HAL Dhruv

The HAL Dhruv () is a utility helicopter designed and developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in November 1984. The helicopter first flew in 1992; its development was prolonged due to multiple factors including the Indian Army's requirement for design changes, budget restrictions, and sanctions placed on India following the 1998 Pokhran-II nuclear tests. Dhruv entered service in 2002. It is designed to meet the requirement of both military and civil operators, with military variants of the helicopter being developed for the Indian Armed Forces, while a variant for civilian/commercial use has also been developed. Military versions in production include transport, utility, reconnaissance and medical evacuation variants.

more than 400 Dhruvs had been produced for domestic and export markets logging more than 340,000 flying hours.

Development

Origins

The ''Advanced Light Helicopter'' (ALH) program for an indigenous 5-ton multirole helicopter was initiated in May 1979 by the Indian Air Force and Indian Naval Air Arm. HAL were given a contract by the Indian government in 1984 to develop the helicopter; Germany's Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB) were contracted in July 1984 as a design consultant and collaborative partner on the programme.Khan 2004, p. 248. Although originally scheduled to fly in 1989, the first prototype ALH (Z-3182) made its maiden flight on 20 August 1992 at Bangalore with the then-Indian Vice President K R Narayanan in attendance. This was followed by a second prototype (Z-3183) on 18 April 1993, an Army/Air Force version (Z-3268), and a navalised prototype (IN.901) with Allied Signal CTS800 engines and a retractable tricycle undercarriage.Jackson, p. 184. Development problems arose due to changing military demands and a funding shortfall in the wake of the 1991 Indian economic crisis.Hirschberg 2011, p. 49.

Naval testing on board and other ships started in March 1998, and around the same time a weight-reduction programme was initiated. However, further delays in development were caused when sanctions were implemented against India following a number of Pokhran-II nuclear tests in 1998 and India's continued refusal to sign the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. As a result, the intended engine for the helicopter, the LHTEC T800, was embargoed. The Turbomeca TM 333-2B2 turboshaft engine was selected as a replacement; in addition, Turbomeca agreed to co-develop a more powerful engine with HAL, originally known as the '' Ardiden''. Turbomeca also assisted in the development of the helicopter; stress analysis and studies of rotor dynamics were conducted in France. The first flight of Dhruv with the new engine variant, called the ''Shakti'', took place on 16 August 2007.

Further development

The HAL Rudra, earlier known as Dhruv-WSI (''Weapons Systems Integrated''), is an attack variant designed for the Indian Army. Development was sanctioned in December 1998 and the prototype first flew on 16 August 2007; it is to be armed with both anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles, and a 20-mm turret-mounted cannon. The Dhruv-WSI is to be capable of conducting combat air support (CAS) and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) roles as well. In addition to the Dhruv-WSI, HAL is also developing the light combat helicopter (LCH) based on the Dhruv for the Indian Armed Forces. It is fitted with stub wings for carrying up to eight anti-armour missiles, four air-to-air missiles, or four pods loaded with either 70 mm or 68 mm rockets. The LCH will also have forward-looking infrared (FLIR), a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera, and a target acquisition system with laser rangefinder and thermal vision.

In 2005, following a crash landing of a Dhruv, the entire fleet was grounded when it was discovered to have been caused by excessive vibration of the tail rotor. Following a redesign which incorporated new materials in addition to changes in design methodology, the Dhruv undertook recertification and returned to service shortly after March 2006. In April 2007, a report published by the Indian Committee of Defence noted the Dhruv as one of four "focus areas" identified as having high export potential. In January 2011, HAL and partner Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) announced that they were jointly developing the Dhruv to operate as an unmanned maritime helicopter, stating customer interest in such a feature.

The first five production Dhruv Mk III, powered by the more powerful Shakti-1H engine, were delivered to the Leh-based 205 Aviation Squadron on 7 February 2011 during a ceremony at HAL's Helicopter Division. In July 2011, India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation certified a Dhruv simulator developed by HAL and Canadian developer CAE Inc; the simulator is easily modifiable to simulate different variants of the Dhruv and other helicopters such as the Eurocopter Dauphin. Defence Bioengineering and Electromedical Laboratory (DEBEL) has been developing an oxygen life-support system to improve the helicopter's high-altitude performance, and as of August 2010 the IAF has ordered development of this system for the Dhruv.

