HAL Delivers Indigenous ALH Mk III Maritime Helicopters to Indian Coast Guard
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) handed over four Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Mk III in Maritime Role (MR) configuration to the Indian Coast Guard at a ceremony in Bengaluru on April 10, 2026.
The delivery meets the contractual timeline under the deal for nine ALH Mk III (MR) helicopters signed in 2024.
In March 2026, the Ministry of Defence signed a fresh contract worth ₹2,901 crore with HAL for six additional ALH Mk III (MR) helicopters, and a separate ₹5,083 crore package also included VL-Shtil surface-to-air missiles.
The ALH Mk III (MR) is equipped for maritime surveillance, search and rescue (SAR), casualty evacuation, coastal security, anti-piracy, and law enforcement.
The helicopters feature an Electronic Warfare (EW) suite, surveillance radar, glass cockpit, night-operation capability, and a Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) for rescue missions.
They can operate from both shore-based airfields and ship flight decks (ship-borne operations).
HAL Dhruv: India's Indigenous Helicopter Programme
The Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv is India's flagship indigenous rotary-wing aircraft, developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Bengaluru. The programme was initiated in 1979 and the design consultancy contract was signed with Germany's Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB) in 1984. The first prototype made its maiden flight on August 20, 1992.
Key Details
- Class: 5.5-tonne multirole, multi-mission helicopter
- Maximum speed: 290 km/h; Maximum weight: 5,500 kg
- Variants: ALH Mk I (basic utility), ALH Mk II (improved), ALH Mk III (advanced avionics, glass cockpit), ALH Mk IV / Rudra (weaponised attack variant)
- As of early 2024, more than 400 Dhruvs produced, accumulating over 340,000 flight hours
- Export customers include Ecuador, Nepal, Mauritius, Maldives, and Suriname
- Composite airframe (carbon fibre and Kevlar cockpit), crashworthy seats, Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC)
The ALH Mk III (MR) is a specialised maritime variant of the Dhruv, adapted for Coast Guard operations with surveillance radar, EW suite, and ship-deck landing capability — representing the maturation of India's indigenous helicopter programme into operationally complex mission roles.
Indian Coast Guard: Role, Mandate, and Legal Basis
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) was established under the Coast Guard Act, 1978, as a maritime law enforcement and search-and-rescue agency. It operates under the Ministry of Defence (unlike many countries where coast guards are under Interior/Home ministries).
The ALH Mk III (MR) significantly enhances ICG's aerial surveillance and SAR capability across its vast EEZ — particularly in the island territories of Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep where shore-based responses are logistically constrained.
Defence Indigenisation: Atmanirbhar Bharat in Defence
India's defence indigenisation policy, accelerated under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative (2020), aims to reduce import dependence and develop a robust domestic defence industrial base. The Ministry of Defence has issued three Positive Indigenisation Lists (PIL) — goods that can only be procured from domestic sources.
The ALH Mk III (MR) delivery is a direct output of the Atmanirbhar Bharat defence push — an indigenous helicopter meeting the operational requirements of a key security agency, replacing the need for expensive imported maritime helicopters.
India's Maritime Security Architecture
India's maritime security framework integrates the Navy, Coast Guard, Coastal Police, and customs into a layered coastal surveillance system, especially since the 2008 Mumbai attacks (26/11) which exposed gaps in coastal security.
ALH Mk III (MR) helicopters strengthen the aerial dimension of India's layered maritime security architecture — providing rapid response and surveillance capability that complements the CSN's surface/radar layer.
- ALH Dhruv first flight: August 20, 1992 (Bengaluru)
- Coast Guard Act: 1978
- India's EEZ: approximately 2.37 million sq km
- India's coastline: 7,516 km
- March 2026 ALH Mk III (MR) contract: ₹2,901 crore for 6 helicopters (HAL)
- April 2026 delivery: 4 ALH Mk III (MR) helicopters to ICG
- HAL total Dhruv production (as of early 2024): 400+ units, 340,000+ flying hours
- 26/11 Mumbai attacks: November 2008 — trigger for coastal security reforms