India Will Acquire Additional 71 Mi-17V-5 Helicopters From Russia

Mi-17 V5

Mi-17 V5

India intends to acquire another 71 Russian Mi-17V-5 helicopters, including 12 vehicles for the Ministry of Internal Affairs in addition to 80 ones, which have already been ordered, ARMS-TASS reports.

 

According to the source close to the Indian Ministry of Defense, negotiations on additional purchase of the helicopters have been conducted earlier. "At present the parties are waiting for the continuation of the negotiations on acquisition of additional batch of Мi-17V-5s, not only for Indian Ministry of Defense, but also for another agencies", - the source added.

Indian air forces have put into operation the first batch of Russian Мi-17V-5 helicopters. The contract on delivery of 80 vehicles of the type is assessed at $1,34 billion and it has been signed in 2008. The helicopters should be delivered by 2014. 21 of them have already been delivered to the customer, six more will be delivered by the end of March 2012.

India to receive 15 Russian Mi-17B-5 Helicopters

India will receive 15 Mi-17B-5 helicopters this year from Russia as part of the contract for 80 choppers.

Russia is to supply the helicopters to India within the framework of a contract India's Defense Ministry signed with Russia's arms exporter Rosoboronexport.

The contract is likely to be complemented with an extra order for 59 such helicopters, the general director of the Helicopters of Russia holding company, Dmitry Petrov, told Itar-Tass.