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NEW DELHI: Three Indian Army officers had a constrictive flight aft their chopper crashed successful the mountainous Tangste adjacent Leh successful Ladakh.A Major General, a Lieutenant Colonel and a Major survived the clang but sustained injuries erstwhile the Cheetah chopper went down.
“The chopper crashed connected May 20. All 3 officers are safe.
An enquiry has been ordered,” officials acquainted with the substance told TOI.A selfie by 1 of the officers of the May 20 clang has present gone viral. All 3 walked retired of the wreckage connected their own. The single-engine HAL Cheetah chopper was operated by the Lt Colonel and the Major, portion Major General Sachin Mehta, who commands the 3 Infantry Division, was connected committee arsenic a passenger.The clang took spot during a formation implicit the high-altitude terrain of Ladakh. The circumstantial origin of the incidental is presently nether investigation.The Cheetah helicopters, inducted into work successful 1976, person been a important plus for the Indian Army, particularly successful high-altitude and guardant regions similar the Siachen Glacier. The Cheetah, which is important for high-altitude logistics and reconnaissance missions for the equipped forces, has been the taxable of ongoing method scrutiny owed to its ageing fleet.
Over the past decennary oregon so, much than 15 Cheetah and Chetak helicopters person been progressive successful crashes, starring to the nonaccomplishment of beingness of respective pilots.Due to these information issues, the Army has planned to signifier retired the ageing Cheetah and Chetak helicopters wrong the adjacent 1 to 2 years, to beryllium gradually replaced by new-generation Light Utility Helicopters (LUHs) implicit a span of 8 to 10 years.Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is playing a pivotal relation successful this transition. The Army has already placed orders for six limited-series-production LUHs, designed to scope a apical velocity of 220 kmph, a work ceiling of 6.5 km, and an operational scope of 350 km.
