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

[silverghost]

In R&D stage.

It needs a more powerful engine. I believe they are co-developing one with Safran.

 

[Aditya Ballal]

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has successfully rolled out the first batch of Light Utility Helicopters (LUH) in Limited Series Production (LSP)/Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) Configuration for the Indian Army.

The chopper sports three-tone jungle camouflage, based on the Dhruv and Prachand already in service.

The programme is running well on schedule hinted by the fact that the Central Government had assured Parliament in November 2021 that four airframes will be produced by 2022-23.

 

[abingdonboy]

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has successfully rolled out the first batch of Light Utility Helicopters (LUH) in Limited Series Production (LSP)/Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) Configuration for the Indian Army.

The chopper sports three-tone jungle camouflage, based on the Dhruv and Prachand already in service.

The programme is running well on schedule hinted by the fact that the Central Government had assured Parliament in November 2021 that four airframes will be produced by 2022-23.View attachment 189290View attachment 189291

Eff yeah!

give them an order for 400+ and get the Cheetah/Chetaks retired by 2030 for the love of god. Tumkur can churn out 60 of these beasts a year if they get serious orders

ret@ards have only given the green light for 12 LSP airframes though of course

 

[samsaptaka]

Eff yeah!

give them an order for 400+ and get the Cheetah/Chetaks retired by 2030 for the love of god. Tumkur can churn out 60 of these beasts a year if they get serious orders

ret@ards have only given the green light for 12 LSP airframes though of course

And when these 12 LSPs are trialled, get ready for a barrage of paid news negative articles ! And IAF gernails saying it does not meet requirements, we are looking for a more powerful chopper etc...etc... (Yes I am that blackpilled )

 

[Rajaraja Chola]

And when these 12 LSPs are trialled, get ready for a barrage of paid news negative articles ! And IAF gernails saying it does not meet requirements, we are looking for a more powerful chopper etc...etc... (Yes I am that blackpilled )

LUH is 100 times better than cheetahs. Course the army knows this. But let’s wait till more soldiers die…….

 

[Corvus Splendens]

LUH is 100 times better than cheetahs. Course the army knows this. But let’s wait till more soldiers die…….

Accepting the LUH closes the door for the Ka-226 forever, thus all the pussyfooting.

 

[abingdonboy]

Accepting the LUH closes the door for the Ka-226 forever, thus all the pussyfooting.

I don’t understand why the KA226 hasn’t been officially killed off for india yet, is it really still an option with the LUH in LSP?

it’s pathetic that any energy is even being put in that direction, all the effort should be on getting 100s of LUH into service.

 

[abingdonboy]

And when these 12 LSPs are trialled, get ready for a barrage of paid news negative articles ! And IAF gernails saying it does not meet requirements, we are looking for a more powerful chopper etc...etc... (Yes I am that blackpilled )

I just want series production of the LCH and LUH to start before an airframe is lost. They’ll try to clip the orders otherwise, the ALH had to go through so much cr@p and so many redesigns just to get to where it is today. 20++ years to get ~350 units in service is pretty pitiful. LUH should be able to get 600 within 15 years if given the orders

 

[SilentlAssassin265]

I don’t understand why the KA226 hasn’t been officially killed off for india yet

They paid the bribes

 

[WolfPack86]

4 HAL light utility helicopters by march 2023

 

[Corvus Splendens]

 

[abingdonboy]

View attachment 190213

Just order 400 of them for god’s sake. What are they waiting for? More Chetak/Cheetah crashes? More kickbacks from Russia?

 

[SilentlAssassin265]

Just order 400 of them for god’s sake. What are they waiting for? More Chetak/Cheetah crashes? More kickbacks from Russia?

Wating for that russian helo kamov or something

 

[Corvus Splendens]

Just order 400 of them for god’s sake. What are they waiting for? More Chetak/Cheetah crashes? More kickbacks from Russia?

The last hurrah of the import lobby

 

[abingdonboy]

The last hurrah of the import lobby
View attachment 190236

That it’s still in play is a concern. The import lobby always seems to get its way

 

[Corvus Splendens]

That it’s still in play is a concern. The import lobby always seems to get its way

Watch HAL coming up with a detachable mission pod for the LUH like the Ka226 has, sending the import gang into a frenzy. Noooo overweight, nooo the Kamov's pod takes 0.0009 secs less to detach, noooo the LUH can't climb as fast as an apache.

 

[abingdonboy]

Watch HAL coming up with a detachable mission pod for the LUH like the Ka226 has, sending the import gang into a frenzy. Noooo overweight, nooo the Kamov's pod takes 0.0009 secs less to detach, noooo the LUH can't climb as fast as an apache.

There’s a reason the detachable pod thing hasn’t become a feature on any other helicopter. It’s completely unnecessary

 

[Rajaraja Chola]

Watch HAL coming up with a detachable mission pod for the LUH like the Ka226 has, sending the import gang into a frenzy. Noooo overweight, nooo the Kamov's pod takes 0.0009 secs less to detach, noooo the LUH can't climb as fast as an apache.

It’s not necessary. Can LUH evacuate soldiers in stretches? Can it deploy mission equipments? Yes. Takes time of course like Ka226.

Honestly GoI doesn’t have money. Too many programmes from 2009-15 pushed down that armed forces have lots of problems with very less money. Agreeing to 300+ helis in a single order means spending 10-12B over the next 10 years with immediate 15% payment. IAF needs to build base, training modules for pilots etc. IAF also has needs for fighters which are most expensive of all platforms. Govt is trying to make sense of the mess we are in and trying to place order for the most worst mess. And that is killing or delaying super complete products like LUH or LCH.

 

[NoobWannaLearn]

I don’t understand why the KA226 hasn’t been officially killed off for india yet, is it really still an option with the LUH in LSP?

it’s pathetic that any energy is even being put in that direction, all the effort should be on getting 100s of LUH into service.

It should be a crime to even think about another bird while your country made something this beautiful

 

[abingdonboy]

It’s not necessary. Can LUH evacuate soldiers in stretches? Can it deploy mission equipments? Yes. Takes time of course like Ka226.

Honestly GoI doesn’t have money. Too many programmes from 2009-15 pushed down that armed forces have lots of problems with very less money. Agreeing to 300+ helis in a single order means spending 10-12B over the next 10 years with immediate 15% payment. IAF needs to build base, training modules for pilots etc. IAF also has needs for fighters which are most expensive of all platforms. Govt is trying to make sense of the mess we are in and trying to place order for the most worst mess. And that is killing or delaying super complete products like LUH or LCH.

300 LUH/RSH won’t cost anywhere near 10-12B, the 197 RSH bid ~10 years ago was for around $1bn, today it’ll probably be over $3-4 but nowhere near 10 and LUH is quite a bit cheaper than the KA-226 in the long term

the sad part is in the mid 00s when RSH was first floated the expected price was $500-600m for all 197.

20++ years to get a Chetak/Cheetah replacement and still they are going through this RFQ/AON circus for something already in production in India.

have the babus/3-4* generals fly around in chetaks/cheetah every day in the Himalayas until they get their act together