HAL Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv

WolfPack86

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Coast Guard to acquire 16 advanced light helicopters
CHENNAI: Indian Coast Guard aims to expand its aircraft inventory by acquiring 16 advanced light helicopters and 50 vessels.

This is part of its agenda to have 200 ships and 100 aircraft by 2025. At present, there are 145 ships and 62 aircrafts, Coast Guard Director-General Krishnaswamy Natarajan told reporters on the sidelines of the 19th India-Japan Coast Guard Exercise, on Thursday.

“Today, we have 50 ships under construction in various Indian shipyards and apart from that we have 16 advanced light helicopter MKIII under production with HAL, Bengaluru,” he said.

In 2019, Coast Guard apprehended around Rs 2,000 crore worth of drugs with most of them from the Western Coast, he said. The first of the twin-engine helicopter is expected to be put into operations by March 2020, he said adding that 14 more similar helicopters and six multi-mission maritime aircraft, which will have a capability of maintaining surveillance in our exclusive economic zone, will be acquired later.

On the joint exercise between India and Japan, which happened nearly 50 nautical miles off Chennai’s coast, he said this has further strengthened the ties between the two nations.

Japan Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Takahiro Okushima said the relationship between the two coast guards was getting stronger every year. One ship of Japanese Coast Guard and four ships and an aircraft of Indian Coast Guard took part in the exercise.

It was led by Commanding Officer Captain Kiyoshi Harada, who was on board the ‘Echigo PLH08’. The exercise marked demonstration of search and rescue, anti-piracy, external fire-fighting and sharing of best practices.
https://www.newindianexpress.com/ci...re-16-advanced-light-helicopters-2090538.html
 

WolfPack86

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Make Time For This Sweet Shoot Of India’s RUDRA Armed Helo
As we hunker down for this viral lockdown, we at Livefist hope you’re doing okay and staying well. We’ve had a bit of downtime as Editor Shiv Aroor gets busy reporting on the Covid19 crisis in India, but we’re getting set this week to be back to our regular reports. Thought we’d quickly drop something off that caught our eye over the weekend.

Indian aviation filmmaker Abhishek Singh (we’ve featured him here before) just put out a quick clip of one of his legendary shoots, this time with the Indian Air Force’s HAL Rudras. We love shoots that get you up close with operators themselves.

The Rudras are being purchased in healthy numbers by the IAF (16) and Army (78), but there are glaring questions that Livefist has been at the forefront of asking — for instance, is someone trying to derail the arming of these helicopters? The current MoD hasn’t made visible progress yet in correcting the inexplicable failure of the system so far to give these helicopters (and HAL’s purpose-built Light Combat Helicopter) its primary weaponry. There’s a lingering perversity in armed helicopters flying without anti-armour missiles and without anti-air missiles despite having contracted for the launchers for years. That last bit is a story all on its own, and we did that here.

While the Army has managed to procure a quantity of Israeli Spike LR anti-tank guided missile systems for infantry units deployed at the Line of Control (LoC), it hasn’t managed to conclude a decision on giving the Rudra and LCH either the helo-launched Spike ER or the MBDA PARS L3.

While we’re informed that the weaponry impasse is being ‘looked at’, it isn’t like to be sorted this year. Add the Coronavirus crisis to the mix, and, quite reasonably, nothing’s on the table until this cloud clears. Having said that, there’s likely to be some good news on the Light Combat Helicopter front later this year in the post-Covid19 world, with first orders likely to drop. Obviously, we’ll have to wait and see how the rest of the year pans out.

Livefist’s Shiv Aroor dedicated the latest episode of his weekly TV show on weapons tech BattleCry on India’s armed helicopter landscape. You can watch that full episode here:
https://www.livefistdefence.com/202...s-sweet-shoot-of-indias-rudra-armed-helo.html
 

Pazhassiraja

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Was it test fired recently? What is the difference between Helina & Dhruvastra? Recently there was an article in Livefist saying, missiles are still an issue for Rudra & LCH.
 

porky_kicker

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Was it test fired recently? What is the difference between Helina & Dhruvastra? Recently there was an article in Livefist saying, missiles are still an issue for Rudra & LCH.
Did you read the livefist article , no mention of under trial helina but how cleverly and subtly Spike ER or the Pars L3 mentioned .
This is classic example of patriotic dalla
 

Bleh

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Was it test fired recently? What is the difference between Helina & Dhruvastra? Recently there was an article in Livefist saying, missiles are still an issue for Rudra & LCH.
Noone knows fully why its has a different name. Like SANT we know had 25km rangerange against 8km of regular Helina. The whole setup with dual-tube rail launcher with capsules of HELINA ATGMs is called Dhruvastra.

