ALH - MK III - DEFENCE AND SECURITY
News: Army
grounds Dhruv ALH fleet again following Kishtwar crash
What's in the news?
● The
Indian Army has grounded its fleet of the indigenous Dhruv advanced light
helicopter (ALH) for a comprehensive safety check after a helicopter
crash-landed two days ago, killing a soldier and injuring the two pilots.
Key takeaways:
● The
helicopters have been riddled with problems including control rod failure
(affecting power input to rotor blades) and hydraulics issues.
● The
Dhruv ALH is a twin-engine,
multi-mission helicopter in the 5.5-tonne class.
● ALH
operations have been hit in the past too - the helicopters were grounded in
2006 following tail rotor problems, and later again in 2014 after a fatal
crash.
ALH MK III Helicopters:
● The
ALH MK III helicopters have been indigenously
manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and are multi-role
helicopters.
● They
feature state-of-the-art equipment including advanced RADAR as well as Electro optical sensors, Shakti engines,
full glass cockpit, high-intensity searchlight, advanced communication systems,
automatic identification system as well as search-and-rescue homer.
● The
features enable them to undertake maritime reconnaissance as well as carry out
SAR at extended ranges even while operating from ships during both day and
night.
● The
aircraft has the ability to switch roles from an offensive platform with a
heavy machine gun to that of a benign one carrying a Medical Intensive Care
Unit to facilitate the transfer of critically ill patients.