Asia News Report: DTN News - INDIA DEFENSE NEWS: Russia Loses $600 Million Indian Attack Helicopter Tender

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

DTN News - INDIA DEFENSE NEWS: Russia Loses $600 Million Indian Attack Helicopter Tender

Asia News Report: DTN News - INDIA DEFENSE NEWS: Russia Loses $600 Million Indian Attack Helicopter Tender

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources RIA Novosti.

(NSI News Source Info) KOTTAKKAL, Kerala, India - October 25, 2011: Russian Mi-28N Night Hunter has lost a tender on the delivery of 22 attack helicopters to the Indian military in strong competition with the American AH-64D Apache, an Indian Defense Ministry source said on Tuesday.

“We decided not to choose the Mi-28 for technical reasons. Our experts believe that the Mi-28N did not meet the requirements of the tender on 20 positions, while the Apache showed better performance,” the source said.

The future contract, worth at least $600 million, envisions an optional delivery of additional 22 helicopters.

Russia is still taking part in two other Indian helicopter tenders: on the delivery of 12 heavy transport helicopters and 197 light general-purpose helicopters.

Mi-28 Combat Helicopters:

The Mi-28 combat helicopter has been developed by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and is known by the NATO codename Havoc. In August 1996 Mil rolled out a prototype of the day and night capable version, the Mi-28N Night Havoc. The first production Mi-28N took its first flight in April 2004 and began flight testing with the Russian Air Force in June 2005.

The Russian Air Force has plans to procure up to 60 of this variant, now called the Mi-28NE Night Hunter.

Three were ordered in 2005 and 16 more in 2006 for delivery by 2008. The first production aircraft was delivered in May 2006 and began formal acceptance testing in September 2006. Five aircraft are involved in the testing which is scheduled to conclude in early 2008.

Mi-28 can fly at a maximum speed of 300km/h, can fly rearwards and sideways at speeds up to 100km/h and is able to hover turn at 45° a second.

OPERATORS

Russia

Russian Air Force had 44 in operation http://www.armstrade.org/includes/periodics/news/2011/1012/10109945/detail.shtml
- 344th Centre for Combat Training and Flight Personnel Training, Torzhok
- 55th Independent Helicopter Regiment, Korenovsk, has been reported to be the first planned operational unit^]
- 118th Helicopter Regiment – Dmitriyevka, Oblast