1 photo

Documents

Helicopter

India

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited

Dhruv

India's indigenous twin-engine utility helicopter, operated by the Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard and exported to several countries, forming the base airframe for the armed Rudra and light-combat variants.

In service since 2002 · 5 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

291

km/h

630

km range

6,000

m ceiling

kg payload

💲 ≈ $8,000,000, Approximate export unit cost

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

National export licensing

Subject to India export-control approval; verify eligibility with the manufacturer.

Channel: Direct commercial / G2G

Fielded & proven

Established · 5 operators

In service since 2002. Status: active · ~340 built.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

$20M – $28M

Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost, operating & support dominate over ~30 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price.

Interoperability

No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.

Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Max speed Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.: 291 km/h

Stronger than 38% of helicopters
Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.: 630 km

Stronger than 44% of helicopters
Service ceiling Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.: 6,000 m

Stronger than 65% of helicopters

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Weapons payload Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie.: 0 kg

Bottom 2% of helicopters

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.: 15.87 m
Height Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.: 4.98 m
Empty weight Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.: 2,500 kg
Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.: 5,500 kg
Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.: 2
Troop capacity Number of embarked troops/passengers (IFV, APC, transport). Higher carries more.: 12

Stronger than 32% of helicopters

Propulsion

Engine, power and fuel.

Engine Powerplant model and type.: 2× HAL/Turbomeca Shakti turboshaft
Engines Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.: 2
Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…: Turboshaft

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Unit cost Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.: $8,000,000

Top 4% of helicopters
Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.: 340

Stronger than 72% of helicopters
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.: 5

Stronger than 66% of helicopters

Specifications compiled from public Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

Compare with rivals

See how it stacks up

Helicopter

Dhruv AH-64D Apache Longbow

Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow

View AH-64D Apache Longbow ↗

Helicopter

Dhruv AH-64E Apache Guardian

Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian

View AH-64E Apache Guardian ↗

Helicopter

Dhruv AH-1Z Viper

Bell AH-1Z Viper

View AH-1Z Viper ↗

Frequently asked questions

What is the top speed of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Dhruv? +

The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Dhruv has a maximum speed of 291 km/h.

What is the range of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Dhruv? +

The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Dhruv has a maximum range of 630 km.

What is the weapons payload of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Dhruv? +

The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Dhruv can carry up to 0 kg of weapons payload.

How much does the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Dhruv weigh? +

The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Dhruv has a combat weight of 5,500 kg.

How many crew does the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Dhruv require? +

The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Dhruv requires a crew of 2.

What engine does the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Dhruv use? +

The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Dhruv is powered by the 2× HAL/Turbomeca Shakti turboshaft.

How many countries operate the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Dhruv? +

The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Dhruv is operated by 5 countries.

How much does the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Dhruv cost? +

The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Dhruv has an approximate unit cost of 8,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration, treat this as directional.