June 17,
2008: Indian military manufacturers
continue to experience growing pains, as the Indian Navy announced it would not
purchase anymore Indian made Dhruv helicopters. The navy bought six of the
Dhruvs for evaluation, and did not like what they saw. The main complaints were
lack of engine power, and poor reliability. These were considered fatal flaws
for helicopters meant for SAR (search and rescue) and ASW (anti-submarine
warfare.)
The 5.5
ton Dhruv was in development for two decades before the first one was delivered
six years ago. Since then, nearly 80 have been delivered, mostly to the Indian
Army. But some foreign customers (Nepal and Myanmar) have also taken a few. A
series of crashes indicates some basic design flaws, which the manufacturer
insists does not exist. The navy disagrees, even though the fleet is desperate
to replace over three dozen of its elderly Sea King helicopters This is a 1950s
design, and the Indian Navy models are 20-35 years old.
