Indian Air Force Chinooks Operating Normally, Say Sources, After US Army Grounds Them

Indian Air Power (IAF) operates over a dozen US-made Chinook helicopters

New Delhi:

The US-made Chinook helicopters serving within the Indian Air Power are “persevering with operations usually”, sources have informed NDTV, after the US Military grounded its fleet of workhorse CH-47 Chinooks following engine hearth incidents.

The Indian Air Power, or IAF, operates over a dozen twin-rotor Chinooks. They’re one of many most important airlift plane in high-altitude areas akin to Ladakh and Siachen Glacier. India obtained 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 among 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, just like a stress cooker gasket.

“The Military has recognized the foundation explanation for gas leaks that prompted a small variety of engine fires amongst an remoted variety of H-47 helicopters and is implementing corrective measures to resolve this challenge,” US Military spokeswoman Cynthia Smith stated.

“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 stated in a press release.

Honeywell stated it was not accountable 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 capable of 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 stated.