Saab has inked a lucrative defence contract with New Delhi to upgrade the defence systems of Dhruv advanced light helicopters.

The company has received two serial production orders for the Integrated Defensive Aids Suite (IDAS) in a deal valued at SEK 196 million.

"We are proud of being a supplier for this advanced helicopter and look forward to continuing our cooperation and long term relationship with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited," said Micael Johansson, managing director of Saab Avitronics.

The latest agreement follows an initial development and prototype contract, as well as the first series production order received earlier this year for the Dhruv.

IDAS is a fully integrated platform that provides multi-spectral radar, laser and UV missile warning. Modular architecture allows the system to be easily configured for any combination of the three sensor types. IDAS is also capable of implementing various automatic countermeasures, including the dispersal of decoys.

The Indian Dhruv (Pole Star) is a multi-role helicopter developed and manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).  The 'copter is currently deployed by a number of militaries around the world.

Specialised variants include anti-submarine warfare and helicopter gunship models.  In addition, a weapon system integrated (WSI) version is currently under development. The upgraded helicopter will be fitted with stub wings to carry up to eight anti-armour missiles, four air-to-air missiles or four rocket pods for 70mm and 68mm rockets. The new variant will also feature FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared), a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) camera and a target acquisition system with thermal sight and laser rangefinder. X