India 's advanced light helicopter

By Danish A Khan, Special to IslamOnline

NEW DELHI, September 30 (IslamOnline) - In further strengthening of Indo-Israeli ties, especially in defense matters, Israel has offered to help India market its indigenously-built defense and technological marvel, the advanced light helicopter (ALH).

This was indicated by Nalani Ranjan Mohanty, chairman of the Indian public sector aircraft manufacturer, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) recently.

Manufactured at India’s premier aircraft building facility, HAL, located at Bangalore in the south Indian state of Karnataka, the ALH is yet another breakthrough in the field of defense technology.

The 5.5-ton multi-role advanced light helicopter, designed, developed and manufactured indigenously, is fully capable of flying at high altitudes. It possesses sea-level high-lift capability and performs at high speed.

The state-of-the-art chopper, built to carry out multi-task roles, can simultaneously function as a gunship, a utility transport, an anti-submarine warfare weapon, anti-surface vessel warfare helicopter and a platform for search and rescue and casualty evacuation. Among its other features, it has a wide body, specious and quiet cabin, sliding doors, emergency exits. Moreover, it is smooth and provides vibration-free rides.

“There is no comparable helicopter of this weight,” Mohanty said, indicating that price of the chopper would be $6 million in the international market.

These sturdy-built flying machines have been powered by two Turbomeca TM 333 turboshaft engines, procured from France. Explaining the procurement of the engines from a foreign country while claiming that the chopper was indigenously built, Mohanty said that the present Turbomeca engine was capable of meeting the requirements of the Army and the Coast Guard and partially for the Air Force and the Navy which needed a high-powered engine.

However, the ultimate objective was to indigenously manufacture the engine which could meet requirements of all the three services and other customers.

“The global recognition of ALH in such a short time demonstrates that India has come of age, and could be counted among a few nations which could boast of building such capabilities,” said Defense Minister George Fernandes while complimenting the experts who made this possible.

“The ALH has immense export potential. Israel has been very interested in the project,” Mohanty said. “They want to do the marketing of the ALH.” Besides, the Israelis have expertise in marketing military equipment, Mohanty claimed.

There are also plans for co-production of the chopper with private companies. "The ALH provides a good platform to be in the global market. It is high time India carved a niche for its aircraft in the international market.

“We are talking to private industries in India. Quite a few companies have come forward. The private industries have matured. They are ready to invest,” Mohanty revealed but declined to name the companies with whom the talks were being held. To make things clear, he clarified that transfer of technology would be done and there would be no joint venture as such.

India has started a series of production of the ALH from this year, the chairman of HAL disclosed and added that it would be in a position to deliver as many helicopters as possible without any hitch.

The chopper has already drawn global attention. Several countries have shown keen interest in purchasing it for their military as well as civilian purposes. Indication to this effect was given by defense minister Fernandes when he said that during the Aero-India 2001 air show held at Bangalore, many developing and developed countries expressed their eagerness to place orders for acquiring the various versions of the ALH.

"Defense ministers and air force chiefs of a dozen countries, who had participated in the air show held in Bangalore last February, told me that they would like to acquire the ALH as it was not only the best in its class the world over with several modern features, but also cost-effective," Defense Minister Fernandes said.

Fernandes added that HAL had proved its capabilities by delivering seven ALHs to the three services and the coast guard during this fiscal year (2001-02). It is now suitably placed to enter the international market.

“By entering the export market to sell the military and civilian variants of ALH, HAL would not only be able to recover the enormous costs incurred during its design and development stages lasting nearly two decades, but also emerge as one of the leaders in the global aviation industry,” Fernandes affirmed.

On the domestic front, the ALH has been well received. According to Air Chief Marshal S. Krishnaswamy, the Indian Air Force (IAF) decided to place orders for the weapon-graded ALHs for its squadrons in the near future.

“We would be going from ALH to Light Attack Helicopter subsequently for reconnaissance missions. While the current ALHs will be used for utility services, including surveillance, rescue, relief, and evacuation operations,” Air Chief Marshal Krishnaswamy stated.

The skid-versions of the ALH for the IAF are fitted with skis, troop seats, stretchers, cargo hook, rescue hoist, slithering system, and armor protection.

Till now, ever since the establishment of full diplomatic relations with Israel in 1992 during the prime ministership of PV Narasimha Rao, who also headed the Congress Party, India has been receiving defense equipment from Israel.

Now, under the Hindu nationalist government of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Atal Behari Vajpayee, the ties have grown and deepened. The present Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani was the first high-level dignitary to visit Israel after the establishment of diplomatic relations.

However, this is for the first time that apart from selling high-tech defense gadgetry to the country, Israel has stepped forward to market India's defense products. This gives ample indications of the course Indo-Israeli cooperation is to take in the future.

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