Indian Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter Goes Missing

Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) belonging to the Indian Army went missing while it was flying over north Sikkim. Fate of the helicopter along with two pilots and two soldiers is unknown and it has triggered in the families of the personal on board.

ALH Dhruv of the Army Aviation Corps took off from the Sewak Road Base in Siliguri at 10.30 am and it lost communication with the base around 11.30 a.m. Rescue efforts are under way to locate and rescue the personal on board Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH).

Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) is a 5.5 t class helicopter which was developed by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for Indian army, air force, and navy. In February this year, HAL handed over five Dhruv mkIII helicopters to the IA during Aero India 2011 Air Show.

Helicopter has been exported to the Nepal, Bolivian Air Force, Ecuadorian Air Force, Surinamese National Army, Turkish health services and Peruvian health services.

All the Dhruv helicopters were grounded in 2005 after it crash landed in Andhra Pradesh. A Dhruv helicopter belonging to the Sarang helicopter display team of the Indian Air Force crashed while team was practicing for the Aero India 2007. Ecuadorian Dhruv helicopter crashed in 2009. Last year Dhruv helicopter of the Sarang helicopter display team crash-landed while rehearsing for the "Vayu Shakti" air power show.