The armed forces are planning to approach the government to procure ‘a minimum inescapable quantity’ of the already-selected Russian Kamov-226T choppers in a flyaway condition

NEW DELHI: With replacements for old Cheetah and Chetak helicopters still stuck in red-tape amid the continuing military confrontation with China, the armed forces are planning to approach the government to procure “a minimum inescapable quantity” of the already-selected Russian Kamov-226T choppers in a flyaway condition reports TOI.

Many of local Indian vendors are expected to become the suppliers as the Russian-Indian joint venture has signed MoUs with a number of companies.

In Jan 2020 India and Russia had agreed to resolve issues around the production of Ka-226T and fast track it. Fast-tracking for the production of Ka 226T was discussed during Indian defence minister visit to Moscow then.

Sources said, "The parties have resolved and will make all efforts to fast-track the launching of these projects".

KA-226T helicopter project announced in 2014 is expected to replace Indian army's light utility helicopters Cheetah and Chetek. The main aim of the project is on "Make in India" production of KA-226T helicopters with Indian companies expected to take large scale part in the project. Many of local Indian vendors are expected to become the suppliers as the Russian-Indian joint venture has signed MoUs with a number of companies.

Sources said, “India will be able to receive some crucial helicopter technologies" with "integration of various helicopter systems being possible"

While the intergovernmental agreements were signed are a long time ago, a formal contract is still not signed and the actual project's launch is still pending.

KA-226T will be produced at a factory in Bangalore. The maximum speed of KA-226T is 220km/h and can carry a weight of 3600kg with a payload of 785 kg.

Defence sources say the need to replace obsolete single-engine Cheetahs and Chetaks of the vintage of 1960s-1970s, which are dogged by a high crash rate and major serviceability problems, has become an “existential operational necessity” now.

The Army, IAF and Navy have been demanding new LUHs for almost 20 years now, with their total requirement being 498 choppers. After the proposed procurement of 197 such choppers from abroad was scrapped twice, India had inked an inter-governmental agreement with Russia to acquire 200 twin-engine Kamov-226T choppers for Army (135) and IAF (65) in 2015.

The first 60 were to come in a fly-away condition, with the other 140 to be manufactured by a joint venture between Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) and ROSTEC Corp/Russian Helicopters the report further added.