30 Military Helicopter Crashes Since 2010; Aging Fleets a Big Worry

[Zarvan]

NEW DELHI: India's horrific crash rate of fighters may grab all the eyeballs, but aging helicopter fleets are an equally big worry. As many as 30 military helicopters have crashed since 2010, claiming well over 50 lives. And these are just the Category-I crashes, with pilots continuing to grapple with technical problems in their old helicopters almost on a daily basis.

Aging machines, inadequate pilot training, shoddy maintenance and spares support have all come together to lead to a high crash rate of fighters and helicopters over the years in India. Stating that the main reasons for the accidents were "technical defects" and "human errors" in a written reply in Rajya Sabha, defence minister minister Manohar Parrikar put the tally of helicopter crashes at 28 since 2010.

Two Russian-origin Mi-17 helicopters had also crashed during relief operations and aid to civil agencies in 20112012 and 2013-14, which are generally not included in the statistics maintained for aircraft accidents in the forces. The IAF, in fact, has lost at least five of its heavy-duty Mi-17 choppers since 2011.

But it's the obsolete, single engine Cheetah/Chetak helicopter fleets, which are even used to service forward areas like the Siachen Glacier-Saltoro Ridge region, that have been popping up regularly on the radar crash screens for long.

In fact, a group of wives of Army officers in March had petitioned Parrikar to retire these "outdated and aging" light-utility helicopters -which do not have modern avionics as they are based on 1960s technology -to avoid casualties. "There have been at least 40 Cheetah/Chetak crashes just in the Army in the last two decades," said an officer.

But the long-pending ac quisition of 197 such light helicopters from abroad has been scrapped thrice over the ast decade due to corruption allegations and technical de viations, the last time in Au gust 2014 by the then newly elected NDA government.

Then, in May this year, the defence acquisitions council gave initial approval for Russia to jointly produce 200 twin-engine Kamov-226T helicopters under the `Make in India' policy . But India and Russia are yet to finalise the inter-governmental agreement, with discussions taking place between the two once again on Tuesday.

"At the earliest, the final commercial contract will be possible only by the next fisca 2016-17). Actual deliveries, wi th the first 40 helicopters com ng in a flyaway condition and the rest being manufactured in India, will begin at a much lat er stage," said a source.

The slow decision-mak ing process of successive gov ernments and general politi co-bureaucratic apathy has also meant, for instance, tha Indian warships are now vir tually bereft of multi-role helicopters that can detec and destroy enemy subma rines. The armed forces, inci dentally , have a projected re quirement of over 1,200 helicopters of different types over the next 10-15 years, as was earlier reported by TOI.

30 military helicopter crashes since 2010; aging fleets a big worry - The Economic Times

 

[rockstar08]

that's really a matter of Concern ... for Indian Aviation ..

 

[xyxmt]

India is a cash cow for weapon producers, we sell you, you crash them and we sell you more

 

[randaam janmam]

India is a cash cow for weapon producers, we sell you, you crash them and we sell you more

Who is the "we" in that sentence? Pakistan or Canada? Or either country's weapons makers?

Or have you, being ashamed of your country, managed to convince yourself that you are Russian, Israeli or American? Because only those countries have sold enough to India to call us a "cash cow".

 

[Abingdonboy]

NEW DELHI: India's horrific crash rate of fighters may grab all the eyeballs, but aging helicopter fleets are an equally big worry. As many as 30 military helicopters have crashed since 2010, claiming well over 50 lives. And these are just the Category-I crashes, with pilots continuing to grapple with technical problems in their old helicopters almost on a daily basis.

Aging machines, inadequate pilot training, shoddy maintenance and spares support have all come together to lead to a high crash rate of fighters and helicopters over the years in India. Stating that the main reasons for the accidents were "technical defects" and "human errors" in a written reply in Rajya Sabha, defence minister minister Manohar Parrikar put the tally of helicopter crashes at 28 since 2010.

Two Russian-origin Mi-17 helicopters had also crashed during relief operations and aid to civil agencies in 20112012 and 2013-14, which are generally not included in the statistics maintained for aircraft accidents in the forces. The IAF, in fact, has lost at least five of its heavy-duty Mi-17 choppers since 2011.

