An Indian Army Aviation Cheetah helicopter flying an operational sortie near Bomdila, Arunachal Pradesh, crashed Thursday. The helicopter is reported to have lost contact with the ATC at around 9:15 am.
According to the Army, the helicopter is reported to have crashed near Mandala, West of Bomdila, and a search has been launched to locate the pilots.
The ageing Chetak and Cheetah helicopters with the IAF and the Army are in dire need of replacement, even as they form the lifeline of the forces in high-altitude areas. There are around 200 Cheetah and Chetak helicopters in service at present
Last month, Army Chief General Manoj Pande said the Army is looking at inducting around 95 Light Combat Helicopters and 110 Light Utility Helicopters (LUH) in the future as part of enhancing its overall combat aviation profile.
