New Delhi, February 12, 2024-
The Indian Air Force (IAF) Saran Helicopter Exhibition Team will demonstrate its operations at the Singapore Air Show, where five Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) will also be in attendance.
A 71-member team from the IAF’s Saran Helicopter Exhibition Team landed at Singapore’s Paya Lebar Air Base on Monday to participate in the 2024 Singapore Air Show.
According to the Ministry of Defense, the Saran Helicopter Exhibition Team will use five Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH), also known as ‘Dhruv’, to perform spectacular maneuvers at the event. Guidance was provided by an IAF C-17 Globemaster III heavy lift aircraft.
The biennial Singapore Airshow is scheduled to be held from February 20 to February 24. The show will showcase a variety of air shows with participants from all over the world.
It is noteworthy that the Saran Helicopter Display Team was formed in 2003 and its first international performance took place at the Asian Air and Space Show in Singapore in 2004.
Initially formed as a three-helicopter formation, the Saran team now boasts five helicopters on display and has made more than 1,200 exhibitions at more than 385 venues around the world, the Ministry of Defense said.
According to the ministry, the Dhruv Helicopter, designed and conceived by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, is an all-weather, multi-mission helicopter with a rigid, unhinged rotor for increased maneuverability. It is said to be suitable for military roles.
The ALH variant flown by the Saran team is the ALH MK-I. Other variants are ALH Mk-II, ALH MK-IIII, but the latest variant is the armed version, ALH MK IV. (agency)