HAL Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv

[Sridhar]

Just found Shiv is already at it

Livefist: Pak Snipes Indian Dhruvs In Ecuador

The Pakistan government, through its press service (Associated Press of Pakistan), has made a stinging attack on HAL's flagship export, the Dhruv helicopter, suggesting that the small fleet that India sold to Ecuador a few years ago are now "beset with problems", including low availability, expensive spares, faulty after-sales service and over-invoicing by HAL. HAL hasn't responded officially just yet, but will shortly. See what you make of the Pak release. (A HAL source I spoke to said the tenor of the report "almost definitely" suggested a U.S. plant, with the APP a willing vessel). Anyway, here it is in full:

 

[Tshering22]

Pakistanis..... With the helicopters they make, I think Dhruv is one of the best on this planet. If it can take on the Himalayas, the Andes are a cakewalk for it.

 

[hit&run]

Dhruv giving Itch to Pakistani Press

ISLAMABAD, July 27 (APP )- Ecuadorian Air Force (EAF) which inducted seven Indian manufactured Dhruv helicopters, at a package cost of $ 50 millions, is finding itself beset with problems even as the last consignment of two helicopters has barely arrived in the country. According to the aviation sources, one of the inducted Dhruv helicopters crashed last year while two others have been grounded on account of malfunctioning of over-speed management unit (OMU).

While the Ecuadorian Air Force is plagued by Dhruv related maintenance issues, its difficulties have been compounded by exorbitant repair cost demanded by Indian manufacturers.
The original US company that manufactures the OMU, charges $100000 as the repair cost while the Indians have demanded $250000 for the same job.
India has also raised the price of two additional Dhruvs that the EAF had originally planned as additional follow through acquisitions; demanding $ 12 million apiece.
The EAF has informed the Indian government that because of cost issues, maintenance problems, under par flight performance and poor post sale spare support it is considering cancelling further orders for induction of Dhruv helicopters.
According to observers the disappointing Ecuadorian experience with the Dhruv Helicopters doesn't augur well for the Indian efforts to find a toe hold in South American countries for its aviation products.
It is bound to have its negative fallout as other South American governments; Columbia, Brazil and Chile, who were contemplating induction of Dhruv helicopters in their respective air forces, are now certain to revisit such plans.
Dhruv is not only accident prone, overly priced and having maintenance support issues, it also comes with the Indian tendency of creating dependence and over invoicing, which make even costlier options from other countries more palatable, say observers.

 

[one]

They have an itch for anything Indian but love any Chinese lube.

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Some Pics From Indian Army Aviation..

 

[ace009]

ISLAMABAD, July 27 (APP )- Ecuadorian Air Force (EAF) which inducted seven Indian manufactured Dhruv helicopters, at a package cost of $ 50 millions, is finding itself beset with problems even as the last consignment of two helicopters has barely arrived in the country. According to the aviation sources, one of the inducted Dhruv helicopters crashed last year while two others have been grounded on account of malfunctioning of over-speed management unit (OMU).

While the Ecuadorian Air Force is plagued by Dhruv related maintenance issues, its difficulties have been compounded by exorbitant repair cost demanded by Indian manufacturers.
The original US company that manufactures the OMU, charges $100000 as the repair cost while the Indians have demanded $250000 for the same job.
India has also raised the price of two additional Dhruvs that the EAF had originally planned as additional follow through acquisitions; demanding $ 12 million apiece.
The EAF has informed the Indian government that because of cost issues, maintenance problems, under par flight performance and poor post sale spare support it is considering cancelling further orders for induction of Dhruv helicopters.
According to observers the disappointing Ecuadorian experience with the Dhruv Helicopters doesn't augur well for the Indian efforts to find a toe hold in South American countries for its aviation products.
It is bound to have its negative fallout as other South American governments; Columbia, Brazil and Chile, who were contemplating induction of Dhruv helicopters in their respective air forces, are now certain to revisit such plans.
Dhruv is not only accident prone, overly priced and having maintenance support issues, it also comes with the Indian tendency of creating dependence and over invoicing, which make even costlier options from other countries more palatable, say observers.

I find most things posted in Pakistani press about India is garbage. They are so stupid and negative ....
Having said that, where there is smoke, there is fire. Why has HAL not replied to such stings? Is any of it true?

 

[ace009]

The Dhruv, apart from being used by the three armed forces and the home ministry, has also been exported to seven countries including Israel.

ALH Dhruv chopper crashes in Ecuador | | | The New Indian Express


So, what are the 7 countries that imported the Dhruv? Peru, Ecuador, Mauritius, Israel, Suriname I could find, what are the other two?

 

[Kunal Biswas]

ALH Dhruv chopper crashes in Ecuador | | | The New Indian Express


So, what are the 7 countries that imported the Dhruv? Peru, Ecuador, Mauritius, Israel, Suriname I could find, what are the other two?

Nepal and Burma

 

[just4nikhilesh]

Dhruv rock

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Ecuadorian Dhruvs

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Nepalese Dhruv..

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Ecuadorian Dhruvs

 

[Kunal Biswas]

HAL Slams Pakistan's Snipe At Dhruv

In a rare move, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd has hit back at a report put out last month by Pakistan's state-owned APP new service which suggested that HAL's Dhruv helicopter was "beset with problems" and that its afflictions had caused both the Ecuadorian and Indian governments to reconsider further purchases.

In a rebuttal statement sent to the El Comercio newspaper which published the Pakistani report last month, HAL, speaking through its local representative in Ecuador, one Dr Juan Cortez T says (translated), "I would like to express my deep consternation that El Comercio would choose to publish such a false report. That the report is from a Pakistani state-owned wire service gives it no credibility whatsoever. All that the report has done is make an attempt to tarnish an internationally renowned aerospace company and the Ecuadorian government. I am surprised that a paper with a history of credibility like yours chose to publish such an article without verification of baseless allegations by vested interests."

The statement from the HAL representative also quotes the Ecuadorian air force chief as unequivocally rebutting the Pakistani APP report. Touché?

Livefist: HAL Slams Pakistan's Snipe At Dhruv

 

[agentperry]

weaponised ALH-DHRUV christened RUDRA

weaponized version of HAL made Dhruv has been named Rudra- god of tempest, hunt ( a very suitable too).

livefist reports

Livefist: Weaponised ALH-Dhruv Christened 'Rudra', God Of The Tempest, The Hunt

each will have chin mounted gun 3 barrel 20 mm, 2 hard point for HELINA(same as Mig-21), 4 rocket pods or A2A missiles.
thing to see

 

[devx101]

^^The photos of Indian made defence equipment in other countries makes me cry.....Proud to be an Indian

 

[ace009]

Don't cry - just be proud. Then again - it's nothing big - smaller countries like Israel do it regularly.
Here's the deal - if India can make the Dhruv a major export product, THEN I will be proud.

 

[black eagle]

Good shot of the naval dhruv....

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Armed Navy Dhruv..

 

[Galaxy]

HAL's Dhruv copter production line

 

[Sancho]

Another pic of the naval Dhruv (imo the most beautiful one)

And my version of a streched Dhruv for the ASW requirement of IN:

The idea is to strech it to increase the internal space and also internal fuel capacity, because the lack of range was one reason why the naval Dhruv was rejected and why bigger Sea Haws and NH90s now might be evaluated.
Imo the success story of Dhurv isn't over and it still has a lot of potential, which is why I would love to see another modification for the navy (IAF and IA gets the LCH), but also for IN and ICG patrol vessels. http://www.dict.cc/englisch-deutsch/success.html