India to buy 80 helicopters from Russia

The Indian Air Force (IAF) will buy 80 medium lift multi-role Mi-17 1V helicopters from Russia, Indo-Asian News Service reported Sunday.

The news agency quoted Chief of Air Staff Marshal (ACM) S.P. Tyagi as saying that the procedure of purchase is expected to be over within a few months.

Russia will start delivering the helicopters in 2007 and finish it within a year, he said.

Tyagi did not mention the cost of the purchase but it could be around 30 billion rupees (662 million U.S. dollars) depending on the configurations and the onboard equipment like avionic, the news said.

Mi-17 1V is an upgrade to Mi-17, a derivative of Mi-8 which has long served in the Indian Air Force and gradually phased out.

With a service ceiling of six km, the Mi-17 1V has functioned well in hot, high and humid conditions. It can transport troops and cargo, undertake fire-fighting, medical evacuation and search and rescue missions, and can also be quickly armed for combat and special operations.

Helicopters have played an important role in flying supplies to Indian troops in high altitude areas in the Himalayas as well as to carry out rescue operation in natural disasters.

The air force also expected the government to announce tenders for the 126 multi-role combat aircraft very soon, Tyagi said.

Source: Xinhua