India scraps Russian helicopter buy and looks at more Rudras
India could well order additional Rudra helicopters, an armed version of the Dhruv from HAL. (Gordon Arthur)
As part of its indigenisation push, India is turning away from a planned purchase of Russian Mi-17 helicopters.
India’s MoD has abandoned the planned $1.1 billion procurement of 48 Mi-17V-5 helicopters for the Indian Air Force (IAF), paramilitaries and federal interior ministry, in favour of acquiring indigenously-developed rotary-winged platforms.
Approved in 2018, these Mi-17V-5s were to supplement 151 similar platforms that India acquired from 2008-16 for $2.87 billion. Of these, 139 were weaponised versions for the IAF, and the remainder for paramilitary forces and interior ministry.
Senior military officers said the decision to cancel the Mi-17V-5 buy was in order to push for the induction of more twin-engine Rudra Advanced Light Helicopter - Weapon Systems Integrated into both
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