Army Aviation Corps (India)

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Army Aviation Corps
AAC insignia.svg
Army Aviation badge
Founded1 November 1986
Country India
AllegianceRepublic of India
Branch Indian Army
TypeArmy aviation
RoleBattlefield support, reconnaissance
Size180 manned aircraft
Decorations
Commanders
Director generalLieutenant General Ajay Kumar Suri[1]
Aircraft flown
AttackHAL Rudra, HAL LCH
TransportHAL Dhruv, HAL Chetak, HAL Cheetah

The Army Aviation Corps is a component of the Indian Army which was formed on 1 November 1986. The corps is headed by a director general (with the rank of lieutenant general) at army headquarters in New Delhi.

History[]

In 1984, the Indian Army's Northern Command inducted the HAL Cheetah during the Siachen Glacier conflict. Two years later, the Indian Air Force's Air Observation Post units were transferred to the Indian Army to form its Army Aviation Corps. With nine helicopter squadrons, the corps supported ground units by carrying men and material to the 70-kilometre (43 mi) Siachen Glacier until the 2003 ceasefire.

During the late-1980s Indian intervention in the Sri Lankan Civil War, the corps experienced jungle warfare. A unit of the Army Aviation Corps operated in Somalia as part of United Nations Operation in Somalia II from October 1993 to November 1994. During the operation, the corps flew over 2,000 hours accident-free with 100-percent serviceability in desert-like conditions. It also participated in the 1999 Kargil War.

Present day[]

Role[]

Army Aviation Corps pilots are drawn from other combat arms, including artillery officers. The Indian Air Force flies attack helicopters such as the Mil Mi-25/Mi-35 and HAL Rudra, which are under the operational control of the army. Helicopters such as the HAL Chetak, HAL Cheetah and HAL Dhruv provide logistical support for the Indian Army in remote and inaccessible areas.

The Army Aviation Corps also perform combat search and rescue (CSAR), artillery lift, combat transportation, logistics relief, military prisoner transportation and medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) in wartime and during natural disasters. The director general of the Army Aviation Corps is Lt Gen A.K. Suri.[2]

Training[]

Army Aviation Corps candidates are trained at the Combat Army Aviation Training School (CATS) in Nashik; training was previously conducted at the School of Artillery in Deolali.[3] A Cheetah helicopter simulator was installed at CATS to reduce training costs and pilot risk. The simulator exposes trainees to snow, rain, varied terrain, night flying, emergencies, and tactical maneuvers.[4]

Squadrons[]

The Army Aviation Corps has several squadrons. Among them are:[5][6][7]

  • 201 Army Aviation Squadron "Night Raiders" (Dhruv Utility Helicopters)[8]
  • 202 Army Aviation Squadron "Soaring Gideons" (Dhruv Utility Helicopters)
  • 203 Army Aviation Squadron "Ladakh Leviathans" (Dhruv Utility Helicopters)
  • 204 Army Aviation Squadron "Soldiers of the Sky" (Dhruv Utility Helicopters)
  • 206 Army Aviation Squadron "Hornbills" (Dhruv Utility Helicopters)
  • 207 Army Aviation Squadron "Magnificent 7" (Dhruv Utility Helicopters)
  • 251 Army Aviation Squadron (Rudra ALH-WSI Helicopters)
  • 252 Army Aviation Squadron (Rudra ALH-WSI Helicopters)
  • 257 Army Aviation Squadron "The Destroyers" (Rudra ALH-WSI Helicopters)
  • 301 Army Aviation Squadron - Special Operations (Dhruv Utility and Rudra ALH-WSI Helicopters)[9]
  • 659 Army Aviation Squadron (Chetak and Cheetah Utility Helicopters)
  • 660 Army Aviation Squadron (Chetak and Cheetah Utility Helicopters)
  • 661 Army Aviation Squadron (Cheetah Utility Helicopters)
  • 662 Army Aviation Squadron
  • 663 Army Aviation Squadron "Snow Leopards" (Cheetah, Chetak and Dhruv Utility Helicopters)
  • 664 Army Aviation Squadron (Chetak and Cheetah Utility Helicopters)
  • 665 Army Aviation Squadron "Daring Hawks" (Cheetah, Chetak and Dhruv Utility Helicopters)
  • 666 Army Aviation Squadron "Siachen Saviours" (Cheetah and Dhruv Utility Helicopters)
  • 668 Army Aviation Squadron "Desert Chetaks" (Chetak Utility Helicopters)
  • 667 Army Aviation Squadron "Eastern Hawks" (Dhruv Utility Helicopters)
  • 669 Army Aviation Squadron "Desert Hawks" (Cheetah / Lancer and Rudra ALH-WSI Helicopters)
  • 670 Army Aviation Squadron "Blazing Falcons" (Cheetah and Dhruv Utility Helicopters)

In addition, there are several Reconnaissance and Observation (R&O) flights that operate independently and are not attached to any squadrons.

