India announced another order for 12 Mil Mi-17V5 transport helicopters.The order was announced during the concluded Aero India show th...
India announced another order for 12 Mil Mi-17V5 transport helicopters.The order was announced during the concluded Aero India show this week.
To date, Russian Helicopters which makes the helo, has delivered 36 of the 80 machines that were ordered in 2008 in a deal worth more than $1.3 billion.
Deliveries to the Indian Air Force commenced in 2011. The latest order comprises three in VIP transport configuration, and nine for the Indian Coast Guard.
More than 11,000 Mi-8/17 series helicopters have been assembled so far at Kazan and Ulan-Ude plants.
Starting in 1971, India procured 124 Mi-8s.In 1986 it began buying the upgraded Mi-17 featuring a new gearbox and more powerful engines. After a long pause, India resumed purchasing the Mi-17 series, buying 40 worth$170 million in 2000.
Today, the Indian armed forces operate 160 Mi-8/17s. A follow-on deal for 59 more Mi-17V5s is being considered. These machines represent a new production standard and feature many improvements.
With a takeoff weight of 13,000 kg, the Mi-17V-5 can carry either 36 armed soldiers internally or 4,500 kg of cargo on a sling.
The customized Indian Mi-17V-5 features brand-new KNEI-8 navigation, information-display and cueing systems.It features four multi function displays (MFDs) instead of the dial instruments found on previous Mi-17 models.
This new version will become a new factory standard from now on, and provides for a reduction in pilots’ workload.
Integration of the new avionics with advanced night-vision equipment and a glass cockpit was made by Mil and its partner Russian Avionics.
Russian Helicopters wants to expand into the civil market, where its machines are still rare. Although the Indian civil helicopter fleet grew from 117 in 2002 to 190 in 2007 and to nearly 300 at the end of the past year, it includes only six Mi-17s.
