New Delhi: A Chinook helicopter of the Indian Air Force (IAF) set Monday a record for the longest non-stop helicopter sortie. The helicopter flew for seven-and-half hours non-stop from Chandigarh to Jorhat in Assam, defence officials said. The Chinook helicopter covered a distance of 1,910 km. It was made possible by the capabilities of the Chinook along with operational planning and execution by the IAF, the officials informed.
“An @IAF_MCC Chinook undertook the longest non-stop helicopter sortie in India, flying from Chandigarh to Jorhat (Assam). The 1,910 kms route was completed in 7 hrs 30 min and made possible by the capabilities of Chinook along with operational planning and execution by @IAF_MCC,” a defence spokesperson tweeted.
The Chinook is a multi-role, vertical-lift platform, which is used for transporting troops, artillery, equipment and fuel. It is also used for humanitarian and disaster relief operations and in missions such as transportation of relief supplies and mass evacuation of refugees.
The defence official said the rapid mobility will allow the Indian Air Force to deploy the helicopter optimally as required.
“Chinook is a multi role,vertical lift platform, used for transporting men and material. It also plays an important role in Humanitarian and Disaster Relief Operations. Rapid mobility will allow @IAF_MCC to employ this asset optimally as required,” the official said in another tweet.
India had finalised a contract in September 2015 to procure 22 Apache helicopters and 15 Chinooks choppers from the US at a cost of around USD 3 billion.