NEW DELHI: India has once again resumed the hunt to replace its old single-engine Cheetah and Chetak helicopters , which lack modern avionics, in-built safety mechanisms and have been dogged by a high crash rate just like the MiG-21 fighters, causing the death of scores of pilots over the years.
The Army on Friday issued a request for information (RFI) to vendors for the acquisition of 120 reconnaissance and surveillance helicopters (RSHs) and another 80 for the IAF. “The defence ministry intends to urgently replace the fleet of existing Cheetah and Chetak helicopters with suitable light helicopters of modern design,” the RFI said.
The RSHs should be able to perform surveillance by day and night, transport small number troops for special missions, carry internal and external loads in support of ground operations and perform a “scout role” in conjunction with attack helicopters, the RFI added.
The armed forces have been demanding new light helicopters to replace their around 350 Cheetah and Chetak choppers, which are of the design vintage of the 1960s, for well over two decades now. They have sounded the alarm several times but to no avail till now, as reported by TOI earlier.
Defence officials told TOI the 200 RSHs will add to the 187 (Army 126, IAF 61) light utility helicopters (LUHs), in the 3-tonne class, being built by defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) in another long-delayed project.
Progressive induction of these new LUHs will see the Army finally begin to retire its old Cheetahs and Chetaks from 2027 onwards, with the entire retirement-induction plan taking around a decade, an officer said. A separate `Make in India’ project for 60 Utility Helicopter-Marines for the Navy, incidentally, is also yet to take off.
It’s, however, very early days for the RSHs. The Army itself said the RFI has been issued to finalise staff qualitative requirements, decide the procurement category and identify probable vendors, including Indian companies forming joint ventures or production arrangements with foreign original equipment manufacturers.
While the Cheetahs and Chetaks have certainly been the workhorses of the 14-lakh strong armed forces, especially in high-altitude and forward areas, they have also grappled with poor serviceability and maintainability.
The Cheetahs lack modern avionics and glass cockpits that assist in stability augmentation and build better situational awareness for the pilots to operate in low visibility and bad weather conditions.
Officials are keeping their fingers crossed this time. For instance, the inter-governmental agreement inked with Russia in 2015 for 200 twin-engine Kamov-226T choppers for Army (135) and IAF (65) in a `Make in India’ project worth around $2 billion, eventually failed to take off due to pricing and other issues.
The Army on Friday issued a request for information (RFI) to vendors for the acquisition of 120 reconnaissance and surveillance helicopters (RSHs) and another 80 for the IAF. “The defence ministry intends to urgently replace the fleet of existing Cheetah and Chetak helicopters with suitable light helicopters of modern design,” the RFI said.
The RSHs should be able to perform surveillance by day and night, transport small number troops for special missions, carry internal and external loads in support of ground operations and perform a “scout role” in conjunction with attack helicopters, the RFI added.
The armed forces have been demanding new light helicopters to replace their around 350 Cheetah and Chetak choppers, which are of the design vintage of the 1960s, for well over two decades now. They have sounded the alarm several times but to no avail till now, as reported by TOI earlier.
Defence officials told TOI the 200 RSHs will add to the 187 (Army 126, IAF 61) light utility helicopters (LUHs), in the 3-tonne class, being built by defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) in another long-delayed project.
Progressive induction of these new LUHs will see the Army finally begin to retire its old Cheetahs and Chetaks from 2027 onwards, with the entire retirement-induction plan taking around a decade, an officer said. A separate `Make in India’ project for 60 Utility Helicopter-Marines for the Navy, incidentally, is also yet to take off.
It’s, however, very early days for the RSHs. The Army itself said the RFI has been issued to finalise staff qualitative requirements, decide the procurement category and identify probable vendors, including Indian companies forming joint ventures or production arrangements with foreign original equipment manufacturers.
While the Cheetahs and Chetaks have certainly been the workhorses of the 14-lakh strong armed forces, especially in high-altitude and forward areas, they have also grappled with poor serviceability and maintainability.
The Cheetahs lack modern avionics and glass cockpits that assist in stability augmentation and build better situational awareness for the pilots to operate in low visibility and bad weather conditions.
Officials are keeping their fingers crossed this time. For instance, the inter-governmental agreement inked with Russia in 2015 for 200 twin-engine Kamov-226T choppers for Army (135) and IAF (65) in a `Make in India’ project worth around $2 billion, eventually failed to take off due to pricing and other issues.
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