The Era of Tandem Rotors

Mihir Paul | New Delhi

India’s first modern heavy-lift helicopter, the Boeing CH-47 F(I) Chinook, officially became a part of the Indian Air Force (IAF’s) hangars in March 2019. The first batch of these iconic machines, with their distinct tandem rotor design and unparalleled strategic lift capabilities, are now a part of the IAF’s 126 Helicopter Flight Squadron. With a payload capacity of approximately 10 tonnes and significantly improved high altitude performance, the Chinooks are filling a long-felt gap in the IAF’s heavy-lift and tactical air-lift capabilities.

Indian Air Force’s CH-47F (I) Chinook helicopter

For long, the IAF had to rely on its ageing fleet of Mi-26 helicopters for heavy heli-lift operations. The Mi-26, with its colossal payload capacity of 20 tonnes, has been in service with the IAF for more than two decades. The IAF initially started with a fleet of four Mi-26s, which, over the years, played a crucial role in meeting major vertical airlift requirements of the IAF. With one Mi-26 having crashed only a few years ago and the rest of the fleet being plagued by maintenance and serviceability issues, the IAF’s heavy heli-lift capabilities had been virtually brought to a standstill until now. These issues, coupled with an increased emphasis on building strategic airlift capabilities prompted the IAF to look for bolstering its heavy-lift helicopter capabilities with a modern replacement for the ageing Mi-26s.

In 2009, the ministry of defence (MoD) invited bids for procuring new heavy-lift helicopters for the IAF and the Chinook CH-47 emerged as the L1 bidder against the Mi-26 T2. In 2012, the MoD finally decided to order 15 Chinook CH-47 helicopters. Later in September 2015, the MoD inked the contract with Boeing for the supply of 15 CH-47F (I) Chinook helicopters alongside 22 Apaches AH-64 attack helicopters for the IAF. Both contracts, worth together over USD3.5 billion, were inked on 28 September 2015. Both deals are a combination of Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) routes of procurements as outlined in the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP). The Chinook contract, valued at USD1.1 billion came with an option clause for ordering seven additional aircraft. All 15 aircraft expected to be delivered by Boeing before March 2020. With Boeing having already delivered the first four Chinooks with more on the way, it is almost certain that the options clause could get exercised considering just how good the value proposition is. The first IAF Chinook CH-47