ALH accidents: The year 2025 did not start well for the Coast Guard or the indigenous Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv. Three people including two officers died in the Coast Guard helicopter crash in Porbandar on Sunday. This helicopter crashed during its operational flight like every day. An inquiry has been ordered by the Coast Guard. It is no less than a lifeline for all three wings of the Indian Army. Being indigenous, it has always been in the headlines. For the last few years, it has come into the news more for accidents. In the year 2023, so many accidents happened one after the other that all the helicopters had to be grounded.

The list of crashes is long.
In the last few years, about two dozen ALH Dhruv helicopters have crashed. Many pilots and soldiers have also lost their lives in these accidents. In October 2024, an Indian Air Force ALH helicopter engaged in rescue work in Bihar sank in water due to engine failure. On 2 September 2024, a Coast Guard helicopter crashed in the Arabian Sea. In the year 2023, three accidents occurred in two months. On 4 May 2023, 2 pilots and a technician were injured in the Army's ALH Dhruv helicopter crash in Jammu. On 8 March, a Navy Dhruv helicopter crashed off the Mumbai coast and on 26 March a Coast Guard helicopter crashed in Kochi. On 21 October 2022, the weaponized version of the Advanced Light Helicopter Rudra crashed in Arunachal Pradesh, in which two officers and three soldiers were killed. On 3 August 2021, there was a crash at Ranjit Sagar Dam near Pathankot. In which both the pilots died. In the year 2019, the helicopter of Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Ranbir Singh also crashed badly in which there were no casualties.

Grounded for investigation
Whenever an accident occurs due to technical fault, the entire helicopter fleet is grounded. Permission to fly is given only after a thorough investigation. In the year 2023, all the helicopters of the three wings of the army and the Coast Guard were grounded for investigation. They were flown only after getting flying clearance in the technical investigation. Different versions of ALH helicopters are included in the Indian Army. These include ALH MK1, MK2, MK3 and MK4 weaponized version Rudra.

More than 300 ALH helicopters, the lifeline of the army,
are being used by all the three wings of the Indian army i.e. Army, Air Force and Navy, as well as the Coast Guard. If we talk about numbers, the Indian Army operates the maximum number of 145 ALHs. Out of these, 75 are its weaponized version ALH MK 4 Rudra. The Army has placed an order for 25 additional ALH Mark 3 from HAL. The Indian Air Force has around 70 Dhruvs. The Navy has 18 and the Coast Guard has 20 ALH Dhruvs, of which 4 are Mark 1 and 16 are Mark 3. Recently, the purchase of 6 ALHs for the Coast Guard has been approved.

Specialty of ALH 
ALH is a 5 tonne multi-role helicopter whose project was started in 1979. In 1984, the Indian government signed an agreement with HAL to develop this helicopter. Its first prototype flew in 1992. In the year 2002, it was officially inducted into the army. Apart from two pilots, 12 people can sit in this helicopter. It can fly at a speed of 290 km per hour. This helicopter has also been used for rescue operations in major tragedies in the country. Whenever these helicopters are grounded for inspection, the operation is carried out with Indian Army Cheetah, Chetak, Cheetal, Mi-17 and Chinook helicopters.