An Mi 17V5 helicopter carrying Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat, his staff and other officials crashed in Coonoor on Wednesday. Here is everything you need to know about the chopper.
An Indian Air Force Mi-17V5 helicopter carrying Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat, his staff and other officials crashed in Coonoor, Tamil Nadu on Wednesday (December 8). The Indian Air Force has also launched an investigation into the cause of the accident. The aircraft has been identified as a Mi-17V-5 medium-lifter chopper, one of the world's most modern and adaptable helicopters.
Here's all about the Made-in-Russia chopper:
-It is a military transport variant of the Mi-8 helicopter developed in Russia used for troop deployment, armament transfer, fire support, patrol, and search and rescue operations. It is regarded as one of the world's most sophisticated military transport helicopters.
-The Mi-17V5 helicopter has a maximum take-off weight of 13,000 kg and can transport 36 armed men inside.
-The helicopter has a port sliding door, parachute kit, a searchlight, and a floating emergency device.
-The Mi-17V5 helicopter has a maximum speed of 250 km/hr and a typical range of 580 km. It has a maximum altitude of 6,000 metres.
-It may be employed in a variety of environments, including tropical and marine temperatures, as well as desert situations.
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-The Mi-17V5 medium-lifter can fly in all weather, including tropical and marine areas, as well as desert circumstances.
-Shturm-V missiles, S-8 rockets, a machine gun, PKT machine guns, and AKM submarine weapons are all aboard the chopper. The onboard weaponry lets it attack enemy soldiers, armoured vehicles, land-based targets, and other targets.
-To prevent explosions, the fuel tanks are filled with foam polyurethane. It also contains infrared suppressors for the engine exhaust, a flare dispenser, and a jammer.
-Kazan Helicopters, a subsidiary of Russian Helicopters based in Kazan, Russia, manufactures the helicopters. Rosoboronexport, a Russian company, inked a contract with the Indian government in 2008 to provide 80 Mi-17V5 helicopters delivered in 2013. New agreements for delivering 71 Mi-17V5 helicopters to the Indian Air Force have been inked.