HAL Light Utility Helicopter

Light Utility Helicopter (LUH)
LUH in flight
Role Utility helicopter
National origin India
Manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
Design group Rotary Wing Research and Design Center[1]
First flight 6 September 2016[2]
Introduction 2024 (planned) [3]
Status Limited series production
Primary users Indian Army
Indian Air Force
Number built 3 (12 on order)[4][5]

The HAL Light Utility Helicopter (LUH), along with its derivative, Light Observation Helicopter (LOH), was designed and developed by the Rotary Wing Research and Design Center (RWR&DC),[6] one of the R&D sections of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), for civilian and military applications. These are intended to replace license-built versions of Aérospatiale SA 315B Lama (designated Cheetah) and Aérospatiale Alouette III (designated Chetak) in service with the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force.

  1. ^ "Rotary Wing". Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  2. ^ "HAL Conducts Technical Flight of Indigenous Light Utility Helicopter (LUH)". HAL. 6 September 2016. Archived from the original on 8 September 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
  3. ^ "Army to start phasing out Cheetah, Chetak helicopters from 2027". Dinakar Peri ( 23 October 2023). The Hindu .
  4. ^ Kumar, Chetan (23 May 2017). "Light utility helicopter second prototype completes first flight". Times of India. Archived from the original on 5 June 2017. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
  5. ^ "HAL test flies 3rd Light Utility Helicopter prototype on Dec 14". Archived from the original on 18 December 2018. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
  6. ^ "Rotary Wing". hal-india.co.in. Archived from the original on 28 January 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2020.