Indian AH-64 Apache Helicopter “Stranded” After “Loss of Power” During High-Altitude Operation

(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) – It’s been four months since an Indian Air Force AH-64 “Apache” attack helicopter has been stranded in Ladakh near the country’s border with Tibet and the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China, following damage sustained during high-altitude operations.

The incident involving the U.S.-made Boeing attack helicopter occurred in April, and both the Indian military and Boeing are working to repair the helicopter, but efforts have been hindered by the challenging high-altitude conditions in the region.

The Apache attack helicopter experienced a “loss of power” while conducting a training flight in the high-altitude terrain of Ladakh, forcing an emergency landing that caused additional damage to the aircraft.

The emergency landing took place at Khardung La, an area located at an altitude of 12,000 feet.

Both the Indian Air Force and Boeing are striving to repair the helicopter, including attempts to transport it down from the high-altitude area.

 However, these efforts have so far been unsuccessful due to concerns that the helicopters assigned to transport the damaged Apache might also face a “loss of power” when operating in such high-altitude conditions.

Among the helicopters considered for transporting the damaged Apache are the Russian-made Mi-26 and the American-made Chinook which ia also operated by the Indian Armed Forces.

“Any helicopter operating in that high-altitude area risks a sudden ‘loss of load carrying capacity,'” sources said.

Another option being considered to retrieve the damaged Indian Air Force Apache is to dismantle the helicopter into smaller sections before transporting it to a repair facility located at a lower-altitude military base.

This incident involving the Indian Air Force’s AH-64 Apache attack helicopter is the fifth such incident involving Apache helicopters worldwide this year, raising concerns within the manufacturer.

The AH-64 Apache has been in service for four decades.

The Indian Air Force currently operates 28 AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, with 22 acquired in 2015 and an additional six in 2020, primarily to counter threats from China in the LAC area and Pakistan.

This year alone, four AH-64 Apache attack helicopters operated by the U.S. Army National Guard and U.S. Army have crashed, resulting in the deaths of several crew members.

In March, an incident involving an Apache helicopter occurred at Fort Carson, Colorado, United States.

 The ill-fated helicopter was part of the U.S. Army’s 4th Combat Aviation Brigade and was involved in an accident during a training flight, causing minor injuries to the pilot and gunner.

A few days before the March incident, another Apache AH-64E, the latest variant operated by the U.S. Army’s 16th Combat Aviation Brigade, was involved in a routine training accident at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington State, resulting in injuries to both the pilot and gunner.

These two U.S. Army Apache helicopter accidents occurred shortly after two other Apache helicopters were involved in accidents in February.

As of 2020, the U.S. Army and National Guard operated approximately 700 AH-64 Apache attack helicopters for active operations both domestically and internationally. The U.S. Army began operating the Apache AH-64 attack helicopter in 1984, nearly four decades ago. — DSA