Design

The HAL Dhruv is of conventional design; about 29 percent of its empty weight (constituting 60 percent of the airframe's surface area) is composite materials.Taylor 1998, p. 298. It has been reported that the unique carbon fibre composite developed by HAL reduced the helicopter's weight by 50 percent.Datta 2008, p. 14. The high tail boom allows easy access to the rear doors. The twin 1000 shp Turbomeca TM333-2B2 turboshafts are mounted above the cabin and drive a four-blade composite main rotor. The main rotor can be manually folded; the blades are mounted between carbon-fibre-reinforced plates, the rotor head is constructed from fibre elastomers. In February 2004, US helicopter company Lord Corporation were awarded a contract to develop an active vibration control system (AVCS), which monitors onboard conditions and cancels out fuselage vibrations.

The cockpit section of the fuselage is of Kevlar and carbon-fibre construction; it is also fitted with crumple zones and crashworthy seats. The aircraft is equipped with a SFIM Inc four-axis automatic flight control system. Avionics systems include a HF/UHF communications radio, IFF recognition, Doppler navigation, and a radio altimeter; a weather radar and the Omega navigation system were options for the naval variant. IAI has also developed targeting systems and an electronic warfare suite for the Dhruv, as well as avionics for day-and-night flight observation. HAL's claim that the Dhruv is indigenous has been challenged by 5h3 Comptroller and Auditor General of India, who reported that as of August 2010 the helicopter was: "...against the envisaged indigenisation level of 50% (by 2008), 90% of the value of material used in each ALH is still imported from foreign suppliers".

In September 2010, it was reported that the Dhruv's Integrated Dynamic System (IDS), which combines several key rotor control functions into a single module carrying the engine's power to the rotors,Jackson 2003, p. 185. was suffering from excessive wear, necessitating frequent replacement; as a consequence the cruising speed had been restricted to 250 km/h and high-altitude performance was lessened as well. HAL contracted Italian aerospace firm Avio for consultancy purposes and they subsequently replicated production of the IDS in Italy in order to isolate the problem with the early testing of the Dhruv subsequently being criticized as "rushed". In June 2011, HAL has reported that the issue had been resolved and not present in the Dhruv Mk III; a number of alterations both to the design and production had been made to improve the IDS. A programme of retrofitting the Mk I and Mk II was completed by June 2011.

The ALH Mk-III with new Shakti-1H engines has better and improved high altitude performance operating at altitudes over 6 km. It comes with seating for 14 fully equipped troops. DGCA has reportedly praised its crashworthy design as a few accidents have not caused any fatalities.alternate copy
.

In September 2024, HAL assigned TimeTooth Technologies, based in Bengaluru, for indigenisation of Rotor Damp System to be used on ALH Dhruv and HAL Prachand. The project involves development and qualification of the system for the next two years followed by its production and supply would be for a period of 5 years and beyond. The majority of the project will be funded by the private company itself. The production order value is expected to exceed $5 million within the 5-year period.

Operational history

India

Deliveries of the Dhruv commenced in January 2002, nine years after the prototype's first flight, and nearly eighteen years after the program was initiated.

The Indian Coast Guard was the first service to operate the Dhruv; this was followed by the Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Air Force and the Border Security Force. 75 Dhruvs were delivered to the Indian armed forces by 2007, and as of 2008 it was planned to produce 40 helicopters annually. The Indian Air Force's Sarang aerobatic display team performs using 4 Dhruv helicopters. On 23 December 2007, a further order of 159 helicopters, worth , for the Indian Army and Air Force was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS). By 2007, Indian Air Force operationalised two ALH squadrons in Yelehanka AFS in Bengaluru and Sarsawa AFS.The Dhruv is capable of flying at high altitudes, as it was an Army requirement for the helicopter to be able operate in the Siachen Glacier and Kashmir regions. In September 2007, the Dhruv Mk.3 was cleared for high-altitude flying in the Siachen Sector after six months of trials. In October 2007, a Dhruv Mk.3 flew to an altitude of ASL in Siachen. An Indian Army report in 2009 criticised the Dhruv's performance, stating: "The ALH was not able to fly above 5,000m, though the army's requirements stipulated an ability to fly up to 6,500m"; this has been blamed on the TM333 engine. As a consequence the Army had to continue relying on the older Cheetah/Cheetal helicopters to meet the shortfall. The more powerful Shakti-1H engine has since been introduced on the Dhruv Mk.3; on one test it carried 600 kg load to Sonam Post against the Army's requirement of 200 kg. The Indian Army received the first batch of Dhruv Mk.3s during Aero India 2011.

