MOSCOW. Jan 9 (Interfax-AVN) - The terms of delivering KA-31 long-range radar surveillance helicopters for the Indian Armed Forces have been postponed, deputy designer general of the Kamov Enterprise Veniamin Kasyanikov told Interfax-Military News Agency on Wednesday.
Declining to give any details concerning new terms of deliveries, Kasyanikov stressed that the Indian side was not ready to accept the units due to inadequate training level of the operators of the assets.
In accordance with the data available to Interfax-AVN, the first mass-produced KA-31 long-range radar surveillance helicopter was to be delivered to India in the end of the year 2001, with four helicopters more to be dispatched in 2002. KA-31 deliveries were to be subsequently resumed.
In accordance with unofficial data, India is to get a total of nine radar surveillance helicopters under the contracts signed in August 1999 and February 2001. The two first aircraft out of the nine helicopters manufactured at the Kumertau aircraft production enterprise have already been dispatched to the Kamov experimental plant based in the town of Lyubertsy, Moscow region. The total cost of the two contracts is assessed to be USD108m.
The KA-31 helicopters will be fitted with improved cockpits; they will also boast the Kabris global positioning and landing system developed by the Kronshtadt enterprise based St. Petersburg. The avionics of the helicopter have been produced by the Ramensk instrument building design bureau.
The helicopter employs an in-board radar unit retracting an antenna of six square meters in flight. The system ensures detection of up to 200 targets at a distance of 150km and is capable of tracking 20 of them. Surface ships are detected at distances of up to 250km. The data on the operational situation is fed to the ground or water surface control and guidance post via TV ciphering cable.
Kasyanikov said that production of the KA-31 long-range radar surveillance helicopter had been included in the program of Russia's weapon development for the period of up to 2010.