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Vijay Mohan
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, September 29
The IAF will shortly start upgrading the older variants of the Russian origin Mi-17 helicopter, which forms the backbone of the IAF medium-lift capability, in collaboration with Israel, by retrofitting them with new generation avionics and navigation aids to enhance their operational capability and enable flights from international airfields.
“The contracts have been signed and we expect to begin work by March,” Air Commodore Sanjeev Sinha, Air Officer Commanding No. 3 Base Repair Depot (BRD), said here today.
“The upgrade includes replacing conventional cockpit gauges with flat screen multi-function displays, installation of weather radar, new avionics and communication equipment as well as navigation suites that are compatible with present-day ground-based direction finding aids and instrument landing systems,” he added.
Besides Israeli firms, a Bangalore-based private firm is also involved in the upgrade project. About 90 Mi-17 helicopters will be upgraded. The IAF operates three variants of this helicopter. “The Mi-17 V5 came in from 2012 onwards and this variant is already equipped with most of the features, including night-vision goggles, which are being considered for the older versions. The Mi-17 can also be armed with external rocket pods and machine guns, and these played an important role in the 1999 Kargil conflict.
“A new line for overhauling the Mi-17 V5 indigenously is also being set up at 3 BRD. This will be ready in 2019 by which time the first V5 variants would be due for their first major overhaul,” Air Cmde Sinha said. An IAF team will also visit Russia later this year for training in this technology, he said.
To meet international norms
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