India, Russia Commence Commercial Negotiations For 48 Mi-17V-5 Helicopter Purchase

Rostec State Corporation expects to sign a deal for supplying 48 Mi-17V-5 helicopters to the Indian armed forces, soon.

A commercial proposal has been presented to the Indian side earlier this February and after the commercial terms are agreed upon, a firm order is expected to be received this year, the company announced Friday.

In 2008-2015, Rosoboronexport, a company of Rostec State Corporation had already supplied a total of 151 units of the Mi-17V-5, produced by the Kazan Helicopter Plant of Russian Helicopters.

"The negotiations within this contact have been launched. Currently the Indian side is considering our commercial proposal, which we sent earlier this month. As you know, recently we completed deliveries under a previous contract for 151 units of Mi-17V-5. Over a long time, Russian helicopters have gained a reputation for being very efficient and reliable machines and the intention of the Indian army to purchase a new batch of Mi-17V-5 is proof of that. Since this is not the first contract for these helicopters, we assume that the negotiations will not take a long time: the technical specifications and parameters have been agreed, the two parties will only have to agree upon the commercial terms. It is not just about price, which is affected by inflation, but also the order and timing of deliveries and payments. I am sure that the contract will be concluded this year, perhaps even in a few months. India has long been and remains our strategic partner, and we intend to maintain our leading position in the helicopter sector and increase Rostec's presence in the region." said Sergei Chemezov, CEO of Rostec State Corporation.

Designed to transport cargo inside the cabin and on an external sling, the Mi-17V-5 is one of the world's most advanced military transport helicopters. It can also be deployed in troop and arms transport, fire support, convoy escort, patrol, and search-and-rescue (SAR) missions.

The Mi-17V-5, supplied to India, ranks among the most technically advanced helicopters of the Mi-8/17 type, incorporating the best engineering solutions of previous generations. Each Indian Mi-17V-5 has a complex navigation and electronic display KNEI-8, where the numerous indicators of various information systems of the helicopter are replaced with four multi-function displays, the presence of which unloads dashboards and greatly facilitates the work of the crew. The complex also simplifies pre-flight check of the helicopter with information from all sensors of conjugate systems on a single monitor screen.

In addition, the provided helicopters are equipped with modern a powerful engine, which significantly extends the capabilities for the transport of heavy and bulky loads. This is of special relevance in India's characteristically diverse topography.