In October 2008, Defence Minister A. K. Antony announced that the Indian Navy will deploy the Dhruv in the utility role. The proposed anti-submarine warfare (ASW) variant had been deemed unsuitable by the Navy, which was reportedly dissatisfied with the folding blade performance and maintenance record. In 2015, HAL modified the foldable rotor's design to allow the Dhruv to be carried on board light frigates; several Indian Navy helicopters shall receive this modification. The Navy has considered the Dhruv for maritime surveillance and search and rescue roles, and in 2008 a senior Navy official said: "The ALH has a long way to go before the programme matures sufficiently for it to undertake basic naval roles such as search and rescue (SAR) and communication duties." In 2013, the Indian Navy was reportedly interested in the HAL Rudra, the armed version of the Dhruv. On 12 November 2013, the Indian Navy commissioned their first Dhruv squadron ( INAS 322, Guardians); Vice Admiral Sinha stated that "In the Navy, Dhruv helicopters had transformed into an advanced search and rescue (SAR) helicopter, which is also used for missions like heliborne operations, and armed patrol with night vision devices".

Civil Dhruv variants are produced for transport, rescue, policing, offshore operations, air-ambulance, and other roles. The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation are to use the Dhruv for offshore operations. Several Indian state governments are to use Dhruvs for police and transportation duties. In March 2011, India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation released a proposed airworthiness directive asking all civilian Dhruv operators to temporarily ground their aircraft due to cracks potentially forming in the tail area, and recommended reinforcing affected areas.

Following the 2011 Sikkim earthquake, four Dhruvs conducted rescue operations. In October 2011, Jharkhand's regional government appealed for Mil Mi-17 helicopters as operations of their Dhruvs had been disrupted by prolonged maintenance delays and a major crash. In October 2011, The Telegraph reported that a spate of helicopter crashes, including the Dhruv, were alleged to have been caused by low quality maintenance work performed by Pawan Hans Helicopters Ltd.

In February 2012, the Home Ministry reported that the Dhruv remained grounded and that other helicopters such as the Mi-17 were being wet-leased in its place and that in the long term the Dhruv fleet is to be replaced. In February 2012, HAL reported that the Indian Army and Air Force had ordered a further 159 units of Dhruv helicopters.

Six Army Dhruvs along with 18 Air Force Dhruvs were used during rescue operations after the 2013 North India floods. Their compact size, agility, ability to carry up to 16 people to heights of 10,000 feet, and to evacuate stranded people from inaccessible regions was praised. The Dhruv could carry more people from high-altitude helipads than the heavier Mi-17, and land where the lighter Bell 407 could not. Total flight time during Operation Rahat and Operation Surya Hope was 630 hours, of which 550 hours were dedicated to SAR missions.

In January 2014, the Geological Survey of India (GSI) inducted a Dhruv equipped with a heliborne geophysical survey system (HGSS). Costing , the HGSS can conduct magnetic, spectrometric and gravity surveys. In May 2018, Israel Aerospace Industries was awarded a contract to upgrade cockpits of 150 Dhruv helicopters, in addition to 50 that had been contracted earlier.

In September 2020, HAL announced that it had rolled out the 300th Advance Light Helicopter from its Bengaluru production line. Meanwhile, they were executing an order from the Army of 73 units and from the Navy and Coast Guard of 16 units each. Further, 38 had been delivered while the rest would be delivered by 2022.

On February 5, 2021, the Indian Navy tweeted that it has received the Advanced Light Helicopter MK III (MR) alongside the Indian Coast Guard.

As of September 2024, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) chose HAL Dhruv for its operations to fly out personnel and equipment from offshore oil rigs. The helicopters will be operated by Pawan Hans. Dhruv won the competition after a competitive bidding with foreign bidders.

