POV : you are reading what a babu thinks .
Apart from maws nothing seems critical to me
If maws can be cheaply inducted in m i17, it's as good as a black hawk
Soviet s flew this thing around afganistan like nothing
Also given our conflict we don't need lots of range tbh
As for door gunners, mi 17 has door gunners right ?
Use them, mount a gun wherever you want in the field
Specs are nothing but money extortion.
It flies, it carries men , it has door gun , it has flares etc
There is nothing a mi 17 can't do which a black hawk can tbh
Why waste the money from the exchequer for gizmos which are not needed !
This maws thingy seems something necessary, apart from that they are one and the same.
Bohot difference , hai as per capabilities :
1. MAWS , it can detect approaching missiles and help them dodge it , thus increasing survival chances to SAM's
2. Aerial refueling capable thus a lot more range to do long distance ops .
3. better door gunner placement infra .
4. also the Blackhawk in itself is a lot more capable than Mi17s as per specs