The Indian Army's Cheetal helicopters are still flying regular sorties in Ladakh, including the Siachen glacier, despite an investigation into a recent crash caused by a suspected technical failure.
According to officials, the probe has focused on a material failure in the transmission system of the single-engine helicopter that crashed near Leh's Tangtse area on May 20.
The Cheetal helicopters, which have an exceptional power-to-weight ratio, have been flying daily since the crash, with the Leh-based HQs 14 Corps operating around 25 of the re-engined version of the workhorse Cheetah helicopter.
The army plans to phase out the ageing Cheetah and Chetak fleets in the next year or two and replace them with new light utility helicopters (LUHs) over the next eight to 10 years.
The planned two-pronged replacement approach involves inducting locally produced LUHs and leasing similar choppers as a stopgap to meet critical requirements, with the army needing around 250 new helicopters.
