The first four of the 15 Chinook military helicopters arrived at Gujarat’s Mundra port on Sunday. The helicopters, made by American aerospace company Boeing, will be used for transporting troops, fuel, artillery and equipment. The Chinook is also used during humanitarian and disaster relief operations for mass evacuation missions.
“The CH-47F (I) Chinook is an advanced multi-mission helicopter that will provide the Indian armed forces with unmatched strategic airlift capability across the full spectrum of combat and humanitarian missions,” Boeing said in a statement, according to PTI. “The Indian Air Force currently has 15 Chinook helicopters on order.”
The Chinook helicopters have arrived before their scheduled time in March. They will be assembled in Gujarat before being ferried to Chandigarh, where they will be formally inducted into the Indian Air Force.
In 2015, India had cleared the purchase of 22 Apaches and 15 Chinook helicopters for the IAF. “Boeing has strengthened its supply chain with over 160 partners in India, and a JV [joint venture] to manufacture fuselages for Apache helicopters. Annual sourcing from India stands at $1 billion,” the company said.
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