Ministry of Defence Signs Contract with HAL

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.