SOURCE: IDRW.ORG
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), India’s premier aircraft manufacturer, is grappling with a persistent flaw in the Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH), leaving military, naval, and coast guard variants grounded for nearly six months. The issue, which has plagued the indigenously developed chopper since a fatal crash on January 5, 2025, has raised concerns about the helicopter’s reliability and HAL’s ability to address critical safety concerns. Letters exchanged between the Indian Navy, Coast Guard, and HAL, reviewed by Hindustan Times, reveal ongoing struggles to pinpoint and fix the lingering defect.
The troubles began with a tragic accident on January 5, 2025, when a Dhruv helicopter crashed off Porbandar, Gujarat, killing two pilots. The crash prompted an immediate grounding of the fleet as the Indian Navy and Coast Guard launched investigations. Subsequent airworthiness checks on May 1, 2025, identified safety concerns, leading to the continued grounding of the helicopters. Army and air force variants, which share the same platform, were also affected, though their operational status remains less publicized.
HAL, which has delivered over 300 Dhruv helicopters since its first flight in 1992, is under pressure to resolve the issue. A senior military official, speaking anonymously on Wednesday, highlighted the frustration, noting that the locally produced chopper—intended to serve as a versatile asset—has been sidelined for almost six months. The official added that the matter is under serious review, with potential implications for HAL’s reputation.
The root cause of the grounding remains elusive, with investigations pointing to a complex interplay of factors. Preliminary reports suggest issues with the helicopter’s integrated dynamic system, which governs flight stability, as well as performance under diverse operating conditions. One official, who requested anonymity, indicated that the problem might be linked to the helicopter’s avionics or structural integrity, though a definitive diagnosis is pending. HAL has instrumented two ALHs—one each from the Navy and Coast Guard—for rigorous testing to gather data, but progress has been slow.
The Dhruv, designed for multiple roles including search-and-rescue, troop transport, and maritime surveillance, has faced criticism in the past for its operational reliability. Earlier incidents, including a 2021 crash in Assam, had raised similar concerns, but the January 2025 fatality has intensified scrutiny on HAL’s quality control and maintenance protocols.
The grounding has disrupted critical operations for the Indian Navy and Coast Guard, particularly in maritime surveillance and disaster response along India’s extensive coastline. The Navy, which operates 16 Dhruv Mk III variants, and the Coast Guard, with 10 units, rely on the helicopter for patrolling the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal. The absence of these assets has forced reliance on older platforms and foreign-leased helicopters, straining resources at a time when regional security tensions remain high.
The Indian Army and Air Force, which operate over 100 Dhruv helicopters, have also been affected, though their fleets have seen limited use in recent months. The prolonged downtime has prompted calls for an independent audit of HAL’s production and testing processes, with some officials suggesting that the grounding could delay future orders, including the planned 111 Dhruv Mk III helicopters under the Navy’s Maritime Reconnaissance and Armed Helicopter (MRAH) program.
HAL has acknowledged the issue, stating that it is working closely with the armed forces to resolve the technical challenges. The company has deployed a team of engineers to conduct flight tests and analyze data from the instrumented helicopters. However, sources indicate that a fix could take several more months, given the complexity of the problem and the need for rigorous validation.
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