Problems plague advanced light helicopter Dhruv.

[Break the Silence]

Even after 10 years of its production, the indigenous Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv still depends heavily on imports as most of its components are procured from foreign sources, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has said.

In its latest report, the CAG said, "90 per cent of the value of material used in each helicopter is still imported from foreign suppliers. Even though the Dhruv is in production for 10 years, the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited has not been able to find indigenous suppliers."

"The envisaged indigenisation level of 50 per cent is yet to be achieved," the report added.

Pulling up HAL for the delay in addressing quality issues facing the chopper, the report said, "for its delay in addressing the Tail Rotor Blade (TRB) issues, the Company had to forgo expected revenue of Rs 16.32 crore on the lease of two helicopters to Israel and Karnataka government, which were not used."

The CAG said HAL should investigate into the reasons behind failure of engines, as it had to withdraw them before their scheduled overhaul period of 2000 hours due to earlier mishaps.

It pointed out that the weaponised version of the chopper has not yet been developed even after a lapse of ten years and the Rs 138 crore spent on the project have "not resulted in any tangible benefits."

The report pulled up the premier aerospace company for its inability to get international safety certifications for the chopper, which has prevented it from penetrating international market.

It said that due to non-availability of required certification, the HAL "could not get orders from Turkey for two ALH on lease though the MoU was signed in October 2008".

The report said that despite getting certification from the DGCA and having a dedicated marketing wing, the company has not been able to penetrate the Indian civil market also.

"The company could not successfully execute even the orders received from the civil market," it added.

The report said that despite delivering 74 helicopters in the last nine years to the defence services, the HAL has not been able to complete the technical documentation to get the approval for the chopper.

"The acceptance of the ALH by defence forces with the concessions could be a contributing factor for the slow pace in achieving the standards by the company and delay in overcoming the operational deficiencies," it observed.

On the more powerful Shakti engines for the chopper, the central auditors said the whole programme is yet to be certified and has been delayed by three years resulting in postponement of delivery schedules in 2009-10.

The report said the chopper was supposed to have empty weight of 2.24 tonnes and replace the ageing Cheetah/Chetak fleet of choppers but due to its excess weight, it was found "unsuitable" for the task.

The HAL has now equipped the chopper with Shakti engines and claims that the ALH meets the requisite payloads.

The report also slammed the HAL for not freezing design of the chopper in time resulting in making 363 modifications in choppers supplied to the armed forces.

http://news.rediff.com/slide-show/2010/aug/05/slide-show-1-problems-plague-advanced-light-helicopter-dhruv.htm

 

[gowthamraj]

Then lch also be same case

 

[Tshering22]

Two Damn words---- privatize HAL.

And some losers in DRDO protest why we shouldn't privatize defense eh?

 

[ambidextrous]

Yeah correct what India needs at the moment is privatisation of defense sector... only then it can think of performing some technical breakthroughs..but still don't know why it is not happening?

 

[hellofriends]

i think should follow the Chinese system,that is Reverse engineering. but it's also requires lot of money in R&D sector.

 

[Tshering22]

Yeah correct what India needs at the moment is privatisation of defense sector... only then it can think of performing some technical breakthroughs..but still don't know why it is not happening?

The GOI is not letting the private bigwigs get a free hand so that they don't come up with strong and advanced desi stuff that'll be a goodbye to their kickbacks from foreign companies.

Basically, they've upped the stakes for private players saying that " you want to enter this field, you have to compensate for the kickbacks we'd be foregoing here in ministry".

Bloody dirtbag corrupt babus.

I wish the tri-services demand a dismantling of the MOD and the 3 chiefs directly handle it themselves or get their immediate juniors to handle it.

 

[CONNAN]

well even god cannot straighten a dogs tail

 

[noksss]

It's very irritating to hear such news about these Defence PSU's whether it's DRDO OR HAL they are giving decade of efforts and the final result is there will be a cost-overrun ,delay ,and 90% of components being imported whether it's ALH or Arjun which has 58% imported component .So a basic question is are they simply a siting ducks and no where in the future the situation is going to improve and india has to spent a huge amount of money for imports .So the solution is these DRDO labs has to be given to private players like L&T ,TATA if the DRDO guys protest for this decision Lathi-charge them

 

[CONNAN]

Damning New Light On The Thing That Caused 2 HAL Dhruv Crashes, Nasty IAF-HAL Spat Detailed

LiveFist - The Best of Indian Defence: Damning New Light On The Thing That Caused 2 HAL Dhruv Crashes, Nasty IAF-HAL Spat Detailed

A disturbing spat between the IAF and HAL has been detailed in a new public document, possibly for the first time shedding light on the true quality of the relationship that the two share. Let's start with the crux. A new report by India's national audit watchdog, the Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG) has thrown fresh and damning light on how HAL dealt with a flight control phenomenon that has given its chopper division real nightmares over the last few years -- cyclic saturation. The phenomenon caused two crashes of the Dhruv -- the first, in February 2007 at Yelahanka and the second in October 2009 in Ecuador. Troublingly, the report reveals, it was this "limitation of control saturation" that caused Chile to pull out of a near final contract in July 2007.

Now, the really damning stuff. Revealed in the report, for the first time, is how the Indian Air Force reacted to the February 2007 crash, in which it lost two helicopter display pilots. According to the report, the IAF observed that (i) HAL has referred to this problem in the flight manual which is brief and lacks clarity; (ii) HAL has been reluctant to address this problem in totality as it feared disruption of ALH production process; (iii) This approach of HAL to safeguard its business even at the cost of a professional approach to solving the problem has serious flight safety and operational implications for the Indian Air Force (v) HAL, as an industry, has rarely looked to exploiting its aircraft. It has always focused on the captive Indian Air Force for its assured market."

That's the stuff you only hear about over beer with pilots. But here it is, utterly like it is. Well, HAL had its own input of course. It told the auditor "Control saturation is not a design deficiency but is a phenomenon that can occur during extreme manoeuvres. The precautionary notes and adequate cautions are part of the flight manual. [We are] in the process of incorporating control saturation warning system."

The auditor concludes, "HAL's reply leaves a doubt about the effective measures it has taken on the control saturation issue and the reaction of the customers will be known only on the field experience of the ALH to be supplied from the pending orders."

Of course, the CAG had to reiterate the fact that the Dhruv is 90% foreign in value terms. And add to all of this, HAL's helicopter complex chief has pushed off on leave -- rumour has it, he's being shunted out.

 

[flanker143]

can't get one thing ..... (although it has imported enigines) dhruv is designed in india , being made in india so how it can be 90% foreign ....

 

[Break the Silence]

can't get one thing ..... (although it has imported enigines) dhruv is designed in india , being made in india so how it can be 90% foreign ....

"90 per cent of the value of material used in each helicopter is still imported from foreign suppliers.

I think they are importing the raw material from foreign vendors not patrs...

 

[Guynextdoor]

Thank god we have the CAG. Or else the PSUs would have muzzled their way through all deficiencies till perpetuity. Sad thing is that while we have a group like the CAG to audit, we don't have a group to recommend changes apart from Ad Hoc Commitees (who take years and are never atken seriously anyway).

 

[whocares]

privatization

and competition

 

[Break the Silence]

privatization

and competition

Will take another decade!!

 

[muse]

the indigenous Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv

This helicopter has other more pressing problem, it's name - Dhruv? really, it sounds like an impolite gaseous discharge. It will no doubt be a great ship and it is an important achievement, but one destined to be known as "Dhruv"? Sorry for if it caused offence, none was intended. The ship just needs a better name.