News

Army chopper crash: Operation of entire ALH fleet suspended for technical checks | India News


NEW DELHI: The breakdown of Indian ArmyThe weaponized version of the indigenous advanced light helicopter (ALH), the Rudra, in Arunachal Pradesh on Friday, killing two officers and three soldiers, once again underscores the remarkably high accident rate alarm in the Indian armed forces.
Military aviation is fraught with risks with pilots often pushing their fighters, planes and helicopters to the limit to practice combat maneuvers and perform low-flying or low-altitude missions. Perform rescue operations and deliver supplies to areas under extreme weather and terrain conditions.
Sources said the military, Indian Air Force and Indian Navy suspended the flight operations of the entire ALH fleet – more than 300 such twin-engine helicopters have been introduced since 2001-2002 – for at least one day to conduct technical checks and maintenance .
The court of inquiry will determine the exact reason behind Friday’s crash. But the overall stats are cold. More than 50 service members have been killed in plane and helicopter crashes over the past five years.
Take helicopters, for example. Since 2017 alone, the armed forces have recorded 20 helicopter crashes, in which 40 service members were killed and more than 25 were injured.
Since March, the military aviation industry alone has seen the crashes of three single-engine Cheetah helicopters, which have vintage 1960s designs and lack modern avionics and integrated safety mechanism.
Massive delays in new auctions mean it’s almost obsolete leopards and Chetaks as well as MiG-21 supersonic jets are still in use by the armed forces.
Even newer ALHs and Russian-made Mi-17 V5 helicopters have crashed in the past few years. India’s First Chief of Defense Staff Bipin RawatHis wife and 12 others were killed when their Mi-17 V5 helicopter crashed near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu last December.
Seven ALHs have also crashed since 2017. “Helicopters must have obstacle avoidance systems, along with other safety features. Even in the past, the entire ALH fleet had to be shut down due to breakdowns and technical problems,” said one officer.
In turn, former navy pilot and test pilot, KP Commander Sanjeev Kumar (retd), said the recent spike in helicopter crashes, especially in the aviation sector military air force, is a cause for concern. “No data of any meaningful value regarding flight safety and accident investigation has been released by the armed forces for public scrutiny. Therefore, one cannot expect anyone outside of the system to analyze or come up with mitigation strategies,” he said.
“Safety outcomes can only arise from greater accountability and deeper checks on quality and timing, not slogans. We had to create a stronger system of checks and balances, where the trail of accountability is investigated at the root and corrected,” he added.
According to an earlier TOI report, about 90% of all accidents are attributed to “human error” and “engineering error”, the rest due to “birds” and other factors. In fact, aside from the harsh operating conditions, “incomplete” training of pilots and technicians, aging machinery, poor maintenance practices, faulty spare parts and the like, all both contribute to the deadly mix for military aviation in India.
“There is definitely a problem with the pilots and technicians not having the training and mentoring needed to handle the increased workload in the cockpit and the technological demands,” a senior officer said. know.
“Therefore, flying in inclement and hilly weather is very risky, with visibility often dropping suddenly. Errors in judgment can be made under stress, spatial disorientation and lack of situational awareness,” he added.
Then, the older the technology, the more likely it is to have an accident. Newer fighters like the Rafales and Mirage-2000 have inherent safety features that older fighters like the MiG-21 don’t have.

news7f

News7F: Update the world's latest breaking news online of the day, breaking news, politics, society today, international mainstream news .Updated news 24/7: Entertainment, Sports...at the World everyday world. Hot news, images, video clips that are updated quickly and reliably

Related Articles

Back to top button