SOURCE: AFI
The fate of India’s Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) fleet remains in limbo as the three-week timeline promised by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to determine its future expired on Monday, March 3. The fleet of approximately 300 choppers, a mainstay of the Indian armed forces and Coast Guard, has been grounded since January 5 following a fatal crash in Gujarat. With the eagerly awaited probe report still pending, questions persist about the operational readiness of this critical asset and the next steps for its return to service.
The grounding was triggered by a tragic incident involving an Indian Coast Guard ALH Dhruv Mk III helicopter, which crashed near Porbandar Airport on January 5, 2025. The accident claimed the lives of three crew members, prompting HAL to suspend operations of the entire fleet—spanning the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard—pending a thorough investigation. This marked the second fleet-wide grounding in two years, raising fresh concerns about the reliability of the indigenous helicopter, which has been in service since 2002.
During the Aero India show in Bengaluru last month, HAL Managing Director DK Sunil addressed the issue, assuring stakeholders that clarity would emerge within three weeks. “By March 3, we’ll know whether the entire fleet needs a comprehensive review or if this was an isolated technical anomaly,” he said at the time. However, as the deadline passed, the absence of the final report has left military planners and defense analysts awaiting answers.
Initial findings from the Porbandar crash investigation pointed to a crack in the helicopter’s swashplate—a critical component that controls the rotor blades’ pitch and, by extension, the aircraft’s maneuverability. According to Sunil, the defect investigation team, comprising experts from HAL and other technical bodies, has been working to pinpoint the cause of this failure. Was it a manufacturing defect, a maintenance oversight, or an operational stress beyond the component’s design limits? The answers, expected in the final report, are crucial to determining whether the fleet can resume flying or if broader inspections are required.
Sunil has remained steadfast in defending the ALH Dhruv’s design integrity. “There is no inherent flaw in the helicopter,” he emphasized during his Aero India remarks, noting that the platform has logged over 400,000 flight hours since its induction. He suggested that training deficiencies or maintenance lapses could be contributing factors, a stance that shifts some responsibility away from HAL and toward operational protocols within the armed forces and Coast Guard.
The ALH Dhruv’s track record, however, has been marred by incidents that complicate this narrative. Over the past 25 years, 28 Dhruv helicopters have crashed, with investigations attributing 13 to technical faults, 13 to human error, and two to unidentified causes. The January crash is just the latest in a string of high-profile accidents. In 2023, the fleet was grounded after multiple incidents, including a naval crash off Mumbai and a Rudra (weaponized variant) crash in Arunachal Pradesh that killed five personnel. More recently, an Indian Air Force Dhruv made an emergency landing during flood relief operations in Bihar in October 2024 due to engine failure.
These incidents have fueled scrutiny of the Dhruv’s reliability, despite its status as a flagship of India’s indigenous defense industry. Designed and developed by HAL, the twin-engine, 5.5-tonne-class helicopter is a multi-role platform used for transport, reconnaissance, search-and-rescue, and combat missions. Its versatility has made it indispensable, but recurring setbacks have prompted calls for a deeper examination of its design, production, and upkeep.
The prolonged grounding of the ALH fleet—now stretching beyond eight weeks—has significant operational implications. The Dhruv serves as the backbone of India’s rotary-wing capabilities, supporting everything from high-altitude missions in Siachen to maritime surveillance along the coast. Its absence has forced the military to rely on older platforms like the Chetak and Cheetah or alternative assets, straining logistics and delaying critical operations. The iconic Sarang aerobatics team, which flies the Dhruv, was notably absent from Aero India 2025, underscoring the fleet’s current predicament.
For HAL, the stakes are equally high. The Dhruv program is a symbol of India’s push for self-reliance in defense manufacturing under the “Make in India” initiative. Any finding of systemic flaws could dent HAL’s reputation and its export ambitions, especially as countries like the Philippines and Argentina have shown interest in the Mk III variant. Conversely, a clean bill of health could bolster confidence in the platform and pave the way for its return to full service.
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