Three senior officers of the Indian Army sustained injuries after a military helicopter from the ageing Cheetah fleet crashed earlier this week in the rugged Tangste area of Ladakh, near Leh. The May 20 incident has renewed concerns about the ongoing deployment of these decades-old helicopters in extremely high-altitude conditions.
Senior Army officers injured in Ladakh crash
The helicopter was transporting a Lieutenant Colonel, a Major, and Major General Sachin Mehta, who is presently the General Officer Commanding of the Army’s 3 Infantry Division.
Officials stated that the Lieutenant Colonel and the Major were piloting the single-engine helicopter when it crashed in the mountainous region of eastern Ladakh. All three officers were injured but survived the accident, despite the challenging weather and rugged terrain typical of the area.
The Army has ordered an official investigation to determine the exact reason behind the crash.
Viral selfie after crash draws attention online
Shortly after the incident became public, a photograph showing the three officers seated on rocks near the wreckage started spreading widely across social media.The selfie, said to have been taken by Major General Mehta after the crash, depicted the officers alert and calm even with the wrecked helicopter in the background. Numerous social media users characterized their survival as almost miraculous, given the perilous altitude and remoteness of the crash location.
Cheetah helicopters under scrutiny again
The recent crash has reignited concerns about the reliability and safety of the Indian Army’s ageing Cheetah helicopters, which have been in service since the 1970s.
Derived from the French Aérospatiale SA 315B Lama, the Cheetah helicopters are renowned for operating in extremely high-altitude areas like Siachen and Ladakh. They were pivotal during Operation Meghdoot in 1984 and have long been employed for troop transport, reconnaissance, medical evacuation, and supply missions across the challenging Himalayan terrain.
However, over the years the fleet has been associated with multiple accidents, prompting defence experts and retired officers to raise concerns about maintenance difficulties and operational wear and tear.
Army gradually replacing old fleet
To upgrade its light helicopter fleet, the Indian armed forces have begun inducting the domestically developed Light Utility Helicopter (LUH), designed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.The LUH has been designed specifically for operations in high-altitude areas and is expected to replace both the Cheetah and Chetak helicopters in phased deployment. Reports suggest the Army has already placed orders for limited-series-production variants of the aircraft.
The new helicopter is said to deliver higher speeds, increased payload capacity, upgraded safety features, and advanced avionics specifically designed for operations in the Himalayas.