In News: The Indian Navy recently commissioned Indian Naval Air Squadron (INAS) 323, the first unit of the indigenously developed ALH (Advanced Light Helicopter) Dhruv Mk III aircraft.
About ALH MK-III Helicopter
- The Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH-DHRUV), designed and built in-house, is a twin-engine, multi-role, multi-mission new generation helicopter in the 5.5 tonne weight range.
- It’s a multi-role chopper powered by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s Shakti engine (HAL).
- HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) is an Indian state-owned aerospace and defence corporation headquartered in Bangalore.
- The Ministry of Defence is in charge of its administration.
- The ALH Mk III will be used for search and rescue, special operations, and coastal surveillance and will have an all-glass cockpit.
- The Advanced Light Helicopter programme was conceived by HAL in 1984. Dhruv Mk-I, Mk-II, Mk-III, and Mk-IV are the four main variants of Dhruv.
Features of ALH MK-III Helicopter
- The plane, which is a step up from the Mk 1, would be able to reduce low visibility during nighttime search and rescue operations.
- It has a 0.7 mm gun, giving it a significant capability in LIMO (low intensity maritime operations).
- The new automatic flight control system outperforms the previous one by a long shot.
Source: Indian Express
