MOSCOW, August 05. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia’s Kamov helicopter design bureau is ready to supply jointly with the Russian Helicopters rotocraft producer the necessary number of modern seaborne helicopters for the Indian Navy on request, Kamov Chief Designer Sergei Mikheyev said on Tuesday.

“Upon request from the Indian Navy, we are ready to supply jointly with Russian Helicopters the necessary number of seaborne helicopters and offer the latest developments to the Indian side, including the Ka-52K helicopters,” Mikheyev said.

Helicopters operational in the Indian Navy and Coastal Guard have long grown obsolete over the absence of programs for the purchase of helicopters in the past decade, strict armament-buying procedures and the scandal-hit Augusta-Westland chopper deal, India Today reported recently.

The deteriorating condition of helicopters prompted Indian Defense Minister Arun Jaitley to raise the problem at a session of the Defense Acquisition Council on July 19.

Many Indian warships equipped with two hangars have no helicopters on their board. In particular, only three out of six Talwar-class frigates are supplied with choppers while others have none. The Indian Navy and Coastal Guard have only 20% of the required number of helicopters.