New Delhi, March 25: The Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) of the Coast Guard, known as ‘Dhruv’, have resumed flights after being grounded for 15 months. This follows a crash incident that occurred on January 5, 2025, in Porbandar, which led to the grounding of over 300 Dhruv helicopters across all three branches of the Indian Armed Forces and the Coast Guard.
According to defense officials, the helicopters have been gradually reintroduced into service over the past two weeks. The flights commenced from Kochi, followed by operations from Bhubaneswar and Chennai. The next phase will see flights starting from Porbandar as well.
The helicopters are being flown under a specific time frame. After approximately 100 flight hours, they will undergo further inspections. Typically, each helicopter, whether a fighter or transport aircraft, is inspected after a set number of flight hours. However, in this case, the inspection will occur earlier than usual. The Navy’s Dhruv helicopters have also received clearance for flight operations. During the International Fleet Review held in Visakhapatnam in February, the Navy’s Dhruv helicopters were seen flying, albeit in a phased manner.
Following the crash in Porbandar, the entire ALH fleet of all three armed services and the Coast Guard was grounded. After an extensive investigation by HAL’s defect investigation team, clearance for the Army and Air Force’s Dhruv helicopters was granted on May 1. However, the Coast Guard and Navy’s ALH helicopters did not receive immediate approval.
This delay was due to the specialized design of Coast Guard and Navy helicopters for operations over the sea. These helicopters are equipped with unique sensors for maritime flights and are designed for landing on warship decks, necessitating enhancements to their undercarriage and ‘over-the-nose’ vision.
In case of an emergency landing at sea, these helicopters are fitted with flotation devices to prevent immediate sinking. Currently, the Coast Guard operates 18 ALH Dhruv helicopters, with a contract for an additional six helicopters already in place. The Navy also has 18 ALH helicopters. The Indian Army operates various versions of the ALH, including Mark 1, Mark 2, Mark 3, and the weaponized version, ‘Rudra’.
The ALH is considered a lifeline for the Army. The Indian Army operates the largest fleet, with approximately 145 ALH helicopters, of which 75 are weaponized versions (ALH Mark 4 ‘Rudra’). The Army has also placed an order for 25 additional ALH Mark 3 helicopters. Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force has around 70 Dhruv helicopters in its fleet.
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