The Indian Army has grounded its fleet of ALH Dhruv helicopters amid ongoing counterterrorism operations in the Jammu and Kashmir sector in light of the May 4 crash in Kishtwar that resulted in the death of one soldier. The helicopter fleet has been grounded for inspections twice in the last two months. In March, a Navy chopper performing VVIP duties crashed for the first time over Mumbai. Another mishap occurred in Kochi in April when a Coast Guard helicopter crashed and landed while conducting tests.
“In view of the crash in which one Army jawan lost his life on May 4, operations of the ALH Dhruv choppers have been halted as a precautionary measure by the force,” Defence officials told ANI.
As high-intensity operations against terrorist groups are taking place in Rajouri and Baramulla, the grounding of helicopters had an impact on operations because military movements were forced to rely on the Cheetah/Chetak fleet.
The ALH Dhruv serves as the Indian Army’s mainstay and is frequently used in high altitude and other operational environments. The Rudra Weapon System Integrated version of these helicopters is one that the Army Aviation Corps uses.