From late April 2025, the helicopters were used for counterterrorism operations in Kashmir after the 2025 Pahalgam attack.

Other users

Israel: A civilian Dhruv was leased to the Israeli Defense Ministry in 2004; IAI has also made use of the Defense Ministry's Dhruv for marketing and public relations purposes.Maldives: In April 2010, the Indian Navy gifted a Dhruv to the Maldives National Defence Force for conducting search and rescue and medical evacuation, while a second Mk.III equipped with a weather radar was donated in December 2013. The first helicopter is based at Addu Atoll and the second will be based at Hanimaadhoo.

Myanmar: In 2007, Amnesty International stated it possessed evidence that India planned to transfer two Dhruvs to Burma, and pointed to the use of European-sourced components as a possible violation of the European Union (EU) arms embargo against that country. The Indian government disputed Amnesty's claims and denied any wrongdoing.

Nepal: In early 2004, the first foreign order for the Dhruv was placed by Nepal for two examples.India to sell 2 Advanced Light Helicopters to Nepal. ''Islamic Republic News Agency'', 11 February 2004. In November 2014, India gifted another Dhruv to Nepali Army as part of a strategic pact.

Peru: In June 2008, the government of Peru ordered two air ambulance Dhruvs for use by the Peruvian Health Services.

Turkey: In August 2008, a deal was reportedly finalised with Turkey for three Dhruvs for 20 million, with plans to buy as many as 17 of the helicopters for use in the medical assistance role.Pubby, Manu
"India bags $20 mn helicopter contract"
. ''The Indian Express''. (online edition). 10 August 2008. Retrieved 30 August 2008.

Potential users

The Dhruv has become the first major Indian weapons system to have secured large foreign sales. In 2004, HAL stated that it hoped to sell 120 Dhruvs over the next eight years, and has been displaying the Dhruv at air shows, including Farnborough and Paris in order to market the Dhruv. HAL had entered into a partnership with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to develop and promote the Dhruv, IAI has also helped develop new avionics and a glass cockpit for newer variants of the Dhruv.Singh 2008, p. 536.

With a unit price at least 15 percent less than its rivals, the Dhruv has elicited interest in many countries, mostly from Latin America, Africa, West Asia, South East Asia and the Pacific Rim nations. Air forces from around 35 countries have made inquiries, along with requests for demonstrations. Flight certification for Europe and North America is also being planned in order to tap the large civilian market there.

Russia: In July 2006, the then Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Shashindra Pal Tyagi commented that India could purchase as many as 80 Mi-17 helicopters if Russia in turn bought Dhruv helicopters in exchange.

South America: HAL has reportedly been negotiating with Bolivia for five Dhruvs; and with Venezuela for up to seven.

Southeast Asia: The Dhruv has also been offered to Malaysia, while it is also being evaluated by the Indonesian Army.

Philippines: The HAL Annual Report for 2020-21, indicated that the Philippine Coast Guard is interested to potentially buy 7 Dhruvs via Indian-based credit. It is reported that the PCG is looking at the Dhruv ALH. There has been to instances when the capabilities of Dhruv were demonstrated to Philippines. First was when PCG chief visited Indian Coast Guard facility at Goa in 2023 and took part in a "Customer Demonstration Flight" and second was when a three ship flotilla (including , and INS ''Kiltan'' visited Manila, Philippines in May 2024.

Egypt: Egypt stated in 2022 that it was interested in acquiring the ALH.

Argentina: The Argentinian Ministry of Defense signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to procure the Dhruv for the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic on July 20, 2023.

Failed bids

Chile: The Dhruv participated in a Chilean tender for eight to ten twin-engined helicopters, conducting a series of evaluation flights to demonstrate the capabilities of its avionics and flight performance; however, it lost out to the Bell 412, although there were media accusations of unfair pressure being exercised by the US Government to favour Bell.

Former user

Ecuador

HAL has secured an order from the Ecuadorian Air Force (EAF) for seven Dhruvs, amidst strong competition from Elbit, Eurocopter and Kazan. HAL's offer of 50.7 million was about 32 percent lower than the second lowest bid from Elbit. Five helicopters were delivered in February 2009, during Aero India 2009. Both the Ecuadorian Army and Ecuadorian Navy have since expressed interest in the Dhruvs. The Dhruv has been involved in search and rescue, transport, and MEDEVAC missions in the north of the country.

