Indian Air Force has selected the Boeing CH-47D Chinook helicopter to replace Russian Mi-26 3110121.

This is after Boeing emerged as the lowest bidder to supply 15 Chinook CH47D choppers to the Indian Air Force, defeating its rival Russian Mi-26 in the tender expected to be worth around one billion U.S. dollars, the newspaper of The Times of India quoted Defense Ministry officials as saying.

The Defense Ministry will hold commercial negotiations with the U.S. firm to determine the price and finalize the procurement, the newspaper said.

The Indian Air Force will use these helicopters to supply heavy- duty equipment in the higher reaches in the northern and northeastern states and will replace the existing fleet of Mi-26 choppers acquired in the Soviet era.

The CH-47D is an American twin-engine, tandem rotor heavy-lift helicopter designed and manufactured by the Company Boeing. Chinooks have been sold to 16 nations with the US Army and the British Royal Air Force being the largest users. The CH-47 is among the heaviest lifting Western helicopters.