India seeks 200 copters to replace ageing Cheetah & Chetak fleet

NEW DELHI: India has once again resumed the hunt to replace its old single-engine Cheetah and Chetak helicopters , which lack modern avionics, in-built safety mechanisms and have been dogged by a high crash rate just like the MiG-21 fighters, causing the death of scores of pilots over the years.

The Army on Friday issued a request for information (RFI) to vendors for the acquisition of 120 reconnaissance and surveillance helicopters (RSHs) and another 80 for the IAF. "The defence ministry intends to urgently replace the fleet of existing Cheetah and Chetak helicopters with suitable light helicopters of modern design," the RFI said.

The RSHs should be able to perform surveillance by day and night, transport small number troops for special missions, carry internal and external loads in support of ground operations and perform a "scout role" in conjunction with attack helicopters, the RFI added.

The armed forces have been demanding new light helicopters to replace their around 350 Cheetah and Chetak choppers, which are of the design vintage of the 1960s, for well over two decades now. They have sounded the alarm several times but to no avail till now, as reported by TOI earlier.