Following the crash of one of the Dhruvs in October 2009, Ecuador reportedly considered returning their six helicopters to HAL amid claims of being unfit for service; EAF commander Genl. Rodrigo Bohorquez stated "If it is a major problem that can't be easily remedied, we would have to return he Dhruv" HAL assisted the crash investigation, which found the cause to be pilot error.

In February 2011, the EAF were reported to be satisfied with the Dhruv's performance and was considering further orders. By October 2015, a total of four Ecuadorian Dhruvs had crashed reportedly due to mechanical equipment and Ecuador grounded the type. In October 2015 Ecuador cancelled the contract and withdrew the surviving helicopters from service, non-delivery of parts and high accident rate were cited. In 2016, the Ecuadorian Minister of Defense Ricardo Patiño announced that the remainder of the HAL Dhruv helicopters of the Ecuadorian Air Force, which are stored at the Guayaquil Air Base are for sale and that the Air Force is looking for potential buyers. The Government of Ecuador had unilaterally terminated the contract with HAL citing safety concerns of the helicopters. A HAL spokesman said that while maintenance was supposed to be done by the EAF due to the warranty period being expired, the company was willing to assist them to make sure that the Dhruvs were operational. Quito declined further assistance.

Variants

Military variants

;Mk.1: The initial configuration with a conventional cockpit with mechanical gauges and Turbomeca TM 333-2B2 turboshaft engines. A total of 56 have been delivered to the Indian military.Hirschberg 2011, p. 50. Manufacturing began in 2001.
;Mk.2: Similar to the Mk.1, except has the newer HAL- IAI glass cockpit. A total of 20 have been delivered to the Indian military. Manufacturing began in 2007.
;Mk.3:An improved version equipped with Shakti-1H engines, new electronic warfare (EW) suite and warning systems, automatic chaff and flare dispensers, Integrated Architecture Display System (IADS) with Digital Moving Map, Electro Optical pod, infrared suppressor, health & usage monitoring system, Solid State Digital Video Recorder (SSDVR), Engine Particle Separator and improved vibration control system. The first batch were inducted into service in 2012.
;Mk.3 Coast Guard

Same in performance to the Mk.3 however, has additional equipment such as a cabin mountain MG, High Intensity Search Light and a loud hailer. It is armed with a 12.7 mm HMG.
;Mk. 3 Navy/Mk.3 MR (Marine Reconnaissance)
Has additional equipment such as a modern surveillance radar and electro-optical equipment to carry out maritime reconnaissance as well as long-range search and rescue missions, an HMG and the capability to mount at least 2 ASW torpedoes.
;Mk.4: Also known as ALH-WSI (Weapons System Integrated) or HAL Rudra

Utility Helicopter-Marine

HAL is currently developing an advanced variant of the ALH Dhruv to address the specific needs of the Indian Navy. The helicopter is to be purpose-built for ship-borne uses.

The UH-M programme has its origin from the Navy's Naval Utility Helicopter (NUH) acquisition programme. The Navy issued a requirement of 111 units of utility helicopters. The programme was cleared by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) – the main acquisition panel under the Ministry of Defence (MoD) headed by the then Minister of Defence Nirmala Sitharaman on 25 August 2018 though the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) document. The cost of the programme was set at . The requirement would be fulfilled through the Strategic Partnership (SP) model including an Indian and a foreign Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) under the Make in India initiative.

According to a report in April 2022, the Expression of Interest (EoI) to OEMs and Strategic Partners were issued in February 2019. However, the deal was included in the third "positive indigenisation list". Meanwhile, HAL had carried out a joint study of ALH Dhruv to increase the MTOW to 5.7 tonnes, reduce the empty weight and increase the overall payload capacity to 600 kg. The modifications also included "reduced stowage dimensions to meet requirement with foldable two segment blades and modified upper control system and Aircraft Ship Integrated Secure and Traverse (ASIST) traversing interface for ship deck." The programme is to replace the Navy's ageing Chetak fleet. The Indian Navy is to place an order of at least 50 helicopters in the first phase.

