The armed forces have temporarily grounded their entire fleet of approximately 330 Dhruv advanced light helicopters (ALHs) for safety inspections following the tragic crash of a Coast Guard chopper in Porbandar on Sunday, which claimed the lives of two pilots and an aircrew diver. Read: The Latest Defence Current Affairs Notes here
This is not the first time the ALH fleet has been grounded. In 2023, the fleet was grounded two to three times for systematic technical checks after four major crashes.
The Army operates around 180 ALHs, including 60 weaponized Rudra variants, while the IAF has 75, the Navy 24, and the Coast Guard 19.
Developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the ALH Dhruv is a twin-engine, multi-role, and multi-mission helicopter in the 5.5-tonne weight category.
In March 2023, HAL signed contracts worth ₹8,073 crore to supply 25 ALH Mark-III helicopters to the Army and 9 to the Coast Guard. Last month, an additional 6 ALHs were approved for the Coast Guard.
The ALH Mark-III involved in Sunday’s crash had been inducted in June 2021. Over the past five years, the ALH fleet has been linked to nearly 18 accidents.
Read : The Latest Defence Current Affairs Notes here
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