India looks elsewhere for spares for Russian-built helicopters
India is being forced to turn to the private sector to keep its Mi-17V-5 helicopter fleet in the air. (Gordon Arthur)
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is having knock-on effects on the upkeep of India’s Russian-manufactured helicopter fleet.
Following years of indecision, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is looking to outsource the repair and overhaul of 90 Mi-17V-5 helicopters to private industry.
An expression of interest was released to numerous civil third-party MRO providers to present their capability credentials. Visits to Chandigarh Base Repair Depot (BRD) in northern India, the largest helicopter maintenance facility for Russian-built helicopters, will start in early April, Shephard has learned.
A skilled maintenance force crunch and limited capacity at the BRD, escalated by the present crisis in Ukraine that squeezes stable supplies of spares and prevents helicopters from flying abroad for major maintenance,
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Air Warfare
-
![US Navy keeps Super Hornet production restart option open, but without defined cost or timetable]()
US Navy keeps Super Hornet production restart option open, but without defined cost or timetable
The US Navy plans to preserve Super Hornet and Growler tooling as production winds down, with restart costs unassessed and final F/A-18 deliveries expected in late 2027.
-
![Connecting the layers: how networks can secure the future of European air defence]()
Connecting the layers: how networks can secure the future of European air defence
The rise of drones has reshaped the threat landscape for all European militaries. For industry, future defensive strategies must carefully balance a mix of passive and active measures to address the evolving danger, based around a highly integrated and responsive network of sensors and effectors.
-
![October drone digest: France and Lithuania advance loitering munition procurements as global spending surges]()
October drone digest: France and Lithuania advance loitering munition procurements as global spending surges
Recent procurement developments in France and Lithuania highlight the growing demand for loitering munitions, with global annual spending forecast to increase nearly 50-fold between 2020 and 2029.
-
![Germany could secure greater influence through sixth-generation fighter partnership with Sweden and Spain]()
Germany could secure greater influence through sixth-generation fighter partnership with Sweden and Spain
Germany is assessing potential pathways for a future sixth-generation fighter capability, including discussions with GCAP partners and Sweden.
-
![Quantum Systems details 480km/h Ukrainian interceptor as production scales up]()
Quantum Systems details 480km/h Ukrainian interceptor as production scales up
Quantum Systems’s Ukraine-made interceptor SPYS is thought to cost approximately 10 times less than Russia's jet-powered uncrewed aerial systems and is being produced at scale.
