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,
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