But it's the obsolete, single engine Cheetah/Chetak helicopter fleets, which are even used to service forward areas like the Siachen Glacier-Saltoro Ridge region, that have been popping up regularly on the radar crash screens for long.

In fact, a group of wives of Army officers in March had petitioned Parrikar to retire these "outdated and aging" light-utility helicopters -which do not have modern avionics as they are based on 1960s technology -to avoid casualties. "There have been at least 40 Cheetah/Chetak crashes just in the Army in the last two decades," said an officer.

But the long-pending ac quisition of 197 such light helicopters from abroad has been scrapped thrice over the ast decade due to corruption allegations and technical de viations, the last time in Au gust 2014 by the then newly elected NDA government.

Then, in May this year, the defence acquisitions council gave initial approval for Russia to jointly produce 200 twin-engine Kamov-226T helicopters under the `Make in India' policy . But India and Russia are yet to finalise the inter-governmental agreement, with discussions taking place between the two once again on Tuesday.

"At the earliest, the final commercial contract will be possible only by the next fisca 2016-17). Actual deliveries, wi th the first 40 helicopters com ng in a flyaway condition and the rest being manufactured in India, will begin at a much lat er stage," said a source.

The slow decision-mak ing process of successive gov ernments and general politi co-bureaucratic apathy has also meant, for instance, tha Indian warships are now vir tually bereft of multi-role helicopters that can detec and destroy enemy subma rines. The armed forces, inci dentally , have a projected re quirement of over 1,200 helicopters of different types over the next 10-15 years, as was earlier reported by TOI.

30 military helicopter crashes since 2010; aging fleets a big worry - The Economic Times

Mi-8s
Sea Kings
Cheetahs
Chetaks

Are all in service today and greater than 35 years old (some as old as 40), the only ones being replaced as we speak are the Mi-8s (Mi-17V5s are flooding in).


Get your head out of your collective basksides MoD.

 

[Khafee]

Mi-8s
Sea Kings
Cheetahs
Chetaks

Are all in service today and greater than 35 years old (some as old as 40), the only ones being replaced as we speak are the Mi-8s (Mi-17V5s are flooding in).


Get your head out of your collective basksides MoD.

Why....?

 

[Abingdonboy]

Why....?

A variety of reasons:

-Cheetak/Cheetah replacment(a requiremtn for around 300 units) is two-fold, the HAL LOH is almost ready for first test flight and will enter service in the next 3-4 years but the foreign RSH buy for 197 helicopters was cancelled (after being stalled for 5 years)and re-tendered- it is said the Ka-226 has been selected but we'll see.

-Sea King replacment is the S-70B and this deal has been on plagued by issues ranging from vendor squabbling and then contractual troubles. Now the road is getting cleared and the deal should be signed soon (next 1-2 months).


Aside from that The AH-64E has been ordered to replace the Mi-25/35s, the CH-47Fs have been ordered to replace the Mi-26s, the HAL LCH is on order and the ALH/Dhruv is in service in the hundreds with new units being received by the armed forces every month.

 

[xyxmt]

Who is the "we" in that sentence? Pakistan or Canada? Or either country's weapons makers?

Or have you, being ashamed of your country, managed to convince yourself that you are Russian, Israeli or American? Because only those countries have sold enough to India to call us a "cash cow".

not very smart are you?

 

[randaam janmam]

not very smart are you?

You didn't answer the question. Who was the "we"?

 

[xyxmt]

You didn't answer the question. Who was the "we"?

read the first sentence you idiot it says "Defense production companies"

 

[randaam janmam]

read the first sentence you idiot it says "Defense production companies"

No it doesn't. Did you perhaps forget to take your meds?

 

[xyxmt]

No it doesn't. Did you perhaps forget to take your meds?

this is where i draw the line when speaking mentally handicaps, eh eh go go now oohh kayh ?

 

[The_Sidewinder]

He is regarded as an legend in this part of the world.