The Rise of Rotorcraft

Yunus Dar

The induction of the Apache and Chinook helicopters this year by the Indian Air Force (IAF) has been a momentous milestone for the force. The IAF’s helicopter fleet has steadily been increasing over the years, going up from a handful of US types in the Sixties to over 500 French, Indian and Soviet built types. The Mi-26, however, remains the potent force in the IAF’s heavy lift helicopter capability. Most of the rotorcraft are medium lift helicopters (MI-17/MI-17IV/MI-17V5 and Mi-8s), with over two hundred of these types serving in helicopter units throughout the country, playing a vital logistic support role.

IAF’s newly-acquired Chinook helicopter

Induction of the Mi-17 V5, the most technically advanced helicopters of the Mi-8/17 type, was a quantum jump in the IAF’s medium heli-lift capability in terms of the avionics, weapon systems as well as its hot and high-altitude performance. The medium lift helicopters of the IAF are operated for commando assault tasks, ferrying supplies and personnel to remote mountain helipads, carrying out SAR (Search and Rescue Operations) and logistic support tasks in the island territories, Siachen Glacier, apart from armed role.

The Indian armed forces are faced with huge operational diversities, and with wide variance of terrain (from sea level to high altitude), the IAF needs advanced helicopters capable of operating both by day and night in a complex battlefield environment of future. The ministry of defence is planning to induct over 1,000 helicopters in the coming decade ranging from attack and high-altitude reconnaissance to medium and heavy lift variants. The Indian military has an inventory of ab