Ministry of Defence has signed a contract with BEL Bengaluru for the acquisition of Electronic Warfare Suites and aircraft modification kits as well as their installation on Mi-17 V5 helicopters
Rs 2385 Cr Contract Inked with BEL For Mi-17 Helicopters
Ministry of Defence has signed a contract with BEL Bengaluru for the acquisition of Electronic Warfare Suites and aircraft modification kits as well as their installation on Mi-17 V5 helicopters, along with associated equipment, for the Indian Air Force at an overall cost of Rs 2,385.36 crore.
The contract, under Buy (Indian-Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured) category, was inked in the presence of Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh in New Delhi on April 07, 2025. The Suite for Mi-17 V5 is a significant leap forward in developing indigenous EW capabilities, making the country Aatmanirbhar in consonance with the Make-in-India initiative.
 Mi-17 V5
The Mil Mi-17 is a Soviet-designed Russian military helicopter family introduced in 1975 (Mi-8M), continuing in production as of 2024 at two factories in Russia, in Kazan and Ulan-Ude. It is known as the Mi-8M series in Russian service. The helicopter is mostly used as a medium twin-turbine transport helicopter, as well as an armed gunship version.
Manufacturers: Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant, Kazan Helicopters
Top speed: 250 km/h
Weight: 7,489 kg
Engine type: Turboshaft
Range: 620 km
Cruise speed: 240 km/h
Bharat Electronics Ltd
BEL is an Indian public sector aerospace and defence electronics company, headquartered in Bangalore. It primarily manufactures advanced electronic products for ground and aerospace applications. BEL is one of sixteen PSUs under the administration of Ministry of Defence of India. It has been granted Navratna status by the Government of India.
Founded: 1954, Bengaluru
Headquarters: Bengaluru
Number of employees: 11,444 (2024)
Subsidiaries: BEL Optronic Devices Limited, Bel-Thales Systems Limited
