Hindustan Aeronautics Limited said that a time-bound plan for the resumption of operations has been worked out with the users.
The government has cleared the resumption of operations on Thursday (May 1) of the Army and Air Force versions of the Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv. The naval version of the chopper will remain grounded. The entire fleet of over 330 Dhruv helicopters operated by the Army, Navy, the Air Force and the Coast Guard was grounded in early January following a crash of one of the choppers.
A Dhruv helicopter of the Coast Guard crashed at the Porbandar airport runway in Gujarat on January 5. Two pilots and an aircrew diver of the helicopter were killed in the incident. The indigenously designed and developed Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH-Dhruv) is a twin engine, multi-role, multi-mission new generation helicopter in the 5.5 ton weight class.
More than 340 Dhruv helicopters have been produced by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd so far.
ALH Army and Air Force Versions cleared for operations on Thursday (May 1). In furtherance of the clarification dated April 11, 2025, it is now intimated that the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv Army and Air Force versions are cleared for operations based on the Defect Investigation (DI) Committee recommendations. A time-bound plan for the resumption of operations has been worked out with the users, said Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
After being grounded for over three months, the Army and Air Force versions of the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv have been cleared for operations based on the recommendations of Defect Investigation (DI) Committee, defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Limited said today.
“In furtherance of the clarification dated 11th April 2025, it is now intimated that the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv Army and Air Force versions are cleared for operations based on the Defect Investigation (DI) Committee recommendations. A time-bound plan for the resumption of operations has been worked out with the users,” HAL said. The Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard versions of the choppers will continue to be on the ground as the investigations are still continuing.
The choppers were grounded after a crash involving an Indian Coast Guard chopper took place in Porbandar earlier this year. A Board of Inquiry was launched after the chopper crashed, resulting in the deaths of three crew members, including two pilots and one aircrew member.
According to officials, the incident occurred when the ICG ALH MK-III helicopter, on a routine training sortie, crashed while landing at Porbandar airport. Since then, the choppers had been grounded and were given limited permission to fly after the Pahalgam attack room place on April 22 to operate on Srinagar and adjoining area for troop induction.
