Ladakh: IAF Apache helicopter damaged during emergency landing, both pilots safe

New Delhi: During an operational training sortie, An Indian Air Force (IAF) Apache helicopter made an emergency landing in Ladakh on Wednesday. In a statement, the IAF said,“An IAF Apache helicopter carried out a precautionary landing during an operational training sortie in Ladakh AOR on 03 April 24.”

It added,”During the process of this landing, it sustained damage due to undulating terrain and high altitude.” The IAF said the incident happened due to the challenges posed by the undulating terrain and high altitude in the Ladakh area of responsibility (AOR).

The IAF said that both the pilots on board are safe and have been recovered to the nearest airbase. The IAF has initiated a Court of Inquiry to investigate and determine the exact cause of the emergency landing. The IAF operates 22 Apache attack helicopters procured from Boeing under a ₹13,952 crore deal in September 2015.

Additionally, the Indian Army is in the process of receiving six Apache helicopters under a separate contract inked in February 2020, valued at Rs 5,691 crore. last month raised the 451 Aviation Squadron at Jodhpur that will operate them. These six helicopters were contracted at a cost of around $800 mn in February 2020.