The Russian Helicopters Group is set to deliver two modern Mi-171A2 multirole helicopters to the Bangladesh Police by the first quarter of 2023 according to Russian Helicopters CEO Andrei Boginsky’s statement on Friday.
Earlier in February 2021, the Bangladesh Police signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the respective Russian helicopter manufacturer in Dhaka to facilitate the purchase.
The Bangladesh Police has requested at least ten helicopters from the government to enhance their operational capabilities.
The Mi-171A2 helicopter was cleared for flying by Russian aviation authorities in 2017. It was picked up by India and Kazakhstan before being certified in Colombia and South Korea. The helicopter is expected to be validated in China, Brazil, United Arab Emirates, and Mexico, besides other countries.
The much-upgraded Mi-171A2 is powered by VK-2500PS-03 engines with FADEC, digital flight and navigation controls, and communication equipment.
The new version of the Mi-171 is particularly suitable for operating in high-altitude, mountainous areas, and hot climates. The main rotor of the Mi-171A2 is made with composites and an x-shaped steering rotor is added to improve the aerodynamics of the helicopter.
Performance in speed is markedly improved by 10% over older production models of the Mi-17 helicopters, while lifting capacity also grew by 25% including 4 tonnes of cargo in the internal cargo bay or 5 tonnes on an external sling.
