Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
For years, I have been hearing and reading stories of a captured Indian Army Helicopter on public display in Gilgit, Baltistan (Pakistan Occupied Kashmir). PakDef reported it as an Alouette III. But no pictures had emerged of it - till today when I stumbled on this photo by Ali Hameed on Webshots.
Ah .. the wonders of the Internet (for the umpteenth time).
It certainly is an Alouette - or a Chetak as we call it on our side of the border. Unfortunately trying to find out its provenance and identity is going to be an uphill task. The Helicopter is painted in non-standard Indian colors - There is no roundel or fin flash to be seen anywhere, let along the familiar 'Z' serial in white. The helicopter has the letters INDIAN ARMY painted on it along with the Indian tri color and rather interestingly, the Corps badge of XV Corps "Chinars" stationed in Srinagar.
Making the assumption that this is indeed an Indian helicopter (and that the Pakistanis are not playing a joke on us by painting one of their own Alouette IIIs in Indian colors) - The obvious question arises - how did it land up in Gilgit?
Over the years, several helicopters have been lost in and around Siachen. In the early years of Op Meghdoot, the missions were flown by Chetaks and only later were they replaced by the Cheetahs. Several could have been lost to the weather and elements over the initial years - and there is a high chance that the Pakistanis managed to recover one of the wrecks and ship it back to Gilgit. Its not implausible - just a couple of years ago a Cheetah of 114 HU overshot the landing pad at a forward post and rolled over into a valley killing the hapless pilot and co-pilot. The help of the Pakistanis was sought in recovering the crew member remains as the area were the wreck was now under Pakistani control. Several early Gallantry award citations from Siachen also talk about Helicopters crashing and abandoned in forward areas , or engines being removed out of crashed wrecks (Corporal C G Soman's Shaurya Chakra was on these lines).
Perhaps this was an Indian Army helicopter lost in the LoC area , outside of Siachen. Perhaps the helicopter was one lost in operations before Siachen came into its own? Whichever it may be, the fact the helicopter was transported to Gilgit suggests that it was in a more friendly 'recoverable' terrain than the hostile altitude of Siachen.
Whether the helicopter came from Siachen or outside, whether it was IAF or IA, one thing I can claim for sure is that the helicopter was surely built up from a crashed wreck. There are no remnants of the Turboshaft engine (suggesting salvage), the main rotor or the tail rotor blades - these possibly lost in a crash . And the front portion of the crew cabin, the plexiglass 'glass house' has been rebuilt from scratch (impact with the ground?)
My notes and records are not complete about Indian Army Chetak crashes - but I am sure some light will surface in due course of time. It is unfortunate that the Pakistanis had not retained the original markings of the aircraft - a serial number or the original paint scheme with stenciling would definitely have helped establish its identity. One of the reasons that the markings did not survive could be that they were burned out in the crash?
Perhaps one of the "Crazy brits" will go around peeking for its construction number? I wish!
aditya
Joined: 26 Jan 2006
Posts: 15
Posted: 08 Dec 07, 7:25 am Post subject:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi Jagan,
Did we fly Alouettes in 1971? Can it be from that conflict?
Back to top
Jagan
Joined: 08 Sep 2005
Posts: 444
Posted: 08 Dec 07, 9:02 am Post subject:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
aditya wrote:
Hi Jagan,
Did we fly Alouettes in 1971? Can it be from that conflict?
Aditya
Alouettes entered service in 61-62, and several were lost over the years in the LoC areas. I know of the following accidents
Nov 63 - The chopper carrying AVM Pinto, Lt GEn Daulet Singh, Lt Gen Bikram Singh and Maj Gen nanavati (With Flt Lt Sodhi as the pilot) crashed in the poonch river.
1964 This one
In 1971, another one crashed Hit Power Lines at Pt 7573 in Kashmir - killing Flt Lt Bajaj that was in the forward areas as well. The co pilot survived with injuries
These are just the known ones. I would assume there are atleast another half a dozen in the area during the period 1962-1980.
Back to top
aditya
Joined: 26 Jan 2006
Posts: 15
Posted: 18 Dec 07, 10:42 pm Post subject:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And more in Op Meghdoot?
Jagan wrote:
These are just the known ones. I would assume there are atleast another half a dozen in the area during the period 1962-1980.
Back to top
Jagan
Joined: 08 Sep 2005
Posts: 444
Posted: 29 Dec 07, 10:25 pm Post subject:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
aditya wrote:
And more in Op Meghdoot?
Jagan wrote:
These are just the known ones. I would assume there are atleast another half a dozen in the area during the period 1962-1980.
I am sure there were atleast a couple from Op Meghdoot. The initial ops were flown using Chetaks.
Helicopter says Indian army but the text below says Indian Airforce helicopter.