Indian border-guards to buy six Mi-17 Russian helicopters

India is to buy six Mi-17 helicopters from Russia.

These military helicopters will be serving with border-control units in Jammu and Kashmir, the regional IANS (Indo-Asian News Service) news agency reported here today, quoting an Indian Defence Ministry spokesman.

The first chopper batch will be received by September 16; and the rest are to arrive early next year, the spokesman noted.

The Indian army will get these Russian helicopters in line with specific Defence Ministry plans for overhauling the national air-force fleet. $2.71 billion have been allocated for this purpose.

Apart from that, India plans to buy 66 Hawk jet air-force trainers from Great Britain, as well as several Brazilian trainers. The purchase of three C-130 Hercules military-transport planes from the United States is also being negotiated.