India to give 3 helicopters to Afghanistan next year

[FOX80]

In a significant move, India has decided to give a set of three military transport choppers — between March and May' 2014 — to the Afghan security forces, which will be the first tranche of defence equipments, The Sunday Express has learnt.

This was conveyed to Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai as he met National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon on Saturday at the Oberoi hotel in New Delhi. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met Karzai on Friday. Karzai and Singh had a 45-minute one-to-one meeting, with no aides or note-takers in the room, sources said.

While the issue of supplying choppers has been discussed by the top echelons of the Indian government over the last two years now, the issue has been finally settled in accordance with the Strategic Partnership Agreement signed in October 2011, in which India had assured to "equip" the Afghan forces.

It is reliably learnt the three choppers are being configured and constructed as per Afghan request at the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Bangalore. While the Afghanistan government was keen on Russian-made helicopters, it seems that New Delhi managed to convince them to take indigenously-built equipment.

Afghanistan technical teams have been in touch with their Indian counterparts and the delivery schedule has been finalised for next year — spread over three months.

While interacting with the media, the Afghan President Saturday said that India, while helping his country with military equipment and training, is keeping in mind the interests of the region.

"India is conducting itself very wisely, India is concerned about the impact such a relationship with Afghanistan on the region, and while India is weighing that, it is also not shying away from providing assistance to Afghanistan. And in terms of India's support to Afghanistan in military equipment and training the facts are much better than what appears in the press," Karzai said, adding on a lighter note, that if he reveals the military help it will not remain a secret.

 

[Capt.Popeye]

THis move is fine. But GoI must transfer the Mi-8s that are progressively being phased out by the IAF. Upto 20 of them can be spared apart from the planned transfers to the BSF.
The Afghans are very familiar with those Russian Helicopters and will be able to operate them very easily.
Its the Afghan request for Mi-35s that should be kept in abeyance for now.

 

[Afghan-India]

What kind of Helis are we getting? And Thanks India!
Some early reports said 2 Cheetah's
But we are talking 3 now, and a picture of the mighty Dhruv?

 

[KRAIT]

Hope we give them more tanks, APCs etc.

We should make a deal of at least 30.

 

[nomi007]

exporting cheetahs
not dhruv
i am still wondering that india still using cheetah and cheetak
we retired them from active duties

 

[Afghan-India]

exporting cheetahs
not dhruv
i am still wondering that india still using cheetah and cheetak
we retired them from active duties

I think it would be Dhruv's, cus the text says they will produce them in Bangalore, and as far as i know, you guys ain't producing Cheetah's anymore...

 

[illusion8]

I think it would be Dhruv's, cus the text says they will produce them in Bangalore, and as far as i know, you guys ain't producing Cheetah's anymore...

India has decided to give a set of three military transport choppers — between March and May' 2014

As per the article above - so most likely Dhruv's.

India will next month provide two “cheetah” helicopters to Afghanistan
India to give two 'cheetah' choppers to Afghanistan

Two cheetah's are to be given to Afghan forces next month, so both are different.

 

[acetophenol]

exporting cheetahs
not dhruv
i am still wondering that india still using cheetah and cheetak
we retired them from active duties

We produced them here,therefore servicing and supporting them was never an issue,and if I am not wrong we still produce their better variants.

 

[OrionHunter]

This move is fine.

But it's gonna piss off Pakistan!

 

[Rajaraja Chola]

Hope we give them more tanks, APCs etc.

We should make a deal of at least 30.

Isnt 30 too much considering that we are providing them as assistance and not sales?

 

[vivINDIAN]

What kind of Helis are we getting? And Thanks India!
Some early reports said 2 Cheetah's
But we are talking 3 now, and a picture of the mighty Dhruv?

may be you ll get weaponized version

HAL ALH Dhruv performed very well in rescue missions during uttarakhand disaster,saved hundreds of people

 

[Afghan-India]

may be you ll get weaponized version

HAL ALH Dhruv performed very well in rescue missions during uttarakhand disaster,saved hundreds of people

They surely are beautiful But as far as i know, India said that they would only give non-lethal weapons...

 

[satishkumarcsc]

exporting cheetahs
not dhruv
i am still wondering that india still using cheetah and cheetak
we retired them from active duties

The only problem faced was the inability of any other chopper to carry a decent load to Leh or the Siachen FOB. This is the only helicopter that could before the Dhruv arrived but we are still stuck with a large brand new fleet of Cheetahs and Chetaks. So why not modify and use them or gift them to our friends? These are modernized ones that are being given.

 

[Agent_47]

helicopter diplomacy

 

[MKI 30]

We should give atleast 10 to our brothers in Afghanistan.

Does Afghan air force has any plan of operating Jets?