India Clears US$1.2 Billion Proposal To Acquire 32 ALH Druv Helicopter

India has cleared a proposal worth around Rs 8,000 crore (US$1.2 billion) for acquiring 32 ALH Dhruv helicopters to be built by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

The move provides a major boost to the maritime security capabilities of the Navy and Coast Guard, Mail Today reported Tuesday.

Of the 32 choppers to be built by the HAL, 16 each would be shared by the two services.

The project will be under the Make in India. “HAL would not only provide the helicopters but also develop the infrastructure for operations of these helicopters in both the services," the official said.

Incidentally, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) clearance for the project had also come in 2014 when Arun Jaitley was given the charge of Defence Ministry for the first time and the final approval has also come at a time when he is holding the office after Manohar Parrikar's departure to Goa.

At the moment, the Indian Navy has deployed its fleet of the ALH Dhruv helicopters in Kochi at its base INS Garuda but has now plans HAL to develop base for operations of 32 copters of deploying the fresh fleet at different bases across the coast line.

The Coast Guard has these twin-engine helicopters at its different bases for carrying out search and rescue and coastal surveillance missions.

"The Navy is also planning to equip the choppers with some low frequency sonars which would be developed by the force with the help of an advanced DRDO laboratory," the sources said.

After the signing of the contract, the forces are scheduled to get their first machine in the year 2020 and the last helicopter is scheduled to be provided to them by 2022.

The ALH is being employed for a variety of missions including advanced search and rescue, special heliborne, armed patrol, VVIP ferrying and transport operations by the Navy.