The maritime wheeled version of Dhruv having segmented Main Rotor Blades (MRBs) and Main Rotor Head (MRH) in pre-cone configuration completed its first flight on 30 June 2022. By March 2023, tail boom folding has been demonstrated. Reportedly, the UH-M will also showcase anti-ship missile and torpedo firing capability.

On 16 March 2023, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approved the Utility Helicopter-Maritime programme for the Indian Navy.

On 20 October 2024, a report from The Economic Times revealed that the prototype of Utility Helicopters-Marine (UH-M) helicopter is under construction while the first flight is expected by May 2025. Its multirole capabilities will include transportation of personnel, cargo delivery and CASEVAC. Simultaneously, the new technologies developed for the new helicopter is also being tested on a testbed. The design is mostly based on the earlier Dhruv and includes extensive modifications to fit inside a ship-based hangar. The modifications includes foldable tail boom as well as foldable rotor blades and a nose-mounted surveillance radar. The Navy needs 111 of these helicopters.

As of 11 May 2025, the design of the helicopter is almost completed with first flight and deliveries expected by early 2026 and 2027, respectively.

Civil variants

;Dhruv (C)
:Also known as ALH-Civil, a Turbomeca TM333-2B2-powered 12-seat helicopter with retractable landing gear, type certificate issued on 31 October 2003.DGCA Type Certificate Data Sheet No, 5-8/96-RD

;Dhruv (CFW)
:A Turbomeca TM333-2B2-powered 12-seat helicopter fitted with wheels, type certificate issued on 20 April 2005.
;Dhruv (CS)
:A Turbomeca TM333-2B2-powered 12-seat helicopter fitted with skids, type certificate issued on 30 July 2004.
;Dhruv NG
:Civilian variant of Dhruv Mk-3 equipped with Shakti-1H engines and civil-certified glass cockpit.
;Garuda Vasudha: A Dhruv outfitted with a heliborne geophysical survey system (HGSS) from Pico Envirotec Inc, Canada.

Accidents and incidents

As reported by the Indian Government to Parliament on 8 March 2016, there has been 16 accidents involving HAL Dhruv. “Out of 16 accidents, 12 occurred due to human error and environmental factors and the remaining four occurred due to technical reasons,” Minister of State for Defence Rao Inderjit Singh informed the Rajya Sabha. The crash involved 2 civilian, 9 Indian military and 5 foreign operated helicopters. As for the 4 Ecuadorian Dhruv crahes, 2 were due to human errors, 1 due to mechanical error.

Further, 4 Dhruv and 2 Rudra helicopters were lost between March 2017 and December 2021.

As of January 2025, 20 to 23 ALHs were lost in 23 years of service leading to a death of 17 pilots excluding passengers. A total of around 410 units have been produced.

2005-2022

* 2005: First crash involving an ALH owned by HAL. The helicopter was on its way from Bangalore to Ranchi when it crash-landed in a field near Karimnagar in Andhra Pradesh.
* February 2007: First fatal crash involving an IAF Dhruv while flying with Sarang display team at Yelehanka. Two officers of Wing Commander and Squadron Leader rank lost their lives.
* 25 July 2014: an IAF Dhruv MkIII of 111 HU carrying 2 pilots (wing commander T.B.N. Singh and a squadron leader) and 5 airmen (a junior warrant officer, a sergeant, a leading aircraftman and two corporals) crashed in Sitapur district at around 5 pm, killing all onboard. The chopper was enroute from Bareilly to Allahabad and a technical glitch was reported to the Lucknow ATC before the tower lost contact. Another IAF helicopter rushed to the spot. The particular chopper had been serviced days before and had flown over 500 hours. IAF had temporarily grounded its 40-strong ALH fleet which restarted operations by August-end. The army's fleet was also grounded for inspection.
* October 2019: An Army Dhruv crash landed near Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir. A crew of eight including the then General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command, Lieutenant general Ranbir Singh survived.
* 25 January 2021: an Army Dhruv helicopter crashed due to a technical snag in Kathua district’s Lakhanpur in Jammu and Kashmir, killing one of the pilots.
*7 March 2021: an Army Dhruv made an emergency landing in Kheda district in Gujarat. Two 3-star officers including Army Training Command head Lt Gen. Raj Shukla and Indian Air Force South Western Air Command Chief Air Marshal S.K. Ghotia and 4 other officers were onboard. Everyone survived as a precautionary landing was conducted 30km away from Ahmedabad.
*3 August 2021: an Army Rudra helicopter crashed into the water near Ranjit Sagar Dam Lake. The helicopter belonged to the Pathankot-based 254 ALH-WSI squadron and was carrying out a routine training mission involving low-level flying over the lake and had two officers — a Lt Col A S Bath and a Capt Jayant Joshi. The crash led to their death and their bodies were recovered from water after 12 and 76 days of the incident, respectively. Being an Army chopper, it lacked an emergency flotation gear (EFG). The search and rescue mission involved specialized divers and Dhruv and Cheetah helicopters and, later, a heavy-lift Chinook helicopter also joined the search.
*21 October 2022: an Army Rudra, inducted in 2015, crashed killing two pilots and three soldiers onboard. The crash occurred near the Tuting area in Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Siang district around 10:43 am. The crash was attributed to technical issues.

