Chandigarh: Four Chinook heavy-lift helicopters made in the US were inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF) here on Monday.
After inducting the helicopters, IAF Chief B.S. Dhanoa said induction of Chinook will be a game-changer the way the Rafale is going to be in the fighter fleet.
The first four of the 15 CH-47F (I) Chinook helicopters, which were ordered from Boeing in September 2015, were commissioned into the IAF’s 126 Helicopter Unit (HU) at a ceremony held here.
The Chinook, twin-engine, tandem rotor, is multi-role, vertical-lift platform, which is used for transporting troops, artillery, equipment and fuel.
The helicopter can carry out military operations not only during the day but at night too.
Speaking at the function here, Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa said, “Our country faces a multitude of security challenges, we require vertical lift capability across a very diversified terrain.”
“The IAF operates from bases which are from sea level to very high altitude advance landing grounds. The helicopter will give the IAF quantum leap in terms of ability to transport cargo to precarious high altitude locations. The aircraft is one of its best in its category,” he said.
The all-weather capable aircraft can also used for humanitarian and disaster relief operations and in missions such as transportation of relief supplies and mass evacuation of refugees.
