There will be a reassessment of the VVIP flight procedures.” Court of inquiry findings would be used to form the basis of a new investigation, Indian Air Force Chief of Staff (IAF) Air Marshal Ashfaq Kayani said during an Air Force Academy graduation procession near Hyderabad.
India’s first chief of defense staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat was among the 14 died in the Coonoor helicopter accident, which was investigated by an investigative panel, Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari said on Saturday.
There will be a reassessment of the VVIP flight procedures.” Court of inquiry findings would be used to form the basis of a new investigation, Indian Air Force Chief of Staff (IAF) Air Marshal Ashfaq Kayani said during an Air Force Academy graduation procession near Hyderabad.
The Indian Air Force’s most senior helicopter pilot, Air Marshal Manavendra Singh, is leading the investigation into the chopper accident in Bengaluru. His 39-year military career has seen him face death several times, including one of the gravest incidents in Indian Air Force (IAF) history involving the Russian-made Mi-17 helicopters.
The Mi-17V5, an improved version of the Mi-17, crashed near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu, killing Rawat and the other passengers. After a week of battle for his life, Group Captain Varun Singh, the lone survivor from the incident, passed away on Wednesday. Died of natural causes on December 8th.
Within a few weeks, the investigation into the accident is expected to be completed. “I don’t want to go ahead with the court of inquiry’s conclusions because it’s a lengthy process.” As Chaudhari put it, “It’s going to look at everything that may have gone wrong, and it’s going to come up with appropriate suggestions and conclusions.”
A tragic blow to India’s planned military reforms, the CDS chopper accident sent shockwaves through the country’s military establishment and prompted issues about succession in the armed services.
Despite the poor visibility in the region where the helicopter went down in the last seconds of the disaster, it is not yet obvious what went wrong with the aircraft. At Wellington’s Defense Services Staff College (DSSC), Rawat was scheduled to give a lecture when the helicopter crashed.
Sulur Air Base’s Mi-17V5 took off for Wellington at 11:48am and landed at 12:15pm. The chopper was just seven minutes from its destination when air traffic control in Sulur lost communication with aircraft at 12:08 p.m.
Around 145 of these choppers are now in use by the air force, which considers them to be sophisticated, dependable, and safe. At least six of the 151 Russian-built Mi-17V5 helicopters India purchased a decade ago had been lost in accidents.
The Mi-17V5 is a helicopter built by Russian Helicopters that can transport people, goods, and equipment. It is also capable of airdropping troops into hostile territory. In addition to avionics, a self-defense system, and sophisticated features, the helicopter is capable of day and night flights in bad weather conditions.
Rockets, guns, and small weapons may be added to the Mi-17V5’s armored cockpit for offensive missions. In addition, it can reach a high speed of 250 kilometers per hour and a range of 1,180 kilometers with extra fuel tanks.
Chaudhari said India was constantly assessing the threats from Pakistan and China and was fully aware of the scenario at the borders.. We’re still in a standoff with China. Despite the fact that soldiers have been withdrawn from certain regions of Ladakh, full disengagement has not yet occurred. Maintaining deployments in forward regions will continue to be a priority for the IAF. He went on to say, “We are ready to take on any challenge that we may encounter in that area.