2023

*On 8 March 2023, a MK III naval variant made an emergency water landing off the coast of Mumbai, prompting the navy to ground the aircraft pending further investigation. All three crew members were rescued. Before the crash, the crew experienced a "sudden loss of power and rapid loss of height". The crash led to the grounding of the entire 330-Dhruv fleet of the Indian Armed Forces as well as the Coast Guard. A problem with control rods were identified. Only few units of the Army until April were cleared for flight before another accident took place.
*On 26 March 2023, an Indian Coast Guard ALH Dhruv Mark 3 helicopter crashed during soon after takeoff from a height of 25 ft near the main runway at Kochi Airport. Three Indian Coast Guard servicemen on board survived with minor injuries.
*On 4 May 2023, a Dhruv of the Indian Army Northern Command on an operational deployment made a hard landing on the banks of Marua river in Kishtwar region of Jammu and Kashmir at 11:15 am IST. Two pilots were injured while Craftsmen (Aviation Technician) Pabballa Anil succumbed to his injuries. A technical fault was reported by the pilots to the ATC. The incident occurred while attempting a precautionary landing. The hard landing was attributed to undulating ground, undergrowth and unprepared landing area. This marked the third accident involving Dhruv in a 2-month span. The series of accidents resulted the mean time between checks for the helicopters to be brought down from 600 hours of flight to 300 and a further plan to 100-150. On 6 May, the Army's Dhruv fleet was again grounded as a precautionary measure because this accident was not due to control rods like the previous incidents. Only IAF and ICG had a small batch of Dhruv flying as of then while the mean time between checks was down to 100 flying hours.
The aluminium booster control rods, which were found to be the main reason of the recent accidents, are being replaced by steel ones. According to reports, the collective control rod has been replaced in the entire helicopter fleet while that of the other two rods (lateral and longitudinal) in the ALH fleet is underway, and is planned to be completed by end of June 2024.

