Moscow and New Delhi will offer Ka-226T light utility multirole helicopters produced in India, within the framework of a joint venture, for sale on the international markets, the head of the International Cooperation Department of Russian state technology corporation Rostec said Friday.
On Thursday, Russian Helicopters, which is part of the Rostec umbrella organization, reported that Russia and India had commenced a joint project to produce about 200 Ka-226T helicopters.
“The joint agreement reads that the line will produce no less than 200 choppers. This means that 200 is a confirmed government order. We will definitely be looking at other civilian orders and international markets as well,” Viktor Kladov said as quoted by India’s The Economic Times newspaper.
Kladov added that the helicopters could be used for a wide range of roles, including rescue missions.
Introduced in 2002, the Ka-226 series of helicopters are designed by the Kamov Design Bureau, part of the Russian Helicopters company. The Ka-226T model is fitted with updated navigation and automatic control equipment, as well as an interchangeable mission pod, which allows for flexible equipment configurations.