Government clears proposal worth Rs 8,000 crore for acquiring 32 Advanced Light Helicopters

BENGALURU: The government has cleared a proposal worth around Rs 8,000 crore for acquiring Hindustan Aeronautics Limited's 32 Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv to boost the maritime security capabilities of the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard, HAL today said.

Of the 32 helicopters to be built by HAL, both the services will receive 16 each, the company said.

The Performance Based Logistics (PBL) support for five years for 16 helicopters for ICG is the unique feature of this contract, an HAL statement said.

"The PBL is the purchase of logistics support as an integrated, affordable, performance package designed to optimize system readiness and meet performance goals for the product through long-term support arrangements with clear lines of authority and responsibility," HAL CMD T Suvarna Raju said.

He said PBL is emerging as a preferred acquisition strategy for defence acquisition and asset management.

Stating that PBL ensures the availability of products to the customer while the responsibility gets transferred to the contractor, HAL said the PBL envisages rewards or penalties based on the performance.

The contracts were signed by V Natarajan, General Manager (Helicopter Division), HAL and Jayant Sinha, Joint Secretary & Acquisition Manager (Maritime Systems), MoD, in New Delhi yesterday in the presence of HAL, Navy and Coast Guard officials, the statement said.