"While no deaths or injuries occurred, the Army temporarily grounded the CH-47 fleet out of an abundance of caution, until those corrective actions are complete," the official added.
As per reports from the US media, the American Army grounded its entire fleet of CH-47 Chinook helicopters because of a risk of engine fires.
Chinook helicopters are known to be the icons of US wars from Vietnam to the Middle East. The Chinooks, originally known as the CH-47 are in service across the US armed forces as well as in nearly 20 countries including India.
As a result, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has also sought details from American defence manufacturer Boeing about the reasons behind the grounding of the Chinook helicopters.
The Indian Air Force operates its fleet of 15 Boeing-made Chinook helicopters which were acquired from the US and inducted into the service in March 2019.
The Indian fleet of Chinook choppers is based out of Chandigarh for operations in the north while another unit is located in Assam for taking care of the northeastern areas.
CH-47 Chinook: All you need to know about this iconic chopper
Chinook is an advanced multi-mission helicopter for the US Army and international defense forces.
The twin-engine aircraft is manufactured by Boeing Co. and its engines are made by Honeywell International Inc.
It contains a fully integrated, digital cockpit management system and advanced cargo-handling capabilities.
The Chinook’s primary mission, according to a Boeing web page, is the “transport of troops, artillery, equipment, and fuel."
In July 2018, Boing and the Indian government took a significant step toward modernizing the IAF's chopper fleet by completing the first flight of Chinook helicopters.
On 10 February 2019, Boeing announced the arrival of four CH-47F (I) Chinooks for the air force at the Mundra Port in Gujarat.
In 2020, Boeing completed the delivery of 15 Chinook helicopters to the Indian Air Force.
