Boeing CH-47 reportedly wins the heavy lift helicopter tender over Mi 26T

[Capt.Popeye]

India is eyeing the Himalayas. Good move.

Hell, the Himalayas are just way too large to miss. They keep confronting the Indian eyes all the time!

On a serious note now; India has to set up an effective Air-Lift capability in the region to handle all exigencies. This is just a part of it.

 

[Tshering22]

India is eyeing the Himalayas. Good move.

Correctomundo.

The idea is to ensure that the Himalayan belt remains under our influence or control. Through 5 states, we control the parts of belt and through our relations with Bhutan and Nepal, we ensure an India-friendly Himalayan belt.

A part of this belt has been broken due to the treachery of colonial toilet cleaners 50 years ago, but it has to be rectified with whatever it takes.

Chinooks are critical to maintain heavy logistical transport for artillery and troops in the mountains.

The old Mi-26 is already almost out and with the new order of all helicopter assets to be transferred to Army Aviation, I think the time is ripe for receiving these beasts to replace the old warhorse.

 

[HeinzG]

^^^ I think MI 26 is also should be kept just in emergency like the stranded Chinook in Afganistan.

 

[illusion8]

^^^ I think MI 26 is also should be kept just in emergency like the stranded Chinook in Afganistan.

I guess Russia would loan us one if needed to airlift a Chinook.

 

[Capt.Popeye]

I guess Russia would loan us one if needed to airlift a Chinook.

Not needed. The IAF already has 4 Mi-26s in its fleet They are with the "Featherweights" Squadron at Chandigarh.

 

[Oldman1]

I guess Russia would loan us one if needed to airlift a Chinook.

Can always get another Chinook for the job.

 

[IndoUS]

^^^ I think MI 26 is also should be kept just in emergency like the stranded Chinook in Afganistan.

MI 26 is a beast and I think it should be bought for the disaster relief.

 

[sancho]

and with the new order of all helicopter assets to be transferred to Army Aviation

Who said that all helicopters will be transfered to IA? The talk was only about the combat helicopters and parts of the Mi 17 fleet, but IAF still will be responsible for the lostics for IA, IN and in most of the civil support roles as well. In fact, the current Mi 26 were often used to support infrastructure projects, as well as ISRO heavy lifts as well. In disaster relief roles it will be very important for IAF to coordinater their fixed wing aircrafts with the heavy lift helicopters.

Not needed. The IAF already has 4 Mi-26s in its fleet They are with the "Featherweights" Squadron at Chandigarh.

That's exactly those helicopters the Chinook (if it really won) will replace.

 

[Luftwaffe]

 

[Sergi]

Chinook is L1 ??? Hard to belive
If true its really great news
Let's wait for official confirmation after all it's Indian media It might be like EF winning over Rafale all again

And why people are making it Russia vs US issue ??? It's just a single tender and it has followed the procedure. Is there any country in world who bypass L1 in tender process unless talks failed ???

 

[Secur]

That Chinook carrying another chinook made my day

 

[Capt.Popeye]

That's exactly those helicopters the Chinook (if it really won) will replace.

No.No. Not just yet. While the Chinooks will used extensively in the NE into unprepared pads for 'last-mile' delivery tasks; the Mi-26 can (and will) still fly in Ladakh which has better prepared pads plus more amenable topography to carry payloads that the Chinooks cannot carry. Just that the Mi-26s will continue with their limited roles that they already have. Till the IAF decides to either upgrade/life-extend or retire them.

 

[Gessler]

That Chinook carrying another chinook made my day

At very high altitudes a Chinook can't carry another Chinook. But the plus side is the
very probability of a Chinook getting stranded is very low compared to the level of probability
that a Mi-26 can get its engines conked off. Especially given Chinook's reliable build quality and
fine engines. Even if it does get stalled off somewhere at very high altitude, we can loan an Mi-26
from any civil operator in the region, not neccesarily RusAF (thats what the US did too) to carry
the Chinook out to safety.

But no-one has tried to put it this way - if an Mi-26 is stranded, it is stranded forever. Nothing
can retireve it like that.

 

[sancho]

Till the IAF decides to either upgrade/life-extend or retire them.

As i said, they already have decided to retire them and replace them with either Chinook, or new Mi26 T2, they won't be used beside each other or as a 2nd squadron.

 

[Abingdonboy]

No.No. Not just yet. While the Chinooks will used extensively in the NE into unprepared pads for 'last-mile' delivery tasks; the Mi-26 can (and will) still fly in Ladakh which has better prepared pads plus more amenable topography to carry payloads that the Chinooks cannot carry. Just that the Mi-26s will continue with their limited roles that they already have. Till the IAF decides to either upgrade/life-extend or retire them.

Mate the idea the Mi-26s will remain in IAF service once Chinooks are delivered is simply not true. This whole tender is to replace these aged machines. Are you telling me if the Mi-26 had one this tender the current Mi-26s would operate alongside the new ones? There is no provision for this in the tender and this is not at all what the IAF wants to do. As it stands of the original 6 procured by the IAF there are probably only 2 Mi-26s (if that) serviceable and ready to go any any one time. These birds are incredibly d and increasingly trick to fly hence why the IAF started this tender for brand new helos.


As it stands I feel the right decision was made and the MoD being able to get to grips with life cycle costs has started to produce excellent calls on procurements these days.