BENGALURU: The army plans to buy a mix of 200 utility and combat helicopters to meet its operational requirements, with the platforms set to be produced in the country, army chief General Manoj Pande said at Aero India 2023 on Tuesday. He said the army needs around 110 light utility helicopters (LUH) and 90 to 95 light combat helicopters (LCH) that will be built by state-run plane maker Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
Pande’s comments came days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the country’s largest helicopter manufacturing facility at Tumakuru in Karnataka, in what is being seen as a shot in the arm for ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in the defence manufacturing sector. The new HAL factory, spread across 615 acres, will initially produce the LUH followed by LCH and later the Indian multirole helicopters (IMRH).
LUH will replace the army and the Indian Air Force’s ageing fleets of Cheetah and Chetak helicopters. HAL expects the army and IAF to place combined orders for at least 187 light helicopters in the coming years. Currently, the Cheetah and Chetak helicopters are a critical lifeline for troops in high-altitude areas, including the Siachen glacier.
The army has already ordered six limited series production LUH and repeat orders will follow based on the performance of the first lot of helicopters, Pande said. “We need it to be equipped with some more capabilities. HAL is working on it,” the army chief said.
HAL has already been awarded a contract for 15 limited series production LCH – 10 for IAF and five for the army. The plane maker expects follow-on orders as the army and IAF have a combined projected requirement of 160 such helicopters. LCH has an indigenous content of 45% by value, which will progressively increase to more than 55% for the series production version.
The LCH is the right fit for the army’s requirements in the mountains, Pande said. He said integrating the locally developed anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), Helina, with the LCH is a priority.
The army is also set to induct next year six Apache AH64E attack helicopters, he said. The Boeing-manufactured helicopters cost upwards of ₹4,100 crore. Armed with fire-and-forget Hellfire missiles, the Apache can track up to 128 targets a minute and prioritise threats. The missiles equip the gunships with heavy anti-armour capabilities.
IMRH, which will also be manufactured at Tumakuru factory, is expected to compete with Russian Mi-17 choppers in both Indian and foreign markets. HAL says the platform could have a huge market as nearly 40 air forces across the world operate Mi-17 type helicopters. The Mi-17 is the mainstay of the IAF’s transport fleet.