India has delivered three military choppers to Afghanistan
The three unarmed Cheetal helicopters were ready for delivery with India since June. However, the two nations were looking for an appropriate time for handing them over.
The three Cheetal helicopters, which are unarmed and have a utility role, have been ready for delivery with India since June last year, but several deadlines were missed as the two nations were looking for an appropriate occasion for the handing over.
However, it now seems that India sent the choppers in a low key affair to Kabul, earlier this month with Minister of State for Defence Rao Inderjit Singh informing Parliament that they were quietly dispatched on 9 April. "These helicopters have been test flown and accepted by Afghanistan pilots on 15th April," the minister said in a written reply to P Nagarajan in Lok Sabha.
Sources said India had been looking for a significant visit or occasion to send the helicopters over as a symbol of friendship to Afghanistan, but several deadlines passed by due to a certain lack of response from the other side.
Cheetal also provides a higher payload capacity of 90 kg, compared to the 50 kg of Cheetah.The helicopters can be used for personnel transport, evacuation, reconnaissance and aerial survey. It is also capable of operating in the high-altitude areas.
Afghanistan has been seeking from India military equipment and lethal hardware, including tanks, artillery guns among others.
