and Brazil.
The 2.8-tonne helicopter can carry up to six passengers, fly at a maximum altitude of 23,000 feet, has a range of 630km and a top speed of 250kmph. The roles it is suited for include commercial transport, law enforcement, emergency medical services, disaster management, offshore industry and firefighting.
This will be the second FAL to be set up in India by Airbus. It is jointly executing a ₹21,935-crore project with TASL to equip the Indian Air Force (IAF) with 56 C-295 aircraft to modernise its transport fleet, including 16 in fly-away condition.
Airbus has already delivered several C-295s to the IAF and the last of the 16 fly-away aircraft is expected to join the fleet by August 2025. The first made-in-India C-295 will roll out of the Vadodara facility in September 2026 and the remaining 39 by August 2031.
On Tuesday, Dwivedi was briefed on the French Army’s modernisation programme, called Scorpion, and the mission and role of the French Land Command’s 3rd Division based in Marseille. On February 27, he will visit the Neuve Chapelle Indian War Memorial to pay tributes to men who fell in World War I. This will be followed by a talk at the Ecole de Guerre, the French Joint Staff College.
