Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa yesterday formally inducted four US-made advanced multi-mission all-weather Chinook helicopters at Air Force Station in Chandigarh.
Two hangars and logistics facilities were created here for the Chinook helicopters.
Each helicopter, manufactured by US aerospace major Boeing, has a payload capacity of about 10 tonnes which is a major boost to India’s strategic airlift capability.
The IAF received its first CH-47F (I) Chinook on February 10 at the Mundra port in Gujarat.
The Chinook will be used to move troops, artillery, ammunition, supplies and equipment on battlefield. Besides, they can be used for medical evacuation.
“Our country faces a multitude of security challenges and we require a vertical-airlift capability for a very diversified terrain. The Chinook will give the IAF a quantum leap to transport cargo to precarious high-altitude locations,” Dhanoa told reporters after the induction ceremony.
He said the Chinooks were procured with India specific enhancements to increase their flexibility for heli-lift operations like search, rescue operations and air ambulance.
The aircraft is all-weather capable and state-of-the-art night vision goggles will permit all operations even at night, he said.
“Although we have been operating the medium lift Mi-17 and heavy lift Mi-26 helicopters, the Chinook, with its operating ceiling of 20,000ft, will redefine heli-lift not only in operations like inter-valley transport of troops, airlifting artillery guns and heavy under slung loads for the Border Roads Organisation, but also for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to far-flung crisis hit areas,” Dhanoa said.
He added that the IAF’s expertise would enable it to exploit the machine’s potential in a manner that will make it a game changer in heli-lift operations.