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India Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
HAL Rudra
A weaponized variant of the HAL Dhruv utility helicopter developed for the Indian Army and Air Force, adding a chin-mounted cannon turret, stub-wing hardpoints and upgraded avionics. It bridges the gap between the unarmed Dhruv and the dedicated Prachand light combat helicopter.
In service since 2013 · 1 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
291
km/h
800
km range
6,000
m ceiling
700
kg payload
Pricing: Unit cost not consistently publicly disclosed
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
National export licensing
Subject to India export-control approval; verify eligibility with the manufacturer.
Channel: Direct commercial / G2G
Fielded & proven
Limited · 1 operator
In service since 2013. Status: active · ~80 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from.
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 40% of helicopters
- Cruise speed
Sustained economical speed. Determines transit time to station.
- 258 km/h Stronger than 41% of helicopters
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 800 km Stronger than 66% of helicopters
- Service ceiling
Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.
- 6,000 m Stronger than 69% of helicopters
- Rate of climb
How fast the aircraft gains altitude. Higher means better energy recovery in combat.
- 12 m/s Stronger than 59% of helicopters
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Main armament
Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.
- 20 mm M621 cannon (turret-mounted)
- Hardpoints
External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts.
- 4 Stronger than 41% of helicopters
- Weapons payload
Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie.
- 700 kg Stronger than 20% of helicopters
Protection
Armor, countermeasures and survivability.
- Armor
Armor technology: composite, modular, ERA-fitted, uranium-ceramic. Exact compositions are classified.
- Limited armored crew protection
- Countermeasures
Self-protection: chaff, flares, DIRCM, towed decoys, smoke dischargers, jammers.
- radar/laser/missile warning receivers, chaff, flares
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
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
- Engine
Powerplant model and type.
- 2x HAL/Turbomeca Shakti turboshaft, 871 hp each
- Engines
Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.
- 2
- Engine power
Engine output power. Higher moves more weight faster.
- 871 hp Stronger than 15% of helicopters
- Propulsion type
Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…
- Turboshaft
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
- Sensors
IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.
- Electro-optical/infrared sighting system, helmet-mounted display
- Thermal imaging
Thermal sights for night and obscured-visibility operations.
- Yes
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 80 Stronger than 33% of helicopters
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 1 Stronger than 18% 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.
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Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited HAL Rudra? +
The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited HAL Rudra has a maximum speed of 291 km/h.
What is the range of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited HAL Rudra? +
The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited HAL Rudra has a maximum range of 800 km.
What is the weapons payload of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited HAL Rudra? +
The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited HAL Rudra can carry up to 700 kg of weapons payload.
How much does the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited HAL Rudra weigh? +
The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited HAL Rudra has a combat weight of 5,500 kg.
How many crew does the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited HAL Rudra require? +
The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited HAL Rudra requires a crew of 2.
What is the main armament of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited HAL Rudra? +
The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited HAL Rudra's primary weapon is the 20 mm M621 cannon (turret-mounted).
What engine does the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited HAL Rudra use? +
The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited HAL Rudra is powered by the 2x HAL/Turbomeca Shakti turboshaft, 871 hp each.
What is the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited HAL Rudra used for? +
The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited HAL Rudra is a helicopter typically used for close air support, isr.
How many countries operate the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited HAL Rudra? +
The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited HAL Rudra is operated by 1 countries.
How much does the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited HAL Rudra cost? +
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited HAL Rudra: Unit cost not consistently publicly disclosed. Defense program costs are rarely fully public and vary by contract and configuration.
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