Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) Mk-III & VL-Shtil Air Defence Missiles

The Ministry of Defence signed contracts worth Rs. 5,083 crore for the procurement of six Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) Mk-III for the Indian Coast Guard and Surface-to-Air Vertical Launch-Shtil missiles for the Indian Navy.

The contracts aim to strengthen India’s coastal surveillance, maritime operations, and naval air-defence capability.

Key Procurement Details

Component	Details
Total Contract Value	Contracts worth Rs. 5,083 crore were signed by the Ministry of Defence.
ALH Mk-III Contract	A Rs. 2,901 crore contract for six ALH Mk-III (MR) helicopters for the Indian Coast Guard.
Helicopter Supplier	Signed with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bengaluru.
Procurement Category	Procured under the Buy (Indian–Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured) category.
VL-Shtil Contract	A Rs. 2,182 crore contract for Surface-to-Air Vertical Launch-Shtil missiles and associated missile holding frames.
Missile Supplier	Signed with JSC Rosoboronexport of the Russian Federation.

Strategic Importance

Area	Significance
Coast Guard Capability	ALH Mk-III helicopters will enhance maritime surveillance, coastal security, and operational response.
Naval Air Defence	VL-Shtil missiles will strengthen the Indian Navy’s ship-based air-defence capability.
Indigenous Manufacturing	The ALH contract supports domestic defence production under the Buy Indian–IDDM category.
Maritime Security	The procurement improves India’s preparedness against aerial and maritime threats.

PT Facts

ALH: Stands for Advanced Light Helicopter.
Buy Indian–IDDM: A priority defence procurement category promoting indigenous design and manufacturing.
VL-Shtil: A ship-based surface-to-air missile system.
Surface-to-Air Missiles: Used to intercept aerial threats such as aircraft, drones, and missiles.

Source:

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