Israel has decided to ground the fleet of ALHs it inducted to ferry VIPs and defence officials, barely weeks after the Indian armed forces did the same following a crash.
The Southeast Asian nation has been focusing on modernising its military in the face of myriad security challenges as well as decades-long territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea.
While the Army will be getting around 100 light utility helicopters, it is also looking at the option of taking choppers on lease to meet its requirement.
In the wake of the accident off the Mumbai coast two days ago, the defence forces have halted the operations of the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv till the time investigators find the reason for the incident and precautionary checks are carried out.
The Navy and the Coast Guard had grounded their respective ALH Dhruv fleets in March following two similar incidents involving the platform.
Despite a disappointing Q4 FY26 performance, many analysts remain bullish on Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) due to its substantial order book and pipeline. However, persistent supply chain issues, particularly for jet engines, and execution challenges are key factors that could impact its future stock performance and revenue growth.
Glimpses from Vayu Shakti 2026 highlight India's aerial might and combat readiness. From sonic booms to precision strikes, the Indian Air Force showcased its full-spectrum capabilities over Rajasthan skies.
The light utility helicopter will replace the military's obsolescent fleet of Chetak and Cheetah helicopters that have flown for over three decades.
India's defence sector is on the cusp of a 'super cycle' of growth, driven by escalating geopolitical conflicts and a strong policy push towards indigenous manufacturing, with major players like BEL, HAL, and BDL poised for significant order inflows and technological advancements.
The 5.8-tonne twin-engine gunship chopper is armed with air-to-air missiles, 20 mm turret guns, rocket systems and other weapons.
The Army is looking at procuring the LUHs and LCHs to replace its ageing fleets of Cheetah and Chetak helicopters.
Top sources in the air wing said that while two 'Dhruvs' are gathering dust at the Raipur airbase for the last two months as their spare parts are unavailable, the third is with the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, as it had clocked 500 flying hours after which it needs servicing.
India showcased its indigenous short-range tactical missile Pralay for the first time at the Republic Day parade on Sunday. The missile, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and has a range of 150 to 500 kms. The parade featured an array of other indigenously built missiles, surveillance systems, and weapon systems, reflecting India's growing military prowess. The DRDO displayed its latest innovations for national security, including the quick reaction surface-to-air missile, airborne early warning and control system, and drone detect, deter and destroy system.
"The IAF played a vital role in five of the seven phases of the general elections, flying over 1,000 hours in over 1,750 sorties," it said.
The indigenously designed and developed Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH-Dhruv) and the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas will not be part of the upcoming Republic Day flypast in India due to the grounding of the entire fleet of ALH-Dhruv helicopters following a crash earlier this month. The grounding of the helicopters is a result of a Coast Guard ALH crash in Porbandar, Gujarat on January 5, which claimed the lives of two pilots and an aircrew diver. The decision to exclude the ALH-Dhruv and Tejas from the flypast comes as a high-level probe panel investigates the cause of the crash.
The Light Combat Helicopter is heavily armoured to protect its two pilots from enemy fire, and has a 'stealthy' fuselage that is hard to detect with radar. Ajai Shukla reports
The theme of the President's Fleet Review-2022 was 'Indian Navy -- 75 years in Service of the Nation', commemorating the Azaadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
In a major setback to India's efforts to market its indigenous helicopters in the overseas market, a Dhruv helicopter sold to the Ecuadorian Air Force on Wednesday crashed in Quito during a military parade, leaving two of the pilots injured.
Russia's Rostech State Corporation has tied up with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for manufacture of at least 200 Kamov 226T light helicopters to replace the ageing fleet of Cheetah and Chetak, in a deal estimated to be worth $1 billion under 'Make in India' initiative.
The 'Rudra' is the first weaponised chopper built in the country and will be inducted into the Army Aviation Corps in the current financial year, army officials said in New Delhi.
The LCH can provide our soldiers fire support in 15,000-16,000 feet-high contested areas like Depsang, Galwan and the heights north and south of the Pangong Tso, where Indian soldiers are facing off against Chinese intruders.
The performance of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for 2024-25 (FY25) was driven by improved margins and lower provisions. The order book as of March was of Rs 1.8 trillion, with inflows of Rs 1 trillion during FY25.
HAL's order book amounts to Rs 2.45 trillion by end of Q2FY26, implying a book-to-bill ratio of 32 times based on FY25 revenue.
HAL's sustained, long-term income will come from the design, development, manufacture, overhaul, and upgrade of a family of helicopters designed for deployment on India's 21,000-foot-high Himalayan frontier with Pakistan and China.
To enable Indian banks and financial institutions to develop an aircraft-leasing ecosystem at GIFT City, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has sought support from the Ministry of Finance. It has also raised concern over slow progress in developing aircraft leasing in India.
It is the first mega exercise involving the two aircraft carriers after induction of the indigenously-built INS Vikrant in September.
Dhruv and LUH helicopters must supply provisions to, and evacuate casualties from Siachen Glacier posts like Sonam, which, at 20,997 feet, is the highest inhabited spot on the planet.
Three people were killed after the MiG-21 fighter aircraft crashed into a house in Hanumangarh in Rajasthan shortly after it took off for a routine training sortie from the Air Force Station at Suratgarh.
The triennial exercise will take place for two hours and fifteen minutes during the day, dusk and night, he said.
The expansion plan will see the maritime security force acquire Advanced Light Helicopters, Twin-engine Helicopters and Maritime Multi-mission Surveillance Aircraft.
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Ship 'Sajag' was commissioned by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
The mesmerizing march included elite marching contingents, missiles, warplanes, surveillance gadgets and lethal weapon systems, with French President Emmanuel Macron gracing the occasion as the chief guest.
The IAF chief said there was no technical problem in the engine of the aircraft as the Mi 17 V5 fleet is still flying.
'Our production capacity ramp-up initiatives are expected to meet the critical requirements of our armed forces.'
This was the first time General Rawat flew in the home-made fighter jet, known for its agility, being the smallest and lightest multirole supersonic fighter jet in its class.
The Indian Air force has asked the government to procure the Swiss Pilatus basic trainer aircraft to train its rookie pilots instead of a similar aircraft being indigenously developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
American armaments dominated the defence services's show of weaponry.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday flew a sortie in a Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) after a fleet of the highly agile choppers was inducted into the Indian Air Force.
The ministry's year-end review is silent on the continued occupation by Chinese troops of territory that India has always claimed and patrolled.
The government has cleared the lone bid of Airbus-TATA consortium for replacing Indian Air Force's fleet of ageing Avro transport aircraft for Rs 11,930 crore besides approving Russia's offer to build Kamov Ka-226T helicopters under 'Make in India' initiative.
