Jul
16

Myanmar Obtains Military Helicopters Despite Arms Embargo

Posted by Clif Burns at 3:43 pm on July 16, 2007
Category: Arms Export, Sanctions

Dhruv Advanced Light HelicopterAmnesty International, according to a letter it sent last Friday to the President of the Council of Ministers of the E.U., has evidence that India intends to transfer two military helicopters to the Myanmar military. The Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopters in question contain component parts from E.U. defense suppliers. As a result Amnesty International is asking E.U. member states to withdraw existing licenses and deny future license for any exports to India that could be used for the Dhruv helicopter. Amnesty is also asking the E.U. to impose upon future exports a strict and enforceable condition that items could not be re-exported to countries subject to arms embargoes.

The Dhruv helicopter also incorporates U.S. parts. The active vibration control system is made by Lord Corporation in North Carolina. U.S. companies supplying components to India that could be used for the Dhruv should expect increased scrutiny if the delivery to Myanmar takes place.

Although incorporating a number of advanced features, the Dhruv has been plagued by some controversy. In February of this year a Dhruv crashed, killing one pilot and injuring the other, during practice maneuvers for an air show. A 2004 crash had been blamed on defective tail rotor design, which was claimed to have been fixed. The February crash calls that into question. However, the Myanmar regime can’t afford to be picky and will no doubt accept delivery of the Dhruv whether or not the tail rotor has been fixed.

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8 Comments »

  • All Dhruv helicopters in the world — in India, Israel and Nepal — were grounded earlier and their tail rotors replaced with brand new ones. That problem is no more.

    The crash killing one person that you are talking about was when a Dhruv helcopter was performing acrobatics — Dhruv helicopters make up the only helicopter acrobatics team in the world called Sarang.

    The pilot couldn’t pull out at the last moment from a dangerous mavoever during the Bangalore airshow 2007. There was nothing wrong with the helicopter, a court of enquiry established by the Indian Airforce later conncluded after going through the black box. Also, the copilot who was only wounded also corroborated this conclusion.

    Comment by sanajy choudhry — July 16, 2007 @ 5:43 pm

  • Perhaps this is just the modern Burma Shave.

    Comment by Mike Deal — July 16, 2007 @ 6:24 pm

  • According to the Taipei Times on Tuesday, Jul 17, 2007, Page 5, in New Delhi, a government source who asked not to be named, denied any wrongdoing and said India “does not attach much credence to reports by Amnesty International.”

    “India does give defense hardware support to Myanmar but the equipment is not offensive … and not top of the line technology,” said the source, asserting that Myanmar was helping in the battle against insurgents in India’s northeast.

    Another Indian official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the technology concerned was for communications only and not for offensive operations.

    Comment by Myint Lwin — July 17, 2007 @ 1:05 am

  • There is nothing big as the Eurofighter sale to Saudi Arabia.

    Comment by Singha — July 19, 2007 @ 11:07 am

  • Except, Singha, that Saudi Arabia isn’t subject to a multilateral arms embargo.

    Comment by Clif Burns — July 19, 2007 @ 11:30 am

  • How can they? Human rights are not meant for an Islamic nation and overall Saudi Arabia is an ally how damned their Human right, democratic, pluralistic, women right records are.

    Comment by Singh — July 21, 2007 @ 10:46 pm

  • The Dhruv has been designated a “Dual Use” helicopter by the the US State Department, so why the fuss ?

    Comment by James L. Potter — July 23, 2007 @ 3:17 pm

  • James,

    Any authority for your claim that the Dhruv was designated as dual use by the State Department? I haven’t seen any evidence to support that.

    Besides, even though there are civilian versions of the Dhruv, if it has weapons or weapons mounts (as it is supposed this one will), then it’s a defense article and subject to the arms embargo.

    Comment by Clif Burns — July 23, 2007 @ 3:55 pm

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