Three Russian Ka-226 choppers in high-altitude India trials

New Delhi: Russia has brought three of its Kamov-226 light multi-purpose helicopters to join trials in high altitude areas of Jammu and Kashmir for the Indian armed forces' requirement for 197 such choppers.
"We have brought the Ka-226 helicopters for the high altitude trials that are going on at present. We are competing in the bids against Eurocopter and Agusta Westland," Rosoboronexport's deputy director general Victor Komardin said here today.
Ka-226, an upgraded version of the Ka-26 choppers, will be competing in the trials against European chopper manufacturer Eurocopter's AS-550 and British-Italian major Agusta Westland's AW119 helicopters for the tenders.
The tenders were floated last year to equip the army with 133 and the IAF with 64 such choppers to replace its ageing 350-helicopter Cheetah and Chetak fleet.
While 197 of these choppers would be bought off the shelf, another 187 would be manufactured within India by the Defence Public Sector Undertaking Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
Komardin also told reporters at the DefExpo here that Russia would deliver the fifth and the last of the Illushin-38 maritime aircraft to the Indian Navy tomorrow.
16/02/10 PTI/Daily News & Analysis

To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline

Categories: Foreign Feb 2010