The Indian Coast Guard on Tuesday said it had commissioned a squadron (its third) of made-in-India Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv Mark III at Porbandar in Gujarat. The helicopters were commissioned by ICG director-general VS Pathania, news ageancy ANI said.
Coast Guard officials told ANI the choppers could fulfill both reconnaissance and offensive roles as they have 12.7 mm heavy machine guns that can hit targets at a range of 1,800 metres. The induction boosts the Coast Guard’s maritime surveillance and recon capabilities and the country’s ‘aatmanirbhar defence’ philosophy as the ALH Dhruv Mark III is fully made-in-India by Bengaluru-based Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
In May the Coast Guard commissioned its second ALH Dhruv Mark III squadron – in Kerala. Four of these helicopters have been stationed in Kochi in the southern state, news agency PTI said, adding the coasts of Karnataka and Kerala , and the Lakshadweep islands, would now be covered. According to a note on HAL’s website, the ALH Dhruv is an ‘indigenously designed and developed… twin engine, multi-role, multi-mission new generation helicopter’. The Mark III designed for ‘utility roles in defence services suited for high-altitude operations’ comes with an electronic warfare suite and counter-measure system, among other features.
