Indian Air Drive (IAF) operates over a dozen US-made Chinook helicopters
New Delhi:
The US-made Chinook helicopters serving within the Indian Air Drive are “persevering with operations usually”, sources have advised NDTV, after the US Military grounded its fleet of workhorse CH-47 Chinooks following engine hearth incidents.
The Indian Air Drive, or IAF, operates over a dozen twin-rotor Chinooks. They’re one of many foremost airlift plane in high-altitude areas comparable to Ladakh and Siachen Glacier. India acquired the primary batch of Chinooks in February 2019.
The US Military transfer to floor the helicopters – an icon of US wars from Vietnam to the Center East – will depart some 400 of the well-armed, heavy-duty Chinooks out of service owing to what engine-maker Honeywell described as “suspect O-rings” utilized in a number of the plane that didn’t meet its specs, information company AFP reported.
O-rings are used to dam a path, which can in any other case permit a liquid or a gasoline to flee, much like a stress cooker gasket.
“The Military has recognized the foundation explanation for gasoline leaks that precipitated a small variety of engine fires amongst an remoted variety of H-47 helicopters and is implementing corrective measures to resolve this subject,” US Military spokeswoman Cynthia Smith mentioned.
“Whereas no deaths or accidents occurred, the Military quickly grounded the H-47 fleet out of an abundance of warning, till these corrective actions are full,” she mentioned in a press release.
Honeywell mentioned it was not liable for the problematic “O-rings” however didn’t determine the place they had been manufactured or who put in them, AFP reported.
“The US Military and Honeywell had been in a position to validate that not one of the questionable O-rings originated or had been a part of any Honeywell manufacturing or Honeywell-overhauled engines,” the corporate mentioned.
