The Indian air force has deployed the CH-47 Chinook helicopters for operation in the eastern air command. This came at a time when India and China are indulging in a major standoff in Ladakh.
This move by IAF is very significant in the current scenario of increased border tension with China as this will allow the IAF to rapidly move troop and machinery along the border with China on the Eastern front.
Shillong based defence spokesperson Wing Commander Ratnakar Singh said, “CH-47 Chinook advanced multi-mission helicopters are operational in Eastern Air Command & are being utilized in the service of Nation. Based at Air Force Station, Mohanbari in Dibrugarh district of Upper Assam, they will provide IAF the unmatched strategic airlift capability across the full spectrum of combat & humanitarian missions.”
Singh said that CH-47 Chinook choppers not only fly at high altitude but they can carry more load then the existing assets such as Mi-17.
Mi-17 can carry 24 passengers and small vehicles while in contradiction the CH-47 can carry around 22,000 lb (10,000 kg) of freight or 55 fully armed troops.
These heavy-duty choppers will be based at the Air Force Station in Mohanbari in Dibrugarh of Assam. “They will provide IAF the unmatched strategic airlift capability across the full spectrum of combat and humanitarian missions”, IAF officials said. The Boeing Chinook is among India’s latest defence buys from along with the AH-64 Apache attack helicopters.
One such chopper has dispatched essential commodities in the Vijoynagar circle of Changlang district in Arunachal Pradesh. Vijoynagar is bound by three sides by Myanmar. The 16 villages have a population of approximately 4500 people.
There goes Chinook Helicopter of @IAF_MCC carrying 83 quintals of essential commodities for remote Vijoynagar in Changlang dist from Miao today. Thankfully weather cleared enabling essential items to be delivered to the needy in this pandemic, completing day’s task in 2 sorties. pic.twitter.com/8xKlfp1zQh
— Pema Khandu (@PemaKhanduBJP) May 28, 2020
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu tweeted, “There goes Chinook Helicopter of @IAF_MCC carrying 83 quintals of essential commodities for remote Vijoynagar in Changlang dist from Miao today. Thankfully weather cleared enabling essential items to be delivered to the needy in this pandemic, completing day’s task in 2 sorties.”
The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is an American twin-engined, tandem-rotor, heavy-lift helicopter developed by American rotorcraft company Vertol and manufactured by Boeing Vertol.