Helina is IR guided, this could be RF guided or Fire'nForget. Or maybe some warhead difference airburst, HEFRAG, thermobaric for bunkers.
 
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AbRaj

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Did you read the livefist article , no mention of under trial helina but how cleverly and subtly Spike ER or the Pars L3 mentioned .
This is classic example of patriotic dalla
We should also integrate Astra or any other A2A missile.
 

WolfPack86

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Angry HAL Replies To ex-Navy Chief’s ‘Dhruv’ Attack
An angry HAL has responded to Livefist‘s launch episode of #LivefistTalks, a new YouTube interview series. The inaugural episode, an interview with former Indian Navy chief Admiral Arun Prakash, went live yesterday, and included scathing unsparing words on HAL’s performance with naval helicopter requirements.


Speaking about HAL’s move to push the Dhruv helicopter to meet the Indian Navy’s shipborne naval utility helicopter (NUH) requirement after 30 years of non-compliance, Admiral Prakash, a decorated fixed-wing aviator, called HAL ‘lethargic, deadbeat’, a company that had ‘failed to show initiative’ and one that deserved a ‘rap on the knuckles’. The full 30 minute interview, which includes his comments on the naval Dhruv (at 22:40 mark) is here:

Responding to Admiral Prakash’s comments to Livefist, HAL reached out with an angry statement.


The weapons trials on ALH Navy were completed successfully, certified and cleared for for use by the navy. However automatic blade folding was never promised or attempted on ALH. HAL cannot be blamed for things it did not promise. It is wrong to use words like lethargic etc. because technological initiatives call for in-house funding etc. Without firm visibility of how the money spent would result, it is difficult for any company to take initiative. Easy for retired persons to talk and give endless commentary,” HAL spokesperson Gopal Sutar said.


The Indian Navy’s NUH program looks to procure 111 shipborne helicopters to replace the old fleet of Chetak/Alouette III. Planned as the ambitious first program under India’s Strategic Partnership (SP) rules, the program lifted off early 2019 with an expression of interest from the MoD, and, at last count, three companies in the fray. As it stands, the program is positioned as a contest between the Airbus H135M (in a tie up with Mahindra Aerospace & Defence), Sikorsky S-76D (in a tie-up with Tata) and a navalised version of the Kamov Ka-226T.


In January this year, it emerged that Indian Navy veteran and former Chief of the Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) Vice Admiral Raman Puri, who had been hired by the MoD’s Department of Defence Production as a consultant, had objected to the NUH program even considering foreign helicopters when HAL’s Dhruv is readily available. This sparked a series of reports on why the Dhruv was being ‘ignored’.

Even before the Dhruv, HAL had a finger in the NUH via Kamov’s pitch for the navalised Ka-226T. The standard version of the helicopter is to be built by an HAL-Russian Helicopters joint venture at a facility in Tumakuru, Karnataka, though the final lap to close the deal has remained elusive for over 2 years now. While the NUH is configured under the Strategic Partnership model to build manufacturing capacity in the private sector, HAL remains plugged into the program through Kamov’s technical bid, which began as a pitch in April 2018.

In February 2019, at the Aero India show in Bengaluru, HAL unveiled an ALH Dhruv with a foldable tail boom for shipborne ops, a clear sign that it hadn’t given up on trying to persuade the Indian Navy to accept the platform. HAL has said it will have a foldable blade solution ‘soon’, but the Indian Navy isn’t enthused.


