Major Shaitan Singh
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Kathmandu. Prime Minister Narendra Modi handed over an Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv helicopter to Nepalese Prime Minister Sushil Koirala Nov 25 to help strengthen regional cooperation.
Built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the helicopter will be used by Nepalese Army. The helicopter, a Dhruv Mark-III version, is powered with Shakti engines, has an advanced glass cockpit and avionics that would be helpful for operations in Nepal's mountainous terrain and tough enviornment conditions.
According to an HAL statement, the company was repesented on the occasion by Mr T. Suvarna Raju, Managing Director, HAL (Helicopter Complex).
HAL Chairman Dr RK Tyagi said that the company had positioned a team in Kathmandu for technical and maintenance support. India has already provided two Dhruv helicopters to Nepalese Army in November last year.
The statement said that the helicopter has a proven track record in both military and civil operations. Dhruv has also been exported to Ecuador, Mauritius and Maldives. The Ecuador Air Force (FAE) operates five Dhruv helicopters with their President choosing to fly in one of them.
Dhruv helicopters played a key role in search and rescue operations during the 2004 tsunami, the 2010 flash floods at Leh, the 2011 earthquake in Sikkim, the biggest ever rescue operation by helicopters undertaken by IAF in flood and rain-hit areas of Uttarakhand in June-2013 and Jammu & Kashmir flood relief operation in September-2014. Dhruv is being operated by Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian Navy, Coast Guard, BSF and State governments since 2002. More than 140 Dhruv helicopters are in operation logging more than 1,20,900 flight hours.
Dhruv is a multi-role, multi-mission new generation helicopter in 5.5 tonne weight class and meets US Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) specifications. It has demonstrated its capability in long distance flights, vertical climb and manoeuvring. Dhruv is an all-weather helicopter which can carry 10-16 people at heights of 10,000 feet.
..:: India Strategic ::. Military Aviation: Indian Prime Minister Hands Over Dhruv Helicopter to Nepal
