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Country's first Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat died in a Mi-17 V5 helicopter crash on December 8, 2021, and a parliamentary panel report has said the reason behind the accident which occurred that day was "human error". Gen Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat, and many other armed forces personnel had died after the military helicopter they were travelling in crashed near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu. The accident was widely reported in the media. In the report tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, the Standing Committee on Defence shared the data on the number of Indian Air Force aircraft crashes that took place during the 13th Defence Plan period. The total number of crashes stood at 34, including nine IAF aircraft accidents that took place in 2021-22 and 11 in 2018-19. The tabulated data in the report also contained a column titled "reason" that specified the cause of the accidents in this period, against the aircraft type and date and accident. The data for the 33rd accident listed i
With politicians and political party representatives crisscrossing the country for the Lok Sabha polls, the demand for chartered planes and helicopters has jumped up to 40 per cent, and the operators are expected to net 15-20 per cent more earnings, according to industry experts. The hourly rates for chartered services have also spiked. The charge is about Rs 4.5 -5.25 lakh for an aircraft and around Rs 1.5- 1.7 lakh for a twin engine helicopter, they said. While the demand has surged compared to the normal times and previous election years, there is lesser number of fixed wing aircraft and helicopters available. Some of the operators are looking to take planes and helicopters on wet lease. "There is an increase in demand for helicopters and it is up to 25 per cent more in the election period compared to the normal period. The supply is less compared to the demand," Rotary Wing Society of India (RWSI) President (Western Region) Captain Uday Gelli told PTI. Generally, political part
American aerospace major Boeing on Wednesday said it is starting production of the Apache choppers to be delivered to the Indian Army. The company will deliver a total of six AH-64E Apaches to the Indian Army. The AH-64 Apache is one of the world's most advanced multi-role combat helicopters and is flown by the US Army. "Boeing is starting production of the Indian Army's Apaches in Mesa, Arizona," the company said. Earlier this year, Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited (TBAL) delivered the Indian Army's first AH-64 Apache fuselage from its advanced facility in Hyderabad. "We are pleased to reach yet another significant milestone, highlighting Boeing's unwavering commitment to support India's defence capabilities," said Salil Gupte, president of Boeing India. "The advanced technology and proven performance of the AH-64 will enhance the Indian Army's operational readiness and strengthen its defense capabilities," he said. In 2020, Boeing completed delivery of 22 E-model Apaches to the I
Around 70 pilgrims stranded on the trek route to Madmaheshwar temple in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district were safely evacuated on Wednesday with the help of a helicopter and SDRF personnel, while efforts were underway to rescue over 80 devotees still stuck at the spot, officials said. More than 200 pilgrims got stranded on the route on Monday when a bridge at Bantoli in Gaundar village broke down following heavy rains.While 52 of them were rescued with the help of ropes by SDRF personnel by Tuesday evening, 70 more were rescued on Wednesday morning in a helicopter, he said. A total of 122 pilgrims have been rescued so far and it is hoped the rest will be rescued by the afternoon, Ukhimath Sub Divisional Magistrate Jitendra Verma said. If the weather continues to be clear all the pilgrims will be rescued by this afternoon, he said, adding adequate food items have been made available at the Madmaheshwar temple to take care of stranded pilgrims and a medical team besides a police ...
The fires that have broken out in Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary in Goa are being kept under control through the joint efforts of the Indian Navy, Indian Air Force and the forest department, state minister Vishwajit Rane said on Thursday. The Indian Navy has deployed helicopters, with 'Large Area Aerial Liquid Dispersion Equipment' mounted on them, to carry out sorties since Tuesday to douse the fires, a defence spokesperson said. The sanctuary, located in the north-eastern part of the state along the border with Karnataka, has been witnessing fires at multiple sites for the past six days. "An IAF helicopter has conducted reconnaissance of the sanctuary while the Indian Navy has deployed four helicopters. The fire has been kept under control and we are monitoring the situation on an hourly basis," Rane said. He said forest department officials are inside the sanctuary as part of the dousing operations, and, as on Thursday, there are three minor fires active in the area. "A total of 28