HAL Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) and Light Observation Helicopter (LOH)

[Filtercoffee]

LUH is not for combat purpose, but it's utility purpose. It's going to replace Cheetah & Chetaks.

May i ask... is it possible to have an AH-6 type LOH for CAS and SF?

 

[Bahamut]

Is this helicopter expected to be used in combat, or for simply coastguard and transport/rescue topics

It is a utility helicopter not a combat helicopter. It will transport goods and personal from one base to another. For combat deployment Ka 226T will be use as it gives more flexibility and hence is more effective in combat role like air ambulance, troop transport, external load carrying etc.

 

[Bahamut]

May i ask... is it possible to have an AH-6 type LOH for CAS and SF?

SF operation will get specialise helicopter with weapons carrying capability, ECM, more armor and more powerful engine. Most probably they will modify ALH and presently they have no plans to have smaller chopper.

 

[PD_Solo]

SF operation will get specialise helicopter with weapons carrying capability, ECM, more armor and more powerful engine. Most probably they will modify ALH and presently they have no plans to have smaller chopper.

Plus such a system shall have to bear high altitude and extreme temperatures.

That's where our SF mostly operate.

Sent from my XT1562 using Tapatalk

 

[Filtercoffee]

Plus such a system shall have to bear high altitude and extreme temperatures.

That's where our SF mostly operate.

Sent from my XT1562 using Tapatalk

This aircraft is rated for 21 thousand feet +. Also as a CAS and SF platform, it can be done with armour, weapons and sensors for small teams and a LCH and or Rudra support aircraft for the mentioned requirements. Shouldn't it be so ?

 

[PD_Solo]

This aircraft is rated for 21 thousand feet +. Also as a CAS and SF platform, it can be done with armour, weapons and sensors for small teams and a LCH and or Rudra support aircraft for the mentioned requirements. Shouldn't it be so ?

Oh sorry.. I should have read that for AH-6 LOH.

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[Filtercoffee]

Oh sorry.. I should have read that for AH-6 LOH.

Sent from my XT1562 using Tapatalk

Well what do u think then its an ideal design for these requirements and to this will be a drone, just like the MQ - 8 fully armed.

 

[Bahamut]

This aircraft is rated for 21 thousand feet +. Also as a CAS and SF platform, it can be done with armour, weapons and sensors for small teams and a LCH and or Rudra support aircraft for the mentioned requirements. Shouldn't it be so ?

For context the American use a 5-6 helicopter squad for deploying a 6 men team ( 1 ambulance +2 gun ship+1 troop carrier +1 reserve) but they quickly lost the surprise element. So now a SF helicopter must have a ECM capability, armor, fire power, surveillance kit along with basic first aid, so a medium sized helicopter (3-5 ton) is preferred like MI 17/38, super puma, super cougar, Augusta Westland AW 101 which can carry 6-12 member team with all the kit needed and be more stealth compare to a group of 5 helicopter.

 

[Filtercoffee]

For context the American use a 5-6 helicopter squad for deploying a 6 men team ( 1 ambulance +2 gun ship+1 troop carrier +1 reserve) but they quickly lost the surprise element. So now a SF helicopter must have a ECM capability, armor, fire power, surveillance kit along with basic first aid, so a medium sized helicopter (3-5 ton) is preferred like MI 17/38, super puma, super cougar, Augusta Westland AW 101 which can carry 6-12 member team with all the kit needed and be more stealth compare to a group of 5 helicopter.

Sir if black hawk down was a script, then I was thinking in terms of non scripted use for the SF.:biggrin2:

 

[abingdonboy]

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[abingdonboy]

SF operation will get specialise helicopter with weapons carrying capability, ECM, more armor and more powerful engine. Most probably they will modify ALH and presently they have no plans to have smaller chopper.

Umm, so.............. the Rudra??

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Army in past asked HAL to develop a gunship based on LUH ..

 

[Scrutator]

Umm, so.............. the Rudra??

Rudra with a little bit of (dyneema) armor would be a great chopper for SF!
Maybe the HTSE-1200 engines to add more muscle (when those engines get ready!!)

 

[abingdonboy]

Army in past asked HAL to develop a gunship based on LUH ..

Weapons pylons will be developed for the LUH that is a certainty but it won't become a dedicated gunship like the Rudra.

 

[Scrutator]

Weapons pylons will be developed for the LUH that is a certainty but it won't become a dedicated gunship like the Rudra.

It'll have a smaller gun (12.7mm vs 20mm on Rudra/LCH). With 2 rocket pylons and possibly ATGMs etc, there won't be any power left to carry any (SF) troops with a full armament load!!

It could look like the Little Bird at some point!!!

Lots of fun things ahead

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Literally a little LCH on a single engine, I cannot comment on weapons ..

We might see this requirement comes online in next year ..

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The requirement was set when IA saw PA testing specialized version of Cobras at siachen, Long back of-course ..

Weapons pylons will be developed for the LUH that is a certainty but it won't become a dedicated gunship like the Rudra.

 

[abingdonboy]

It'll have a smaller gun (12.7mm vs 20mm on Rudra/LCH). With 2 rocket pylons and possibly ATGMs etc, there won't be any power left to carry any (SF) troops with a full armament load!!

It could look like the Little Bird at some point!!!

Lots of fun things ahead

If it can't carry troops then what is the point? The LCH is the dedicated attack helicopter that has armour, heavy munitions and guided weapons.

At most the LUH should be able to have pylons able to carry 1 (each) rocket pod or a gun pod. It is not going to be a first assualter but will come in behind combat aircraft (fighters and attack helicopters).

 

[abingdonboy]

Literally a little LCH on a single engine, I cannot comment on weapons ..

We might see this requirement comes online in next year ..

I don't see the point, the LCH is already a LIGHT attack helicopter so the LUH is going to be a light light attack helicopter?

The LCH is ordered in good quantity (numbers will go well past the 200 unit mark) by IA and IAF, the LUH just has to take care of the RSH/LOH role to replace those damn Cheetahs and Chetaks.

 

[abingdonboy]

The LUH is a support helicopter, it doesn't make much sense to start tasking it for combat roles, this will have a detrimental effect on the overall combat capability of the military.

It would be like turning all support arms (signals, engineers, medics, logisitcs etc) into infantry, who would be left to transport the men and materials and help them when they were injured?

The LUH is the replacement for the Cheetah and Chetak and a DAMN GOOD one at that, let's not try and make it a F-22! This is the LCA all over again, inflated and unrealistic expecations (by fanboys and the unimformed )when the actual orginal goals are very modest and amply taken care of but this isn't sufficent to them and thus the project is unfairly labelled a failure.

 

[Scrutator]

If it can't carry troops then what is the point? The LCH is the dedicated attack helicopter that has armour, heavy munitions and guided weapons.

At most the LUH should be able to have pylons able to carry 1 (each) rocket pod or a gun pod. It is not going to be a first assualter but will come in behind combat aircraft (fighters and attack helicopters).

Sure. LUH can carry a payload of aroudn 600-700 kgs.
So if you allocate 100 kgs to the 12.7 gun+turret+ammo,
50kgs for EO pod,
another 150 kg each for each rocket pod (maybe lighter if smaller rockets are chosen),

then you're left with probably 300-350 kgs. That could leave enough power to possibly carry 3-4 fully armed troops.

I had seen a picture of an LUH mockup with the weapons boom, but I could not find it right now. Little Bird's the closest it will come to.