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http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110506/jsp/nation/story_13946315.jsp#

Private copters in rebel fight
May 6 , 2011

The home ministry plans to hire private helicopters to ferry troops and supplies to Maoist battle zones, a first in internal security operations.

Six new MI-17 helicopters would make sorties to rebel hotbeds such as Chhattisgarh’s Abujhmad and Bengal’s Lalgarh by August, ministry sources said. The choppers will be “wet leased”, meaning a private operator will provide the pilots and engineers, besides maintaining the aircraft and spending on fuel.

The move will help the home ministry to reduce its dependence on the ministry of defence for flying paramilitary troops to rebel zones where thousands of security personnel are deployed along with police personnel of those states in anti-Naxalite operations.

At least two of the six choppers may be stationed in Chhattisgarh, among the worst hit states.

The choppers are being leased from a consortium of two companies, India’s Global Vectra and Russia’s Utair, chosen by the home ministry last month after almost a year of examining proposals from several operators, the sources said.

Deploying military choppers in civilian areas had initially sparked a debate but the security establishment argued they were needed to keep troop casualties down and fight Maoists in their strongholds.

Security officials have made it clear, however, that “air power” in this case does not mean helicopter gun ships but those that are needed to carry troops.

The ministry earlier intended to hire some 13 helicopters but later settled for six to start with. It had asked for helicopters from the Indian Air Force but many of its helicopters were deployed on the UN mission in Congo.

“The air force is itself wet-leasing helicopters and cannot spare any. So, the ministry has no way but to get its own fleet,” said the source. Currently, six MI choppers of the air force and the BSF are being used in seven rebel-hit states.

The twin-engine bullet-proof choppers can carry up to 25 persons, including the crew. The sources said they could fly in the dark, giving the forces an edge in evacuation and rescue. The rebel-affected states have already started building helipads. Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh alone have around 100 such strips, the sources said.

The helicopters will ferry troops of the CRPF, ITBP and the BSF, all of which are engaged in anti-Maoist operations. On some occasions, the choppers could also be used to fly the personnel from their bases to the nearest station. The rebels have often targeted personnel travelling home on leave from their camps.

Hiring such choppers from private operators is going to be more expensive — MI-17 helicopters are known to be fuel guzzlers — than taking them from the ministry of defence but the home ministry has no other option.

Funds for such expenses have not been provided in the budget but the home ministry plans to seek at least a few hundred crores from the government.

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