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| Australian CH-47D (click to enlarge) |
NEW DELHI --- The Indian Air Force purchase of 126 Rafale fighters has made global headlines, and the Indo-Russian Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft could be another jaw-dropper. But Indian military aviation could see an even more prominent growth area in helicopters, where the defence services are poised to induct well over 1,000 rotary wing aircraft in the coming decade, the majority of them developed and built in the country.
Already on the anvil for the army, IAF, navy and coast guard are the following:
-- The IAF is inducting 139 Russian Mi-17 V-5 medium lift helicopters, for an estimated $2.4 billion. The workhorse Mi-17, which transports 26 soldiers in combat gear, or four tonnes of supplies to high altitude posts, has been in IAF service for decades, but the new-model V-5 is a vastly superior machine, with new engines, rotor blades and avionics.
An IAF order for 80 Mi-17s is already being delivered, which is likely to be followed by an order for 59 more.
-- Fifteen American CH-47 Chinook heavy lift helicopters will be bought to replace the IAF's Russian Mi-26 helicopters, of which just three to four remain serviceable.
The Chinook, built by Boeing, has seen extensive combat, most recently in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The IAF has evaluated the helicopter and is pleased with its avionics and power, which allows it to accurately deliver 50 fully-equipped soldiers, or a payload of 12.7 tons, on to the roof of a house or the edge of a cliff.
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