New Delhi:

In a big boost for Made in India in defence, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) on Monday said the Defence Ministry has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for 156 Light Combat Helicopters (LCH).

“In terms of Regulation 30 of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015, we would like to inform that, Request for Proposal (RFP) has been issued by the Ministry of Defence for the procurement of 156 Light Combat Helicopter (90 nos. for IA and 66 nos. for IAF),” the Bengluru-based PSU stated in a regulatory filing on Monday.

The tender is expected to be worth over Rs 45,000 crore with helicopters to be acquired by the Indian Air Force and Indian Army.

The company said that out of the 156 Light Combat Helicopters, 90 are to be acquired for the Indian Army (IA) and remaining 66 are for the Indian Air Force (IAF).

LCHs also known as the Prachand, is the world’s only attack helicopter that can land and take off at an altitude of 5,000 meters (16,400 ft), which makes it ideal to operate in the high-altitude areas of the Siachen glacier and Eastern Ladakh.

It is also capable of firing a range of air-to-ground and air-to-air missiles and can destroy air defence operations of the enemy.

Government has been emphasising the intention to go for self-reliance in defence manufacturing through Make in India as part of Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives.

In April this year, the Defence Ministry issued a tender to the public sector firm Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for the purchase of made-in-India 97 LCA Mark 1A fighter jets expected to be worth over Rs 65,000 crore.

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New Delhi:

The defence ministry on Wednesday signed two contracts with a combined value of Rs 8073 crore with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd for the acquisition of 34 advanced light helicopters and associated equipment for the Indian Army and the Coast Guard.

Out of 34 Dhruv Mk-III helicopters, the Army will get 25 and the Coast Guard will receive nine, according to the ministry.

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) had cleared the two procurement projects last week.

“Consequent upon approval of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), the Ministry of Defence signed two contracts for a combined value of Rs 8073.17 crore with the HAL on March 13 for acquisition of 34 Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) Dhruv Mk III along with operational role equipment for Indian Army (25 ALHs) and Indian Coast Guard (09 ALHs) under Buy (Indian-IDDM) category,” the ministry said.

It described the acquisition under the Indian-IDDM (Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured) category as a significant move towards indigenisation in defence manufacturing.

The ALH Dhruv Mk III UT (Utility) — the Indian Army version — is designed for search and rescue, transportation of troops and casualty evacuation among other roles.

It has proved its performance in high-altitude regions like Siachen Glacier and Ladakh, the ministry said in a statement.

The ALH Mk III MR (Maritime Role), the ICG version, is designed for maritime surveillance, search and rescue, rappelling operations and also for transportation of troops.

It has proved its mettle even in adverse atmospheric conditions over sea and land, the ministry said.

“The project will generate employment of an estimated 190 Lakh man-hours during its duration. It will also entail supply of equipment from more than 200 MSMEs and 70 local vendors will be involved in the indigenisation process which is likely to have a positive impact on employment generation in this sector,” it said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)