HAL delivers Dhruv to Jharkhand

Source

September 03, 2007

Bangalore: The safe landing of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s (HAL’s) Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv at Ranchi, the Jharkhand capital, on last Thursday marks the first delivery of the 5.5 tonne class helicopter to any State government.

Commenting on the delivery of the Dhruv to the Jharkhand government, HAL’s Chief Test Pilot (Rotary Wing) Wg. Cdr. (Retd) C.D. Upadhyay told The Hindu that the Chief Minister of Jharkhand Madhu Koda “was pleased and impr essed” with the helicopter after being taken for a sortie.

Though the ALH’s biggest customer was the Indian defence forces, the HAL is also keen to market the helicopter in the civil market. “Two Dhruvs are flying with the Government of Nepal, one has been leased to the Government of Karnataka and the Oil and Natural Gas Commission will be getting their third Dhruv later this week.”

The HAL was holding talks with a number of overseas countries including Turkey, Venezuela and Bolivia.