Indian Navy And Coast Guard To Get 32 Dhruv Mk III Advanced Light Helicopters worth $1.19 Billion

[Chanakya's_Chant]

Indian Navy And Coast Guard To Get 32 Dhruv Helicopters

Dhruv Mk III Advanced Light Helicopter
​

Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) has received approval to manufacture 32 Dhruv Mk III advanced light helicopters, to be divided equally between the Indian navy and the country’s coastguard.

Approved by the Indian government’s Defense Acquisition Council, the deal is worth around $1.19 billion, also including spare parts, maintenance and in-service support.

The Indian navy already operates eight Dhruv rotorcrafts, while the coastguard has four, and the first navy squadron to be used for search and rescue and armed patrol tasks was commissioned last November.

Source:- Indian Navy And Coast Guard To Get 32 Dhruv Helicopters

 

[kṣamā]

Can we have them .. a bit bigger. I mean Black Hawk Bigger ??

 

[SURYA-1]

What's special about MK 3 that it got such a significant demand ??

 

[sathya]

I don't know why it is so expensive...
Even after all price hike it shouldn't cost more than 10 million $ each

So 32*10 = 320 m
Add another hefty 320m for maintenance
320+320 = 640

That means damn 50 % of total amount for sensors and weapons alone...
Naval variant, can it do anti submarine role ?

What's special about MK 3 that it got such a significant demand ??

It has got new sakthi engine , sensors .. + new things I guess..
New engines make high altitude operations easy... To quote it carried 600kgs of load to 6kms altitude when they were expecting for 200 kgs...

 

[Koovie]

Can we have them .. a bit bigger. I mean Black Hawk Bigger ??

HAL has not even started designed a helo of similar size.

Thats why the new medium weight heloes for the navy will be foreign made.... unless the navy is ready to wait for some more decades

 

[Mr.S.Singh]

HAL has not even started designed a helo of similar size.

Thats why the new medium weight heloes for the navy will be foreign made.... unless the navy is ready to wait for some more decades

its more of designing the airframe now, we have the engines and the know how. But well its DRDO
Why not ask private firms to provide the air-frame ??

 

[Oldman1]

Looks like it could meet the needs of the Indian Navy and Coast Guard for search and rescue as well as patrol. Nothing fancy or needing a bigger helicopter to do the same job.

 

[kṣamā]

A bigger helo would mean a greater endurance, higher availability, higher lift capacity and longer time at station. With the current growth of IN we would need a medium/heavy helos very soon. Osprey would be a fancy choice but a real heavy class helo is a real requirement for both IN and Coast Guard.

Plus IN would not mind a few home build heavy gun ships. Close air support for amphibious mission could be a future requirement.

 

[Bhasad Singh Mundi]

its more of designing the airframe now, we have the engines and the know how. But well its DRDO
Why not ask private firms to provide the air-frame ??

Engines are not our. If we want any changes, we will have to go to baap france.

 

[sudhir007]

cost is too high around $39 million

 

[Abingdonboy]

cost is too high around $39 million

Includes spares and life time maintenance.

Looks like it could meet the needs of the Indian Navy and Coast Guard for search and rescue as well as patrol. Nothing fancy or needing a bigger helicopter to do the same job.

I don't agree- yes a massive step up from the Cheetaks in the SAR and maritime interdiction/patrol role for the ICG and IN but the world over shore-based SAR is handled by medium class helos due to their longer range. As such when needed it is IN Sea Kings that are sent out to conduct long range SAR and the replacement of the Sea Kings (S-70B) will do the same when inducted. The ICG themselves has an outstanding requirement for 16+ medium class SAR helos for long range SAR ops. The ALHs will cover closer to the coast.

But definitely a step in the right direction....

Can we have them .. a bit bigger. I mean Black Hawk Bigger ??

In time.... crawl, walk, run.

What's special about MK 3 that it got such a significant demand ??

More powerful engines, improved avionics, full glass cockpit and these ALHs for the IN and ICG should be equipped with a FLIR pod. Cutting edge pieces of kit really.

 

[Mr.S.Singh]

Engines are not our. If we want any changes, we will have to go to baap france.

shakti can be worked on, Ardiden 3G only powers Ka-62, and can be sourced and france will be happy to lend it.

helicopter has wide civilian use in India too, as the economy grows so will internal consumption

 

[Bhasad Singh Mundi]

shakti can be worked on, Ardiden 3G only powers Ka-62, and can be sourced and france will be happy to lend it.

helicopter has wide civilian use in India too, as the economy grows so will internal consumption

Shakti is no more than licensed production. For LUH we had to go back to France. We need national programs with huge funding to develop engines because internal consumption will explode as you said.

 

[Mr.S.Singh]

Shakti is no more than licensed production. For LUH we had to go back to France. We need national programs with huge funding to develop engines because internal consumption will explode as you said.

DRDO has been over burden seriously, a seperate entity needs to be created with 100% control on funds and development on engines

I know shakti is a license product, but we can lend a more powerful engine to power a medium weight helicopter

 

[Bhasad Singh Mundi]

DRDO has been over burden seriously, a seperate entity needs to be created with 100% control on funds and development on engines

I know shakti is a license product, but we can lend a more powerful engine to power a medium weight helicopter

I agree with your point that DRDO is over burdened. As far as solution is concerned, a separate entity could be created or increase involvement of more academic institutions. Most important thing is R&D funds.