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India chooses Russian helicopters for VVIPs

Bhai Zakir

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India chooses Russian helicopters for VVIPs


India has chosen Russian helicopters to transport the country's most important leaders, the Rostec state corporation said in a press release.


The Special Protection Group, which handles the security of the Indian prime minister, chose the
Mi-17V-5 helicopter to transport Indian VVIPs. Of the 150 helicopters already delivered to India by Kazan Helicopter Plant (a subsidiary of Russian Helicopter company), 12 will be selected for escorting the most important politicians in India during the election season. This comes in the wake of Indian cancelling a corruption-ridden deal for helicopters from AgustaWestland.

Mi-8 and Mi-17 helicopters that are currently used to transport high ranking officials were bought back in the Soviet era. It is expected that they will be decommissioned in February and converted into Mi-17V-5 models. The helicopter renovations should be completed before the start of India's 2014 parliamentary elections.


Eight helicopters from the new batch were chosen to transport senior government officials and four were assigned to the Special Protection Group.
The helicopters feature evacuation systems and an anti-missile defence. All of the aircraft will be assigned to the government's communication squadron, which is part of the Indian Air Force's central command at Palam Airbase.

India has been satisfied with its cooperation with Russia regarding the Mi-17 helicopter deliveries. Indian Air Chief Marshal Norman Anil Kumar Browne stated that the pilots are pleased with the Mi-17V-5, which has been used by the Indian Air Force since 2012.

Vadim Ligai, General Director of Kazan Helicopter Plant, said the Indian Mi-17V-5s are “fairly complex helicopters. Their development process certainly wasn’t easy.” For example, they are not equipped with analog instruments, but have displays that are all grouped together in a ‘glass cockpit.’

By the end of 2014, Radio Electronic Technologies (KRET), which is part of the Rostec state corporation, will provide Russian Helicopters with 76 sets of high-tech avionics including KNEI-8 navigation and electronic instrumentation developed by Ryazan State Instrument Plant, which is part of KRET.

India chooses Russian helicopters for VVIPs | Russia & India Report
 
I thought HAL was more than capable now atleast in the heli's department ! Why not go for desi maal ? :crazy:
 
Good decision IMO.. Mi17V-5s are pretty capable for that job.
 
Just Wondering who are those important leaders......:what:


President, Vice President, PM, Defense minister etc.

Its for regular use but in event of war entire cabinet will be flown out of Delhi to secrete location in Air force One but to reach the plane u need helicopters.
 
President, Vice President, PM, Defense minister etc.

Its for regular use but in event of war entire cabinet will be flown out of Delhi to secrete location in Air force One but to reach the plane u need helicopters.

Entire cabinet will neither be flown together, nor to the same location. They will be in multiple locations, so that the command of authority cannot be decapitated.

On topic, sensible decision. We have a very large fleet of this workhorse anyway. This will ensure commonality of training and loistics and spares.

The 'plain' VIP configuration, which can be further customized to meet user specifications :

vip_mi17_3.jpg

vip_mi17_1.jpg

vip_mi17_2.jpg

vip_mi17_5.jpg
 
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That was rather fast. They didn't waste any time for selection of another vendor after cancellation of orders from agustawestland.
 
Interim measure as the current Hips are going out of service.


Event the V5s are not adequate for head of state transport.
 
That was rather fast. They didn't waste any time for selection of another vendor after cancellation of orders from agustawestland.
Because these helos have already been ordered- they'll be from the 80 the IAF has already paid for.
 
I thought HAL was more than capable now atleast in the heli's department ! Why not go for desi maal ? :crazy:
because politicos don't trust swadeshi equipment as they know they are built with substandard parts...
 
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