BY : PTI

The Indian Air Force is going into a high drive to revamp its entire fleet of helicopters by planning to induct two more squadrons of attack gunships, capable of operating in high altitudes, and six heavy lift choppers.

"The IAF plans to acquire two more squadrons of attack helicopters and a squadron of heavy lift choppers," Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal F H Major told reporters here on the sidelines of a conference.

The move is part of IAF's modernisation drive to augment both its fighter as well as chopper arm.

The new purchase would give the force capability to operate helicopter gunships in both day and night as also in high altitude areas like Siachen, Jammu and Kashmir and North-East. It would give an option to armed forces as it can be deployed in fighting militants in insurgency-prone areas.

IAF presently has Russian supplied MI-24 and MI-35 and suffers from flight ceiling problem as these helicopters cannot operate beyond 9,000 feet and can be deployed only during the day time.

The US aviation giant Boeing's world best seller AH-64A Apache helicopters, Russian Kamov and MI series and European consortium EADS would be bidding for the IAF's order, which could run up to more than a billion US dollars.

Along with attack and heavy lift helicopters, Major said a global tender would be floated jointly with the army within three months to acquire 317 multi-role light helicopters.



If the Navy also joins in the joint Request For Proposals (RFP), which according to the Air Chief, would be out by May, the Indian purchase order could go up to 367 helicopters.

Of the 367 helicopters, Army's share would be 197, IAF would get 120 and the Navy 50 to 60. The new helicopters will replace the entire fleet of Cheetah and Chetak helicopters in the armed forces.

Naval Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta, who was also present at the seminar, said though his force had not yet finalised plans on replacing the Chetak fleet, but is contemplating to push in for its requirement at a later stage.

Major said Request for Information for heavy lift utility helicopters had already been circulated to vendors.

For this contract, the bidders could include Boeing's CH-47 Chinhooks, Sikorsky and Russian MI's. IAF already operates a fleet of Russian MI-26 helicopters in this range.

Major said IAF was in the process of finalising procedure for implementing an extended contract given to the Russian to acquire 80 upgrade MI-17IV helicopters.