Army source say that another chopper is on way to the site to help the stranded crew. (Photo Credit: News Nation)
New Delhi:
An Indian Army Chetak helicopter made an emergency landing in Punjab’s Ropar on Thursday. Initial reports suggest that the chopper made the landing due to possible technical snag in controls. News Nation has learnt that the crew of the chopper is safe. The Indian Army’s Chetak had taken off from Patiala. Army source say that another chopper is on way to the site to help the stranded crew. The Hindustan Aeronautics says that the Chetak is a two ton class helicopter. The seven-seater Chetak helicopter is versatile, multi role, multi purpose, and spacious. The helicopter is powered by Artouste - III B turbo shaft engine. The helicopter is suitable for commuting, cargo / material transport, casualty evacuation, Search & Rescue (SAR), Aerial Survey & Patrolling, Emergency Medical Services, Off-shore operations and Under slung operations.
#VIDEO | Indian Army Chetak helicopter made a precautionary landing in Punjab's Ropar after warning of a possible technical snag in controls.
— News Nation (@NewsNationTV) February 13, 2020
Another Army chopper is on way to the landing site.
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The backbone of the Indian defence forces’ ‘search and rescue’ operations, officials are looking to phase out the ageing Chetak. At the recently-concluded Defence Expo, the DRDO had given initial clearance for its light utility helicopter to the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.
According to R Madhavan, CMD, HAL, received the Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) document from G Sateesh Reddy, Secretary, Department of Defence R & D, and Chairman, DRDO, at the Bandhan programme held during the ongoing DefExpo 2020 here on Friday, a statement issued by the HAL said. The document was handed over in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and others, it added. Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) is a single-engine, lightweight and highly agile three-ton utility helicopter, indigenously designed and developed to meet the operational requirements of the Army and the Indian Air Force.
The LUH will soon replace the ageing fleet of Cheetah and Chetak helicopters. The statement said one LUH prototype is part of flying display and another is part of static display at the DefExpo 2020. Three prototypes have been built and cumulatively completed over 550 flights under various terrains and climatic conditions like cold weather, hot weather, sea-level and high-altitude, complying to stringent certification and user requirements, it said.
