NEW DELHI – A contract for Mi-17V-5 helicopters, which was supposed to besigned last year, is now expected to be finalised soon, a top Russianofficial has said.
“Negotiations with the Indian side on the delivery of 48 Mi-17V-5helicopters have been completed; we expect to sign the correspondingcontract in the first quarter of 2018,” CEO of Russia’s Rostec StateCorporation, Sergey Chemezov, told IANS in an interview.
He also said that there is “serious modernisation potential” in the Mi-17and Mi-8 choppers which was proven by the development of the Mi-171A2helicopter.
The Mi-171A2 is an advanced medium multirole helicopter, based on theMi-8/17 series with more powerful propulsion systems, upgraded main rotor,gear systems and fuselage and advanced avionics.
Mr Chemezov said the chopper has seen more than 80 new improvements in theplatform.
India at present has around 151 Mi-17V-5 helicopters, the last of whichwere delivered in January 2016.
The Mi-17V-5 is based on the Mi 8 helicopter airframe and is one of themost advanced aircraft of the Mi-8/17 helicopter family.
The helicopters are equipped with night vision technology, on-board weatherradar, a new PKV-8 autopilot system, and a KNEI-8 avionics suite.
The sturdy choppers have been the Indian Air Force’s mainstay in a numberof humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.
The chopper was also used during the Mumbai terror attack of November 2008,where it aided in the commando assault to take back Chabad House. It isalso said to have been used in the surgical strike carried out on Pakistaniterror launch pads across the Line of Control in September 2016.
It has TV3-117BM turboshaft engines, rated at 1900 hp each, giving thechopper greater service and hovering ceiling, and have proved efficient inthe tough mountain terrain of the Himalayas.
Asked about a recent tender for 111 Naval Utility Helicopters that Indiacame out with, Chemezov said Russia will be participating in the tenderwith its Kamov Ka-226T helicopter.
Mr Chemezov said Ka-226T met all specifications of the tender, and asolution for Naval use of the helicopter had also been found.
“Our helicopter meets all the requirements presented in the tenderdocumentation, and its technical characteristics exceed our competitors. Wealready have a solution for the naval version of this helicopter withfolding blades,” he said.
“If the Ministry of Defence of India selects the Ka-226T, India can savemoney significantly. Thanks to the project for joint production ofhelicopters, there are opportunities for joint maintenance, training ofpilots and mechanics and other related costs,” he said.
He added that there will also be a scope to export the helicopters onceIndia’s requirements are met.
In anticipation of the contract, the two countries have formed a jointventure for 200 Ka-226T helicopters, 40-60 of which are likely to beimported off-the-shelf from Russia, with the rest being assembled in India.
At the Russian-Indian summit in Moscow in December 2015, anintergovernmental agreement was signed for implementation of the projectfor production of Ka-226T helicopters in India.
In October 2016, at the Russian-Indian summit in Goa, the parties signed aPartner Agreement and ratified the Memorandum and Articles of Associationof the new Joint Venture, which was announced at the BRICS summit.
The Russian side has 49.5 per cent share, while India has 50.5 per centstake in the Joint Venture which got Russian President Vladimir Putin’s nodin April and was registered in India in May this year.