Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will display the export version of the indigenously designed and developed advanced light helicopter (ALH) Dhruv for the first time at the seventh edition of the international air show, Aero India 2009, starting here on February 11.
“This is for the first time that the export version of the ALH will be on display,” secretary (defence production) Pradeep Kumar told reporters, here today. The exhibition of the export version of the ALH at Aero India 2009 is significant with the public sector undertaking HAL set to to export five helicopters to Ecuador. “The deal has been finalised to export five Dhruv helicopters to Ecuador and the air chief of the Ecuador air force will be here for the airshow to collect the keys,” Kumar said.
However, he added that Afghanistan and Malaysia, which had earlier shown interest in the flagship helicopter of the HAL, had not made any export request. “We are in talks with Mauritious and Suriname for the export orders,” Kumar added. Besides there will also be many firsts to the seventh edition of the air show. Following the success of India’s lunar mission Chandrayaan, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has also opened a pavilion at the air show.
Source : Business Standard