The Ministry of Defence on Wednesday inked two contracts totaling Rs 8,073 crore with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) to procure 34 advanced light helicopters (ALH) and related equipment for the Indian Army and the Coast Guard. The agreement specifies that the Army will get 25 Dhruv Mk-III helicopters, while the Coast Guard will receive nine, as stated by the Ministry. It described the acquisition under the Indian-IDDM (Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured) category as a significant move towards indigenisation in defence manufacturing.
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) cleared the two procurement projects last week. “Consequent upon approval of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), the Ministry of Defence signed two contracts for a combined value of Rs 8073.17 crore with the HAL on March 13 for the acquisition of 34 Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) Dhruv Mk III along with operational role equipment for Indian Army (25 ALHs) and Indian Coast Guard (09 ALHs) under Buy (Indian-IDDM) category,” the Ministry said in its statement.
The ALH Dhruv Mk III UT (Utility), tailored for the Indian Army, is engineered for search and rescue, troop transportation, and casualty evacuation, among other duties. According to the Ministry, due to its high altitude capabilities, it has demonstrated its efficacy in challenging terrains like the Siachen Glacier and Ladakh. Similarly, the ALH Mk III MR (Maritime Role), the ICG version designed for the Indian Coast Guard, specialises in maritime surveillance, search and rescue missions, rappelling operations, and troop transport. The Ministry said it has proved its mettle even in adverse atmospheric conditions over sea and land.
“The project will generate employment of an estimated 190 Lakh man-hours during its duration. It will also entail the supply of equipment from more than 200 MSMEs, and 70 local vendors will be involved in the indigenisation process, which is likely to have a positive impact on employment generation in this sector,” it said.
Considered a significant step toward indigenisation, the helicopter fleet inducted into the Indian Coast Guard is poised to replace ageing light utility choppers. At the same time, the Indian Army plans to deploy them across various operational domains by strengthening its aviation wing. The Advanced Light Helicopter (Dhruv) is a multi-role, next-generation helicopter in the 5.5-ton weight category, designed and developed domestically by Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL).
Ravi Shankar
