Army's 'Dhruv' choppers receiving major safety revamps: Sources
After being grounded over safety concerns earlier this year following a series of accidents, India's Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv is reportedly receiving a design upgrade to bolster flight safety. According to sources, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is supplying new steel booster control rods, which replace the previous aluminum ones, to ALH units nationwide. So, here is all you need to know about the changes!
Why does this story matter?
The Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC), a top government regulatory body responsible for certifying the airworthiness of military aircraft, ordered a design review in April. The move saw an expert committee probe possible failures that led to a Navy ALH emergency water landing in March. The committee resolved that the likely reason was a technical failure in assembling serrated washers in the booster control rods. The AHL chopper was involved in four major accidents in six months alone.
Top HAL official confirms control rod upgrade for Dhruv
Speaking to the Hindustan Times, HAL Helicopter Complex CEO S Anbuvelan revealed this design improvement is significant as the armed forces use nearly 330 twin-engine ALHs, developed and designed by the company. "Control rods for 120 helicopters have been dispatched to different squadrons. The remaining helicopters will get these rods by November. Incidents linked to control rod failure will not recur," Anbuvelan added.
First upgrade in ALH's control assembly
Anbuvelan confirmed that "what is being replaced right now is the collective control rod. The other two rods will be similarly replaced between November 2023 and June 2024." It also marks the first upgrade to the ALH's control assembly. It's worth recalling that the ALH fleet got grounded for several weeks after being involved in three separate incidents in less than two months. Over the past five years, the multi-mission chopper has been involved in 12 accidents.
IAF's LCH fleet also got grounded earlier this year
In addition to the ALH fleet, the Light Combat Helicopters (LCH) of the Indian Air Force (IAF), which have many ALH characteristics, were also grounded due to safety concerns earlier this year. LCH can target slow-moving aircraft, enemy air defenses, high-altitude bunkers, and counter-insurgency operations. CEMILAC had prescribed measures for resuming LCH and ALH operations, limiting clearance for both units to 100 flight hours each after mandatory inspections.
Recalling some incidents involving ALH Dhruv choppers
In May, a Dhruv chopper crashed in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district with three Army personnel on board following a "hard landing." Another Dhruv chopper of the Indian Navy made a forced landing in the Arabian Sea in March. Before that, a Coast Guard Dhruv also made an emergency landing earlier this year, just moments after taking off from Kochi in Kerala.
