Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Germany's HENSOLDT Sensors GmbH have signed a landmark contract at the Dubai Air Show 2025 for the Transfer of Design, Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), and manufacturing and repair capabilities of an advanced LiDAR-based Obstacle Avoidance System (OAS) and Degraded Visual Environment (DVE) suite for helicopter platforms.

This technology partnership aims to provide Indian military helicopters with synthetic vision and 3D symbology to detect critical obstacles such as wires, masts, pylons, and terrain even in poor visibility conditions.

The LiDAR sensor, HENSOLDT’s SferiSense, offers high angular accuracy and real-time obstacle detection, enabling safer low-level flight operations by drastically reducing the risk of Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) accidents, a leading cause of helicopter mishaps worldwide.

The contract empowers HAL to indigenously design, manufacture, integrate, test, and sustain these sophisticated avionics systems, marking a significant advance for India's aerospace ecosystem.

Importantly, HAL will also hold the export rights to this next-generation OAS and DVE technology, positioning India among a select group of countries with sovereign capability to produce and export such advanced helicopter safety solutions.

This collaboration goes beyond a standard procurement deal by enabling deep technology transfer, ensuring India owns the design and IPR for this critical helicopter safety tech.

The system integration will cover Indian helicopter platforms like the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) and others in service, enhancing operational safety in degraded visual environments caused by adverse weather, terrain, or obstacles that are otherwise difficult for pilots to detect.

Leaders from both HAL and HENSOLDT emphasise that this partnership will strengthen indigenous defence capabilities and advance India's footprint in cutting-edge aerospace technology with potential global export opportunities.

The deal reflects growing Indo-German defence-industrial cooperation and sets a new benchmark in helicopter safety enhancement through LiDAR-based synthetic vision systems.​

IDN (With Agency Inputs)