New Delhi: Four Chinook helicopters have joined the fleet of Indian Air Force after a long wait.
Four Chinook helicopters reached the Mundra airport in Gujarat under the first batch. A statement from the company said the CH47F (I) Chinooks will be ferried to Chandigarh, where they will be formally inducted into the Air Force later this year. The Chinook is a multi-role, vertical-lift platform, which is used for transporting troops, artillery, equipment and fuel. It is also used for humanitarian and disaster relief operations and in missions such as transportation of relief supplies and mass evacuation of refugees.
“The CH-47F (I) Chinook is an advanced multi-mission helicopter that will provide the Indian armed forces with unmatched strategic airlift capability across the full spectrum of combat and humanitarian missions. The Indian Air Force currently has 15 Chinook helicopters on order,” the statement said.
In September 2015, the agreement was signed to buy 15 Chinook helicopters between Boeing (US company) and Government of India. In August 2017, the Ministry of Defense took a major decision and approved the acquisition of six Apache combat helicopters, 15 Chinook heavy cargo helicopters and other weapon systems at a cost of 4168 crores from the American company Boeing for the Indian Army.
“Boeing has strengthened its supply chain with over 160 partners in India, and a JV to manufacture fuselages for Apache helicopters. Annual sourcing from India stands at $1 billion,” it said.
