India gives green light for Do 228 upgrade and light helicopter procurement
India currently has 87 Do 228 aircraft according to Shephard Defence Insight. HAL will begin to upgrade the maritime patrol platform for the IN. (Photo: Gordon Arthur)
Hindustan Aeronautics will upgrade Indian maritime patrol aircraft and provide LUH rotary-wing platforms.
The Indian Defence Acquisition Council has approved an MLU for Indian Navy (IN) Dornier Do 228 maritime patrol aircraft.
These aircraft had been built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), which will also be responsible for the upgrade.
Shephard Defence Insight notes that 87 Do 228s are in service in India.
In September, the IN transferred one Do 228 to the Mauritius Police Force on temporary loan as it awaits its own new-build aircraft. Mauritius now has four such aircraft.
One other important approval by the Defence Acquisition Council in early November was for 12 Light Utility Helicopters (LUH) to be procured from HAL. Ordering a dozen helicopters initially will not help tremendously, as the Indian military requires something like 187 of them to replace elderly platforms.
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