Air Force likely to develop LUH in 5 yrs

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New Delhi: The Indian Air Force is confident of designing and developing its light utility helicopter (LUH) in five years’ time.

The cabinet is expected to give its approval for the ‘’Design and Develop’Light Utility Helicopter project to the state owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) soon, according to senior defence ministry sources.

According to sources, “the company has proposed development of LUH and Medium Lift Helicopter to complete the full range of helicopters for the forces. Infact, a view to increase focus on Rotary Wing Aircraft, a separate division is being created in the company which will be headed by a managing director.”

The company has the capability to build a three tonne helicopter for the rescue role as well as ambulance role, sources said. “HAL has been asked to develop a 3-tonne light helicopter for the army and the IAF for replacing their fleet of ‘Cheetah’ and ‘Chetak’. And, we are in the preliminary stages in the project and are working on the design of the LUH. This would be a 3-tonne helicopter with a single engine,” sources added. The LUH project would be completed in next five to six years and would help upgrade the helicopter fleet of the armed forces. The army and the IAF want to replace around 300 ‘Cheetah’ and ‘Chetak’ helicopters, which form the bulk of their rotary wing fleet. HAL would be producing 187 helicopters for the two forces, according to sources. The two forces had expressed a joint demand of 384 helicopters earlier, of which 197 would be procured directly from foreign vendors and the rest 187 developed and produced by HAL.