Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s (HAL) Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv Mk-III-MR has successfully demonstrated its deck-operations capabilities such as landing on deck, folding of blades and storing the helicopter inside the onboard hangar.

The ship-borne trials off Chennai coast in collaboration with the Indian Coast Guard concluded recently. It covered maintenance activities inside the hangar and on the deck and hot refuelling with engines running on the deck.

The helicopter is equipped with the most modern and reliable Shakti engines and an advanced glass cockpit.

These trials have proven the capability of 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. With the successful demonstration of these capabilities like blade folding, stowage, the helicopter is now ready to be fielded for operations.

Dhruv MK-III-MR is equipped with the most advanced surveillance radar that can detect and identify ships and boats up to a range of 120 nautical miles to help the Indian Coast Guard in its duty to protect the nation from threats.

“Coupled with an electro-optical sensor that can closely monitor even the smallest of the vessels at distances as far as 30 nautical miles, Dhruv will boost the capabilities of the Indian Coast Guard.

HAL