Kamov-226T : Utility Helicopters

• 26 Dec 2020

Why in News

The Indian Army is going to approach the Defence Ministry for a waiver to take the Kamov-226T (Ka-226T) utility helicopters with Russia.

• In 2015, India and Russia concluded an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) for 200 Ka-226T helicopters estimated to cost over USD 1 billion.
• The Kamov-226T is meant to replace the ageing and obsolete Cheetah and Chetak fleets of the Indian Army and the Air Force.

Key Points

• About Kamov-226T helicopter:
  • Design: The Ka-226T is a design of Russia's famed Kamov design bureau.
  • Assembling: A joint venture India Russia Helicopters Limited (IRHL) has been set up between Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Russian Helicopters (RH) which will assemble the helicopters in India.
  • Payload Capacity:
    
    • It is a light helicopter, with a maximum take-off weight of over 3.5 tonnes and can carry a payload of up to 1 tonne.
  • Special Features:
    
    • The Ka-226T uses coaxial rotors, that is, it has two sets of rotors mounted one on top of the other and typically no tail rotor.
      
      • Coaxial rotors give a helicopter improvements in lift and payload capacity over conventional choppers.
      • This is especially advantageous in high-altitude environments where an aircraft's performance at take-off tends to diminish due to the lower air density.
    • The Ka-226T also has a unique, detachable 'mission' compartment instead of a conventional cabin.
      
      • This allows the helicopter to be adapted for different roles such as surveillance and cargo delivery.
• Issues with the Old Fleet of Helicopters:
  
  • About 75% of the Army’s fleet of Cheetah and Chetak helicopters is over 30 years old. Some of them are about 50 years old and they need urgent replacements.
    
    • Operational capability has been impacted due to deficiencies and non-availability of replacement.
• Requirement of Helicopters in Indian Army: There is a requirement of around 400 such helicopters in the army.

Source: TH