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http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/exclusive-iaf-raises-alarm-100-hours-before-india-loses-its-sole-heavy-lift-copter/1/545160.html

IAF raises alarm, 100 hours before India loses its sole heavy lift copter

December 12, 2015

Alarm bells are ringing inside the closed walls of the Vayu Bhawan - headquarters of the Indian Air Force (IAF)in the national capital and the sound perhaps isn't enough for the functionaries of the Ministry of Defence(MoD) to take note.

Whether or not the bells register and irrespective of the time they do - at stake is India's ability to lift and drop heavy load in the form of missiles, artillery guns, a huge body of combat-ready troops, road building equipment at rugged locations.

The only operational heavy lift helicopter in the IAF's inventory, the sole Mi26, now stands only 100 hours away from completing its set number of flying hours after which its machinery can no longer operate unless a life revision is undertaken - a process which at the minimum will take six months.

Replacing the Mi26, either from the grounded fleet or by purchasing (recently ordered) the American Chinook choppers is unlikely to materialise any time soon.

An alarmed IAF has, to preserve the flying hours on the sole chopper, decided to cease training flights on the Mi26. "Flying will be carried out only in extreme cases of requirement and as for our trainees, we will have to them abroad, there is no option," the source said.

Aware of the capabilities that these helicopters bring to a nation, India's military planners ensured the IAF became among the earliest buyers of the Mi26 when it was launched in the early 80s by the erstwhile Soviet union. The four contracted planes came into the air force's fold between 1986 and 1989. From then on till December 2010 when one of the four crashed at the technical area of the Jammu airport and had to be written off, these planes lifted bridges, crashed planes, artillery guns, missiles and equipment to distant locations in the north eastern region and the upper reaches of Jammu and Kashmir. Though troubled by a tough maintenance regime, the remaining three carried on, part of the Chandigarh-based 126 Helicopter Flight 'Feather Weights'.
"Since 2013, when the operational life of the two choppers which came in the first batch in 1986 ended, efforts have been made to grant them an extended life by carrying out an overhaul and life revision. These efforts are yet to yield," said a source. Insiders say the IAF was hopeful of the deal coming through by early 2015. None came. The sole chopper kept the flame alive by contributing to relief and rebuilding operations in Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir, over the last two years.

"The Russians are demanding too much money. It is very difficult to justify," is all a top source would reveal when asked the reason behind the delay in finalising the contract. These negotiations, between the Ministry of Defence and the manufacturers have dragged on. Indecision, the other malaise India's defence management frequently suffers from , also played its part.

It was in October 2012 that the MoD decided to purchase 15 Chinook CH47F helicopters, which would replace the Russian giant, which the IAF calls 'Bheem'. The contract for American replacement was not signed until September of this year. "Plan was to have a seamless transition with the Mi26 retiring and Chinook, though not as big a load carrier, coming in but this delay has contributed in creating this gap we stare at," explained a helicopter pilot.
India, by itself, lacks the capability to carry out the process. "Experts will have to come in from the side of the equipment manufacturers (Russia), make the planes airworthy again so that they can fly to their destination of overhaul. Unlike others, the Mi26 is too large to get inside an aircraft and be ferried," explained Air Vice Marshal Manmohan Bahadur (Retd).

Upon querying, the IAF spokesperson stated, "The lone aircraft is fully airworthy with sufficient flying hours to meet contingencies. The deal for further extension is under progress." In June this year, the IAF had clarified that there was no plan 'to upgrade Mi26 helicopters. Case for overhaul and life revision is under process.'

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747-237 · Posted: Sat May 28, 2016 1:03 pm Post subject:

http://idrw.org/russia-set-overhaul-3-indian-mi-26-heavy-lift-military-helicopters/

Russia set to overhaul 3 Indian Mi-26 Heavy lift military helicopters

May 28, 2016

Russian Helicopters is in an advanced stage of discussion regarding a deal for overhauling three Mi-26 heavylift transport helicopters operated by the Indian Air Force (IAF), together with five Mi-17s for the Indian Border Guard.

