Indian Army has eyes on Chinook too , Round 2 with IAF soon

[Kloitra]

Sounds like a mess in the making- it won't happen.

But it is logical. Instead of having IAF controlling assets needed by IA or viseversa, have both or even IN to have a joint command over common assets. Better coordination, efficient use and probably better RFP as all related parties are involved.

 

[GHOSTS]

IAF should hand over Chinook and Apache to Indian army.

 

[The Unnamed]

Very good move, IA needs more tech, more control over their job.

 

[sancho]

What is the use of Chinook to IAF?????
@Abingdonboy

The same as the Mi 26 were used that they will replace, heavy lifting of mainly external cargo and that not only for IA, but for a variety of forces:

During the Kargil Operations, two Mi-26s logged about 25 hours airlifting heavy equipment and guns to the Kargil area.

- used in helilifting heavy road building equipment in the area.

- involved in the heavy lift of tunneling equipment for the Northern Railways

The Mi-26s have been utilised in the sky-crane role over the years:

- undertook the only of its kind underslung operation taking Pontoon bridge form Ludhiana to Sirhind canal.
- MiG-21 was airlifted by the Unit to Chandigarh.
- Mi-8 which crashed in the Rann of Kutch was helilifted
- MiG-21 Bison was airlifted to Ambala Air Force Station.
- Irecovered the first civilian aircraft (Beechcraft), which had met with an accident at Kangra airfield. Another first was achieved as the unit flew the longest ever underslung flight (3:15 hrs).
- airlifted an Mi-17 that forcelanded in a river bed a few days earlier to Chandigarh Air Force Station.
- Mi-17 1V airlifted from Bandipore to Awantipura
- used to lift heavy equipment for the Katra-Quazigand Railway project providing rail connectivity to the Srinagar Valley.

Source: BR

Just some examples of the use of heavy lifters in IAF, add lifting fuel bowsers, oil barrels as well as Buldozers during the Uttarakhand floods, which shows that there is no importance of using them in IA operations, let alone for normal troop transports, which will be done by Mi 17s mainly. That's the difference between heavy lift helicopters and normal utility transport helicopters and why it makes sense that the heavy lifters remain under IAF, while the utility transporters would be more effective under IA, just as the combat helicopters are.

 

[IND151]

Wow, I didn't think the IA would make a push for the heavy lift helos for at least another 7 years!

Today the AAC is relatively modest in size and remit -no heavy lifters, no dedicated attack helos only light and medium class helos. In the next few years they are going to start packing a serious punch with the ALH in ever greater numbers, the Rudra and LCH (in vast numbers), now they want the Apaches and now the Chinooks? They really are thinking big...

The IA will get some Chinooks not all I think.