, Inducted into the IAF in 1998, India's first advanced light helicopter (ALH) 'Dhruv' has come out with flying colours clearing all trials for regular high- altitude operations in the Siachen skyline of Jammu and Kashmir.
Dhruv has cleared “all test trials” for flying over Siachen Glacier without “any error” and joined the category of of Chetak and Cheetah helicopters, which fly daily to the icy heights to maintain support services for troops based there, Air Force sources said.
The chopper has been validated for high-altitude, low temperature flying, required to maintain the supply lines for the Siachen region, they said.
“Dhruv qualified for the operations last month after the trials. It can now fly in the glacier sector in all conditions and conduct all types of operations required there”, the sources said.
Trials of the chopper, manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bangalore, were carried by Commanding Officer of Chandigarh-based Dhruv squadron Sq Ld Sandesh Mitra for over a six-month-period at different times and under various weather conditions.
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