The Indian Army and Air Force variants of the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv have been cleared to resume operations following a comprehensive safety review, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) announced on Wednesday. The clearance follows the recommendations of a Defect Investigation (DI) Committee and comes with a time-bound, phased plan for operational resumption coordinated with the armed forces.
“In furtherance to the clarification dated April 11, 2025, it is now intimated that the ALH Dhruv Army and Air Force versions are cleared for operations based on the DI Committee recommendations. A time-bound plan for the resumption of operations has been worked out with the users,” HAL said in its statement.
The Defence Ministry has also granted clearance for the Indian Army to operate ALH helicopters in Jammu and Kashmir, specifically in Srinagar and surrounding areas, amid heightened counter-terror operations following the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam. “Permission has been granted to the Indian Army to operate ALH helicopters in Srinagar and adjoining areas as required by ground commanders,” a Defence Ministry had said.
This announcement comes after the entire ALH Dhruv fleet—comprising over 330 helicopters—was grounded following a crash near Porbandar on January 5. The incident had significantly affected operational readiness across the services and raised serious questions about the helicopter’s reliability.
Initial findings from HAL, based on flight data recorder analysis, revealed that the helicopter failed to respond to pilot inputs at the moment leading up to the crash. The root cause was identified as a fracture in the swash plate assembly within the Integrated Dynamic System (IDS), prompting HAL to recommend the grounding.
The crash and subsequent fleet grounding attracted widespread scrutiny. HAL faced criticism over quality control and systemic accountability, with former test pilots, retired military officers, and defence analysts voicing long-standing concerns about the reliability of its platforms.
On April 10, HAL issued a strong rebuttal defending the ALH program, aiming to restore confidence in the indigenous 5.5-tonne multi-role helicopter. The company’s response came amid intense media scrutiny and ongoing uncertainty over the final findings of the DI Committee report. At the time, reports suggested the grounding could extend for another three months as investigations remained inconclusive.
Team BharatShakti
