Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) on Wednesday signed a contract with a German firm for the transfer of design technology for an obstacle avoidance system for helicopters, the state-run plane maker said.
It signed the contract with Hensoldt Sensors at the Dubai airshow.
The deal also covers transfer of intellectual property rights including manufacturing and repair capability for the obstacle avoidance system and degraded visual environment for helicopter platforms.
The contract was signed by HAL-Korwa executive director Ravi Prakash and Hensoldt head of sales (airborne solutions) Eugen Maier.
“This partnership will augment the indigenous ecosystem for the development of technology for obstacle collision avoidance systems, including degraded visual environment systems in India. This agreement will ensure that India develops and owns a LiDAR-based helicopter obstacle avoidance system (OAS) –– an advanced capability that only a few countries have mastered. HAL and Hensoldt will collaborate on the design, manufacture, integration, and testing of this system, with the potential for export,” HAL chief DK Sunil said.
The OAS solution provides pilots with real-time situational awareness, superior navigation cues, and advanced synthetic vision, significantly reducing the risk of controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) and enabling missions in the harshest operational environments, including “brownout,” “whiteout,” and degraded visual conditions, the German firm said.
{{/usCountry}}The OAS solution provides pilots with real-time situational awareness, superior navigation cues, and advanced synthetic vision, significantly reducing the risk of controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) and enabling missions in the harshest operational environments, including “brownout,” “whiteout,” and degraded visual conditions, the German firm said.
{{/usCountry}}The system will first equip HAL’s light combat helicopter (LCH), followed by integration on the advanced light helicopter (ALH) and other Indian armed forces platforms, it added.
“This partnership goes far beyond a conventional supply arrangement. It represents a strategic investment in India’s defence industrial ecosystem through genuine technology transfer, shared IP, and local manufacturing. By enabling HAL to produce, integrate, and eventually export this advanced OAS technology, we are directly supporting Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat vision,” said Andleeb Shadman, head of Hensoldt business development for India region.