Bengaluru (NVI): In a significant achievement, the indigenously-developed Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv MKIII MR has successfully demonstrated its deck-operations, making it eligible to carry out extended operations from the ships, like surveillance and search and rescue.
Dhruv Mk III MR is equipped with the most modern surveillance radar that can detect and identify ships and boats up to a range of 120 nautical miles to enable the Indian Coast Guard in its duty to secure the nation from threats, said the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), which has built the helicopter.
Coupled with an electro-optical sensor that can closely monitor even the smallest of the vessels at distances as far as 30 nautical miles, ALH Dhruv will boost the capabilities of the Indian Coast Guard, the HAL added in a statement.
HAL had recently delivered ALH Dhruv Mk III MR to Indian Coast Guard as part of its 16 ALH Contract.
With the successful demonstration of the capabilities like landing on the deck, folding of blades and stowage, the helicopter is now ready to be fielded for operations, said HAL Chairman and Managing Director R. Madhavan.
The ship-borne trials were conducted recently off the Chennai coast in collaboration with the Indian Coast Guard and it covered maintenance activities inside the hangar and on the deck, hot refuelling with engines running on the deck, the HAL said.
“These trials have proven the capability of ALH Dhruv to carry out extended operations from ships. Some of the missions that were successfully executed were surveillance, search and rescue, antipollution to address oil spillage, etc,” the statement said.
