The Indian government on Friday, July 7, said the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) have signed a contract for the procurement of two Dornier aircraft for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) for Rs 458.87 crore.
The contract includes an associated engineering support package and the aircraft will be procured under the Buy Indian Category.
The aircraft will be fitted with a number of advanced equipment, namely a glass cockpit, maritime patrol radar, electro-optic infra-red device, mission management system, among others. The addition will further bolster the aerial surveillance capability of maritime areas of responsibilities of the ICG.
The Dornier aircraft are being indigenously manufactured at HAL (Transport Aircraft Division), Kanpur, and will significantly contribute to achieving ‘aatmanirbharta’ (self-sufficiency) in defence.
The Dornier-228 aircraft is a highly versatile multi-purpose light transport aircraft. It has been developed specifically to meet the manifold requirements of utility and commuter transport as well as for maritime surveillance. The aircraft is ideally suited for short-haul operations from semi-prepared and short runways of the North East and island chains of India.
Shares of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd ended at Rs 3,758.95, up by Rs 27.55, or 0.74 percent on the BSE.
