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ALH-Dhruv, Tejas not part of Republic Day flypast

January 16, 2025 20:38 IST

The indigenously designed and developed Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH-Dhruv) will not be part of the upcoming Republic Day flypast as the entire fleet of the military choppers has been grounded following a crash of one of them this month.

IMAGE: Vice Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal AP Singh in fighter (right) and Vice Chief of the Army Staff, Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani and Vice Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan in two seater trainer (left) fly in the indigenously manufactured LCA Tejas during the ongoing Indian Air Force's first multinational air exercise, Tarang Shakti-2024, at Air Force Station Jodhpur, September 9, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

The Army, the Indian Air Force, the Navy and the Coast Guard are operating around 330 ALHs.

A Coast Guard ALH crashed at Gujarat's Porbandar on January 5 following which the armed forces grounded the entire fleet of the twin-engine choppers.

The ALH Dhruv will not be part of the Republic Day flypast over Kartavya Path on January 26, an IAF official told reporters.

The choppers are likely to remain grounded till a high-level probe panel finds the root cause of the crash that killed two Coast Guard pilots and an aircrew diver.

The helicopters have been part of the Republic Day flypasts for nearly one-and-half decades.

The ALH-Dhruv, produced by state-run aerospace major Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) is a multi-role, multi-mission new generation helicopter in the 5.5 ton weight class.

The official cited above also said that locally developed single engine Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas will also not feature at the Republic Day flypast.

The IAF has stopped flying single engine aircraft at the R-Day parade.

Manufactured by the HAL, the Tejas aircraft is a potent platform for air combat and offensive air support missions while reconnaissance and anti-ship operations are its secondary roles.

In February 2021, the defence ministry sealed a Rs 48,000 crore deal with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd for the procurement of 83 Tejas MK-1A jets for the IAF.

In November last year, the ministry accorded an initial approval to procure an additional batch of 97 Tejas jets for the IAF.

The official said the Republic Day flypast will feature 22 fighter jets, 11 transport planes, seven helicopters, and three Dornier surveillance aircraft.

A Rafale fighter jet will also be part of the flypast.

The IAF's marching contingent at the parade will comprise 144 personnel.