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India suffers another Cheetah crash

Saifullah Sani

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Apr 15, 2011
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1136872_-_main.jpg

India's Cheetah fleet dates from the 1960s. Source: IHS/Patrick Allen

The urgent need to replace the Indian military's ageing fleet of licence-built Cheetah (Aerospatiale SA315B Lama) light observation helicopters (LOH) was again highlighted after one crashed in northeastern Nagaland state on 2 February.

Lieutenant General Bipin Rawat and two Army Aviation Corps (AAC) officers sustained injuries after their Cheetah nosedived into the ground seconds after taking off from Dimapur, near the Myanmar border.

A court of inquiry has been ordered into the accident, but AAC officers told IHS Jane's that "platform obsolescence" was responsible for the accident, even though the Cheetah's engine had recently been overhauled.

The Indian Air Force and the AAC inducted Cheetahs and Chetaks (Aerospatiale Alouette IIIs) into service in the mid-1960s. Of these, 140 Cheetahs and over 200 Chetaks remain in service.

In November 2014 around 28 spouses of AAC pilots and technicians created a group demanding the platforms' withdrawal from service. They claimed 191 of the helicopters had crashed over the past two decades, killing 294 personnel.

COMMENT
Repeated attempts by the Indian military to acquire replacement single-engine, 2-2.5-ton platforms under LOH and Reconnaissance and Surveillance Helicopter (RSH) programmes have proved futile.

Two tenders to import 197 platforms in 2007 and 2014 were cancelled following allegations of corruption in the selection process.

In August 2014 the Ministry of Defence (MoD) opted to indigenously source about 440 LOH/RSHs through joint ventures between Indian companies and overseas original equipment manufacturers. However, the response has been lukewarm, forcing the MoD to extend the request for information deadline three times: the latest to 17 February.

India suffers another Cheetah crash - IHS Jane's 360
 
1136872_-_main.jpg

India's Cheetah fleet dates from the 1960s. Source: IHS/Patrick Allen

The urgent need to replace the Indian military's ageing fleet of licence-built Cheetah (Aerospatiale SA315B Lama) light observation helicopters (LOH) was again highlighted after one crashed in northeastern Nagaland state on 2 February.

Lieutenant General Bipin Rawat and two Army Aviation Corps (AAC) officers sustained injuries after their Cheetah nosedived into the ground seconds after taking off from Dimapur, near the Myanmar border.

A court of inquiry has been ordered into the accident, but AAC officers told IHS Jane's that "platform obsolescence" was responsible for the accident, even though the Cheetah's engine had recently been overhauled.

The Indian Air Force and the AAC inducted Cheetahs and Chetaks (Aerospatiale Alouette IIIs) into service in the mid-1960s. Of these, 140 Cheetahs and over 200 Chetaks remain in service.

In November 2014 around 28 spouses of AAC pilots and technicians created a group demanding the platforms' withdrawal from service. They claimed 191 of the helicopters had crashed over the past two decades, killing 294 personnel.

COMMENT
Repeated attempts by the Indian military to acquire replacement single-engine, 2-2.5-ton platforms under LOH and Reconnaissance and Surveillance Helicopter (RSH) programmes have proved futile.

Two tenders to import 197 platforms in 2007 and 2014 were cancelled following allegations of corruption in the selection process.

In August 2014 the Ministry of Defence (MoD) opted to indigenously source about 440 LOH/RSHs through joint ventures between Indian companies and overseas original equipment manufacturers. However, the response has been lukewarm, forcing the MoD to extend the request for information deadline three times: the latest to 17 February.

India suffers another Cheetah crash - IHS Jane's 360
Indian Armed Forces are in some seriously miserable condition when it comes to equipment
 
Indian Armed Forces are in some seriously miserable condition when it comes to equipment

Yeah, they are more capable than ever before, the crash rates are going down every year and the defence budgets for more modernisations are increasing, but they are in a miserable condition. :disagree:
 
1136872_-_main.jpg

India's Cheetah fleet dates from the 1960s. Source: IHS/Patrick Allen

The urgent need to replace the Indian military's ageing fleet of licence-built Cheetah (Aerospatiale SA315B Lama) light observation helicopters (LOH) was again highlighted after one crashed in northeastern Nagaland state on 2 February.

Lieutenant General Bipin Rawat and two Army Aviation Corps (AAC) officers sustained injuries after their Cheetah nosedived into the ground seconds after taking off from Dimapur, near the Myanmar border.

A court of inquiry has been ordered into the accident, but AAC officers told IHS Jane's that "platform obsolescence" was responsible for the accident, even though the Cheetah's engine had recently been overhauled.

The Indian Air Force and the AAC inducted Cheetahs and Chetaks (Aerospatiale Alouette IIIs) into service in the mid-1960s. Of these, 140 Cheetahs and over 200 Chetaks remain in service.

In November 2014 around 28 spouses of AAC pilots and technicians created a group demanding the platforms' withdrawal from service. They claimed 191 of the helicopters had crashed over the past two decades, killing 294 personnel.

COMMENT
Repeated attempts by the Indian military to acquire replacement single-engine, 2-2.5-ton platforms under LOH and Reconnaissance and Surveillance Helicopter (RSH) programmes have proved futile.

Two tenders to import 197 platforms in 2007 and 2014 were cancelled following allegations of corruption in the selection process.

In August 2014 the Ministry of Defence (MoD) opted to indigenously source about 440 LOH/RSHs through joint ventures between Indian companies and overseas original equipment manufacturers. However, the response has been lukewarm, forcing the MoD to extend the request for information deadline three times: the latest to 17 February.

India suffers another Cheetah crash - IHS Jane's 360
Bloody Congress Walli .Destroyer of Hindustan . Wasted so many precious years.
 
Yeah, they are more capable than ever before, the crash rates are going down every year and the defence budgets for more modernisations are increasing, but they are in a miserable condition. :disagree:
Nailed it sir! Yes there are still some weak spots (we all know what they are) and these will be addressed in the coming years but the overall health of the military is very good and only getting better year on year.
 
Bloody Congress Walli .Destroyer of Hindustan . Wasted so many precious years.

Not really, it was IA that put the procurement on hold against MoDs request to go on and select a winner and it was this government, that delayed the whole replacement again, instead of selecting a winner, just for their own agendas.

Nailed it sir! Yes there are still some weak spots (we all know what they are) and these will be addressed in the coming years but the overall health of the military is very good and only getting better year on year.

And you know who was responsible for that. ;)
 
Truth hurts. Indian weapons are crap unless they are used in a war against Pakistan :D
Ohhh wahh wahh. .. It's also for U too... :close_tema:

Not really, it was IA that put the procurement on hold against MoDs request to go on and select a winner and it was this government, that delayed the whole replacement again, instead of selecting a winner, just for their own agendas.



And you know who was responsible for that. ;)
Sancho it should be the job of MoD to decide what to provide for our force. Our force just can train and fight with what we can afford . Otherwise it should have been conveyed to IAF at the right time. I put all the blame on incapable leadership. If tomo if IAF say it only can fight with f22 what should the MoD answer ?
 
Sancho it should be the job of MoD to decide what to provide for our force.

That's what they do, but it's the forces who decides what to takes and under which conditions and MoD can't ignore them and simply go on to procure something. In this case IA wanted to investigate the reports about possible bribery of AW in the LUH tender and THAT is to blame, since none of the shortlisted helicopters were from AW. Just as the new government is to blame for scrapping and re-issuing the deal again, for their own reasons.
 

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