Anti-sub copter acquisition delay has Navy in dire straits

Indian warships continue to operate on the high seas without the critical multi-role helicopters that can detect and destroy enemy submarines.

At a time when Chinese submarines are docking even at Karachi, the Navy is still nowhere near getting the advanced choppers due to the government's slow decision-making process.

Adding another jolt to the Navy's 15-year-old quest for new multi-role helicopters (MRH), American firm Sikorsky has demanded a steep hike from India for the proposed acquisition of 16 of its S-70B choppers on the ground that contract finalization has been pending for several years.

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