To procure a minimum inescapable quantity of the already selected Russian Kamov 226T choppers in a flyaway condition, the armed forces have been planning to approach the government, with replacements for old Cheetah and Chetak helicopter which are still stuck in red tape amid the continuing military confrontations with the neighbouring state China, as per a report released by the Times of India.
It has become an existential operational necessity to replace obsolete single-engine Cheetahs and Chetaks of the vintage 1960 and 1970s which are dogged by a high crash rate along with major serviceability problems, as mentioned by defence sources.
With the total requirement being 498 choppers the Army Indian Air Force and the Navy have been demanding new LUHs for almost 20 years now. To acquire 200 twin-engine Kamov-226T choppers from Army (135) and IAF(65) in 2015, India had inked and an intergovernmental agreement with Russia, after the proposed procurement of 197 such choppers from abroad was scrapped twice.
By a joint venture between Hindustan Aeronautics and Rostec Corp/Russian Helicopters, with the other 140 to be manufactured the first 60 were to come in a Fly Away condition.
In flyaway condition the cost of the Russian choppers, a single Ka-226T is $6 million, while due to associated costs of land acquisition, technology transfers and labour, the upper unit cost of the choppers which are to be made in India shall be around $11 million.