India’s Russian Origin Mi-17 V5 Helicopters to Receive Locally-made Electronic Warfare Suites

India Ministry of Defence has signed a contract with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) for the acquisition of Electronic Warfare (EW) Suites and aircraft modification kits for Russian origin Mi-17 V5 helicopters.

The project for for the Indian Air Force (IAF)’s Mi-17 V5 fleet will  at an overall cost of Rs 2,385 crore ($260 million). The contract, under Buy (Indian-Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured) category, was inked in the presence of Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh in New Delhi on April 07, 2025.

This EW Suite will considerably enhance operational survivability of the helicopters in hostile environment.

Majority of sub-assemblies and parts will be sourced from indigenous manufactures. The Suite for Mi-17 V5 is a significant leap forward in developing indigenous EW capabilities.

These systems are indigenously designed & developed by CASDIC, DRDO & manufactured by BEL.

The EW Suite comprises Radar Warning Receiver (RWR), Missile Approach Warning System (MAWS) and Counter Measure Dispensing System (CMDS) which significantly enhance the combat survivability of the helicopters along with effective counter measures.

The Mi-17V5 helicopters of IAF serve as VVIP transport, cargo and personnel carriers. Besides some have even been adopted in attack roles to launch  short range missiles.