As the much awaited 18th G20 Summit is just around the corner, trainee commandos of Delhi Police on Friday embarked on a perilous helicopter slithering exercise, which is a part of the final rounds of dress rehearsal. According to the officials, helicopter slithering for the second batch of commandos was conducted from 9 am to 11 am at Delhi Police Academy in Jharoda Kalan.
Delhi is gearing up to host the G20 Summit which will be held in the national capital on September 9 and 10.
Slithering from a helicopter is considered to be an exceptionally perilous procedure. It brings with itself a significant amount of risk not only for the pilot but also for the individuals descending from the helicopter, due to the powerful rotor-generated wind gusts. A dedicated helipad was meticulously prepared within the grounds of the academy in order to facilitate this training session.
According to Sunil Kumar Gautam, Special Commissioner of Police (Training), "In the last lap of training, people are trained to de-board the helicopter. Our helicopters are kept at 15 metres distance and then our commandos come down with the help of a rope. This makes them confident. In the G20 summit, these will be installed at several special places, from where they can go and operate for security operations."
About the Helicopter Slithering exercise
According to the officials, the newly recruited trainee commandos of the city police demonstrated their proficiency in the helicopter slithering exercise at Delhi Police Academy (DPA) in Jharoda Kalan, officials said.
Nineteen sub-inspectors, including three women, and 162 constables from the Delhi Police undertook the 'Helicopter Slithering' field tactics drill training, which was conducted using a Border Security Force (BSF) MI-17 IV helicopter here, they said.
The constables have undergone three-month commando training at DPA. This rigorous training was essential to enhance the preparedness of law enforcement ahead of the G20 Summit and was carried out under the guidance of BSF Air-Wing and commando trainers from the academy, officials said.
During the session, newly recruited constables and sub-inspectors successfully executed helicopter slithering from heights of 7 metres and 10 metres, showcasing their exceptional skill and determination, they said.
In the last such exercise on May 30, 90 commandos comprised of 55 men and 35 women SWAT commandos also did their helicopter slithering training. A total of 500 commandos have already been trained for this exercise, they said.
