The army has
firmed up plans to retire its oldest light-utility helicopters, pushing the
panic button, as a string of recent crashes have blemished the safety record of
the machines.
A South Block
source said that the early variants of the Cheetah and Chetak fleet will be
replaced by the locally-made advanced light helicopter (ALH), also known as
Dhruv.
The source
said the army’s aviation wing would replace 41 Cheetahs and Chetaks with new
helicopters from the “ALH reserve stock” and the proposal would be sent for
Cabinet committee on security approval soon.
The army and
air force grounded their fleets of 280 light-utility helicopters last December,
concerned if the machines were fit to fly, after three aviators were killed in
a crash in West Bengal.
The Cheetah
and Chetak helicopters, lifeline of troops in high-altitude areas, including
the Siachen glacier, are being cleared for flying in batches by Hindustan
Aeronautics Limited (HAL) after carrying out a comprehensive safety check.
The Kamov-226T
light utility choppers, to be built with Russia, are to replace these
helicopters. However, the $1-billion programme is yet to kick off and the
military may have to wait several years for the new machines. Russia will
supply 60 helicopters in flyaway condition while the remaining 140 will be
manufactured in India.
“The
manufacturing line of the ALH is quite stable and the machines are coming out
at a pretty steady rate. The Kamovs will take time to come,” a senior officer
said. The army operates a mix of 150 Cheetahs and Chetaks.
The design of
these helicopters is more than 50 years old and their airworthiness is being
questioned after a string of mishaps. Nine personnel were killed in six accidents
involving these machines during 2012-15. The Cheetahs play a crucial role in
supporting the army on the Siachen glacier, one of the world’s highest
battlefields, flying at more than 20,000 feet.
A group of
army wives met defence minister Manohar Parrikar in 2015, demanding the
helicopters be retired. HAL has licence-produced 625 Cheetah and Chetak
helicopters. It no longer builds them but is responsible for their maintenance
and repair, a cause for concern.
Source:- Hindustan Times
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