Army permits limited flying of Dhruv helicopters after Pahalgam attack

The Army has allowed the resumption of limited flying by Advanced Light Helicopters Dhruv in view of the Pahalgam terror attack, people familiar with the matter have said.

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 the crash of one of the choppers. 

The Army has allowed limited flying by ALH Dhruv to help in counter-terror operations in Jammu and Kashmir, the people cited above said on Wednesday.

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-tonne weight class.

More than 340 Dhruv helicopters have been produced by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd so far.