Light Combat Helicopter Launch, A.K Antony Absent

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BANGALORE, INDIA (GaeaTimes.com)- While the Light Combat Helicopter makes it first flight in India, A. K. Antony who happens to the Defense Minister remained absent at the launch. Reportedly, the Minister and his deputy M. Pallam Raju were to visit the launch of Light Combat Helicopter but they called it off on account of the aircraft crash in Mangalore. The Deputy to the Defense Minister told the media that the Minister was deeply hurt at the incident of Mangalore and so he canceled his visit to the inaugural ceremony of the Light Combat Helicopter that was held on Sunday.

The Defense Minister’s office told the media that the rescue parties are working upon to find the Black Box of the crashed aircraft and that they hope to retrieve the conversation that took place between the ATC (Air Traffic Controller) and the pilot of the aircraft.

On the other hand, the Light Combat Helicopter witnessed it’s inaugural flight in the presence of Air Marshal P.K. Barbora who happens to be the Vice-Chief of Air Staff. The Air Marshall said that he has issued a caution to the makers of the Light Combat Helicopter; Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd where he had mentioned that the Indian Forces wouldn’t accept any model of Light Combat Helicopter which has defects in its structure or in it’s modus operandi. It was said that the Light Combat Helicopter is capable of firing at multiple targets including moving objects and can take on heavy and extreme conditions. It is a one vehicle multiple purpose chopper that is well suited for any rescue, search or emergency operations. The Light Combat Helicopter weighs 5.5 tonne and has incurred a total cost of Rs 376-crore in its making.