No To Israel, HAL Wants First Indian Glass Cockpit On LUH

HAL is breaking (thankfully) with tradition and wants an Indian-made glass cockpit (smart cockpit display system — SCDS) on its in-development 3-ton Light Utility Helicopter (LUH). The move is a welcome move away from what it did with the flagship ALH Dhruv helicopter programme, where IAI was roped in to provide glass cockpits and market that version of the helicopter. HAL and Israel were in talks for a similar arrangement on the LUH as well, but the fresh tender floated today [.pdf] puts it all to rest. HAL wants Indian kit.

According to the tender document, “the Main Instrument Panel (image above) incorporates three Smart Multi Function Displays (SMFDs), and standby instruments, clock and a glare shield. The inter-seat console incorporates the avionic and system controls. An Over Head Panel between the pilots incorporates switches, Circuit Breakers, Rotor Brake control unit, cockpit light and two wander lights.” The document indicates that the cockpit will be compatible with operation with Gen 3 and Gen 2++ NVGs.

HAL has invited proposals from prospective Indian firms capable of “indigenous design, development, manufacture and supply of requisite hardware based on COTS standard modules/ boards/ components or specifically developed modules /boards /components for the SCDS LRUs proposed for LUH.” HAL, however, stipulates that “if required, the vendor may opt for a foreign collaborator to provide technical support under Transfer of Technology for development and manufacture.”

The document also talks about the LUH’s intended mission profile: “The military roles to be performed by LUH are primarily utility roles with future variants for armed roles. The utility roles include Armed Reconnaissance, Aerial photography, Scout Role in conjunction with attack helicopter, Platform for Electronic Support Measure (ESM), Electronic Counter Measures (ECM) and Electronic Counter Counter Measures (ECCM). LUH will be initially integrated with systems and equipment required for basic and military utility roles. Subsequently integration and certification of the helicopter for armed roles as well as civil/commercial variant would be taken up.”

The effort could be in keeping with India’s “new” defence production policy.

17 thoughts on “No To Israel, HAL Wants First Indian Glass Cockpit On LUH”

  1. Depends on how one defines an 'India-made' SCDS. If it is to be outsourced from THALES-SAMTEL then that can hardly be labelled as a 'Made in India' SCDS, as several components will be supplied by THALES. While at least six other avionics/instrumentation packages are up for competitive tendering, one wonders who will be the systems integrator, although it now appears that given HAL's long-running JV with ELBIT Systems, it will be this JV that does the systems integration (as has been the case with the LCH).

  2. What would make this dashboard more appealing is if they take a single piece of glass and cover the entire dashboard; tint everything black except the display openings.

  3. HAL, however, stipulates that "if required, the vendor may opt for a foreign collaborator to provide technical support under Transfer of Technology for development and manufacture."
    ——————————–
    First INDIAN Glass "COCKPIT" (LOL!)..My A$$.
    As I have predicted, defense acquisitions and "indigenous" production thru Pvt. sector participation (hardly any experience or capabilities in this area), is the next scam which will dwarf even 2G scams and all other scams put together.
    If there is a "foreign collaborator", then why not directly purchase the product from "foreign collaborator" instead of going thru a middleman with no experience or competence? Isn't it going to raise the overall cost of the product? Who is going to bear the ToT costs? Gadha Indian Taxpayers or these Baniyas who make Gehu Ka Atta and now….duh..LUH Glass "Cockpits"? This move must be opposed or investigated thoroughly. Shiv pls tell us the rationale and cost benefit analysis behind this move. Other wise please treat this as next 2G scam of our babu-neta-baniya-sipahi nexus.

  4. to Anon@11:59 pm: It's not true that Pvt. Sector doesn't have any experience. The entire design, development and production can be split into sub parts.
    Pvt. Sector companies such as HCL, Silver Soft, TCS do have know how in this Avionics area to help do Design and Development. There is a larger pool of companies which can provide manufacturing expertise and Quality can also be controlled to international level provided a price is paid for it.

  5. Prasun, elbit does nothing in the LCH, its IAI lahav who are responsible for the displays and for your info the production LCH will fly with an INDIGENOUS IADS(as we in HAL call it) and ya, i know u will start your rant all over now, but please go check up at the systems-electrical group at RWRDC, HAL before coming up with your enlightening(ignorant) statements

  6. Prasun, elbit does nothing in the LCH, its IAI lahav who are responsible for the displays and for your info the production LCH will fly with an INDIGENOUS IADS(as we in HAL call it) and ya, i know u will start your rant all over now, but please go check up at the systems-electrical group at RWRDC, HAL before coming up with your enlightening(ignorant) statements

  7. To [email protected]: Before advising others to check up with HAL, kindly do your own check-up with IAI/LAHAV to find out which OEM has supplied the AMLCDs for the Dhruv ALH and LCH. It certainly wasn't IAI/LAHAV as this company is a systems integrator, not an avionics manufacturer. Also check up the HALBIT Avionics JV activities with HAL's Corporate Affairs Dept and before coming up with more of your enlightening(ignorant) statements, do visit their booth next month during Aero India 2011 to find out exactly what kind of hardware from this JV is going on board the Dhruv WSI and LCH.

  8. @Anon 4:01 AM,

    Then why HCL, TCS (??) etc. are unable to deliver such a product without "foreign collaboration"? WHy are we not going for global tender, which will get us the best product at most competitive price? WHy in this "new defense acquisition policy" we are shying away from open competition? Is it old wine in new bottle aka Officially sanctioned theft which was earlier taking place unofficially? I have nothing against any company collaborating with anyone as long there is transparent policy and open competition, otherwise this is nothing but another means to illegally making money in the name of "defense".

  9. Prasun , u please visit HAL's booth at the aero india, i'll be waiting for you and clear all your misconceptions including the sh*t about HALBIT that you have in your mind. HALBIT or ELBIT does nothing for ALH/LCH (though the pilots loved the elbit displays, compared to the LAHAV system)(system i said remember not LCD unit)), so please and please visit me at the booth, u will recognize me, i've met shiv at the LCH official flight ceremony and even clicked a pic with him(hope he remembers), coz i respect the work he does, but you are in a league of your own(and u know what that is)Till then happy copy pasting prasun.

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