Top Most Famous Helicopters In The Indian Air Force

Not only does India operate fighter aircraft to safeguard our airspace territory but we also have hundreds of active helicopters for various purposes. Here's the list of most powerful and famous helicopters that are widely used in the Indian Air Force.

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Mil Mi-17

Type: Transport helicopter with armed assault capabilities

The Mil Mi-17 was first designed by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and manufactured by Kazan Helicopter Plant in the 1970s. Russia now has two factories for producing Mil Mi-17 helicopters, in Kazan and in Ulan-Ude. In the Russian Army, this model is categorized in the Mi-8M series. In Dec 2012, the Indian Army stroke a bargain to buy more than 70 Mil Mi-17 helicopters at a reported cost of nearly $1.5 billion.

The Mil Mi-17 is a medium transport helicopter with a twin-turbine engine. Gunship versions are also included while the helicopter can be armed with assault capabilities.

Boeing CH-47 Chinook

Type: Transport helicopter

Boeing CH-47 Chinook is an American helicopter model that primarily take responsibility for lifting heavy cargos. The helicopter was named after the Native American people living in the modern-day USA.

With an average cost of around $40 million, there’re reportedly a total of more than 1200 Boeing CH-47 Chinook aircraft that are in service. The government of India signed a deal for 15 Boeing CH-47 Chinooks in 2015, along with 22 Apache attack helicopters.

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Mil Mi-26

Type: Heavy lift cargo helicopter

Another Russian helicopter in this list, Mil Mi-26. These heavy-lift helicopters were also designed by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant, but a helicopter company called Rostvertol has undertaken most of the production parts. The Mil Mi-26 are serving both militaries and civilian operators.

Each Mil Mi-26 costs around $20-25 million. Since the start of its series production, a load of countries and militaries around the world have primarily used this cargo helicopter model, including the Russian Air Force, Aeroflot, and Indian Air Force as well.

HAL Dhruv

Type: Multirole helicopter

Considered as a remarkable collaboration between Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Rotary Wing Research and Design Center, the utility helicopter HAL Dhruv has started entering service since 2002. The development of this Indian helicopter had to face multiple challenges related to budget restrictions and design changes.

HAL Dhruv comes in two major variants, one for military and one for civil/commercial operators. Also, hundreds of HAL Dhruv helicopters were also exported to other countries like Israel and Nepal.

To meet several requirements, military versions (especially for the Indian Air Force) come packed with unique designs for specific purposes, including medical evacuation, reconnaissance, utility, and transportation.

Boeing AH-64 Apache

Type: Attack helicopter

Boeing AH-64 Apache is a powerful attack helicopter from the USA. The early design and production of this helicopter can be traced back to the 1970s as Hughes Helicopter developed a model codenamed M77 and it took off the first flight in Sep 1975. Both the development and production have been continued under Boeing’s management.

These attack helicopters account for a large number of active aircraft that are serving the U.S Army thanks to their impressive performance. Customized Boeing AH-64 Apache variants offer a slew of different features and prices, with a starting price of no less than $30 million.

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