Wednesday Mi-17V-5 Crash: How Safe Are Indian Military Choppers?

The most tragic crash of Indian Air Force chopper Mi-17V-5 with India's first chief of defence staff,General Bipin Rawat on board has not only stunned the Nation but has also  perplexed the defence experts.How come that IAF extremely reliable chopper crashed with CDS on board? It was considered to be the safest and most reliable chopper. 

And as is in most crash cases, bad weather could be the one of the main reasons. The crash spot was said to be covered in thick mist. Initial reports suggest that the mishap reportedly occured due to low visibility caused by foggy conditions.But  how come that Indian Air Force most reliable and safest chopper crashed despite our most advanced meteorological system in place forecasting accurate weather.

Initial reports suggest that the crash took place due to low visibility caused by foggy conditions. As the black box of the ill-fated chopper has been found, it could throw light on the real reasons of the crash.

63-year-old Gen Rawat, was India's first chief of defence staff, an office set up in 2019 to improve coordination between the army, navy and air force. The chopper with Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife and several staff members on board crashed in Coonoor, a spot between Coimbatore and Sulur in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday.

  Defence experts say that Mi-17V-5 helicopters are extremely reliable and are the workhorses of the Air Force.This chopper is very sturdy and robust, and can fly in extreme circumstances. The Mi-17V-5 is the latest twin-engine chopper of the Russian-made Mi-17 transport helicopter and is used regularly for high-altitude operations. One of the most advanced military transports that can be used in any topography and weather, it is one of the most powerful choppers used by Indian defence forces.

It  is a military transport variant of the Mi-8/17 family of helicopters, globally famous for being versatile and reliable . The helicopters are produced by Kazan Helicopters, a subsidiary of Russian Helicopters in Kazan, Russia. The helicopter can be used in a wide variety of military operations right from troop and arms transport, fire support, convoy escort, patrol, and search-and-rescue (SAR) missions. The Ministry of Defence placed an order of 80 helicopters to the Russian Helicopters in December 2008 for the use of the chopper in the Indian Air Force (IAF). The deliveries began in 2011 and the final unit was handed over in 2018, according to Wikipedia.

It is to be noted that India is one of the largest operators of Russian military equipment. The Russian Helicopters holding company, has delivered to India 110 units of the Mi-4, 128 units of the Mi-8 and about 160 units of the Mi-17, according to Rostec.

Apart from Mi-17V-5 helicopters,  IAF operates four squadrons of the MiG-21, with the strength of each squadron ranging from 16-18. Unfortunately, India's longest-serving fighter plane, has seen more than 400 accidents in the last six decades in which more than 200 pilots have lost their lives.

And now the most safest and reliable chopper has also taken the precious life of India's the bravest and highest-ranking soldier

The latest crash has put put question mark over the Russian military aircraft. Now the question being asked is : Are these aircraft as robust and reliable as the American aircraft? The vulnerability of the Mig-21 was much bigger than other jet fighters including Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, Chengdu J-20. Sukhoi Su-57, and Dassault Rafale- India has lately acquired.

The Wednesday Mi-17V-5 chopper crash loudly says, India need to revise its military weaponry.

(Chander Sharma)