Amid tensions with Pakistan, grounded ALH fleet for Army & IAF cleared for limited operations
It added that 'a time-bound plan for the resumption of operations has been worked out with the users,' referring to the two services.
'The Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv Army and Air Force versions are cleared for operations based on the Defect Investigation (DI) Committee recommendations,' state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the manufacturer of the helicopters, said in a statement.
New Delhi: Amid rising tensions with Pakistan after the Pahalgam attack, the grounded fleet of Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) belonging to the Army and Air Force has been cleared for operations. The fleet of the Navy and the Indian Coast Guard will remain grounded.
Sources in the defence establishment said no parts have to be immediately replaced across the fleet but the Defect Investigation Committee has given certain recommendation on the checks and quality parameters that the operators should follow.
The entire ALH fleet—comprising more than 180 Army ALHs (including 60 Rudra armed variants), 75 Air Force helicopters, 24 Navy and 19 Coast Guard helicopters—has been grounded since a tragic crash of a Coast Guard helicopter that killed three personnel in January.
Last week, however, the helicopters got limited clearances for operations in Jammu and Kashmir due to the ongoing tensions with Pakistan, with operations permitted only in specific emergency cases.
Tension has ratcheted up between India and Pakistan after the 22 April terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam that killed 26 people. India holds Pakistan-backed terror groups responsible for the attack and has taken a series of punitive measures. Pakistan has responded with tit for tat measures.
Sources said initial investigation in the January crash pointed to a fracture in the swashplate, a critical component in the helicopter's transmission system that translates pilot inputs into rotor blade motion.
A fleet-wide inspection later revealed cracks in the swashplates of some Navy and Coast Guard ALHs, particularly those operating in saline maritime environments, raising concerns about material fatigue and environmental stress.
Since its induction, the ALH platform has logged over 450,000 flight hours and served critical roles in transport, logistics, reconnaissance and search-and-rescue missions, especially in high-altitude and border areas.
However, it has also faced a troubled safety record with at least 28 crashes reported over the past 25 years.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
Also read: ALH Mk-IIIs grounded yet again after fatal Porbandar crash. What grounding of a fleet entails
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
33 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Vance, Rubio played key roles in India-Pak. deescalation: Trump nominee
U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio played a critical role in urging restraint during the recent India-Pakistan crisis, President Donald Trump's nominee for Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Paul Kapur, told lawmakers during his Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday. 'As somebody from the outside looking in, it appeared to me that the Secretary [of State] and the Vice President were actively engaged in using their good offices to encourage de-escalation,' Mr. Kapur told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. 'I think that probably had a salutary effect. Ultimately, India and Pakistan made their own decisions to step back.' Mr. Kapur, currently a professor at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, was responding to questions about rising tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours following the deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, which India has attributed to Pakistan-based groups. Sen. Chris Van Hollen said he had good discussions with the Indian and Pakistani parliamentary delegations that were in Washington last week in the aftermath of the India-Pakistan crisis. 'Fragile ceasefire' 'President Trump and Secretary Rubio have taken credit for bringing about the ceasefire. As you probably already know, the Indian government has denied that the ceasefire resulted from American mediation. But regardless, there's a fragile ceasefire in place. Secretary Rubio said this on May 10: 'I am pleased to announce the governments of India and Pakistan have agreed to an immediate cease-fire and to start talks on a broad set of issues at a neutral site,' unquote. So, Dr. Kapur, if you are confirmed, what broad set of issues will you push India and Pakistan to discuss?' the Senator asked. Mr. Kapur said the U.S. and India share a host of common interests, ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific region, which is not dominated by China, expanding bilateral trade, and building economic relationships so that it is more symmetrical and more profitable. 'Facilitating technology sharing and innovation, and ensuring access to the energy necessary to fuel our economies. If confirmed, I'll work to further advance U.S.-India relations and put our partnership on course to realise its tremendous promise. On Pakistan, if confirmed, I will pursue security cooperation where it is beneficial to U.S. interests while seeking opportunities for bilateral collaboration in trade and investment,' Mr. Kapur said. 'South Asia recently avoided a costly conflict, with Vice-President Vance and Secretary Rubio intensely engaged on the issue. If confirmed, I will continue to promote long-standing U.S. security interests with India and Pakistan through the pursuit of peace and stability and the fight against terrorism,' he added. Expanding ties 'Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Maldives and Bhutan are important for stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Sri Lanka and the Maldives are located along major oceanic trade routes, while Bangladesh boasts the largest economy in the region after India. If confirmed, I will advocate for enhanced U.S. cooperation with these countries to bolster our security, counterbalance China's influence and expand trade. In Afghanistan, if confirmed, I'll support President Trump and Secretary Rubio in bringing home wrongly detained Americans,' he said. Sen. James E Risch, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the recent conflict between India and Pakistan is deeply concerning and has shown that the U.S. must continue its counterterrorism cooperation across the region. 'The U.S. shares national security interests with both countries and we need a peace between them,' he said. (
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
'We want it now!': Democrats grill Pete Hegseth over details of Air Force's Qatar jet deal
The US and Qatar have yet to sign a memorandum of understanding for a luxury jumbo jet gifted by the Gulf country that President Donald Trump wants for Air Force One, his top defense chief told senators on Wednesday. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also said he's unaware of any contract being executed with a US firm to retrofit the Boeing Co. 747-8, which would need sophisticated defense and communications systems to protect the president. He also declined to provide a cost estimate, which the top Air Force official earlier this week said would be less than $400 million. Show more Show less
India Today
2 hours ago
- India Today
Watch: Houthi missile nearly strikes civilian jet, intercepted mid-air over Israel
A tragedy was narrowly avoided on Tuesday evening after a ballistic missile launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels nearly struck a civilian aircraft flying over Israel. According to Israel's military war room, the missile was successfully intercepted in midair by Israeli defence systems."A Houthi ballistic missile launched at Israeli civilians nearly hit a civilian plane. If not for the competence of Israeli air defences, there could have been a mass casualty event caused by Iranian-backed terrorists," the Israeli warroom stated in a post on X, sharing a video of the incident. The footage shows the plane passing by moments before the missile was intercepted.#WATCH: Earlier today, a Houthi ballistic missile launched at Israeli civilians nearly hit a civilian plane. If not for the competence of Israeli air defenses, there could have been a mass casualty event caused by Iranian-backed terrorists. Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) June 11, 2025advertisement"The missile fired at Israel on Tuesday broke up into multiple parts after being hit by an interceptor, leading the Israeli Air Force to launch additional interceptors to shoot down the fragments," a military official said as quoted by The Times of Israel. According to reports, at least seven interceptors were used during the mission. The Iran-backed Houthis took responsibility for the attack. They claimed that to have launched two ballistic missiles at Ben Gurion Airport in central the past, partially intercepted Houthi missiles have led to casualties when remaining warhead fragments landed in populated RESPONDS WITH FIRST NAVAL STRIKE ON YEMENThe attack set off air raid sirens throughout central Israel, the Jerusalem area, southern West Bank, and parts of southern Israel. Residents in impacted areas received a long-range missile warning via mobile alerts two minutes prior to the sirens. Five minutes before the sirens sounded, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) also issued a notice to the January 2025, Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire, but the Houthis continued to fire. They had fired more than 40 ballistic missiles, dozens of drones and cruise missiles. One of those missiles killed a civilian and injured multiple others in Tel Aviv in July, which prompted Israel to launch its first strike in Houthis have fired at least 11 drones and 48 ballistic missiles at Israel since the IDF's assault against Hamas in the Gaza Strip resumed on March Watch