2024-25

*2 September 2024: an Indian Coast Guard Dhruv Mk 3 (CG 863) of 835 Squadron conducted an emergency landing in the Arabian Sea at night when deployed for medical evacuation of a seriously injured crew on board Indian-flagged motor tanker Hari Leela about 45 km from Porbandar. The helicopter was launched at around 2300 hrs IST and crash landed at 2315 hrs while approaching the motor tanker ship. The injured crew was rescued by an ICG ship afterwards. The same helicopter had rescued 67 people in a recent cyclonic weather in Gujarat.
**Search operations: Of the 2 pilots and 2 divers on the helicopter, one diver (diver Gautam Kumar) was rescued by a search and rescue team and the search for the others were on. The wreckage was also found. The search and rescue team deployed included — four ships and two aircraft of the ICG and 2 specialised ships and diving ships of the Navy. Later, 2 missing personnel's body was recovered. They were later known to be pilot Vipin Babu and diver Karan Singh. For the incident, ICG grounded the Dhruv fleet for inspection. As of 6 September, the search for the captain is on along with the process of salvaging the helicopter. The average depth of search and rescue ops is 55 m. On 10 October, the remains of Commandant Rakesh Kumar Rana, the captain of the helicopter was located and recovered about 55 km from southwest of Porbandar after a total of more than 70 air sorties and 82 ship days of search efforts by the ICG and the Indian Navy. He was cremated with full military honours the next day. This culminated the massive search operation.
*2 October 2024: an Indian Air Force ALH air-dropping relief material in flood-hit Bihar made a forced landing in a swamp following engine failure. All 4 crew were rescued.
*5 January 2025: Dhruv of the ICG crashed in an open field at CGAE Porbandar, Gujarat and burst into flames. Both the pilots and the aircrew driver lost their lives in the incident. An inquiry was launched to for the crash which marked the third incident of Dhruv in four months. The particular helicopter was inducted into service in June 2021 and "had completed one 90-minute training sortie, with the crew undertaking running change for the next sortie. While hovering at around 200-feet, the ALH then crashed nose down and burst into flames".
**Investigation:
***The FDR (flight data recorder) and CVR (cockpit voice recorder) of the chopper were being analysed under HAL and ICG's independent investigations and the Dhruv fleet (including HAL Rudra) was re-grounded again. The helicopter did not respond to pilot's command for 3-4 seconds before crashing. The civilian Dhruv fleet was also asked to be grounded by HAL on 11 January.
***By 4 February, CSIR-NAL confirmed that the malfunctioning of a component of the transmission system — the swashplate — made the aircraft unresponsive. This is the first instance of such failure. A defect investigation committee (DIC), including members from CEMILAC, HAL and Directorate General of Aeronautical Quality Assurance (DGAQA), would evaluate the origin of the issue — quality, inspection or maintenance — and submit a report within four weeks after which "remedial actions" would be taken. The wreckage was transported to CSIR-NAL facility for investigation.
***As of 2 April, the fleet would be grounded for at least another three months as fleet-wide inspection revealed that few other Navy and ICG Dhruvs also developed cracks in the swashplate assembly, made of an aluminum alloy, mostly due to sustained operations in a saline environment. The same fault was also the reason of the ICG crash. The raw material was sent to Indian Institute of Science (IISc) to perform fatigue testing of the component in order to "get to the bottom of the matter". IISc would submit its report to DIC by April-end which would be incorporated into the report of DIC that is expected to be submitted by May. The timeline of returning the Dhruv fleet into service depends "on whether the checks can be carried out on the field or the integrated dynamic system, including the transmission system, gearbox and rotor hub, of each helicopter will have to be brought to HAL". The fleet could be grounded beyond three months "if the problem turns out to be more than a material failure — a design issue".
**Flight clearance:
***On 23 April, the Indian Army gave limited clearance for the operation of its HAL Dhruv fleet for counterterrorism operations amid 2025 Pahalgam attack and 2025 India–Pakistan standoff.
***On 1 May, the entire Army and Air Force Dhruv fleet was cleared for operations after safety checks.

Operators

Military operators

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** Indian Air Force: 95
** Indian Army Aviation Corps: 76 (19 more on order)
** Indian Navy: 24
** Indian Coast Guard: 20 delivered (4 Mk1; 16 Mk3). 16 operational as of September 2024 (9 on order; 6 more planned)
** Border Security Force: 6
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** Ministry of Defense: 1 leased (2007)
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** National Defence Force: 2 in service
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** Mauritius Police Force: 3 in service
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** Nepalese Army Air Service: 1 in service

Former military operators

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* Ecuadorian Air Force: 7 delivered, 4 crashed between October 2009 to January 2015 (withdrawn from service in 2015)

Civil operators

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* Ministry of Home Affairs
* Oil and Natural Gas Corporation: 3 civil variants
* Chhattisgarh State Government
* Jharkhand State Government: 2 civil variants.
* Karnataka State Government: 1 on lease.
* Geological Survey of India: 1 Garuda Vasudha variant
* Pawan Hans: 10 to be ordered. 28+ planned. To be operated on behalf of ONGC.
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* Turkish Health Services: 3
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* Peruvian Health Services: 2

Specifications

See also

References

;Citations

;Bibliography

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External links

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* YouTube
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Video of HAL Dhruv advertisement
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Sarang helicopter display team performing at Aero-India
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Video of Dhruv at Paris airshow 2007

{{HAL aircraft

Dhruv, HAL
1990s Indian helicopters
Military helicopters
1990s Indian civil utility aircraft
1990s Indian military utility aircraft
Twin-turbine helicopters
Aircraft first flown in 1992