India clears Dhruv helicopters in army, air force for flight operations

Two Army HAL Dhruv helicopters fly in formation with an ALH Mk IV Rudra helicopter during an Indian Army parade on 9 January 2023. (Janes/Akhil Kadidal)

India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has “cleared” Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopters (ALHs) in service with the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force (IAF) for flight operations.

In a statement on 1 May, HAL said, “Dhruv army and air force versions are cleared for operations based on the Defect Investigation (DI) Committee recommendations.”

The announcement clears 213 Dhruv helicopters in the army and air force for flight operations. Janes assesses that these include the Mk I/II/IV variants. However, the 38 Dhruv helicopters (primarily the Mk III variant) of the Indian Navy and Coast Guard remain grounded.

“The Indian Navy and Coast Guard helicopters are still grounded because they require additional investigation,” an HAL source told Janes on 5 May.

The grounding of the fleet was prompted by the crash of an ALH Mk III of the Indian Coast Guard on 5 January 2025. According to Janes data, six of the most recent ALH crashes or emergency landings since March 2023 have involved the Mk III variant.

Janes has reported that the 5 January crash was due to a fracture of the helicopter's swashplate. Janes also reported in late April that the ALH fleet could require up to two months to be cleared for flight operations.

Continued investigation

According to the HAL source, the company continues to estimate that two months are required before the fleet, in total, is cleared for operations. “We hope to get all of the helicopters cleared for operations as soon as possible, but two months is a fair estimate of the time required,” the source said.