The formal induction of the Russian-made medium-lift Mi-17V5 helicopters into the Indian Air Force (IAF) is scheduled for today. Till date, Russia has already delivered 21 of the 80 Mi-17s choppers ordered under the $1.34-billion deal in 2008. The induction ceremony will take place at the Palam airbase in the presence of Defence Minister A K Antony.
The IAF has stated that the deployment of the first squadrons of the new Mi-17s choppers will be at Bhatinda and Srinagar. The induction of the Russian choppers will enable the force to make other choppers available for various crucial on-going operations. The induction of the Mi-17s is aimed at improving IAFs ability to carry troops and cargo at higher altitudes as well as help in combat operations.
The Mi-17 V5 from Russia belongs to the armed helicopter category with effective firepower and the latest and more powerful engines which will improve its payload carriage capability at higher altitudes. The Mi-17 V5 is an upgrade of Mi-17 in the medium-lift category and is equipped with state-of-the-art avionics and on board Navigation Systems. The chopper on-board weather radar, advanced autopilot and is compatible with the latest-generation night vision goggles.
The helicopter is also equipped with a Bambi-Bucket that can be used for firefighting.
Currently, there are about 800 choppers in the IAF fleet which are of Russian origin. These include the Mi-8 and Mi-17 medium-lift helicopters with a payload-carrying capacity of 4 tons. These are used for transportation and logistics support. The other variant is heavy-lift Mi-26 helicopters, which have a payload capacity of 20 tons and are used for heavy-lift logistics and maintenance. Other attack choppers from the Russian Mi-series include Mi-25 and Mi-35 which are used for anti-tank, offensive air operations.
While India had gone for 80 Mi-17s ordered under the $1.34-billion deal in 2008, India is expected to go in for 59 more Mi-17s, after the first 80 have been inducted by around 2014. The additional choppers are expected to be cost to the tune of $1 billion.
Interestingly, the Chandigarh-based 3BRD (base repair depot) is responsible for giving wing to this much awaited chopper. 3BRD, Chandigarh, was assigned the task of assembling the Mi-17 V5 helicopters in association with the Kazan Plant, Russia, in 2011. The entire airframe of this chopper has a high degree of ballistics tolerance and is crash resistant. A striking feature is the internal cabin volume of the chopper which can transport around 30 fully-equipped infantry soldiers for specialized operations. |