The tender for overhauling the Mi-26s has been won by the company . “Since 2013, operational life of the two choppers which came in the first batch in 1986 ended, efforts have been made to grant them an extended life by carrying out an overhaul and life revision. These efforts are yet to yield,” said a source. Insiders say the IAF was hopeful of the deal coming through by early 2015. None came. The sole chopper kept the flame alive by contributing to relief and rebuilding operations in Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir, over the last two years.

It was in October 2012 that the MoD decided to purchase 15 Chinook CH47F helicopters, which would replace the Russian giant, which the IAF calls ‘Bheem’. The contract for American replacement was not signed until September of this year.

“Plan was to have a seamless transition with the Mi26 retiring and Chinook, though not as big a load carrier, coming in but this delay has contributed in creating this gap we stare at,” explained a helicopter pilot.

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747-237 · Posted: Wed Nov 01, 2017 7:17 pm Post subject:

http://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/russia-india-to-sign-contract-for-overhaul-of-mi-26-choppers-official-117110100426_1.html

Russia, India to sign contract for overhaul of Mi-26 choppers: Official

November 1, 2017

India and Russia are set to sign a contract soon for an overhaul of three Mi-26 helicopters, the biggest choppers in the world, for the Indian Air Force, and Moscow has also offered long-term maintenance for its Mi-17 choppers, a Russian official has said.

Russian Helicopters, a part of Rostec State Corporation, has finalised the financial aspects of the contract for overhaul of these transport helicopters. Currently, the two sides are working on specifying the technical details of the contract.

The Russian side has also offered overhaul of two Mi-35 helicopters, repair and modernisation of five Ka-31 choppers operated by the Indian Navy, as well as the long-term agreement for repair and maintenance of the Mi-17 helicopters.

"We have forwarded to the Air Force headquarters of India a draft of a long-term agreement on repair and maintenance of Mi-17 type helicopters," said Andrei Boginsky, general director of the holding company Russian Helicopters.

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747-237 · Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2018 7:03 am Post subject:

http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/ageing-mi-26s-in-for-fresh-lease-of-life/530370.html

Ageing Mi-26s in for fresh lease of life

Jan 18, 2018

Even as the Indian Air Force prepares to induct the US-made Chinook heavy-lift helicopter, it has set in motion the process for life extension of the ageing Soviet-origin Mi-26 that has been forming its heavy-lift component since 1985.

The IAF has three Mi-26, the world’s largest helicopter, based at Chandigarh with 126 Helicopter Flight. The Total Technical Life (TTL) of two of these machines expired in September 2013 and August 2014 and these have since been non-operational.

The IAF has contracted for 15 CH-47 Chinooks, which are expected to start arriving in 2019. The IAF at present is constrained to rely on a single heavy-lift helicopter to carry out strategic tasks. At 20 tonnes, the payload capability of the Mi-26 is almost double that of the Chinook.

Two Mi-26s were initially procured in 1986 with two more in 1989. One was lost in a freak accident in 1998, when it toppled over due to a gust of wind. This was replaced by a new helicopter in October 2002. A second Mi-26 was lost in a crash during take-off from Jammu in 2010.

Sources say the IAF has approached the Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant in Russia, seeking a proposal for ferrying all three helicopters to Russia for overhaul as well as undertaking a special life extension programme.

The IAF is looking at extending the TTL of the helicopters by 100 flying hours each, an officer said. As of December 2017, the two older machines had put in a total of about 2,400 flying hours each, which comes to an average of about 85 per annum till the time they were operational.

The third helicopter, which has a TTL of 8,000 hours as stipulated by the manufacturer, has logged about 1,450 till December 2017, averaging 96 hours annually. It had been given special life extension for two years during an overhaul and inspection done earlier, sources said.
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