Ministry of Defence Signs Contract with HAL

• 16 Mar 2024

On 15th March, Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for midlife upgrade of 25 Dornier patrol aircraft.

• Upgrade includes incorporation of state-of-the-art avionics systems and primary role sensors to enhance operational capability for maritime surveillance, coastal surveillance, electronic intelligence, and maritime domain awareness.
• Upgrade enables aircraft to perform secondary roles of search and rescue, casualty evacuation, and communication linking.
• Project expected to generate employment of 1.8 lakh man-days over 6.5 years, with major systems and equipment sourced from indigenous sources.
• MoD also recently signed contract worth Rs 8,073 crore with HAL for acquisition of 34 Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) MkIII, benefiting Army and Coast Guard.
• ALH-MkIII UT designed for search and rescue, troop transportation, and casualty evacuation, while ALH-MkIII MR tailored for maritime surveillance, interdiction, and pollution response.
• Project expected to generate employment of 190 lakh man-hours and involve more than 200 micro, small, and medium enterprises, with 70 local vendors contributing to indigenisation process.