HAL’s Light Utility Helicopter

[IndianArmy]

I think more important would be to have a project like Heavy Attack Helicopter like Apache and Heavy lift helicopter like Chinook.

Our army should have such helicopters more in number for the offensive role and for speedy transport. I hope after this we go for these projects.

I think these two projects are actually more important than LUH.

Indeed, HAL's Next helicopter project is a Medium Lift Multi role Helicopter

 

[Abingdonboy]

Correct me if i am wrong but IAF intend to by 22 heavy attack helicopters, 12 heavy lift helicopters, they are already operating Dhruv and Russian counterparts of previous categories and they also intend to buy light helicopters from eurocopter.

Forgive me if I am wrong but no matter what we do, IAF and IA needs a chopper in every category and they will buy them, i am just saying that we should build chopper in these categories also so that we don't have to buy.

I said not every war will be fought in Siachen because as per need for all terrain we have already developed choppers. Now heavy lift helicopters and Heavy attack helicopters might not reach at such altitude but that does not mean we should not build them.

This is not me who is asking, this is our forces requirement and they are fulfilling it by purchasing from US and Russia.

Also i know HAL has developed a very good products like Dhruv and LCH. But lets face it, if you wanna do a rapid deployment in an area where there is no connectivity then is it better to use choppers like Chinook or there also we should use Dhruv.

We are getting Apache from US, but its not far when US might also give them to Pakistan, and let me assure you however good LCH is, it stand no chance to fight against Heavy attack helicopters like Apache or any other in its category. LCH is meant for different purpose and i am sure it will fulfill it but still we need to fill the gap in heavy attack helicopter.

Its not just us. Every army or AF has these categories :
heavy lift (???/)
medium transport (Dhruv)
light weight (LUH or eurocopter whatever army choses)
heavy attack (????)
light attack (LCH)

We face many natural calamity every year, Heavy lift helicopters like chinook will definitely help alot.

I'm sorry but I think you've misunderstood me, or maybe I didnt make myself clear enough. I don't mean one single helo for the heavy/medium/light/attack role but ONE helo TYPE per ROLE i.e only Apache for heavy attack, only Chinook for heavy lift etc instead ofvthe situation I think someone was implying where there are multiple makes of helo flying around doing the same thing. I hope this clears up the misunderstanding.

 

[Lord Of Gondor]

When is the first chopper coming out for trials???

Can someone please answer as to when the prototypes will roll out????

 

[angeldemon_007]

I don't mean one single helo for the heavy/medium/light/attack role but ONE helo TYPE per ROLE i.e only Apache for heavy attack, only Chinook for heavy lift etc hopes this clears up the misunderstanding.

Ohhh....but Apache is for IAF and that too 22 and Chinook only 12. Don't you think this number is less.

HAL is a company, it should develop all range of products for our armed forces and if possible it could export also. But we should have options in all range.

Army is thinking of expanding its own aviation corps and I thinking that should be the reason to provide army with options like our own heavy attack helicopter and heavy lift helicopter, after all its our army which mobilizes in all conflict zones.

If HAL develops this product, IA would itself purchase in big numbers just like LCH.

I agree with you that we should have only one platform in each category but since our aviation corps is there in army also so they can operrate different choppers than the one operated by our Air force, just like our navy, who operate different kinds of choppers.

 

[KS]

Being single engine helicopter LUH is more economical, less fuel consumption, less maintenance and less initial cost. LUH is designed mainly for reconnaissance purpose while Dhruv is duel engine, multipurpose & lifts more load as well as carry more defence personnels.

MehrotraPrince has already supplied the answer, our thanks to him.
Will add only 1 cent. worth- even the Armed Forces have to run according to a budget. Maintenance of operating costs is nearly as important as the operations themselves. Otherwise the economy can be "bled dry", as we can see around in our neighbourhood.

Thanks guys

The name suggest the answer to U. It is light Utility.
Also as Captain pop and Prince said it is maintence ,logistics , economy.....
The heights of Glaciers which can be reached only by these machines. Beyond certain point the airpressure drops and the normal Heli cant operate.
The cheeta holds a world record but recently it was beaten.

Adaan pa - Dhruv can operate at those altitudes and the record you mentioned was broken by Dhruv. That was why my initial doubt.

 

[lilaspr]

1 cent of mine. There is nothing wrong in buying things from foreign vendors in military supplies. 100% Indian is a long way to go plus no need for that aswell.

India is doing well the thing what they need is mass they try to use indian rest foreign vendors...

 

[angeldemon_007]

1 cent of mine. There is nothing wrong in buying things from foreign vendors in military supplies. 100% Indian is a long way to go plus no need for that aswell.

India is doing well the thing what they need is mass they try to use indian rest foreign vendors...

Agreed...what we are trying is too get good in critical technologies, rest would be imported from the global market.

 

[kish]

Then why in the gods name we are 197 buying helicopters like Fennec. Although the deal is not finalized yet but it has not been cancelled either.


Second thing that i don't get is that, are we going to fight all the wars in Kashmir ??/

There are areas like in N-East, Punjab, Rajasthan also we need helicopters for our island areas also. So why we always wanna make helicopter which would be able to fly in Siachen.

We already made choppers for that purpose now we should move forward to make something which would defend the rest of our country's border.


Thats what i am trying to say. HAL is thinking all the wars will be faught on Siachen glacier.

helicopter will able to fly in siachin doesn't mean that it wont work in other places
siachin and leh like produce extreme condition for any aircraft and chopper and if it will work efficiently there we dont have to think much about other places

again
Inidia share its most of border with two country Pakistan and China
both have border dispute with India
in case of China, we have to fight along with whole Himalaya
and for Pakistan we have to fight in whole Kashmir along with panjab and rajasthan

so in case of war we must have to fight in Kashmir


and for ur last line

Hal produce what Indian army , air force , navy need/ask
not what Hal want to produce coz at the end force will use them not hal

 

[angeldemon_007]

helicopter will able to fly in siachin doesn't mean that it wont work in other places
siachin and leh like produce extreme condition for any aircraft and chopper and if it will work efficiently there we dont have to think much about other places

No i didn't meant that...but what i meant was that, HAL concentrates on making things which can fly over the Himalayas which is no doubt an achievement but still on other terrain it might face a problem.

I am just saying we need a domestic project for a heavy attack helicopter because lets face it LCH is nothing in comparison to other heavy attack helicopters like Apache which will be sooner or later in Pakistan forces. Although LCH is good for Siachen areas....
We also need a domestic project for heavy lift helicopters, we are looking for 12 but I think you will also agree that we have too many hostile areas and a very big army to have just 12 heavy lift helicopters and 22 heavy attack helicopters.
Heavy lift and heavy attack helicopters might not reach Siachen but that doesnot mean we should not go for this project.

Hal produce what Indian army , air force , navy need/ask
not what Hal want to produce coz at the end force will use them not hal

Yeah thats true....but I hope our armed forces trust HAL enough to go for such projects instead of trusting foreign vendors.

 

[satishkumarcsc]

No one is going to dogfight with choppers. Heavy attack helicopters are the bigger ones with more sensors.