Bengaluru: State-owned plane-maker Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) formally handed over four ALH-Mk3 (also spelled as ALH-Mk III) Maritime Role helicopters to the Indian Coast Guard on Thursday, keeping to the delivery schedule under a contract signed in March 2024 for nine such aircraft.
The handover ceremony was attended by the deputy inspector general, Rajesh Makwana, who serves as chief staff officer (aviation) for the Coast Guard's Western Seaboard Command, and by the chief executive officer of HAL's Helicopter Complex, PB Rangarao.
Formal documentation for the helicopters was transferred by the office of the regional director, Aeronautical Quality Assurance, and HAL's Helicopter Division, to Coast Guard squadrons based at Kochi and Porbandar.
HAL had previously delivered 16 ALH-Mk3 (MR) helicopters to the Coast Guard by 2022.
The March 2024 contract, covering nine more aircraft, is now being progressively fulfilled.
A further order for six additional helicopters was signed as recently as March 2026, pointing to a sustained and deepening procurement relationship between the two organizations.
The ALH-Mk3 Maritime Role is the naval variant of the indigenously developed Dhruv advanced light helicopter – a twin-engine, multi-role platform designed for operations in demanding maritime environments.
Its stated roles include maritime surveillance, search and rescue, casualty evacuation, coastal security, law enforcement, VIP transport, troop movement, logistics support, and anti-piracy operations.
The helicopter is fitted with a modern glass cockpit, advanced avionics suite, and night-operation capability – features that give it operational flexibility across a wide range of conditions at sea.
The Coast Guard, which patrols approximately 7,516 kilometres of India's coastline and is responsible for maritime law enforcement and humanitarian operations in the country's exclusive economic zone, has increasingly relied on rotary-wing platforms for rapid response and surveillance.
“India's domestic defence manufacturing ecosystem has seen a marked shift in recent years, with HAL positioned at the centre of the government's push to reduce reliance on foreign platforms.”
The ALH family – spanning utility, attack, and maritime variants – forms a significant part of that effort, with deliveries to the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard running in parallel across several active contracts.
The total ALH fleet across all Indian military and paramilitary services stands at roughly 330–345 helicopters. An additional 34 were on order as of March 2024, which would take the production tally toward 379.
Indian Army
The army operates over 180 ALHs, including around 60 Rudra armed variants. The Army had received 65 Rudra (ALH-WSI) helicopters and was awaiting delivery of 13 more units.
Indian Air Force
The Air Force operates approximately 75 ALHs. The IAF had around 14–16 Rudra helicopters in service and was planning to acquire three more squadrons of the type.
Indian Navy
The Navy operates 38 ALH Dhruv helicopters, primarily the MkIII variant.
Indian Coast Guard
The Coast Guard had 20 ALH-Mk3 (MR) delivered – four Mk1s and 16 Mk3s – with 16 operational as of September 2024, and 15 more on order across two batches.
With the four delivered on Thursday and a further six under the March 2026 contract, the Coast Guard's eventual total will rise to around 35.
Border Security Force
The BSF had eight ALHs delivered, with six operational.
