Make in India: HAL offers Indian solution to Indian Navy’s requirement for Advanced Light Helicopter ‘Dhruv’
By: Huma Siddiqui | New Delhi | Published: June 6, 2019 8:04:44 PM
The Rs 21,738 crore deal for 111 Naval Utility Helicopter (NUH) proposed to be `Made in India’ could tip in favour of state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s (HAL).
The European manufacturer Airbus has submitted proposals for two platforms – the H 145M and the Panther AS565 – to be manufactured in partnership with Mahindra Defence.
The Rs 21,738 crore deal for 111 Naval Utility Helicopter (NUH) proposed to be `Made in India’ could tip in favour of state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s (HAL). A top officer told Financial Express Online “The Company’s NUH is an Advanced Light Helicopter `Dhruv’ with customisation designed to meet all the operational requirements of India.”
Adding, “The flying machine can be fitted with torpedoes, Depth Charges & Missiles, Self Protection System (SPS) & Flight Crew Data (FCD). Besides having Software-defined radio (SDR), Data Link & SATCOM, these helicopters will have the main rotor blade folding and tail boom folding to enable stowage in Navy’s ship hangars.”
Earlier this year at the Aero India 2019, HAL had demonstrated the Tail Boom folding and Main Rotor folding of the Naval Utility Helicopter.
US-based Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky Helicopters which has responded to the Express of Interest (EoI), is likely to drop out at the next level as it has multiple non-compliances. “Unless the Indian Navy dilutes its requirements at the Request for Proposal (RfP) Stage, the company might drop out since it is non-compliant to many of the specifications of the helicopter the navy is seeking,” a top official said.
Three companies Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky Helicopter S 76D, European Airbus and Russia’s Kamov Ka 226T, have responded to the EoI floated by the defence ministry earlier this year. The companies last month submitted proposals to build their helicopters through an Indian industry designated as “strategic partner” (SP).
The European manufacturer Airbus has submitted proposals for two platforms – the H 145M and the Panther AS565 – to be manufactured in partnership with Mahindra Defence.
Under an Indo-Russian inter-governmental agreement (IGA), both HAL and Indo-Russian Helicopters Ltd (IRHL) already have a joint venture to manufacture the Kamov 226T light helicopter in India.
HAL on its own has offered its indigenous ALH for the NUH deal.
This will be the first acquisition under the SP procurement model when it is finalised. Under the SP model the OEM is expected to tie up with local Indian companies who are manufacturing major platforms in India with niche technologies and production knowhow supplied by a foreign OEM.
According to officials, Ministry of Defence (MoD) in the EoI has stated that the OEMs have been mandated to set up a dedicated manufacturing line, including design, integration and manufacturing processes for NUH in India. It had also said the OEM will have to make Indian manufacturing line as a global exclusive facility for the NUH platform being offered.
As has been reported by The Financial Express earlier in 2015, the Indian Navy had received as many as 10 bids from Indian companies for the NUH programme. However, in an effort to keep the process transparent, the navy had encouraged OEMs tying up with a single Indian partner.
Once the contract is finalised, 16 helicopters will come from the OEM directly and the balance will have to manufacture in India with almost 60 per cent indigenisation. In a process which will take a couple of months, all the technical bids will be scrutinised by the Indian Navy, before intensive trials start for evaluating the performance of each machine in different terrains and weather conditions.
Make in India: HAL offers Indian solution to Indian Navy’s requirement for Advanced Light Helicopter ‘Dhruv’
By: Huma Siddiqui | New Delhi | Published: June 6, 2019 8:04:44 PM
The Rs 21,738 crore deal for 111 Naval Utility Helicopter (NUH) proposed to be `Made in India’ could tip in favour of state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s (HAL).
The European manufacturer Airbus has submitted proposals for two platforms – the H 145M and the Panther AS565 – to be manufactured in partnership with Mahindra Defence.
The Rs 21,738 crore deal for 111 Naval Utility Helicopter (NUH) proposed to be `Made in India’ could tip in favour of state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s (HAL). A top officer told Financial Express Online “The Company’s NUH is an Advanced Light Helicopter `Dhruv’ with customisation designed to meet all the operational requirements of India.”
Adding, “The flying machine can be fitted with torpedoes, Depth Charges & Missiles, Self Protection System (SPS) & Flight Crew Data (FCD). Besides having Software-defined radio (SDR), Data Link & SATCOM, these helicopters will have the main rotor blade folding and tail boom folding to enable stowage in Navy’s ship hangars.”
Earlier this year at the Aero India 2019, HAL had demonstrated the Tail Boom folding and Main Rotor folding of the Naval Utility Helicopter.
US-based Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky Helicopters which has responded to the Express of Interest (EoI), is likely to drop out at the next level as it has multiple non-compliances. “Unless the Indian Navy dilutes its requirements at the Request for Proposal (RfP) Stage, the company might drop out since it is non-compliant to many of the specifications of the helicopter the navy is seeking,” a top official said.