Last month, Commander K.P. Sanjeev Kumar, a former naval helo pilot & commentator on matters military, wrote in a blog for Times of India, “To be sure, the ALH is yet to meet its own 35 year-old naval staff qualitative requirements (NSQRs) in key areas such as range and endurance, blade folding, stowed dimensions, aircraft availability and serviceability. These are non-negotiable specifications for helicopters that operate for extended duration at sea. The navy did not stumble upon this non-compliance yesterday or in last Aero India air show. This has been the case from the time the Dhruv first took to sea. Even today, the naval ALH is not a platform of choice for a naval warship proceeding out of harbourThe ALH is a wonderful machine. Indian Navy’s two decade ‘social distancing’ from this helicopter was not out of any bias, but out of fundamental incompatibilities. The lessons from this experience must shape our decisions for the future.” (Quote used with permission)


HAL’s irritation is understandable, given it sees the NUH as firm door-slam on any future for the naval Dhruv, and therefore a waste of its belated investments in improving it to meet the Indian Navy specifications baseline requirements for shipborne operations. Last month, the officer quoted above also detailed HAL’s proposal for a 2-segmented blade folding mechanism.

On HAL’s rebuttal, Commander Kumar told Livefist, “Capabilities developed by HAL cannot be created overnight in the private sector by waving a magic wand of Strategic Partnership. It is a baby step. Only time will tell how it turns out for the navy. SP has Cabinet Committee on Security approval. It should be allowed to move along desired lines of building additional capacity in civil sector. There’s no replacement for HAL in the short to medium term. HAL and Indian Navy should continue to remain engaged fruitfully. Both must work on improving synergy while fixing internal flaws. I believe the existing order for 16 additional ALH Mk-3 gives both sides an excellent opportunity to sit across the table and find credible solutions for the ‘last mile connectivity’ issues dogging naval ALH. If we succeed, it will also give navy more options for the future. Blame game helps nobody.”
 

Bhurki

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Angry HAL Replies To ex-Navy Chief’s ‘Dhruv’ Attack
An angry HAL has responded to Livefist‘s launch episode of #LivefistTalks, a new YouTube interview series. The inaugural episode, an interview with former Indian Navy chief Admiral Arun Prakash, went live yesterday, and included scathing unsparing words on HAL’s performance with naval helicopter requirements.


Speaking about HAL’s move to push the Dhruv helicopter to meet the Indian Navy’s shipborne naval utility helicopter (NUH) requirement after 30 years of non-compliance, Admiral Prakash, a decorated fixed-wing aviator, called HAL ‘lethargic, deadbeat’, a company that had ‘failed to show initiative’ and one that deserved a ‘rap on the knuckles’. The full 30 minute interview, which includes his comments on the naval Dhruv (at 22:40 mark) is here:

Responding to Admiral Prakash’s comments to Livefist, HAL reached out with an angry statement.


The weapons trials on ALH Navy were completed successfully, certified and cleared for for use by the navy. However automatic blade folding was never promised or attempted on ALH. HAL cannot be blamed for things it did not promise. It is wrong to use words like lethargic etc. because technological initiatives call for in-house funding etc. Without firm visibility of how the money spent would result, it is difficult for any company to take initiative. Easy for retired persons to talk and give endless commentary,” HAL spokesperson Gopal Sutar said.


The Indian Navy’s NUH program looks to procure 111 shipborne helicopters to replace the old fleet of Chetak/Alouette III. Planned as the ambitious first program under India’s Strategic Partnership (SP) rules, the program lifted off early 2019 with an expression of interest from the MoD, and, at last count, three companies in the fray. As it stands, the program is positioned as a contest between the Airbus H135M (in a tie up with Mahindra Aerospace & Defence), Sikorsky S-76D (in a tie-up with Tata) and a navalised version of the Kamov Ka-226T.


In January this year, it emerged that Indian Navy veteran and former Chief of the Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) Vice Admiral Raman Puri, who had been hired by the MoD’s Department of Defence Production as a consultant, had objected to the NUH program even considering foreign helicopters when HAL’s Dhruv is readily available. This sparked a series of reports on why the Dhruv was being ‘ignored’.

Even before the Dhruv, HAL had a finger in the NUH via Kamov’s pitch for the navalised Ka-226T. The standard version of the helicopter is to be built by an HAL-Russian Helicopters joint venture at a facility in Tumakuru, Karnataka, though the final lap to close the deal has remained elusive for over 2 years now. While the NUH is configured under the Strategic Partnership model to build manufacturing capacity in the private sector, HAL remains plugged into the program through Kamov’s technical bid, which began as a pitch in April 2018.

