New Delhi, Nov 19 (NationPress) India and Germany have rekindled their collaboration in high-technology defence after almost 30 years, with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) entering into a significant agreement with HENSOLDT, a German state-supported sensor technology company, at the Dubai Airshow 2025.

This agreement, finalized on the third day of the event, aims at the collaborative development of an advanced LiDAR-based Obstacle Avoidance System (OAS) specifically for Indian military helicopters — a development that has sparked considerable excitement within global aerospace communities.

The contract for this OAS, signed between the Indian DPSU Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and the German government-supported HENSOLDT, signifies a notable return to high-tech cooperation, reviving earlier partnerships in aerospace and maritime fields.

Importance of the OAS Agreement

The Obstacle Avoidance System is designed to safeguard helicopters from colliding with hazards such as power lines, cables, pylons, and towers that can be too slender or poorly illuminated for pilots to detect during low-level flights, nighttime operations, or degraded visual environments (DVE).

This system continually monitors the airspace ahead of the aircraft, providing timely alerts to the crew, which is vital for contemporary military fleets that often engage in missions where dust, fog, terrain, or hostile actions compel helicopters into precarious situations.

The LiDAR-based OAS utilizes HENSOLDT's SferiSense LiDAR sensor in conjunction with a robust onboard Degraded Visual Environment (DVE) Computer that converts raw data into a user-friendly visual display, enabling pilots to “perceive” the terrain and obstacles even under poor visibility conditions.

Technical documentation states that the LiDAR ensures a detection probability of at least 99.5% within the first second and can identify obstacles (including thin wires) from distances exceeding 1,000 meters, even when helicopters are flying parallel to them.

This combined system is aimed at minimizing the risk of Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) and enhancing safety during brownout, whiteout, and other DVE conditions.

The OAS is a joint initiative by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the Indian state-owned entity, and HENSOLDT, the German sensor-technology firm with a 25.1% stake held by the Federal Government.

This collaboration follows a co-development model in which both parties will refine and enhance the technical specifications to ensure the system's effectiveness in India's varied operational conditions.

Plans are in place for technology transfer to HAL to facilitate future production in India under the Make in India initiative. Notably, only a select few nations possess indigenous LiDAR-based obstacle avoidance capabilities, and this partnership will position India among them.

As highlighted during the Dubai Airshow announcement, initial integration is intended for Indian-designed helicopters such as the LCH and ALH. Crews from the Army Aviation Corps that frequently operate in high-altitude and low-visibility environments are expected to be among the first users.

There are indications that this programme may also bolster India’s competitiveness in helicopter exports. Countries like Argentina, Mauritius, Nepal, and the Philippines have expressed interest in Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) variants for multi-role and coastal operations, while Nigeria has shown interest in the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) for counter-terrorism missions.