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India to push back on $1-billion Russian helicopter deal: Report

Instead, there might be off-the-shelf purchases of some of the Ka-226T military choppers as the Indian Air Force needs to make immediate replacements to its fleet of over 320 aging helicopters

File photo of PM Narendra Modi with President of Russian Federation Vladimir Putin | Photo: PIB/PTI
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File photo of PM Narendra Modi with President of Russian Federation Vladimir Putin | Photo: PIB/PTI

Sudhi Ranjan Sen | Bloomberg
India won’t go ahead with building Russian helicopters locally under a $1 billion deal when President Vladimir Putin visits New Delhi next week, according to senior government officials with knowledge of the matter, complicating plans to modernize the world’s third largest military force. 
 
Instead, there might be off-the-shelf purchases of some of the Ka-226T military choppers as the Indian Air Force needs to make immediate replacements to its fleet of over 320 aging helicopters. The military is currently fortifying its western and northern borders as tensions with China fester.  

India initially inked the deal in 2015 with the Russians for