Defence Ministry Orders Suspension of ALH Dhruv Helicopter Operations in View of Recent Crashes
As a precautionary measure to prevent any further accidents, the Indian defence ministry has temporarily suspended the operations of the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv in view of the recent crashes.
The chopper crash on May 4, which claimed the life of an Indian Army personnel, has further supported the decision to keep the choppers grounded for more than a month or two.
Third Crash Involving ALH Dhruv Helicopter in Two Months
On May 4, a helicopter crashed in the Kishtwar region of Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in the death of a technician and injuries to two pilots.
The cause of the crash was reportedly a hard landing. This is the third crash incident involving the ALH Dhruv helicopter in the last two months. Earlier, the helicopter had been involved in accidents with the Indian Coast Guard and Indian Navy.
ALH Dhruv is used by all three branches of the Indian defence forces
The Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv, which is a new generation twin-engine multi-role helicopter weighing 5.5 tons, has been developed indigenously and is used by all three branches of the Indian defence forces.
The Indian armed forces currently have 300 units of the Dhruv helicopter in their inventory. Additionally, the Nepal Army, Mauritius Police, and Maldives also use the Dhruv helicopter.
The Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv has several major variants, including the MK-I Conventional cockpit, MK-II & MK-III Glass cockpit, MK-III Maritime Role for the Navy and Coast Guard, and the MK-IV armed version.
