Bell Helicopter eyeing $700mn army deal

Bidding for Indian Army's $700 million helicopter deal, American aviation giant Bell Helicopter is exploring setting up a helicopter pilot training institute and chopper servicing and maintenance facility here.

"We hope to have the Indian Army's selection by early next year," Michael A Redenbaugh, CEO of the company, told PTI.

Bell's 407 helicopters are in contention along with Eurocopter for the deal in which 60 choppers will be bought in fly-away conditions and the rest 137 manufactured under technology transfer at Hindustan Aeronautics in India.

Projecting a surge in demand for helicopters in India, Redenbaugh said outside military, India had yet no facility to train helicopter pilots.

The demand for choppers in the country would be driven by extensive oil and gas offshore exploration and airborne emergency medical services, he said.