Comments on: Myanmar Obtains Military Helicopters Despite Arms Embargo

By: Clif Burns

Clif Burns — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 19:55:29 +0000

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.

By: James L. Potter

James L. Potter — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 19:17:16 +0000

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

By: Singh

Singh — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 02:46:52 +0000

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.

By: Clif Burns

Clif Burns — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 15:30:54 +0000

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

By: Singha

Singha — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 15:07:41 +0000

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

By: Myint Lwin

Myint Lwin — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 05:05:38 +0000

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.

By: Mike Deal

Mike Deal — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 22:24:10 +0000

Perhaps this is just the modern Burma Shave.

By: sanajy choudhry

sanajy choudhry — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 21:43:38 +0000

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.