REPORT: Russia Loses Indian Attack Chopper Deal


Russia's RIA Novosti news service reports today that the Russian Mi-28N Night Hunter has lost out in the Indian Air Force's competition to acquire 22 attack helicopters. The Mi-28N competes against the American Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow Block-III (photo). The news service quotes an Indian MoD official as saying, "We decided not to choose the Mi-28 for technical reasons. Our experts believe that the Mi-28N did not meet the requirements of the tender on 20 positions, while the Apache showed better performance."

It has been unofficially known for a while now that the Indian Air Force placed the Boeing rotorcraft above the Mi-28N in its staff evaluation report submitted to the Indian Ministry of Defence. IAF sources said the the trial team marked the Apache consistently over the Russian contender in trials that were held mid-2010 at a desert air base in Western India and the world's highest airfield, Leh, in the Himalayas.

Photo / Mad House Photography

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