BENGALURU: The technical configuration of the light utility helicopter Ka-226T, which will be developed by the Indo-Russian Helicopter (IRHL) Pvt. Ltd at Tumakuru has been finalised, Russian Helicopters said in a statement on Wednesday.
The choppers will be manufactured at the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd’s (HAL) helicopter plant in Tumakuru as part of a joint venture between HAL and Russian Helicopters and Rosoboronexport.
“The Indian side approved the technical configuration of the light utility Ka-226T helicopter. The project on the delivery of 200 Ka-226T units and establishment of Ka-226T serial production in India is being implemented under the intergovernmental agreement signed in 2016,” a statement from Russian Helicopters said on Wednesday.
The IRHL was registered in India in May 2017 to perform the task of helicopter assembly with subsequent localisation of production. “As of date, the Indian Ministry of Defence approved the payment of JV charter capital. Moreover, the MoD identified the production site, the JV shall be situated in the vicinity of Tumkur, near Bengaluru,” the statement said.
The approval of the configuration means that the technical aspects of the projects have been finalised. “We and our Indian partners shall commence the preparation of contractual documents in the near future”, said Andrey Boginskiy, Director General of Russian Helicopters Holding Company.