The Indian Air Force's (IAF's) plans to procure six Airbus Military A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft are delayed again, this time by the trivial procedural hurdle of the manufacturer changing name.



In June 2014 India's Ministry of Defence (MoD) requested a legal opinion from the Law Ministry over the renaming of Cassidian to Airbus Defence and Space, which became effective from 1 January.

The then Cassidian bid for the MRTT contract in 2010 and was selected in early 2013 over Russia's Ilyushin Il-78 in a deal worth USD1.8-2 billion.

Industry sources said parent company EADS had kept India's MoD informed of its impending rebranding exercise, as well as Cassidian's consequent name change, during negotiations for the six A330 MRTTs in 2013.

Although industry officials claim Cassidian's name change is unlikely to have "significant" bearing on the eventual MRTT contract outcome, they believe it will lead to delays in signing the deal as the MoD is seeking legal guarantees to ensure it is in line with the Defence Procurement Procedure.

"The tender bid [for the MRTT] was by a company whose name has now changed. This creates problems and legal opinion has to be taken in such matters," MoD spokesman Sitanshu Kar told IHS Jane's on 4 July. He provided no timeframe for its resolution.

ANALYSIS
This latest setback to the MRTT procurement follows another delay prompted by a clarification being sought by the Indian MoD from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into two cases of alleged wrongdoing in the sale of civilian Airbus A300s to Indian Airlines in the mid-1970s.

The CBI has reportedly informed the MoD in recent months regarding the closure of one of these cases. However, its response in the second investigation is still awaited and without it the MRTT deal cannot be signed.

http://www.janes.com/article/40448/a...ntract-signing

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akibat ganti nama KTP.... sama mbuletnya kaya negara kepulauan unyu-unyu nan ajaib di belahan bumi tenggara.