Hindustan Aeronautics Limited's Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv Mk III MR has successfully demonstrated its deck-operations capabilities that includelanding on deck, folding of blades and storing the helicopter inside the onboard hangar.
The recently concluded ship-borne trials off Chennai coast in collaboration with the Indian Coast Guard also coveredmaintenance activities inside the hangar and on the deck, hot refuelling with engines running on the deck, Bengaluru-headquartered HAL said in a statement.
The helicopter is equipped with the Shakti engines and an advanced glass cockpit.
HAL had recently delivered ALH Dhruv Mk III MR to Indian Coast Guard as part of its 16 ALH contract.
"These trials have proven the capability of ALH 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,"said HAL CMD, R. Madhavan.
Dhruv Mk III MR is equipped with the surveillance radar that can detect and identify ships and boats up to a range of 120 nautical miles to enable the Indian Coast Guard in its duty to secure the nation from threats, according to HAL.
"Coupled with an electro-optical sensor that can closely monitor even the smallest of the vessels at distances as far as 30 nautical miles, ALH Dhruv will boost the capabilities of the Indian Coast Guard," the statement said.