The Indian Ministry of Defence has initiated the procurement process for 200 light surveillance helicopters, according to The Print. Of these, 120 will be allocated to the Army Aviation Corps, while the remaining 80 will join the Indian Air Force fleet.
The ministry stated that the new helicopters will replace the aging Chetak and Cheetah models, based on French Aérospatiale designs from the 1960s and 1970s. These aircraft have been in service well beyond their intended operational life. In recent years, multiple accidents involving these models have resulted in the loss of military personnel, prompting urgent calls for fleet modernization.
Capable of operating in both day and night conditions, the new helicopters will perform a wide range of missions. These include intelligence gathering, surveillance, transport of small special-operations units, underslung load carriage in support of ground forces, armed scouting in coordination with attack helicopters, and casualty evacuation.
Currently, the combined light helicopter fleet of India’s three armed forces stands at around 400 aircraft, the majority of which are outdated Chetak and Cheetah models. Once inducted, this acquisition will mark one of the most significant steps in India’s recent modernization of its rotary-wing capabilities.