In February 2019, at the Aero India show in Bengaluru, HAL unveiled an ALH Dhruv with a foldable tail boom for shipborne ops, a clear sign that it hadn’t given up on trying to persuade the Indian Navy to accept the platform. HAL has said it will have a foldable blade solution ‘soon’, but the Indian Navy isn’t enthused.


Last month, Commander K.P. Sanjeev Kumar, a former naval helo pilot & commentator on matters military, wrote in a blog for Times of India, “To be sure, the ALH is yet to meet its own 35 year-old naval staff qualitative requirements (NSQRs) in key areas such as range and endurance, blade folding, stowed dimensions, aircraft availability and serviceability. These are non-negotiable specifications for helicopters that operate for extended duration at sea. The navy did not stumble upon this non-compliance yesterday or in last Aero India air show. This has been the case from the time the Dhruv first took to sea. Even today, the naval ALH is not a platform of choice for a naval warship proceeding out of harbourThe ALH is a wonderful machine. Indian Navy’s two decade ‘social distancing’ from this helicopter was not out of any bias, but out of fundamental incompatibilities. The lessons from this experience must shape our decisions for the future.” (Quote used with permission)


HAL’s irritation is understandable, given it sees the NUH as firm door-slam on any future for the naval Dhruv, and therefore a waste of its belated investments in improving it to meet the Indian Navy specifications baseline requirements for shipborne operations. Last month, the officer quoted above also detailed HAL’s proposal for a 2-segmented blade folding mechanism.

On HAL’s rebuttal, Commander Kumar told Livefist, “Capabilities developed by HAL cannot be created overnight in the private sector by waving a magic wand of Strategic Partnership. It is a baby step. Only time will tell how it turns out for the navy. SP has Cabinet Committee on Security approval. It should be allowed to move along desired lines of building additional capacity in civil sector. There’s no replacement for HAL in the short to medium term. HAL and Indian Navy should continue to remain engaged fruitfully. Both must work on improving synergy while fixing internal flaws. I believe the existing order for 16 additional ALH Mk-3 gives both sides an excellent opportunity to sit across the table and find credible solutions for the ‘last mile connectivity’ issues dogging naval ALH. If we succeed, it will also give navy more options for the future. Blame game helps nobody.”
^^^ Reply by a service pilot ( Qualified Flight Instructor for Dhruv)

The Truth Hurts, Says Indian Navy’s 1st Dhruv Flight Commander


An awfully sad state of affair.
 

Bhurki

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The pilot was in Navy 12 years ago. HAL is working quite well after Modi govt came into power.
Its more about the work culture thats worrying when you read the examples given by the Ret.Commander. I'm not sure whether 6 years is enough to change that culture.
 

ladder

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^^^ Reply by a service pilot ( Qualified Flight Instructor for Dhruv)

The Truth Hurts, Says Indian Navy’s 1st Dhruv Flight Commander


An awfully sad state of affair.
Just started reading the article, posting mid-way through it.

As a solution about fifteen years back, HAL had made the suggestion that the Navy should accept the method where one blade remains forward and other three go back. For this, HAL actually suggested that the Navy should cut holes in the helicopter hangar for the front facing blade.
Commenting on this point, author should have mentioned that, along with the width, there is a regulation/ cut off for length of helicopter under stowage/ in hanger of the ship. This regulation is dependent on the length of the hanger of the ship.

As HAL proposed a compromise solution for width issue, the solution being, that two blades rotate back ( third being already in 6 'o' clock position) while the front facing blade remain facing forward.

This, solution however defaulted on another count, the length regulation ( from the tip of the (non folded) front blade to tip of the tail boom). Thus, someone for HAL or MoD suggested to cut a hole in the front face of the hanger, so that, the front blade projects out from the front hole, thus length regulation is met. ( By increasing the hanger length by hook or crook as the length regulation is dependent on hanger length)

As a non- solution it was, it was rejected ( could it have been accepted? ). Thus HAL presented another solution, folding tail boom. The model of ALH with folding tail boom was presented in DefExpo.

Now, without stating about length regulation, the author is increasing the confusion among the common man, the intended addressee.

 
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