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‘Outdated Cheetah fleet still in use despite A.K. Antony’s assurance four years ago’
As India’s entire Sukhoi-30 fleet remains grounded and a committee inquires into the Cheetah helicopter crash that killed three young officers this month in Uttar Pradesh, wives of serving Army officials have joined hands to petition Prime Minister Narendra Modi against outdated defence equipment.
In a first, the ‘Indian Army Wives Agitation Group’ has sought the immediate replacement of unsafe military equipment.
“We think that precious life should not be wasted like this in accidents, just because better equipment could not be made available to them,” said Shuchi, wife of a serving Major. The spouses of 31 officers formed the ‘Indian Army Wives Agitation’ Group this month.
After giving details about the October 1 chopper crash at Bareilly, the petition urges the PM to “replace outdated and unsafe military equipment that endangers the lives of our soldiers.”
“We have faith in the Prime Minister who has given so much of encouragement to the Army. He also spent his Diwali with the soldiers in Siachen. We are sure that if things come to his notice, action will be taken. We need to bring it out and discuss it in the open,” Ms. Shuchi said.
The group also intends to give a representation to the Registrar of the Supreme Court on the problems in Cheetah and Chetak helicopters.
“Then Defence Minister A.K. Antony had said on the floor of the House a few years ago that the Cheetah fleet will be replaced soon. But more than four years later, the Army is still using it,” Ms. Meenal, another founder-member of the group, said.
‘In distress’
Throwing light on the plight of wives of serving officers, Ms. Meenal said: “We lead a highly stressful life. Every hour of the night and day, we are scared. We pray for the safety of our husbands and feel shattered by every news of a chopper crash. The officers who die in such accidents are people whom we have mingled with. They leave behind families of new-born babies and recently-wed spouses.”
The Army has so far issued several requests to the Defence Ministry for the replacement of the obsolete Cheetah and Chetak helicopters. Many Cheetah choppers have flown over 6,000 hours though they were built for 4,500 flying hours.
As India’s entire Sukhoi-30 fleet remains grounded and a committee inquires into the Cheetah helicopter crash that killed three young officers this month in Uttar Pradesh, wives of serving Army officials have joined hands to petition Prime Minister Narendra Modi against outdated defence equipment.
In a first, the ‘Indian Army Wives Agitation Group’ has sought the immediate replacement of unsafe military equipment.
“We think that precious life should not be wasted like this in accidents, just because better equipment could not be made available to them,” said Shuchi, wife of a serving Major. The spouses of 31 officers formed the ‘Indian Army Wives Agitation’ Group this month.
After giving details about the October 1 chopper crash at Bareilly, the petition urges the PM to “replace outdated and unsafe military equipment that endangers the lives of our soldiers.”
“We have faith in the Prime Minister who has given so much of encouragement to the Army. He also spent his Diwali with the soldiers in Siachen. We are sure that if things come to his notice, action will be taken. We need to bring it out and discuss it in the open,” Ms. Shuchi said.
The group also intends to give a representation to the Registrar of the Supreme Court on the problems in Cheetah and Chetak helicopters.
“Then Defence Minister A.K. Antony had said on the floor of the House a few years ago that the Cheetah fleet will be replaced soon. But more than four years later, the Army is still using it,” Ms. Meenal, another founder-member of the group, said.
‘In distress’
Throwing light on the plight of wives of serving officers, Ms. Meenal said: “We lead a highly stressful life. Every hour of the night and day, we are scared. We pray for the safety of our husbands and feel shattered by every news of a chopper crash. The officers who die in such accidents are people whom we have mingled with. They leave behind families of new-born babies and recently-wed spouses.”
The Army has so far issued several requests to the Defence Ministry for the replacement of the obsolete Cheetah and Chetak helicopters. Many Cheetah choppers have flown over 6,000 hours though they were built for 4,500 flying hours.
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The phallic looking object, equipment per se, is the 5 something loon which the women made marital promises to on the night of their weddings.