Three companies Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky Helicopter S 76D, European Airbus and Russia’s Kamov Ka 226T, have responded to the EoI floated by the defence ministry earlier this year. The companies last month submitted proposals to build their helicopters through an Indian industry designated as “strategic partner” (SP).
The European manufacturer Airbus has submitted proposals for two platforms – the H 145M and the Panther AS565 – to be manufactured in partnership with Mahindra Defence.
Under an Indo-Russian inter-governmental agreement (IGA), both HAL and Indo-Russian Helicopters Ltd (IRHL) already have a joint venture to manufacture the Kamov 226T light helicopter in India.
HAL on its own has offered its indigenous ALH for the NUH deal.
This will be the first acquisition under the SP procurement model when it is finalised. Under the SP model the OEM is expected to tie up with local Indian companies who are manufacturing major platforms in India with niche technologies and production knowhow supplied by a foreign OEM.
According to officials, Ministry of Defence (MoD) in the EoI has stated that the OEMs have been mandated to set up a dedicated manufacturing line, including design, integration and manufacturing processes for NUH in India. It had also said the OEM will have to make Indian manufacturing line as a global exclusive facility for the NUH platform being offered.
As has been reported by The Financial Express earlier in 2015, the Indian Navy had received as many as 10 bids from Indian companies for the NUH programme. However, in an effort to keep the process transparent, the navy had encouraged OEMs tying up with a single Indian partner.
Once the contract is finalised, 16 helicopters will come from the OEM directly and the balance will have to manufacture in India with almost 60 per cent indigenisation. In a process which will take a couple of months, all the technical bids will be scrutinised by the Indian Navy, before intensive trials start for evaluating the performance of each machine in different terrains and weather conditions.
Make in India: HAL offers Indian solution to Indian Navy’s requirement for Advanced Light Helicopter ‘Dhruv’
Offering anything and offering a certified product is actually two different things.
Its a straight fight between Airbus and Sirkosky.
HAL should try to get certification for it's basic SAR variant of Dhruv, so that the Dhruvs of Navy and Coast Guard can actually deploy to ships in its full role.
Its a straight fight between Airbus and Sirkosky.
HAL should try to get certification for it's basic SAR variant of Dhruv, so that the Dhruvs of Navy and Coast Guard can actually deploy to ships in its full role.
I'm hoping Airbus wins the NUH and Sikorsky wins NMRH. That way we will have 2 independent lines under 2 private companies. That will give very good long term competition to HAL.
2022 or 2023 at least. By the end of 2020, we will only see the end of technical trials, considering the RFP is sent out this year.
Chetak is getting too old now. There has been at least 2-3 non fatal incidents involving Chetaks in IN and ICG last year. May be we can fast track a smaller purchase say 36 through fast track process ?
Unfortunately this year too
Indian Navy averts catastrophe, ditches Chetak helicopter at sea , April 19, 2019
A major catastrophe was averted by Indian Navy aircrew when their Chetak helicopter was ditched at sea last week.
The helicopter was part of an Indian warship, which was deployed in the Arabian Sea.
According to reports, the helicopter developed a technical failure. The crew reacted professionally, deftly landed the helicopter in the water and successfully got out from the chopper.
While all three crew members are safe, a board of inquiry has been ordered to investigate the cause of the technical failure leading to the helicopter's loss.
Indian Navy averts catastrophe, ditches Chetak helicopter at sea
Those 17, do they have folding rotors ? If not then how will they operate from ships? The problem remains still.
The Dhruvs will be used from land, but that frees up the Cheetahs that were originally used on land. So ships get more of the existing stock of Cheetahs, apart from the 8 new ones.
Reminder, IN can ditch Dhruv from the competition by using limitations defined in the RFI. They will have to make DAC amendments to let HAL in. I'm hoping they won't and this would be the first successful implementation of SP policy.
Just confirming here - The Limitation to the Dhruv here is that it can't operate from Ships (though can land and take off) is due to non fold-able main and tail rotor correct? - and what we have seen @aeroindia - hasn't been certified yet correct?
Any limitations on length set by the RFI for NUH?Yes. yet to certify.
Damn, i missed this before. HAL quoting AUW as 5T
In the pioneering project — a Rs 21,000 crore plan to make 111 naval utility helicopters in India — the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd insisted on putting in a bid for its under development helicopter and even wrote to the defence ministry that it had invested Rs 400 crore in the programme.
Last year, India’s top shipbuilder Larsen and Toubro ad written to the Niti Aayog for an intervention over concerns that the government is considering a proposal to move the Rs 60,000 crore project to build submarines to the public sector on a nomination basis, unlike original plans to reserve it for the private industry. The project has now been kept on a competitive basis, in which both PSUs and private industry are participating.
Government considering putting PSUs out of Defence Ministry range
Last year, India’s top shipbuilder Larsen and Toubro ad written to the Niti Aayog for an intervention over concerns that the government is considering a proposal to move the Rs 60,000 crore project to build submarines to the public sector on a nomination basis, unlike original plans to reserve it for the private industry. The project has now been kept on a competitive basis, in which both PSUs and private industry are participating.
Government considering putting PSUs out of Defence Ministry range