Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, wife Madhulika Rawat, and 11 others were killed on Wednesday when an Indian Air Force (IAF) chopper crashed in Tamil Nadu. Mint examines the background？ and？ specifications ？of？ Mi-17V5,？the ？chopper ？that ？went？ down:
How did the chopper crash?
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General Rawat was on his way to visit the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington to address the faculty and student officers on Wednesday. An IAF Mi-17V5 helicopter, with the general on-board, took off from an Air Force base in Sulur. The helicopter met with an accident on the Nilgiri Hills, near Coonoor. The IAF said the sole survivor of the accident, group captain Varun Singh, is currently undergoing treatment. The IAF hasn’t revealed the reasons for the crash yet. However, some media reports indicate that the crash could have happened due to poor visibility following heavy fog.
What do we know of the chopper?
The Mi-17V5 is a Russian military helicopter designed to carry personnel, cargo and equipment, drop tactical air assault forces, reconnaissance, and destroy ground targets. It is preferred by several armed forces due to its operability in any geographical and climatic conditions, versatility, and capability to land at unprepared sites. The helicopter reportedly has high target approach accuracy through the use of a satellite navigation system, high？safety？and？landing？capabilities. It is also fitted with a self-defence system？against？heat seeker？missiles, and？has？a？heavily？armoured？cockpit, besides other systems.
How did the copter come in the IAF’s possession?
The Mi-17V5 is manufactured by Kazan Helicopters, a company located in Kazan, Tatarstan, in eastern Europe. The firm is the sole producer of the helicopter’s military version. India inducted a large fleet between 2013 and 2018, possibly because it is one of the most advanced helicopters that can be used in difficult terrains and topographies.
What are its specifications?
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The maximum take-off weight of the Mi-17V5 helicopter is 13,000 kg, and it can travel at a maximum speed of 250 kilometre (km) per hour. The chopper has a range of about 675 km (with main fuel tanks) and 1,180 km (with two internal additional fuel tanks). The chopper requires three crew members and can carry up to 36 people in cargo cabin, according to the website of Russian defence company Rosoboronexport. It is mostly used as medium twin-turbine transport helicopter, and also has an armed gunship version.
How many of these operate in India?
In 2008, India signed a deal with Russia to import 80 Mi-17V5 helicopters, the deliveries for which were completed in 2011-13. This order was placed to strengthen the chopper fleet for humanitarian, disaster relief missions and transport operations. This contract with Russia was later expanded to include 71 more helicopters in 2012-13. According to some reports, in 2008, the government had awarded the initial contract to Russian manufacturers (for 80 helicopters) at a cost of $1.3 billion
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