Aircraft[]

Main article: List of active Indian military aircraft § Army Aviation Corps
Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Helicopters
HAL Dhruv India Utility 109 95 on order[10]
HAL Rudra India Armed Scout 75 25 on order[11]
HAL Chetak France Liaison / Utility 4[10] license-built version of the Alouette III
HAL Cheetah India Liaison / Utility 35 10 on order[10]
HAL Light Combat Helicopter India Attack 1[12] 4 under Limited series Production.
Boeing AH-64 United States Attack AH-64E(I) 6 on order[10]
HAL Light Utility Helicopter India Utility helicopter 6 on order.[13]
UAV
IAI Heron Israel Surveillance Heron 1 16 on order[14]
IAI Searcher[15] Israel Surveillance Mk. I / II

Plans[]

An Army Dhruv at the ILA Berlin Air Show 2008

In 2012, the army was evaluating helicopters from Kamov, Eurocopter and AgustaWestland for its light-helicopter contract for supplying troops stationed at high altitudes. The $750 million contract for the 197 helicopters intended to replace its 1970s Chetak and Cheetah helicopters for high-altitude surveillance and logistics. The successful bidder would provide 60 helicopters in operating condition; the remaining 137 aircraft would be produced by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The successful bidder was required to invest at least 30 percent of the contract in India.[16] In December 2014, the Kamov Ka-226T was selected as a light utility helicopter to replace the Chetak and Cheetah while the HAL Light Utility Helicopter was developed. Kamov would build a production plant in India, and 197 helicopters would be purchased under the Make in India program.[17][18] Of these 135 are earmarked for the Indian Army.[19]

The army is planning to acquire the HAL Light Combat Helicopter, which is under development by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, to meet its requirements for a high-altitude—16,300 feet (5,000 m)—anti-armour and anti-infantry helicopter. It is also planning to acquire a 3-tonne, single-engine HAL Light Utility Helicopter for reconnaissance.

Other planned acquisitions are:

  • Boeing AH-64 Apache - In Feb 2020, The Indian Army Ordered 6 helicopters which is expected to be delivered in early 2023.[20]
  • Reconnaissance and surveillance helicopters – The HAL Light Utility Helicopter will replace the fleet of Cheetah and Chetak helicopters.[21] The Indian Army requires 394 light helicopters, which the Defence Ministry decided to meet in two purchases. To meet immediate requirements, 197 light helicopters would be procured on the international market; Hindustan Aeronautics Limited would develop and manufacture 187 HAL Light Utility Helicopter, of which 126 would be for the Indian Army.[22]
  • General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper - Indian Army is Planning to buy 10 armed predator drones.[23]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Lieutenant General Ajay Kumar Suri assumed the appointment of Director General & Colonel Commandant of Army Aviation on 21 Jun 2021". 21 June 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  2. ^ "The Official Home Page of the Indian Army". www.indianarmy.nic.in. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  3. ^ "37 pilots, 10 instructors complete Army chopper course at CATS". The Financial Express. 12 May 2018. Archived from the original on 3 October 2018. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
  4. ^ "Army Aviation Corps (AAC)". Bharat Rakshak. Archived from the original on 3 October 2018. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
  5. ^ https://indianarmy.nic.in/Site/FormTemplete/frmTempSimple.aspx?MnId=Arj9IksaXW3SJ0ZPTxIong==&ParentID=lJZXbjvpJZ1qruZgYqovQw==&flag=iOzywkAw4H+Z8pg/eUi8ow==
  6. ^ https://www.scramble.nl/planning/orbats/india/india-army
  7. ^ http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/ARMY/units/29-Army-Aviation-Corps.html
  8. ^ http://sainiksamachar.nic.in/englisharchives/2017/feb01-17/h17.htm
  9. ^ https://zeenews.india.com/india/cockpit-view-of-rudra-formation-by-iaf-grand-fly-past-featuring-75-aircraft-at-republic-day-parade-watch-2430899.html
  10. ^ a b c d "World Air Forces 2021". Flightglobal Insight. 2020. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  11. ^ Peri, Dinakar (26 June 2021). "Despite shortages, Army Aviation raises tempo in operations along LAC".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ^ "Deliveries started, but HAL yet to get contract for LCH". Hindustan Times. 6 September 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  13. ^ Peri, Dinakar (21 June 2021). "Army to get indigenous light helicopters by Dec. 2022". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  14. ^ Bedi, Rahul (20 February 2013). "India signs up for more Heron UAVs". IHS Jane's Defence Weekly. 50 (12). ISSN 2048-3430.
  15. ^ Bedi, Rahul (16 September 2015). "India to buy Heron TP UAVs". IHS Jane's Defence Weekly. 52 (44). ISSN 2048-3430.
  16. ^ "Indian Military News Headlines ::". Bharat-Rakshak.com. Archived from the original on 6 March 2012. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
  17. ^ "Make in India: Defence ministry okays $3.4 billion deals including procurement of US-origin M777 artillery guns". Archived from the original on 29 October 2015.
  18. ^ "Rogozin: India will produce at Mi-17 and Ka-226T". DefenceRadar. 12 December 2014. Archived from the original on 24 July 2015. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
  19. ^ "World Air Forces 2020". FlightGlobal.com. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  20. ^ Gady, Franz-Stefan. "US, India Sign Contract for 6 More AH-64E Attack Helicopters". thediplomat.com. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  21. ^ "HAL light utility helicopter project achieves another milestone". @businessline. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
  22. ^ Shukla, Ajai (10 December 2018). "HAL's light chopper tested to 20,000 feet, ready for high altitude trial". Business Standard India. Archived from the original on 11 December 2018. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
  23. ^ "India plans to buy 30 MQ-9 Reaper drones for $3 billion from US company General Atomics". Business Insider. Retrieved 16 July 2021.

External links[]

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