In my experience, HAL has always resorted to band-aid fixes and additional cautions rather than walking back a design—that too after much blood was spilt.
The latest crash claimed the lives of two pilots and one aircrew diver. The three forces, along with the Indian Coast Guard, collectively operate 330 ALH aircraft.
Review by committee set up by Centre for Military Airworthiness & Certification found no design flaw, but metallurgical issues & maintenance problems at the service level, it is learnt.
The crash took place days after ALH fleet was cleared for flying again after back-to-back crashes involving Dhruv helicopters in use by Navy & Coast Guard.
The aircraft was an advanced light helicopter called ALH Dhruv – a twin-engine indigenously developed utility aircraft by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
The weapon system integrated helicopter has no role over water. Lt Col AS Batth and young Capt Jayant Joshi had nothing going for them, materially or training-wise.
General MM Naravane’s memoir—Four Stars of Destiny—reveals that he was left hanging by political leadership for more than two hours as Chinese tanks drove towards Indian positions.
The key to fighting a war successfully, or even launching it, is a clear objective. That’s an entirely political call. It isn’t emotional or purely military.
The HAL is a liability for the nation. An organization with false bravado and idiotic pretensions of engineering excellence.
Time and again its ineptitude has been exposed. Yet, it keeps on going.
The best course of action is to sell off HAL- privatise it.
Otherwise, the babus in this bloated organization would not work hard enough. As it is, their callousness has caused the nation very dearly.
The HAL is a liability for the nation. An organization with false bravado and idiotic pretensions of engineering excellence.
Time and again its ineptitude has been exposed. Yet, it keeps on going.
The best course of action is to sell off HAL- privatise it.
Otherwise, the babus in this bloated organization would not work hard enough. As it is, their callousness has caused the nation very dearly.