IAF gears up to send Mi-26 fleet to Russia for overhaul
In service since 1985
– At present, the Indian Air Force has three Mi-26s, the world’s largest and heaviest helicopters
– These are based at Chandigarh with the 126 Helicopter Unit, also called Featherweights. The same unit also operates the Chinooks
– In service since 1985, the first Mi-26 was grounded in 2013, followed by the other two in 2014 and 2017 on the expiry of their stipulated technical life
Vijay Mohan
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, January 19
The Indian Air Force is preparing to ferry its Mi-26 heavy-lift helicopters to Russia for major overhaul and life extension, following which its vertical heavy-lift capability will get a substantial boost.
The resurrected Soviet-origin helicopters will operate along with the IAF’s new American CH-47 Chinooks that are also employed in the heavy-lift logistics role for airlifting men and equipment.
At present, the IAF has three Mi-26s, the world’s largest and heaviest helicopters. These are based at Chandigarh with the 126 Helicopter Unit, also called Featherweights. The same unit also operates the Chinooks. In service since 1985, the first Mi-26 was grounded in 2013, followed by the other two in 2014 and 2017 on the expiry of their stipulated technical life.
Although the IAF set into motion the process to give fresh lease of life to these grounded flying machines around four years ago, the plans remained mired in bureaucratic machinery.
“The files were finally cleared by the Ministry of Defence late last year and we are now finalising the modalities to ferry the machines to Russia. Since two of the Mi-26s are not in fly-worthy condition at all, they will have to be partially disassembled and shipped,” said a senior IAF officer. “A decision on the third chopper, which though non-operational but still fly-worthy, will be taken by Air Headquarters on whether to ship it or fly it to Russia after considering the costs, international air routing and other technicalities involved,” he added.
The Mi-26 has the capability to airlift up to 20 tonnes of payload and can carry heavy vehicles like trucks and bulldozers in its fuselage. The Chinook, on the other hand, can airlift up to 12 tonnes and ferry light vehicles, artillery guns and other equipment in the underslung mode. With three Mi-26s and 15 Chinooks, the IAF will have an unprecedented vertical heavy lift capability. Six Chinooks have already arrived.
In the mid-1080s, four Mi-26s were procured from the erstwhile Soviet Union. One was lost in a freak incident in Chandigarh in 1998. In 2010, another Mi-26 crashed near Jammu.
Though expensive to maintain, the Mi-26s have performed yeoman’s service both during military operations and in aid to civil authorities during natural calamities. They have airlifted artillery guns, heavy equipment and construction machinery to high altitude areas and remote parts of the country.
The IAF expects that each helicopter will take 10-12 months to be back in fly-worthy state. This would involve non-destructive analysis of the airframe, engine components and other systems to assess their integrity, replacement of certain parts and refurbishment of the flight deck and fuselage. The overhauled machines are expected to continue their service for another 15-20 years.
