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| AS550 Fennec (Image: Wiki Commons) |
NEW DELHI, Feb. 14 (UPI) -- The Indian Ministry of Defense is pondering a $1.5 billion deal for 197 light utility helicopters.
The hotly contested Indian contract for the helicopters is facing cancellation for the second time as the decision has been deferred by the Ministry of Defense's Defense Acquisition Council.
The Indian air force is looking to replace its Cheetah and Chetak helicopters, which were bought nearly four decades ago. Battling for the contract are France's Eurocopter's Fennec and the Russian Federation's Kamov Ka-226T, The Indian Express reported.
The helicopters that the air force is seeking to replace, France's Aerospatiale SA 315B Lama Cheetah and Chetak, are single-engined aircraft specifically developed to meet Indian air force operational requirements. They were built under a joint venture license between India's Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. and Aerospatiale.
The Chetak was designed specifically for high-altitude performance and was tested in the Himalayas.
The helicopter was ordered by the Indian military and a license to produce the SA315B in Bangalore was granted to HAL in 1971. The first Indian-built SA315B flew October 1972 with deliveries beginning three months later.
Read the full story at UPI
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