PM, President to get swanky copters

New Delhi: After getting three desi versions of US president’s 'Air Force One', the Indian President and PM are now all set to also acquire 12 swanky and secure helicopters for VVIP travel on the lines of ‘‘Marine One’’.
The multi-million dollar deal to procure the 12 EH/AW-101 helicopters, manufactured by Italian aviation major AgustaWestland, is in the concluding stages now, say defence ministry sources. This will be the third major deal in recent years to ensure Indian netas and other VVIPs can travel in fully-secure comfort in and around the country.
Though not as high-tech as Barack Obama's "Marine One", the call sign of the US Marine Corps helicopter which ferries the US President, the Indian EH-101 helicopters will have self-defence systems like missile-approach warners, chaff and flare dispensers and directed infra-red electronic counter-measures to protect the VVIPs on board.
The new helicopters will replace ageing Russian-origin Mi-8s and Mi-17s being operated by IAF's elite Communication Squadron, which ferries around the President and PM, just like the Legacy jets have replaced the old HS-748 Avros and the BBJs the two 737-200 aircraft bought in 1983.
30/07/09 Rajat Pandit/Times of India

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Jul 2009, New Jul 2009