The IAF is in dire need of newer and more helicopters. The government has recognised this and the total number of new helicopter inductions planned up to 2020 is 300, almost as much as the current holding.

A few weeks back, Air Commodore (Retd) S.K. Majumdar passed away in Delhi. His departure brought back to the Indian Air Force (IAF) rotary wing fraternity memories of another day when the first IAF helicopter—a Sikorsky S-55—was flown by him in the Indian skies. Today, the S-55 finds a place of honour in the IAF museum. In a lighter vein, some IAF helicopters which ought to be in museums still continue to fly. Chetak, the workhorse of the IAF, is an aircraft that first flew in 1955. Indeed, it was the first turbine powered helicopter of the world. While this tidbit may warm the cockles of a military historian’s heart; for a military analyst, it is a bit disconcerting to find the fourth largest air force in the world flying primitive machines in every conceivable role that a helicopter can be flown in. What is the current IAF helicopter fleet? What are its modernisation plans?

The official site of the IAF does not answer the first question completely; it lists only 16 units (some of them of ‘flight’ size). Even granting each of the listed units 12 aircraft, the norm for an IAF helicopter unit, the total would add up to 192.

The Chetak/Cheetahs and the Mi-8s represent the generation of helicopters that could be retired. The Chetak and the Cheetah are what could be termed as light utility helicopters (LUH). The Chetak, despite its age, is present wherever the IAF is, and performs all kinds of roles—casualty evacuation (casevac), communications, liaison duties, search and rescue (SAR), antitank, observation, training and recce being the most prominent ones. In 1986, the Government of India formally constituted the Army Aviation Corps’ Chetak and Cheetah, operating in AOP Squadrons and transferred from the Air Force. The Air Force continues to fly armed Chetaks in addition to the lighter Cheetah which is operated for all the above-mentioned roles except anti-tank. In addition, the Cheetah is also used for airborne forward air control (FAC) in close proximity of enemy troops and armour. Both are produced by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) under licence and about 150 Chetaks and 250 Cheetahs are estimated to have been built by HAL. However, the aging airframe and the outmoded design of the aircraft indicate a need for change. The HAL advanced light helicopter (ALH) Dhruv is the replacement. The Chetak/Cheetahs were scheduled to be replaced by Dhruv ALH in 2005 but there were delays. The IAF is not satisfied that Dhruv is the best solution. In fact, even the CAG had indicted HAL for not living up to the promised performance as far as Dhruv was concerned. It charged HAL for “rendering less sophisticated helicopters to the Defence Ministry” in a report that underlined the fact that HAL failed to meet the standard promised by it. As a result, the capabilities of armed forces, to an extent, had been compromised. However, 64 are on order for the IAF, and given the position that HAL enjoys in the Indian dispensation, it is unlikely that IAF protestations will wish the Dhruv away. The Eurocopter AS 550 Fennec and the Russian Kamov Ka 226 helicopters are also possible contenders for this replacement; and if selected in the future, it will supplement (and not supplant) the Dhruv.

The bulk of IAF’s helicopter fleet is formed by 72 Mi-17s and 102 Mi-8s which could be termed as medium utility helicopters (MUH). These play a vital logistic support role not only for the defence forces but for state governments as well. They are also operated for commando assault tasks, troops and supplies transportation, and SAR; besides being used in our island territories and being employed with the Indian permanent station in the Antarctica. The Mi-17 1Vs are a great leap ahead of the Mi-8/17 and are doing an excellent job for the IAF. Besides the logistic support roles that these helicopters play, they are also utilised for a variety of tasks in aid of civil authorities. IAF has four Mi-17s and two Dhruvs operating in Chhattisgarh against the Naxalites. These are armed with sideward mounted machine guns to fire back in “self-defence”, if they come under attack. Thus the IAF is fully engaged in supporting the paramilitary and state police forces, with helicopters being deployed in Jagdalpur and Raipur for the last two years. Although these aircraft are under constant threat, the IAF has affirmed that there will be no “offensive air operations” against Naxals. Although permitted to fire in self-defence for the last about one year, the IAF has in place very stringent rules of engagement and IAF’s Garud commandos on board the helicopters, can open fire only if they come under attack while undertaking their logistical, reconnaissance and casualty evacuation duties. Also, they can only use their sideward mounted machine guns in retaliation, not heavier firepower like rockets, bombs or missiles. The IAF expects 80 new Mi-17 1Vs with 50 more in the pipeline, which should meet the requirements in the foreseeable future.

IAF’s attack helicopters have not been involved in anti-Naxal operations; indeed, they are not used in domestic operations but are seen as battlefield assets. The 20 Mi-25/35s that we have were good and impressive machines when purchased, but are now dated in technology and design. In May 2008, India issued a request for proposal (RFP) for 22 combat helicopters to augment its fleet of Mi-25 and Mi-35 attack helicopters before May 2011 at the cost of $500 million ( Rs. 2,250 crore). The tender was scrapped on March 25, 2009, because none of the three companies still in the fray met the qualitative requirements. A fresh tender was floated in mid-2009 and seven companies were invited to bid. The qualitative requirements were twin engine, high manoeuvrability, anti-armour capability, all weather capability and all terrain capability. The IAF wants these helicopters to have a 20mm calibre turret gun, be capable of firing 70mm rockets with a 1.2 km range and missiles with at least seven km range. The helicopters are likely to be equipped with an electronic warfare and self protection suite. Of the seven companies invited to bid, only two helicopters remain in the competition—Mi-28N and AH-64D. The decision is to come soon.

Besides the attack helicopters, the IAF will also be finalising the acquisition of heavy-lift helicopters; the main contenders are Boeing’s CH-47 Chinook and the Russian Mil Mi-26 T2 helicopters. The IAF is planning to buy 15 heavy-lift helicopters which can enable the transportation of ultra-light howitzers to high-altitude posts. A heavy lift helicopter is also of strategic value as it can lift up to 70 armed troops or howitzers for deployment in mountainous areas bordering China and Pakistan. Among its several other usages is the rapid deployment of missile launchers for Agni or Prithvi from one place to the other. The currently held Mi-26, with 20-tonne capacity, is the biggest among operational helicopters, and can even lift Bofors guns to higher reaches, place bulldozers at a height of 16,500 feet, and land critical equipment for the IAF at places like Ladakh. The replacement will do all that and the larger numbers will empower the IAF substantially.