An Army Aviation Cheetah helicopter crash landed on Wednesday at Partapur where the army’s Siachen brigade is headquartered. The army’s ageing Cheetah fleet has been a cause of concern for several years. More than 280 Cheetah and Chetak helicopters, lifeline of troops in high-altitude areas including Siachen glacier, were grounded for comprehensive safety checks. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited has licence-produced 625 Cheetah and Chetak helicopters. In August 2014, India scrapped a Rs 6,000-crore project to import light utility helicopters to replace Cheetah and Chetak helicopters, the third time the procurement was scrapped due to corruption allegations and technical issues.

Source: Hindustan Times May 04, 2017 10:30 UTC