regional stability INDO-JAPAN DEFENCE COOPERATION

ShinMaywa Amphibious
Aircraft Paradigm
India and Japan have been discussing the broad contours of a possible sale of
the ShinMaywa US-2 amphibious aircraft from 2012 onwards. However, the sale
of the US-2 aircraft actually became possible once the Shinzo Abe government
overturned Japan’s post-War ban on exporting defence products in April 2014.

44 June 2017 dsalert.org @dsalert

I
ndia and Japan have been
discussing the broad contours
of a possible sale of the
ShinMaywa US-2 amphibious
aircraft from 2012 onwards.
However, the sale of US-2 aircraft
actually became possible once the
Shinzo Abe government overturned
Japan’s post-War ban on exporting
defence products in April 2014.
This change has meant that both
the governments have made efforts
to market the US-2 apart from
the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
manufactured Soryu diesel-electric
submarines and Kawasaki Heavy
Industries manufactured P-1
maritime patrol plane.
Meeting Of Minds
Efforts to acquire the aircraft received
a big push during the four-day visit
of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
during May 2013 and subsequently,
during Prime Minister Narendra
Modi’s visit to Japan in September
2014. India and Japan released
a joint statement during the visit,
which directed, “the Joint Working
Group (JWG) to accelerate progress
in the discussions and preparations
for a road map for the development
of the Indian aircraft industry
through US-2 amphibian aircraft
co-operation, including the transfer
of the aircraft and its technology
to India.”1
It was widely expected that Japan
and India would sign an inter-
governmental agreement on the US-2
aircraft during Prime Minister Modi’s
visit to Japan in November 2016.
However, the joint statement released
following the visit merely highlighted
Prime Minister Modi’s “appreciation
for Japan’s readiness to provide its
state of the art defence platforms
such as US-2 amphibian aircraft. It
symbolises the high degree of trust
between the two countries and the
distance that Japan and India have
covered in advancing their bilateral
defence exchanges.”2
The Japanese ShinMaywa US-2 is
a short take off and landing (STOL)
aircraft used primarily for Search
and Rescue (SAR) missions and for
June 2017 Defence AND security alert
Professor
Vijay Khare
The writer is the Director
of the National Centre of
International Security &
Defence Analysis, he is the
director of the International
Centre and also a professor
of Defence and Strategic
Studies Savitribai Phule
Pune University.
Dr Arun
Vishwanathan
The writer is the assistant
professor, Department
of Defence and Strategic
Studies, Savitribai Phule
Pune University, Pune.
1
“Tokyo Declaration for India
- Japan Special Strategic and
Global Partnership”, Ministry of
External Affairs, September 01,
2014, http://www.mea.gov.in/
bilateral-documents.htm?dtl/23965/
Tokyo+Declaration+for+India++
Japan+Special+Strategic+
and+Global+Partnership
2
“India-Japan Joint Statement
during the visit of Prime Minister
to Japan”, Ministry of External
Affairs, November 11, 2016,
http://mea.gov.in/bilateral-
documents.htm?dtl/27599/
IndiaJapan+Joint+Statement+during
+the+visit+of+Prime+
Minister+to+Japan
45
 regional stability INDO-JAPAN DEFENCE COOPERATION

