A senior official has urged for a thorough re-evaluation of the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) design, weeks after the tragic crash of an Indian Coast Guard helicopter that claimed the lives of three crew members.
During a normal training sortie at Porbandar airport on January 5, 2025, the ALH DHRUV MK-III helicopter crashed during the landing attempt and caught fire shortly after.
Along with an aircrew diver named Manoj Pradhan Navik, the helicopter was transporting two pilots: Commandant Saurabh and Deputy Commandant SK Yadav. At a nearby hospital, all three were pronounced dead after suffering serious injuries.
This occurrence comes after a string of ALH DHRUV helicopter mishaps, including one that occurred in September 2024 while on a medical evacuation operation.
The top official’s call for a re-evaluation highlights the necessity of addressing possible safety concerns and design defects with the ALH DHRUV helicopters in light of these frequent catastrophes. Concerns have been expressed regarding technical difficulties and past occurrences that resulted in the fleet being grounded for safety inspections and improvements because of found metallurgical and design flaws.
These helicopters are essential for marine operations, and the Indian Coast Guard has a fleet of them. As India seeks to increase its independence in defense manufacture and explores export prospects for these helicopters, the continuous inspection underscores larger worries about the dependability and safety of domestic defense equipment.