HAL receives RFP for Dhruv from Chile

Bangalore, May 23 (UNI) Indian Defence Aviation major Hindustan Aeronautics Limited will next month submit its proposal to Chile's Request for Proposal (RFP) for the indigenously developed Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv.

HAL has received the RFP from the Chilean Air Force for the 5.5 tonne, twin engined new generation helicopter which has already been supplied to the Indian Defence forces.

HAL Director (Corporate Planning and Marketing) M Fakruddin told UNI today that HAL would be responding to the RFP in June. The requirement has been put at around four to six choppers.

HAL would also be shortly signing a contract with Boliva for two Dhruvs, Mr Fakruddin said.

He said the requirement of Helicopters by the Chilean Air Force was much more, but they would be going in for heavier class of choppers for which BELL and Eurocopter were in the race.

HAL had been for some years now demonstrating ALH in the terrains of Chile which was similar to India.

The RFP comes in the wake of HAL receiving covalidation type certificate from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC) of Chile recently. Compliance of ALH with the requirements specified by the aviation regulation applicable in Chile was confirmed after detailed review of technical documents and carrying out flight tests on Dhruv.

Dhruv has been designed for multi mission, multi role operations over varying terrains. the weather terrain and operating environments of Chile were very similar to that of the Indian subcontinent--be it dry volcanic sand plateau, high mountains, long sea cost or snowy land with arctic mountainous conditions. Dhruv, designed to operate on hot and high and hot and cold conditions had excelled in similar operations in India and had met all the requirements of Chilean Air force.

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