Russia Plans to Seal Deal on Mi-17V-5 Helicopters Delivery to India in 2016

Russian Helicopters plans to sign a contract with India for the delivery of an additional batch of 48 Mi-17V-5 military transport helicopters in 2016, the company’s deputy director general said Tuesday.

SINGAPORE (Sputnik) – On February 2, the holding delivered the final batch of 151 Mi-17V-5 helicopters to India under previously concluded contracts.

"We hope that in 2016 we will reach with the Indian side specific agreements on the supply of another batch of Mi-17V-5s. The contract will be carried out through the Rosoboronexport, we are talking about 48 units," Alexander Shcherbinin told reporters at the Singapore Airshow.

Rosoboronexport, Russia's state arms exporter, struck a deal to deliver 80 Mi-17V-5s to India in 2008. Four years later, the sides added three supplements to the initial agreement to deliver 71 more helicopters before the end of 2015.

Between 2012 and 2015, Russia delivered 148 out of the 151 helicopters to India.

The Mi-17V-5 helicopter is the latest model in Russia's Mi-8/17 helicopter family. Designed for personnel transport, as well as for carrying cargo internally or on an external sling, it is used in search and rescue operations, and can be equipped with weapons.