Every warfare needs different varieties of strategic combinations to win. We're looking at the near future on the eastern border more than Pakistan. Comparing a war 13 years old is not at all reasonable to strategic realities of the present or near future. We will need something that can lift serious weight into the mountainous terrain here. If you've been to my state anytime, you will know how difficult it is to get supplies up here from flatlands on roads. To speed up supplies, Mi-26T offers perfect opportunity.
Again like I said you make a valid point.... I use to think the same exact thing, but there is a simple reason that changed my mind.... It looks like there are few people in the IAF who like the Mi26..... All the facts point to that, the scenario where you expect fleet of Mi26 ferrying BMP's and other armored vehicles to the front line is just not there, C 17 and C130's are going to be doing any ferying. I don't mean to be disrespectful but the IAF has never relied on nor expected helos of any kind to move armor of any type.... Again really think about it what is the advantage of moving veichles by helo rather than fixed wing?
I dont think we need a BMP on a mountain slope we would need a 155mm howitzer (Chinook can do that)
let me list the typical types of missions
1- transport of artillery,
2-transport of troops into a hot zone, Chinook is extremely battle proven when it come to this
3-transport of supplies
4-Air Ambulance in a hot zone
(Chinook can do all these things)
remember that time when Unkil killed Osama, what kind of helo did they use for it?......... oh yeah right 2 Chinooks were there... and they fooled the Paki air defenses ..... At least give credit to the Chinook for how versatile it is..... Would anyone expect the Mi26 going into that raid?
Also, I hope you don't have it in your mind that only the Mi26 can carry supplies to hilly areas in your state, Chinook can do it to just as well
Again that's not the point.
on the contrary that seems to be your whole sales pitch for the MI26, the only argument that you make is it can lift more so its better for us, please tell me other than its lifting capacity why is it better than the Chinook?
It so happens that in our strategic and conflict environment, most of what this 98% tactical deployments have been done by NATO forces have become useless. NATO tactics while have succeeded around the globe, their failure in AFPAK have clearly reflected that those deployment techniques including helicopter and transport usage, which were used were of plain lands and became useless in AFPAK; a region that shares terrain commonality with our eastern border here.
Again not to sound disrespectful but what is the alternative and how dose the Mi 26 fit better into your plan than the existing one?
plus I would disagree with you, many of the QRF's in Afghanistan are based in Chinooks and have saved many soilders and outposts from being over run...
another question
Hey, USSR fell that time. They barely had the strength to manage their own country. How did you expect this won't happen? If US collapsed, all the NATO supplied nations would be sitting ducks too. This guarantee of the level which you speak can only be assured if WE make our own stuff for our needs. Importing always has risks.
does this matter? we need reliable stream of spares period! The enemy is not going to say I think I will wait a few months to launch my attack since Russia is late with providing spares to India
Also nothing in the past has shown that things are improving almost every Soviet/Russian procurement has meet delays and bad after service even the more recent ones... How long do they need to recover?
The onyl reasons the Mi-26s were not popular were because of serviceability of spares which as I said above was a problem due to its maker's collapse. Today's Russia is pretty different.