inserting troops where landing strips

are not available. The US-2 aircraft
is essentially an upgraded version of
the Shin Meiwa US-1 which entered
service in the Japanese Maritime Self
Defence Forces (JMSDF) in 1970s.
The US-2 has four powerful Rolls-
Royce AE 2100 turboprop engines,
one auxiliary engine and possessed
better aerodynamics. Given that the
aircraft can operate in very rough
weather (Sea State 5) conditions, the
US-2 is believed to be one of the best
suited aircraft for SAR missions. The
aircraft has a range of 4500 kms
a seating capacity of 30 and a lift
capacity of 18 tonnes.3
Price The Stumbling Block
The Indian Navy has been pushing
for the US-2 aircraft given its
usefulness in Search and Rescue
(SAR) and Disaster Relief missions
and the fact that it can act as a force
multiplier given the aircraft’s range
of 4500kms. In addition, the aircraft
offers the capability of amphibious
landing of troops into areas which
do not possess an airstrip. The US-2
can also be used for logistics support
operations like crew rotation at sea,
supplying spares to ships at sea and
also for surveillance missions. Given
that some of the US-2 aircraft will
be stationed under the tri-service
Andaman and Nicobar Command
(ANC) it will allow for reaching far-
flung locations in the Andaman and
Lakshadweep islands.
Depending on the availability of funds,
the Indian Navy plans to acquire
between 10-18 US-2 amphibious
aircraft. The US-2 programme cost
is estimated at around US$ 3 billion
spread over a seven-year period. It is
slated to have an offset component
worth US$ 900 million.4 However,
The JMSDF Kawasaki
P-1 in flight with
despite the push at the strategic Mount Fuji in the
level, plans to acquire the US-2 background
amphibious plane have been delayed
at the price negotiation stage. This
is primarily due to the unit cost of
the US-2 aircraft which is around
US$ 133 million.
Reports indicate that there
exist differences within the
government about the need
for the aircraft
After close to two years of
negotiations, Japan has offered
a price cut sweetener to cut the
deal by reducing at 10 per cent
concession per aircraft in October
2016. This has reduced the price for
the aircraft from US$ 133 million to
US$ 113 million per aircraft. This
3
Kazumine Akimoto and Yuko
takes the total cost of acquiring the Takada, “US-2: The JMSDF Air-Sea
Rescue Flying Boat”, Sasakawa Peace
12 amphibious aircraft to around Foundation, https: //www.spf.org/
US$ 1.35 billion. oceans/analysis_en/c1404.html
4
Atul Chandra, “India looks to
acquire 18 ShinMaywa US-2
amphibians,” Flight Global,
However, the Defence Acquisition September 4, 2014, https://www.
Council (DAC) chaired by the then flightglobal.com/news/articles/india-
looks-to-acquire-18-shinmaywa-us-
Defence Minister Manohar Parikkar 2-amphibians-403341/

46 June 2017 dsalert.org @dsalert

(Left) The Luftfahrtgesellschaft
Walter Dornier 228-200 at
Hanover; (right) The sole
current operator of the US-2
amphibian is the Japan
Maritime Self-Defence Force
(JMSDF)
Apart from the strategic
importance of the deal, there
are other important benefits
that will accrue
5
“Defence minister Manohar
Parrikar defers Rs 10,000 crore
deal for 12 Japanese aircraft,” Mail
Today, November 10, 2016, http://
indiatoday.intoday.in/story/defence-
minister-manohar-parrikar-defers-
rs-10-000-crore-deal-12-japanese-
aircraft/1/807024.html
6
Shiv Aroor, “As India-Japan Deal
Drifts, HAL Amphibian Aircraft
Plan Surfaces”, February 23, 2017,
Live Fist,
deferred a decision on acquiring
12 US-2 amphibious aircraft. Reports
indicate that there exist differences
within the government about the
need for the aircraft.5
HAL’s Dornier Gambit
In the light of the hurdles in
finalising the deal, the government
owned Hindustan Aeronautics
Limited (HAL) has been engaged
in developing a seaplane version
of the Dornier Do-228. The Do-288
are light transport aircraft which
is built by the HAL under license
production at the HAL’s Kanpur
based factory. As Do-228 are already
in service and the service depots and
maintenance facilities are already in
place, the Indian government could
well look at this as an alternative in
case the Indo-Japanese US-2 deal
falls through.6
June 2017
Apart from the strategic
importance of the deal, there are
other important benefits that will
accrue as a result of the agreement.
The US-2 will be manufactured
by the private sector and the
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
(HAL) is unlikely to be involved
in producing the aircraft under
the licensed production route.
Given that the final assembly
and integration of the
aircraft will take place in
India and there is a transfer
of technology component, the
agreement will result in building
up the capability of the Indian
defence industries.
Though the price component and
establishing the importance of
the aircraft for the Indian Navy
is crucial, it is equally important
not to lose sight of the strategic
importance of the entire agreement.
The fact that India is the recipient of
this export sends out a very
important signal on the expanding
nature of the Indo-Japan
strategic partnership.
Defence AND security alert
47